Everyone I know who lives here is pleased to live in BP. We each chose this community. And among reasons we did, it is without doubt that we were each attracted to the quiet and uncomplicated nature of the Park. It's all homes, mostly single family, and a couple of municipal buildings. And a park. That's it. There's one street that isn't a pretty small lane. It's 6th Avenue. Our big traffic problem: a County road where the speed limit is 30. It used to be 30 everywhere in the Park, but now it's 25 on every street except 6th Avenue.
So that's it. A real sleepy little burg. We don't have any local businesses, which is good, because we don't have any parking, except for a rim around the park. This is the upside. Again, it's what we're all doing here. But there's a downside, too. We support ourselves, and our only real and meaningful way of getting money is from property taxes, and the fees involved in being residents. Sometimes we made ends meet, and sometimes we didn't. But our opportunity has always been essentially marginal. If residents are delinquent in paying their property taxes, it's a problem. There's not much play, and not much fat in the budget. Things are better now, since we have an amazing Manager who gets very creative and watches our budget like a hawk, but it really doesn't take much to throw the budget off.
In the last three years, we encountered a very serious problem. The spigot got turned way down. The economy crashed, and between people on their own marginal budgets and people who caved in, we wound up with a growing inventory of vacant or underperforming properties, which were no longer producing property taxes. And the rest of the properties experienced decreased assessed value, some dramatically so. This was due both to the economy and to the extra homestead exemption applied to all homesteaded properties. At that point, the Village developed a crisis. We have done a lot to diminish expenses, and measures included personnel attrition and cutbacks. Raises have been minimal or suspended, and benefits have been adjusted down. As far as I understand, we are at bare bones now.
Regarding property taxes, and those who pay them, we have two broad classes of taxpayers at this point. One class is those who were paying a high tax before, and after revaluation and double homestead exemption, these homeowners are paying less tax than they were. The other class of taxpayer is those who have been here long enough to have bought houses for comparatively little money, gotten homestead exemptions, and locked in a low rate, which can only go up 3% a year. These homeowners experienced tax increases in each of the last three years. But you have to think about this. What has happened is that these homeowners were paying such an unbelievably, and irrationally, low tax, that if property values declined significantly, and the homestead exemption was doubled, they were still so far behind the current standard that their taxes actually went up. It's pretty amazing when you think about it.
So here's what we have. We live in a very special kind of neighborhood, and we live here because we like the way it is. We support the neighborhood, and our lives in it, by paying property taxes. We're all now behind what is required. This neighborhood cannot survive the way we're going. It is starving. If we want the neighborhood we each chose, we're going to have to pay for it, just as we did before. And those who weren't paying for the neighborhood they want have to pay for it now. If we don't, we will have less police presence, less public works, and we will lose our Manager. On our present budget, we can't pay her enough to keep her. And for short money, we'll replace her with someone inexperienced or not very good.
We are called upon to step up to the plate. Those of us who had tax decreases in the last three years may have felt relief. But we originally signed on to our homes, the values were higher, and the taxes were higher. And we paid them. We have to swallow hard and get ready to give back some of the savings. We could pay the higher tax when we paid it before, and unless we have had unexpected reverses, we can pay it now. And that's what we have to do. The homeowners who have been coasting for years, living off those who paid high taxes, have to get real and write part of the check they have been protected from writing. We all have to pay more to our Village, not because the law forces us to, but because we like our "home, and we want to preserve it. No one is going to do it but ourselves. There are no commercial pockets to pick.
My suggestion is that we begin by agreeing to pay an extra $100 a year per property. It's low, but it's a start. It will go to the general revenue of the Village. And like any other "tax," it's tax-deductible. In addition, each of us should pay $20 a year to the Foundation. This is for special projects. So far, it's $120 a year. That's equal to a Starbucks coffee about once a week. Or the discount version of the economy car wash at Busy Bee less often than once a week. It's dinner at an inexpensive restaurant three to five times a year. Etc. This is chicken feed. It's nothing. And it's for our Village! Our home! We don't have a reason not to extend ourselves this way.
