v1 Ballantrae Communicator 20

The Ballantrae Communicator
The quarterly newsletter of the Ballantrae community in Land O’ Lakes, FL
October-December 2012
20 pages
Vol. 5, No. 2
CDD Board approves fifth ‘no increase’ budget in a row
The CDD Board of Supervisors voted
at its Aug. 6 meeting to approve a
$1,849,406 budget for the fiscal year that
begins Oct.1.
The budget maintains the same
assessment levels that have been in force
since the 2008-09 fiscal year:
• $1,037 for each of the 182 Straiton
townhomes.
• $1,848 for 621 parcels with frontages
of between 40-50 feet.
• $2,084 for 168 parcels of between
65-75 feet and commercial property.
Residents can view a
10-year
comparison of CDD assessments at the
CDD’s ballantraecdd.org website. Click on
the Minutes & Spending tab and then
click on Summary of Annual Assessments.
Posted beneath that document is the
Oct.1, 2012 through Sep. 30, 2013 budget
that breaks down operating and
maintenance spending, debt service and
assessments for the upcoming fiscal year.
Those documents also show the four
percent discount landowners can receive
for early payment of their assessments. It
also shows the two percent fee paid to the
county for billing and collecting landowner
assessments for the CDD.
Before approving the final budget, the
Board voted to allocate $163,800 in funds
being rolled over from the 2010-11 fiscal
year, according to a recent outside audit.
The Board added $110,150 to the Park
Ballantrae residents outlast summer deluge
Despite clouds that moved in and released more than an hour’s rainfall, hundreds of residents still
turned out on Aug. 11 to participate in the Ballantrae HOA’s afternoon-long “Back to School Bash”
in the park. Here, landowners lined up for the opportunity to participate in a raffle and to fill out
proxies for the HOA’s proposed deed restriction changes. See a montage of “bash photos” on page
2, plus a related story on page 20 about the Ameri-Tech fire truck on display at the event.
Straiton HOA restoring landscaping
By Ken Liddell, president
Straiton HOA Board
The work on restoring the landscaping
here in Straiton is underway, but expect to
see more activity over the next months.
The recent emphasis has revolved
around maintaining and improving the
core elements of the in-place green space –
trees and lawns. Those efforts have
included
ramped-up
pest
control,
repairing the irrigation, and the pruning
of trees in the front of buildings and on
common spaces maintained by the
Straiton HOA.
The next phase involves creating a
Development Fund, $28,000 for video
surveillance
equipment
at
village
entrances, $10,000 for seasonal lighting,
$10,000 for removal of plants and $5,650
for repairs to a pond in Castleway. H
master plan for landscaping across the
community. The goals of the master plan
are:
A. Improve the curb appeal of our homes.
We all want to be proud of our home. It
is a reflection of who we are. Further,
we want the value of our homes to
increase – ideally at a rate better than
the surrounding neighborhoods. Our
intent is to meet those expectations
B. Create a sustainable landscape. By
utilizing Florida-friendly flora the
community will best match the native
feel. Further, it will conserve our water
resources.
Please turn to page 9
Our top stories
Sheriff says “quality of life” issues
still top Ballantrae calls: Page 4.
Ballantrae voters reminded of voting
hours, new balloting location: Page 5.
Girl Scouts plan recruitment rally in
Ballantrae: Page 6.
CDD Board nixes reclaimed water,
seeks pond improvements: Page 7.
Straiton HOA still working to resolve
community parking issues: Page 8.
CDD Board votes to enforce ban on
overnight parking at clubhouse: Page 10.
Residents still limited to one day a
week lawn, landscape watering: Page 11.
New CDD maps aid residents: Page 19.
Ballantrae residents brave rains to enjoy end-of-summer fling
Photos, montage by Jim Flateau
2
Ballantrae Communicator | October-December 2012
Visit your CDD web site at www.ballantraecdd.org
CDD Commentary
The Communicator
Keeping a promise to landowners
By Jim Flateau
CDD Chair
Residents should know that the
2012-13 CDD budget continues to keep a
promise the Board of Supervisors made to
landowners in 2008 to protect our future.
Here’s a bit of Ballantrae’s financial
history to put that promise in context:
Developer MI Homes controlled the
CDD Board from its creation in 2003.
Control transitioned in 2007 to a board
controlled by elected resident landowners.
That made the 2008-09 budget the
first to be written by a board majority of
resident landowners.
Among the first things we noted were
that the CDD had no savings for the
future, and no accounts set aside against
a rainy day. And, there were no plans in
the 2007-08 budget to set aside any funds
for an emergency.
And that made complete sense.
When it controlled the CDD Board,
MI Homes collected assessments to meet
Ballantrae’s operating costs. MI Homes
paid its share for the empty building lots
and unsold homes that it owned.
Planning for the future, however, was
a different issue.
Every developer knows that, if they
raise assessments to fund reserves, their
vacant lots and unsold homes would
contribute a lot of money to those
accounts. That’s money developers would
be leaving behind when the community
was built-out and the developer moved on.
So developers leave the funding of
reserves and future planning to the
landowners who would eventually take
over the community.
And that’s fair: it is the landowners,
not the developer, who will benefit
long-term from the accrual of reserves
and emergency funds.
The resident landowners on the CDD
Board explained all that at the community budget hearing in August of 2008.
The board then proposed an increase
of about $125,000 in annual assessments.
The board explained that only a
minor share of the increase would go to
operating expenses. The lion’s share
would go into reserves, or be set aside to
pay for unanticipated emergencies. That
would protect against a shortfall of funds
or any emergency borrowing.
CDD board sets meetings
CDD Board meetings this quarter will be held
on Oct. 3, Nov. 5 and Dec. 3. All meetings begin
at 6:30 p.m. at the clubhouse. A list of meeting
dates for the next fiscal year is on page 10.
A list of all meetings for the fiscal year is
posted on the clubhouse CDD bulletin board, and
on the CDD website at ballantraecdd.org at the
Board Meetings tab.
Each meeting agenda is posted on the
clubhouse bulletin board the week before the
meeting. Each agenda is also posted on the
CDD website on the Board Meetings tab. H
The roomful of landowners at the
hearing unanimously endorsed the
assessment increase and its intended use.
Last year, the CDD Board noted that,
as anticipated, the unspent dollars in our
general fund had grown substantially.
The board voted to set those funds aside
into separate, budgeted reserves, as
landowners were told in 2008.
