<![CDATA[Venetian Isles Homeowners Association (VIHA) - President\'s Letters]]>Sat, 04 Apr 2026 17:04:26 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[April 2026 President's Newsletter]]>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 17:21:26 GMThttps://www.ourvi.org/presidents-letters/april-2026-presidents-newsletterHello Venetian Isles Neighbors!
Spring is the perfect time for us to finish our post-hurricane recovery and get our neighborhood looking its best. Here is what’s happening in the community:

Save the Date: Saturday, April 25
  • Canal Cleanup (9:00 – 11:00 AM): We need volunteers with boats, kayaks, or paddleboards to help clear debris from our waterways. The city will provide some materials for the clean up but we mostly need VOLUNTEERS!!! Please email admin@ourvi.org if you can help!
  • Beer with the VIHA Board (3:00 – 6:00 PM): Stop by the tent on Grand Canal and Overlook the afternoon after the Canal Clean Up for a drink and a casual chat. We want to hear your feedback on how we can continue to improve our community.

Beautification Updates
  • Progress: You may have noticed the recent mangrove trimming and new sod near Overlook Boulevard. Your VIHA dues make these improvements possible!
  • Utility Boxes: There are over 250 damaged utility boxes in VI (we counted them, took pictures and sent to the city requesting they be removed or repaired). We will keep you posted but soon ask for your help in a letter-writing campaign to Councilman Mike Harting.

Deed Restrictions & Enforcement
  • Upcoming Vote: We will soon be voting on new Deed Restriction Revisions via HOA Life. This will be our first time using electronic balloting (though paper ballots will still be available). These are the three Deed Restrictions (“DRs”) that we will be voting on. A detailed summary will be distributed with the ballots.
  1. Eliminate DR 48 (no longer appliable)
  2. Eliminate DR 51 (no longer applicable)
  3. Amend DR 50 so that 80% of votes can change a DR (with at least 350 property owners submitting a ballot)
 
  • Street Reviews: This is one of the most sensitive topics within VI. Subsequent to the hurricanes in 2024, many property owners have taken great pains and incurred considerable expenses to repair or replace their properties. However, many have not made the same efforts. Starting in late March, the Deed Restriction Committee (“DRC”) will resume "streetside reviews." While we were lenient with DR violations immediately following the 2024 hurricanes, we are now returning to standard enforcement to maintain our property values. If a DR violation is noted, you will receive a notice to address the violation within 30 days. Should that DR violation not be remedied or addressed, a second letter will be sent by the DRC with a 5-day final notice. If no action, remedy or communication is taken by the property owner, the matter will be referred to our legal counsel for further action. The DRC never wants to go “the legal route” if it can be avoided, however, property owners rightfully have the expectation that the DRs will be maintained and enforced. You can review all the DRs at www.ourvi.org.
  • Selling Your Home? Please note that the buyers title agent may require an Estoppel Certificate, which will disclose any active DR violations on your property to your buyer’s lender.

A Quick Reminder
Thank you to everyone who has paid their 2026 dues! If you haven't yet, please visit our website to view payment options. Please remember to include your property address with your payment.

Thank you for helping make Venetian Isles a first-class place to live!
​
Sincerely,
Rich Scanlon
VIHA President
rscanlon@ourvi.org]]><![CDATA[January 2026 President's Newsletter]]>Tue, 20 Jan 2026 19:32:44 GMThttps://www.ourvi.org/presidents-letters/january-2026-presidents-newsletterPicture
Happy New Year to Venetian Isles:
The VIHA Board hopes that everyone enjoyed the holidays. While many of our holiday routines may have been altered again this year, for example luminaries only on Grand Canal and Overlook Blvd., Venetian Isles continues to recover after the hurricanes of 2024.

While VI continues to recover, there are plenty of changes that are underway. Repairs, renovation and new construction continue throughout our community. Our streets continue to see commercial vehicles of nearly every type as the post-hurricane construction boom has reshaped the quality and type of housing stock in VI. Not only has the type of new home being constructed in VI but the type of ownership has changed as well. The table below provides an estimate of the types of purchasers for VI properties for the 5 years ended December 31, 2025.
While the number of sales has remained relatively constant, in 2025 Corporation and LLC purchase of existing homes and lots in VI certainly has increased. This is a trend that we will continue to monitor and, if it continues, we will have to determine whether it has a positive impact on life in VI. As a reminder, Deed Restrictions 1 and 6, states properties within VI “are restricted to the use of a single family…. exclusively for residential purposes.” Short-term rentals are regulated by City Code.

