Thursday, January 27, 2011

Gasparilla is Right Around the Corner

Gasparilla volunteers worked diligently this morning hanging the pennants and setting the stage for the February 5th festivities.The Backyard Gang will provide entertainment under the Sunset Point pavillion, beginning at 2:15. The Flotilla arrives at the Point at 3:00, The parade will form at Sunset Point under the guidance of Grand Marshall Chet Hindman. Bikes, trikes, and carts will be judged for innovation and imagination. Doors to the clubhouse open at the end of the parade. All outside activities are subject to weather conditions. We are planning to eat at 4:30 and Jerry Chase will begin the music around 5:00. BYOB. Soft drinks, coffee and water will be provided.

Mike Ross, Jerry Williams,
Roger Des Rosiers, Ed Bedore

Ron Jeffries, John Rechsteiner,
Chuck Davis, Ed Bedore
Roger at work

 You can purchase the $6 tickets from Guy Hislop, or at the following homes: Davis B3 L28,  Bedore 10 Sunset, Jeffries B11 L23, Rechsteiner B15 L31, and Ross B15 L28.

As usual, prizes will be awarded for costumes!





Saturday, January 22, 2011

Board Meeting 1-19-11

A friend asked why I hadn't put the board minutes on the blog yet. I'm busy!
Here's a very short synopsis:
Past treasurer feels that too much cash is sitting in operating fund, and should be in an accout getting interest.

Two apartments will be empty at the end of the month. Rents will be adjusted.

Someone wants to bring two dogs into the park, blaming a mail snafu four years ago. Unanimous NO!

Owners are renting units without following procedure. Manager must then follow-up on strange people in the park.

There's a problem with the pool. No, not the pool, but the people in charge of it. Sounds like they need to do a little sit-down.

Contact any board member in an emergency.

A motion was approved to have all video equiptment set up in the back of the room.

A resident proposed a kayak rack at the end of Pelican Point near the ramp. It was stated that our property line is the fence. So whose property is the ramp on? The rack will cost $350 to build.

There was a pile of brush left on an empty lot over the Christmas holiday to which residents added their own, creating an unsightly mess. If a permanent out-of-sight location could be found for a brush holding area, the association could conceivably save quite a bit on trash removal. The dumping fee is $51 a ton for brush, and $71 a ton for trash. A committee was approved to study this issue.

Why doesn't anyone listen when I complain? Put your complaints in writing and sign them. Or shut up.

Now that payroll is outsourced, the Treasurer will now approve and sign employee paychecks.

A motion was made and approved that two signatures are required on all checks written to cover Reserve expenses.

Nice meeting. It moved along.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Help for Hownowners in Financial Crisis

This just in from Florida ROC (Resident Owned Communities):

The Florida Department of Financial Services is sponsoring a free Florida Housing Help Workshop on January 12, 2011 at the Joseph P. D’Alessandro Office Complex (State building) at 2295 Victoria Ave, Fort Myers 33901. There is free parking available.


The following lenders will be available to meet with their borrowers facing foreclosure; Bank of America, Chase, Sun Trust and Freddie Mac. There will be U.S. HUD non profit approved Housing Counselors available for home owners whose bank is not listed above. The programs rounds from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm.


For additional information please contact Terry Cerullo, Community Outreach Coordinator for the department at 239 - 461- 4019.

We've called to ask if owners of mobile homes also qualify for assistance, and they certainly do. If another meeting closer to home occurs any time soon, we'll let you know.






Submitted by:

Terry Cerullo

Community Outreach Coordinator

Florida Department of Financial Services

Terrance.cerullo@myfloridacfo.com

239-462-4019

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Highlight of 2010

Happy New Year Friends and Neighbors!
The year 2010 is but a memory. During the year 160 posts were written for this blog. And now, with no further ado, here is the year 2010 in review.
January
January 2010 started cold and only got worse! Ornamental landscaping was freezing and dropping leaves. Our Master Gardner Lisa Strange advised us in early January to leave the dead branches and wait until spring to prune. We learned that many of our plants did re-emerge in the springtime.
Georgetown was coming down.
On a bitter cold January 2, 2010, office assistant Michelle married Derrin Knoop in a waterfront ceremony in Regency Cove. The celebration was marred with the theft of decorative lanterns that were left at the site, which were never recovered.
The tide of January 12 brought in scores of comatose, dying and dead fish, and the phenomenon continued for days. Florida Fish and Wildlife deemed it unlawful to scoop up the fish and we were told to let Mother Nature clean them up.
On January 14, block captains began distributing notices for the March Annual Meeting. The packet contained a final copy of new Rules and Regulations for the park. We would learn that the Rules and Regs continued to change for many months to come.

February

Pad prep for the new WalMart began in early February, with the foundation scheduled for pouring in a week. We held our breath in anticipation.

Regency Cove residents complete ballots to determine their support for the Gandy Bridge overpass project. Of the 74 ballots turned in, 52 were opposed to the project. Results were shared with Tampa city council and the Expressway Authority.

Gasparilla was held in Regency Cove on a bitter cold Feb 6. Strong winds and dangerous waves all but cancelled the Flotilla as only one hearty pirate crew ventured out into the canal to throw some beads.





