By Sarah Temple
December’s CDD meeting began with newly elected Supervisor Chris Barrett and re-elected Supervisor Greg Chesney taking the Oath of Office.
District Manager Andy Mendenhall presided over the ceremony. Chairman Matt Lewis congratulated the gentlemen on their placement.
Matt Rice of Stonebridge attended the meeting to update the board on some concerns from his neighborhood. He reported that the vultures that had previously been causing problems had returned. Lewis confirmed that the field office had already been in touch with the USDA, and they were coming out to evaluate very soon. Rice also had a seasonal request that the community lights and decorations not be displayed so early as this suggests to residents that they too can start decorating their homes. Supervisor Jim Wimsatt reminded Rice and the board that the HOA rules had recently changed to allow residents to decorate earlier. Lastly, Rice raised concerns over the sidewalks within the communal areas of Stonebridge needing pressure washing. Lewis said the board would take the request under consideration.
Engineer Robert Dvorak was pleased to offer a follow up on the restrooms at Glencliff Park. He had received the structural engineer’s report, which confirmed that some rebar corrosion had caused a brick to pop out but there had been no damage to the structural integrity of the building. Dvorak said the repairs “looked fantastic” and the work was due to be finished that day.
Mendenhall unfortunately had to alert the board to some recent fraud activity on the Westchase CDD account. He explained that the main fall out was that a lot of checks had been returned but that the bank would be reaching out to the vendors affected. Mendenhall reassured the board that this was a common problem which he had seen with other client accounts. Following newly implemented procedures, he did not feel this was an “in house” problem. Lewis confirmed that attorney Erin McCormick (who was not in attendance) had an appointment with the Sheriff’s office to discuss any possible criminal activity. Supervisor Barrett was concerned that the Positive Pay system had not been implemented. Mendenhall shared the concerns and confirmed it had now been put into place with the new accounts.
Field Manager Doug Mays had a few updates for the board. Channels to repair the water drainage at the Baybridge tunnel are being installed this month and the tunnel will be shut down for a couple of days. The rubber speed bumps for Parley Drive have been ordered and residents will be consulted to confirm they are installed in the right place. A safety issue has been raised by a Harbor Links resident regarding a blind spot by the 10th hole of the golf course. Mays has explained to the Voting Member that a petition would have to be generated before consideration of speed bumps is taken, but in the meantime, the crosswalk has been repainted.
Mays went on to explain that there had been some fish kill in the large lake behind Stonebridge, likely caused by overpopulation. A new pump has been ordered. Once the dead fish have been cleaned up and the new machine is operating, Mays will approach the board about the possibility of a second pump. Next, Mays raised the common discussion of the median plants. While some long-term residents are disappointed with the reduction in plants over recent years, newcomers to the area often praise the seasonal flowers. Mays confirmed that Davy was going to adopt a new plan during the next planting, including changing out the soil and setting up a new irrigation tech system allowing plants and sod to receive the different treatments they require. Mays finished his report by commenting on the success of the food trucks and snow machine in the village on the previous Friday night. He noted kids were “having a blast,” including his grandson!
Office Manager Sonny Whyte received a request from local business Protein Monkey asking to utilize the village field for a free community boot camp in partnership with F45. While there were some concerns from the board including road safety, it was largely felt that with proper guidelines this is exactly the type of creative event the space should be used for.
This led nicely to an update from Ivy of VHM architects on the WPV Plaza renovations. Since her last presentation, the selected concept had been redefined to open up the plaza, allowing the tower to be an active feature. Mature trees would be removed, and the remaining ones pushed to the edges along with a furnished zone, allowing for a more usable 40’x70’ space that could support community functions. Two types of fountains are being considered and discussed with experts: an arch feature or a traditional jet spray. She handed over the concept to the board for a comment period of two weeks before she will return with probable costs. There was a strong feeling from the board that these renovations should not be taken lightly with Barrett summarizing that the plaza was, “the most dynamic, important piece of our community.” He added that “this was the place to invest.”