The VIHA Annual Meeting is scheduled for January 22 at Lutheran Church of the Cross. Since members of the VIHA, defined as those property owners who have paid their annual membership dues (the “Members”), the portion of the annual meeting where (i) the VIHA Board members are elected for 2026 and (ii) the review of the 2026 VIHA Budget will be open only to Members. All property owners are welcome to attend the annual meeting at approximately 7:30pm.

At the Annual Meeting, Haider Saba will be making an introductory presentation on HOA Life, a web-based application which should simplify interactions between the VIHA and individual property owners. It will allow for more effective sharing of information online, better document management and, hopefully, foster greater community involvement. This is also how we would utilize electronic balloting for future Deed Restriction Revisions, as was approved in the fall of 2025. Visit “hoalife.com” if you’d like to learn more prior to the Annual Meeting. ​To log into your own portal go to: https://portal.hoalife.com/auth/new

The VIHA Board voted to “temporarily suspend” certain DRs for a period of one year after the hurricanes. Subsequent to that one-year suspension, the DR Committee sent nearly 300 DR violation letters in October 2025. VI is blessed to have a number of volunteers who “walk” the community for exercise and to take note of property conditions. One of these volunteers reported that after a couple days of walking the streets of VI, it was noted that:
  • there were no boats, trailers or campers parked in driveways or streets;
  • there was only 1 golf cart parked in a driveway; and,
  • there were only 5 storage containers, PODS, etc… parked within VI.
While this volunteer did not know all the DR violations that were cited in October, it is clear that property owners are working to do their part in returning VI to the high-quality neighborhood that it was prior to the hurricanes and will become in the very near future. Thank you to all for your efforts.

One final item to provide property owners with notice. Prior to the closing of a sale of a home in a community that has a homeowners association, that homeowners association is required to provide an Estoppel Letter, which, in this case, would require the VIHA to attest to certain items. Likely the two most significant of which are (i) whether membership in the association is mandatory or voluntary, and (ii) whether there are any outstanding DR violations. VIHA had previously been providing these Estoppel Letters at no cost; however, VIHA will now be charging a fee of $299.00 for each Estoppel Letter, consistent with the fee that other homeowners’ associations are charging. This fee would be paid by the seller of the property and including on the closing statement prepared by the title company.

Let’s all look forward to a great 2026 and I hope to see you at the annual meeting on January 22. A copy of the proposed agenda is attached to this letter.

Sincerely,
Rich Scanlon
VIHA President
rscanlon@ourvi.org
]]><![CDATA[December President's Letter]]>Thu, 11 Dec 2025 14:28:37 GMThttps://www.ourvi.org/presidents-letters/december-11th-2025Wishing Happy Holidays to all in Venetian Isles:

The December holidays are always a spectacular time in Venetian Isles as residents take great care decorating their homes and luminaries line Grand Canal and the seawalls. The hurricanes of 2024 disrupted many of the VI traditions, but we were very fortunate to have brought Octoberfest back in its full splendor on October 25 thanks to the efforts of a committed group of volunteers and some picture-perfect fall weather. Construction and vacant homes make it impractical to line the seawalls with luminaries this year, but you will see Overlook Drive and Grand Canal Boulevard lit up as in prior years on Christmas Eve. Hopefully you will still take the opportunity to take a Christmas Eve stroll and enjoy this as in the past.

As a result of the efforts of several volunteers, we are happy to start a new Holiday tradition in VI. There is a red “mailbox” placed on the northwest corner of Point Overlook and Grand Canal Blvd. for children who would like to send a letter to Santa. We hope this will bring some joy to the children of Venetian Isles this holiday season.

The VIHA Annual Meeting is scheduled for January 22, 2026 at LCC. There will be time for a social gathering at 6:30pm with the meeting to start at 7:00pm. Invited guests at this point include:
  • Chris Scherer, Pinellas County Commissioner; and,
  • Jim Fuchs, St. Pete Police Dept.

Annual dues letters have been mailed to all the property owners within VI. As many of you have noted, annual dues have increased from $200.00 to $240.00 as we have seen an increase in several expense areas that will be discussed at the Annual Meeting. I will point out that annual dues were not increased in 2025 because of the hurricanes.

