Update from the President of Portsmith COA

Dear Community Members,

Another two months has passed, and I said that I would communicate at this pace. My last message was on March 31, 2025. I hope you read that message and understand what we as a board are doing. Of course you may not always agree, but in January you voted to allow us to represent you in the COA arena. We thank you for your confidence and hope that any time you have an issue you feel free to contact any board member to discuss issues.

As expected, the number of resident attendees at the board meetings each month have leveled off and we are now down to the normal 15-20 residents. And some of you have been vocal about what the board has proposed, and in some cases, approved. I am glad that you feel comfortable to attend and let us hear your voice at the meetings. 

In that regard, we operate our meetings using Roberts Rules of Order, which is mandated in our Declaration of Condominium. These rules are designed to allow an orderly meeting. If you ever have any questions about Roberts Rules, please feel free to contact us. We are dedicated to ensuring that everyone is heard when they are called upon. Here is a link to a “Cheat Sheet”, or highlighted items from Roberts Rules for your information. https://www.boardeffect.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Roberts-Rules-of-Order-Toolkit-Refreshed.pdf. This link will help you understand how we strive to run our meetings. Yes, we may take short cuts, we are not experts, but we are volunteers doing the best we can to be advocates for the community residents, but the primary goal is always to be respectful, and orderly, during our meetings.  

In our board meetings you are free to ask questions during an agenda item discussion, but your questions must be geared toward the discussion at hand. At the end of the meeting, we typically have a 3-minute, Open Forum time when you can bring up items for the good of the order or make comments. 

We hope that you continue to attend the board meetings and talk to the board members.

Our infrastructure consists of mainly irrigation lines, and our common elements. It is essential that these are functioning adequately to keep our community looking fresh. 

This year, your board has approved moving forward with updating the irrigation system. It will come at a cost to the Association of about $12,000 for parts alone, with the Master Association taking care of the labor. The board has approved a total of $20,000 for unexpected changes. This expense is to be paid within 2 years of the completion of the project, which is expected to start in 2026. The finance team will begin to budget for this expense in the next fiscal year. If we had decided to not do this project, future updates would have been made at a much higher cost.  

In addition to being President, I have also maintained the position of Building POC. I have recently recruited two additional residents to be a sounding board for ideas and plans. If you are interested in being involved in this effort, please let me know. 

This year to date, we have logged 26 building/maintenance issues. This is for the calendar year only, and only two of them are still open items that require repair. There are plans to fix those two, but it has taken some time to develop a plan and get the estimates to complete them. If you would like to see the log of items, let me know and I can send it to you in a pdf format for your review. 

An update on the Restoration Company search is appropriate here. If you were not at the May 2025 board meeting you missed the presentation by the company, we have signed an agreement with, Paul Davis. Tim Keogh, the Paul Davis representative gave a fifteen-minute presentation to the board at the beginning of the meeting. I was not able to make it, but I understand it went very well. Tim is working with our CAM (Community Association Manager) to get the necessary paperwork started to ensure we are ready to hit the ground running in the event of hurricane damage or any other emergency or disaster. As we get clarity on how to initiate this process, we will keep you informed. 

The Hurricane Committee is working to get a plan approved by the board, but more importantly, each of us must be ready to know what to do in the event of a hurricane. There are plenty of resources available on the Kings Point web site. If you need help don’t be afraid to contact a board member. If we don’t know, it is up to us to find out and inform the community.

Fiscal responsibility is crucial for the sustainability of our community. I am committed to transparent financial practices and prudent management of our resources. By carefully planning and budgeting, we can ensure that our community remains financially stable and able to meet future needs.

The financial team and I are working to prepare for the mandated audit of our finances. While the First Service Residential (FSR) management company handles our financial books, we as a board are responsible for knowing and understanding what is being done behind the scenes. Doug Yingling, Elaine Curtis, and me have been actively working with our CAM and FSR financial representative to ensure we know how the audit will occur. And we are involved with the Treasurer’s Forum, which was meeting monthly to help everyone get on the same page regarding the audit. The Forum consists of Association Treasurers and other officers that meet to discuss best practices for how to report and manage our financial package. Yes, FSR has book authority, but the board is responsible for knowing what is going on. This forum has been a great help as we transition from a previous President and prepare for the transition of a new Treasurer in 2026.

Even though we are living in our own condo unit, it is essential that we look out for one another. I encourage everyone to meet your neighbor and talk to them when you are out and about. Join in on our social activities so you get to know more people in your neighborhood. 

The latest update for Safety and Security is the approval of a new style coach lamp on the outside of the condominium unit. The original coach lights have been struggling with the weather and wind, and a few of them have been damaged and parts lost. This has required residents, who are responsible for the maintenance of those lights, scrambling to find exact replacements or replacement parts. 

Earlier this year I noted that some residents were concerned that they could not leave their lights on all night. Some residents who live alone rely on those lights for their sense of security. I began a search to determine if there were alternatives and the board has recently approved a new light fixture that uses a motion sensor-activated light (using a standard LED light bulb) that only turns on dusk to dawn, and when someone walks in the path of the sensor. I have installed them on my unit, and they are working well. Once activated and the motion is gone, the light will stay on from 3 seconds to 5 minutes, depending on how you adjust it. In addition, there is a motion activated dusk to dawn light bulb which can be used in your entry light. If you add all the motion activated light fixtures and the light bulb in your entry fixture you can leave your light switch on all night. The lights will only come on if there is motion. Yes, it may be a bird, or it may be an alligator, or it may be a racoon, but at least you know something is out there. If you would like to see these lights in action, stop by 2032 SGW (my unit). If you would like to know more, contact me or any other board member. We will post this information on the website soon. An alteration from is required before adding these lights because they are different than the original lights. 

Also, there are new solar powered walkway lights that stay dimly lit until you walk by, and then they activate and stay lit for 30 seconds until the motion is gone. These lights are already approved in the rules and regulations.

The Social Committee continues to come up with ways to get the community together. Recently we had the Portsmith Cookout at the North Club and 50 people attended. See the latest newsletter for photos and what’s coming next.  http://www.portsmithcoa.com. 

Effective communication is key to our success. I will strive to keep all members informed about important updates, meetings, and events through regular newsletters, emails, and our community website (https://portsmithcoa.com/). I am also open to feedback and suggestions for improving our communication channels.

Thanks to Gary Brian, our Website and Communications Director, for keeping the COA information flowing in our on-line format. The board approved and Gary has recently obtained the podcast license so he can continue to provide input using this new format. And we have renewed the website and domain license for another year. 

As we embark on this journey together, I am confident that, with your support and cooperation, we can achieve great things. I am here to listen, to lead, and to work alongside you in making our community the best it can be.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your President. I look forward to meeting you, working with you, and celebrating our successes together.

Warm regards,

John Petruch

President

Portsmith Condominium Owners Association (COA)

Kings Point, Sun City Center, Florida