Thornie explained that approximately 40 backup batteries are needed for the Association's radios. These were used by the CERT team during last year's hurricanes and recharging became an issue during the lengthy power outage. The expected cost is around $1,600. A motion was made by Hans Hochkamp to approve the purchase. It was seconded by Pat Mayers and passed unanimously.

Susan Jordan, who was recently appointed to the Historic Preservation Board, explained the benefits and process of having a home designated as historic.

Diana Alarcon with the City's parking division presented the City's proposal to put metered parking on 7th Avenue between 2nd and 4th streets. It was agreed that Ted Fling would work with the area residents to discuss this solution to the parking problem. A report will be made at the September meeting, at which time the membership will be asked to support the project or request an alternative solution.

Connie Dee announced that she and co-chair, Andrea Bamberg, are stepping down after two years of service. They will be replaced by Tana Sabatino and Aimee Dunn.

Pat Mayers reported that a few addresses are being watched for suspected drug activity and she asked residents to report suspicious activity. Also, a pit bull has been seen running loose in the area of 13th Avenue. Residents should be cautious, keep a watch on their children and small dogs and cats and report any sightings to the police department. Lastly, she reminded everyone to not leave visible items in their cars.

Catherine Maus reported that the first workshop on the Master Plan was held and was very informative and helpful. The second workshop will be held on August 2 at 7:00 pm at ArtServe and the final workshop will be held at the September 6 membership meeting. Everyone is invited to participate.

Also, the Committee is reviewing a proposal to convert the home at 801 NE 20th Avenue to an office. The owner is requesting a reduction in the required number of parking spaces.

Christine Campbell announced that state rebates are available for homeowners who install photovoltaic and solar thermal systems. She referred members to the website for the Florida Solar Energy Center: fsec.ucf.edu.

Jay Holloway reported that the Committee is coordinating the Master Plan project with P&Z. He has developed a discussion forum on Google and anyone interested in joining the forum should call or email him. Catherine Maus was applauded for her contributions to this project.

Bob Oelke suggested having the Treasurer's Report later in the meeting. Thornie noted that this has been discussed before and explained the reasons why it is where it is on the agenda.

The Treasurer's report was presented by Mark Ketcham. Motion was made by Pat Mayers to accept the Treasurer's Report. It was seconded by Larry Wallenstein and passed unanimously.

The City's Volunteer Corps will be doing a cleanup at the Bonnet House on Saturday June 24 from 8:00 a.m. to noon. Residents were encouraged to join in this effort.

The windmill issue is rescheduled to come before the Board of Adjustments on Tuesday, June 14 at 6:30 p.m. It is the first item on the agenda and everyone was asked to come to the meeting to voice their concerns about this project in Victoria Park.

The Association has ordered coffee mugs with a new design, which are selling for $10. The Art & Jazz Event mugs are available for $5. License plates have also been ordered but are not available yet.

Code Enforcement Officer Ursula Thime reported that the City has developed new signs that will be posted on construction sites for violations. A new task force has been assigned to monitor and cite for city wide trash violations. Efforts are also being made to deal with abandoned cars and misplaced newspaper bins.

Cheryl Lewis is acting as the chair of the committee during Jeanne Lalli's summer absence. The committee will not be meeting again until September 11. In the meantime they are working on a campaign to encourage dog owners to clean up after their pets.

Pat Mayers noted that residents should be especially vigilant now that school is out. There is a summer camp for juveniles and anyone interested should contact her.

Janet Schlembach noted that committee's first meeting will be held July 25th. Committee members and volunteers are needed, as are homes for the tour.

Ted reported that he is working with the City with regard to the parking problems on NE 7th Avenue. The City is still taking comments and nothing will be done until a plan has been developed that is amendable to the neighborhood. With regard to the construction site violation notices mentioned by Thornie, he added that any police officer, building inspector or code enforcement officer can sign off on a violation. Problems should be reported to the police department or code enforcement, not him. In addition, he is working with the City to replace lost signage in the neighborhood.

Hans Hochkamp said a list of all leaning or damaged poles has been reported to FPL and they are now in the neighborhood repairing and replacing those poles.

Motion was made by Dan Gabbianelli to accept the minutes for the April 4, 2006 meeting. It was seconded by Larry Wallenstein and passed unanimously.

