C.O.N.A. of South Pinellas County

We All Hope To Share a Better World

Apr 08, 2003

At this month?’s meeting C.O.N.A. will host presentations from the American Heart Association and the Amber Alert Program (regarding missing children in America).

We have also been asked by the City to include a discussion regarding an amendment to the City?’s Dock Regulations regarding some changes. This discussion regards eliminating the maximum number of the boats at docks, eliminating notification of adjacent owners for side setback variances, and eliminating the maximum dock size. Since the City will not pro-actively sponsor these amendments. C.O.N.A. is being asked for our input as our neighborhoods are actively involved in ?“reshaping?” St. Petersburg?’s waterfront.

We will also continue our discussions regarding the St. Petersburg Police Department. Please read Brent Fisher?’s ?“President?’s Message?” in this newsletter for points to be considered for discussion.

And, last but not least, come prepared to give a ?“head count?” on your neighborhood?’s attendance at the Neighborhood Night at the Trop. It?’s sure to be an exciting game and well worth the wait to see the Devil Rays vs. the New York Yankees at 6:15 p.m. on Saturday, September 20th. Tickets are only $5.00 per person. GO RAYS ?– you?’re off to a good season!

The April C.O.N.A. meeting is Wednesday, April 16th at the Sunshine Center, 330 5th Street North. Social Hour: 6:00 ?– 7:00 p.m. Meeting: 7:00 ?– 9:00 p.m.


PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Dear Neighbors,

Last month at our March CONA Board of Directors Meeting there was a great deal of discussion about the St. Petersburg Police Department and the ideas that Chief Harmon has proposed to Mayor Baker as far as recruiting and retaining Patrol Officers.

Chief Chuck Harmon's proposals are:
1) Evaluate a modified schedule
(8-10-10) based upon achieving designated staffing levels in each of the three patrol districts.
2) Allow take home cars for Sergeants and below that live anywhere in Pinellas County.
3) Give specialty pay for Field Training Officers and Tactical Apprehension and a Control Team (SWAT)
4) Allow lateral entry for experienced Police Officers.
5) Allow current 22 DROP participants a 2-year extension in DROP plan. (This will allow the police Department to expedite the modified schedule listed in # 1).

There are two other considerations to encourage officers to live in the City:

1) Re-evaluate Police in Neighborhoods (PIN) program and fully fund this Program.
2) Develop a "personal use policy for take home vehicles" in the City.

At the CONA retreat held on March 1st, the CONA representatives voted by a majority to support the Chief's proposals. The CONA representatives also expressed that there are other problems with the SPPD that have not been addressed. It was felt that a management review would help improve morale in the Police Department. There have been time management and deployment studies in the past that have corrected some of our neighborhoods' concerns. There still seem to be issues that have not been corrected in the past 10-15 years. These are not problems that Chief Harmon or his predecessor brought to the department. The problems have continued for some time.

Questions to the community are: Are these problems with the Police Department affecting your quality of life? Is there too much crime in your neighborhood? I realize that ANY crime is too much, but is it your neighbors or criminals coming into your neighborhoods? Do you have enough Patrol Officers in your area, or does it take too long for them to respond to your call? What are the complaints?

Are the morale problems caused by the Officers not being able to do the job that they trained for? Are they over-worked or under-staffed? Are there too many supervisors and not enough Patrol Officers in the street? Are our Officers not making enough money? The Mayor and City Council just gave the largest pay raise in the City's history to the Police and Fire Departments. CONA supported that 3-year pay plan increase. If adding twenty, thirty, even forty or more officers to the force will improve morale or reduce the neighbor concerns, then it is something our elected officials will need to address. If the proposals that the Chief has made don't correct the issues within the Police Department, or don't reduce the community perception of trouble, then we are only compounding the problem because staffing, payroll and expenses are increased. In a tight budget year for 2003, the projections for 2004 are not much brighter.

In my year and a quarter as President of CONA I have found both the Chief(s) and the Mayor receptive to talking about the problems and wanting to correct the public's perception. That is one reason that we have had a standing committee meeting with the Police Chief each month and have had a long serving founding member of CONA, David McEachern, on a Community Police Relations Committee for the last 10-plus years.

These are just some of the questions and concerns that were brought up. CONA is looking for your input at the next meeting.

I look forward to seeing you on the 16th of April at the Sunshine Center.

