BOARD APPROVED 12/21/09
TRAILER ESTATES PARK & RECREATION DISTRICT
BOARD OF TRUSTEES WORKSHOP
SMALL HALL
The Workshop was called to order at
1. Joe discussed the idea of getting sponsors for Showtime. Some Showtimes have been sponsored in the past. Janet felt it was a good idea. Gail asked if it was legal. John said there can be no commercial advertising on Channel 95 and wondered if Bright House would allow free advertising. John wondered if sponsorship could eliminate donations collected from the residents. Joe stated that donations do not cover Showtime completely but donations can probably be eliminated if sponsors are found. Pam felt it is a great idea.
2. Gail stated that
Sharon Denson had sent her a letter requesting bulletin board space for the
Let’s Talk Club. Gail checked available
bulletin board space and found a “Travel” board with one item on it. There is already a Travel board by the office
and Gail felt duplication wasn’t necessary.
Due to the lawsuit, she asked Mark Yawberg if he would meet
Harry Splett, 2104
3. Gail spoke about the bids she got for the 2010 Park Directory. Last year she ordered 700, as had been done before. She checked with Jane and learned we still have over 300 books left over from our 2009 order so Gail got bids from three vendors for 450 books. The bid from Bradenton Press is $1,136.75; the Fed Ex bid is $1,399.78; the bid from Teledrex is $1,048.25. After sharing the bid amounts, Gail asked the Board to consider ordering directories every other year instead of every year to cut costs. Margo felt that was a good idea. A discussion followed in regards to the fact that some information would not be correct (such as trustee names and phone numbers, emergency numbers, etc.) if a new directory was not published. It was finally decided that a new directory will not be ordered. We will produce an insert sheet printed with updated information, sell the books we still have and give each purchaser the updated sheet.
Barb Durrin, 6517
4/5. John and Pam’s
creative financing ideas were combined.
John stated that banks will not make small business loans, thus we’re
not getting a loan. Pam said that if you
don’t have money coming in, you can’t pay it out so we should be conservative
in our spending and pay the things that keep the park going; but, if things
break, we have to fix them. A discussion
of legal bills ensued. The Board
approved in October the giving of $6,000 to all attorneys with the then balance
of $168,361.60 to be paid in mid December.
There are an additional $87,000 in attorney bills since October. We have received $189,979 plus $33,364 in
assessments so far. More will come
tomorrow and then again next week. The
largest amount comes in January. Pam
stated that she received a late note from Bright House stating that they would
turn off our service on Dec. 14. Pam
paid that bill. She said that $19,000 in
bills were paid today and shared the fact that $9,527.30 was the total cost of
the election. A portion of that was due
to the change in election procedures from TE volunteers to paid poll workers
because, according to Pam, the Manatee County Elections Office received so many
phone calls from TE residents during the election two years ago that the
supervisor decided not to allow volunteers to handle the election. John stated that $358,954 is now available in
the checking account; but as of today, we owe the attorneys $253,176.35. Pam will speak with the attorneys to see if
we can arrange payments with them until we can pay via assessments. She stated that she has called and left
messages with the Attorney General’s office in
Harry Splett, 2104
Lonny Stanley, 6620
6. Personnel Policies. These were reviewed at a September Workshop, sent to the attorneys and are now back. They are available in the office. John will bring this forward on the agenda for Mondays meeting.
7. Directors/Officers Insurance. A company has submitted a bid and we are now waiting for a review from our attorneys.
8. ARC voted to add two more people to the committee. Mike Neal’s and Andy Fiordimondo’s names will be brought to the Board for approval.
Joe stated that Christmas Party tickets are still available for residents and guests. You can pick up these free tickets at the office until Wednesday. John Leone is sponsoring a 50’s dance this Thursday night in the Large Hall. New Years Eve tickets are still available. Call Bev Salerno at 756-7678.
John discussed the election. He said it was the largest vote cast in the history of the park: 358 absentee ballots, 665 voted at the polls, and two voted provisionally and those votes were later counted. Total number of voters was 1,025.
Harry Splett, 2104
Fred made a motion to adjourn the meeting. The meeting was adjourned at
Respectfully submitted,
Gail Opper, Secretary