Landowners would then know the
amount and purpose of all reserve funds.
Here is how those accounts stand five
fiscal years later in the 2012-13 budget:
• Park Development Fund, to address
resident requests for expanded and
improved facilities: $386,757.
• Emergency Fund, to deal with
unforeseen expenses: $100,252.
• Asset Reserve, allowing us to plan
for capital improvements and to
minimize their impact: $189,157, and
• Bill Payment Fund, to pay
September and October bills until
assessment dollars start arriving in
November of each fiscal year: $150,266.
Residents can review the adopted
budget, planned spending, assessment
levels and debt service by going to the
CDD’s ballantraecdd.org website and
clicking on the Minutes & Spending tab.
Residents will see that 2008 was the
last time CDD assessments increased.
Our growth in reserves is helping to
secure the future of our community –
while keeping a promise made in 2008 to
all of Ballantrae’s landowners. H
Visit your HOA web site at www.ballantraehoa.com
The Communicator is published quarterly
by the Ballantrae Community Development
District, inviting contributions from the
Ballantrae Homeowner Association and the
Straiton Townhomes Homeowner Association.
It is printed free of charge by the Tampa
Bay Times with costs defrayed by ads.
Residents have a choice of receiving the
Communicator on paper or
online. Those preferring the
electronic version can request
it on the Communications
page of the CDD website at
ballantraecdd.org. When published, we’ll
email you a link to the newsletter on our
server. We will not fill your in-box with the
large newsletter file!
The mailing address for the CDD Board
and the Communicator is 17611 Mentmore
Blvd. in Land O’ Lakes, FL 34638.
CDD Board of Supervisors
Jim Flateau
Chair
ballantraecdd@verizon.net
(813) 215-0896
Amanda Battistoni
Vice Chair
amanda@asbmail.com
Richard Levy
Assistant Secretary
RBL22@msn.com
Steve White
Assistant Secretary
saabman910@gmx.com
Jenny Williams
Assistant Secretary
jennycdd@gmail.com
CDD Management
Scott Brizendine
District Manager
Rizzetta & Co.
sbrizendine@rizzetta.com
(813) 994-1001
Bill Fletcher
Maintenance Supervisor
ballantrae2@tampabay.rr.com
(813) 345-8565 (phone)
(813) 345-8567 (fax)
Newsletter Advertising
Kelly Mariskanish
kmariskanish@tampabay.com
(813) 661-2458
Ballantrae Communicator | October-December 2012
3
‘Quality of life’ issues still top calls for sheriff’s assistance
“quality of life” calls as vehicle hit-and-runs and disturbances.
The sheriff says it would be incorrect to draw any
conclusions from this data because:
• More than one resident could report the same activity.
• More residents could be reporting incidents in general.
• Varying village populations skew comparisons.
• Because most of the numbers are small, they are greatly
affected by very minor changes – such as the arrival or
departure of just one lawbreaker.
When incidents occur, residents should call the sheriff for
the community’s benefit as well as their own:
• Notifying the sheriff means the incident is logged into the
database that helps determine how and where deputy
patrol resources are allocated.
• It tells the sheriff’s office whom to contact if it thinks the
property reported stolen has been recovered.
So, report the incidents you see in Ballantrae. That may
increase patrols in our community – and chances that recovered
stolen property is returned! H
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office reports the plurality of our calls
for assistance in 2011 were the same as in previous years: they
were related to parking or residential alarm systems.
Sheriff’s data show most of the calls it receives from
Ballantrae involve “quality of life” issues.
A related story on page 5 shows the Pasco Sheriff’s Office is
reducing the time needed for deputies to respond to calls.
The sheriff’s full daily “Subdivision Activity” report can be
accessed from the second bullet on the Public Safety page of the
CDD’s website at ballantraecdd.org.
The CDD receives the sheriff’s monthly log of resident calls
and posts them on the CDD website. They can be accessed on
the third bullet of the Public Safety page. Annual summaries of
major call areas, like the chart below, are at the fourth bullet.
The “quality of life” calls listed below summarize the bulk of
calls to the sheriff in calendar 2011.
This list excludes the many “unverified 911” calls as well as
any mental health-related calls under the Baker Act.
This list does, however, include small numbers for such
Selected calls from Ballantrae residents to Pasco Sheriff’s Office for assistance
Calendar years 2009-2011
Braemar
Ayrshire
’09
Call category
’10
Castleway
’11 ’09 ’10
’11
’09
’10
’11
Cunningham
’09
’10
Lintower
’11 ’09
’10
Straiton
’11
’09
’10
’11
Total
Alarm, House & Panic
22
19
19
9
11
11
20
14
18
11
8
6
29
18
16
19
5
5
260
Assist Citizen
11
9
11
2
1
1
7
7
7
2
2
4
5
2
4
5
10
3
93
Battery
6
1
5
1
0
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
2
2
0
1
1
0
23
Burglary, auto
4
1
1
3
1
1
1
0
1
0
0
1
3
1
0
1
2
0
21
Burglary, home
1
2
1
1
0
1
0
0
1
1
0
0
2
2
2
0
3
0
17
Disturbance, juvenile
6
11
4
0
3
0
1
1
3
0
0
0
3
4
2
3
7
1
49
Disturbance, neighbor
2
0
1
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
10
Disturbance, noise
1
1
4
1
1
1
6
2
8
4
3
4
4
6
4
7
3
5
65
37
26
19
0
1
1
6
2
6
7
3
3
27
12
3
3
15
3
174
Incident, suspicious
4
3
2
0
2
2
1
4
3
0
1
0
6
4
1
1
0
0
34
Person, suspicious
5
2
4
1
0
1
2
1
3
1
2
0
0
2
3
0
1
0
28
Prowler
4
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
2
0
1
0
3
1
14
Theft, grand
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
2
2
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
3
1
16
Theft, petit
2
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
2
1
0
1
1
0
1
2
1
0
13
Traffic violator
3
1
0
0
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
9
Trespassing
3
0
3
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
1
1
13
6
3
0
1
0
33
Vehicle, hit & run
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
2
0
5
Vehicle, stolen
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
0
0
1
0
2
9
Vehicle, suspicious
6
6
0
1
3
3
4
3
1
6
0
0
5
3
0
3
7
0
51
119
86
75
19
24
28
50
38
57
35
22
25
106
62
43
50
64
21
924
Illegal parking
Total
Chart compiled from data provided to the CDD Board annually courtesy of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office.
