5/18/23
UPDATE…5/18/2023
It’s been a busy 10 days but your Board of Directors approved the contract for Phase 2 with MECA. MECA began their work May 17, 2023 and is expected to complete their Phase 2 work on or before July 30, 2023. We are expecting Phase 3 to start the beginning of August, 2023. As we receive further information we will update you. John Shaw (RAL) spoke with the flood insurance desk adjuster and they indicated we should be receiving a report from them shortly. We are
excited to finally be moving forward and hopeful with deadlines in place this will continue. Your Board of Directors and your management company, RAL, appreciate your continued support and words of encouragement.
5/9/23
1. Dear ITR Owners
We’ve hit some bumps on our road to recovery.
We’ve recently experienced some difficulties with the firm(Rimkus) that we initially hired to handle the engineering work needed to restore Island Towers. After successfully completing 99% of the contract for the work that we hired them for to complete the phase one project, we entered into negotiations with them to complete the remainder of the engineering work that is required to restore Island Towers. During an
initial meeting on April 3, 2023, to review their phase 2 contract proposal all parties involved agreed on some final changes that needed to be incorporated into the revised contract and we were assured of a quick turn around to receive the final revised contact proposal. After several days without receiving anything we contacted Rimkus asking when we could expect to receive the revised phase 2 contract. There was no response to this inquiry. We then made another inquiry about when to expect the revised contract and again received no response. We had our attorney reach out multiple times without any response. This lack of response was very concerning and unacceptable to the board.
Long story short, after many inquiries, no responses and a very long delay in receiving their finalized phase 2 contract proposal the board decided to seek a proposal for the remaining required engineering work from another firm that was recommended by RAL, our management company. John Shaw has had experience with this company and they are currently working on multiple projects on the island. A committee of the board along with John Shaw met with representatives of this firm in an interview session on May 5, 2023. Following the 2 plus hour interview session the company’s references were thoroughly checked. Based on the consistently excellent reports we received and the positive impression representatives of the firm made during our interview, we have decided to enter into contract negotiations with this firm, MECA Engineering. If we can reach agreement on acceptable contract terms with MECA we intend to engage the services of this firm for the remaining engineering work that is required for the restoration of ITR.
I want to make it clear that Rimkus was hired for phase 1 engineering work, was paid for the work they performed and they provided a very comprehensive, detailed report, which we own, and is able to be used in the next phases of our project. Once it became apparent that Rimkus’ responsiveness was seriously lacking and unacceptable to us the board quickly decided to move in a different direction. We were surprised and disappointed by these developments but we are not discouraged. We actually feel very hopeful that we have found a firm that offers great possibilities for excellent performance, responsiveness and timely action going forward. None of this has been easy and we were warned early on to expect set backs and bumps along the road. And so we have; but we also remain determined to see this major endeavor through to a successful conclusion!
We need and ask for your continued support. What we need to accomplish will not be possible without the support of the owners. Know that your board and our management firm are consistently working with persistence and dedication to bring the most challenging project we have ever undertaken to a successful conclusion. Our focus as always is to serve the best interests of the Island Towers Resort Condominium Association and the owners. We will continue to update you and provide all updates as they are received.
Sincerely; Patrick J. Neuman; President, Island Towers Resort Condominium Association Board of Directors
2. The
2/6/2023, 2/22/2023, 3/20/2023 and the 4/3/2023 minutes which were
approved at the 5/8/2023 board meeting have been posted on the Island
Towers section of the RAL website under resort docs.
3. The recording of the 5/5/2023 board meeting is posted under resort docs on the Island Towers section of the RAL website.
5/4/23
Update…We
have the system up and running and will be able to have a shared screen
presentation during the board meeting so all participants will be able
to view the meeting packet as we work through it. Also, our construction
attorney, we speak at the beginning of the meeting to provide the most
up to date information and details. The full board meeting will be
available for viewing by owners on the RAL web site under Island Towers
resort docs. If you are not currently receiving updates from Cyndi please contact her at managerITR@gmail.com to be added.
5/2/23
There
are temporary emergency berms that have been placed to help protect
properties as we head into hurricane season. Time did not allow the
beach renourishment project to get started as May 1-October 31 is turtle
nesting season and work could not be done during that time. Due to the
many deficits along the beach these large sand berms will naturally
disburse sand over this time. Our committee will continue to work with
the town of FMB to design the renourishment dunes in the fall and expect that process to begin after November 1st. We’ve had a few concerned inquiries and wanted to update you.