The Treasurer's report was presented by Mark Ketcham. Motion was made by Pat Mayers to accept the Treasurer's Report. It was seconded by Larry Wallenstein and passed unanimously. Dan Gabbianelli reported that the Audit Committee reviewed the books and did not find any indiscretions. Motion was made by Larry Wallenstein to accept the Audit Committee's findings. It was seconded by Fred Sistarenik and passed unanimously.

Thornie announced that Hans Hochkamp is meeting with representatives from FPL to identify, document and correct utility problems in the neighborhood, the Aesthetics Committee has decided not to pursue a Broward Beautiful Grant at this time, a meeting coordinator is needed to replace Myrna Pototsky and National NightOut will be celebrated on Saturday, May 13.

District II Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom thanked those who supported her in her campaign and promised that she would work hard on behalf of everyone in the district. She is meeting with all the area civic associations and working on an already long list of suggestions that have been given to her.

City Manager George Gretsas gave a presentation on the status of the City. Subjects covered were organizational restructures, operational changes, finances, quality of life, labor contracts, traffic management, economic development, effects of Wilma, the CERT program and beach improvements.

Officer Waters reported that there were 37 Part 1 crimes (robberies and house/auto burglaries) in March but that number dropped to 19 in April. He noted that the alleys are havens for criminals and he recommended that the residents help keep them clean. A resident was arrested for making and selling pipe bombs.

Jay Holloway reported on his first meeting with the Council of Ft. Lauderdale Civic Associations. Topics of interest included steps that are being taken to control crime and the impact of expected premium increases for wind policies insured by Citizens Insurance.

Larry Wallenstein reported that the Committee discussed the Las Olas Lofts project and he made a motion that VPCA support Colee Hammock and City staff in their opposition to this project. Concerns are traffic and incompatibility with the neighborhood. The motion was seconded by Christine Campbell. Discussion centered on whether or not VPCA should give opinions on projects outside its boundaries. Although not located in Victoria Park, it was generally felt that the issues surrounding this project could have an impact on the neighborhood. The motion passed by a majority of the members present.

Larry also noted that the Committee's decision to not apply for Broward Beautification grants this year was the result of changes in the County's processes and because it was felt that it would be best to wait until completion of the Master Plan.

In addition, he announced that volunteers are needed for a median clean up on 15th Avenue on May 6 and that the pocket park on 7th Street between 14th and 15th Avenues is now completed.

Catherine Maus noted that the windmill issue will be on the agenda for the May 10th meeting of the Board of Adjustments. She suggested sending letters and emails to the Board prior to this meeting. The contract for the grant relating to the master plan project has been held up by the County. A project for new townhouses in the 1600 block of 8th Street has been reviewed by both the P&Z and Aesthetics Committees.

Thornie reported that the CERT program is being reorganized and the City has found funds for classes for both new and existing members. He is getting a complete schedule of all classes from the City and will publish it in the newsletter.

Jay Holloway noted that the Committee worked with P&Z and Aesthetics to develop a 15 point plan for development of the master plan project. The Committee is scheduled to meet at ArtServe the second Sunday of each month at 1:00 p.m. Tasks that have been assigned to volunteers and are underway include creation of a website, drafting a contract for a master planner and compiling a list of contacts.

As a result of a suggestion made at the last meeting to look into an alternate meeting place, Thornie reported that the auditorium at ArtServe charges $75 at a minimum and adds $15 hourly after 5:00 p.m. Information was not yet available for the Holiday Park Social Center.

Glenda Rowley noted that the City sent a letter to residents along NE 7th Avenue regarding their intent to install parking meters on that street between 2nd and 4th Streets. Motion was made by Bob Oelke to refer the issue to the Traffic Committee to research. It was seconded by Janet Schlembach and passed unanimously.

The Treasurer's report was presented by Mark Ketcham. Motion was made by Stephen Draft to accept the report. It was seconded by Brad Cohen and passed unanimously.

Officers Waters presented the police report. He reported that there were 13 residential burglaries, 9 vehicle thefts and 3 armed robberies during March. Several of the burglaries and vehicle thefts were the result of domestic disputes. The robberies were in Holiday Park, at BP Amoco and Bank of America. The department's Homeless Outreach program is focusing on Holiday Park.