4
Ballantrae Communicator | October-December 2012
Visit your CDD web site at www.ballantraecdd.org
Balloting site changes for Ballantrae voters in November elections
Ballantrae voters are reminded that
our polling place is now located at
Rasmussen College at 18600 Fernview
St. in Land O’ Lakes.
That’s just west of the intersection of
SR 54 and Sunlake Blvd. The college can
be accessed via both roads.
A total of 7,757 voters were moved
this year from the Holy Trinity Lutheran
Church in Lutz to the new Rasmussen
polling site. The Supervisor of Elections
uses decennial US census data to modify
voting districts to reduce congestion.
Ballantrae adults have only until Oct.
9 to register to vote in the Tuesday, Nov.
6 general election.
Voter registration information can be
found on the Pasco County Supervisor of
Elections website at www.pascovotes.com.
Polls will be open election day from 7
a.m. to 7 p.m.
As usual, voters can also cast their
ballots early – in person or by mail.
Elections officials recommend voters use
those options for two reasons.
First, presidential elections draw
large turnouts and long lines. Second,
this year’s ballot is lengthy, with 11
amendments to be considered.
Rasmussen College, our new polling place, is located at 18600 Fernview St. in Land O’ Lakes.
Mail-in ballots can be ordered
through Oct. 31 on the elections’ website
or by calling (800) 851-8754.
The closest early voting sites, which
will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
beginning Oct. 27 through and including
Nov. 3, will be:
• Land O’ Lakes Branch Library at
2818 Collier Parkway.
• West Pasco Government Center at
8731 Citizens Drive in New Port
Richey.
• Regency Park Library at 9701 Little
Rd. in New Port Richey.
Twenty Community Development
Districts will not be voting to fill 45 board
seats because only one candidate filed for
each seat. In Ballantrae, incumbents Jim
Flateau and Amanda Battistoni are
unopposed for new, four-year terms.
The largest enrollments among
Ballantrae’s 1,337 voters as of midAugust included 529 Republicans, 430
Democrats and 317 independents. H
Ballantrae benefits as sheriff reduces response time
The 2009 opening of a new Pasco Sheriff Office station near
Ballantrae has contributed to a countywide reduction in deputy
response time. (See story on Ballantrae calls on page 4.)
The reductions shown in the chart at right are reminders
that “seconds count” in law enforcement response times. They
also show Pasco’s response to calls remains significantly
quicker than the national average.
The new station is the District 3 Operations Office located at
11530 Trinity Boulevard in nearby Trinity. Previously, the
Land O’ Lakes area was serviced out of the Dade City station.
The change means deputies coming on and off duty for the
The sheriff’s station in Trinity.
Visit your HOA web site at www.ballantraehoa.com
district report to
Sheriff’s response time v. U.S. average
nearby
Trinity,
rather than the
Call level
’09
’10
’11 U.S.
more distant Dade
City station.
5.0
4.4
3.8
7
Priority 1
The office lobby
8.5
8.5
8.1
15
Priority 2
is open Monday
through Friday, 8
19.1
16.7 15.9
30
Priority 3
a.m. to 5 p.m. The
16.2
13.9 13.2
n/a
All Calls
non-emergency
number answered
Call times are in minutes
Monday-Friday
from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
is (727) 376-3809. The 24-hour non- emergency line is (727)
844-7711.
District 3 serves as the primary provider of law enforcement
services to the southwest portion of the county. It covers
everything west of U.S. 41 to the gulf, and south of Ridge Road
to the Pinellas County line. The district is commanded by a
captain.
This area of the county is also divided into 10 patrol
zones. Each sector is patrolled and monitored on a 24-hour basis
by a sergeant and squad of deputies, all of whom report to a
platoon lieutenant. This area also provides specialized services
and mutual aid as needed to the two incorporated cities of Port
Richey and New Port Richey. H
Ballantrae Communicator | October-December 2012
5
Girl Scouts plan recruitment rally
New adventures and great traditions await girls in Girl Scouts. Take a journey,
earn a badge, make new friends and – of course – there are the cookies!
Join us at our Recruitment Rally on Oct. 6 from 9 a.m.-noon at the Ballantrae
clubhouse.
New Girl Scout troops are now forming!
Come learn how you can be a part of this amazing journey now celebrating 100
years without giving up any other activities. Membership is only $12 a year!
Girl Scouts has been empowering young leaders with courage, confidence, and
character for nearly 100 years. If you are a young lady and would enjoy being a
part of this long-standing and fun tradition, please visit www.gswcf.org/join, or you
can call a Daisy troop leader directly at (813) 929-1981.
We are excited to announce that troops of all grade levels are meeting in your
community! H
Swimmin’,
grillin’, and
hangin’ out
at the pools
in Ballantrae
on Labor Day
6
Ballantrae Communicator | October-December 2012
Visit your CDD web site at www.ballantraecdd.org
Update on current issues
CDD Board nixes reclaimed water; plans cleanup of ponds
Reclaimed water and pond water
have been on the CDD Board’s agenda
in recent months.
Here’s an update on them:
Board opts against reclaimed water
The board considered and decided
against a resident suggestion that it
explore having county reclaimed water
lines installed in the community.
The suggested purpose was that
landowners could use the cheaper
reclaimed water for lawn and landscape
irrigation, rather than the more
expensive potable water now in use.
The board decided that there are
Ballantrae HOA encourages property maintenance
many well-maintained yards using the This Braemar property exemplifies the level of outside care and maintenance that the Ballantrae
existing system, but no guarantee the
HOA Board encourages throughout the community. Landowners and tenants are asked to be
“cheaper” reclaimed water would be
mindful of the appearance of their property by complying with deed restrictions and other
used by those with sparse lawns.
covenants. Please help to make our community look its best!
Meanwhile, installing a reclaimed
water system would require extensive
Let the ponds be ponds
them relocated to other ponds where
community disruption. Every lawn
The board asked the district engineer earlier plantings didn’t survive, or to ponds
would have be torn up to lay pipe in the and pond maintenance vendor to work that weren’t part of the planting program.
county right of way between the street together on a long-term maintenance plan.
