Conservative PSJ, US

PSJ HOA Meeting Tuesday, March 12, 2003

The meeting was called to order at 7:03 PM.

The minutes were read by Secretary, Vicki Smith. Accepted as read.

The Treasurer's Report shows the PSJ HOA has $5,569.82.

Bylaws will be worked on and presented at the next meeting (April 8th at the Community Center). There was a lot on Helen's plate with the library reopening, etc., and she was very busy and didn't have a chance to hold a Bylaws Committee meeting. The Bylaws will be worked on and presented at the next meeting. Helen suggests doing them on the computer and showing them on the computer to the membership so that we don't have to do paper copies for everyone and print more for the accepted changes as well. The changed bylaws will be available to every member who wants one.

Vice President's Report: Bob has been working on getting numbers on houses in a uniform manner so that emergency services personnel can find the numbers in a timely fashion in emergencies.

There was no HOA/Civic League meeting with Comm. Scarborough last month because their schedules were conflicting.

The PSJ Library is open. There has already been a skateboard through one of the doors. Now there are signs posted (again) that no skating or skateboarding are allowed on library (county) property.

There is a "Friends of the Library" Book Sale on Friday, April 4th (12 Noon to 5 PM) and Saturday, April 5th (10 AM to 5 PM). If you like to read, and want a good price on a good book that will help a good cause (the library buys more books), show up and have cash on hand (I don't know if they accept checks). Reading is something we can all enjoy.

At the Board meeting, it was brought up that the PSJ Library has a fundraising project to purchase a new playground. There is a wall in the portico that is blank and the project is that if you would donate $40 to the library to buy a "brick", $20 of that donation will go toward the purchase of playground equipment and the other $20 will go toward paying for the brick. The brick can have three lines with a certain number of characters (letters, spaces, numbers and other characters) -- I believe 14, but not certain -- on each line. You can purchase a brick and help buy playground equipment as well do a memorial for someone, a little giving lesson for your children, or just have a nice memorial that you helped your community. Call the PSJ Library for more information -- 633-1867.

President Dezendorf (Helen) asked if the membership wanted to help the library in this endeavor by offering a "matching fund" grant. This means that if members will donate to the PSJ Library, the HOA will match members' gifts of up to $500. This amount includes the money ($200) that the HOA did not spend during the HOA's Christmas outreach to needy families. So, the actual cost is the $200 we had set aside, and another $300 -- BUT only IF HOA members give that much. Remember, it is a "matching fund" grant. The HOA only matches what membership gives. So if membership only gives $230; the HOA will match that $230, not the full amount of $500.

The Yard Sale fundraiser for the HOA has been postponed until fall. There are too many other things happening and the membership thought it would be best. Also, the membership thought we should look into having the Yard Sale inside the Community Center if we can get the big room and have air conditioning for people to be more comfortable. Tables will also be available at the Community Center, so that will also make it easier. I'll let you know what is scheduled where and when.

A motion was made, seconded and passed to move the HOA meetings to the PSJ Library starting with the May meeetings. The April meeting during which voting will take place for the officers of the HOA will be held at the Community Center. But in May, the HOA will move its meeting place back to the library so that we don't have to contend with the karate class noises, the exercise class noises, whatever. It will be quieter there and the room is big enough to hold everyone. So come on down, and if you haven't seen the new library yet, come early to the HOA meeting and check out the new library before the meeting (or if we finish early enough, after the meeting).

The Nominating Committee has recommended the same roster of officers as we currently have. Nominations will still be accepted from the floor on the day of the elections (April 8th at the Community Center, 7 PM), so if you have someone else you'd like to see as an officer, or if you'd like to run yourself, please attend. IF your dues are not currently paid up, you will be able to join, rejoin, whatever, but you won't be able to vote on the elections of officers this election. According to our bylaws, you had to have your membership paid up as of the March meeting. But that doesn't mean you can't come and have your say. So come on down, find out what is happening in the HOA and let your voice be heard. Remember, you don't have to be a member to speak your mind.

