27 April 2013 TO: ALL MORNINGSIDE HOMEOWNERS FROM: ADAM DUNSHEE, PRESIDENT, MORNINGSIDE CIVIC ASSOCIATION SUBJECT: NEIGHBORHOOD POLL – PERIMETER SECURITY FENCE Either through our Google Group, neighbor-to-neighbor conversation, or by attending recent public meetings on the subject, you may have become aware that your Morningside Civic Association and concerned neighbors of Morningside will be conducting a neighborhood-wide poll to assess whether to erect a perimeter security fence around our neighborhood. The purpose of this correspondence is to notify every homeowner in the neighborhood that polling will begin during the month of May 2013 and continue through July 2013 with all votes to be casted until August 1, 2013. WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO VOTE Every homeowner in Morningside is eligible and asked to vote. Each homeowner (by address) is permitted one vote and the voting is open to all homeowners, regardless of civic association membership status. WHAT IS BEING VOTED ON A ballot will be mailed to every household during the first half of May 2013. On the ballot, each household will be asked whether its occupants would or would not support erecting a perimeter fence, up to 8’ high, encircling Morningside. The purpose of the fence would be to reduce, but not fully restrict, pedestrian access into and out of the neighborhood at our 12 entry and exit points with all pre- and post-construction costs, responsibilities, and liabilities being borne by the City of Miami. This proposal strictly adheres to the program that has already been implemented around the perimeter of the Belle Meade neighborhood, north of us running along NE 6th Court from NE 72nd Terrace to NE 77th Street. That fence reduces pedestrian access into Belle Meade at certain locations, but does not restrict access on the whole. Belle Meade’s fence is unlocked at all hours with pedestrian entry gained through a swinging gate. Whether a Belle Meade resident or not, all may still enter that neighborhood at anytime. Additionally, this fence is constructed from one property-line to the next property-line. This means that houses immediately neighboring the fence are 100% responsible for continuation of the fence across their property to the next property-line. Sample photos from Belle Meade are provided below. The ballot will also contain a second, independent question asking whether your household would be willing to contribute monies on a 100% voluntary basis to implement a security complement or an outright substitute to the perimeter security fence, either in the form of surveillance cameras, motion lighting, or other cost effective measure, at the up to 12 entry and exit points into Morningside. One question is not contingent on the other, meaning you could vote yes on the first and no on the second or visa versa. HOW TO CAST YOUR VOTE There will be three ways in which votes will be collected during this polling process. #1 - Email. Your Morningside Civic Association has established a separate email account for this polling. Results will be monitored by a neutral individual. The email address to reply with your vote will be morningsidepoll@gmail. In order for an email ballot to be counted, you must state your full name (e.g. John Smith, not just John) and your Morningside street address (e.g. 500 NE 50th Terrace). If this information is not provided, the neutral monitor will have to reach out to you to obtain the information, but if you cannot be reached, that ballot cannot be counted. #2 - U.S. Mail. A stamped pre-addressed envelope will be enclosed when ballots are mailed next month. Each ballot will contain a copy for you to keep for your records. #3 - Door-to-door solicitation. If the two previous collection methods fail, a team of Morningside volunteers will contact you at your home to collect your vote. A copy of your ballot will be provided there as well. Only households which have not responded by mail or email will be contacted in this manner. RESULTS OF THE POLL Once the votes are collected and tabulated shortly after the August 1st deadline, your Civic Association will announce the results over the Google Group and by U. S. mail to each of the estimated 427 households in Morningside. Based upon past conversations with City Commissioner Marc Sarnoff’s office, seventy percent (70%) or more of the households within Morningside must vote in favor of question #1 (the fencing measure) in order for Morningside to have a legitimate basis for requesting the city to construct and maintain a perimeter fence. Your Civic Association will be in contact with the Commissioner’s office throughout the polling in the event this required majority vote has changed. QUESTIONS DURING THE POLLING The Morningside Civic Association board will do its best to respond in a factual manner to questions raised during the polling. This will be done via the Google Group. However, every effort will be made to avoid communications that could be viewed as trying to influence the vote one way or another. The goal of this poll is for members of each household to come to their own conclusions on what is best for themselves and the neighborhood. While there may be intra-neighborhood discussions, we urge neighbors to avoid any and all pressure tactics. In closing, we’ll look forward to seeing how the neighborhood responds to this security matter. In the end, the will of the neighborhood will prevail. We are all neighbors and we all want the best for Morningside. Regards, Adam Dunshee President, Morningside Civic Association
Posted on: Mon, 09 Sep 2013 00:34:51 +0000
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