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News
 June 26, 2008 - Hurricane season began on June 1st. The Playa del Mar Board of Directors updated the Association's Hurricane Policy for 2008. A brief summary of the official policy is available for your edification.  Click Here to read what you need to know if we are confronted by a hurricane (The Hurricane Information Page is also accessible from the Residents Info Page.)
 June 10, 2008 - You've doubtless heard - a French Energy company called SUEZ applied for a license to build a gasworks adjacent to our beach. The Calypso Deepwater Port (DWP) is a planned transfer station, enabling tankers carrying liquefied natural gas to dump their load, vaporize the liquid fuel into a gaseous state and send it through a pipeline (the Calypso pipeline) towards Port Everglades where it will be introduced into the Florida Gas Transmission Pipeline System for distribution across the region. Since the planned placement of this “Deepwater Port” for the offloading of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is 7 to 10 miles from the densely populated Galt Mile beach, it cleary affects every resident of Playa del Mar, the Galt Mile neighborhood and the City of Fort Lauderdale, especially those inhabiting the Barrier Island. In consideration of the holocaust this facility could potentially precipitate, the Playa del Mar Board of Directors has passed a resolution opposing the construction of this gasworks adjacent to our beach. Click Here to learn about this covert attempt to install this invitation to disaster, Click Here to read the Resolution passed by the Board of Directors in opposition to this threat to our lives and property and Click Here to read a Fact Sheet that summarizes the issue. Our representatives to the Galt Mile Community Association are working with their peers to elicit a VETO from Governor Crist, the only person in the State of Florida empowered to prevent this prospective catastrophe.
 May 10, 2008 - You have a choice. Review the PDM April Newsletter as it appears in print format by Clicking Here. The encyclopedic April edition is also available online in web format (HTML) - with reference and source links galore. To see what transpired at the February 19th and February 28th Board Meetings, Click Here. For the April 8th Meeting with Commissioner Christine Teel, Click Here. Get Treasurer Fred Nesbitt's financial heads-up by Clicking Here and Click Here for President Bob Boffa's outlook for our decks and balcony railings. Click Here for the skinny on the "Dogs vs. Pets" controversy and Click Here for Joan Weinberg's decorating progress. PDM Manager Carol Muller's final "Manager's Report" is available by Clicking Here. Click Here to meet your diligent, ever-watchful Chief of Security, Willie Sostre. On the lighter side, Click Here to meet neighbors Linda and Marshall Eidinger, ardent "Steeler" fans and Click Here for a look at ALL the new owners and lessees as of April. What a night! DJ Ron of Miami Rocked the House at the "Evening Under the Stars" event. Click Here to check out the super-blowout and to read about the Association's informational odds and ends, Click Here to "Tidbits".! ATTENTION: With the advent of two eleventh hour items that were too important to postpone, the Newsletter Team published a SPECIAL REPORT. Click Here to read about the dangers we will face if a planned deepwater port dedicated to delivering deadly Liquefied Natural Gas is constructed directly across from the Galt Mile beach (the Calypso Project)! On the CRIME front, a positive report by Major Hanstein, the Galt Mile's Police District 1 Commander, confirmed that local crime dropped by 6% compared to last year - attributable primarily to the Galt Mile Security Patrol’s policing efforts along the beach and Galt Ocean Drive! In a somewhat embarrassing admission, Playa del Mar is the only member association along the Galt Mile that hasn't paid its share for the service. IS IT TOO EXPENSIVE? The cost for THE WHOLE YEAR is $20 per unit! HHmmm??? Click Here for the entire SPECIAL REPORT!!! To check a previous edition of the Playa del Mar Newsletter, Click Here to the Newsletter Archives.
 April 30, 2008 - The April Playa del Mar Newsletter is here! The doggedly determined del Marians detail decorations, describe “Director” developments, discuss domiciled “Dogs”, and document disconcerting dangers of a deepwater port dedicated to delivering deadly Liquid Natural Gas directly across from the Galt Mile beach! Summaries of the February 19th, February 26th and April 8th PDM Board of Directors meetings, a report from the Treasurer, the Manager’s report and a construction progress review are designed to edify out-of-residence members about the current state of their home. Peppered with human interest entries, the Newsletter describes the February 23rd “Evening Under the Stars” event organized by the Social Committee while the “Meet Your Neighbors” segment targets Linda and Marshall Eidinger. Refusing to be constrained by the traditional six-page size limitation, a Special Report was added to address several critical issues. The report describes “The Calypso Project”, a life-threatening plan to construct a deepwater port directly off the Galt Mile beach for the offloading and vaporization of Liquid Natural Gas. On the positive side, a report by Major Hanstein of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department confirmed that local crime dropped by 6% compared to last year. The decreased crime rate is largely a ramification of the Galt Mile Security Patrol’s policing efforts along the beach and Galt Ocean Drive! Click Here to review the April Newsletter. Click Here to read the Special Report. To check a previous edition, Click Here to the Newsletter Archives (in PDF format).