Ed Warner noticed at the last HOA Board meeting that Helen was discouraged about how many members were attending the meetings and wanted to find a way to increase attendance. Helen suggested signs to put up a few days before each month's meeting. Would the membership like having signs made to remind people about the meeting? Well, this was discussed, dropped, discussed again, and finally a motion was made to spend up to $200 for plastic signs (like the recent incorporation/no incorporation signs) to remind people about PSJ HOA meetings. They will say that the meetings take place at the library, but they will be used for the April meeting with a little alteration (a piece of paper taped over it saying that the meeting is at the Community Center). This way, we can get them for April, but have them permanently without reprinting.

Randy Rodriguez noted that Thunder Over The Indian River is getting put together and there will be no beer cooler bombs this year. Someone suggested we have a membership booth at the event.

Dues were due at the March meeting to be able to vote at the April meeting on officers.

In order to get better attendance, Helen reminded the membership that the PSJ Library has a bulletin board for flyers and things. Maybe the HOA should put a flyer up there to let people know that they meet.

The PSJ Swimming Pool was brought up again. The pool would be paid for in part by the County, and the Board of Education would pay for part of it because the idea is to have the pool available for the schools to use during the school year's swim meet season. That way the PSJ students won't have to be bussed to Titusville to have their meets. The community would also benefit because their families could buy passes to the pool and use the pool for swimming, exercise, maybe lifeguard lessons, maybe parties, etc., etc., etc. Remember, that the community would be using the pool at the same time (for the most part) as the schools. And, that the children who are in the schools are your children and/or your neighbor's children. So getting all upset about the money being spent by the County (our taxpayer dollars) would be going to a Board of Education item. It would not be that way. It would be the County and the Board of Education working together so that your children, your neighbor's children and you, yourself, can have the many healthful benefits of a community pool. That's a good thing.

The West Connector is still in the vat (so to speak). I don't know when it will be started, rumors abound, but nothing I would be comfortable putting on paper yet. I'll give you definite info as I get it.

Ranch Road, via the agreement signed with the County and the developer when Cypress Woods went in, is being improved.

The door prizes were given out and the meeting adjourned at 8:16 PM.

February 12, 2003 Meeting

The meeting was called to order at 7:04 PM and the pledge was said.

The Secretary, Vicki Smith, read the minutes and they were accepted as read.

It was announced that the TiCo Airport runway is no longer an issue due to the plans put in place there.

The Treasurer's Report was read and we have $5,459.82 available.

Commander Jimmy Donn of the Brevard County Sheriff's Office was there and he spoke on what is happening, crime-wise, within PSJ. He said the biggest problem we are currently having is that people are leaving their cars unlocked and there are bands of teens going around and committing "crimes of opportunity" by checking to see if your car doors are locked and if they aren't, taking what they can get out of the car. I say: Be sure to lock your doors: car, garage and house. Better safe than sorry.

Comm. Donn also said that the Sheriff's Dept. has a lot of people in the reserves and that, even though not a lot of them had been called up at the time, it could still have an impact. They are getting by pretty well right now. I say to remember to pray for them and all of our other troops.

Someone complained that Fruitport in PSJ is a "racetrack."

Bob Lewis, VP, said he had nothing to report in his report.

Pool & Stadium report: the PSJ Jr./Sr. High stadium does not effect the plans for the pool, nor the finances for the pool in any way. The pool will be funded by grants from the State and County, and other resources not within taxpayer resources (i.e.: maybe a company will offer to help with a grant). There are two grants possible from the State (matching fund grants; funds to match must come from the County). If we could get corporate grants, gifts, whatever, it would help a lot toward actually achieving the goal of getting a pool for our community. The possibility of BCC helping is out there, somehow, too. I'm not sure of how that would work yet, so I won't be more specific than to mention it here.

The stadium can earn money to help pay back costs of building it. Its build costs (the way I understand it) would come from the School Board.

Ed Warner was elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Jim & Alice Williams and Linda McKinney (me) are on the PSJ HOA Election Committee. We'll be the people counting the ballots on April 8th at the PSJ Community Center. So be sure to come and vote for the candidate of your choice.

