TAMPOA Board Meets Again Monday
A "regular" meeting of the TAMPOA Board will be held on Monday, June 4, 2007 at 4:00 p.m at the Board offices. The agenda for this meeting appears to have been handled with more care than was the case with the Executive Session agenda. Apparently, also, the minutes for the April 30, 2007 were not approved at the Executive Session of the Board held last weekend on Memorial Day, May 28. They, along with the minutes of the Executive Session are expected to be approved by the Board on Monday.
On Monday's agenda will be a report by the Board President on the litigation with the City as well as a report on the proposal for the assisted care facility on the Truman Waterfront. Of the two items, the litigation with the City is likely to be more interesting.
We may also get a glimpse of some of the data in the year-to-date financial statements when the Treasurer makes his report, although don't expect anything earth-shattering.
The Architectural Control Committee (we love that name -- especially the control part) has been busy now that hurricane season is officially upon us. They're going to talk about what kind of policy they'll have for roll-down shutters for your front doors. The shutters have to look nice, you know. Never mind whether they're the best for keeping out the wind or, heaven help us, are the cheapest. So, the Control Committee will report on all that and whether beauty will reign at the hurricane prom. We know how that will end. But, will the resulting report be posted on the Internet like the plans for the American Embassy in Baghdad? Bet not.
The "new business" on the agenda sounds interesting. An additional set of lawyers -- you can't live without 'em can you? -- has given the Board a legal opinion on "storm drainage." That might be interesting to read, if you could get a copy of it. We suggest you ask. Couldn't hurt, even though TAMPOA may not give it to you, but who knows? If you don't ask for stuff, you'll likely never get it. That's just the way government, public as well as private, is. Just another version of "You Don't Ask, We Don't Tell."
The City wants to remove the fence around the Truman Waterfront property, so there will be a discussion of that issue. The agenda item is phrased as if the City needs to ask TAMPOA for permission. It does not, so don't think there is suddenly cooperation between TAMPOA and the City over the fence. Not a chance. The City is simply going to take down the fence if it wants. No harm in talking about it though, and it certainly does impact Truman Annex. We all know, however, that if ever the City (or someone) does start to develop the Waterfront, a fence will go back up. In the meantime, the City can play its game of smoke and mirrors and pretend it is doing something with the property.
Aside from the discussion of the legal opinion on storm drainage, the most interesting item on the New Business portion of the agenda appears to be the "review of [a] survey to expand or reduce the allowable annual rentals from 16 annually." The interesting word there is "survey." What survey? Certainly it's not the Board's survey, unless it was one among the Board itself or its friends. Of course the agenda doesn't tell you who conducted the survey or what it showed. If you didn't know better, you'd be tempted to think this piece of the agenda is one of those TV advertising ploys like "I've Got A Secret" to get you to tune in and attend the meeting so you'll learn what the secret is. Well, we'd rather know the secret up front so we can decide whether to watch or go have a Mojito.
Seriously, does anyone still care about the number of annual rentals? Seems to us there was a lawsuit about that several years ago. Are we going down that road again? We certainly hope not.
Doesn't TAMPOA have enough regulations -- so many in fact that no human can keep track of them all or even find them so as to publish a comprehensive "Book of Rules?" Now there's a project that would keep someone out of the sun for at least five years. Try to find all the TAMPOA rules, compile them, and publish them for the residents. Let's see a show of hands of how many Board members would "volunteer" for that project? Not a one do we see.
TAMPOA is like Congress. It just keeps passing laws (rules) usually without any thought as to how they are going to be enforced or how much they will cost. In TAMPOA's case, no one seems to know what all the rules even are or where to find them. That's why you get "I'll have to call you back" or "I'll look into that" when you call the office with a serious question about the rules. Sometimes you even get a guess. When there are so many rules that no one can recite them all, that's understandable, but that's also a sign of a system seriously in trouble.
Our view is leave people alone. That's why many folks came to Key West. If they want to rent their property they ought to be able to rent. Quit trying to be their keeper.
For those who are not tired of reading, here's the list of the ten items on Monday's TAMPOA Board meeting agenda:
On Monday's agenda will be a report by the Board President on the litigation with the City as well as a report on the proposal for the assisted care facility on the Truman Waterfront. Of the two items, the litigation with the City is likely to be more interesting.
We may also get a glimpse of some of the data in the year-to-date financial statements when the Treasurer makes his report, although don't expect anything earth-shattering.