 March 30, 2008 - The Playa del Mar Board of Directors recently sent a constituent mailing containing several new PDM efficiency initiatives. Included was a request that association members share information about contractors deserving of recommendation. The office will compile a member-accessible database of these references to help PDM residents avoid hiring vendors or contractors whose credentials are questionable. To facilitate expedited unit owner communications, they also included a request for members' email addresses. Additionally, the Board is forming a host of useful Advisory Committees to more effectively address PDM's operational requisites. By pro-actively recruiting participants, the association aspires to take advantage of its greatest asset... DIVERSITY. Consistent with the Board's policy of keeping both in and out-of-residence PDM members abreast of critical issues and "Quality of Life" improvements, Board President Bob Boffa included a letter entitled "Progress Report Update" in the correspondence. Bob dispels disconcerting rumors about a mysterious assessment, clarifying that reserve funds provided for in the association budget will finance planned PDM decorations, obviating the need for a special assessment. He reports that PDM's projected operating deficit was diminished by $160,000, defective pool deck furniture is being replaced and a garage cleanup is planned for the summer, minimizing unavoidable inconvenience. Having successfully negotiated an understanding with contractor SPS, delayed repairs to blistered balcony railings, the damaged front portal roof and the front parking decks have all been scheduled - at no incremental cost to the association. He applauds the new Board's productive cooperation, thanking Vice President Dan Lecht, Secretary Annette Gamburg, Treasurer Fred Nesbitt and Director Carolyn Kervin for their teamwork. Click Here to read the President's letter to the membership. Click Here to ascertain which Playa del Mar Committees would benefit from your participation!
 March 8, 2008 - Like a cleansing northern wind, the people have spoken, again reconstituting the Playa del Mar Board of Directors. Over the past year, Playa residents were subjected to a disconcerting, frustrating exercise in unproductive political machinations. Anyone trying to engender progress was forced to take one step back for every two steps forward. Fed up with the political infighting and the unsolicited opinions of self-serving outsiders, voters cast the recent election as a mandate to cooperate or hit the road. However, old habits die hard. Shortly after the election, Mike DeMonia and Grace Antonello resigned from the Board, leaving President Bob Boffa, Vice President Dan Lecht, Secretary Annette Gamburg, Treasurer Fred Nesbitt and Director Carolyn Kervin to do the heavy lifting. Once settled in, the Board members will select two additional volunteers to fill out the shorthanded panel. The good news is that the remaining Board members are committed to working together, brightening the prospect for progress! Click Here to see the new Playa del Mar Board lineup.
January 15, 2008 - The January 2008 edition of the PDM Newsletter has hit the stands. For your benefit, the January Newsletter is posted in full - as usual - on the Newsletter Page. Need to peruse the past? Click Here to check the Newsletter Archives - from which any Newsletter can also be read or downloaded in PDF format (using the Adobe Acrobat Reader that’s on your computer)!
The Newsletter contents is also available in easy-to-read web format - with links to each individual article. Packed with information about the changes our home is undergoing, this JUMBO scope of work contains former Manager Keith Tannenbaum’s last Manager’s Report - detailing some of his parting objectives. Summaries of the November 15th Budget Meeting and the December 13th Board Meeting should help clarify out some of PDM’s governance issues. Hands-on construction honcho Mike DeMonia runs down PDM’s remaining structural obstacles while emphasizing a policy of cost control. Newsletter staffers met with Broward Commissioner Ken Keechl and Congressman Ron Klein, who addressed the upcoming Beach Restoration and recent efforts to moderate runaway Insurance Premiums. Details surrounding the recall of former Board member Mark Stern are reviewed. A list of PDM’s newest residents has been compiled and published and condolences extended to Board member Grace Antonello upon the passing of her father, longtime PDM resident Gennaro DeMaio. While swimming in data points useful for PDM residents and visitors, the juicy “Tidbits” section also sadly acknowledges the passing of former Board member Mike Marsalona, who will be missed by all!
