HERE ARE SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WERE DISCUSSED OR DECIDED ON AT THE MARCH AND APRIL 2024 FHA BOARD MEETINGS. MORE DETAILS WILL BE REPORTED LATER IN THE FLOATING TIMES.
The March and April FHA Board meetings were the first in-person meetings since the pandemic, thanks to the hospitality of Tam Morgan and Peter Miller, Main Dock rep and alternate.
- Treasurer Linda Futrell announced that the FHA has received $5,650 in Day in the Park (DITP) Sponsorships and $1,345 in membership dues. YTD donations for the legal fund total $14,326. No legal fees have been paid yet. Year-to-date income of $36,046 is 54% of the annual budget and $16,440 in expenses are 22.5% of budget.
- There was a large attendance at the Annual Meeting and Party, including a number of walk-ins who hadn’t RSVP’d. It was decided to try another venue next year.
- Emergency Preparedness Chair Flo Hoylman announced that a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training will be held in Southern Marin in June. More information will appear later in the Floating Times. FHA President Pete Hudson reminded everyone that a list of people with access to the disaster response trailer is posted next to the trailer door on Gate 6 Road.
- Julie Durbin, chair of the Day in the Park Committee, anticipates more sponsors for the May 19 event, which will necessitate more signs. So far DITP expenses total $9325. Income to date totals $7995. She expects substantial additional income from sales of wine and water. Tickets for food, drinks, and pickle jar prizes will be sold and this will be the only place where the FHA will accept cash. Some booths will display a QR code which can be used for higher end purchases. Julie and her committee are seeking high end prizes for the pickle jar drawing, which replaces the silent auction. If you or someone you know would like to donate, contact Julie.
- The Board unanimously adopted a policy against sharing dock contact information with non-dock residents, subject to the discretion of individual dock reps.
- Lynn Lester (Liberty Dock rep) brought up the difficulty of preventing contractors from using dock shopping carts and overloading them with heavy supplies. FHA President Pete Hudson offered to form a working group to address this problem.
- Pete reported that he and Candice Gold are meeting with the Sausalito Chamber of Commerce to explore booking tours through a partnership with an established tour company.
- Pete acknowledged that the new FHA website has been launched and he expects it to be more user-friendly than the previous site. The site is a work in progress and some parts are still under development. Pete noted that the site eventually with have full membership functions, including auto-renewal of dues.
- Legislative Action Committee chair Joe Novitsky reported that the LAC was meeting with attorney Ken Coren to discuss fees imposed by some marinas since the passage of AB252, which amended the Floating Homes Residency Law (FHRL). An LAC subcommittee is exploring alternatives for modifying the Vacancy Control portion of the law to allow some increase in rent when a floating home is sold, but with a definite cap. Six different formulas are under consideration. Joe also mentioned that a bill has been introduced to allow mobile homeowner groups right of first refusal if their parks are put up for sale. Since the FHRL has been adapted from the Mobile Homes Residency Law, Joe will follow the progress of the bill to see if a similar right might be granted to floating homeowners. The key wording of the bill states: “A resident organization shall have the right of first refusal to the mobilehome park. If the resident organization is interested in purchasing the mobilehome park, they may make an offer within six months of receiving the notice… The mobilehome park owner shall engage in good-faith negotiations with the resident group.”