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December 11, 2018
Dear Neighbor: There are a couple of items that I want to update the community on as we head into the Holiday Season, a time when V.I. really “shines” with some incredible holiday decorations and our beautiful seawall luminary display on Christmas Eve. For more information on this special Venetian Isles tradition and how you can purchase candles from the Hospitality Committee, please visit www.ourvi.org/ the source for all your information on life in V.I. Passing of Bob Johnson Many of you knew Bob from his countless years on the V.I.H.A. Board or serving on numerous V.I.H.A. committees. Bob passed away on December 8. Bob was as committed in his efforts to maintain V.I. as the highest quality residential community as anyone. Bob was the original owner of his house on Kansas and lived in V.I. since the early 1970’s. V.I. is a better place because of Bob Johnson and he will be missed. Our thoughts are with Bob’s family as they mourn his passing. Management Company We held a General Meeting for V.I. residents on October 11 where representatives of Qualified Property Management (“QPM”) were in attendance to introduce themselves to the community, make a brief presentation on their company and the services they provide, and answer any property owner questions. As we have discussed previously, the V.I.H.A. Board has been doing diligence on management companies in an effort to provide support for various functions, given the reduction in volunteer hours that V.I.H.A. members are able to commit. Some concerns that were raised at the General Meeting related to oversight of the management company and cost. First and foremost, if a management company is retained they work for V.I.H.A. and V.I. – not the other way around. The V.I.H.A. Board continues to set the policies and procedures and the management company follows them. Frank Saccone from QPM made a statement that really resonated with me. He said that homeowners are used to paying $85 - $100/month for lawn services and a similar amount for pool services, yet they are reluctant to pay a small fraction of that to protect the value of one of their biggest assets. The ad hoc committee formed to evaluate management companies has reviewed a proposed contract from QPM and discussion of this contract will likely occur at the V.I.H.A. Board meeting on December 17, 2018 at 6:00 pm at LCC Day School. It was clear at the General Meeting that there is a wide range of opinions on the retention of a management company, as there are on many V.I.H.A. issues. The V.I.H.A. Board has taken over a year to diligence and review management companies. If we do retain a management company, it is because we have thoroughly researched it and believe it is in the best interests of our community. I hope that you recognize the effort that has gone into this process and will support the Board’s decision regardless of the ultimate decision. 2019 Dues Letters Dues letters for 2019 will be mailed concurrent with the release of this “State of the Isles”. Annual dues for 2019, approved by the V.I.H.A. Board at the October Board meeting, will be $150.00. This is the first increase in V.I.H.A. dues in seven years and represents a monthly cost of $12.50. The increase in 2019 annual dues is not the result of an increase in costs related to the potential retention of a management company, but is a function of increases in maintenance of our limited common areas, reclaimed water, utilities and insurance, among others. There have been noticeable improvements to V.I. that are all made possible by the commitment of V.I.H.A. members. Beautification Lisa Schwartz and members of the Beautification Committee have done a great job with the entrance to V.I. on Overlook and the new monuments that have been completed and are awaiting final inspection by the City. I’d like to also thank: (i) Steve Cropper, who recently spread 300 pounds of fertilizer along Grand Canal and Overlook and repaired all the sprinklers; (ii) Mark Brenman and Lisa Schwartz, who spread 19 bags of mulch predominantly on Overlook; (iii) Janet DeBiasio, who served as the point person for the replacement of a palm tree around Illinois Ave and Grand Canal; and, (iv) Jaren Wright, Janet, Steve and Mark, who made sure there was sufficient water for the plants at the new monuments. This is just an example of the commitment made by V.I.H.A. members to keep our community looking as attractive as it does. Just a reminder that these improvements are funded, in part, with revenues that are generated from advertisements in the “Venetian Isles Directory of Homeowners”. Please patronize those firms that are advertising in the Directory and making V.I. a better community. Board Positions/Elections As of this date, we will have five open positions on the V.I.H.A. Board in 2019. Elections will be held at the Annual Meeting on January 24. As I have written previously, it is critical that we get new members of the Board to generate fresh ideas and different perspectives. Please let me know if you have an interest. Oktoberfest Another successful event on Oktoberfest that saw attendance of 300+ persons at the Kansas South cul-de-sac. Thanks to the Michigan Grillers, the volunteers and the sponsors who made this event such a success. Photos of the event are posted on http://www.ourvi.org/latest-news/archives/10-2018 Package Deliveries St. Pete PD has advised us that the first case of “front step package theft” has occurred in V.I. Please make every effort to remove your packages from your doorways ASAP or have a neighbor do so, if possible. Hope to see you at the Annual Meeting on January 24 at 7:00pm at Lutheran Church of the Cross. A social event will be held prior to the meeting starting at 6:30pm. Have a happy and safe holiday season. Don’t forget to light your seawall candles at 6:00pm on December 24th!!!! As always, feel free to contact me at the email address below. Please see http://www.ourvi.org/ for additional info. Thank you. Rich Scanlon V.I.H.A. President rscanlon@ourvi.org