4/28/23
ISLAND TOWERS RESORT CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
May 8, 2023
RAL Resort’s Office—17810 SAN CARLOS BLVD, FT MYERS BEACH, FL 33931
In person or Via Zoom
10:00AM EST
PRESIDENT: PATRICK NEUMAN
VICE PRES: JUDY PADGETT
SECRETARY: DIANE LOEFFEN
TREASURER: EDWARD WUTTKE
DIRECTOR: CAROL BERNING
DIRECTOR: TONI HILL
DIRECTOR: TOM MURPHY
1. CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL / ESTABLISH QUORUM
2. ANNOUNCEMENT OF THOSE IN ATTENDANCE WHO WILL BE RECORDING THE MEETING
A. RAL IS RECORDING FOR THE PURPOSE OF VERIFYING THE MINUTES
B. OTHERS?
3. BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES OF THE 2/6/23 BOARD MEETING
4. APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE 2/6/23 BOARD MEETING
5. APPROVE MINUTES OF OTHER BOARD MEETINGS HELD AFTER THE 2/6/23 BOD MEETING
6. COMMITTEE REPORTS NOT INCLUDED BELOW
7. MANAGEMENT REPORTS
A. Standard financial reports
B. Hurricane savings and expenses details to date
C. Hurricane line item budget listing
1. All hurricane related expenses paid with insurance funds
2. All hurricane related expenses paid with ITR Funds
3. Accountant’s directions for how hurricane income/expenses should be handled.
D. Insurance Reports
1. Funds received to date and others outstanding
2. Insurance funds adjusted as a result of Rimkus analysis?
3. Other insurance items/need for a PA and ?
E. Deed back/default status
F. Any additional RAL reports
G. ITR Manager Report
H. Other
8. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. CURRENT PROJECTS STATUS UPDATES
1. Required State Reserve Study. Who/When?
2. State required recertification requirement process. Who/When?
3. SBA loan
4. Beach re-nourishment, berm construction report
5. Rimkus reports, phase 2 contract information/questions
6. Appraisal, permitting report
7. Contractor selection report/process
8. Next steps in the recovery, rebuilding process
9. ITR staffing review/RAL recommendation. Executive Session
10. Action Plan. Revise as needed
11. Ratify motions previously acted upon via email.
12. Other
9. NEW BUSINESS
A. 2023 audit update
B. Webinar Reports
C. RAL 2023 Evaluation
D. Rebuilding requirements. Owners meeting/votes
E. Owners requests
F. Budget Committee Planning Meeting
G. Board open forum for questions, comments, issues, concerns.
H. Other
10. OWNER’S COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS
11. NEXT MEETING ARRANGEMENTS
12. ADJOURN
4/18/23
zoom
information for the May 8, 2023 board meeting will be posted closer to
the meeting date. The agenda and zoom information will be mailed by
Cyndi. If you do not currently receive emails from Cyndi and wish to
please contact her at manageritr@gmail.com
4/3/23
WE NEED YOU…
The Island Towers Board of Directors are in the process of making a decision whether to employ a design/build or a design/bid/build process in the restoration of Island Towers Resort. We are seeking input from owners who have had experience in the engineering/construction/architectural or related fields as to the “pros” and “cons” of each. This input will help educate the Board and guide them as they move forward their decision.
Please send your comments to the
board secretary at dloeffen@mnsi.net
3/25/23
The
beach sand distribution began this week. The Wyndham is being used as
one of the staging properties. Traffic is heavy due to all the trucks
bringing in the sand.
3/22/23
Update…there
will be a BOD meeting Monday April 3, 2023 at 11:00AM eastern. This
meeting is with Rimkus to discuss their phase 2 proposal. The agenda and
zoom information will posted shortly.
3/20/23
The recording of todays BOD meeting is posted on the RAL website, under ITR-resort docs. You will need the password to access, if you do not have it please email Cyndi at manageritr@gmail.com to receive.
The pre submitted questions and answers along with the statement from the attorney have been mailed by Cyndi. If you are not receiving the emails please contact her and get added to the list.
Your Board and RAL thank you for your continued support.
3/9/23
Apparently, there are some rumors floating around.
The truths are that the final report from Rimkus has not been released yet but we expect it to be shortly.
Our attorneys are working with the town regarding our appraisal and permit and there is no final word on that.
Our insurance coverage is:
Wind-the building is insured for $8,273,752. Deductibles are 3% for a named windstorm with a minimum of $25,000.00.
Flood-the building is insured for $6,455,000 and $100,000 on contents. Deductibles are $5,000 on contents and $5,000 on the building. All losses are on deprecated values not replacement values. We have not received word from flood yet.
And regarding FEMA, since we are not full time residential we don’t qualify for help. We have applied for a SBA loan which we can access if we choose but are not obligated to take.
Once we have received all of the information about insurance proceeds and we get our appraisal and permit to rebuild approved by the town of Ft Myers officials we will then be in a position to make a final determination on if we are able to rebuild and if so the amount of funds we will need to do so.
Please continue to refer to this site and the emails you are receiving from our manager for the most up to date, accurate information.
3/1/23
Update…there
will be a board meeting Monday March 20, 2023 at 11:00 AM eastern. Zoom
information will be posted now and again the week before the meeting.
The agenda is posted on this site and will be emailed tomorrow. If you
do not currently receive emails and wish to be on the list please email
Cyndi with your information. manageritr@gmail.com
2/23/23
To
prepare the scour for sand and future renourishment the ITR lake was
cleaned of fencing, tables, luggage, stairs, concrete slabs from the
pool deck and doors. We were able to get the ok to access the beach with
equipment to perform this work.