Another topic of discussion at the Annual Meeting will be the Deed Restrictions (“DR”) that are targeted for revision in 2026 as the VIHA Board continues to bring the DRs, many of which were implemented as far back as 1978, up to current standards. One of the more critical areas considered is to revise certain, but not all, construction-related DRs so they are consistent with City Code. Your input is critical in this process.

In2025, VI property owners approved an amendment to DR 50 which allowed for electronic voting for ballot questions. Haider Saba, a member of the VIHA Board, has been working on a software application that will facilitate electronic voting, as well as a host of other functions. Haider will present an overview of this application at the Annual Meeting and describe the benefits it should provide to property owners. We need emails for all the property owners in VI to make this application most effective. Written ballots will still be accepted.

Finally, elections for the 2026 VIHA Board will be held at the Annual Meeting. Only those property owners in attendance at the Annual Meeting and those who have paid their 2026 Annual Dues are eligible to vote in the election of Board members. Names of the 2026 nominees, as approved by the Nominating Committee, are posted to www.ourvi.org. As you can see, this will be a critical meeting and I hope that you can join in person or via Zoom.

The DR Committee sent out over 300 DR violation letters after the first property and waterside review since the 2024 hurricanes.  In driving through VI you can see that many properties are undergoing pressure washing of their roofs, replacement of sod that had died and many other items that were brought to residents’ attention.  Thanks toall who took action, are in the process of taking action or have notified the DRC of their intention to correct these violations pending permits, etc…

As I wrote in last month’s President’s Letter, there are many homes located within VI on a relatively small amount of land, not only on our streets but in close proximity across the canals. All the Board members have received a host of complaints from residents about noise, property conditions, parking, construction issues, etc… Let us try and remember that we are neighbors and need to peacefully coexist to “all try and get along” despite the challenges of the upcoming months.

Thanks for your continued support of VIHA and please feel free to email me with your comments and concerns.

Sincerely,
Rich Scanlon
VIHAPresident
rscanlon@ourvi.org]]><![CDATA[November President's Letter]]>Wed, 12 Nov 2025 13:16:35 GMThttps://www.ourvi.org/presidents-letters/november-presidents-letter1001682Dear Friends,

First of all, thank you to all the Veterans within Venetian Isles and to those families with members who are currently serving in the military for your service to our country.  The freedoms that we enjoy today are a direct result of your commitment and sacrifice.

October was a great month within Venetian Isles due to the following:
  • first and foremost, we made it through hurricane season without a named storm hitting Florida or the Tampa Bay area;

  • second, our community was successful in passing five Deed Restriction Revisions that had been advanced largely by property owners within VI.  Many thanks to the 82% of the property owners who submitted a ballot; and,

  • finally, after canceling Oktoberfest in 2024 because of the hurricanes, we were blessed with perfect weather and a lot of neighborhood enthusiasm that made the 2025 Oktoberfest one of the best ever.  Thank you to all the volunteers whose efforts made this event possible.
For those of you who were not able to attend the General Meeting in person or via Zoom on October 14, it was our pleasure to have our new City Councilman, Mike Harting, come out to meet VI residents for the first time. Mike provided attendees with all sorts of information about things that are going on in the City of St. Petersburg (the “City”) and, in particular, efforts that the City is making to mitigate the impact of hurricanes and rising sea levels. He described St. Petersburg as a $1 billion corporation and there is no secret that there are a lot of demands placed upon the City. Mike did a great job of describing what those demands were and how the city attempts to prioritize those that will have the greatest impact upon City residents and those within his District 3.

The Annual Meeting is tentatively scheduled for January 22, 2026.  I would encourage you to make every effort to attend this meeting to discuss a number of significant issues, including targeted Deed Restriction Revisions for 2026 and discussion of the VIHA Budget. Like every other organization, our expenses for 2026 have increased in a number of areas, which we will detail at that meeting. The Deed Restriction Revision Committee has already targeted a number of Deed Restrictions that should be amended, and we certainly want to have input from residents on those proposed changes as well as others that could be considered.