Brent


AGENDA

Pledge

Approval of Minutes

Treasurer's Report

Old Business
SPPD
Neighborhood Night at the Trop*

New Business
City's Dock Regulations

Guest Speakers:

Amber Alert Program:
Captain Ron Russell

American Heart Association:
Portable Life-Saving Equipment


*Come prepared to give us a "head count" of your association attendees for the September 20th game: Devil Rays vs. New York Yankees, 6:15 p.m.


2003 C.O.N.A. MEMBERSHIPS

Thank you to the following 54 neighborhood associations for paying your dues promptly. Here is the list of 2003 paid memberships as of 4/7/03:

Albert Whitted Airport
Asian Family & Community
Azalea Homes Community Assoc.
BahamaShores Homeowner?’s Assoc.
Barclay Estates Homeowner?’s Assoc.
Bayway Isles Home Owners
Broadwater Civic Assc.
Causeway Isles N/A
Central Oak Park N/A
Coquina Key Property Owner?’s
Crescent Heights
Cross Roads Area
Disston Heights Civic
Driftwood
Edgemoor
Euclid/St.Paul
Euclid Heights
Fossil Park
Garden Manor N/A
Grand Central Business District
Greater Pinellas Point Civic Assoc.
Greater Woodlawn
Harbordale
Harris Park N/A
Historic Park Street N/A
Isla del Sol Owner?’s Assoc.
Jungle Prada
Jungle Terrace Civic
Kenwood N/A
Lakewood Estates Civic
Lakewood Terrace
Magnolia Heights
Maximo Moorings Civic
Meadowlawn N/A
Mel-Tan Heights
North Downtown
Northeast Park
North Kenwood N/A
North Shore NA
Old Bayside Neigh. & Marina Assoc.
Old Pasadena N/A
Old Southeast N/A
Park Street N/A
Placido Bayou Community Assoc.
Ponce de Leon
Rivera Bay Civic
Shore Acres Civic
Snell Isle
Twin Brooks N/A
Venetian Isles Homeowners
Wildwood Heights
Winston Park
Woodlawn Oaks N/A
Yacht Club Estates


MARCH BOARD OF DIRECTOR'S MEETING MINUTES

The March C.O.N.A. meeting was held on March 19th, 2003,
at The Sunshine Center, 330 5th Street North, St. Petersburg, Florida.

President Brent Fisher called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. leading us in the pledge to our flag.
?˜ Brent called for a standing vote of approval for the February Minutes as published in our CONA Newsletter. [Approved]
?˜ Libby Steel gave her Treasurer's Report of a balance of $3,037.00 including a Leadership Program balance of a negative $351.00. [Approved]
?˜ Newly elected neighborhood officers and current leadership class were invited to introduce themselves. The President recognized City Councilman John Bryan.
?˜ Lynda Ferrera and Joe Urso, (Monarch Publishing), spoke of the need for more advertisers in our CONA Newsletter. [They distributed advertiser referral sheets.]
?˜ Michael A. Crawford, P.E., speaking for the Pinellas Mobility Initiative, [a project of the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)], offered a PowerPoint slide program depicting tentative plans for a light rail system to be installed in Pinellas County. A question & answer session followed the slide presentation.
>The majority of questions pertained to funding. One objector questioned why we might consider a $30 million rail system expense when our school system is already desperately short of funds.
?˜ Cathy Wilson, (Greater Woodlawn), then took the floor to introduce a proposed CONA resolution which conditionally approved of several management plans which Police chief Chuck Harmon will submit to City Council. The provison, she included, (see full text printed in the March CONA Newsletter), was to insist that the Police Department contract with an outside consulting organization to analyze current management practices that have seriously eroded department moral. Barring this, study/review, the resolution called for requesting that the Sheriff's Office be asked to submit a proposal to provide management for our SPPD.
# Moved, (Danner/Bagg), to table the proposed resolution until it can be studied at our neighborhood meetings. [Approved]
?˜ Steve Plice, (Jungle Terrace), reported on the continuing Land Development Regulation (LDR) meetings, indicating that the "Grandfathering" provisions proposed are now acceptable to the participating CONA representatives.
?˜ Brent Fisher reminded us that "Neighborhood Night At The Trop", (9/20/03), will pit the Rays against the Yankees. We need a count of each neighborhood?’s $5.00 ticket demand by our April CONA meeting.
>We need input from our neighborhoods to select prizes which can be awarded for best ticket sales
?˜ Karl Nurse, (Old Southeast), spoke of the need for more neighborhood representation on the various city volunteer boards. Brent promised to post these vacancies in our Newsletter.
?˜ Brent urged members wishing to participate in our E-mail listbot should pass their addresses to our Secretary.
?˜ Members were reminded to pick up pads of the petition dealing with Billboard Blight, which are needed in large numbers to be effective.
?˜ It was announced that there will be a Homeland Security Seminar on March 29th at the Allstate Center, (3200 34th St. S) between 9 and 11 a.m. Please call for reservations: 341-4587.
?˜ President Fisher then played a brief video demonstrating a variety of parade group configurations, urging CONA members to consider participation in the ?“Festival of States?” celebration.
?˜ Rebecca Stewart, (Neighborhood Partnership Office), mentioned that invitations will soon be mailed for their "Neighborhood Social".