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September 25, 2018
Dear Neighbor: I have a few quick items to cover as we leave summer and head into fall, a beautiful time of the year in V.I. Volunteers In the “State of the Isles” dated August 29, 2018, I wrote that we needed approximately 46 volunteers to fully staff all the V.I committees and preclude the need for a management company. We are very grateful to the VI residents who answered that call and volunteered for a committee position; however, we fell far short of the 46 positions that we needed to fill. Management Company As a result of the volunteer shortfall, the V.I.H.A. Board has continued to research third-party property management companies that could supplement the volunteer base that has been developed. Representatives from Qualified Property Management will attend the General Meeting on October 11, 2018 (6:30 p.m. at Lutheran Church of the Cross) and make a presentation on how the services they provide will make V.I. a better community. They will be available to answer resident questions after their presentation. 2019 V.I.H.A. Board Nominations In November nominations will open for the 2019 V.I.H.A. Board and elections will be held at the Annual Meeting in January. We are in need of new Board members with new ideas to continue to propel the V.I.H.A. forward and meet the demands of a new group of residents. With all the home sales over the past 3 years, this would be the perfect time for you to consider joining the next generation of leadership within the V.I.H.A.. Please contact any of the V.I.H.A. Board members for more information. Parking Survey Results An overwhelming majority of the respondents to the survey on the placement of “No Parking” signs within V.I. were opposed to installing these signs on V.I. streets. Please remember that Deed Restriction #35 requires that “vehicles will be parked on the even numbered sides of the thoroughfare in accordance with the provisions of City Ordinances in order to make way for fire and police protection.” Please make sure your guests and contractors abide by this important restriction so that a life or property are not endangered. Beautification Lisa Schwartz and members of the Beautification Committee have done a great job with the entrance to V.I. on Overlook and the new monuments that are in the final stages of construction. Just a reminder that these improvements are funded, in part, with revenues that are generated from advertisements in the “Venetian Isles Directory of Homeowners.” Advertisements in publications such as “Life on the Isles” do not benefit V.I. residents. Please patronize those firms that are advertising in the Directory and making V.I. a better community. Oktoberfest Our annual Oktoberfest party will be held on Saturday, October 20th from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. Join your neighbors for brats, beer, music and children's activities on Kansas Ave. South. Volunteers are needed for 30 minute shifts. If you are interested in helping out, please contact Julie at 727-525-0477. Hope to see you at the General Meeting on October 11. Please see www.ourvi.org for additional info. Thank you. Rich Scanlon VIHA President rscanlon@ourvi.org August 31, 2018 Dear Neighbor: In the “State of the Isles” that was dated July 7, 2018, I wrote that the VIHA Board would “continue to research a cost-effective way to have third-party property management services that would not be dependent on mandatory dues which we hope to be able to discuss at the October General Meeting. If you have any suggestions, please let us know.” In response to questions that several residents had subsequent to that letter, the VIHA Board did an analysis of the number of active volunteers within VI and estimated the number of additional volunteers required to perform all the functions necessary such that a management company would not be needed. The results of that study are shown below.  In summary, there are 54 active volunteers for all the VI committees that come from 48 residences which represents 10.3% and 9.1%, respectively, of the total lots covered by the deed restrictions (525). These 54 volunteers fill a total of 67 different committee positions. The committee heads have indicated that the total committee needs aggregate 113 positions leaving us 46 positions to be filled if we want to maintain the same level of service within the community and not retain a management company.
Please contact any member of the VIHA Board or committee head if you have an interest in serving on a particular committee to help us meet that goal of 46. That contact information is on the website at http://http://www.ourvi.org/viha-committees.html Thank you. Rich Scanlon VIHA President rscanlon@ourvi.org Dear Neighbor, I hope you had a great Independence Day and have some exciting plans for the summer. Here is a quick overview of things that are going on within Venetian Isles. Management Company Update: As communicated at the Annual Meeting as well as in the March “State of the Isles” letter, the V.I.H.A. Board has formed a committee to evaluate engaging a property management company to assist with day-to-day functions, instead of relying on volunteers. This has become necessary given that fewer people are able to commit their time and longtime volunteers are no longer able to contribute as many hours as they have in the past.