2/22/23
Update….at the 2/22/2023 emergency meeting we had a presentation from the nourishment/berm-dune committee, a thorough review of the documents by our attorney and further information provided by RAL. With a unanimous vote the Board passed the motion to sign the easement, this will be completed tomorrow. Members of the Board and RAL will meet with the Town to inspect the area, provide a design and choose the plantings. By signing the easement all costs are covered by government and the town of FMB, they will also be responsible for repair and major upkeep, ITR will have minimal maintenace of the area.
The recording of todays meeting is available on the ITR section of the RAL website.
Your Board and RAL continue to appreciate your support.
2/21/23
BREAKING: The Lee Country Board of Commissioners has approved the construction contract for a new Big Carlos Pass Bridge. The bridge connects the south end of Fort Myers Beach to Lover’s Key on Estero Boulevard. The $90.8 million construction contract with Superior Construction Co. Southeast LLC includes:
· a new fixed span bridge with a 60-foot navigation clearance over Big Carlos Pass with a lifespan of 75 years
· a fishing pier
· pedestrian/bicycle-friendly features
The new bridge will be constructed on the Gulf side of the existing bridge; motorists will continue to have access to the old bridge throughout construction. It will include one travel lane in each direction, bicycle lanes, a 6-foot-wide sidewalk along the north side of Estero Boulevard and a 10-foot shared use path along the south side of Estero Boulevard. The project also includes installation of new infrastructure for Lee County Utilities and Bonita Springs Utilities.
Construction is expected to begin in late spring. The construction contract also includes creation of an offshore artificial reef using the old bridge.
As
of 2/21/2023 we are currently waiting…waiting for the Town of FMB to
make a decision about our appraisal as it relates to the 50% rule,
waiting on FEMA to make a decision that flows down to the counties
related to the 50% rule, and waiting for the final Phase I report from
Rimkus who is having issues getting answers from contractors with the
strain on resources. Your board decided at the onset of this disaster
that we would share any information we have and have done so through
Facebook, emails and the RAL website. We will not speculate just to
have something to post or email. We are not spending any unnecessary
funds at the resort until we have a clear picture of how to move
forward. Just when we’re hoping we’re getting close to having one thing
settled we get another thrown in the mix with the latest being the beach
nourishment/berm situation. An emergency board meeting has been
scheduled for Wednesday, February 22nd at 2:00pm to address the beach
nourishment/berm project. The Zoom information has been posted and
emailed. Cyndi remains available via email for specific questions you
may have at manageritr@gmail.com. We’ve tried to provide honest,
informative information and we greatly appreciate the support and
encouraging words from our wonderful owners and in that vein we are
trying to keep a positive outlook.
2/14/23
Update
2/14…the meeting packet, not the minutes,from the 2/6/2023 BOD meeting
is now posted on the ITR section on the RAL site. Minutes from a meeting
arent official until approved, all board meeting minites are approved
at the following board meeting, the minutes posted now are from the
11/7/2022 meeting. Thanks for your support!
2/7/23
With
clean up inside the fence in good shape, we are moving outside the
fence. Along the beach access walkway we’ve been cleaning as what is
along there are our pavers, pool deck and fence material. Now we’re
working on the ‘lake’ that formed in front of the seawall. It will be
interesting to see what all is removed. After the area is cleared we
will have some beach raking done and sand will be added. Currently sand
is sifted at Newton Park as well as Time Square and distributed along the beach.
2/6/23
UPDATE…the
recording of todays Board of Directors meeting is available on the ITR
section of the RAL website under resort docs. If you need log in info
please email Cyndi at manageritr@gmail.com
Maintenance has been busy trying to get pathways cleared. This is along the north side of the resort before and today.
2/2/23
Update…a reminder that the regularly scheduled Board of Directors meeting will be held Monday February 6, 2023 at 10:00 AM EST. Please find the agenda in a previous post. Zoom information has been posted. There will be a meeting update posted a few days following the meeting. Remember previously approved minutes, newsletters and association documents may be found on the ITR section of the RAL website. If you haven’t already done so and wish to receive future emails in your inbox please send Cyndi your email information, manageritr@gmail.com
Your Board and RAL thank you for your continued support.
1/31/23
Reminder:
today is the last day to call in and make payments, pay online, or mail
out your payment with a postmarked date of 1/31/23. Payments made with
a credit card or debit card over the phone or online will have a 4%
service fee added. Please call 239-481-9580 or visit www.ralresorts.com .
1/30/23
Update…Many members of the board were able to attend webinars on the updates of Sanibel, Lee County and Ft Myers Beach last week. Reports and updates will be presented during the board meeting, February 6.
Several of our board members will be meeting with our insurance brokers and RAL to review the current status of the insurance claims and ensure we have a solid strategy to closely monitor the claims through this process. This information will be provided at our February 6 board meeting as well. We are hoping to receive updated information on the status of the phase one engineers final report in the near future as well as quotes on the next phase. Zoom information has been posted and emailed for our board meeting on February 6 at 10 AM. If you need to update your email address or missed the Zoom information, please email manageritr@gmail.com. Your board and RAL thank you for your continued support.