Ted Fling announced that Officer Waters will no longer be serving this district and he was applauded for his past service to the community. Also, the Homeless Outreach program has a new officer who is a resident of Victoria Park.

Thornie announced that the Easter Egg Hunt will be held April 15, National Night Out is scheduled for May 13, FPL has commenced tree trimming in the area and a project to repair the neighborhood's water mains will start in January 2010. He also asked for volunteers to serve on the Audit Committee and received responses from Dan Gabbianelli and Michael Moskowitz.

It was reported that there is an unused city parking lot on NE 7th Avenue between 5th and 6th Streets that the Aesthetics Committee would like to have converted to a pocket park. Motion was made by Peg Nusser to have the Aesthetics Committee initiate discussions with the City about the conversion of this property. It was seconded by Hans Hochkamp and passed unanimously.

The Association has been approved for a $15,000 grant to start the planning process for establishing a new Master Plan. The community will pay to have four meetings with experts in this field and then will be reimbursed with the grant monies. The first three meetings will be input meetings and then the results will be reported at a final, wrap-up meeting. It was suggested that the initial input meeting could take place at a general membership meeting. Motion was made by Catherine Maus to accept the grant and authorize Thornie Jarrett to sign the grant document. It was seconded by Art Levy and passed unanimously.

Jay Holloway did not have anything to report. There were questions about the status of three issues that had been referred to the Council: sidewalks, impact fees and construction mitigation. Stephen Draft, who worked with the Council last year, reported that these issues had not received support from the Council. It was agreed that the Aesthetics Committee should pursue the construction mitigation issue and sidewalks and impact fees will be considered in the Master Plan.

Jeanne Lalli reported that the Art & Jazz event was a huge success, raising $3,374.00 T-Shirts are for sale for $10 and mugs for $5. The Committee is still waiting for the NCIP grant to be fully implemented. Volunteers are needed for another cleanup on April 15.

Connie Dee reported that the Easter Egg Hunt will be held at Holiday Park, behind ArtServe, on April 15 starting at 9:30 a.m. Volunteers and baked goods will be accepted.

Catherine Maus reported that they are finalizing plans for a rezoning project that has been delayed. The City's DRC is reviewing plans for two townhouse projects, one of which is requesting the vacating of a right-of-way. Research is still being done on the windmill request. Bob Oelke is working on a Broward Beautiful grant.

Thornie reported that the City's new Public Safety Director is working on a City wide CERT plan and will be holding an organizational meeting. Unfortunately, no funding arrangements were made for any new classes at this time.

JD Camp reported that Brad Cohen sponsored the mixed paper recycling bin at Virginia Shuman Young School. That program just ended and the results are still unknown. However, the Association received $1,098 for 2005 recycling projects. Earth Day will be celebrated at Holiday Park on Sunday, April 23.

National Night Out Against Crime will be celebrated the evening of May 13. Peg Nusser reported that she is working on the entertainment and will accept ideas. Hiring a DJ was suggested if a live group cannot be found.

Ted Fling reported that the City and FPL have fixed many of the street lights but there are still some in need of repair. He is seeking clarification of the rules for swale parking. Construction site parking continues to be a problem because there is no enforcement for noncompliance with the City's letter on this subject. A stop sign is being considered for westbound 6th Street at 7th Avenue. There was some discussion about using the alleys for garbage collection but it was noted that they are not wide enough to accommodate the trucks with lifts.

Christine Campbell reported that the committee is working on a date to hold regular meetings. The City's Utility Advisory Committee is working on a method to identify trees that have already been trimmed. Residents should report problem trees that need FPL trimming to Larry Stewart at 954-321-2158.

Myrna Pototsky announced that she is resigning from the position of Meeting Coordinator. Also, this is the time of year when a donation is made to St. Anthony's Church for use of the meeting room. Motion was made by Larry Wallenstein to make a $500 donation to the Church. It was seconded by Catherine Maus and passed unanimously.

Glenda Rowley suggested looking into another place to hold the meeting and it was agreed that some research would be done to see if more suitable accommodations could be found within the neighborhood.

Motion was made by Pat Mayers to accept the minutes for the February 1, 2006 meeting. It was seconded by Ted Fling and passed unanimously. The Treasurer's report was presented by Mark Ketcham. It was noted that Mark now has everything, including bill paying, set up electronically.