And I have one other request. We have a nice little sculpture in Griffing Park. In time, we should acquire more pieces of public art. There's no reason not to have many such pieces in BP. We have plenty of public green spaces, and it would greatly enhance our lives, the experience of being home in Biscayne Park, and our property values, if we made a sculpture garden of the Park. Once the Foundation develops a pattern of endowment, through that $20 a year from each of us or through other donations, it is likely that the Foundation will use its money to acquire public art for the Village. In the meantime, it's something those of us who are most interested will have to do for ourselves and the rest of us. I'm trying to raise $10,000 to buy a beautiful piece of sculpture. I have pledges of $4600. So I need commitments of $5400 more. I'm looking for people who will pledge anywhere from $100 to $1000. That's the range of current pledges, of which I have about 14. Most of them are between $200 and $500. So please let me know. And give the Village $100. Ana Garcia will take it, or Maria Camara will. Say I sent you. Or just say you felt in the mood. But let's show pride in our neighborhood, and make sure we maintain the surroundings we wanted when we picked BP for our home.
Thanks.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Fences
It's not a done deal yet, until the Commission rules on it, but it appears we may be on the verge of a significant "change" in the Village. From the outset, our founders fashioned us as an "open" neighborhood. I suppose it was meant to be that innocent time we like to imagine, when neighbors walked around smiling at each other, saying "Good morning, neighbor" a lot. They all supposedly knew each other, scolded each other's children, and the usual nostalgic drill the "way back when" e-mails describe. And part of that for us was that properties didn't have fences. We didn't need them, and we didn't want them. We wanted to gawk at each other's properties, and walk right up to the front door, unimpeded, to borrow a cup of sugar or something.
Now to be "fair," it somehow happened that we did wind up with properties with fences. There are tales about how this happened, some overly permissive or imperious Mayor, or a lax Planning and Zoning Board, that allowed some people to have what no one was supposed to have. So when you drive around, you'll see fences, gates, CBS walls, even the dreaded chain link fences, all verboten, none supposed to be there. And all "grandfathered" now. As long as they can stand, they can stay. But they can't be renovated. If anything comes to P&Z about them, they're sentenced to demolition.
In the past three years, there has been a Code Review ad hoc Committee. The last time the Code was reviewed was 1988, and someone decided to take another look. The CRC was supposed to be composed of all of Code Review, all of Planning and Zoning, the Code Enforcement Officer, and five other appointees, one from each of the last five Commissioners. Having been on P&Z, I was included. Before long, some members either didn't come, or stopped coming, or made clear they were no longer interested, and the composition shifted. Having moved to the Foundation, I resigned, too. The original Chair was Al Childress, but after he got promoted to Commissioner, his Chair was given to Gage Hartung.
There were factions from the outset about the fences. Some people hated the idea, and they wouldn't hear of fences, or gates, or walls. They didn't like the idea, and they said they didn't like the look. Whenever the esthetic matter came up, they invoked images of Hialeah. They conveniently overlooked Miami Shores, Miami Beach, and Coral Gables, all of which have plenty of fences, gates, and walls, and none of which are ever said to look at all tacky. In fact, the enclosed properties are sometimes the most elegant. Other people either liked fences, gates, and walls, or didn't feel a reason to tell anyone they couldn't have one if they wanted one. As long as it was adequately presentable. As a frame of reference, Gage Hartung was of the former persuasion, and I was of the latter. When I left CRC, the matter was dead, and there weren't going to be any fences, gates, or walls. I was outvoted more than once on this matter.
In recent months, the Commission has been petitioned by various people to ask CRC to reconsider about fences, gates, and walls. The general issue has been about safety from intrusion and containment of children and pets. The more specific issue has been about the disadvantage borne by owners of corner lots, of which there are very many in the Village. These properties have very little yard which can be contained, and homeowners experience little usable yard, other than something to look at. If corner lot owners want fences, they have to request variances, which are often granted, due to the special nature of the problem, but which are a significant extra expense for the homeowner. The idea was to craft a Code which would be a little more liberal for these neighbors.
