Parking, Packing Up and Shutting Out

The Parking Workshop on February 21, 2015

The Annual Harbor Island Parking Workshop was held Saturday at 10 AM.  The time was chosen to ensure that observant Jews were precluded and the meeting, which affects some 1000 residents on Harbor Island was attended by about 25 people plus 4 commissioners.  (Wendy Duvall was not present again.)  

There was several key points covered

• There are not enough parking spots on Harbor Island.
• There are many reasons for this but the biggest one is that the Bayshore Yacht and Tennis Club broke their parking lease sometime in 2010 and won't pay for parking.  This puts an additional 167 cars on the street.  
• The newer condos have adequate parking but charge the residents and in the case of the Eloquence the paying short term guests to park there.  
• The older condos don't have enough parking.   

At least this year, the village had some baseline statistics.   

So the following proposals were floated.  

• Create a decal system for Harbor Island residents.  
• Don't give decals to the Bayshore Yacht and Tennis Club
• Don't give decals to anyone who has an assigned parking space. 
• Meter public parking for visitors or offer a "scratch off" type parking pass to be used.  
• Parking by phone and by meter were discussed.   

 These ideas will be evaluated by the village administration and recommendations submitted to the commission for them to ignore.  

Our mayor has already declared herself horrified at the poverty in the 7904 Building and is not likely to vote for anything that does not help these poor people out of their self inflicted wound.   Commissioners Chervony, Lim and Jorge Gonzalez did not give any indications of how they will vote and Commissioner Duvall was absent.   

My guess is it will be North Bay Village Crazy™ half baked solution with some decals and no enforcement.  

The Police Chief Is On Administrative Leave With No Return (Fired) - 

Less than 6 months after giving Chief Robert Daniels a good performance review and a merit increase for his outstanding service, the village manager decided to let the police chief go.  Per the terms of the police chief's employment, he is entitled to six months' notice and three months' severance plus accumulated vacation and sick days, plus extended health benefits.   So we have to pay that out.  

There are rumors all over town about why he was fired but nothing you can really lend a lot of credence to.   The police department now has an acting chief, Brian Collins, through October.   Collins is a good man and he kept things on track last time he was faced with the same issue, so that's good.  

Shutting Down The Gates on North Bay Island

Apartheid Wall Jo'Burg 1988

Apartheid Wall North Bay Island 2015

 

The North Bay Island Gated Community is taking things a step further and prohibiting entrance to the neighborhood between 10 PM and 6 AM without clearance from a resident. 

This is being pushed through by one resident as there is no longer a homeowner's association on North Bay Island and the streets are not private so there are massive legal questions.   

Kevin Vericker

February 22, 2015