By The Star Staff
Members of condominium boards of directors in Carolina, Caguas and Trujillo Alto, among other municipalities, attended a seminar this week on disaster and emergency plans, as well as water and electric power rationing, an initiative of Carolina District Sen. Marissa “Marissita” Jiménez Santoni.
“In several months, the Atlantic Ocean hurricane season begins (June-November) and our interest is to inform the residents of the condominiums and walkups about the need for the Boards of Directors to develop emergency plans in the event of a hurricane or tsunami, among other emergencies, and for them to discuss these plans with the owners on an ongoing basis,” the senator said in a written statement. “We must recognize that over 500,000 families reside in these housing complexes throughout the island.”
The condominiums Caguas Tower, Torre San Miguel, Playa Dorada, Mundo Feliz, Marina, Club Costa Marina I, Plaza del Mar, Alamar, Brisas de San Juan, Montecillo II, Golden Tower and Antártico sent representatives to the workshop, which was offered by Consumer Affairs (DACO by its Spanish acronym) Secretary Lisoannette González Ruiz and Emergency Management and Disaster Administration Bureau (NMEAD) Commissioner Niño Correa Filomeno in the activity room of the Playa Dorada condominium in Isla Verde and lasted several hours.
“The Department of Consumer Affairs has to receive from the Boards, every year, the date the plans were approved and the date the owners were notified; it is a requirement that … carries fines of up to $10,000 for each condominium that does not comply,” Jiménez Santoni said. “It is important for the Boards to know this fact because these plans are vital to saving lives in the event of an emergency. Condominium residents have the right to know everything, including eviction routes and the water and electricity rationing process, among other aspects.”