The April 1 meeting began on a positive note with a resident thanking Field Manager David Sylvanowicz for looking after the trees in the Shires.
During his anticipated update on pond 125, Engineer Robert Dvorak confirmed he had attended a pre-construction meeting with Site Masters and they were looking to start work later that week on the berm project. He was pleased to report that they were all on the same page with regard to logistics and, weather permitting, the work should take 1-2 weeks. Looking again at the long-term solutions for potential flooding, Dvorak said he was confident he had come up with a scenario that lowered the 100-year flood plain by 4.5 inches at an estimated cost of $100,000. He felt he was now in a position to engage with the county to look at how their resources could be used with his model. He added that he could keep looking at alternative solutions, but he told the board his current idea would have a much lower environmental impact than other scenarios.
Attorney Erin McCormick had wrapped up the two agreements for the sidewalk project and Dvorak requested that the board nominate one supervisor to review and approve the agreements in their substantial form so that he could execute the contract before the next meeting. The board voted 5-0 to allow Chairman Matt Lewis to move forward with the contract subject to his review.
After a few quiet months, McCormick had an update from Vertex regarding the new cell tower. AT&T had now placed their antenna on the tower, but she did not have confirmation on when service would start. She said that Alan Ruiz from Vertex understood that Westchase residents were anxious for improvement in cell service, and he would follow up with AT&T in two weeks. T-Mobile still had their antenna on back order but were hopeful it would arrive by May 19. McCormick was also pleased to report that Vertex was in preliminary talks with Verizon to have an antenna on the tower. McCormick said that Ruiz was confident residents would notice the improvement straight away once the antennas were operational.
Sylvanowicz began his report with two tree permit requests, the first of which was on Gretna Green Drive. The owner was in attendance and explained that the roots had damaged the reclaimed water box and knocked out drainpipes. He was disappointed to learn that he would be responsible for the cost of the tree’s removal, but Supervisor Chris Barrett reminded the audience that the new policy to pass on the cost to owners was put in place to disincentivize residents from taking trees out. This permit was approved 5-0.
The second request was to take two out of four oaks from a home on Glenfield Drive. Barrett urged the board to table this request, concerned that if two are taken out, the owner may then request a third or fourth one to be removed in the future. He made a motion to decline the permit request, which passed 4-1, with Lewis dissenting.
Much of Sylvanowicz’s report covered the beautification of Westchase. He began with a proposal from Arete Industries for the two monument signs at Linebaugh and Sheldon to be replaced with new signs that match those recently installed at Linebaugh and Countryway. The proposal was approved 5-0, with a request from Lewis to move forward with further improvements to signage.
Sylvanowicz had recently met with Ivy Clinton from landscaping firm VHB, the firm involved in the recent improvements to the West Park Village Plaza. For a nominal fee of $2,400 she would meet with the board during a workshop to bounce around ideas for landscaping improvements across the community. This first step was approved 5-0 by the board.
Following on from the last meeting, Sylvanowicz requested that the board move forward with advertising a Rules Adoption Meeting to discuss community fees. This would largely cover a recommended increase for pavilion rental fees. The increase would support occasional weekend trips by staff to deal with electrical issues, cover additional trash removal, electrical repairs, and electrical and water usage. He went onto explain that these venues were very popular, and the office spends many hours a week managing the bookings. The increase would also be in line with pricing across Hillsborough County Parks. The board approved an increase from $75 to $150 for non–bounce house bookings and from $100 to $250 for bookings including a bounce house.
Wrapping up his report and the meeting, Sylvanowicz presented a “show & tell of updates” to the board, including the repair and painting of the gazebos and pavilions and the near completion of new aerators in the ponds. Audience members echoed the board’s appreciation of these initiatives.