The Architectural Control Committee (we love that name -- especially the control part) has been busy now that hurricane season is officially upon us. They're going to talk about what kind of policy they'll have for roll-down shutters for your front doors. The shutters have to look nice, you know. Never mind whether they're the best for keeping out the wind or, heaven help us, are the cheapest. So, the Control Committee will report on all that and whether beauty will reign at the hurricane prom. We know how that will end. But, will the resulting report be posted on the Internet like the plans for the American Embassy in Baghdad? Bet not.
The "new business" on the agenda sounds interesting. An additional set of lawyers -- you can't live without 'em can you? -- has given the Board a legal opinion on "storm drainage." That might be interesting to read, if you could get a copy of it. We suggest you ask. Couldn't hurt, even though TAMPOA may not give it to you, but who knows? If you don't ask for stuff, you'll likely never get it. That's just the way government, public as well as private, is. Just another version of "You Don't Ask, We Don't Tell."
The City wants to remove the fence around the Truman Waterfront property, so there will be a discussion of that issue. The agenda item is phrased as if the City needs to ask TAMPOA for permission. It does not, so don't think there is suddenly cooperation between TAMPOA and the City over the fence. Not a chance. The City is simply going to take down the fence if it wants. No harm in talking about it though, and it certainly does impact Truman Annex. We all know, however, that if ever the City (or someone) does start to develop the Waterfront, a fence will go back up. In the meantime, the City can play its game of smoke and mirrors and pretend it is doing something with the property.
Aside from the discussion of the legal opinion on storm drainage, the most interesting item on the New Business portion of the agenda appears to be the "review of [a] survey to expand or reduce the allowable annual rentals from 16 annually." The interesting word there is "survey." What survey? Certainly it's not the Board's survey, unless it was one among the Board itself or its friends. Of course the agenda doesn't tell you who conducted the survey or what it showed. If you didn't know better, you'd be tempted to think this piece of the agenda is one of those TV advertising ploys like "I've Got A Secret" to get you to tune in and attend the meeting so you'll learn what the secret is. Well, we'd rather know the secret up front so we can decide whether to watch or go have a Mojito.
Seriously, does anyone still care about the number of annual rentals? Seems to us there was a lawsuit about that several years ago. Are we going down that road again? We certainly hope not.
Doesn't TAMPOA have enough regulations -- so many in fact that no human can keep track of them all or even find them so as to publish a comprehensive "Book of Rules?" Now there's a project that would keep someone out of the sun for at least five years. Try to find all the TAMPOA rules, compile them, and publish them for the residents. Let's see a show of hands of how many Board members would "volunteer" for that project? Not a one do we see.
TAMPOA is like Congress. It just keeps passing laws (rules) usually without any thought as to how they are going to be enforced or how much they will cost. In TAMPOA's case, no one seems to know what all the rules even are or where to find them. That's why you get "I'll have to call you back" or "I'll look into that" when you call the office with a serious question about the rules. Sometimes you even get a guess. When there are so many rules that no one can recite them all, that's understandable, but that's also a sign of a system seriously in trouble.
Our view is leave people alone. That's why many folks came to Key West. If they want to rent their property they ought to be able to rent. Quit trying to be their keeper.
For those who are not tired of reading, here's the list of the ten items on Monday's TAMPOA Board meeting agenda:
"AGENDA
1. Call Meeting to Order
2. Determination of Quorum
3. Proof of Notice of Meeting
4. Approval of Minutes
April 30, 2007 Board of Directors meeting
May 28, 2007 Executive Session Board of Directors meeting
5. Reports of Officers
President’s report:
Discussion of litigation with the City of Key West
Update of proposal for assisted care on Truman Waterfront
Treasurer’s report:
Review the year to date financial statements
6. Reports of Committees
Architectural Control Committee:
Review roll-down shutter policy for front doors
7. Unfinished Business
8. New Business
Review legal opinion on storm drainage
Review proposal by City to remove the fence around the Waterfront property
Review survey to expand or reduce allowable annual rentals from 16 annually
Management items
9. Member Input
10. Adjournment"
Now, we can go have brunch and a Bloody Mary.
Labels: Secrecy, TAMPOA, Truman Annex, Truman Waterfront
posted by Conchette at 10:40 AM
1 Comments:
Can the Florida legislature pass any laws about homeowners associations and secrets/information/set of rules for association members?
I think legislation is needed to make Tampoa conduct business reasonably.
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