So CRC took the matter back under advisement, with a mandate to come up with something, at least about corner lots. Gage Hartung presented the new proposal at this week's (month's) Commission meeting. The new proposal accommodated much of the corner lot problem, and it addressed front yard fences, heretofore out of the question. The now proposed fences, gates, and walls are not unrestricted, and they may be less imposing than some people might have wanted, but the proposals are there, and they're entirely reasonable.
So here's the thing about this issue. I will say with complete confidence that none of this would have happened as it did without Gage Hartung. He was outspoken early on as not favoring front yard hardware. He ultimately worked with the rest of the Committee, the Commission, and the residents who were complaining, to find a very meaningful compromise that didn't completely satisfy anyone, but it gave everyone some sense of satisfaction that his or her wishes were heard, understood, and taken into account. Not many of us lately have been able to do what Gage did, and great commendation is due him for it. He was firm about some parts of this matter, accommodating about other parts, he was gentlemanly, and he captained the CRC ship to a safe port. So thanks, Gage.
Now to be "fair," it somehow happened that we did wind up with properties with fences. There are tales about how this happened, some overly permissive or imperious Mayor, or a lax Planning and Zoning Board, that allowed some people to have what no one was supposed to have. So when you drive around, you'll see fences, gates, CBS walls, even the dreaded chain link fences, all verboten, none supposed to be there. And all "grandfathered" now. As long as they can stand, they can stay. But they can't be renovated. If anything comes to P&Z about them, they're sentenced to demolition.
In the past three years, there has been a Code Review ad hoc Committee. The last time the Code was reviewed was 1988, and someone decided to take another look. The CRC was supposed to be composed of all of Code Review, all of Planning and Zoning, the Code Enforcement Officer, and five other appointees, one from each of the last five Commissioners. Having been on P&Z, I was included. Before long, some members either didn't come, or stopped coming, or made clear they were no longer interested, and the composition shifted. Having moved to the Foundation, I resigned, too. The original Chair was Al Childress, but after he got promoted to Commissioner, his Chair was given to Gage Hartung.
There were factions from the outset about the fences. Some people hated the idea, and they wouldn't hear of fences, or gates, or walls. They didn't like the idea, and they said they didn't like the look. Whenever the esthetic matter came up, they invoked images of Hialeah. They conveniently overlooked Miami Shores, Miami Beach, and Coral Gables, all of which have plenty of fences, gates, and walls, and none of which are ever said to look at all tacky. In fact, the enclosed properties are sometimes the most elegant. Other people either liked fences, gates, and walls, or didn't feel a reason to tell anyone they couldn't have one if they wanted one. As long as it was adequately presentable. As a frame of reference, Gage Hartung was of the former persuasion, and I was of the latter. When I left CRC, the matter was dead, and there weren't going to be any fences, gates, or walls. I was outvoted more than once on this matter.
In recent months, the Commission has been petitioned by various people to ask CRC to reconsider about fences, gates, and walls. The general issue has been about safety from intrusion and containment of children and pets. The more specific issue has been about the disadvantage borne by owners of corner lots, of which there are very many in the Village. These properties have very little yard which can be contained, and homeowners experience little usable yard, other than something to look at. If corner lot owners want fences, they have to request variances, which are often granted, due to the special nature of the problem, but which are a significant extra expense for the homeowner. The idea was to craft a Code which would be a little more liberal for these neighbors.
So CRC took the matter back under advisement, with a mandate to come up with something, at least about corner lots. Gage Hartung presented the new proposal at this week's (month's) Commission meeting. The new proposal accommodated much of the corner lot problem, and it addressed front yard fences, heretofore out of the question. The now proposed fences, gates, and walls are not unrestricted, and they may be less imposing than some people might have wanted, but the proposals are there, and they're entirely reasonable.