The engineer and vendor said they
and sidewalk. Water lines would have to
The board noted some ponds are would come up with a plan this year. The
be “pushed” beneath every driveway.
overgrown with the beneficial plants board can then either take action at the
The board was advised it would cost required by the Southwest Florida Water end of the dry season next year or as soon
upwards of $100,000 just to design the Management District.
as the summer rains begin, whichever is
system and get cost estimates, whether
The benefit of the plants is two-fold: to most beneficial.
the system was ever built or not.
reduce bank erosion and to help clean
Part of the plan will be to determine
It also found the cost to landowners rainwater before it flows into the regional the extent to which the CDD is required
for actual construction could be as high water system.
to let the plantings expand. Board
as $5-$6 million. By comparison, the
The CDD paid $22,000 last year for members said the growth is so extensive
CDD’s initial community construction 40,000 plants to be added in some ponds. in some ponds that they resemble
debt now being paid off by landowners Plants have grown and multiplied so well wetlands rather than the open ponds
currently stands at $8.5 million.
in some ponds that the CDD had many of preferred by adjoining landowners. H
Ameri-Tech helps communities …
Continued from The Back Page
“This whole concept raises the bar for the industry while
being an extension of the services that we offer our clients,”
explained Ms. Van Winkle.
The program comes at a price: Ameri-Tech says it would cost
a community like Ballantrae $1,800 in its first year and $540
annually to renew.
Ms. Van Winkle said, “Our mission is to coordinate and
enable effective preparation and then first-response to debris
removal in case of a disaster.”
That, she explained, ensures fire and rescue personnel
encounter cleared streets to provide medical, fire and other vital
services to residents of Ameri-Tech communities.
Ameri-Tech will also video record an entire community’s
streets and community property so there is a record of what it
looks like before disaster strikes. It will come in following a
Visit your HOA web site at www.ballantraehoa.com
disaster and video the damage to aid in insurance and other
claims sure to follow.
It will also post videos on its website tracking clean-up
efforts. Residents who evacuated can then go online to
determine when it is safe to return.
Many of these programs and others were explained in the
four emergency preparedness brochures Ameri-Tech placed on
every front doorknob in Ballantrae on July 21.
In one brochure, Ameri-Tech urged residents to fill out and
submit questionnaires detailing any special needs persons in a
household. Ameri-Tech will ensure that information gets to fire
rescue, Red Cross and FEMA personnel to ensure they take
special interest in safeguarding those individuals.
Ameri-Tech will also coordinate annual workshops on
disaster preparedness for homeowners, to ensure they have the
latest information available on the best ways to protect their
loved ones and property. H
Ballantrae Communicator | October-December 2012
7
News from the Straiton HOA
Board working to find solutions to parking shortage
Parking remains a challenge within
the Straiton community for those with
more than two vehicles. And there is no
solution to that challenge in sight.
In the last issue of this newsletter,
the graphic reprinted at right illustrated
the right-of-way contained in both Pasco
County ordinances and the by-laws of
both the Ballantrae and Straiton HOAs.
It’s important that everyone is clear
on the definition – because cars will be
towed that are parked in violation of it,
such as on the grass, on the sidewalk, in The right-of-way runs from the centerline of the street to just past the far side of the sidewalk.
front of dumpsters, straddling the grass Vehicles parked within that area on Straiton streets are subject to being towed.
with wheels on the sidewalk …
anywhere except in a driveway, your accommodation will likely result in a
Once the final policy is developed
garage, or a parking spot. Day or night.
reduction of the available spaces in the there will be a meeting to present the
Fortunately, many people read the common parking areas.
program and the plan to roll it out.
last edition of the newsletter because
Now is a good time to start cleaning Please attend the meeting to be fully
parking compliance has improved out your garage so you can park in it.
informed on the details.
greatly since it was published. That is
During this process, we have looked No ‘garaging’ on community property
good news because no one wants to see at exchanging dumpsters for individual
On a separate note … regarding the
someone’s car towed.
trash cans, and converting the dumpster
use of the common
Remember that the
parking spaces: you can’t
Ballantrae
HOA
must
“garage” your vehicle in
enforce parking rules in
one.
order to provide safe roads
Garaging is defined as
and comply with Pasco
parking a car in a space
County ordinances. Your
without moving it for an
HOA has no choice in the
extended period of time –
matter:
specifically, seven days.
• Roads must be clear to
These are common spaces
accommodate emergency
to be enjoyed by all
vehicles.
residents and visitors.
• Parking rules ensure
Cars
identified
as
that motorists have clear
“garaged” are towed.
lines of sight to other
One final point … at no
vehicles, bicyclists and
time – even for a moment
pedestrians – especially
with the car running –
children, the elderly and
The CDD and Straiton HOA erected a series of “no parking” signs in should you park with
the handicapped.
September to give motorists notice that their vehicles can be towed if they wheels on the grass. You
• No
one should be
are doing no one a favor.
park on the street or grass north of the parking lot on Girvan Drive.
required
to
navigate
In fact car weight and
around vehicles parked in
pads to parking spaces.
engine heat are damaging the
the street to avoid those that are
That solution may gain us 20 spaces landscaping and irrigation system.
blocking sidewalks.
on top of the 43 public parking spaces we
With the
pending landscape
• It
costs
landowners
money now have across the community.
renovations, cars will be towed day or
whenever anyone parks on our lawns,
To date we believe the positive gain night if parked on lawns. Any damage to
damaging sprinkler heads and of 20 spaces is far outweighed by the
sprinkler heads will be attributed to cars
irrigation lines.
negatives: it will be expensive to convert
For the past several months the the dumpster pads, that alone would not found violating parking rules in this
Straiton HOA Board, along with its solve the problem, and the storage and manner. Vehicle owners will be fined to
Parking Committee, has been developing handling of individual trash cans within cover the repair to the sprinklers.
Again, no one wants to see that
a strategy for regulating the available each unit would create another set of
parking space so that both residents and challenges. So converting dumpster happen. But, community property must
be protected. H
visitors can be accommodated. That space is not seen as the solution.
8
Ballantrae Communicator | October-December 2012
Visit your CDD web site at www.ballantraecdd.org
News from the Straiton HOA
Master plan will help restore our lawns, landscaping
Continued from page 1
C. Reduce maintenance cost. Florida-friendly flora won’t Landowners welcome at HOA meetings
require replacement as frequently as randomly-selected
Straiton landowners are welcome to join the Straiton HOA
greenery. Further, reduced water consumption and care by Board of Directors monthly meetings. We meet the third
the landscaping contractor translates into lower budget Wednesday of each month at the clubhouse at 6:30 p.m.
expenditures.
