Tom Leek pushes pilot program to increase hurricane resilience for condos

New condo rules reflect the true price of living on the water in Florida.

A Florida lawmaker is proposing a new program to improve hurricane resistance for the many condominiums across the state.

St. Augustine Republican Sen. Tom Leek filed legislation (SB 592) that would create and establish the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program within the Department of Financial Services. The Department would provide fiscal accountability, contract management and strategic leadership for the pilot program.

Participation in the program would be limited to condos that are at least three stories high, and the structure must contain at least one residential unit to be eligible.

In order for an association to apply for a grant to improve one or more units within a condo, an association must receive approval by a majority vote of the board of administration or at least 75% approval from unit owners who reside within the condominium.

If these stipulations are met, grants would be used by the association to make the recommended improvements in a hurricane mitigation inspection report to increase the structure’s resistance to hurricane damage.

A mitigation grant application would need to include a signed verified statement from the President of the board of administration stating that only one application for each property that the association manages or operate has been submitted; a notarized statement containing the name and license number of each contractor intended for use by the association; a notarized statement that improvements will be completed; and if the grant is intended to improve units, each unit owner must also submit a statement.

An association would be able to select its own contractors for the mitigation project as long as they are appropriately qualified, certified and licensed. The contractors must further secure all required local permits necessary to complete the project. Contractors license numbers would also be electronically verified before grant approval.

Projects must comply with applicable building codes and regulations and provide more hurricane protection than previous improvements.

Grants awarded to an association must be completed in its entirety before the final grant award can be received, and the property must be available for a final inspection once completed. All grants would be matched on the basis of $1 provided by the association for every $2 provided by the state toward the actual cost of the project.

The association may receive grants for both roof and opening protection projects, but the maximum grant award per association is $175,000. If passed, the bill will come into effect July 1.