IPOIA Annual Meeting - September 14, 2013

The IPOIA Annual Meeting will be held on September 14, 2013 @ 2 p.m. All members of the IPOIA are invited to attend.

Public Hearing on Proposed 2014 City Budget

Update on IPOIA Special Called Meeting

Approximately 50 residents braved the downpour and attended the Special Called Meeting to discuss the lease agreement between the IPOIA and the City. The current lease is as follows $700 per month for office space/$1600 per year for use of the community center for meetings/ 75% of utilities for office space/50% utilities for community center. The IPOIA share rental on a copy machine. The Cities offer was as follows: $250 per month for office space/$1000 per year for use of community center/IPOIA pays all utilities/no mention on use of copier. Mayor Brockhouse was given the floor to give his views on the purchase of a building to be used as the new city hall. He explained that this was not his idea but the idea of three of the city council members who got together and presented this proposal to him. After much discussion from the members the IPOIA Board moved to executive session to discuss a counter offer on the lease. The Board has voted to counter with the same amount that the city has been paying for the last three years. We will have to wait and see if the city accepts the lease present by the IPOIA.

August Newsletter Highlights

WEEDS! WEEDS! WEEDS! Bill Adney, Ivanhoe resident and helicopter pilot, observed the fast growing aquatic plants along the shores of Lakes Galahad and Tristan. As he flew over Lake Hyatt (a lake located to the south of us) he noticed the lake was nearly covered by similar water plants. Concerned about the fate of Ivanhoe lakes, Bill sprang into action consulting the Internet and county agricultural agent. One meeting has already been held with concerned citizens in which Mac McCune, President of Lake Management Specialists of Sugarland was an invited guest speaking about possible solutions to the weed problem. (a more detailed report is given in the August newsletter). On Saturday, August 17 at 10 a.m. there will be a second meeting for the public held at the community center with more detailed information. If you would like to speak with Bill about becoming a member of the lake committee, contact him at 409-224-2388. KUDOS FOR THE IVANHOE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT We had one of the best fireworks displays ever staged for the 4th by the Ivanhoe Volunteer Fire Department. Support of our fire department is vital to our community. They fund the fireworks by selling some of the best BBQ in Tyler Co. Labor Day Weekend you will get another chance to get a great plate of awesome BBQ as well as sweets for sale by the Ladies Civic Club. Please support your community organizations. As always - the newsletter is available at the IPOIA office and is placed in a mail box out front so you can just drive by and pick up your copy. If you wish to have one mailed to your home please contact the office for details.

SPECIAL CALLED MEETING FOR IPOIA - WED. AUG. 14TH AT 6 P.M.

Below is a note written to all members of the IPOIA from the president of the association Patsy Morris. I will allow comments to be made on this post however, I ask that you stick to the subject of this post. Friends, here are two important issues before the IPOIA and city council for which your input is needed: Item #1 After the city council executive meeting Thursday night, city attorney Tim McDonough announced that Councilman David Baier is investigating the purchase of a portable office building to be used as a city hall. When Ivanhoe became a city, residents identified two priorities; roads and security. A separate city hall was not imagined. At present, the city hall office and meeting space is leased from the IPOIA whose volunteers use this income for community improvements. In the last few weeks, the IPOIA has spent $2700 for a new ice machine and over $8000 for the community center air conditioner. Just last week we spent $500 to locate and clean the septic tank for the office. A number of parks are mowed by volunteers whose reimbursement, if any, is only the cost of gas when hired mowing can cost as much as $35 an hour. The city council meets for a workshop to discuss the budget on Thursday, August 14th. (Remember: they are deciding how they will allocate and spend your tax dollars). Residents may attend this meeting however you will not be allowed to comment. Within the next couple of weeks, a budget hearing will be held where citizen input will be allowed which will include reading of letters and emails received at the city office about the building of a new city hall. Please make your voice heard. The city council and IPOIA should support each other to make Ivanhoe a better place to live. The current office space is adequate for both. The IPOIA has regular summer office hours of 9-5 on Saturdays and 2-4 on Sundays. The city hall is open all day from Tuesday through Friday and half day on Saturday. We share the building for one half day each Saturday, a half day on Saturday. We share the building for one half day each Saturday, a half day on Friday once a month and a few hours during the week when IPOIA volunteers complete office maintenance chores. Item #2 1. The mayor contacted Patsy Morris, the current IPOIA president to report that the city is countering the IPOIA lease agreement to reduce the current lease amount from $10,000 per year to what he says is "fair market value" and to reduce the percentage of utilities shared by the city. He will present the lease proposal Monday morning. (the city's proposal has been presented and after the Wed. night meeting I will post it for those who are unable to attend the meeting). The IPOIA board will discuss the ramifications of a reduced lease or no lease by the city at a special called meeting at 6:00 p.m. Wed. August 14th in the community center. IPOIA members will have an opportunity to voice their opinions as the board struggles with the decision to accept or reject the city proposal. Please Come! For those of you who wish to express your opinion on the city building a city hall, please address your emails to mail@cityofivanhoetx.com