Officer Waters reported that the crime statistics for February were not available yet. However, he reported that crime is on the decline. A suspected drug dealer was arrested in the neighborhood and there have been numerous arrests at Holiday Park over the last 2 months relating to prostitution. There is now a joint effort between the police officers and park rangers to stop such activity at the park. Some burglaries in the area were also discussed.

Thornie made some announcements, which were also later covered under the committee reports, and then Commission Candidates for District II, Charlotte Rodstrom and Jon Albee, were given an opportunity to speak. Everyone was encouraged to vote on March 14.

Jay Holloway did not have anything to report on the Council but he noted that the Vision Committee will now have monthly meetings on the third Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. at ArtServe.

Jeanne Lalli reported on the Art & Jazz event, whcih will be held March 12th at Victoria Park, and modeled the event T-Shirt, which is being sold for $15. There will be food, artists, music and a silent auction. A rare guitar autographed by Anna Nicole Smith will be among one of the items for auction. A suggestion was made that maybe it should be auctioned on eBay instead, subject to agreement of the donor. All proceeds of the event will continue to fund the "regreening" of the neighborhood.

Andrea Bamberg noted that the annual Easter Egg Hunt will be held again at Holiday Park on Saturday, April 15 at 9:30 a.m. Volunteers will be needed.

Pat Mayers asked everyone to be on the lookout for illegal dumping, which is a criminal offense, and to get license numbers, take pictures and report it immediately.

Thornie noted that all members should encourage their neighbors to join the Association. The more members there are, the more impact the Association has when it submits issues to the City for resolution.

JD Camp reported that the committee was successful in getting a grant of $15,000 for the Master Plan. Due to the Association's rule about advertising in the newsletter when any vote for an expenditure of more than $1,000 will be made at a meeting, he made a motion, which was seconded by Jeanne Lalli, to advertise such a vote for the April meeting so funding of the project could start. During discussion there was opposition to what was considered by many to be a premature action and the motion was withdrawn.

Thornie reported that a new CERT class has started. He is getting a complete schedule of all classes from the City and will publish it in the newsletter.

Peg Nusser noted that a suggestion had previously been made that she look into a way to make a donation to St. Anthony's church in memory of Father Hannon, who recently passed away after many years of service to the church. She made a motion, which was seconded by Pat Mayers, to have the Association make a $500 donation to the St. Anthony Scholarship Fund. The motion passed unanimously. She also reported that the committee will be assisting with the Art & Jazz event and anyone interested in helping out should call her. In addition, the Committee is planning on having the Night Out Against Crime event in early May and she would like to arrange for an appearance of the same band that played last year; there were no objections.

Ted Fling reported that the Association is joining forces with the Colee Hammock and Beverly Heights associations to encourage the City to complete a study regarding traffic on Broward Blvd. The Association is making a list of all missing or non-functioning traffic signs, street signs and street lights (except those on Sunrise Blvd.) and is relying on these items being reported by the residents. The police presence in the area has been beefed up for traffic enforcement. Ted noted that parking enforcement is also now under the police department jurisdiction. He also noted that illegal dumping of anything over 500 lbs. is a felony and arrests have been made.

Christine Campbell reiterated that a list of utility problems is being prepared for FPL so they can hopefully be fixed before the hurricane season. All problems should be reported to her.

Jan Idelman noted that the Florida Neighborhood Conference is being held at the Broward County Convention Center. This will be a good opportunity to showcase our neighborhood and booths are available for $50.

Motion was made by Pat Mayers to accept the minutes for the January 4, 2006 meeting. It was seconded by Dan Gabbianelli and passed unanimously. The Treasurer's report was presented by Elena Kirsch.

Thornie Jarrett acknowledged and welcomed our District II City Commissioner, Dean Trantalis, who was present for the forum for the candidates running for his seat. He announced that a master list of continuing problems with electrical lines and poles is being comprised for Florida Power and Light and he presented certificates to outgoing board members, Stephen Draft and Elena Kirsch, and the volunteer of the year, Hans Hochkamp.

That a study was done in the past to come up with a plan to divert traffic from Broward Blvd., east of Federal Highway, to Las Olas Blvd. but the plan was never implemented. Victoria Park is now joining with the Colee Hammock and Beverly Heights Civic Associations in a move to have the City update that plan and move forward with implementing the results. He made a motion, which was seconded by Larry Wallenstein, to have the Victoria Park Civic Association join with Colee Hammock and Beverly Heights in sending a letter to the City asking for an update of the Las Olas Community and Transportation Study. The expected cost of the study is $50,000 and would be paid by the City. The motion passed unanimously.