1/26/23
Reminder: The last day to pay your annual maintenance fees is 1/31/23. The offices at RAL Resorts will be open until 5:00pm EST that day. The phone number to call is 239-481-9580. Calls received after hours will be considered late. Leaving a voicemail will not be considered as an on-time payment. Credit and Debit card payments have a 4% fee added to the total charged. Credit and Debit card payments are also able to be done on your owner account at
www.RALresorts.com.
We also stress that the last postmarked date for fees to be paid by mail is also 1/31/23. It is imperative that the mail you send out is stamped with the correct date. We suggest you take your mail directly to the mailing center to have them stamp the mailer in front of you with the proper date.
ANY PAYMENTS SENT BY MAIL AND RECEIVED WITH A POSTMARK OF FEBRUARY 1, 2023 OR LATE WILL BE CONSIDERED LATE!
Also, fees that are not paid in full as directed by your board of directors will incur late fees and interest charges. Partial payments are accepted but do not save one’s account from incurring these late fees and interest charges.
1/22/23
The zoom information will be posted later this week
ISLAND TOWERS RESORT CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
DATE: Feb. 6, 2023
Location: In Person at RAL Office or Via Zoom
TIME: 10:00 AM Eastern
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
PRESIDENT: PATRICK NEUMAN
VICE PRES: JUDY PADGETT
SECRETARY: DIANE LOEFFEN
TREASURER: EDWARD WUTTKE
DIRECTOR: CAROL BERNING
DIRECTOR: TONI HILL
DIRECTOR: TOM MURPHY
AGENDA
1. CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL / ESTABLISH QUORUM
2. ANNOUNCEMENT OF THOSE IN ATTENDANCE WHO WILL BE RECORDING THE MEETING
A. RAL IS RECORDING FOR THE PURPOSE OF VERIFYING THE MINUTES
B. OTHERS?
3. BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES OF THE 11/7/22 BOARD MEETING
4. APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE 11/7/22 BOARD MEETING
5. COMMITTEE REPORTS NOT INCLUDED BELOW
6. MANAGEMENT REPORTS
A. Standard financial reports including transfer of interest to reserves.
B. RAL proposed revised 2023 budget. Board Action
C. Hurricane savings and additional expenses detail
D. Insurance
1. Funds Received. Dates, Amounts, From?
2. See 11/7 Minutes. Clarify Amounts.
3. Other Insurance Updates.
E. Deed back / default status
F. Any additional RAL reports
G. ITR Manager Report
H. Other
7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. CURRENT PROJECTS STATUS UPDATES
1. Required State Reserve Study. Who / When?
2. State required recertification requirement process. Who / When?
3. FEMA / Small Business Loan
4. Communication to / from owners
5. Rimkus contract clarification and ratification
6. Rimkus Report
7. Appraisal Report
8. Any other remediation or construction reports / estimates
9. Next steps in the recovery, rebuilding process
10. ITR staffing review
11. Action Plan review. Revise as needed
12. Legal Information. Executive Sessions in an open forum / Other
13. Other
8. NEW BUSINESS
A. 2023 audit plan
B. Webinar Reports
C. RAL 2023 Evaluation Plans
D. Owner’s Requests
G. Schedule additional regular Board meetings and other meetings
H. Other
9. OWNER’S COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS
10. NEXT MEETING ARRANGEMENTS
11. ADJOURN
1/18/23
The next regularly scheduled Board of Directors meeting is Monday February 6, 2023. We will post the agenda Monday January 23, 2023. The zoom information will be posted in a separate post.
We are still waiting for reports, as soon as we are able we will provide an update. Thank you for your support and patience.
1/12/23
Thank
you to all owners sending their checks in. RAL still has to pick up all
mail at a station near the airport, hopefully that will change soon.
If it seems unreasonably long for your check to clear you can email
Cyndi at manageritr@gmail.com to inquire. Thank you so much for your
support.
1/10/23
Update…Monday Cyndi was at the resort to meet with the elevator people. Today she was back to meet with the trash chute company. They also went to the roof to check the flue, while she was there she took this shot for us.
We are still waiting for any further information. Thank you for your patience.
1/6/23
Update…It’s been a trying week, as we like you are anxiously waiting for the report from Rimkus Consulting Group, for now we remain in a holding pattern. Cyndi and Garry were at Island Towers twice this week. Tuesday they were looking after the smoke alarm batteries that were going off with the batteries dying. Also removing more damaged supplies. Thursday Cyndi met with the electrical engineer from Rimkus about the elevator and electricity to the units.
Mail delivery still has not resumed to the 33931 zip code. RAL pick up their mail daily at the assigned pick up area near Jet Blue park. Please ensure you are sending your fees to:
Island Towers Resort
c/o RAL Property Management
17810 San Carlos Blvd
Ft Myers Beach, FL 33931
Your Board and RAL thank you for your continued support.