At these meetings the board addresses the day-to-issues
D. A consistent look within the community. The last thing we involved in keeping the community running, as well as the
want is a rigid, institutional look as we drive into the long-term issues that will keep Straiton healthy over the
community. But a well-conceived and executed plan will coming years. It’s a great way to learn about what’s affecting
achieve the previously-stated goals and provide a pleasing your community, or voice your view on matters of importance to
look and feel for the community.
you. Board members learn about issues in talking with our
To meet these four goals, the Straiton HOA Board of neighbors. But, try as we might, we’ll never get to talk with
Directors, in conjunction with Nick Disparte, our community everyone. Be heard, join us at a meeting.
association manager, embarked on a three-point plan:
The general meeting is open to all. However, we do close the
A. A Landscaping Committee composed of landowners has portion of the meeting during which past-due home owner
been formed to represent us in the process. If you are accounts are discussed. It’s important that the board protect
interested
in
participating,
contact
us
at the privacy of those who, often because of circumstances beyond
straitonhoa@gmail.com
their control, find themselves in arrears on their monthly
B. Received consultation from the University of Florida assessments. However, you can be assured that the board is
Extension Service on Sustainable Landscaping and the use aggressively pursuing accounts in arrears utilizing all the tools
of native plants and grasses. Nick Disparte has taken available to us – up to and including foreclosure. H
classes to obtain a certification in this area. We received
recommendations on the do’s and don’ts of the plant
selection in order to actively and intelligently participate in from any improvements to the front of your home. As the
master plan is implemented, it will involve the removal of
the planning process, and
C. We are currently reviewing landscape architects. The next landscaping inconsistent with the community-wide design.
So, be patient and save your money.
step is the selection and contracting with the right specialist
This will impact me as well. We spent a healthy sum last
to guide us toward the master plan. The plan will include
both the what and when – what it will look like, and the year adding landscaping to the front of our unit. Our palms and
gardenia will have to go. We’ll likely move them out back
when or timing for each phase.
Fortunately, the agreement with M/I Homes addressed (depending on the final plan). H
significant maintenance
elements here in Straiton
without cost to the
association.
That
agreement freed up funds
that would have been
directed
toward
roof
replacement, repairs to
building exteriors and
other capital improvements.
Accordingly, the implementation of the Landscaping Master Plan will
not cause an increase in
monthly assessments.
The master plan will be
presented at a Community
Meeting for review once
completed. We hope to see
you there.
Lastly, a reminder …
with
these
activities Straiton’s HOA Board did not an excellent job this year in having the exteriors of all homes painted. Now, it is
underway, please refrain working to upgrade the landscaping on all the properties in the townhomes in 2013.
Visit your HOA web site at www.ballantraehoa.com
Ballantrae Communicator | October-December 2012
9
CDD formalizes ‘no parking overnight’ in clubhouse parking lot
The CDD Board has voted to have consistency in how it
treats motorists and pedestrians in Ballantrae Park at night.
The CDD Board has voted to enforce its ban on overnight
parking in the clubhouse parking lot, just as it bars any other
nighttime activity elsewhere in the park.
The overnight parking ban begins daily at 10 p.m. That is
when all events in the clubhouse must be finished and all
attendees must exit park property. The CDD Board chose 7
a.m. as the opening time for daily parking. That is when the
timelock on the clubhouse gate unlocks so that CDD members
can begin accessing the clubhouse and pool.
That consistency is designed to protect community park
property from vandalism and theft. It will also eliminate late
night gatherings and noise disturbing the Lintower residents
whose properties border the park.
The CDD Board has had a curfew resolution on file for four
years with the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It authorizes deputies to
remove anyone from the park and all other CDD property daily
between dusk and dawn. Allowing any traffic in and out of the
park overnight conflicts with enforcement of that curfew.
Deputies can also charge violators with trespass based upon
the resolution. A copy of the resolution can be found on the
CDD’s ballantraecdd.org website at the Clubhouse & Amenities
tab. The curfew resolution, which must be enacted annually, is
the last item listed on the page. H
These signs were posted in September at the park entrance. Violators
are now on notice that their vehicles can be towed.
CDD sets meeting dates
Now they know
These new signs have been posted at the east and west entrances to
Ballantrae along Mentmore Blvd., welcoming visitors to our community.
Another reason for the signs is the CDD Board’s policy of requiring
everyone to have resident photo ID cards to access our facilities.
Residents from neighboring communities have been denied access to
our facilities – despite their claims that they “thought” our facilities are
part of their communities. The cost of the signs was $619 each.
Non-residents can pay $150 monthly to become members of our CDD and
use our facilities.
10
Ballantrae Communicator | October-December 2012
The CDD Board has set its regular meeting schedule for
the fiscal year that began Oct 1.
Regular meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the
clubhouse, on the first Monday of each month except where
noted below.
Here are the dates of the upcoming regular meetings:
• October 3, 2012 (Change due to scheduling conflict)
• November 5, 2012
• December 3, 2012
• January 7, 2013
• February 4, 2013
• March 4, 2013
• April 1, 2013
• May 6, 2013
• June 3, 2013
• July 1, 2013
• August 5, 2013
• Sept. 9, 2013 (2nd Monday due to Labor Day holiday)
Meetings are open to the public and always allow you time
to be heard.
The full list of regular meeting dates for the year are also
posted at the clubhouse and on the Board Meetings page of
the CDD’s website at ballantraecdd.org.
Board meeting minutes are usually approved one month
after the meeting is held. Minutes are then posted on the
Minutes & Spending page of the CDD website. They are also
available at the clubhouse. “
Visit your CDD web site at www.ballantraecdd.org
Lifting of lawn watering restrictions doesn’t apply in Pasco
The good news is that plentiful
rainfall has led the Southwest Florida
Water Management District (SWFWMD)
to restore twice-a-week residential
irrigation of lawns and landscaping
throughout the 16-county area it serves.
The bad news is the lifting of those
restrictions does not apply in Pasco and
some other counties.
That
means
landowners
in
Hillsborough and Pinellas counties can
water their lawns twice a week.
But doing so in Pasco County can lead
to fines ranging from $100 to $500 per
violation. No warnings are issued.
That’s because Pasco commissioners
implemented a one-day a week watering
policy in 2001 that supersedes SWFWMD.
When you can irrigate
Residential
irrigation
using
sprinkler systems is restricted in
Ballantrae to either midnight to 8
a.m. or from 6 p.m. to midnight – but
not both – on your assigned day.
