MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
Jerry Mohn, President, called the Board of Directors meeting for the West Galveston Island POA to order at 9:05 a.m. Directors making up the quorum were, Ed Nadalin Terramar Beach, Peggy Zahler Spanish Grant Beach; Bill Moll Spanish Grant Bay; Marty Bilek Dunes of the West Beach; John Schiller Acapulco Village; Tom Boothe Condos; Sharon Ryan Jamaica Beach; Lynn Thomas Bermuda Beach; and, Sidney McClendon Pirates Beach/Cove.
In attendance were City Council members Dianna Puccetti from District 6 and Juan Pena from District 3; Brandon Wade - Assistant City Manager of City of Galveston and Director of Public Utilities; Jeri Kinnear Chair of the Parks Board of Trustees; Vic Maceo Board Member of the Parks Board of Trustees and Sheriff of the Marine Patrol; former District 6 City Council Member Jackie Cole; and, former Judge Norma Venso. Corporate sponsors recognized were Peggy Zahler - Johnson Space Center Federal Credit Union and Perry Culp with Apollo Environmental. Candidates running for City of Galveston Council District 6 were Dianna Puccetti and Karen Mahoney.
MINUTES: Minutes of the March 15, 2008 meeting were sent by email and reviewed by the Board. Upon motion duly made by Marti Bilek and seconded by Peggy Zahler, the following resolution was adopted by unanimous vote. RESOLVED THAT, the minutes of March 15 meeting were approved as presented.
FINANCIAL REPORT Marty Bilek gave the financial report. Total cash on hand as of March 31, 2008 is $36,596 and total assets were $45,406. Upon motion duly made by Tom Boothe and seconded by Sharon Ryan, the following resolution was adopted by unanimous vote. RESOLVED THAT, the financial report was approved as presented.
West End Real Estate By Alice Melott
Total sales through March 31 for the west end are 156 homes with average sales prices of $283,505. There are 1,075 active listings for the west end. The average listing price is $351,102. The Houston market is having a big impact on the west Galveston market energy money is very strong and people are looking for vacation homes.
Sheriff Vic Maceo:
Dianna Puccetti Introduced Sheriff Vic Maceo, Captain of the Marine Patrol, to go over laws and requirements for boat activity on waters. There have been complaints from residents near Lake Como of air boats and the noise they generate.
The Marine Patrol under Galveston County and is run strictly by volunteer groups of reserve deputies; they have equipment but very few operators. You first become a peace officer, then as a patrol deputy in the reserve division, and then you can go to any division. The Marine Division Deputies are all volunteers and work 16 hours per month. If you want more time allocated to patrolling marine areas to let the County Commissioners know there is a need. The Marine Patrol usually inspects a boat on dry dock before it goes in the water. However, if they find a violation, they cannot issue a ticket since the boat is not in the water. The Marine Patrol can inspect boats in the water but the officers lack training in this field and require more time. Again, the Marine Patrol is a volunteer organization of Deputy Officers and time constraints at times do not allow for full training.
Vic mentioned the west bay is not like your average water bay. The Marine Patrol has been active in Offats Bayou and very little activity in the west bay but they will now increase patrols, primarily Lake Como area. Main concern is jet skis and air boat noise. There is an age requirement for jet skis but lacks interpretation and kids do use them. Boaters do forget about no wake zones. There are buoys the Pirates Property Owners Association purchased a few years back that are in a warehouse and Vic will make certain they are placed out in the bay area near Lake Como. If a boater is grounded, Coast Guard will not assist and to call 911.
The Texas Water Safety Act governs all laws and requirements. As far as air boat noise, nothing can be done. They are aware the air boats go in and out of shallows and there should be a regulation to stop the noise after a certain time. Dianna Puccetti is looking into the City developing an ordinance. Boater has the right to run the bay as he chooses, day or night. However, if the air boat operator is poaching, they have the authority to stop it and they have the authority to stop and ticket violators in a no wake zone. The Bay is the jurisdiction of the Texas Parks & Wildlife and both the Marine Patrol and TPW have the right to stop any boat in the water. Vic advised they will increase the patrols of the west bay and Lake Como area. There is a marine officer on call, 24/7, at: 766-2322.
District 6 Report from Dianna Puccetti City Council
· Fire Stations: The City is attempting to improve their ISO (Insurance Service Officer) rating, which will help homeowners receive lower insurance costs. The City is looking at moving the Sea Isle fire station west of Sea Isle on FM 3005 and adding a new fire station on FM 3005, possibly closer to 8 mile road area.
· Meeting with the GLO next week to go over the $13.5 million sand nourishment project west of the Seawall. The sand source is coming from the south jetties.
· The Height & Density study will be voted upon at the April 24 City Council meeting. Right now the H&D study has west of the Seawall to 11 Mile Road and south of Stewart Road for only low and mid rise where mid rise is 8 stories, maximum 90 feet high and going to 120 feet with an artistic touch. For high rises outside this zone needs a Special Use Permit (SUP).