While we made it through the 2025 hurricane season without any significant storms hitting the City or VI, our community is still suffering from the impact of Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024.  In an “informal drive-by survey” that I conducted of the neighborhood in mid-October, of the 530+ homes in VI there were:
  • 29 homes that were for sale (prior to the hurricanes the average number of homes sold annually was 39);
  • 13 homes that were torn down and the properties are now vacant lots;
  • 36 homes that appeared to be vacant; and,
  • 36 homes that were under construction.
A couple of observations about these statistics:
  • it is clear that construction activity within VI will remain at an elevated level for the foreseeable future;

  • the significant number of homes under construction and the condition of many of the vacant lots have caused considerable traffic, noise and “nuisance” issues for VI residents;

  • the Architectural Review Committee (“ARC”) has made a commitment and has been very successful in responding to resident proposals for new construction and renovation of the existing homes subsequent to the hurricanes; and,

  • like other neighborhoods that you may have read about in the Tampa Bay Times, there is the very real possibility that investment firms could be looking at the purchase of some of those available properties and changing the character of our community.

In March 2025, the VIHA Board voted to suspend the enforcement of certain Deed Restrictions through September 30, 2025. We recognize that there are still a number of homes that have been impacted by the 2024 hurricanes, but there have been a number of residents who have stated something to the effect of “it has been a year since the hurricanes and now it’s time to start getting VI back to the attractive community that it was previously.”

The Deed Restriction Committee sent out over 300 Deed Restriction violation letters in October resulting from the first Deed Restriction review that occurred since the hurricanes.  We realize that many residents are still struggling with decisions about what to do with their properties that were damaged during the hurricanes and many are in the process of repairing that damage. All that we ask is that you be attentive to the condition of your properties and take whatever steps are available to help us return VI to the highly attractive community that it once was.

As I stated earlier, there are many homes located within VI on a relatively small amount of land not only on our streets but in close proximity across the canals. All Board members have received a host of complaints from residents about noise, property conditions, parking, construction issues, etc. Let us try and remember that we are neighbors and need to peacefully coexist to “all try and get along” despite the challenges of the upcoming months.

Also, because of the number of homes that are vacant or under construction, the Christmas Eve display of luminaries will be limited to Grand Canal, as it was last year after the hurricanes.

Finally, nominations for the 2026 VIHA Board are open with a nomination form posted to www.ourvi.org. We need residents to fill a couple of Board positions and, more importantly, we are always looking to fill positions on the committees that keep VI the highly desirable community that it has been and will be in the future.  Getting involved is a great way to learn more about VI and get to know your neighbors.

Thanks for your continued support of VIHA and please feel free to email me with your comments and concerns.​

Sincerely,
Rich Scanlon
VIHAPresident
rscanlon@ourvi.org


]]><![CDATA[August President's Letter]]>Wed, 06 Aug 2025 22:00:00 GMThttps://www.ourvi.org/presidents-letters/august-presidents-letterDear Friends,

We are certainly in the thick of it as far as summer goes. In my 32 years here in VI, I cannot remember it being this hot!!! Hopefully, we can avoid a repeat of last year’s hurricanes but let’s be prepared nonetheless.

The votes for Deed Restriction Revisions to DRs 3, 8, 10 and 50 have been ratified by the audit team and have been recorded with Pinellas County on August 5, 2025 so they are official!!! The DR 42 Revision, amending dock dimensions, still needs additional votes to pass. Ballots will be accepted until September 30, 2025 per an earlier Board resolution. We still receive inquiries/ballots from 1 – 2 property owners per week.

Here are a couple of important dates to add to your calendar:
  • October 14 – VIHA General Meeting with Mike Harting, our new City Councilman, at Lutheran Church of the Cross on Overlook Avenue; and,
  • October 25 – the return of the VI Octoberfest, which was canceled last year because of the hurricanes. All your favorites will all be back including the “Michigan Avenue Grillers!!!! Thanks to Stroll Magazine for assisting with the planning of this fun event.
On July 14, several Board members met with residents of the 1900 block of Illinois Ave to discuss some of the issues impacting their block and VI overall. From my perspective, this was a very valuable meeting. One of the Board’s objectives over the upcoming months will be to schedule these “VIHA Board in the House” meetings with residents of other blocks so we can get a better understanding of what is important to you.

One of the issues that the Illinois Ave. residents voiced was the overall appearance of properties within VI. Earlier this year the VIHA Board voted to “suspend” the enforcement of certain DRs pertaining to exterior property maintenance until September 30, 2025 as our community was recovering from the hurricanes. I’d ask that you do what you can to keep your yards mowed and remove any non-construction related trailers and golf carts from your driveways and street. Let’s return VI to the attractive neighborhood that we were all so proud of prior to the hurricanes.

