[NFBF-Tampa] Minutes for Tampa Bay Chapter Meeting 20190727

[Dan Hicks]

Just in case you missed them the first time, or just want to refresh your
memory, I am sending out last meeting’s minutes, again. 

 

Minutes of Tampa Bay Chapter Meeting

July 27, 2019

 

 

The meeting was held at O’Brien’s Irish Pub, 701 West Lumsden Road, Brandon,
FL 33511

 

The meeting was called to order at 12:00 Noon by Chapter Vice President
Merry Schoch. President Miranda Kilby was not feeling well, so she was
absent. In the absence of Secretary Sherrill O’Brien, Treasurer Dan Hicks
will take the minutes for the meeting.

 

Chapter Board Member Marion Gwizdala made a motion that we send Miranda a
bouquet of flowers. The motion was seconded by Noe Vileda and was passed. 

 

President Miranda Kilby and Paul Martinez called in to the meeting via
phone. Everyone wished her well.

 

The Minutes for our meetings in April and June were had been sent out by
Secretary Sherrill O’Brien. Louise Peyton made the motion, seconded by Board
Member Jeanette Torrez, to approve the minutes as emailed. The motion
passed.  

 

Dan Hicks read the Treasurer’s Report. Marion moved, seconded by Janice
Butler, to accept the report as read. The motion passed. 

 

Merry introduced guests from the Metropolitan Planning Organization. 

 

Wanda West from MPO introduced those persons she had brought with her to
help her with her presentation, which was the Long-Range Transportation
Survey. 

 

Wanda told us that there has been an appeal to the Florida Supreme Court
regarding the transportation surtax which was voted in by Hillsborough
County residents. She said they hope to have a ruling within six months. She
also suggested contacting the Board of County Commissioners to express our
opinions, as the board is going ahead in the drafting of ordnances in
anticipation of the release of the funds. 

 

Marion asked when the next BOCC meeting?

 

Wanda said that the meeting dates are posted on the county’s website. Merry
Schoch said that she will distribute that information on the chapter’s email
list. Later is was determined that the next BOCC meeting 8/7 at 9 am.

 

The next topic was the Long-Range Transportation Survey. 

 

This is a survey for which the BOCC is seeking 10,000 responses from county
residents. Surveys are available in print and electronically. After some
discussion it was decided that the best process would be for our visitors to
survey the meeting participants all together, at the same time. The survey
addressed such topics as where we would like to see bus corridors, bus rapid
transit, what major investments should be prioritized, and what we would
like to see done with the downtown interchange. It went very well. 

 

Merry called for Old Business.

 

One of the things that we do as a group outside of meeting is arrange for
various recreational activities. Our most recent such event was horseback
riding in April. 

 

Jeanette Torrez, who chairs this committee, said that visiting a Comedy Club
had been suggested. The group voted and It was decided we try to do that in
September.

 

Merry called on fundraising chairpersons Board Members Gloria Mills Hicks
and Marion Gwizdala. 

 

Marion said that we are looking at doing a New Orleans Mardi Gras-related
fundraiser. We would have Mardi Gras-type food and would raise money by
charging admission and by having an auction.

 

Gloria mentioned that our treasury is down about $1,000 from where it was a
few months ago. She said we need to raise money, but was concerned about the
overhead cost of such an event.

 

Marion said he will put together a budget. He said that we also need to come
up with other ideas. He said the last time our chapter did a car wash, which
was years ago, we raised almost $500.

 

Merry asked for volunteers for the Fundraising Committee?  She and Dan will
join the committee. She will also talk to Miranda and Paul to see if they
are interested in joining. 

 

Gloria suggested that we combine New Orleans fundraising activity in
conjunction tieh meet the blind month activities in October. A fundraiser is
a way to get our ideas and name out to the public.

 

Merry asked that everybody be on the NFBF-L email list. One reason is that
this is how legislative priorities are distributed. Our area is weak about
getting our representatives to sign on to our legislative initiatives.
Everyone is invited to attend the NFBF Legislative Committee
teleconferences. They are usually the third Tuesday of each month, but are
announced on the NFBFL and NFBF-Tampa email lists. 

 

The HART board of directors meeting is the first Monday of each month at
9am. This month it will be August 5. The public can make three minute
comments. We greatly appreciate it when our members can take part. 