A Victoria Park resident has requested a variance from the City to construct a 55 foot windmill on his property. JD made a motion, which was seconded by Miriam Rodriguez, to support the variance. The motion failed unanimously.

The Association has applied for a $15,000 grant that will be used for the neighborhood's Master Plan and should know on February 23 if the grant will be approved.

Thornie Jarrett announced that the nominating committee came up with the following slate of officers for the next year: Thornie Jarrett for President, Jay Holloway for Vice President, Mark Ketcham for Treasurer and Glenda Rowley for Secretary. There were no nominations from the floor. Jack Ragland made a motion, which was seconded by Pat Mayers, to accept the slate by acclamation. The motion passed unanimously.

Motion was made by Pat Mayers to accept the minutes for the November 2, 2005 meeting. It was seconded by Dan Gabbianelli and passed unanimously. The Treasurer's report was presented by Elena Kirsch.

Thornie Jarrett reported that the general election for the Mayor and City Commissioners will be held in March. When there are more than 2 candidates for a position, a primary is held in February. The Council of Ft. Lauderdale Civic Associations is sponsoring a city wide candidate's night at City Hall on January 13 at 6:00 p.m. There are currently 7 candidates for District II, which covers Victoria Park, and there was discussion about whether they should be invited to our February meeting.

Motion was made Larry Wallenstein to invite the District II candidates to the February meeting. A committee, to be appointed by Thornie, will determine the format and develop some predetermined questions, which will not be provided to the candidates in advance. Each candidate will be given 2 minutes or less to answer each question. It was seconded by Dan Gabbianelli and passed unanimously. It was suggested that each candidate should be given a minute or so for a short introduction and then another minute or so to recap at the conclusion of the questions. Thornie appointed Larry Wallenstein, Richard Reed, Bob Oelke and Miriam Rodriguez to the committee.

Motion was made by Peg Nusser to include the Mayoral candidates at the February meeting if a primary election is needed for that position. Otherwise, the current two candidates will be invited to the March meeting. It was seconded by Fred Sistarenik and passed unanimously.

Thornie announced the following: 1) The annual meeting will be held in February, at which time an election will be held for officers. Candidates for Treasurer, Secretary and Vice-President are needed; 2) The agreement with Hanover has been finalized; and 3) FPL has provided a list of addresses where Royal Palms are growing into the power lines. The association was asked for help in working with these homeowners to determine solutions.

Barbara Hadsell gave a presentation on stormscaping. She recommended trees and shrubs that have proved to hold up well during hurricanes and a list of those that have not. She also provided information on how to plant to minimize damage from the storms and how to provide after care to damaged plans. Full details can be found in the book Stormscaping: Landscaping to Minimize Wind Damage in Florida. In addition, she noted that she works with a gardening organization that provides assistance to Habitat for Humanity and noted that they accept donations for that project.

Steven Draft, representative to the Council of Ft. Lauderdale Civic Associations, reported that the Council is currently focused on the elections and he reiterated information about the candidate's night and invited everyone's participation.

Jeanne Lalli reported that the committee has two projects coming up. The first is a volunteer project on January 14 to clean up the pocket park located between 14th and 15th avenues north of 6th street. The second project is an Art & Jazz event that will be held March 12th at Victoria Park.

Pat Mayers asked everyone to be cautious of unknown persons knocking on their door. Often this is a deliberate distraction that allows others to break in through the back. She also suggested being cautious of unknown contractors. There have been reports of those who ask for all the money in advance and then do shoddy work or do not complete the work. Always try to get references and work out a payment schedule for the work as it progresses. There have also been reports of illegal dumping on residents' properties and this should be reported if witnessed.

Thornie reported that additional residents of Victoria Park have completed the training to become part of the neighborhood's CERT team. Four of them were present and were acknowledged.

The committee has been working with Aesthetics in the organization of their events. Also, National Night Out Against Crime will be celebrated in a few months.

Stephen Draft reported that he has been working with the Planning & Zoning Committee on the master plan grant. The committee is also in the process of identifying and interviewing master planners.

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