Thanks for your continued support of VIHA and please feel free to email me with your comments and concerns.

Sincerely,
Rich Scanlon
VIHA President
rscanlon@ourvi.org
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]]><![CDATA[July President's Letter]]>Tue, 08 Jul 2025 23:56:50 GMThttps://www.ourvi.org/presidents-letters/july-presidents-letterDear Friends,

I hope you all had a safe and happy 4th of July weekend. This will be a short President’s Letter this month so I can provide updates on the DR Restrictions Revisions.

First, there is clearly a significant amount of construction going on in VI and there will be for some time. Please notify contractors or subs working on your property to keep their vehicles locked while they are working. I’ve heard from James Fuchs, our Community Policing Officer with SPPD, that numerous thefts of tools, etc. have been reported. Also, please have them park on the east side of the street, even numbered houses, so we can provide for traffic to move as freely as possible. ​

Below is an update on the ballots submitted for the 5 Deed Restrictions Revisions (“DRR”) that the Deed Restriction Revision Committee had advanced for consideration by VI property owners:  
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Due to the fact that the first four revisions have been approved, balloting for DR Revisions 50, 8, 3 and 10 will close on July 28, 2025. Balloting for DR Revision 42 will remain open until September 30 per a resolution adopted by the VIHA Board on March 31, 2025. Thankfully, we still are receiving ballots. If you have not voted yet, please do so and if you need another ballot delivered please advise as well.

Thanks for your continued support of VIHA!

Sincerely,
Rich Scanlon
VIHA President
rscanlon@ourvi.org
]]><![CDATA[June President's Letter #2]]>Sat, 14 Jun 2025 12:00:03 GMThttps://www.ourvi.org/presidents-letters/june-presidents-letter-2Dear Friends,

Good Morning America featured a story on June 11 about the “Tik Tok Door Kicking Challenge.” If you
did not see this story the link to paste into your browser is:
https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/video/122726672

The police are issuing a warning about this trend “saying the prank is not only illegal but also potentially
dangerous for everyone involved.”
​
This alarming trend is happening in Venetian Isles. A VI Property Owner has been the victim of this “prank”
for over a year and has involved the St. Pete Police. Now, it is time to involve the VI community. Attached
is a “ring cam” photo of one of the persons involved in this prank. If you know the person pictured, or he
is one of your children, have a conversation with him to get this behavior to STOP. The SPPD are not
treating this lightly and arrests will be made.
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Lastly, as our community continues its recovery, let’s continue to be patient and kind to our neighbors.

Sincerely,
Rich Scanlon
VIHA President
]]><![CDATA[June President's Letter]]>Tue, 10 Jun 2025 21:47:17 GMThttps://www.ourvi.org/presidents-letters/june-presidents-letterDear Friends,

By this point, we all know what June 1 represents…the “official beginning of Hurricane Season.” For many years VI residents may have taken this date for granted. After what we experienced in 2024 I think we all need to take Hurricane Season more seriously and begin the preparations NOW. Stock up on all the items that have been described by all the major new outlets and consider picking up sandbags that are available from the City. If anyone has heard of unique surge protection measures let me know and I’ll pass your suggestions along in the next President’s Letter. These may be helpful to all VI residents especially those who have moved into the neighborhood recently.

After the May President’s Letter, wherein I wrote that the VIHA Board voted to temporarily suspend DRs 19, 20 and 34 which pertain to “Property Maintenance” with the understanding that VI is still recovering from the effects of the 2024 hurricanes, we received a number of reported DR violations through phone calls, emails and posting to the website. On June 7, members of the Deed Restriction Committee performed a street side review. It appears that at least 35 percent (my estimate only) of the homes in VI are still being repaired, under construction or unoccupied. The DR violations found on this review largely pertained to the parking of golf carts and boats/trailers in driveways, which were NOT temporarily suspended. As you were informed when you moved into VI, the Deed Restrictions are not voluntary, please abide by them.

It was clear from the streetside review that many property owners have worked very hard and incurred considerable expense to maintain/repair the appearance of their homes. The VI community THANKS each and every one of you for your efforts!!!!​

Below is an update on the ballots submitted for the 5 Deed Restrictions Revisions (“DRR”) that the Deed Restriction Revision Committee had advanced for consideration by VI property owners:  
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The DRs require 66.7% of property owner approval on any DRR and so far 4 of the 5 DRRs proposed by the DRRC have been approved.