 

Merry said that we have been offered a meeting location in downtown tampa.
It would be at Crystal Bay Café, which is not open, but we would be able to
use the location, courtesy of Debbie Heitala, the owner of the Café. Marion
and Merry would be willing to prepare and bring a main course to the
meeting. Members would be asked to bring small food items. This would open
the door to people who could not afford to purchase a meal to attend a
meeting. 

 

Our 2020 state convention will be at the Embassy Suites on the USF campus
over Memorial Day Weekend, Friday May 22 thru Memorial Day May 25. This is
going to be a very special convention, as it will be the 50th Annual
convention of the NFBF. She said that there was a chance we could have Jane
Castor as a guest.

 

White cane safety day is Tuesday October 15. Merry called for suggestions. 

 

Marion said that some of our street crossings have been more successful than
others. We have been talking about having them at some of our busier
intersections. We did not get coverage last year at Dale Mabry and Cypress,
but the Downtown crossings have been quite successful. He would like to
investigate doing one out of Chillura Park.

 

Merry suggested that we get a proclamation She asked if we have ever had a
proclamation from a mayor of Tampa.

 

Dan said yes, Pam Iorio gave us a proclamation while she was mayor.

 

Gloria said that if we are going to go to the county commission to organize
this, let us also ask the county commission members to walk with us. Let
them see what it is like to be a pedestrian.

 

Louise Peyton suggested  that we kill two birds with one stone and combine
the white cane safety day and meet the blind month activities.

 

Dan agreed that combining the two made sense.

 

Merry asked for volunteers for white cane and meet the blind blind month
committee. Marion will chair and Yvonne Rosanelli will co-hair. Carlos
Montes will also serve.

 

There was a roll-call of those in attendance. There were several first-time
attendees.

 

Merry said that the Bell program was a lot of work, but it was a great
success. She said there were lots of volunteers, but that was a good thing.
We only had two blind children as students, but they were very challenging. 

 

We had food and other donations from several members, including Gloria, who
came and bought McDonald’s food for the kids and the volunteers on two of
the days the program was held. The hamburgers were a huge hit with the kids.


We were able to make a difference in the lives of both of the students, but
it will also be necessary to keep in contact with the parents.  

 

Marion suggested that we do fundraising at places where there is a natural
group of people. He suggested that we might combine our Meet the Blind Month
with the food truck rally which is held about once a month.

 

Yvonne asked if we had anyone in charge of publicity. The chapter’s Facebook
page is how one of eh BELL parents found us.

 

Marion admitted that our media lists are very out of date and that we can do
a lot more to get the word out.

 

Merry said that we have PSAs produced by the National Office available to
us. If anyone has contacts in the radio or television industries, please let
us know. We can get the word out of eye doctors and other counsellors. She
will be teaching a course at USF that will have to do with community
involvement. 

 

Gloria said that she uses Uber and Lift from time to time. She has found
that one can compare prices from both services before actually ordering a
ride. Sometimes there is a significant difference in the potential prices
charged by the two services. She said that Uber and Lyft drivers sometimes
have difficulties finding the customer. Blind customers sometimes cannot
find their rides. Do you tell the driver you are blind so they can find you?

 

Marion said that we might tell the drivers where we are and that we have a
cane and that I am blind. 

 

Jeanette said she has been denied rides because she uses a long white cane.
The drivers say they are afraid that the cane will damage their vehicles. 

 

Merry suggested, when such things happen, one should send the details out
via the chapter email list. She said that she takes screenshots when her
ride is picked up and when she sends a text message to the driver. If the
ride is denied, she takes a screenshot. If the ride is accepted then she has
her phone ready to start taking a video. She does all of this to document
her being denied, if that happens. 

 

Marion said that we need documentation when we go before the state’s
attorneys and judges. 

 

Dan gave the group instructions on how to take a screenshot on most iPhones.


 

Marion said that you can tell Siri: “Record Video,” the phone will be ready
to record video. Then, to start recording, press either of the volume
buttons. 

 

The 50/50 drawing was held. The winner was Linda Mumford, who chose to
donate half the prize back to the chapter. 

 

Lynn Reynolds, Linda Mumford, and Joy Relton were all voted in as new
members and paid dues. 

 

The motion to adjourn was made by Marion, seconded by Gloria. The meeting
was adjourned at 1:55 pm.

 

Respectfully Submitted

 

Dan Hicks

Treasurer

Tampa Bay Chapter

National Federation of the Blind of Florida

 

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