Retaining Wall Cleanup to Begin
Tons of dirt and rubble to be removed starting the week of Dec 4, 2006

Engineers will start removing the debris and dirt from the collapsed retaining wall at Lindo Mar starting this week. The equipment had not arrived by the originally scheduled date of December 4 th , but it's expected any day. We have received the engineers' estimate of the timeframe and the cost for the cleanup only.  They will begin by installing about 30 cable anchors to keep the remaining earth in place while they work.  They estimate it will cost about $60,000.00 and take about four weeks to clean everything up.  The timing depends to some degree on our ability to get in touch with the owners of the Casa Mirador property.  We need to go onto their site in order to get the dirt off of Lindo Mar.

An estimate of the cost or time it will take to build a new retaining wall cannot be made until the rubble is cleared out and the engineers can see if there is any damage to the main building and have a chance to assess what needs to be done in connection with the new wall.  However, as soon as the dirt and debris are removed and the gas and water are restored, we can start checking people into the rooms.  We are planning for that to be January 13 th; the 20th at the latest.  We are doing everything in our power to get Lindo Mar up and running at the earliest possible date but remember what the Scottish poet Robert Burns said: "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men, gang aft agley (often go awry)."

We've been asked if the Club will be able to collect any insurance proceeds either from our own coverage or from Casa Mirador's. That is still an unknown but we are diligently working to perfect our claims by keeping strict accounting of every expense involved. Any recovery will probably be a long time coming, especially if it requires litigation. In the meantime, all expenses associated with the wall collapse must be paid by the Club.

Which brings us to another question being asked: Can I get a credit against my 2007 maintenance fees if I lost my vacation because of the closure? Sadly, the answer is no. If ever there was a time when your Club needed your support by paying your maintenance fees on time, this is it. We know that some of you have incurred additional expense as a result of having to change your plans but to give the affected members a credit at this time is not in the best interest of all the members. The board of directors will be meeting soon to adopt a plan to address this question as well as others and a credit for 2008 will be on the agenda.

Finally, there has been some concern expressed about the hardship imposed on the Lindo Mar staff by closing the resort. Please be assured that virtually everyone is still working. One of the first things done was to devise a schedule whereby as many employees as possible could keep working at least 60% to 80% of the hours they would have worked. Everyone affected will continue to get their attendance and punctuality bonuses every week based on their usual schedule. They also will be getting their "Christmas Club" savings distribution and the usual Christmas bonuses this week. We addressed this in the 11/16/06 update.

The members who were concerned about the staff also worried that some (many?) might leave for other employment because of the financial hardship of working shorter hours. So far, two people have taken other jobs: a housekeeper who had worked at Lindo Mar for two months and a cook who had been there about four months. Also – and this is big – the housekeeping staff was offered the opportunity to work for another hotel in town until Lindo Mar was back in full operation and not one of them chose to do it.

We are truly blessed with the best staff in the city, maybe all of Mexico . We won't let them forget that we know it and appreciate them.