President's Message

What a beautiful Fall we’ve had so far. I know the drought has caused problems, but it’s made for some great weekends! There’s still some great weather to come as we approach Thanksgiving. I hope everyone takes the time to get outside and appreciate the wonderful place we live.

I want to thank Kate Penn, Noel Gasparin, and the rest of the Beach Committee for the very popular series of Beach Happy Hour parties held this summer. The last one was on October 20. These were a great opportunity to meet your neighbors and enjoy our beautiful beach. The Beach Committee provided hot dogs and grills. People brought side dishes and their favorite drink. If you didn’t attend one of these parties, then make sure to stop by next year. It’s a great community event.

The big story for this issue is our November 8th General Meeting. There will be three big items on the agenda. We will be approving the Special Tax budget, holding HSIA elections for the Board of Directors, and having a presentation about our beach restoration project.

The Budget Committee worked hard to prepare the General Fund, Piers & Harbors, and Special Tax budgets for FY 2009 that starts on July 1, 2008. The Special Tax budget includes an additional $60,000 for the second phase of the beach restoration project. The proposed budget calls for a very small increase, less than $7 per year, in your Special Tax payment. As you probably know, the Special Tax is collected as part of your real estate taxes. For the current year, the Special Tax amount was just over $156. At the General Meeting, you will have the chance to ask questions and vote on the Special Tax budget. This is a preliminary vote. The board approves the final budget in November and it is published and presented, in its final form, at the January General Meeting. Since no vote is held then, the November 8th meeting will be your last chance to have your opinion affect the outcome.

The beach restoration project will result in exciting improvements to the jewel of our community. We have hired Flood Brothers to design the beach improvements. The concept is for a “living shoreline”. Stone breakwaters will be constructed offshore, parallel to the beach, with gaps between them. The result is that the force of the waves will be absorbed by the breakwaters and sand will be deposited on the beach. Native plants will be planted on parts of the sand to stabilize the new land. We will still have a swimming area protected by the nettle nets, we will still have sand beaches for our kids to play on, we will still have the benches to sit on and enjoy the bay, and you will still have that wonderful view of the water as you drive down Hillsmere Drive. The difference will be that the shoreline will be natural, without bulkheads, and will contribute to the health and ecology of the bay. In addition, it will better withstand hurricanes and other storms. The estimated cost of this project is about $226,000. We expect about $88,000 in grants leaving about $138,000 in direct costs to our community. Representatives from Flood Brothers will give a presentation about the project at our November 8th General Meeting and answer any questions or concerns you might have. We will also be asking the membership to indicate their support for this project in a non-binding referendum.

Finally, we will also be having our elections for the Board of Directors. Elections are held every year and those elected serve two year terms. We elect officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer) and Directors in alternate years. This year, we will be electing Directors. There are seven Director positions. A ballot is included in this issue of the Sea Breeze. You can mail it in or bring it to the meeting. There is one vote per membership. Most households have one membership, unless more than one adult joined. Please mail, send, or bring your ballot to the meeting. Be sure to follow the instructions in this Sea Breeze to make sure your ballot is counted. Remember, unless you bring the ballot to the meeting in person, you must include your name and address and sign the ballot. The election will be the first thing on the agenda. Once the ballots are collected, the voting will be closed and no more ballots will be accepted. If you come late, you won’t be able to vote. The best bet is to mail in your ballot. It must be received by November 8th. Please vote!

November 2007