We had scheduled a Town Hall meeting in May where property management companies could provide an overview of their services and answer residents’ questions. However, we cancelled the meeting due to the need for additional due diligence. The committee has completed further due diligence, including conversations with legal counsel, which indicate that transitioning the “voluntary” membership in the V.I.H.A. to a “mandatory” membership, including the requirement to pay annual dues, is an initiative that would prove to be tremendously difficult to implement and might not be legally enforceable.
That leaves the V.I.H.A. with the same problem: effectively enforcing Deed Restrictions and seeking to improve our community with a shrinking volunteer base. The Board will continue to research a cost-effective way to have third-party property management services that would not be dependent on mandatory dues which we hope to be able to discuss at the October General Meeting. If you have any suggestions, please let us know. Maintaining high standards dictated by the Deed Restrictions and continued community improvements have contributed to increasing real estate values in V.I. We recently added a graph to the www.ourvi.org homepage which tracks “Property Sales in Venetian Isles” that shows a positive trend. We plan to update and share this graph regularly. Our thanks to Thomas Flynn for compiling these statistics. “Better Idea Time” Subsequent to the release of the March “State of the Isles” and my mid-April update, there was quite a lot of “chatter” on the “Next Door” website about the concept of mandatory dues. Let me make the following points to clarify some of the issues that were raised:
Beautification Efforts Work is almost complete on the Overlook Bridge entrance to VI. Accent lights have been installed on the trees and additional landscaping will be finished by August 1. Police Reports I get a report every week from our Community Police Officer which averages maybe one call a week. There was one burglary of a vehicle in the past month, but the vehicle was left unlocked. Please remember to remove items of value from your cars and keep them locked so we can continue with this positive trend. Hurricane Season Hurricane season is upon us so, especially for those new residents of VI, be prepared by having all the recommended supplies. There are numerous hurricane preparedness guides available online, including the City of St. Petersburg, Tampa Bay Times and local TV station websites. Other Items
Thank you. Rich Scanlon V.I.H.A. President rscanlon@ourvi.org April 22, 2018
Dear Neighbor: I wanted to share a few updates that impact our community in between the quarterly “State of the Isles” letters that are emailed to VIHA residents and posted to http://ourvi.org MEMBER SURVEY We recently sent out a survey to V.I.H.A. members to gauge preliminary interest in hiring a property management company to take over some of the functions currently performed by volunteers. If you did not receive an email survey, and are a 2018 dues-payer, it is because we do not have a valid email address on file. If you would like to participate in the survey, please let us know by emailing admin@ourvi.org. To date we have received 128 survey responses, a response rate of about 50% (based upon the number of “active” property owner emails that we have on file) with 78% who agree with the statement made in the survey, 17% who disagreed and 5% who were neutral. What was most interesting were the extensive comments that we received. After review of these comments, the V.I.H.A. Board recognized that we need to conduct more due diligence on this issue so we will cancel the “Town Hall” meeting that was scheduled for May 3and reschedule that for some time in the fall. OVERLOOK BRIDGE As you may have noticed, the grass by the bridge on Overlook is brown. This is intentional as the City will be soon be installing an updated sprinkler system and replacing all the existing grass with Bitter Blue sod. The City will also be trimming the hedges, removing weeds and dead vegetation and replacing several green ficus plants. Once the work is completed, we will be hiring a company to maintain the new landscaping on Overlook Drive.. In addition, we will be installing new electrical service in order to power the irrigation system and light the palm trees. TRAFFIC CALMING The City has completed the final phase of the traffic calming device on Overlook Drive. While I do not respond to comments on social media, I’d like to take this opportunity to clarify a few points:
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE I’d like to thank Trip Guinan for assuming the role as chair of the ARC and thank Scott Boyle for his many years of service. Trip is an architect and has been a long-time member of this committee. Please feel free to email with any comments that you may have – rscanlon@ourvi.org. Thank you. Rich Scanlon V.I.H.A President March 31, 2018
