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Chat Thread CCXLIV: eceteras

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BiffTannen said:
I think everyone knew there was a problem and that it would get worse. Their denial came in when they saw what it would cost to address the problem. Once the problems started to accelerate over the past six months, they started to accept that they would have to pay up. Ultimately, the same individuals who dragged their feet for a couple of years are the same ones who died.
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The last sentence is where the climate change metaphor falls apart.
 
No, they had an inspection from a couple of years ago that told them they had major problems that would take millions of dollars to fix. Nobody wanted to pay the price. Then the concrete in the garage started cracking and people started paying attention. I'm not trying to line up with some metaphor.
 
For more than seven years, Mr. Prieto was the chief building official in Surfside. Emails released by the city show that Mr. Prieto had been made aware of a critical engineering report that warned in 2018 of damage to the concrete and steel reinforcements in the building that in some places could have threatened its structural integrity. When he attended a meeting of the condo association board that November, he reassured residents that the tower appeared to be in “good shape,” according to minutes of the meeting.
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https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/01/us/ross-prieto-surfside.html
 
DeacDiggler said:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/01/us/ross-prieto-surfside.html
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That guy just sounds incompetent.

Here's a story about the condo board and its workings.

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article252505623.html

Scrutiny grows on condo board meetings, disputes at collapsed building in Surfside

A year after a 2018 engineering report showed the Champlain Towers South condo was in dire need of extensive structural work, squabbling about what to do next led to board resignations, inactivity and confusion that delayed repairs. The cost, which at the time would have been an estimated $9 million, skyrocketed over the next few years.

In an internal letter obtained by The Washington Post dated Sept. 4, 2019, Champlain Towers South Condo Association president Annette Goldstein announced she was quitting as the board’s president, citing frustration over the inability to proceed with the work. Five other members of the seven-person board quit later that fall.

“We work for months to go in one direction and at the very last minute objections are raised that should have been discussed earlier and resolved right in the beginning,” Goldstein wrote in a letter sent to all 135 unit owners.

“This pattern has repeated itself over and over, ego battles, undermining the roles of fellow board members, circulation of gossip and untruths,” Goldstein wrote. “I am not presenting a very pretty picture of the functioning of our board and many before us, but it describes a board that works very hard but cannot for the reasons above accomplish the goals that we set out to accomplish.”

Disputes and delays of expensive repairs and assessments aren’t uncommon in Florida’s condominium associations. But now as lawsuits mount over the catastrophic partial collapse of the 12-story building in Surfside, the deliberations and disputes of this particular board have come under intense scrutiny.

Lawyers representing the five condo owners in the building who have sued the association thus far for negligence are seeking to review minutes of those meetings., which are not publicly available They argue those records will detail exactly how the association responded to the 2018 report and whether board members should have pressed for projects to begin more quickly.

Postponing decisions on critical work because of internal squabbling or push-back from residents isn’t a good excuse for boards with legal obligations to maintain a building, said Brad Sohn, the attorney representing Champlain Towers South resident Manuel Drezner.

“I don’t think it’s surprising that instead of contributing to the rescue efforts, the board hired a crisis firm from Washington, D.C., to represent them,” Sohn said. “They’re out there blaming the victims.”

On Thursday, the condo board hired a public relations firm to assist them with media relations.

Goldstein later rejoined the board and is listed as director in its 2021 roster. The Herald was unable to reach any of the association’s current members. At least three board members are reported missing after the collapse.

Donna DiMaggio Berger, an attorney with the law firm Becker representing the association, did not reply to a request for comment for this story from the Herald. But Berger had previously stated in a social media post that the 2018 report “was posted on the association web site as were all the bids that were being obtained for the owners to see.” The board secured a line of credit to pay for the repairs, she said, and the board passed a special assessment.

According to NPR, the association sent residents of the building a letter in April warning them of “significant deterioration” in the building and a repair bill of $16.2 million, explaining the damage first noted in the 2018 report had worsened. The bill would be paid via an assessment on the condo owners.

That bill would include the work necessary for the building to obtain its 40-year recertification, a process that was underway when the tower collapsed.
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i live in an old building and there are a few older residents with a lot of accumulated knowledge about the different systems and the various specialty work required of these old buildings -- gonna be kinda fucked when they move on
 
The squabbling and inability to get needed shit done.

