December 22nd, 2016

Venetian Isles Homeowners Association, Inc.
St. Petersburg, Florida
December 20, 2016
“State of the Isles”

​
Dear Neighbor:

The lights are up and the decorations abound throughout and VI once again takes on that magical
holiday glow. We’re all waiting for the temps to drop so we can wear those “ugly Christmas”
sweaters and leather coats as we tell our northern friends how “cool” it is down here – well, not
quite yet. The VIHA Board hopes you have a great holiday season and best wishes for the New
Year.

​Don’t forget to get your seawall candles from the “candle seller” for your block and light
up your street on Christmas Eve!!! Call Terri Boyle (521-4772) for the name of the candle seller
on your street.

We have a lot planned for 2017 and, as always, there are lots of things going on in our
neighborhood so let me catch you up on the “State of the Isles.”

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. Please support the efforts of your homeowner’s association to maintain VI as
the one of the highest quality neighborhoods in St. Petersburg!!! Members have the ability to
vote in the elections at the January 26 Annual Meeting.

2017 Annual Meeting - Thursday, January 26 at Lutheran Church of the Cross. Social Hour
starting at 6:00pm (sponsored by Northstar Realty – once again, “Thank you!!!”) with the
business meeting starting at 7:00pm in Fellowship Hall so attendees can continue to enjoy food
and drink. Based upon feedback from the October General Meeting, outside speakers will be
limited so we can have plenty of time for the election of VIHA Officers and Board Members and
to discuss VI related topics.

Review of 2016 Accomplishments – The “lifeblood” of VI are the committees comprised of your
neighbors who work extremely hard during the year to maintain the quality of life here in VI.
Here is a summary of what some of these committees have done through November 30:
Architectural Review – 83 projects approved including 28 docks and 2 lifts; 8 fences; 10
seawalls; 6 roof and 2 driveway replacements; 5 home renovations; 5 new homes; 2 pools
and 15 other projects.

Beautification – completion of the Overlook Bridge landscaping including 11 Royal
Palms and sprinkling.

Oktoberfest - a “signature event” of VI was brought back to life thanks to the efforts of a
great group of volunteers and sponsors. Over 300 people participated on an October
afternoon that brought a few “sprinkles” but was a great neighborhood event.
Deed Restrictions – Six community reviews were completed; 261 deed restriction
violation notices were mailed to property owners with over 30% corrected within 30
days.

Hospitality – 30 welcome gifts have been presented to new residents of VI.

Membership – Continues to work with new residents and also developed the “Property
of the Month” award (with a gift certificate from Dolan’s Nursery) recognizing
homeowners who have put a little “extra” into maintaining their properties.

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 in the works. Please contact me at [email protected] and
I’ll be happy to assist you with joining the committee of your choice.

Architectural Review Committee (“ARC”) – The ARC is responsible for reviewing construction
projects outside the four walls of your home. The Venetian Isles Protective Covenant (Deed
Restriction #13) requires that all construction plans must be approved by the ARC to make sure
they meet the particular Deed Restrictions applicable to that project. Information on the ARC and
the projects requiring approval can be found on www.ourvi.org under the “Residents” tab.
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.

Email Addresses – Currently, we have email addresses for approximately 420 persons which
represents approximately 350 properties within VI (there are a total of 532). Email is a far more
efficient and effective way for us to communicate within VI. Block captains and Board Members
will be canvassing the community in an attempt to increase the number of email addresses that
we have on file or you can go to www.ourvi.org. 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.

Future Board Meetings – the first 10 minutes of each Board meeting are set aside as “open mic”
time for property owners to voice their opinions, concerns about life in VI. The next Board
meeting is scheduled for January 9, 2017 at 6:00pm at LCC Day School. Meetings for the
balance of 2017 will be set after the elections on January 26. Please check www.ourvi.org
immediately prior to a meeting to make sure it has not been rescheduled.

4rd Annual VI Golf Outing – was held Sunday, October 30 at Mangrove Bay Golf Course with
36 players participating. Thanks to Tom Testa for serving as the “Grand Master” this year.

Garage Sale – set for Saturday, April 1. The contribution to offset advertising costs is $5.00.
2017 Directory of Homeowners – will be printed and made available to VIHA members shortly
after the Annual Meeting.

Let me know of things that you see and hear in VI. Remember, the VI Annual Meeting is
January 26 at LCC Fellowship Hall. Have a great Christmas and all the best for 2017.

Rich Scanlon
VIHA President