MINUTES OF GMCA ADVISORY BOARD MEETING

April 21, 2016

The meeting was called to order at 11:10 a.m. by President Pio Ieraci at Nick�s Italian Restaurant.

Board Members present: : Ieraci, Berkowitz, Hamaker, Nesbitt, McBride, Abruzzino, Adams, Bazerghi, Bendis, Bindler, Cella, Cintron, Cuneo, Hashek, Katz, Kessler, Larson, Madenfort, Madgett, Mancke, Matsas, Mercado, Neill, Oser, Solewin, Soucy, Tripoli, Vega and Wenberg

Guests present: Fort Lauderdale Police Department Galt Mile liaison Officer Tom Gestal.

Approval of Minutes - Minutes of the March 16, 2016 Advisory Board Meeting were approved.

Old and New Business/Guests

• Pio introduced Fort Lauderdale Police Officer Tom Gestal, who shared the following information:

  • Interior/exterior building security is paramount.

  • When a problem occurs, call the police to handle it.

  • Discussed homeless problem on the Galt Mile and other neighborhoods, aggressive solicitors congregate at the Library, the Oakland Park Boulevard beach entry and behind Winn Dixie; FLPD outreach offers opportunities to voluntarily access a broad spectrum of free services; homeless predators are being cleared from Stranahan Park.

  • Discussed the importance of educating our residents about how handing out spare change is linked to the proliferation of homeless persons in the neighborhood, along with those who prey on them.

  • Crime in our neighborhood is low.

  • Compared with previous years, anticipating a smaller crowd and fewer problems at the Air Show on May 7th and May 8th.

  • Although attended by 50,000 people, there were no arrests at the Tortuga Music Festival.

Buses

• Fred Nesbitt presented an excellent pamphlet demonstrating the problems created by the BCT Bus #72 layover on Galt Ocean Drive.

• When construction of the Galt Mile A1A Greenway is completed, the Bus #72 layover will be returned to A1A.

Galt Ocean Mile Street Landscape - Jos� �Chepo� Vega

• Chepo Vega distributed pictures of some deplorable block maintenance failures, such as a safety hazard created by broken spotlights, poorly trimmed or neglected hedges, etc. A landscaping walk-through will be scheduled with Mark Almy and Bruce Roberts.

• Fred Nesbitt shared that he attended a meeting where residents debated whether the City or the neighborhood should maintain local landscaping. However, unless our landscaping receives consistent maintenance, the same problems repeatedly recur.

• Pio agreed that Chepo�s block maintenance complaints would be better addressed with a long term solution.

Beach Renourishment

• A question was raised about whether we are legally permitted to trim the sea oats. Pio will explore and advise.

• Pio spoke to Robbi Uptegrove about relocating 56 offshore swimming buoys that are now closer to the shoreline. She will ask Engineering Department.

Galt Mile Reading Center - Terry Claire

• Terry gave an update regarding the possible library expansion. She thanked Pio and Eric for helping with her correspondences in this matter.

Galt Mile Web Site � Newsletter � Eric Berkowitz

• March 2016 Website Statistics: 693,063 hits, 18,769 Unique Site Visits (First Timers)

Articles posted during the past month include:

• March 17, 2016 - Chlorine Noodle Soup - Late last summer, a few Galt Mile residents sent emails to the neighborhood association complaining about the odd taste of their tap water. One of our neighbors surmised that vengeful kids, having been ejected from the beach by the Galt Mile Security Patrol, somehow sabotaged their association�s water. In fact, the perpetrator was the City of Fort Lauderdale. From May 10 through June 14, Water Services will temporarily alter the chemical purification process as part of a regular water distribution system maintenance program. Some may sense a strange taste or acrid odor, while others won�t notice any difference. Since it takes approximately two weeks for the chlorine to clear, any perceived changes should dissipate by early July. For the 411 on the H2O, Read on...

• March 26, 2016 - Sine Die 2016: Surviving Assn Bills - With a handful of exceptions, dozens of association bills filed during the 2016 Legislative Session were finally exiled to the ever-expanding Tallahassee boneyard. In the last week of the session, a set of companion bills in the House and Senate were poised to become legislative trains, repositories for bits and pieces of stalled legislation whose sponsors hoped to rescue from death on the calendar. Senate Bill 1050 filed by Senator Jeffrey Brandes (R - St. Petersburg) and House Bill 1187, sponsored by Representative James W. �J.W.� Grant (R - Tampa), relating to the Department of Business and Professional Regulations (DBPR), were besieged by lawmakers with bills destined for oblivion. Like most 2016 association bills, these trains never left the station. Take a look at a few survivors...

• April 9, 2016 - March 2016 LaMarca Letter - In his March 2016 constituent update, District 4 Broward Commissioner Chip LaMarca cites a study that demonstrates how synchronicity between Broward�s key Transportation hubs fiscally fuel our community, reports that another lucrative Port Everglades tenant extended their relationship by 20 years, notes the onset of Sea Turtle nesting season, outlines how several competitive water conservation contests successfully met their objectives, describes Broward efforts to upgrade an antique county-wide Emergency 911 Radio system and details how unclaimed items abandoned on Broward County Transit busses are passed to charitable or educational groups for donation. Read on...

• April 17, 2016 - Gerrymander: A Tallahassee Team Sport - After four trials, three special sessions and eight rulings from the Florida Supreme Court, the lines delimiting Florida�s State Senate districts and Congressional districts were finally redrawn. Although the new district boundaries may minimally impact many jurisdictions, not so for the Galt Mile. A congressional district map and state Senate map used to define political boundaries since 2012 were both recently struck down by the courts when a coalition of voting rights groups spearheaded by the League of Women Voters and Common Cause provided evidence that districts were designed to protect either the Republican majority or incumbent Democrats. In 2010, Florida voters approved a constitutional prohibition against gerrymandering; five years later, the courts gave it teeth. Wanna see how?

Other Business

• Responsibility of Board of Directors for interior association security was discussed. Boards are empowered to enact and enforce legal rules and regulations as they see fit. Also discussed Board Member attendance at meetings.

• Ralph Hamaker received a renewal application from the Council of Fort Lauderdale Civic Associations.

• Ralph Hamaker spoke about the Sun Trolley survey distributed to all buildings; feels the schedule presented is inaccurate.

• A picture was shared of the proposed new color scheme for the Galt Ocean Mile Marketplace shopping plaza. Pio made a motion to approve the depicted color scheme; Eileen Bendis seconded the motion, which was unanimously approved.

• Pio shared HR4696, which amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a deduction for Homeowners Association Assessments. He will send information to all.

Treasurer�s Report - Fred Nesbitt

• The Treasurer reported a balance of $15,453.88.

Adjournment - The next regular Advisory Board Meeting will be held on Thursday, May 19, 2016 at Nick�s Italian Restaurant.

The meeting was adjourned at 1:00 p.m.

Fern McBride
Fern McBride, Secretary

RETURN To GOVERNANCE

RETURN To MISSION STATEMENT

RETURN To BY-LAWS

RETURN To MEETING MINUTES INDEX

Click To Top of Page