Our meeting adjourned at 9 p.m.
Conrad Weiser, Secretary


PARTNERSHIP NOTES

Neighborhood Day at the Trop
Show your neighborhood pride at Tropicana Field on Saturday, September 20, 2003, at the Tampa Bay Devil Rays vs. the New York Yankees. Neighborhoods from throughout the Tampa Bay area are invited to participate in this year's event. Tickets will be $5.00 each (must be
prepaid). Submit the number of tickets you'd like to purchase to your neighborhood association. The association that sells the most tickets will win a prize!

Celebrate St. Petersburg's 100th Birthday
Are you interested in being part of our city's history? Sign up for a birthday party in your neighborhood. The intent is to promote the 100th birthday of the city of St. Petersburg by having multiple (e.g. ideally all 108 neighborhoods!) birthday parties on Sunday, June 8.

7th Annual Florida Neighborhoods Conference
Mark your calendars for the 7th Annual Florida Neighborhoods Conference in Sarasota, September 11-13, 2003. Workshops ranging from Youth Involvement to Public Arts to Negotiations are in the process of being planned. See tours of neighborhoods in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. The registration fee will be $40 plus $5 for a neighborhood tour. Watch
your mailboxes for registration packets.

For more information on these or other neighborhood related items, please contact the Neighborhood Partnership Department at 892-5141 or nghdpart@stpete.org.


NEIGHBORHOOD BRIEFS

C.O.N.A. Members Invited to join Central Oak Park NA for a ?“Homeland Security?” Presentation

The April meeting of the Central Oak Park Neighborhood Association features a presentation on homeland security and how it affects each citizen. Steve Valent of Aggressive Security Consultants will be the speaker. Valent is a nationally recognized expert in security, crime prevention, and antiterrorism. He current serves as director of programs for The National Conference on Homeland Security.

The meeting is Tuesday, April 15th at 7PM in the fellowship hall of St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 4444 5th Avenue North. This meeting is open to residents and nonmembers alike.

Dan Spice, President, COPNA, 328-2852, centraloakpark@aol.com


ROCKS DYING IN YOUR ROCK GARDEN? GET INSPIRED!
by Susan Mayer

Has your green thumb long ago turned brown, or is your thumb still green but in need of some inspiration? Maybe you just want to spend a morning or afternoon enjoying the splendor of a few lovingly tended gardens in our charming neighborhood.

Well, you are just about to win the Garden Lotto! Coming up on Saturday, May 3rd, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association is presenting its Third Annual Spring Garden Stroll.

In ten Old Northeast homes that Saturday there will be no "secret gardens." Instead of just a peek over a wall, you will have the opportunity to linger amidst the foliage and flora and talk with homeowners about how they have created and maintained their masterpieces. Showcased gardens will come in all sizes, from small and cozy to grand and elegant.

In addition, the Audubon Society will specially create a butterfly garden in the yard of a neighborhood home. Here you will have the chance to ask questions and get tips about not only creating your own butterfly garden but
also the mission of the Audubon Society and Florida gardening in general. You'll also have an opportunity to purchase chances on drawings for a number of garden and patio accessories. And as an added bonus, Sunken Gardens will be holding its Orchid Festival on May 3rd and 4th, so our neighborhood will be Garden Central that weekend!