1/5/23
Update…again
we are in a holding pattern. Waiting for reports to conclude and be
received. As soon as we hear anything we will post and send an update.
Thank you for your patience and the kind words and messages we’ve
received.
12/28/22
Town Hall meeting held via zoom from 12/21/22.
Patrick Neuman, Judy Padgett, Diane Loeffen, Ed Wuttke, Carol Berning and Tom Murphy representing the Board along with John Shaw, Maggie Hagar and Cyndi Hessling representing RAL were in attendance. Pat Neuman discussed the purpose of the Town Hall was to keep owners updated and informed. Pat reviewed the steps taken by the board and RAL to date. These include:
Board Action Plan-developed, approved & implemented detailing Board leadership and facilitation of essential tasks to include the amendment process, clean up & securing ITR, initial structural assessment performed to provide the ‘allow to enter’ permit, initial structural shoring, obtaining legal advice as needed & implementing the process for finding and engaging an engineering firm to address all of the issues needed to determine if we can rebuild. Roof repair, security fencing around perimeter of property, caution fencing around swimming pool, meeting with the 4 different insurance company representatives, meeting with adjusters, meeting at ITR with two board members, RAL and Rimkus to view the property, receiving bids from multiple remediation companies, multiple meetings with engineering firm and attorneys, finalizing contract for assessment of ITR by Rimkus, arranging for a current market value assessment of ITR, estimates for elevator and other incidentals. We have applied to the SBA (Small Business Association) for a $2 million dollar loan, we do not have to access the loan but had to apply by the November deadline. It is estimated it will take 6 weeks or so to receive the report back from Rimkus. Judy Padgett moderated questions from owners-Judy also reinforced that at this time Rimkus is performing an assessment not repairing ITR. To date we have approximately $160,000 that was not used in the budget, however we’ve had more than $145,000 in un budgeted expenses with much more to come. Judy spoke about dealing with disasters and the fact you need the money in the bank and not have to wait 2-3 months for invoicing and receipt so we’re able to move forward quickly when the opportunity arises. Budget adjustments will be reviewed at the February board meeting. Once anything is acted on it will be shared at that time. We are still waiting on reports from insurance adjusters. Monies paid out to date include-original board up of resort $2400, attorney fees $6000, Florida structural $2500 to provide shoring, ITR clean up costs $20,000, perimeter security fencing $13,000, safe to enter assessment $8,254, attorney $4622, roofing $69,202, Rimkus for structural design to rebuild, concrete work, permitting, etc $33,000. Recently $500,000 was received as an advance from wind insurance, this was placed in a separate account established just for hurricane monies received and paid out. We are hoping to have more information from the insurance companies soon.
We received word from the engineering firm that the initial site inspection is complete and they’re working on the schematic repair estimate. An electrical engineer will be sent to ITR the first week of January, to review and confirm repair thoughts regarding the elevator and electrical repair work. We are still hopeful we will have their report around the third week of January.
Your Board and RAL thank you for your support and will provide any further information as soon as we receive it.
12/27/22
There will be an update from the 12/21 Town Hall meeting posted this week. Thank you for your patience
12/21/22
Thank you to all the owners attending tonights Town Hall information meeting. Every attempt was made to answer your questions, if you had or have a question that was not answered please send it to:
Patrick Neuman, President
patneuman@mich.com
Cyndi Hessling, ITR Manager
manageritr@gmail.com
Once again, the ITR Board of Directors and RAL thank you for your kind words of support and trust.
12/20/22
INFORMATION FOR AGENDA ITEM 4 FOR THE 12/21/22 ITR BOD INFORMATIONAL MEETING FOR ITR OWNERS
Previous arrangements made and actions/processes implemented from late September 2022 into early November 2022 by the ITR Board and RAL.
· First visit to ITR by RAL on foot for initial assessment of damages.
Board Action Plan developed, approved and implemented detailing Board leadership and facilitation of essential tasks to include the amendment process, clean up and securing ITR, initial structural assessment performed to be allowed to enter, initial structural repairs, obtaining legal advice as needed and implementing the process for finding and engaging an engineering firm to address all of the issues needed to determine if we can rebuild and if so all arrangements needed to determine if it’s feasible to do so.
· Meeting with attorney re: amendment proposal and process and steps needed to approve.
· Initial clean up and securing of the property.
· Roof repair arrangements made and completed.
Security fencing arranged and installed around perimeter of property
Caution fencing installed around swimming pool
· Meeting with insurance representatives (4) to review our coverage and the process for submitting claims and obtaining proceeds.
· Arrangements for initial structural assessment of ITR to determine if it’s safe to enter.
· Arrangements made for initial required structural repairs
· Arrangements to meet insurance adjusters at ITR for inspections and assessment for claims process.
· Budget adjustments made based on reduced expenses for previously budgeted items and increased expenses related to new expenses related to the disaster.