Dear Neighbor: I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend and enjoyed the temperatures and as we start to see heat of summer ahead of us. Lots going on in Venetian Isles so let me give you an overview. Annual Meeting: John Romano, long-time columnist for the Tampa Bay Times was the guest speaker at the Annual Meeting on January 23. John’s “no-nonsense, common sense” perspective on many of the significant issues that impact the Tampa Bay area certainly was brought to this meeting. While not everyone necessarily agreed with John’s perspective on certain ideas, the conversation was robust and enlightening for many. If you have a suggestion for a speaker for future meetings please let me know and we will try to schedule that person. Town Hall Meeting: At the Annual Meeting I disclosed that the V.I.H.A. has formed a committee to evaluate property management companies to assist with the day to day functions required to maintain Venetian Isles. Long-time volunteers are either moving from our community or are unable to continue with the number of hours that they have contributed in the past and are not being replaced. A management company would be beneficial in supporting the efforts of a committed group of volunteers to assure that our community retains its high quality of life. We have scheduled a Town Hall Meeting on May 3, 2018at 7:00 p.m. at Lutheran Church of the Cross, with a social event starting at 6:30pm sponsored by Northstar Realty. A representative of one of the companies we have been speaking with will be on hand to provide an overview of their services and answer any questions. Life on the Isles Publication: Many of you have seen a new publication that was mailed in mid-March titled “Life on the Isles.” This publication is prepared by N2 Publishing, a North Carolina based firm, and has no connection to, nor endorsement from, the V.I.H.A. The V.I.H.A. has no control over any of the editorial content in this publication and the advertising dollars they collect are not used to benefit projects in V.I. Those companies that advertise in our Annual Directory, a copy of which is provided to each homeowner who pays their VIHA dues, have been instrumental in funding beautification projects (see Beautification Items below) throughout V.I. and we encourage you to patronize those companies who support VI directly. Traffic Calming: I guess “the third time’s a charm!!!” After the third try, the City finally installed the traffic calming device on Overlook that was approved in October 2017 by a City ballot in Venetian Isles. On Friday, March 30, the City’s contractor completed the brick imprinting that had been anticipated. You undoubtedly have noticed when entering V.I. from the Overlook bridge that there is a small bump before you actually get to the speed hump. That was caused by the City having to “re-pave” that short section and there is nothing they can do about that “bump.” I have not gotten many comments from residents within VI about this, but of those that I have received, the vast majority have been positive. We will work with the City to study the impact on speeds on Overlook to see if it has had the intended result. After assessing that information, the Traffic Calming Committee will decide how to proceed with similar devices on Grand Canal. Beautificaton: City repair of the seawalls in V.I. continue should be completed in April 2018. The section between Hawaii and Carolina was the most recent to be repaired. The street light that was damaged with the collapse of the seawall between Overlook and Massachusetts was finally replaced. But as several of you have noted to me, there is an overhead wire from the light closer to the corner of Overlook that runs to this street light. We are working with the City to get this line buried as the previous one was. In the December issue of State of the Isles I included a photo of the monument to replace those at the three entrances to V.I. (including Mermaid Point) using funds that have been generated from sources other than V.I.H.A. dues (thank you to our advertisers!!!!). Upon issuance of a purchase order by the City, V.I.H.A. will apply to the City for a matching grant and then begin installation. Property of the Month: Different streets are randomly selected each month and for this award are randomly selected and a committee selects the winner based on the curb appeal. The winner receives a gift certificate courtesy of Dolan’s Nursery and the “Property of the Month” sign which is displayed prominently. The winners for the first quarter of 2018 are:
Text Messaging System: The V.I.H.A. Communications Committee has launched a text alert system to notify participants of important neighborhood information, which will be especially important as we head into storm season. To subscribe , text “VIHA” to 77948. You will then receive a text confirming that you have “opted in” to receive messages from V.I.H.A. Other Items:
Let me know of things that you see and hear in V.I. via email or phone. Please understand that I do not respond to posts on social media sites regarding V.I.H.A. matters. Hope to see you all at the Town Hall Meeting on May 3!!! Rich Scanlon VIHA President rscanlon@ourvi.org  Dear Neighbor: I hope everyone had a great holiday and we all look forward to a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. Lots going on in Venetian Isles so let me give you an overview. New Neighbors: Through November a total of 28 homes have sold within VI. New residents should have already had a visit from the Hospitality Committee welcoming you to the neighborhood. Please take the opportunity to welcome your new neighbors to VI. The new residents’ “orientation” has been set for March 3, 2018. Invitations to the new homeowners for 2016 and 2017 will be forthcoming. Annual Meeting: The annual meeting will be January 23, 2018 at the Lutheran Church of the Cross. This year’s guest speaker will be John Romano, long-time columnist for the Tampa Bay Times. John has often provided a “no-nonsense, common sense” perspective on many of the significant issues that impact the Tampa Bay area. Please plan on attending to meet John, hear his perspective on issues of the day and share your thoughts with him. The agenda is summarized below: - 6:00 – 7:00pm – “social hour” sponsored by Northstar Realty - 7:00pm – introductions - 7:10 – 7:20 – SPPD Community Policing Officer Don Herring’s crime report - 7:20 – 7:30 – City Councilman Ed Montanari (invited) - 7:30 – 8:15 – Featured speaker, John Romano, Tampa Bay Times - 8:15 – 8:30 – Election of Officers Board