Now I understand…congress is a condo board.
 
birdman said:
I came out here about 20 years ago for a community Ecology class in grad school. We bunked at the BHI conservancy and got a tour of the Maritime forest. I had the impression this place was quite, secluded, peaceful, and under populated. Now it seems to be over run with entitled people and teenagers driving golf carts way to fast blasting shitty music from their Bluetooth speakers. The guy berating the ice cream stand employees seems about right.
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Ah I see. Yeah I'd be interested to see the amount of growth in the last 15-20 years they've seen in tourism. Based on my wife's HS stories there were always dumb teenagers driving golf carts too fast. Now they are just enabled with more loud technology though :(. I think the Island generally being way more comfortable (better internet, services) has probably been the biggest factor in more idiots choosing it as a their destination. The country club adding a huge swimming pool with a waterslide etc. probably a sign of the times. I still feel like the hassle of the ferry etc. weeds out a lot of annoying people, but the weeks around the 4th have gotta be the worst.

For my own part, when I'm there I really don't do much beyond chilling on the beach, reading on the porch, biking a few laps around the island for exercise, and maybe making 1 or 2 trips to the ice cream stand, so I am not very observant of changing behaviors (outside of that one bad experience I mentioned).
 
BarcaDeac said:
the fucking golf carts at the beach has gotten out of hand. down on 30-A there are millions of them, and if on the main roads they are supposed to be driven only by licensed drivers and treated as cars (no open container, seatbelts, etc), but no one cares. and then through the side streets where it's more open you have kids fucking blazing past stop signs blasting their shitty music.
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tbf there are no cars on BHI (outside of utilities) so it's the de facto mode of transportation for anyone that doesn't wanna bike, but I agree with your point overall
 
birdman said:
Also, my 11 year old niece seems to be turning into one of those people that will be berating ice cream stand workers for no reason in a few years and that bums me out.
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This is sad. Are her parents those kinds of people?
 
Deacfan2009 said:
This is sad. Are her parents those kinds of people?
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Her dad, my ex brother in law, is a narcissistic asshole. My sister is divorced and doing her best, but the girl is whiny and disrespectful, IMO. My sisters older daughter is a great kid, lots of ‘please and thank you’, interesting and smart, but the 11 year old is annoying af.
 
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Deacfan2009 said:
For real. Though I was at BHI over Father's day weekend and this try-hard northerner was going off on the ice cream stand staff because they weren't open the day prior during their advertised hours. Just passive aggressively wanted to make sure they didn't have any more unplanned closures so he could plan the rest of his family's week. Ranted at the 2 young ladies uncomfortably for like 5 minutes (they weren't even the ones on duty the prior day). It's like chill out dude. You're on turtle time. You can always get ice cream at the grocery store next door if it is closed (or the coffee shop up at the Marina).
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People who get their jollies by treating other people poorly are the worst. There are so many non-dickhead ways to get that information, if he actually cared:
"Hey! We noticed yesterday that the shop was closed - hope everything is ok! Are there any other schedule things we should be aware of that you know of? Ok, cool. Well, thanks for the ice cream! Have a good afternoon, glad you're here!" So easy.
 
I like Trader's Joes and Whole Foods and Costco and Harris Teeter and Lowe's and basically any grocery store.

Going to the grocery store and listening to a podcast in peace is a great past time for a new parent. My wife finally figured that out a few months ago, and now I let her go on Saturday mornings while I watch the boy. I am a terrific spouse. She usually goes to TJs or Costco. I hit the local HT or Lowe's. But sometimes Costco, which was a lot cooler before we realized how disgusting everyone is, when samples were allowed.

The best trick is to go on a Thursday or Friday afternoon and drink two beers while you walk around the Lowe's! The one up here on Robinhood in Winston even has a little bar area that is surprisingly busy during happy hour.

Headed to Folly Beach for a week tomorrow! My mom rented a beach house for us and Manifest and his SO. We're on the far side of the island away from the craziness, but we can easily drive a goft cart into Folly Town if needed. My boy LOVES being around water and did well at the beach on a quick trip back in May, so this should be a dope week.
 
Yeah toddlers at the beach are fun. One bit of advice is plan for who's going to do what while the baby naps, but not that big of a deal if you have more than just mom and dad there.
 
phan were you at the barn for the Titus show
 
TenaciousKory said:
phan were you at the barn for the Titus show
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I WAS THERE.

Brought a case of pbr which I remember the staff needing to hold and distribute beers to me when I wanted them.

I think I'd just moved back from London and that reminded me why I love America
 
wakephan09 said:
I WAS THERE.

Brought a case of pbr which I remember the staff needing to hold and distribute beers to me when I wanted them.

I think I'd just moved back from London and that reminded me why I love America
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lol no i think we just left it on the floor in a designated area at the back and just walked back for "refills"
 
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