· Meeting at ITR with representatives of the recommended engineering firm along with ITR Board members Patrick Neuman, Diane Loeffen, ITR Manager Cyndi Hessling, RAL President John Shaw and committee member Bill Boom for the recommended engineering firm’s initial inspection of ITR.
· Engineering Committee recommendation to the Executive Committee to engage Rimkus as the engineering firm to facilitate the processes needed to potentially rebuild ITR.
· Initial estimates obtained for mitigation work needed.
2. Review of recent developments. Early November 2022 to December 21, 2022
· Process for finalizing contract arrangements with the recommended engineering firm and final results for engaging an engineering firm facilitate the potential ITR rebuild.
· Executive Committee meeting with Rimkus to begin contract finalization process.
· ITRCA attorney review of contract and his proposed changes provided to Rimkus.
· Rimkus and ITRCA attorneys work on finalizing the contract
· Executive Committee meeting with Rimkus officials and both attorneys to facilitate contract finalization.
· Final contract terms finalized the next day. The contract is considered an agreement between the ITR Legal firm and the engineering firm. This contract is mutually acceptable to and in the best interests of both parties.
· The ITR Board Executive Committee recommended that the ITR BOD approve the proposed contract. It was approved unanimously by the ITR Board.
· Rimkus is currently performing a comprehensive assessment of ITR to determine what will need to be done to restore ITR. They will work with town officials to determine if we’re able to rebuild and also work with insurance adjusters to help ensure the insurance proceeds are realistic based on Rimkus comprehensive assessment of what is needed. This is considered Phase one of the project. It will take approximately 6 weeks. The assessment takes 3 weeks and the report takes another 3 weeks.
· Arrangements are being made to obtain a required current market value assessment of ITR.
· Estimates obtained for elevator repairs
· Other last minute information.
12/14/22
A bit more cleanup, the parking lot was rolled with a magnet to pick up more nails and screws, more sweeping and clean up up of sand and orange fencing was put up around the pool. Cyndi also went through the storage rooms on the upper floors to check the status and inventory the contents.
The engineers are still on site continuing the assessment process.
12/12/22
There will be an owners information town hall held on December 21st at 7:30PM EST, via zoom. Zoom information will be posted closer to the meeting date. It will be posted on this site as well as sent via email from Cyndi (manageritr@gmail.com)
12/9/22
Tuesday the Engineering firm arrived to begin their assessment and report. We’re expecting to have the report by the middle of January. Cyndi was at the resort this week to inventory the office spaces, the pool room, the Maintenance room and the sheds. It is a difficult process trying to remember everything. Cyndi is also sending this update via email, please ensure she has your correct email if you’d like to be included and
haven’t done so previously. As soon as we have any further updates we will post them, your Board and RAL thank you for your continued support.
12/2/22
We’ve signed a contract with an engineering firm to handle the assessment and design for repairs to ITR and to work with the town for approval to rebuild. The engineering firm will begin work at ITR on December 6th and it is anticipated to take approximately 6 weeks to complete their work. In order to rebuild as is, we have to show that the cost does not exceed 50% of the value. You can find additional information on the 50% rule at:
www.fortmyersbeachfl.gov. As soon as we have any information it will be shared with you. We are planning a TOWN HALL meeting that will be held via zoom in the evening to provide owners with an opportunity to ask questions. We hope to have a date set soon and will post and email that information. Please note that USPS mail that is sent to the 33931 zip code is still not being delivered directly. It is sent to a postal facility on Daniels and is picked up daily by RAL. Please ensure that any mail you send for ITR is sent to:
Island Towers Resort
c/o RAL Resort Property Management
17810 San Carlos Blvd
Ft Myers Beach, FL 33931
Please continue to send Cyndi your updated email, phone numbers and mailing addresses as she is updating files daily.
Your Board of Directors and RAL thank you for your continued support.
11/23/22
We are currently in a holding pattern as the board, along with counsel, is finalizing the contract with the engineering firm that will design the repairs for ITR and work with the city to get approval for rebuilding.
At the same time we are continuing to get quotes for the mitigation work, elevator replacement, etc. We received our first engineering report back from our flood insurance carrier which indicated “The visual
inspection of the property revealed that the main concrete frame is in good condition overall. The columns are plumb and straight and there is no evidence of distortion or deformation in the beams. There is also no sign of notable cracks or separations in the exterior cladding caused by structural movement.” We take that as a positive sign. At this time the ITR Board of Directors along with RAL would like to wish you all a safe and healthy Thanksgiving. We continue to be thankful for your support.
11/14/22
JR Shaw was on the island today and provided this short video showing ITR cleaned, fenced and ready for the next step. This is a basic cleaning of the front surface to allow access for workers, dumpsters and
small equipment as the main clean up commences. We are in a holding pattern at the moment waiting for contracts to be finalized for phase 1 to begin. As soon as we have new information it will be posted here.
Thank you, we see and hear your messages and it continues to give us strength as we move slowly through this process.
11/9/22
The amendment document was signed and sent to our attorney Monday 11/7. It
has now been registered and official! Thank you all for this vote of confidence.