Tickets are $10 per person and may be purchased in advance at several local businesses, in late April, including Simply Splendid (1301 4th Street N) . Gulf Coast Garden Center (4355 Haines Road N), and Something Different (3252 Tyrone Blvd. N.) On the day of the Stroll the ticket outlet will be Westminster Presbyterian Church, 126 11th Avenue NE, from 10am-2pm. This will be a true walking tour -- or how about dusting off your bike? -- so wear comfortable shoes. Parking will be available on the street and at North Shore Park. And remember this is Florida in May, so you'll want to dress accordingly.
3rd Annual Old Northeast Spring Garden Stroll

Come join us to support this annual tradition, meet nice people, enjoy the neighborhood and, perhaps, be inspired to create your own glorious garden! Questions? E-mail: GardenStroll@hotmail.com


VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR GREEN THUMB FESTIVAL

The Green Thumb Festival is seeking adult, teenage, and family volunteers for St. Petersburg's annual Earth Day and Arbor Day celebration, April 26th and 27th. Volunteers are needed to assist in selling small trees, distributing plants by wagon and at the auction, giving away free plants, staffing the volunteer booth, and helping in the arts and crafts area for children. Volunteers receive a 2003 festival T-shirt.

Join the celebration that features gardening programs and seminars, horticultural and environmental exhibits, over 180 exhibitors and vendors, tree sales, plant diagnostic clinic, free mulch, a flower show, tool sharpening clinic, Grow and Share programs, kid's crafts and plant fair. The festival is held at Walter Fuller Park, 7891 26th Ave. N., on April 26th and 27th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free to the public. Call 727-893-7335 for more information.


MAYOR'S MENTORS AND MORE
by Gail Eggeman, C.P.A., Manager, Grants and Education, City of St. Petersburg

There's more to ?“Mayor's Mentors & More?” than mentoring. Mayor Baker made headway in his campaign promise to improve schools by recruiting nine corporations to be a part of ?“Mayor's Mentors and More Corporate Partners?” initiative. He announced the partnerships at the 1st Annual Mayor's Mentors & More Celebration held at Bay Point Middle School in February. There, corporate CEOs, joined by the mayor and school principals, pledged their support to the City's middle schools in many different forms -- employees donating time for mentoring or school service projects, or the companies providing computers or setting up technical programs, for example. Some corporations have had long standing relationships with a school and this acknowledges and strengthens the relationship. And some of the relationships are new. The Corporate Partners include: Verizon, HSN U.S., Catalina Marketing, America II, Progress Energy, Raytheon, Mercantile Bank, Eckerd College, and Franklin Templeton Investments. Look for more news of these great partnerships. The City has promised to provide information about how the schools are doing and provide ongoing coordination for this program.

It's never too late to make a difference. Mentor!


C.O.N.A. LEADERSHIP CLASS 2003

Congratulations to the Leadership Class of 2003. With only two more classes to go in the eight-week schedule, the Leadership Program will conclude with the graduation dinner event on May 9th at the Vinoy Country Club. Charlie Christ, Attorney General for the State of Florida, is the scheduled guest speaker

Participants this year are from a variety of neighborhood and business associations ?– both young and mature citizens, St. Petersburg natives and newcomers to town, neighborhood association presidents as well as business owners, a police officer, a fire fighter, a teacher, a postal worker, a stay-at-home-mom, real estate brokers, a computer specialist, and a social service manager ?–
the list goes on to encompass many spectrums of life.

Classes are held throughout the City and meeting sites include City Hall, the Police Department, the Asian FAC Center and, for the first time, Admiral Farragut Academy.

Here are the 2003 program participants/graduates. Thank you all for making a difference in your neighborhoods and the City of St. Petersburg.

Justine Allen, Historic Park Street
Thomas Baggett, Greater Woodlawn
Ralph Brink, Historic Northeast
Timothy Bryant, Snell Isle
Thomas Calahan, Greater Woodlawn
Robert Davis, Crescent Heights
Ilda ?“Lyn?” Dexter, Jungle Terrace
Michael Gulley, Coquina Key
Carolyn Gulley, Coquina Key
Betty Hayward, Bayou Highlands
Carl Ferguson, 16th St. Business Assoc.
Pamela Hunter
Timothy Haab, Broadwater
Patrick Jennings, Greater Woodlawn
Lee Krueger, Broadwater
Nancy Kratzer, Crescent Heights
Alan Leigh, Coquina Key
Tracy Leigh, Coquina Key
Peggy Lesch, Bayou Highlands
Deborah Martohue
Annalouise McWilliams, Isla Del Sol
Eileen O?’Sullivan, Historic Old Northeast
Dick Oliver, Shore Acres
Roy Olsen, Downtown
Jeffrey Phillips, Crossroads
Jane Peterson, Old Southeast
Dawn Ricketts, Coquina Key
Jennifer Ross
Willi Rudowsky, Snell Isle
Susan Russon, Live Oaks
Capt. Ron Russell, Jungle Terrace
Rebecca Saylor, North Kenwood
Mary Mallette Scott, Jungle Terrace
Jacquie Small, Lake Maggiore Shores
Jim Tomlinson, Crescent Heights
Patrick Whitaker, Isla Del Sol
Scott Willis, Northeast Park
Shannon Wright, Winston Park/Cinnamon Lake

