Special Board Meeting July 31

At 1:00 tomorrow, the Board will meet for a special meeting to pass the Bank Loan.

Smokey Mountain Trip

Linda Siddens is looking for a few more people to complete the group for her Smokey Mountain Show Trip and the Biltmore Estate. The trip is Oct 26-Nov 1, priced at $589 per person d.o.

Please contact her ASAP if you are interested in this great adventure. 813-839-5891

Trimming Down

(Exerpt from CommonGround magazine (July-August 2008), by Karen Soles, AMS,LSM,PCAM

In the current economy, more associations are seeking to control costs and boost revenue. Here are 15 ideas for your community to consider:

1. Impose late fees immediately.
2. Reduce your legal fees.
3. Review your insurance coverage.
4. Safeguard your investments.
5. Maintain your reserve funds.
6. Conduct an energy audit.
7. Renegotiate long-term contracts.
8. Perform preventative maintenance.
9. Monitor water usage.
10. Reduce storage requirements
11. Increase user fees
12. Sell advertising
13. Rent space for cellular towers
14. Negotiate for compensation for utility work
15. Install vending machines

Another way for the Board here in Regency Cove to increase our income is to trim our spending, as a means of keeping our assessments as low as possible. Our Board will soon be considering items for the 2009 budget. Several of the above items have already been tackled by the new Board. Our treasurer Rose Reis has played an important part in keeping our park financially sound. Within a very short time, we will be moving FDIC uninsured funds, dangerously over $100,000, to accounts which will be bearing interest (#4). Rose requested an insurance comparison (#3) and we will shortly have those results.
Our reserve funds (#5) continue to be funded monthly, and a Tampa Water Dept. evaluation was recently completed (#6) which uncovered irrigation and the back-flow valve issue. More investigation needs to be done in the area of energy savings. Your suggestions are welcome!
Several months ago directors Susan Dunphy and Marie Avant conducted a contract review (#7) and one contract was voted unnecessary by the Board, and eliminated, saving well over a thousand dollars. Hopefully more will follow.

The Board should probably take an interest in the truck/equiptment maintenance schedules (#8) as well as anything else on our common grounds which requires routine maintenance. The apartments would be a good place to start.

Monitoring water usage has become a key item in the park. The Board must soon consider how violators will be handled when residents file repeated complaints against their neighbors. Fines need to be imposed, and our Appeals Committee can handle requests for variations or dispensations.
User fees (#11) for docks were increased last year, and will increase more in 2009. Perhaps its time to think about a user fee for the boat storage lot. Shuffleboard tournament user fees? Clubhouse kitchen user fees? Pay toilets? (just joking!)

Our Board, under President Ron Herb's direction, has worked diligently to maintain your financial investment, to improve services in the park, and to trim unnecessary spending. The Board welcomes your comments and suggestions. Please feel free to use one of the new comment forms available in the Office, contact a Board member, or just leave a comment below. We truely welcome comments intent on improving the park.

Gandy Overpass Meeting

In the Our Opinion column of today's Tampa Tribune, it was written that the meeting for the Gandy Overpass is scheduled for July 29 at 7pm. I called the Jan Platt Library just now and learned that the Mayor's Office has a room scheduled for 10-11:30 am.
Keep in touch, and we'll keep you informed.

Saturday Night Jam

Tired of the same old weekend routine?

Join a group of Regency Cove musicians at 7 pm on Saturday, July 26, in Goodwin Hall for a low-down all-out fabulous evening of music. A little bit country, a little bit rock and roll is what you can expect.

Bring yourself a snack and a few drinks, and shuffle down to the clubhouse for a great free night of entertainment!

"Snakes Alive"

This 1" x 4' snake was on my deck 7/24...4pm. I believe its a Blue Indigo, and not dangerous. In fact its a "good" snake as it eats citrus rats, and small tourists (joke). Have seen several of these in the past, so, don't be afraid if you see one! Ed Bedore

Seawall Update

The required environmental report and park survey have been completed, in case you've been noticing strangers in the park. The engineer, the seawall committee, EPA, port authority, and park personnel have been studying sidewalks, seawall, rip rap, and the mangroves. All this is in preparation for the contractors to get the permit to start the job. Things are moving along.

Board News

Another Board workshop is planned for July 28 at 10 am. The monthly Board meetings are now scheduled for the third Saturday of each month at 10 am. See you there. Check the website for posted minutes of the meetings to stay informed.

overpass meeting

the meeting time has changed to 10am...........same location...........same date.......hope we have a huge showing from our park.

Gandy Overpass in the News

The dreaded Gandy Overpass project again appeared in the local newspaper. The thirty-foot wide overpass will span the length of the Gandy Bridge and east on Gandy Blvd towards the Crosstown Expressway for the purpose of St Pete evacuation.

There will be an open meeting for the community to voice their concerns. The meeting will take place on July 29, 2008, between 7-9 pm, at the Jan Platt Library on Manhattan Ave.

All residents of Regency Cove should be present to show solidarity against the construction of this monstrous barrier outside our main entrance. We will print the address where snowbirds can write to express their concerns as well.

We must leave a clear message to FDOT and any politician who supports this project that we are against it!

Board Workshop

On Tuesday July 15 at 2 pm, the Board will have a workshop. This is a meeting where issues are discussed, but nothing is voted on. Ron Herb wants this workshop to be an informal discussion among the Directors, with limited open discussion. New ideas need to be shared among members of the board, and this will be done in an open forum. See you there.

4th of July pictures

4th of July Ice Cream Social

What a blast was had in Goodwin Hall, a turnout of around 95 showed up for our 4th of July tribute to our country. It was "Build your own sundae" and the toppings were chocolate, stawberry, butterscotch and caramel syrups, nuts m&m's, Oreo cookies, cherries and whipped creme. The hall looked fabulous and there were 21 entrees for the cookie contest. 1st place went to Ruth Stady with her Healthy Heart dark chocolate cookies, 2nd place to Terri Kane with her Whoopie Pie cookies, and 3rd to Helen Walker with her famous pizzelles. We had wonderful patriotic music and sing alongs thru the afternoon with games, prizes and great fellowship. Mary Willsey, chairperson wants to thank all her committee members, cookie bakers and judges for all the wonderful help in making this 4th of July a fun afternoon for everyone. Pictures to follow in a few days.....

Board Meeting Tomorrow

At 10 am tomorrow, July 3, 2008, the Board will meet to decide upon a seawall contractor. Today the seawall committee met and discussed the best of the bid options that arrived last week. In order not to jinx the deal, I'll go no further right now.
The Board will also vote on the bank loan, and a few options that have recently been discussed among committees. It should be an interesting meeting.