Members / discussion of items of interest in VI Traffic Calming: The result of the October 6 ballot seeking approval for the installation of a traffic calming device across from 4712 Overlook passed based upon results that were tabulated by the City. However, the City installed the wrong traffic calming device as was brought to the City’s attention by a number of VI residents. The City has acknowledged this mistake and will remove the current device and install one that allows for transition at a speed of 15 MPH. The work will be completed in January and will be brick imprinted, as had been previously discussed. Beautification Items: City repair of the seawalls in VI have commenced and should be completed in April 2018. A number of palms on Grand Canal that were destroyed during Hurricane Irma were replaced. The VIHA Board has received proposals and continues to study lighting and irrigation options for the Overlook Palms to enhance the appeal as you enter VI. Lisa Schwartz and the Beautification Committee have been hard at work in an effort to replace the monuments to the 3 entrances to VI (including Mermaid Point) using funds that have been generated from sources other than VIHA dues. The current monuments have aged and required a significant amount of volunteer effort to maintain. The current and new monuments are shown in the photos below. The new monument was chosen to meet City sight line requirements and also because of lower maintenance requirements. A request for proposal will be going out to eligible contractors on January 8. Upon selection of the contractor, VIHA will apply to the City for a Matching grant and then begin installation.  Property of the Month:
Streets for this award are randomly selected and a committee selects a winner. The winner receives a gift certificate courtesy of Dolan’s Nursery and the “Property of the Month” sign which is displayed prominently. The winners for 2017 are: - January – Prewitt and Peggy Pace – 2081 Michigan Ave. - February – Trevor and Shannon Zetrouer – 2032 Massachusetts Ave. - March – Horst and Rita Brands – 1998 Illinois Ave. - April – David and Michelle Payne – 2058 Kansas Ave. - May – Randy and Linda Wilcox – 1990 Iowa Ave. - June – Eugene Succow – 2250 Mermaid Point - July – Mike and Grace Wagner – 2052 Michigan Ave. - August – Bonnie Drake – 1969 Carolina Ave. - September – Hugh and Sharon Seeley – 2040 Mass. Ave. - October – none awarded due to Hurricane Irma damage - November – Mitch and Judy Sauers – 1919 Hawaii Ave. - December – Mark and Celeste Stroud - 2087 Kansas Ave. Congratulations to each of the above and “thank you” for taking extraordinary care of your properties. See photos of all the winners on www.ourvi.org under “News and Events” look for “2017 Properties of the Month.” Text Messaging System: The VIHA Communications Committee has arranged a system whereby participants will receive texts notifying them of important information. Only 50 people have signed up for this so far. To subscribe to this service - text “VIHA” to 77948. You should receive a reply that you have “opted in” to receive messages from VIHA. Let me know of things that you see and hear in VI. Hope to see you all at the Annual Meeting on January 23!!! Rich Scanlon VIHA President rscanlon@ourvi.org  Dear Neighbor: “We dodged a bullet!!!” No way around it. Hurricane Irma could have done far more damage in VI than what we actually saw. Whether you evacuated or stayed put, this storm demonstrated how vulnerable we are to major weather systems and emphasizes the need to be prepared. We made it and nearly everyone in VI is dealing with some form of storm repair but, remember, it could have been much worse!!! As I tell people who come over to our house and marvel at the view “living here is 362 days a year of beauty and 3 days a year of pure terror!!!” I still would not live anywhere else. New Neighbors: So far in 2017 a total of 26 homes have sold within VI. New residents should have already had a visit from the Hospitality Committee welcoming you to the neighborhood. Please take the opportunity to welcome your new neighbors to VI. Upcoming Events:
Traffic Calming: To follow up on my President’s Letter from June and the meetings which preceded that, the City of St. Petersburg (the “City”) will be sending residents of VI a ballot on October 6 seeking approval for the installation of a traffic calming device across from 4712 Overlook. A speed table is the width of the street and will be 3 inches tall and 12 feet long. Additional information will be provided on the ballot distributed by the City. Ballots must be returned to the City by Monday, October 23. If a majority of the ballots that are returned are in favor, the speed table will be installed using funds from the “Penny for Pinellas.” A copy of the ballot has been posted to www.ourvi.org. Oktoberfest: Saturday, October 21 starting at 4:00pm at the south end of Kansas Ave. Admission is $10.00 per household. Face painting and games for the kids. Bratwurst, hotdogs, beer, water and lemonade will be provided. Please bring a side dish in a disposable container to share (last name A-S) or dessert (last name T-Z). Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Kansas South will be closed to traffic for several hours. Beautification Items: The City started repairing the seawalls on June 27 adjacent to the Overlook Bridge and those repairs were completed by the end of the month. Two Royal Palms were installed on the west side of Overlook to enhance the attractive entrance to VI. I hope you’ve noticed and appreciate the improvements. Thankfully, all those palms survived Irma, although a few palms on Grand Canal will be replaced shortly. The VIHA Board is studying lighting and irrigation options for the Overlook Palms to enhance the appeal as you enter VI. Seawall repairs to Grand Canal should start in mid-October and are scheduled to take 6 months to complete. Be advised that there are likely going to be some traffic restrictions that are put in place at various times. “The inconvenience is temporary but the improvement is permanent…” Property of the Month: As I described in last quarters President’s Letter, streets are randomly elected and a committee selects a winner. The winner receives a gift certificate courtesy of Dolan’s Nursery and the “Property of the Month” sign which is displayed prominently. The winners for 2017 to date are:
Congratulations to each of the above and “thank you” for taking extraordinary care of your properties. See photos of all the winners on www.ourvi.org under “News and Events” look for “2017 Properties of the Month.” Text Messaging System: The VIHA Communications Committee has arranged a system whereby participants will receive texts notifying them of important information. To subscribe to this service text, “VIHA” to 77948. You should receive a reply that you have “opted in” to receive messages from VIHA. Speaking of the Communications Committee, we are looking for an “IT professional” who can volunteer some time to assist with the website and other tools that have been developed. Website Listing of Non-Profits: For those of you looking to volunteer your time to worthwhile (and fun!!) organizations that give back to the community, we have started a list on the website under “Welcome/Informational Resources/Non-Profits” for you to consult. If you are affiliated with a non-profit and are looking for members that same site will provide information on how to get your organization listed. Let me know of things that you see and hear in VI. Hope to see you all at the Oktoberfest on October 21!!! Rich Scanlon VIHA President rscanlon@ourvi.org www.ourvi.org  Dear Neighbor: In last quarters’ President’s Letter I wrote that “there is change aplenty happening in VI.” Much of this letter will be devoted to the changes that are occurring/will occur/need to occur in VI in the near future. I’ll need your help in order to implement those changes. But first is the news of VI. New Neighbors: So far in 2017 a total of 15 homes have sold within VI. Mass. North appears to be the “hot block” with four new residents since January 1. New residents should have already had a visit from the Hospitality Committee welcoming you to the neighborhood. Please take the opportunity to welcome your new neighbors to VI. Traffic Calming: On May 4 the VIHA hosted a Town Hall meeting to discuss the traffic calming initiatives that have been proposed. See “Survey Review” below to see that speeding in VI is still very much of a concern. Mike Frederick from the City of St. Petersburg Department of Transportation and Parking Management was introduced by Brandon Cathey, Chair of the VI Traffic Calming Committee. Mike began the meeting by explaining the confusion around the information that was circulated throughout VI last summer regarding traffic calming devices. The second part of his presentation outlined the “speed study” that was conducted in VI in April 2017. Sensors were set up on Grand Canal between (i) Montana and Michigan and (ii) Iowa and Illinois as well as on Overlook Drive. Results of the study were as follows: 
Standards are such that a traffic calming plan would be developed by the City when average speeds exceed 10 mph over the posted speed limit. The speed limit is 25 mph within all of VI. Brandon then led a Q &A/discussion on the relative merits of traffic calming measures with the approximately 40 VI residents in attendance. The process for installation of any type of traffic calming device requires 3 steps. The first step is that 66.7% of the people on the street where the speeds were measured in excess of 35 mph must sign a petition in favor of having a traffic calming plan for their street. The second step is that a traffic calming plan needs to be developed for the community by the City. The third and final step is that the City will ballot all the residents in VI to determine whether a majority of voters are in favor of the installation of a traffic calming device. Steps 1 and 2 have already been completed. The City will likely initiate the balloting process as part of Step 3 beginning after Labor Day. Watch your mail and be sure to return your ballot in the time allotted for your vote to count. Overlook Ave. Bridge: Undoubtedly, if you enter VI via Overlook Blvd. you’ve notice some “disruption” to the recently created common areas on the east side after passing over the bridge. The Beautification Committee requested that the City remove some vegetation from that area and when they did it was discovered that there were two undiscovered seawall failures. The City started repairing the seawalls on June 27 and it is expected to take three days to complete. Upon completion of the repairs an additional two Royal Palms will be installed in that area to maintain the attractive entrance to VI. Property of the Month: As I described in last quarters President’s Letter, streets are randomly elected and a committee selects a winner. The winner receives a gift certificate courtesy of Dolan’s Nursery and the “Property of the Month” sign which is displayed prominently. The winners for 2017 to date are:
Congratulations to each of the above and “thank you” for taking extraordinary care of your properties. See photos of all the winners on www.ourvi.org and under “News and Events” look for “2017 Properties of the Month.” Crime Watch: Crime and safety were some of the concerns raised by VI residents in the recent survey. In response to this, Cindy Oatess is organizing a Crime Watch for VI after completing the necessary training to become a Coordinator. Signs have been ordered and will be installed at the three entrances to VI. Please contact Cindy at cindyoatess@gmail.com if you would like to be involved. Upcoming Events:
VI FAQs: Last quarter I set forth some questions and answers that we frequently hear. These are now on the website under the “Residents/VI FAQs” tab. Please let me know of any other questions that you think should be addressed in this section of the website. See Click Fix: In the survey referenced below, many of the comments related to having the City repair certain items such as potholes, seawalls, curbing, etc…. The City has a great app called SeeClickFix St Pete. Don’t depend on someone else reporting something that needs to be corrected, if you see something SeeClickFix and the City will investigate. You can visit the SeeClickFix website at: https://seeclickfix.com . If they are slow to respond to a particular situation please make sure to let our councilman, Ed Montanari, know about it – ed.montanari@stpete.org. VI Based Businesses: If you are a VI resident who owns/operates a business consider becoming a “VI sponsor” which includes advertising in the Directory of Homeowners and on the website. Additional advertising opportunities in the Directory of Homeowners are also available. Information is available on www.ourvi.org. Survey Review: Earlier this year the Communications Committee developed a survey asking for feedback on a number of questions. 195 responses were received (15% of which were from non-VIHA members), representing approximately 37% of the properties in VI, and have been posted to the website under the “Residents/2017 Homeowner Survey Results…..” tab. I don’t have space to review all the questions/responses here but I’d urge you to take a few minutes to review the results on the website. There were a lot of great comments in this survey ranging from “I love living in VI” to others that “suggested” room for improvement. I have always said I will take any and all suggestions and I appreciate the feedback. Here are some of the items to note that were not addressed above: - Everyone wants more “social activities” – totally agree, I love a good party as much as anyone. We just need people to step forward and agree to lead the charge on an activity, such as a spring social, because the current group of VIHA volunteers does not have the “bandwidth” to take it on. Let’s have a real strong showing for Oktoberfest this year and see what we can do to build on that. We will be soliciting volunteers at both the Oktoberfest and the fall General Meeting. - “Communicate” less “aggressively” – we are examining all our correspondence, particularly with respect to Deed Restriction violations, to attempt to make them less confrontational and more informational, hopefully this will cause property owners to take more immediate corrective action and eliminate a time-consuming, and frustrating, series of letters that, in the worst case, leads to legal action. - Deed Restrictions – Plenty of comments about Deed Restrictions, some positive and some not so much so. Two things I would hope to make clear. First, Deed Restrictions are here to stay. Every one of us who purchased our properties understood this to be a Deed Restricted Community. Second, the Deed Restrictions, originally recorded in 1978, NEED to be updated. No debate about that. Changes in construction methods, materials, resident perspectives, etc…. have all changed drastically over the course of the past 40 years. The Deed Restrictions have been amended a number of times since 1978 but they need a full review. This will be a HUGE undertaking and it will require significant effort. Per the Deed Restrictions, any change has to be approved by 66.67% of the property owners in VI. If you voiced concerns about the Deed Restrictions and the way they are applied by the Deed Restriction Committee or the Architectural Review Committee then I urge you to volunteer to become a member of the Deed Restriction Revision Committee or communicate your thoughts directly, and succinctly, to me or any of the other VIHA Board members. Finally, the survey made clear that property owners want to see change and consistency. VIHA continues to function as a result of the dedication of a small number of volunteers. The survey led to the identification of a number of people who have agreed to volunteer their time for VI activities (thank you so much to those who did so); however, 60% of the survey respondents replied that they did not have the time to volunteer in the community. I understand that, we all lead busy lives. We need to continue to recruit volunteers that are able to commit the time and effort matching that of a small group that have been active in VIHA for years and made this the community what it is today. Long-term, I do not see the ability to provide the increasing level of services that property owners are requesting (and deserve) on a consistent basis as our long-term volunteer base is looking to transition their duties on to others and only 65%+/- of the property owners are members of the VIHA. Personally, I think that to move this organization forward and meet the expectations of the property owners we will need to, once again, consider the retention of a management company to augment the efforts of our volunteer base which can only be done with 100% of the property owners contributing to the ongoing costs of your community. Certainly lots of additional discussion needs to occur but I thought it was time to introduce the topic. Let me know of things that you see and hear in VI. Have a great 4th of July weekend. Be safe and be prepared for our summer storms and the potential for a hurricane!!! Rich Scanlon VIHA President rscanlon@ourvi.org  April 8, 2017 "State of the Isles" Dear Neighbor:
Spring is a time for change and there is change aplenty happening in VI. The real estate market is hot and so far in 2017 a total of seven homes have sold within VI. Take the opportunity to welcome your new neighbors to VI. Change is also starting to occur within the Venetian Isles Homeowners Association (more on that to come in future Presidents’ Letters) and after an online resident survey we have a new logo that is shown at the top of this letter. Although the voting between “Option A” and “Option C” was very close, Option C won by a “wavelength.” If you have ideas on other things that are due for change, please let me know. Expect to see another survey in the next few days pertaining to items that the VIHA Board should focus on. Another one of the changes in the community that I hope you have noticed is the award for Property of the Month. Streets are randomly selected and a group of volunteers has the unenviable task of selecting which house on that street stands out from all the rest – tough choices for sure. The winner receives a gift certificate courtesy of Dolan’s Nursery and the “Property of the Month” sign which is displayed prominently. The winners for 2017 to date are: - January – Prewitt and Peggy Pace – 2081 Michigan Ave. - February – Trevor and Shannon Zetrouer – 2032 Massachusetts Ave. - March – Horst and Rita Brands – 1998 Illinois Ave. - April – David and Michelle Payne – 2058 Kansas Ave. Congratulations to each of the above and “thank you” for taking extraordinary care of your properties. See photos of all the winners on www.ourvi.org and under “News and Events” look for “2017 Properties of the Month.” Upcoming Events: - May 4 – Town Hall Meeting at 6:00pm at LCC re: Traffic Calming with Mike Frederick - May 8 – VIHA Board Meeting - October TBD – return of Oktoberfest, bigger and better than last year Here are some questions that I get asked all the time and some quick answers, primarily for the benefit of some of our newer residents. As you all were informed when you purchased your property, VI is a Deed Restricted community. Please let me know if you’d like further information. - Why do the houses on Point Overlook not have to comply with the Deed Restrictions? These 8 homes were not included when the Deed Restrictions were initially recorded in 1978. The Deed Restrictions are posted to www.ourvi.org, Residents, Deed Restrictions. - How can the Deed Restrictions be amended? There are 525 properties within VI that are covered by the Deed Restrictions. Adding, deleting or amending a Deed Restriction requires approval of 66.67% of those properties. Admittedly, there are a number of Deed Restrictions that need to be updated and it will take quite an effort to accomplish. Part of the “change” that I referenced earlier in this letter. - Nearly every property in VI has water access and it is a “boaters dream,” so why can’t I park my boat overnight in my driveway or in front of my house? Deed Restriction 34 specifically states that “No…boats, boat trailers,…shall be permitted to park overnight unless in an enclosed garage.” Parking boats and/or trailers on the street is also prohibited. - If I am planning to improve my property, what must I submit to the Architectural Review Committee for approval? Any improvement to the exterior of your property, including the roof must be submitted to ARC for approval. Remember that the ARC committee members are volunteers and have “day jobs” just like most of the rest of us so please give them enough lead time with your project submission to review on a timely basis and not lead to any delays in construction. A very detailed description can be found on www.ourvi.org, Residents, Architectural Review. Other items to make sure you are aware of: Security – remove your valuables from your car and lock your doors. Every week we get a report from the SPPD notifying us of another vehicle break in. Committees – if you have just a few hours a month to dedicate to VI please volunteer for one of the VIHA Committees. The 2016 Oktoberfest was wholly the result of the work of a dedicated group of volunteers who worked hard, and had fun, planning and running this event. Plans for a VI fishing tournament this spring are still in the works. Please contact me at rscanlon@ourvi.org and I’ll be happy to assist you with joining the committee of your choice. Email Addresses – Currently, we have email addresses for approximately 440 persons which represents approximately 360 properties within VI (there are a total of 532, including Pt. Overlook). Email is a far more efficient and effective way for us to communicate within VI. You can go to www.ourvi.org to register. The VIHA does not release the email addresses of our members for any purpose other than the furtherance of VI business and activities. VI Based Businesses – if you are a VI resident who owns/operates a business consider becoming a “VI sponsor” which includes advertising in the Directory of Homeowners and on the website. Additional advertising opportunities in the Directory of Homeowners are also available. Information is available on www.ourvi.org. 2017 Membership Dues – invoices have been mailed to all the properties in VI. Annual dues remained at $120.00 again for 2017. You can pay your dues via Pay Pal by going to www.ourvi.org or by check. Please support the efforts of your homeowner’s association to maintain VI as the one of the highest quality neighborhoods in St. Petersburg!!! Members will receive a copy of the 2017 Directory of Homeowners. Let me know of things that you see and hear in VI. Enjoy this beautiful time of the year!!! Rich Scanlon VIHA President rscanlon@ourvi.org |
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