Government Affairs Committee Chair and Woodbridge VM Rick Goldstein introduced Hillsborough County Neighborhood Liaison Mary-Elizabeth Fuentes, who spoke about the mini-grants that are available to HOAs. Thirteen communities within Westchase have HOAs and are therefore eligible to apply for the grants, which max out at $5,000, shared Fuentes. She encouraged the HOAs to start thinking about projects they may want to fund so they’ll be ready to apply when the grant application cycle opens in the fall.
Josh Belotti, Hillsborough County’s Director of Engineering & Operations, was scheduled to speak at the VMs meeting, but was unable to attend, said Goldstein. He introduced Assistant County Administrator of Public Works Kim Byer, who agreed to speak in Bellotti’s place. Byer was accompanied by Bob Campbell, the county’s transportation and engineering manager; Mike Flick, county engineer; and Eddie Burch- Community Relations Coordinator.
Byer delivered a presentation on recently completed, current, and future public works projects in Westchase. These include sidewalk repairs on Lightner Bridge, Tavistock Drive, Bennington Drive, and Glenfield Avenue. She also provided an overview of the anticipated impact of the Community Investment Tax (CIT) that voters approved for renewal.
The Transportation Surtax will fund an approximately $4.7 million resurfacing of Countryway Boulevard from W. Waters Avenue to W. Linebaugh Avenue, she continued. W. Linebaugh will be repaired this fiscal year from west of Stable Gate Lane to west of Preserve Lake Drive, Byer added. Another project in development is filling in Linebaugh’s north side sidewalk gap, which is scheduled to be designed this year, with construction slated for FY 2026.
A resident asked whether the Westchase CDD could be reimbursed for fixing sidewalks for which the county is responsible. Byer said the county has a program that can reimburse residents for fixing problematic sidewalks, but not CDDs. She added that she would send the link to Goldstein in case any residents needed it.
When asked what would happen to the speed bumps on Countryway during the resurfacing process, Byer said they are typically restored to their previously existing state. She also told a Bayboro Bridge Drive resident that the county can’t do any infrastructure improvement there because it’s a private lake. Byer can be reached via email at byerk@hcfl.gov.
Dyan Pithers, the alternate VM for the WPV Single Family Homes, took the floor to provide an update on parking signs that the county recently installed in WPV at the request of the fire marshal. Several signs were placed directly in front of homes, and she and Goldstein met with Public Works to determine whether any changes could be made in the size and location of the signs, she reported.
These discussions resulted in reducing the height of the signs from seven to five feet, and the size of the signs from 18” x 24” to 12” x 18”, she explained. They moved some signs from in front of homes to property lines, which occasionally resulted in extending the no-parking zones, Pithers continued.
Some signs could not be moved due to easements, mailboxes, and/or the turn radius of the non-articulated fire engines, said Pithers. She emphasized the need for the signs for liability purposes in the event of any emergencies, and acknowledged that the solutions were not ideal for every resident. The CDD plans to order black poles and surrounds for all of the signs so they’ll look nicer and fit in with existing signage in WPV, she stated. She asked that questions be directed to Campbell, Flick and Burch.
A 12-year resident of Brompton Drive complained that he can no longer park anywhere near his home due to the newly installed signs and no-parking zones. He said the changes have decimated the value of his street and the livability of his home. The resident also claimed that parking in front of his home, which is now prohibited, doesn’t interfere with the fire engines’ right-of-way and faulted county engineers for erroneously using the simulation software.
Deb Guerino, VM for the Villas of WPV, expressed frustration that sheriffs seemed not to be enforcing the new signs. Goldstein told the resident and his two neighbors, who were also in attendance, that he would set up a time for them to meet with the fire marshal to understand the relevant guidelines, rules, and regulations.
WCA Board President Michiel Oostenbrink then provided a brief recap of recent board activity, including an update on WPV pool repairs and the possible annexation of a new development with 38 townhomes on Tate Lane into the Westchase community. Woodbay VM Cal Hargreaves asked how Westchase would benefit from the annexation. Neither the WCA nor the VMs can halt the building of the new homes, but the annexation could provide Westchase with slightly more control over the way in which the new construction is integrated into the community, responded Guerino.
The VMs then unanimously voted to appoint Pam Wilcox and Pat Ryan as alternate VMs to the Bridges, and to appoint Heidi Schmidt as the new Woodbay VM and Hargreaves as her alternate.
Property Manager Debbie Sainz then asked the VMs to vote on four proposed amendments to Individual Neighborhood Section Guidelines (INSGs) in Berkeley Square, Glencliff Villas, Stamford, and Stonebridge Villas. Berkeley Square VM Isa Quaglia told her fellow VMs that at least two of the community’s HOA officers were unfamiliar with the proposed amendment and asked whether the vote could be delayed. Radcliffe VM Eric Holt moved to table the vote on Berkeley Square’s proposed INSG amendment, and his motion passed unanimously. The VMs voted using paper ballots and submitted them to Sainz for tabulation. The remaining three amendments passed, according to Sainz.
Barry Anderson, VM for the Shires, took the floor to propose creating a five-member working group to review the leasing provisions of the current CCRs. He said that one of every seven homes in the Shires is a rental, and that rentals are typically not maintained as well as homeowners’ primary residences.
WPV Single Family Homes VM Mary Griffin told Anderson that attempting to limit the percentage of rentals in a community is not a new concept, but that legal counsel had advised a former document review committee that Westchase is not permitted to do so by law. The Bridges VM Dawn Gingrich, The Enclave VM Christine Hennes, and Goldstein all volunteered to be a part of the working group. Oostenbrink stated that a motion was unnecessary, and the group was welcome to meet and provide input to the newly formed Document Review Committee.
Holt presented a version of the Recommended Procedures for Voting Members Meetings that legal counsel had reviewed. The document included verbiage governing the scheduling and cancellation of meetings; protocol for adding items to meeting agendas; and a standing schedule of meetings and proposed agenda items listed by month.
The purpose of the procedures was to encourage the VMs to be more proactive in their approach to meetings and agendas, as opposed to leaving the control in the hands of the WCA board president, explained Holt.
Goldstein said he objected to one of the listed procedures requiring the VMs to approve guest speakers before invitations are extended to them. He expressed the importance of having governmental officials communicate directly with the VMs and argued that he, and previous GAC chairs, had historically been permitted to extend such invitations without prior approval. He added that he was happy to share the list of speakers with the VMs beforehand.
Harbor Links VM Nancy Sells said the provision concerned her, too. Holt clarified that the procedure would not prohibit GAC from inviting speakers to monthly meetings, but would merely require prior approval. He declined to amend the procedures based upon Goldstein’s objections, and the VMs voted to approve them.