11/8/22
We’ve been able to suspend or cancel many contracts due to services not being needed at this time and we continue to be mindful of any savings that can assist with unforeseen upcoming expenses. We are making progress with the property and to-date we’ve made temporary roof repairs, shoring up as needed, clean-up, secured the property with fencing, had some insurance inspections, and had an initial engineering inspection to ensure the building was safe for workers to enter. The executive committee met with an architectural firm and will schedule a meeting, hopefully this week, with an engineering firm that
was identified. A huge thank you to our engineering selection committee for their invaluable work in researching, conducting interviews and making recommendations of firms. We are trying to move quickly, but at the same time cautiously, seeking appropriate interviews and legal review of proposals and contracts. The board is considering some town hall type open format meetings between board meetings to continue
providing owners updates and opportunities to ask questions. The next regularly scheduled board meeting is February 6, 2023.
11/8/22
The annual meeting was held 11/8. There were 581 ballots received, with 554 voting Yes for less than full funding on the reserves. There were 1,052 ballots received for the amendment, with 1,030 voting Yes. The board thanks you for your votes and appreciates your support. The 4 individuals that ran for the board were elected to fill the 4 open positions. Your 22-23 board is Patrick Neuman (President), Judy Padgett
(VP), Diane Loeffen (Secretary), Ed Wuttke (Treasurer), Carol Berning, Toni Hill and Tom Murphy. We had 9 owners in attendance and 67 online. One of the main questions was whether we were going to be
allowed to rebuilt ITR. The 50% rule for Fort Myers Beach was discussed and whether it is based on tax assessment or estimated appraisal, which remains to be determined. The chosen engineering firm will inspect the property, deal with the town on the percentage of damage, and provide us
with a proposal and timeline. As soon as we chose a firm from the vetted companies, which we are currently trying to do, it will be approximately 3 weeks for them to inspect (phase 1) and 3 weeks for them
to provide a proposal and plan (phase 2). The board would then enter into a contract moving quickly but cautiously to use the funds we have in the best way possible. The wind and the flood adjusters have been
onsite and will hopefully have a report to us by the end of the month. To this point everything that has taken place has been the board and RAL working together through a board generated action plan. The 2023 budget will remain as presented. It is impossible at this point to know what funds will be needed. We continue to look at all expenses to reduce as best we can and planning for increased expenses required to put ITR back together. The 2023 maintenance fees will be $687.00, which includes taxes.
11/7/22
We had the annual meeting and a board meeting following the annual meeting today. There will be an update posted tomorrow, for now we leave you with the picture of the beach taken today.
11/4/22
It’s been a busy week! The parking lot was cleaned and readied for the fence which is completely installed. It covers the perimeter of the property and is set back a bit from the road to allow workers vehicles to pull in
and park as the town asks that roadways be kept clear to allow access for the trucks collecting debris and sand daily. Debris is removed off island to different deposit spots. Sand is taken to Lynn Hall Park for
sifting to renourish the beach. The engineer selection committee, led by Tom Murphy contacted 7 firms. 1 firm did the original survey to determine ’safe to enter’, 4 firms submitted proposals, 3 were interviewed and the committee will have a list of recommendations for the boards consideration at the 11/7 meeting. Today
two board members were able to meet with a firm at the resort. We were told that the building is structurally sound! The engineers and construction team sounded very positive which was great to hear. The
next steps will be the Annual meeting at 10am 11/7 with the Board meeting immediately following. THANK YOU to all who voted as we have quorum for both the amendment and reserves! At the Board meeting we
expect an engineering firm to be selected and they will get us put back together. On a side note we heard today that two fireproof 600lb file cabinets from Cyndi’s office are at the bottom of the pool, along with
fencing, debris and the metal mechanism from a sleeper sofa! We will continue to update as soon as we have information for you. Step by step we will get through this, we appreciate your support.
11/3/22
And the fence is going up and should be completed by Monday 11/7
11/2/22
The property has been cleaned and readied for security fencing to be installed, 11/3-11/5. The board approved for structural shoring to be performed, hopefully this week. It is a small job that needs to be
done before any other work can start. Multiple engineering companies have been interviewed by the selection committee with a couple more scheduled. The Annual meeting and the Board meeting are Monday 11/7/2022 as previously scheduled. We are not working in pristine conditions but we are moving forward step by step. We will continue to update you as events unfold. Thank you for your continued support.
11/1/22
Update…We are still working from many different areas and remotely. IF you mailed your BOARD ELECTION/RESERVE blue ballot in we should have it. If not please email it to either jr@ralresorts.com or manageritr@gmail.com. These blue board election/reserve ballots are the ones we need for quorum, We have a quorum for the amendment ballots and thank you for that. This plea is sent to those owners who have not sent in their ballots prior. Thank you for your support and understanding, communications will get better its stilla trial unfortunately.
We need your help, we are a bit short on ballots for the Annual meeting. We have a quorum for the amendment ballot but we still need ballots to reach quorum for the board election and reserves. Ballots can be emailed to jr@ralresorts.com
THANK YOU!
