Government Affairs Committee Chair and Woodbridge VM Rick Goldstein introduced Dave Eggers, Vice Chair of the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners, at February’s Voting Members meeting. Eggers was there to speak about growth and development in the area, as well as efforts that Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties were making to work together to improve the quality of life for local residents.
Eggers was initially elected to the board in 2014. He discussed some of the challenges facing the region, including “unbridled development” in Pasco and south Hillsborough counties which is taxing local water and transportation resources and making affordable housing increasingly difficult to find.
Goldstein asked Eggers whether Pinellas County beaches would be open in advance of spring break. St. Pete and Clearwater beaches fared well in the recent storms, but some of the areas between the two are still struggling, Eggers responded.
WCA President Michiel Oostenbrink then took the floor to provide an update on recent board activity. He mentioned the possible annexation of the soon-to-be-built Westchase Station townhomes into the WCA. The association has to conduct a review of the development’s covenants and restrictions and confirm that the land can be properly annexed, he explained. The WCA has sent developer Stanley Martin Homes a letter to sign agreeing that they would agree to incur any and all fees surrounding the annexation process, he added.
Jim Brinker, VM for the Classic Townhomes of West Park Village, asked whether the association had been caught off guard by the developer’s purchase of the land. Oostenbrink acknowledged that the WCA wasn’t notified until November that Stanley Martin had made the purchase. Deb Guerino, VM for the Villas of WPV, noted that construction has already begun on the development. Oostenbrink confirmed that horizontal permits have already been approved, but that the developer still had to go through the architectural review process.
There have been some delays on the work at the WPV pool, and there are some outstanding issues, Oostenbrink reported. The board has reached an agreement with one of the vendors responsible for the delays, he added, but they are still reviewing contracts to ensure that they aren’t being charged for services for which they had already paid. Radcliffe VM Eric Holt asked when the pool would reopen, and Oostenbrink said he didn’t have a definitive answer yet.
CDD Supervisor Reggie Gillis attended a recent WCA board meeting and stated that there have been some negative interactions between golfers and homeowners who live along the golf course, Oostenbrink shared. Oostenbrink said he invited CDD Chair Matt Lewis to join him to meet with several of the residents who live nearby to make them aware of the easement that exists along the golf course. Lewis agreed, and the majority of conversations went very well, he added.
Brinker asked whether the golf course was for sale. Oostenbrink told him that Gillis said the CDD authorized him (Gillis) to have conversations with the owners about a potential purchase of the course. Oostenbrink stated that he had no additional information about the matter. Brinker asked whether anyone knew what the plan for the course was if the CDD were to purchase it, and Nancy Sells, alternate VM for Harbor Links/The Estates, said the plan would be to keep and improve it.
The board has a multitude of bids to review at the February meeting, including those related to LED lighting, Oostenbrink told the VMs. He also shared that the Document Review Committee was underway. One Blood plans to host a blood drive on March 8 at the Countryway Swim & Tennis facility, and the monthly movies in the park are scheduled for February 21 and March 14, Oostenbrink commented. He said that the WOW board is also seeking volunteers.
Christine Hennes, VM for The Enclave, stated that there were piles of dead fish in one of the ponds. An audience member said that at the CDD meeting held earlier in the week, supervisors approved the purchase of new aerators for the ponds that had equipment damaged during the recent storms. Holt told Hennes it should take two to three weeks for the equipment to arrive.
Goldstein reported that he, Dale Sells, and Charles Stephens recently met with county officials about sidewalk repairs. Goldstein added that the county has been dealing with sidewalk issues since 2014. Stephens will be taking the lead on the issue, Goldstein said. Dawn Gingrich, the VM for the Bridges, asked whether there was a list of all the sidewalks that are slated to be repaired. Goldstein told her that his team was working on preparing one.
Holt asked Oostenbrink whether there was a list of reserve projects that were going to be addressed this year. There is a list and it will be shared with VMs once Oostenbrink has had the opportunity to clean it up, the board president responded.
