Directors Present: Cathy Parks (moderator), Lorraine Armstrong, Kent Carroll, Ide Gagalis, Carol Gruszka

Directors Absent: Niel Allen, Alex Ellis, Liz Marcucci, Cheri Riley, Stacy Vermette

Opening:  Cathy Parks, moderator and meeting host, opened the Board of Directors (BOD) meeting at 6:05 p.m.

Treasurer’s Report:  Alex Ellis provided the following treasurer’s report via email:

Operating Account: $2,403.66 (less $710 reserved for cul-de-sac fence maintenance)
Expenses: $690 for Fence Repair + $231.44 for Signage
Income: Annual dues = $50 (1 check, 1 Square payment)

Old Business:

• New Signage for Next General Meeting 8/15: Newly designed yard signs are ready to be posted to announce the next general meeting on August 15. Ide Gagalis will test various marking methods (and their respective removal products) to ensure the new signs can be reused repeatedly to announce future meeting. Signs be posted either on private residence properties with high vehicle traffic or on city-owned property (but not Bear Creek Park). [Note: Signs posted on city property will be thrown away if they encumber lawn mowing.] Directors should remove the signs the day after a general meeting and return them to Niel Allen’s home for storage.
• General Meeting Speakers: At the time of the BOD meeting, a guest speaker had not yet committed but will be announced in the next email reminder. Options:
  • A SoUL (Stewards for Our Urban Lakes) director would describe the organization’s efforts in reviving Crescent Lake 16 years ago and describe how our lakes could be improved.
  • A member of the Urban Forestry Committee could speak about the ongoing efforts to identify and protect significant canopy trees on city property.
  • A St. Petersburg Police Department representative could speak about community safety and crime prevention.
• Neighborhood Historical Homes: Cheri Riley reported via email that the LPENA History Committee has now loaded three (of our neighborhood’s fifteen) historic homes onto the LPENA site. Long-time Lake Pasadena Estates residents are encouraged to provide any oral histories or memorabilia and to bring photos of life here through the years to the general neighborhood meeting for scanning (and subsequent return to you). The History Committee can also make an appointment to visit in individual homes to record memories to be added to our collection.

Long before we were here, the Tocobaga Indians called this area home. Take the tour at Jungle Prada, a fun-field trip with a quirky tented gift shop, to learn more about the ancient history of our community (https://discoverfloridatours.com/).

• Harvest Fest:  Ide reported that Susan Ajoc has approved our proposal for a city mini-grant to provide $250 for our annual Harvest Fest block party, scheduled for November 11. The money may be expended for such items as street closure, food and non-alcoholic drinks (to an authorized vendor), or applied toward the cost of the “bouncy house” (also must be an authorized vendor). Our organization itself can apply to become an “authorized vendor,” and the board directed Ide to proceed toward achieving this designation.

New Business: None.

Reminder: Please submit your annual membership dues via cash or check ($25/household) to any director or via Square ($26.05/household). THANK YOU!

Closing: The meeting was adjourned at 7:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Carol Gruszka, LPENA secretary