If you have not yet received a ballot or misplaced it, please let me know IMMEDIATELY and we will have one sent to your current location. This is your opportunity to determine the future of your neighborhood. Please vote, even if you are not in favor of any, or all, of the proposed DRRs.
Ballots will be accepted through September 30.

The next steps on the adoption of the DRRs are as follows:

  1. the written ballots that have been received will be reviewed by an “audit committee” comprised of VI residents to make sure that each ballot has been accurately recorded by a registered property owner with the appropriate signature;
  2. those ballots will then be sent to VI’s counsel, Anne Hathorn;
  3. Counsel will record those DRRs and the required Certificates in the appropriate land records of Pinellas County;
  4. the approved DRRs will become “revised restrictions” on the date recorded and will revise and replace the DRs previously recorded. Once the ballots are provided to Counsel, the remainder of the process should be completed within 2-3 weeks.
Finally, thanks to the 303 property owners who have paid their $200.00 annual VIHA Dues as of June 8. We’ve been featuring advertisers in the Homeowners Directory in each of the 2025 President’s Letters and this month we feature All Our Air Conditioning. We have a number of new directory advertisers this year so please try and patronize these companies, many of which are run by VI residents, and thank them for supporting the VIHA.

Lastly, as our community continues its recovery, let’s continue to be patient and kind to our neighbors.

Sincerely,
Rich Scanlon
VIHA President
rscanlon@ourvi.org
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]]><![CDATA[May President's Letter]]>Fri, 16 May 2025 23:43:15 GMThttps://www.ourvi.org/presidents-letters/may-presidents-letterDear Friends,

The Tampa Bay Times featured an article on the front page of the Sunday, May 11 edition titled “Who is the bad neighbor.” The article describes how the relationship between the residents of two adjacent homes deteriorated as claims and counter claims mounted. VI is similar to the South Tampa neighborhood featured in that article…attractive, well-maintained neighborhood, $1.0 million +/- homes that are located very close to each other.

The outcome of the situation may have been different had the neighborhood been regulated by deed restrictions (DRs), which residents agree to abide by when they move into a DR community such as Venetian Isles. DRs are intended to maintain property values and aesthetics of neighborhoods.

DRs do exist in VI and they are being enforced. At the March 31 Board Meeting, the Board voted to temporarily suspend DRs 19, 20 and 34. DRs 19 and 20 pertain to “Property Maintenance” with the understanding that VI is still recovering from the effects of the 2024 hurricanes. DR 34 pertains to “Vehicles – Parking and Use Restrictions” and was temporarily suspended to allow those residents whose homes had suffered substantial damage to live in trailers/campers parked in their driveways while renovations are undertaken. The other provisions of DR 34, including the parking requirements for “special purpose vehicles,” including golf carts, and boat trailers were not suspended.

The enforcement of DRs is a tough job, probably the toughest of any Committee within VI. For many years Linda Testa volunteered for this difficult but necessary role. With Linda’s passing, Mark Brenman stepped in and continued the effective enforcement of the DRs. However, the Brenmans have recently sold their VI property and we thank both Mark and Virginia for their years of commitment to VIHA and numerous committees. While we search for a new DR committee chair, the DRs will continue to be enforced. If you see a potential DR violation please report it, either by emailing admin@ourvi.org or by going to www.ourvi.org and clicking on “Report a DR Violation” on the left side of the home page.

The Architectural Review Committee (“ARC”) is ready to assist you with timely review and approval of your plans or suggesting changes to make sure they are compliant with current Deed Restrictions. Please contact any of the ARC members if you have a question regarding your projects after reviewing the materials posted on our website at http://www.ourvi.org/architectural-review.html

Below is an update on the ballots submitted for the 5 Deed Restrictions Revisions (“DRR”) that the Deed Restriction Revision Committee had advanced for consideration by VI property owners:  
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As of May 11, 2025, 143 ballots have not been returned. The ability to use electronic balloting for future DRR approval has the requisite number of approvals and we are so close on the 4 others that were proposed based upon RESIDENT input!!! The DRs require 66.7% of property owner approval on any DRR. If you have not yet received a ballot or misplaced it, please let me know IMMEDIATELY and we will have one sent to your current location. This is your opportunity to determine the future of your neighborhood. Please vote, even if you are not in favor of any, or all, of the proposed DRRs.

