MINUTES OF GMCA ADVISORY BOARD MEETING

February 15, 2018

The meeting was called to order at 11:20 a.m. by President Pio Ieraci at Nick�s Italian Restaurant.

Board Members present: Ieraci, Berkowitz, Hamaker, Hashek, McBride, Nesbitt, Surdovel, Adams, Bazerghi, Bendis, Bibace, Cave, Cella, Harris, Johnson, Katz, Kessler, Korn, Madgett, Mullan, Pohan, Santiago, Sarelakos, Short, Tripoli, Wenberg

Guests present: Fort Lauderdale District 1 City Commissioner Bruce Roberts

A moment of silence was observed for the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy in Parkland, Florida.

Approval of Minutes - Minutes of the January 18, 2018 Advisory Board Meeting were approved.

Old and New Business

• Pio announced that City Commissioner-elect Heather Moraitis will begin her official duties as District 1 City Commissioner after being sworn in on March 20.

• Pio informed us that Robbi Uptegrove, Bruce Roberts� Commission Assistant, is retiring on March 20. Discussed inviting her to our next meeting and presenting Robbi with a gift in appreciation of her many efforts on our behalf.

• Pio reported on a meeting with Tim Greener, owner of the Beach Raker. The accumulation of beach debris on days when Beach Raker doesn�t service the Galt Mile Beach prompted a discussion of expanding the service to seven days. A proposal for seven (7) day service would increase the cost to $140. per month; $300. a month for associations with larger beach areas. Information will be forwarded to all buildings in order to gather a consensus by the March 15 meeting.

• Pio met with Heather Moraitis to discuss: ELSS, inequitable multi-family water & sewer charges, non-functioning lights on the Galt Mile.

• Pio introduced City Commissioner Bruce Roberts, who spoke on the following issues:

  • Bruce and Heather Moraitis will address the parking shortage raised by Jon Paul Jewelers.

  • Has a new campaign manager; reminded us that the run-off date is March 13.

  • Spoke about the water & sewer rate study - precursor to an equitable rate revision.

  • Discussed the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

• Engineered Life Safety Systems � ELSS: Pio explained that Ellyn Bogdanoff and George Moraitis are discouraged; and hope an email campaign will help. A lengthy discussion was held, including an effort to spur participation by the 770 Florida high-rise associations that voted to opt out of the fire sprinkler retrofit mandate and the hiring of an experienced, high profile attorney to consider legal actions.

• Galt Ocean Drive Street Landscape: Ed Hashek shared an update from John Jors.

  • A number of trees marked with an �X� will be replaced. Twenty-four plantings of 3 different species near 4 associations are scheduled for evaluation.

  • Lighting issues are being addressed; monuments will be assessed.

  • Pet stations were discussed: The City of Ft. Lauderdale would install stations; associations would replenish bags. Pio will ask Mark Almy to install 3 - 4 stations as a test. (Jon Jors will be informed.)

Galt Mile Web Site � Newsletter � Eric Berkowitz

• January 2018 Website statistics: No Data Available

Articles posted during the past month include:

• January 16, 2018 - Delivering Disney: Keeping the Promise - When Galt Ocean Drive residents voluntarily self-assessed funding for the broad range of civic upgrades known as the Galt Mile Improvement Project in 1995 (pink aggregate sidewalks, new traffic signals and signage, interred utility lines, pavered crosswalks, new landscaping, etc.), the City agreed to maintain the many improvements in �a Disney-like manner.� They didn�t. Having watched the landscaping cycle through 12 years of avoidable brownouts, frustrated Galt officials were delighted when Commodore resident Jos� �Chepo� Vega volunteered to pressure the City into keeping its promise. After eight years of fighting to keep our home safe and beautiful, Chepo retired last year. Scrambling to fill his shoes, neighborhood officials serendipitously hit the jackpot when Galleon resident John Jors picked up the gauntlet and hit the ground running. For some insight into his first few months as the neighborhood�s block maintenance liaison, Read on...

• January 25, 2018 - 2018 ELSS Op-Out: Week 2 - On December 26, 2017, Association Advocate Ellyn Bogdanoff delivered a Holiday gift to thousands of Florida homeowners in high-rise associations. A message from the former State Senator revived their hopes for a legislative opportunity to dodge a $multi-million assessment - the cost of complying with a scam mandate to install an Engineered Life Safety System (ELSS). A few days before Bogdanoff�s December 26th �First Update�, George Moraitis filed House Bill 1061 (HB 1061) on Thursday, December 21, 2017. On January 2, 2018, Senator Gary Farmer filed Senate Bill 1432 (SB 1432) in the other chamber. On January 15, Bogdanoff updated supporters about the bills' progress in Week 2 of the 2018 Legislative session. Check it out...

• February 7, 2018 - Roberts: Chlorine; Body Cam; Fire Sta. 54 - In his February 2018 Newsletter, City Commissioner Bruce Roberts welcomes Commissioner-Elect Heather Moraitis to step into his District 1 shoes, announces Mayor Seiler�s State of the City Address at the recently transformed South Side Cultural Arts Center, alerts municipal water customers to the temporary introduction of free chlorine into our drinking water to boost the disinfection process, reports how a city IT team sought to cure a glitch in the FLPD body worn cameras pilot program by exploring how their Orlando peers deployed similar equipment, updates constituents about the progress of District 1 infrastructure projects either completed, currently underway, or on the drawing board, including the long awaited construction kick-off of Fire Rescue Station 54. Roberts closes with a list of upcoming events, essentially commission meetings leading up to the March 13, 2018 municipal election - and the swearing in ceremony a week later.

• February 15, 2018 - January 2018 LaMarca Letter - In his January 2018 LaMarca Letter, District 4 County Commissioner Chip LaMarca details his support for Beach Renourishment, improved Emergency Management protocols and tighter safety standards for Assisted Living Facilities - policy objectives cherry-picked from a County Legislative Program compiled annually for Broward lawmakers and lobbyists promoting the County's agenda in Tallahassee during the legislative session. LaMarca also updates air travelers about the opening of Concourse G East in Terminal 4 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport; notes that a growing number of property owners are funding Clean Energy improvements with PACE Broward financing; and announces a new toll-free number for long distance inquiries about County government services, facilitating communication for out-of-residence snowbirds and snowflakes. Stuffed in LaMarca's legislative backpack is the seed for keeping a promise to Galt Mile residents.

Other Business

• Fred Nesbitt discussed the association electoral process

• For the second consecutive year, there were a record number of Sea turtle nesting events on Broward Beaches - doing well.

• Pio explained Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) � a federal program to relocate Sea Turtle nests to uninhabited beaches, enabling beach neighborhoods to safely illuminate roads and homes.

Treasurer�s Report - Fred Nesbitt

• The Treasurer reported a balance of $12,255,10.

Adjournment - The next regular Advisory Board Meeting will be held on Thursday, March 15, 2018 at Nick�s Italian Restaurant.

The meeting was adjourned at 1:40 p.m.

Fern McBride
Fern McBride, Secretary

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