So here's the thing about this issue. I will say with complete confidence that none of this would have happened as it did without Gage Hartung. He was outspoken early on as not favoring front yard hardware. He ultimately worked with the rest of the Committee, the Commission, and the residents who were complaining, to find a very meaningful compromise that didn't completely satisfy anyone, but it gave everyone some sense of satisfaction that his or her wishes were heard, understood, and taken into account. Not many of us lately have been able to do what Gage did, and great commendation is due him for it. He was firm about some parts of this matter, accommodating about other parts, he was gentlemanly, and he captained the CRC ship to a safe port. So thanks, Gage.
Friday, June 17, 2011
PLEASE SEND A MESSAGE TO STEVE AND BRYAN
We have five Commissioners. It's not so many. And because it's a small community, anyone who cares knows everyone else who cares. We have events of one sort or another, and those of us who have any enthusiasm at all for the Village come out. No matter what the event is. Steve rarely shows up, and Bryan never does. I sort of know why they're on strike, but it really doesn't matter. They are two of our Commissioners. They wouldn't be Commissioners if we hadn't elected them. They don't get paid much, but they get a little. Of our money. So they're there because of us, and they're there for us. They're there with our support, and we're entitled to theirs.
Please contact them, and ask them to start coming to community events. It's unsatisfying that 40% of our Commission aren't interested in our community events, and it's rude that they don't show up, whether they're interested or not. Just remind them that they chose to be Commissioners, and if they want the office, they owe their constituents representation. If they don't want the office, and the minor responsibility, they're welcome to resign. But they have to decide.
Please contact them, and ask them to start coming to community events. It's unsatisfying that 40% of our Commission aren't interested in our community events, and it's rude that they don't show up, whether they're interested or not. Just remind them that they chose to be Commissioners, and if they want the office, they owe their constituents representation. If they don't want the office, and the minor responsibility, they're welcome to resign. But they have to decide.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Commission Meeting Minutes
As you may know, there's a commotion about Commission meeting minutes. And as in all Village matters, there are two sides. We might as well call them factions, since they're essentially predictable, and not issue-dependent. I'd define them further, but I suspect it isn't necessary. The commotion is this: some Commissioners want minutes to be very complete and highly detailed, and other Commissioners feel minutes giving the gist of matters are good enough. There was the predictable discussion, followed by the predictable vote, with the predictable results, and the decision was to have minutes which are a superficial summary of the proceedings. There is, of course, also an audio and video recording of each meeting, and this serves as backup, for anyone who wants more detail, or a real sense of the discussions. This has not sat well with those whose preference did not prevail, and the matter essentially gets challenged at each meeting. It's all very unsatisfying, very disruptive, and the thrust is to blame and divide. So here's what I'm thinking.
Some of us had the idea that public sculpture in BP would be a good idea. We thought it was a great idea. We thought it would enhance the whole Village and be a credit to all of us. So the few of us pooled money, which we donated personally, and we acquired a sculpture which we gave to the Village. There was plenty of discussion, and ultimately no one said they thought public sculpture was a bad idea, or that it wouldn't enhance the Village. Even the relative nay-sayers thought public art was a good idea and a credit to all of us. But only some of us felt so personally strongly about it, and had such a feeling of commitment and responsibility to the idea, that we actually used our own money to buy the art. Even some who said they thought it was a good idea didn't want to donate money.
As far as I have been able to learn, three residents of BP think verbatim meeting minutes are an important and very good idea. Two are Commissioners, and the other made his views public in a column he writes for a local tabloid. I asked each of the five Commissioners if anyone has ever expressed any frustration with the summary minutes. Three Commissioners responded to me. Two said no one has complained, and the other said one person made one complaint once last year about a specific issue. So if we count that person, it's four who have ever complained. So I'm thinking the few people who feel strongly about this should handle the matter as those of us who felt strongly, committedly, and responsibly about the sculpture did. They should pool their money, and make the Village a present of verbatim, transcribed minutes. And if a few more people feel strongly, or many more do, then there are more donors to the project.
If those who feel this is important are moved to put their money where their mouths are, they might want to know what commitment they should be prepared to make. My most current information is that it will cost about $1900 per Commission meeting to produce transcribed minutes. But since there are at least three or four people who feel this is important, each one only has to commit to about $500-$600 per meeting. I would say per month, but sometimes there is more than one meeting per month. So some months it will be $1000-$1200.