Those assigned days are:
• Addresses with house numbers
ending in 0 or 1 irrigate on
Monday.
• Those ending in 2 or 3, Tuesday.
• Those ending in 4 or 5,
Wednesday.
• Those ending in 6 or 7, Thursday.
• Those ending in 8 or 9, Friday.
• No weekend watering is allowed.
The CDD Board has obtained a
variance that allows different parts of
our community property to be watered
on Mondays through Saturdays. H
Both SWFWMD and Pasco agree that
the county has seen an increase in
rainfall this year, even before Tropical
Storm Debby deluged the region.
SWFWMD reports that aquifers have
returned to normal levels in Pasco, a key
indicator in determining whether to lift
restrictions. It is aquifer and river levels,
not those of rain retention ponds like those
found in Ballantrae, that indicate the
availability of water to meet our needs.
From there, SWFWMD cites scientific
research to support its allowance of
twice-weekly watering. However, county
How wet it’s been
SWFWMD reports that Pasco
County receives an historic average of
52.45 inches of rain annually.
These are the levels recorded by
SWFWMD for the past five years:
• 2007: 43.44 inches
• 2008: 47.29 inches
• 2009: 54.18 inches
• 2010: 51.04 inches
• 2011: 55.58 inches
officials offer conflicting research in
support of one-day a week watering. The
county adds that once a week irrigation is
also cheaper and conserves water.
SWFWMD counters that allowing
twice-a-week watering is necessary
during certain times of the year due to a
lack of rainfall.
A tour of Ballantrae confirms that
some of our lawns are as green as those
found on the Emerald Isle, while others
are nearly as barren as those in desert
climates – and other lawns are
somewhere in between.
County and SWFWMD officials agree
those differences are in part due to
contrasts in landowner watering
schedules in general, and watering
techniques in particular. They are also a
result of varying uses of chemicals on
lawns to promote growth and to control
insect and other infestations.
“Our region is prone to periodic
drought,” says Jeffrey Harris, an
environmental biologist for Pasco County
Utilities Engineering.
He explains, “We should be
accustomed to the Water Management
District declaring periodic water
shortage emergencies. It’s a function of
where we live.
“When the District declares different
levels of emergency; tightens and eases
restrictions, moving from once-a-week to
twice-a-week and back to once-a-week
irrigation restrictions, our citizens
become confused about when it is and
isn’t allowable to water their lawns.
“In order to alleviate that confusion,
our Board (of County Commissioners)
decided that consistency is key;
particularly
considering
that
once-a-week is not only adequate, but
Visit your HOA web site at www.ballantraehoa.com
scientifically preferable.
“Lastly
but
perhaps
most
importantly,” Mr. Harris said, “adherence
to our once-a-week limitation reminds our
citizenry that we do live in a region that
experiences regular drought, and that
promotion of water-conserving behavior
can help delay or defer new water source
development; which helps keep our
(water) rates as stable as possible.” H
Pond above is one of the few in Ballantrae that
dries up during the winter season. Most other
ponds just see a decline in water levels. This
pond was only partially filled (below) by the
end of 2011’s rainy season.
Ballantrae Communicator | October-December 2012
11
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Protecting Migratory Birds in Florida
Migratory birds are those species that generally migrate
south each year to spend the winter in warm-weather habitats
throughout the Southeastern United States, Mexico, Central
and South America and the Caribbean.
The U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act makes it illegal for
anyone to harass, harm, or possess any migratory bird, or the
nests or eggs of such a bird. All migratory birds are protected;
however, a subset of migratory birds classified as migratory
game birds may be hunted in accordance with state and federal
regulations. Of the 836 protected migratory bird species, there
are 777 species (93 percent) that are considered nongame birds,
and as such, legally cannot be hunted.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has identified dozens of
migratory nongame bird species found in Florida which, without additional conservation actions, are likely to become candidates for listing under the Endangered Species Act.
Collectively, we all must do our part to protect migratory
birds by taking the following actions:
1. Treat all bird species in Florida as if they were in need of
protection. Do not harass, harm or take possession of birds, bird
nests, and/or bird eggs.
2. Talk with your family members, neighbors and friends
about the decline of bird populations in the United States and
the need for conservation.
3. Teach your children about the importance of bird conservation. Instruct them to stay away from birds, and to never
disturb or touch bird nests or eggs.
4. Don’t overlook the need to talk to your teenager(s) about
bird conservation—they are likely to be in the community without adult supervision (and need to be educated to make the right
choices), and they are in a position to be a positive influence on
their peers.
5. If you are in a teaching profession, conduct a lesson on
bird conservation, assign a science report or project centered
on birds, and/or take your class on a field trip to a local nature
preserve or bird sanctuary.
One quarter of all bird species living in the United State are
imperiled or in decline, according to the 2011 State of the Birds
Report from the U.S. Department of Interior. It is imperative
that we all take this matter very seriously so that future generations may too enjoy the rich biodiversity you and I have been
blessed with here in Florida.
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Understanding Your Household Waste
Here’s a quick breakdown of the topics ... when it comes to reducing the waste you produce at home:
Energy
Energy is generated and consumed with every activity, and it often results in releasing carbon
into the environment. In addition, there is a finite
amount of energy available from traditional (nonrenewable) sources such as coal and oil. Developing
alternative, renewable energies (such as solar, wind
and geothermal) helps to reduce our dependence on
non-renewable resources to power our lives.
Water
Water covers 71 percent of the Earth’s surface, but relatively little is suitable for consumption. In many parts of the world, drinkable water
is in very short supply. Every time a drop of water goes down the drain, it becomes unsuitable
for consumption unless properly treated.
Solid Waste
Because landfills are so tightly packed, it takes
a great deal of time for material to decompose. The
easiest way to reduce solid waste is to reduce your
consumption of daily products. Be cautious of
what you buy, and whether anything you are going
to put in a trashcan really belongs there.
Review Your Findings
Once you have some data on what you’re
wasting, it is necessary to take a seat and review
it. Just by going over what you found, some
easy fixes will pop up. For this reason, it is essential to make a plan. Break this plan into three
major sections: “Right Now,” “Just Around the
Corner” and “Down the Road.”
Right Now:
These items are the flashy neon signs
that say “Duh!” The criteria for this section
should include things that don’t take any
money and very little time. They often focus
more on breaking bad habits than learning
something new or making major changes.