10/31/22
All committees have been busy, especially the engineer selection committee. We are preparing for our Annual meeting and Board meeting immediately following next Monday, November 7th. Currently, we’ve received two proposals from engineering companies, waiting for two more and more interviewing in the near future. RAL staff continue separating debris and piling it for pick up and disposal. Sand is being scraped and moved to the north driveway for pickup, sifting and use for re-nourishing our beloved beach. We want to thank you for sending in your ballots and continuing to get them, we greatly appreciate your help and support. We will continue to update as soon as information is available, we will
post zoom information for you later in the week. here is a shot of the sifted sand piles at Lynn Hall park.
10/28/22
One of the first things we needed to do is provide a clean and safe working environment. Our staff along with reinforcements from other RAL employees have been at ITR clearing debris and sand since Wednesday.
They are using one driveway for debris and the other putting sand, the sand is picked up and taken to a site where it is sifted and placed back on the beach to help renourish it. Here is a short video to show a bit of the progress.
10/27/22
Daily debris removal continues in the Town, with debris collections amounting to approximately 168,397 cubic yards of debris related to Hurricane Ian. This is equivalent to the size of more than 50 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The Town has been broken into 28 zones for debris collection, and each zone has its own assigned truck.
ITR’s staff along with other RAL employees have been on site since 10/26 clearing spaces and property as they are able. Yesterday linens were removed from units and storage rooms, bagged and prepared for return to company. Still no power or water at the resort along with no elevator and only one stairway makes it a slower process.
10/26/22
Amendment ballots were mailed Friday October 21st. Please fill them out and send them back as soon as you can. If you havent received your ballot please email Cyndi at manageritr@gmail.com and she will get one to you.
Thank you for your continued support!
10/22/22
RAL is hoping to have internet services the beginning of the week. Hard copies of ballots will be mailed to all owners. If you’ve already voted please do not vote a second time. If you’d like to receive a ballot electronically please email Cyndi at manageritr@gmail.com.
A big thank you to all of you who have shared and helped others receive ballots. And a very big thank you to all of you who have sent your ballots in, together we will get through this.
10/22/22
Further to our update of 11/21…the OK was obtained! The crane is onsite and the roofers will be working this morning.
10/21/22
In many ways it’s been a disappointing week, we’ve spent a lot of hours working on projects, quotes and meetings without much apparent progress. The town of FMB has closed the island on Mondays and Tuesdays for emergency personnel and municipal services to try to make more progress without the congestion of road and foot traffic interfering. Two proposals were obtained for grounds clean up and fencing. Two different engineering companies have assessed ITR to see if the building is safe for work crews to enter. Monday and Tuesday one of the things FEMA and crews were doing was tagging commercial and
residential buildings. ITR was red tagged during this process which was not known by RAL since they were unable to be on the island. Wednesday morning the roofing crew arrived to work and had to leave due to the tagging. And finally today we learned that ITR is structurally able to be repaired. John Shaw took that information to the FMB fire department to get the ok for the roofing crew to perform their job. John is
supposed to receive that approval this afternoon and the roofing crew will start the roof membrane work tomorrow, if all goes as hoped. The roof had substantial damage, thankfully we haven’t had much rain over
the past weeks. RAL rented equipment to help with the clean up and removal of debris on their managed properties. So far they’ve been able to clear the driveways at ITR, to allow access for the crews, as the
driveways were piled with 4 feet of sand and debris from the road scraping. The next job will be the clean up crew clearing the parking lot and property of debris and getting it to the road for pick up by
FEMA, this will help save on disposal costs. Once the property is cleaned the security fence can be installed. The fence is contracted and we are waiting for it to arrive which should be in a week or so.
Everything on the first floor was exposed to salt water with all electrical there needing to be replaced. There was 7 feet of water in the first floor with waves reaching to the 2nd floor lanais and pounding against them which caused many to break away. The sixth floor and the number 2 stack has water intrusion due to the roof damage. It is expected that power will be back in a week or so at the resort which will allow the AC to help dry things. The weather has been dry and cooler which is also helping and no rain forecast for a week or so which will allow us to get the roof covered. This week the south end bridges were opened after being repaired which should help with traffic flow. The most important thing at this time is to get the votes in for the amendment. PLEASE send yours in as soon as possible. Thank you for your continued support every member of your Board appreciates it.
10/18/22
Shortly a letter to owners along with the link to the ballot will be posted. You may also email the manager at manageritr@gmail.com. All board members will also be emailing the letter and ballot to the owners they know. Please help us get the information to those you know, remember the vote is for owners only, it is crucial we receive it back quickly. Cyndi is set up at home with a laptop and printer so you can email the ballot to her and she can print and take to RAL. You may and likely will receive multiple letters and ballots as were trying to reach everyone quickly and also sending a copy via USPS, only vote once to enable an accurate and timely tabulation. Your Board of Directors is working hard to keep you updated and informed. We greatly appreciate the support so many of you have shown us.