And if the sculpture project is any indication, I can tell the minutes donors that the Village will no doubt happily accept the gift, and many other residents will express gratitude for it.
Some of us had the idea that public sculpture in BP would be a good idea. We thought it was a great idea. We thought it would enhance the whole Village and be a credit to all of us. So the few of us pooled money, which we donated personally, and we acquired a sculpture which we gave to the Village. There was plenty of discussion, and ultimately no one said they thought public sculpture was a bad idea, or that it wouldn't enhance the Village. Even the relative nay-sayers thought public art was a good idea and a credit to all of us. But only some of us felt so personally strongly about it, and had such a feeling of commitment and responsibility to the idea, that we actually used our own money to buy the art. Even some who said they thought it was a good idea didn't want to donate money.
As far as I have been able to learn, three residents of BP think verbatim meeting minutes are an important and very good idea. Two are Commissioners, and the other made his views public in a column he writes for a local tabloid. I asked each of the five Commissioners if anyone has ever expressed any frustration with the summary minutes. Three Commissioners responded to me. Two said no one has complained, and the other said one person made one complaint once last year about a specific issue. So if we count that person, it's four who have ever complained. So I'm thinking the few people who feel strongly about this should handle the matter as those of us who felt strongly, committedly, and responsibly about the sculpture did. They should pool their money, and make the Village a present of verbatim, transcribed minutes. And if a few more people feel strongly, or many more do, then there are more donors to the project.
If those who feel this is important are moved to put their money where their mouths are, they might want to know what commitment they should be prepared to make. My most current information is that it will cost about $1900 per Commission meeting to produce transcribed minutes. But since there are at least three or four people who feel this is important, each one only has to commit to about $500-$600 per meeting. I would say per month, but sometimes there is more than one meeting per month. So some months it will be $1000-$1200.
And if the sculpture project is any indication, I can tell the minutes donors that the Village will no doubt happily accept the gift, and many other residents will express gratitude for it.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Biscayne Park Foundation
What a terrific first event from the Foundation Friday afternoon/evening. I would estimate about 150 people were there. The band was amazingly good, and everyone seemed pleased. The food was good, but we were stuck with only one truck, resulting in long lines. I suspect we'll plan differently next time. I'm quite sure there will be a next time, and I'd guess it will be soon. The Foundation raised $178 from the 50/50 raffle, a delighted teenage BP resident made off with the same amount, and we gained a few more "members." "Members" are people who agree to contribute $20 per household per year. The fact is, everyone is a member, if they live in BP, because we all benefit from whatever the Foundation does for the neighborhood, but what the Foundation can do depends on contributions. We thought if we could get each household to contribute only $20 a year, we could raise up to $26,000, which does a LOT of nice things. It buys some impressive public art, or makes a nice dent in median improvement, or buys those nice Biscayne Park bus benches, or anything else we want for our neighborhood. And suggestions are most definitely welcome. So please, if you haven't donated, write a check, or just give cash, to the Foundation. Give the money to Ana Garcia, or Supreme Dorvil, or Maria Camara, or me or any of the other Trustees. Do this now, and pledge to do it once a year. New Year's, your birthday, 4/15, or any day you pick is a good day to use.
So thanks for coming out if you did, and we missed you if you didn't make it. NEXT TIME!!! BTW, Foundation meetings are open to the public, and the next one is 6/27 at 6:00 PM at the Rec Center. So come, listen in, give us your two cents. And bring your $20 for 2011. Tell your neighbors, and bring their $20, too. Remember, you're giving the money to yourself. It's next to nothing to you, and a lot for our Village.
So thanks for coming out if you did, and we missed you if you didn't make it. NEXT TIME!!! BTW, Foundation meetings are open to the public, and the next one is 6/27 at 6:00 PM at the Rec Center. So come, listen in, give us your two cents. And bring your $20 for 2011. Tell your neighbors, and bring their $20, too. Remember, you're giving the money to yourself. It's next to nothing to you, and a lot for our Village.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)