 December 20, 2007 - On November 15th, the Board of Directors convened the annual Playa del Mar Budget Meeting. Click Here to read the Meeting Minutes! A Board Meeting was also held on December 13th, during which critical alterations were made to the Board’s composition. Click Here to read the Meeting Minutes!
October 20, 2007 - The October edition of the Playa del Mar Newsletter is hot off the presses. Phyllis Carter, Rich Solewin, Lance Shaw, Barbara Mancuso and Fred Nesbitt assembled another monument to balanced condo journalism, illuminating issues important to every Playa del Mar unit owner. In addition to the actual October 2007 Newsletter, each of the issue’s articles has been coded for the internet and posted on our Playa del Mar web site! This final edition for 2007 features PDM Manager Keith Tannenbaum’s fact-packed Manager’s Report and a summary of the September 25th Board Meeting. A critical issue undertaken at the Board Meeting, Association Finances, received additional focus in an article devoted to PDM budgetary statistics. An article entitled Vanguard Security (the company contracted to upgrade association protection and safety) introduces Joy Puertas, a 9-year Vanguard veteran who courteously serves as the front reception desk hub of our new security strategy. A miscellaneous catchall for intriguing Association news bytes, “Tidbits” frames the biographical background and daily challenges faced by our maintenance wizard, José Lucero; offers highlights from a recent PDM Barbeque; details the critical role played by our new DVR multiplexor and videocamera array in successfully resolving the mysterious disappearance of some momentarily unattended valuables - and other “curious” PDM events. Well - DIG IN!
August 3, 2007 - When it rains, it pours. 50% larger than previous editions, the July 2007 Playa del Mar Newsletter has arrived! Fred Nesbitt has joined Phyllis Carter’s irrepressible band of roving reporters, filling veteran Harriet Healy’s shoes. In addition to presenting the Newsletter in its original form, the articles have also been adapted to the internet. Click Here to read Manager Keith Tannenbaum’s snapshot of current Building issues in his popular Manager’s Report. The news team shines light on the unfortunate divisions afflicting the Board. Click Here to find out what really happened at the May 10th “Town Hall” meeting. While Playa President Bob Boffa sent out his President’s report in May describing what happened at the May 3rd Board meeting, Click Here to read a Newsletter summary of the meeting’s critical issues. In the July edition, the PDM news team runs down what you need to know about hurricane shutters, filing insurance claims for Hurricane Wilma and some personal insight into Playa del Mar employee Koko Tomasevic in a segment aptly entitled “Tidbits”. Also included are condolences for longtime resident Mel Haimowitz and a “Welcome to PDM” segment that lists the names and unit numbers of our new residents - lessees and owners.
 May 18, 2007 - Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Playa del Mar is emerging from the construction cloud in which it was enveloped for the past few years. While we continue to make organizational and construction progress, a great deal of work remains to be done. By renegotiating unfavorable contracts and reorganizing operational protocols, the Board and General Manager have uncovered financial offsets useful for relieving our assessment strain. Board President Bob Boffa wants to keep everyone apprised about the hard work and tough decisions that fuel every step forward in Playa del Mar’s reincarnation. His May open letter describes the Board’s ongoing efforts to upgrade the Playa lifestyle while carefully watching the bottom line. Click Here to review the Playa President’s report depicting the team’s recent successes and current challenges!
Our Web Site is BACK! The new URL (Web Address) of the Playa del Mar Web Site is “http://www.playadelmar.net”. While you are here, you may as well bookmark the new Playa del Mar web site.
. Hundreds of useful links have been added to the Residents Links page ... if you can’t find what you seek, try the Playa del Mar Search Engine to search this site or the entire internet. The Meeting Minutes have been updated and the About Page, in addition to depicting a stunning graphic representation of our home, also provides click through access to Playa del Mar Building Information and a helpful Questions & Answers Section. The Map Page now offers buttons to Interactive Maps that can be used to zoom in or out and get turn-by-turn drivivg directions (route planning). Thank You for your patience!
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Manager
Carol Muller - marcondo@bellsouth.net
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Playa del Mar
3900 Galt Ocean Drive
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308
Phone: (954) 561-0990, Fax: (954) 563-9239
E-Mail: marcondo@bellsouth.net
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