Co-chairmen Ron Jeffries and Mike Ross, with Grand Marshall Chet Hindman meet on Sunset Point to assess the conditions. The party was a blast and scores of golden coins were awarded as prizes for costumes, golf cart, and bike

The Gandy Coalition is formed with Bayside West Neighborhood Association, and neighboring associations, and most all of the Gandy business owners in opposing the Gandy Overpass project.

House Bill 419, with over 70 pages of legislative changes to Chapter 719, died in committee in the last days of February. This bill would have limited board of director terms to two years, among other things.

March

A March 2 meeting at Scan Design on Gandy, residents and store owners formed the Gandy Coalition to publicize the neighborhood’s strong opposition to the Gandy Overpass project, challenging THEA (Tampa/Hillsborough County Expressway Authority). At an earlier community meeting, THEA declared that they would not build if the surrounding communities oppose the project. The group planned a visit to Tampa City Council to stage a unified opposition front.

Georgetown demolition is almost complete, with 40 of the 50 two story red brick buildings razed. Plans are formulated to turn the waterfront area into Tampa’s second largest waterfront park, next to Sandwich Island.

A quorum of HORC residents was not established at the Annual Meeting on March 17, but elections were held. Dennis Kralick, Betty Ridge, and Parker Kimball were elected to the board of directors.

March 23 was the date of the first 4 hour board meeting with the new board. Residents drop like flies from the meeting as the afternoon droned on.

April

Tampa hosts its first tea party, but few Regency Cove residents attend.



May
Resurfacing began at the Sunset Point parking area and continued on through the hot summer months.
The HORC board of directors learn that TriNet, the company who leases our employees, was dropping us in July.

June

Throughout the month, June storms create havoc on roofs and carports in the park. Some units were damaged from flying debris from other homes.

July

Fourth of July party is held in the hall with a barbeque. Residents brought dishes to round out the hamburgers and hot dogs provided. Music was provided by many locals and guests, and it was GREAT.
A new back gate was installed on July 10, bringing closure to the new fence project.
The president of the board rewrote the Rules and Regulations, and presented his changes at the July 14 meeting to the board who then began to make changes. There used to be a committee of residents who did this. The board of directors declared war on the parking lots of Regency Cove. Change was in the air.
The Tampa Post Office makes changes to the addresses of the park units. Mail is returned, some pension checks, bills, and financial statements are returned to sender, wreaking havoc on the residents of regency Cove.
Maintenance supervisor Ed Scobee is hospitalized for several nights after ruling out appendicitis.

August

Aug 1, A small committee meets and agrees on writing a grant for new benches for Sunset Point. Hillsborough County Office of Neighborhood Relations deadline for grants was fast approaching.
There was a slight delay in completion of the seal coating. The equipment was unavailable til the end of the month.
At the August 18th board meeting, the board approved $15k for a shuffleboard roof. The board president announces plans to eliminate funding of reserves. He was informed that the residents must vote on this.
August 21

September

Yet another version of the HORC Rules and Regs were distributed to the residents. Unlike rules of the past, where the old rules were shown crossed out and new changes were typed in bold, no attempt was made to help residents see the changes. Some of the changes were not even discussed at board meetings. The rule restricting motorcycles in the park disappeared from our documents, without any mention at a board meeting!
Security cameras turned up in many surprising locations throughout the park. We learned that our president has been watching us from his home in Canada.
The board agreed to put power in the boat storage yard!
A new gate code was established for the pedestrian gates.
Continuous parking permits were established.
Coupon books for monthly maintenance fees will go into effect in January. The Office will no longer collect the fees after the new year. Change is upon us.
For a day or two around September 24th, the seal c oating project came to an end with the boat storage yard. All boats were carefully relocated for this project.

October

The Gandy Coalition put alderman John Dingfelder on the spot with his support for the Gandy project. Voters were made aware of John’s stand. Pity, it was going to cost him.
The Black Box continues to control board meetings, and demonstrated a bit of a temper tantrum at the Oct, board meeting when board members refused to back one of his decisions.
Another $1,000 was approved for the shuffle court lights.

November

National election results are announced. The voters spoke. The state of Forida got a new governor and senator. The nation elected a new congress.
In Regency Cove, the 2011 budget discussions continue. President threatens a 33% maintenance fee increase, if a full funding of reserves is required.
Due to the effort of block captains and alternates who distributed notices house-to-house, and a group of residents who literally telephoned scores of northern residents to mail in their proxies, on November 23, a quorum was established at a Members’ Meeting in Regency Cove. The vote officially determined that the 2011 Budget would not fully fund the newly established reserves.
President Paul McCumber resigns from the office of president of the board of directors. Betty Rigde assumes the presidency.
The Office of Neighborhood Relations announces that Regency Cove won the $2500 grant for new benches.
The residents of Regency Cove decorate the clubhouse for another Christmas celebration.

December

Chet Hindman is selected to fill the office of vice president of Regency Cove.
A hot tub enclosure was approved at the Dec 9 board meeting so residents can use the tub if the pool is closed due to cold temperatures. Small fish can be preserved there in case of another cold snap.
.

A new accounting firm has been selected by the board of directors to eliminate payments made directly to the Office. Coupon books are distributed to residents for use in January 2011..

Regency Cove Association wins a First Place Award from Bayside West Neighborhood Association for Christmas lighting and decorations.