· $7 million worth of drainage improvements to the west end. Terramar in May or June; Palm Beach is out for bids; the Jamaica Beach water tower is out for bids; 11 mile road between Stewart and FM 3005 widening is set to go out for bid; 11 mile road south of FM 3005 will be resurfaced only; 9 mile & Ostermeyer Road sewers and water will go out for bid in June.
· There will be a State Hurricane Conference in Galveston May 20-May 22.
Brandon Wade Public Utilities: Brandon reviewed projects in the west end.
Candidates for District 6:
Candidates Karen Mahoney and Dianna Puccetti spoke for approximately 5 minutes each on the reasons why they should be voted onto City Council
Trust for Public Land "Greenprinting of the West End" Linda Shead:
The Trust for Public Land (TPL) conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens, and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. "Greenprinting for Growth" is the Trust for Public Lands term for a strategy to manage growth, one that ensures quality of life, clean air and water, recreation, and economic health. The TPL utilizes a pioneering Geographic Information Systems process with state of the art technology and combines it with community based goals to identify those areas that get the most bang for the conservation buck.
West Galveston Island has been experiencing a building boom in recent years, with new beach and bayfront communities changing the very character of the Island. While increasing the tax base, the boom is at the same time straining City services and exposing the new developments and their residents to the threat of increasing storm impacts. The City of Galveston engaged the TPL to do a "Greenprinting" of the west end and also to see how it impacts or enhances the recently completed "Geohazrd Study".
Two committees were established to help guide the process: a Coordinating Committee and a Technical Advisory Committee. Full community stakeholder meetings were also convened to solicit input on the goals, priorities, and recommendations of the greenprint.
The Coordinating Committee was composed of representatives from the City Council, the City staff, county government, community organizations, and government agencies. The role of this committee was to serve as liaisons among the Technical Advisory Committee, City of Galveston staff, the staff of the TPL, and the community at large. Their tasks were to ensure that the citizens goals were incorporated into the greenprint model, to help and plan the Conservation Strategy Exchange, and to develop final recommendations based on input from the Conservation Strategy Exchange and stakeholder meetings.
The role of the Technical Advisory Committee was to define the goals and criteria of the Greenprint model, in a manner that was consistent with accepted scientific data and principles, and to assist with data collections.
The overall committee recruitment, data gathering, stakeholder input, model development, and review process occurred over a period of twelve months. The top five goal categories and weights established by the stakeholders were:
The Greenprinting mapped community and natural resources to identify those lands that would best meet community goals. The maps were colored and the darker the red, the better land conservation within the area would meet the criteria of the particular community goal. The Protect Habitat map looks very similar to the Geohazrd map, but the overall processes and goals are not the same. The Greenprint maps ranked the habitat data based on vulnerability to development, along with the existence and level of current regulatory protection. The Geohazards map ranked habitat zones based on vulnerability to sea level rise, land subsidence, erosion, and storm-surge flooding and washover.
There was a Strategy Exchange since the stakeholders identified several related challenges that would likely require solutions beyond just land conservation, yet would help to achieve community goals. The TPL brought in experts from across the U.S. that had similar issues in their communities to come to Galveston to share experiences and ideas. The first theme was to build a common vision, "One Island, One Vision". Effective collaboration could increase the likelihood of success, especially for building the political will and financial support to achieve goals. The second theme was: "Galveston: Savings Its Past and Shaping Its Future". The characteristics that have drawn people to the island are also vital to its future. The third theme was to stress the importance of finding ways to "encourage the behavior you want to see". This can be achieved through activities designed to increase consumer understanding and demand; demonstrate and celebrate success; develop incentives, review and revise codes; and, fund the vision.
The recommended goals ands strategies from the Greenprinting process focused on four goal areas with supporting strategies:
Linda updated the land acquisition for McAllis Point, approximately 127 acres of property the TPL has been negotiating to purchase the past few years. It is located past Indian Beach and just before Silverleaf Resorts on the bay side. To date, 60 acres has been purchased and the land has been turned over to Galveston County to handle. The TPL is working with the County in a good management plan for the property and to partner with a non-profit, and to provide recreational activities like birding, kayaking, etc. The TPL is working with the General Land Office in acquiring the remaining 67 acres. Linda paid tribute to Sidney McClendon, who arranged meetings with the GLO and traveled back and forth to Austin to help finalize the acquisition.
Sportsman Road:
A special meeting with the Sportsman Road Property Owners Association will convene immediately following the WGIPOA meeting. The purpose is for the Board of Directors to have a better understanding of the concerns if the Sullivan property is excavated and the impact on the environment and neighborhood. The Sportsman Road POA would like the Board to consider a proclamation.
Expenses:
Two budgeted expense items were requested by the President:
Motion made by Sidney McClendon and seconded by Bill Moll for approval of the expenses.
Committees:
Two Committees will be formed by the WGIPOA, Tax Valuation and Windstorm Insurance. The WGIPOA will request volunteers to serve.
Anchor Bay:
Bill Moll updated the current situation on water quality and boat studies and the impact from the development on their canal.
There being no further business to come before the members and the Board the meeting was adjourned at 11:05 a.m.
Susan Gonzales - Recording Secretary