These things might include:
• Turning the water off when you brush your teeth
• Recycling basic items in your curbside program
• Reusing those glass jars to get more uses out of them
• Adjusting the thermostat by a few degrees
Just Around the Corner:
These items are the things that make sense as a natural next step. It may
cost a little money, or be more time consuming, but it is well worth it. You want
these goals to be challenging but realistic. They might include:
• Replacing older light bulbs with CFLs
• Taking reusable bags to the store
• Buying and using rechargeable batteries
• Starting a compost pile
Down the Road:
These are the “wish list” items: those things that are your ultimate goal,
take time and money and maybe even more research. Feel free to get crazy with
these goals. Shoot beyond the limit, and see where you fall. After all, we are
talking about what you will do years down the road here. This step is important
because a lot of things are changing in green technology. What may seem a
dream today, could easily be reality in five to 10 years.
• Get off the grid with solar energy
• Replace all the toilets, faucets and shower heads with ones that conserve water
• Buy a hybrid or electric car
• Organize a community recycling drive for hard-to-recycle items
MAKE THE HOLIDAYS SAFE, ENJOYABLE: HERE ARE A FEW TIPS
'Tis the season ... to remember crime prevention and shopping safety. It is a festive time of the year, with busy people rushing
around, searching for gifts in overstuffed stores. It is also a season when we can become distracted and careless with our routines
and, therefore, more vulnerable to criminals who would like to spoil our holiday cheer.
So here are some timeless tips to help us enjoy a safe and crime- free season.
• Avoid shopping alone; there is safety in numbers.
• Stay alert to your surroundings and the people around you, especially in retail parking areas where there is plenty of traffic.
• Lock your car. Never leave purses or shopping bags full of gifts in plain view in your vehicle. Place all packages either out
of sight or locked in the trunk.
• Be careful when using an ATM and always look for one in a secure location. Stand directly in front of it to shield anyone from
seeing your PIN. If you sense something is wrong, leave the area immediately.
• Criminals consider a distracted person an easy target. So have your car keys in hand before you leave the store. Scan the
parking lot for suspicious people or cars as you walk to your vehicle.
• Grabbing a snack at the mall? Watch your purses and packages carefully.
• Avoid carrying large amounts of cash or wearing expensive jewelry while shopping.
Remember, not everyone you encounter while shopping has the attitude of "Peace on Earth, Goodwill Toward Men."
So follow these precautions and enjoy.
Reprinted with permission of the Tampa Bat Times
Please help brighten Ballantrae community
The CDD’s maintenance staff rides through the community after dark on a regular
basis to check for street light outages and for outdoor bulbs burned out on CDD property.
(And yes, staff is working to get Progress Energy to repair the series of street lights that
have been out for some time on Ballantrae Blvd. from Braemar to Castleway!)
Staff immediately replaces bulbs burned out on CDD property. Staff reports street
light outages to Progress Energy. It usually has lights working within a week of outage
reports, unless there is extensive work to be done.
Ballantrae residents can help out between maintenance inspections by reporting
light outages. The phone number at the clubhouse is (813) 345-8565. Residents can call
or go online to report street light outages directly to Progress Energy.
You will also need to report the pole number on the street side of most poles, the address
or intersection nearest to the pole, especially for those few poles with no number.
You can report outages to Progress Energy by calling (800) 228-8485 or by going to
its customer service page at www.progress-energy.com.
Here’s
the
Progress
Energy
web
address
for
repair
notices:
https://www.progress-energy.com/app/outageentry/default.aspx.
You can fill out an online repair request. You should receive a return email and a
robocall confirming the repair order. H
Wi-Fi at the pools
ID cards a must!
The photo ID swipe cards issued by
the CDD have been required since
September 2011 to access Straiton’s
pool and Ballantrae Park’s clubhouse,
pool, tennis and basketball courts. It is
also needed when reserving the
clubhouse to document residency.
Rules for obtaining a card are
available at the clubhouse. They are
also posted on the Clubhouse and
Amenities page of the CDD website.
Each individual 13 years of age and
older must have their own card. There
are no “family” cards. Children under
13 are not issued cards because they
are supposed to be accompanied by an
adult on CDD property.
Your picture will appear where the
flag is shown above. A green box
around it means the card holder is an
adult, a red one indicates a minor age
13-17.
The card allows the CDD to limit
use of our facilities to CDD members,
and to revoke privileges from those
who refuse to follow rules of use. H
18
You can connect your wireless
device to the CDD’s WiFi network
at Ballantrae Park and the pool in
Straiton.
The connection is free.
In the park, search for
connections and select the
“Ballantrae” SSID. At the Straiton
pool, the SSID is “Straiton”.
In
both
cases,
the
password/passcode is “cypress1”.
The password is all lower case. H
Ballantrae
residents
are
reminded that Waste Services Inc.
picks up certain recyclables every
other Thursday morning.
They must be curbside the night
before pickup in blue bags available
at most grocery and “big box” stores.
Thursday recyclable pickup dates
include Oct. 11 and 25, Nov. 8 (there
is no pickup on Nov. 22, which would
be the next biweekly pickup date,
because it is Thanksgiving Day) and
Dec. 6 and 20.
Pick up is limited to rinsed
aluminum cans, metal food cans, #1
and #2 plastic bottles and jars, plus
clear, green and brown glass bottles
and jars. All can go in the same bag.
These pick ups are separate
from regular trash pick ups on
Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Residents can contact WSI in
New Port Richey at (727) 849-3333
to determine what large items it will
contract to remove, as an additional
service paid for by the resident. H
Reaching the clubhouse
Protect access cards
Residents are provided CDD swipe
cards solely for their access to the
clubhouse and main pool plus the
basketball and tennis courts.
Only persons age 18 and over are
allowed to bring in guests.
Cards can be confiscated from anyone
found to be using their cards to open gates
for underage or unescorted residents or
nonresidents.
Cards can also be confiscated if used
by anyone other than the person to whom
the card is issued.
The purpose of the cards is to reserve
use of our facilities to resident and and
non-resident CDD members and guests
who follow the posted rules. H
Ballantrae Communicator | October-December 2012
Remember to recycle!
Please check to ensure you
are using the right mail and
phone numbers to reach the
CDD clubhouse.
• The
email
address
is
ballantrae2@tampabay.rr.com.
• The
clubhouse
phone
number is (813) 345-8565.
• The fax number is (813)
345-8567.
• The mailing address is
17611 Mentmore Blvd. in
Land O’ Lakes, FL 34638. H
Feedback …
What’s your opinion of The
Communicator? Let us know at
ballantraecdd@verizon.net.