The Nominating Committee is made up of Pete Costello, Martin Sullivan and Clyde McFarlin.

The Bylaws Committee had the volunteers of Linda McKinney (me), Clyde McFarlin, D.J. Olson and Helen Dezendorf. We'll be looking at the HOA bylaws and deciding what to change in order to make the bylaws work better for the organization.

Sunshine Law make you pay to advertise all meetings and prevent people from getting things done, according to Helen. The PSJ HOA does not abide by the Sunshine Law and it should not be in the HOA bylaws. Note: This writer disagrees with Helen. The Sunshine Law will help prevent the HOA from being used as a tool to get the will of the few done without the knowledge and consent of the many. As we have seen previously happen on so many occasions.

The HOA Yard Sale was discussed, but no actions were taken on it.

Helen goes Thursday (Feb. 14th) evening to tell them (I suppose that is Brevard County Parks and Rec.) the site for the pool. The site is between the existing elementary school and the Jr./Sr. High School; in front, along the street. She is hoping that Wuesthoff or Parrish would come along and partner with us for the pool.

Someone in the audience asked if it would cost PSJ residents more in taxes for the pool. They had heard something about an MSTU for it. Would money from the Fay Lake Park MSTU be available for the pool? The answer is that the MSTU would have to be voted on by the residents of PSJ before we could have an MSTU levied against us (and I would vote a resounding "NO!"), and that the Fay Lake MSTU can only be used for what it was specified for in the vote. Thus, the pool cannot be part of that MSTU.

Helen reminded people that the more people we have saying we want the pool, the more likely we are to get it.

Someone asked why the HOA letter from the President was not in Happenings any more. Helen said that when we don't put HOA info in Happenings, people have to join the HOA in order to get the info that would be in the newsletter. If we put it in Happenings, then there is no reason to join the HOA.

Helen asked if we could have volunteers who would hold signs to remind people that the HOA is meeting that night. Clyde McFarlin volunteered. Thanks, Clyde.

The PSJ Advisory Board meeting the following night, Feb. 13th at the Community Center on a zoning issue. If there is no quorum, the issue will go to be heard by the Planning & Zoning Board at Viera and heard by the County Commission Board.

About 25 people attended the meeting, which was adjourned at 8:18 PM.

PSJ HOA General Membership meeting, January 14, 2003

Treasurer's report: We have $6,354.61 in our treasury, but the bills from December (Christmas parade, charitable donations, etc.) just came in so take away about $600.

V.P.'s report: The Titusville part of Grissom is going to be four laned and work has already started on it. The plan is to have it four lane through to the curve just before Kings Highway, then to have one lane south bound (into PSJ) and two lanes north bound (into Titusville).

Old Business: The family that we helped for Christmas had fishing stuff, watches, etc., donated for the three boys and food for the whole family to have a great Christmas dinner.

Also, after the parade was finished, the teddy bears that were not the property of others were donated to the Toys for Tots campaign and because it was so close to Christmas, the bears got to stay in the local area, going to local shelters.

By the way, the PSJ HOA won Third Place in the parade for Christmas Spirit. Congratulations, PSJ HOA!

New Business: Sign-ups were done for new Board members. Those who signed up were: Pete Costello (AKA VP of the Civic League of Port St. John), Larry King, Otillie Bowers, Edward Bowers, Pat Bowers and Lauren Weinberg. (Please forgive me if I misspelled someone's name. I wrote them as I heard them and I am not certain of the spellings.) The names were read out to the membership and the slate was accepted by a show of hands majority. So we have a full slate of Board members now and the Board can do some business.

The next Board of Directors meeting will be Tuesday, Jan. 21st, at 7 PM at the PSJ Community Center. This is changed because the Community Center will not be open on Monday, Jan. 20th, Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, so the meeting will take place the following day. Everyone is welcome to attend; members are welcome to voice an opinion. (Editor's Note: If you haven't joined yet, membership is open year round and your membership lasts from the time you sign up to the same month the following year. It's a good deal to be able to have your voice heard and to help steer the community in the right direction. Please come get involved.)