This year?’s Leadership Planning Committee members were: Ingrid Comberg, Planning Committee Chair; Tom Killian, Recruitment Chair; Theresa McEachern, Planning Committee Member; and Steve Plice, Planning Committee Member.

Thanks go to the group leaders who made this year?’s program happen: Jim Belcher, Ingrid Comberg, Mary Darling, Delores Gabbidon, Tom Killian, Bill King, Theresa McEachern, Steve Plice, Shelly Schwartz, Rebecca Stewart, Victoria Stout, Ed Van and Cathy Wilson. Special thanks to Tom Killian visited over fifty neighborhood and business associations to promote participation in this year?’s program.

Without the participation and support of all of these individuals, this successful program would not continue. St. Petersburg is proud to have this program in place; it was one of the first Leadership Programs of its kind in the country.

It?’s not too early to think about next year?’s program. Please encourage participation from your neighbor and your neighborhoods. If you know of someone interested in participating in C.O.N.A. Leadership 2004 as a student or a group leader (if you are a former graduate), please drop C.O.N.A. a line at P.O. Box 3529, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. The Leadership Program is also looking for donations of any amount, but specifically needs $400 - $500 to help break even this year!


QUOTE OF THE MONTH

?“All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.?” -- Edmund Burke


MORE FUN FROM MY FRONT PORCH
by Chris Kelly, President, Roser Park Neighborhood Association
Well, the 2003 baseball season has started in earnest.
After three Saturday spring training games, my son and I have taken our viewing habit inside the Dome, where the beverages are nearly as expensive as the seats. If you sit in the 300 level seats (and I don?’t recommend it) and drink many $7 beers (and I really don?’t recommend that), you can have just an awful time and threaten to never go back. Believe me, those of us sitting in the moderately priced seats and enjoying a budgeted beverage don't mind some empty seats ?– and a half-full stadium lets us get to the concession and back in less than half an inning. The absence of the patron makes room for the fan. We prefer the fan: the guy who sits next to us and yells insanely obscure insults at the umpire and wants a round of high fives for every strikeout. My son likes to be around folks who have a passion for baseball, as we?’ve been known to yell at baseball officials in unison.
In the 7th inning of the March 31st Opening Day game, my son, Patrick, turned to me and said that he was ready to leave. The Rays were down 4-1, and it didn?’t look good. I told Patrick that we needed to stay for the rally, and then watched as the most exciting game in Rays?’ history unfolded before our eyes. When Carl Crawford homered with 2 outs and 2 strikes in the bottom of the 9th to win the game, we jumped, yelled and high fived all around.
Walking home through Campbell Park afterwards, Patrick stopped me on the darkened little league field and asked how I knew there was going to be a rally. I told him that I just had a feeling, and that baseball can be like magic. Sometimes, I said, baseball can show you things that you never expected to see, and if enough people really believe in a bunch of kids, and those kids try hard enough, that they can make magic happen. My son scoffed, and said that he didn?’t believe me. But I do.
It?’s a five minute walk to the Dome from our home, and the lack of lines at the box office let us get there, purchase a ticket, get food, drink and to our seats in less time than it takes to park a car at Yankee Stadium or Seattle?’s Safeco Field. Speaking of the Yankees and Mariners, Lou Piniella has moved to the beaches, and now works in St Petersburg?’s Enterprise Zone. I hope Mr. Piniella sticks around longer than his predecessors Rothschild and McRae, as I?’ve lived in New York and Seattle, and I?’m not moving. Certainly if I can put down roots in St Petersburg, and encourage my kids to excel, Sweet Lou can do the same - and hasn?’t Mayor Baker been encouraging mentoring?