Visit your CDD web site at www.ballantraecdd.org
CDD creates, posts new maps
The CDD Board’s engineering vendor has provided some
new aerial maps that we think will benefit the community.
The CDD Board finalized the aerial map shown at left. It
replaces the two maps previously shown on the CDD’s
ballantraecdd.org website at the Aerial Locator Maps tab.
This aerial was taken in 2011, compared to the previous
website versions taken in 2006. The main improvements are:
• Our community was built-out at 969 residences when the
2011 photo was taken. So this is a “final-final” aerial of
construction. In the 2006 photo, 60-80 homes, mostly in
Ayrshire and Cunningham, had yet to be built.
• The 2011 photo was taken from a high enough angle to
show the layout of all streets. The 2006 version was taken
at an angle so low that many streets could not be seen.
• The 2011 aerial map shows the elongated parcel on which
Ballantrae is built. It also illustrates our location in a land
of lakes – it clearly shows that a large proportion of our
property is lakes, ponds, wetlands and conservation areas.
That in itself should remind residents of our need to commit
ourselves to the protection of our environment. While some
communities were built with just rows of houses, a conscious
decision was made to maintain the rural atmosphere and
environmental assets that make ours a unique community.
Toward that end, the CDD Board has provided another set
of maps to the Straiton and Ballantrae Homeowner
Associations for use by them and their design review boards.
Those are close-up maps of each village, where engineers
show the location of CDD easements across residential parcels.
They have also been posted on the CDD website at Aerial
Locator Maps to make them accessible to all landowners.
Restrictions in both HOAs prohibit any construction within
CDD or other easements. Parcel plat maps, received when
landowners bought their parcels and also on file with the county
property appraiser, are the final arbiters of easement locations.
There are, for example, CDD surface easements running
above the pipes carrying storm water from the drain at the edge
of some streets to the ponds behind many homes. The
easements provide CDD vendors with access to ponds. Some
residents are unaware of these easements and should check the
plat maps they received when they bought their property.
Many landowners with privacy walls behind their homes
may not be aware there are CDD easements that run the length
of the inside of those walls. That’s to provide the CDD with
access to repair, paint or otherwise maintain the inside of walls.
Just to round things out, residents should know there are
two other types of easements running across the width of their
front lawns:
• County rights of way run from the centerline of streets to
the far side of the sidewalk (except in Straiton). That’s why
residents are not supposed to park on, or add trees or plants,
to the lawns between streets and sidewalks.
• Utility easements run across front lawns for access to the
underground utility and cable lines buried there.
Landowners are reminded that legal, plat documents
supercede these maps in showing the location of any CDD or
other easement on your property. H
Visit your HOA web site at www.ballantraehoa.com
Ballantrae Communicator | October-December 2012
19
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
PAID
TAMPA FL
PERMIT #1924
Ballantrae CDD Board of Supervisors
17611 Mentmore Boulevard
Land O’ Lakes, FL 34638
The Back Page
Ameri-Tech helps communities to plan disaster recovery
Ameri-Tech staff about the
pumper they purchased this
year, as children climbed aboard
First came Tropical Storm
and, of course, sounded its siren.
Debby, which “hung around” in
The pumper had previously
June to dump 12-15 inches of rain
been
in service in a central
on Land O’ Lakes.
Pennsylvania
fire department.
And then Isaac passed us by
One
of
the
pumper’s
as a tropical storm in August,
advantages is that it can transfer
becoming Hurricane Isaac just
up to 1,000 gallons of water a
before it landed in Louisiana.
minute from a flooded street into
“It only takes one,” is the
a nearby pond. It also offers a
mantra recited by Floridians
water cannon that can be used to
when talking about disasters.
clear blocked streets. Ms. Van
And when that one hurricane
Winkle said the truck will also be
or other natural disaster strikes, Residents inspect Ameri-Tech’s pumper recently at the park.
equipped with hooks and chains
Ameri-Tech Community Manage- Standing by from Ameri-Tech are (from left) operations director
to haul debris to clear roadways.
ment, Inc. wants to be part of the Dina Sweeney, Ballantrae HOA community manager Jean-Claude
The pumper also carries a
response network to assist in “JC” Eckstein and community manager Thomas Priester.
generator and chain saws, plus
immediately
clearing
the
fuel to keep them both running.
community property and streets in developments it represents,
She said plans call for the next two vehicles Ameri-Tech
such as the Ballantrae Homeowners Association.
purchases to be a four-wheeler and a ladder truck.
The new Emergency Management Readiness Program is
Mr. Perez considers the pumper as just the first of six pieces
the idea of Michael Perez, president of Clearwater-based of equipment his company plans to purchase and dispatch from
Ameri-Tech. It is designed to fulfill two multi-faceted roles:
Pinellas County.
• Pre-disaster training and preparation for the community.
The equipment will also be part of the mutual aid system in
• Post-disaster assistance to clear and cleanup streets to
the tri-county area, eventually expanding to the southeastern
make them passable for residents and emergency personnel.
United States. Under mutual aid agreements, all member
The program is offered to the communities the company
emergency units are enlisted to respond as available and
represents in Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
needed to calls for assistance from other mutual aid members.
Ameri-Tech has been the Ballantrae HOA’s community
Ameri-Tech is now having most of its employees trained by
manager for several years.
the American Red Cross, FEMA and others. That will make
“Simply put, Ameri-Tech is putting together its own
readiness program,” explained Sharon Van Winkle, them among the first-responders certified to move in to help
Ameri-Tech’s director of marketing and business development. cleanup following a natural or other disaster.
Some Ameri-Tech personnel come to the effort with relevant
“We want to be part of the first-responders to a disaster, with
backgrounds.
Thomas Priester, for example, was a part-time
personnel qualified and certified on an on-going basis, to assist
firefighter
for
15
years in Ohio before joining Ameri-Tech as a
in recovery in the event of a disaster.”
community
manager.
Daryl Waterman, another community
Ameri-Tech was on site in Ballantrae Park for the August
manager,
served
29
years
in the Pinellas Sheriff’s Office.
“Back to School Bash” with its 1974 Mack pumper, a 34-foot
Please turn to page 7
vehicle weighing 12,000 pounds. Adult residents questioned
By Jim Flateau
CDD Chair
20
Ballantrae Communicator | October-December 2012
Visit your CDD web site at www.ballantraecdd.org