The HOA needs a Secretary. There were two volunteers who will be screened by the Board; Linda McKinney (yours truly) and Vicki Smith. They are scheduled to appear before the Board on the 21st for Board approval. Then the membership gets to pick between them, if they are both still in the running.

A member recommended buying a tape recorder to record the meetings. Helen said that the tape recorder they had been using was not powerful enough to pick up all of the voices in the room well enough to be able to make proper records. She would check with a board she is on and ask if we could possibly borrow their recorder which works much better.

Helen (and maybe others, I'm not certain on that point) met with the new TiCo Airport Authority Board member from PSJ. His name is Russell Alarie (phonetic spelling, may be incorrect). He will keep the HOA informed. Also any airport expansion is years away and the FAA (Federal Avation Authority -- the US Government governing authority over all matters public airport big or little) -- said there will be no runway extension at the TiCo Airport so that brings that supposed threat to an end permanently. (Note: I will try to find the public record on this ruling and put a link to it somewhere on my web site, okay?)

There was a PSJ Pool Committee formed last year. They have met a few times and are scheduled to go down to Palm Bay and Sebastian to view the sites of two pools going in down south. If you would like to go along, they are taking a school bus and there will be plenty of seats available. The tour is Saturday, February 1st, and you need to contact Helen Dezendorf, HOA President, to make arrangements and find out where they are leaving from, etc. She's in the phone book or click on Helen and e-mail her (Link no longer available). (Don't get excited, she announced her e-mail address at the meeting and invited e-mails.) There were three sites the committee was considering for the PSJ pool: one in Canaveral Groves (do I hear boos?), one on US 1 outside of PSJ (again, boos?) and one between the two schools back behind I-95 in PSJ. (That sounds good to me.) (Editor's Note: We do have a problem: They are considering the money situation and are looking at another MSTU for funding the pool. I remember the promises we had for the Park & Rec. MSTU and getting it paid off early and how all the new houses going in was going to help do that. Anyone see that MSTU come off of your Tax Statement you received just before elections last year? Not I. Generally speaking, folks, once you get taxed for something, 98% of the time that tax stays. And stays. And stays... Get the idea?)

Pete Costello wanted to correct a mischaracterization that happened earlier in the meeting. The incorporation issue was not defeated for $20-$30 worth of additinal taxes; it was defeated for a whole lot of reasons.

The HOA has regular elections scheduled in April. We need an Elections Committee and a Nominating Committee. If you would like to help the HOA get some good people in as Officers, please consider volunteering for one of these committees.

The bylaws need worked on. They have a lot wrong with them; too vague about some things, contadictory of itself in others, just plain silly a place or two. If you have some parliamentary procedure experience, or are experienced at helping with this sort of thing, you may consider volunteering to help with that. Even if you have no experience, but are willing to work on it, please come and help.

Helen says that the PSJ HOA needs to be a community organization, not just a government watchdog. We need to focus on the community and helping it.

Helen said that she spoke to Truman Scarborough during a meeting because they had had several questions regarding the PSJ Advisory Board (the Port St. John Dependent Special District Governing/Advisory Board) and that he told her that the reason they weren't meeting regularly any more is that they were doing things that the ordinance creating them did not allow them to do. Their bylaws were in conflict with the ordinance and they needed to go back to doing what they were created to do: planning, zoning and land use issues exclusively. (Which is what prompted me to ask that they be abolished in the first place, and what got me into a lot of trouble with people in PSJ. So the truth comes out from another source. Good to see it finally happening.)

The PSJ Library will have its "soft opening" (not a lot of hoopla, but open to the public) on January 27th, and its Grand opening on March 1st. The shelves will be stocked Jan. 17th so if you want to help, contact Helen and find out the particulars about that. The Library's old playground equipment had to be taken down for the building upgrade, and it was in pretty bad condition anyways, so the Library is looking for a business partner to help pay for some new playground equipment. Any volunteers for helping with that?

Door prizes were done (three winners), and a motion to adjourn was made at 8:06 PM.

Well, that's all for now. Check in monthly and I'll have stuff from next month's meetings. Have a great day.