Many residents have expressed their concern about the increased number of investor-owned properties in VI. The Tampa Bay Times has also featured articles about Blackrock, and other investment firms, acquiring numerous properties in a neighborhood and leasing them. The impact of this is to reduce the “community feel” of a neighborhood. With a large number of homes in VI currently unoccupied and awaiting repairs, that the current property owners may not be able to afford, there is the potential for an increased level of investor interest in VI. If purchased, some of these homes may be redeveloped and sold but others may be offered under long-term leases. The VIHA Board will be discussing this trend. Regardless of form of ownership or intention, EVERY property owner must abide by the DRs.

Finally, thanks to the 297 property owners who have paid their $200.00 annual VIHA Dues as of April 30. We’ve been featuring advertisers in the Homeowners Directory in each of the 2025 President’s Letters and this month we feature Klement Family Dental. We have a number of new directory advertisers this year so please try and patronize these companies, many of which are run by VI residents, and thank them for supporting the VIHA.

Lastly, as our community continues its recovery, let’s continue to be patient and kind to our neighbors.

Sincerely,
Rich Scanlon
VIHA President
rscanlon@ourvi.org
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]]><![CDATA[April President's Letter]]>Sun, 13 Apr 2025 20:12:31 GMThttps://www.ourvi.org/presidents-letters/april-13th-2025Dear Friends,

April is such a beautiful time of the year to be in VI, and this year is no exception!!! However, it is clear that our community is still in recovery mode. I’d estimate that 30% of the homes in VI are still unoccupied or under construction/renovation. While our community will be attractive and more resilient to storms after all these projects are completed, we still have a way to go. Please be patient with your neighbors as they deal with permitting, hiring contractors and rebuilding.

The Architectural Review Committee (“ARC”) is ready to assist you with timely review and approval of your plans or suggesting changes to ensure compliance with current Deed Restrictions. Please contact any of the ARC members if you have a question regarding your projects after reviewing the materials posted on our website at http://www.ourvi.org/architectural-review.html

Update:
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In summary, 313 (60%) of the ballots have been returned to date so there are 209 still outstanding.  At this point, none of the 5 proposed DRRs have received the required 349 (66.7%) votes for approval. So your vote is crucial. We understand that many of you have still not moved back into your homes so if you have not yet received a ballot, please let me know IMMEDIATELY and we will have one sent to your current location.

The Board believes 60% of the property owners voting is not yet representative of our community, so we extended the voting period until September 30, 2025.  This gives us more time to receive ballots during the summer months.

Also, the Deed Restriction Committee continues to enforce the Deed Restrictions within VI.  However, after consulting with our counsel, the Board approved a temporary suspension of the Deed Restrictions pertaining to the maintenance of the exterior of properties, specifically Deed Restrictions 19, 20 and 34.  ARC continues to review projects that require their approval in an expedited manner. Many thanks to Bob Brett and his team for keeping up with all the requests.

Thanks to the 294 property owners who have paid their $200.00 annual VIHA dues as of March 31.  As a reminder, we did not increase the annual dues in 2025. The 2025 VI Homeowners Directory has been delivered to dues paying members. We have a number of new directory advertisers this year, many of whom are VI residents, so please try to patronize these companies to thank them for supporting the VIHA. I’ll feature one, or a number, of these advertisers with each President’s Letter that I send out for 2025.

Also, if you are on social media, I’d encourage you to “like” the “Venetian Isles of St. Petersburg, FL” page on Facebook.  This page is supported by VI residents Jeff and Claire Copeland.

We really NEED more volunteers for VIHA Committee positions, particularly on the Deed Restrictions Committee.   This is a great way to meet your neighbors, work for the betterment of our community and have a little bit of fun while you are at it!!!  
The Committees within VI can be found on our website at:
http://www.ourvi.org/viha-committees.html

As evidenced by the 2024 Hurricane Season, it is never too early to start preparing for 2025. Let’s hope for the best but prepare for the worst.  Lastly, as our community continues its recovery, please continue to show your neighbors a little kindness, that can go a long way!!!


Sincerely,
Rich Scanlon
VIHA President

rscanlon@ourvi.org
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