The VMs then moved on to the topic of GAC speakers. At the January meeting, they approved a motion requiring VMs to seek approval prior to inviting speakers to address the group at monthly meetings. Goldstein said he’d sent an email to his fellow VMs outlining the purpose of having particular speakers address the group. He stressed the importance of building and maintaining relationships with officials whose actions could positively impact the community.
In April, Karen Gonzalez Pittman, member of the Florida House of Representatives for the 65th District, is scheduled to speak about legislative updates and events, he reported. Elizabeth Watkins of the Hillsborough Transportation Planning Organization plans to address the VMs at the May meeting about relevant transportation issues, he said. Sheriff Chad Chronister is slated to attend the VMs June meeting to discuss the local crime rate, he concluded.
Hennes mentioned that speakers were supposed to be limited to twenty minutes, and pointed out that Eggers spoke for much longer. Goldstein said he didn’t want to interrupt the VMs’ questions for the Pinellas County commissioner. Bennington VM Russ Crooks moved to accept the three speakers as presented, and all VMs present voted in favor of his motion except for Chelmsford VM Joanne Maurer, who was opposed.
“I fielded some comments from some other VMs,” stated Holt. “The idea is not to keep anyone from having speakers but to scrutinize the benefit versus the time. I think it’s important to have a relevant agenda. The question is who is speaking and why.”
“I also think it’s very important for us to step out of our visual bubble in Westchase,” interjected Guerino on Goldstein’s behalf. “It’s about relationships. It’s having somebody who could be influential, having other people in our corner know that we’re on the map.”
Abbottsford VM Christopher Jones suggested that Goldstein be given six slots a year for speakers and the power to invite whomever he wants without seeking approval from the other VMs. Hennes pointed out that the group had already voted to require prior approval for speakers. Brinker said he agreed with Jones. Gingrich asked that politicians invited to speak during their election years not turn their visits into campaign stops. Oostenbrink asked Goldstein to bring a list of the next set of speakers to the March meeting, and Goldstein agreed.
Mary Griffin, VM for the Single Family Homes of WPV, reminded the VMs that they had already agreed to record future meetings and said she had three proposals from companies who could supply the equipment necessary to do so. Holt said he spoke to half a dozen vendors when seeking bids, and the company he recommended would install three microphones in the activity room at the Swim & Tennis Center, along with a camera and module that would allow someone to control the camera, he explained.
The technology would enable residents to stream the meetings live or watch recordings of them afterward, added Holt. The total cost would be between $3,200 and $3,500, which would require the VMs to request an additional $1,500 from the board, Holt concluded.
Hennes asked whether there would be any security features in place preventing anyone from misusing the camera, and Holt said there would. Jones wanted to know whether there would be any monthly or maintenance fees, and Holt told him no. Griffin moved to request the additional $1,500 from the board, and her motion passed unanimously.
Oostenbrink reminded the VMs that at January’s meeting they had tabled a vote on Berkeley Square’s proposed INSG amendment. At the time, Berkeley Square VM Isa Quaglia was not aware that the community had approved the proposed amendment, but their board had indeed done so, he continued. WCA legal counsel recommended that the VMs not vote on the matter until it has been properly noticed by Westchase residents, which would be in June. Community Manager Debbie Sainz clarified that all residents need to be notified, not just those in Berkeley Square.
Oostenbrink then opened the floor to VM comments. Crooks asked what preparations the WCA was making for the upcoming hurricane season. Goldstein is researching the storm drainage situation and was in discussions with the county about hardening the grid, Oostenbrink replied.
Holt said he wanted to know whether flood management would address all of the street drains in Westchase. Goldstein told him that the CDD is looking into doing that in the neighborhoods that they oversee, and is aware that storm drains need to be cleaned several times each year.
Holt then asked to add the Document Review Committee to the VMs’ March meeting agenda, and the motion passed unanimously.
