MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
The West Galveston Island Property Owners Association Board of Directors meeting was held on May 15, 2010 at Moody Gardens Hotel. Jerry Mohn, President called the meeting to worker at 9:00 a.m. A quorum of Directors was present by attendance of Boyd Carr – Isla Del Sol, Jeff Southland -, and Sidney McClendon –Pirates Beach, Peggy Zahler –Spanish Grant Beach, Al Galli – Jamaica Beach and Susan Gonzales Pointe San Luis.
A big hand and Welcome back was given to Council member Diana Puccetti
Judge Schweitzer – Tickets are being written on golf cart violations.
John Grady – running for County Judge
Jack Roady – running for Galveston County District Attorney
Brian Lamb – Galveston County Commissioner – Stewart Road engineering is being done and should be completed soon. The Fire Station construction is ongoing. If you have any questions please call him.
Corp Sponsor – Peggy Zahler with Johnson Space Center Credit Union
Treasurers report: Revenue $26,000 with net income of $26,000. Accounts receivables outstanding are $5405. Peggy Zahler and seconded by Sidney McClendon.
We continue to look for technology for keeping the sand on the beach. We also have to raise money for the sand replenishment. We need to make our object to make sure FEMA funds phase II the same as phase I, without contributions. It was recommended that Property Owners Association send a letter and support that the GLO/FEMA perform as promised and due Phase I & Phase II of the sand replenishment without individual contributions.
Florida and New Jersey have a transaction fee on real estate sales. This transaction fee goes to beach restoration. This is what we need. Discussion was held on other ways of getting sources for funds for the beach. A point was made that Houston needs to participate in the preservation of the The Ike Dike was of great interest to interest.
Dianna Puccetti – Dianna stated she is glad to be back, contact her dpuccett@comcast.net or 409-682-1477. She will be meeting with the City Manager to get up to speed on all of the issues and will be attending the WGIPOA meeting.
Dr. Andre Landry TAMUG "Troubles for Sea Turtles and Challenger for Us!"
Dr. Andre Landry, Jr; Director of the Sea Turtle and Fisheries Ecology Research Lab at Texas A & M University, in Galveston.
Sea Turtles of the World
* Seven sea turtle species live on planet earth
* Five species use the Gulf of Mexico for: breading, nesting, hatching, and feeding
Sea Turtle use of gulf habitats depends on species, life history stage (i.e., juvenile vs. adult), Time of year (year-round vs. seasonal), and Habitat behavior (i.e., feeding vs. nesting).
Turtles have a life history – gathering of a male & female on or off shore one month before laying eggs. The female will produce 3-4 different nests. In 14-21 days she will continue lay eggs. After that she goes to Louisiana to forage to shallow waters and sets up a foraging territory, she will be there a year. Each nest is approximately 100 eggs hatch 45- 60 days; the young turtle must go beyond the danger zone (surf/large fish).
Soft Shell Sea Turtles:
Leatherback Sea Turtle is the largest, deepest diving sea turtle; weight is 2000 lbs and is soft shell. The last time one was seen on the coast was 1930; they eat jellyfish and are critically endangered.
Hard Shell Sea Turtles:
Loggerhead is found in Florida, the populations are declining across its range and will soon be listed as endangered in the U.S.
Green Sea Turtle – the numbers are increasing
Hawkbill Sea Turtle– tropical, in the Keys or Southern Gulf, problem is they are covered with fishing line causing flipper damage
Endangered Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle are the smallest of the sea turtles, and nest during the day.
Sea Turtle occurrence in the Western Gulf
Species using western waters can be categorized as transients: specifically or time restriction.
TAMUG’s recipe for studying Sea Turtles
*In-water capture – information all life history stages exempt hatchlings and post-hatchlings in open ocean zones. Set big nets to capture turtles at different hours and different areas.
*Nesting beach patrols – info on nesting activities, limited to female nesters and hatchlings – using foot patrols or ATV patrols.
*Tagging and tracking-flipper, PLT and satellite stages, recaptures population estimated, growth and habitat.
*Netted from Sabina to San Diago.
TAMUG’s students cover 130 miles from Monday – Friday from Surfside Jetty to High Island. Jetty is patrolled weekdays from April to July. Documents and compare pre and post ike nesting activity. Excavate nests for subsequent studies, nesters are tagged.
Hatchlings all wait until the last hatchling has hatched and then they leave the nest.
Kemp’s Tidley’s Historical plight:
40K nesters at Rancho Nuevo, Mexico on a single day in 1947, by 1985 on 350 nesters during 3.5 month nesting – poaching, that was stopped and population is now increasing.
Most nest and feed in the Gulf of Mexico, but some go up the East coast.
Population recover is underway, nesting stock Rancho Nuevo Mexico, Padre Island National seashore, Upper Texas Coast. 16% population increase since 1985 based on projections, 20290 nests were laid in 2009 with 8116 nesting females in population, could attain 10k nesters by 2011.
What are Ridley's doing in Texas?
More adults and females, record nesting through 2009, since Ike the trend has been flat lined. Nesting patrols are looking at what is happening, is it still a viable nesting ground and will be return as a nesting ground. Patrollers are looking for tracks; they nest during the day, overcast or windy day. It is the dune system that is important to nesting. When found they will excavate the eggs, placing them in a Styrofoam box, the will be placed in an incubator. Temperature determines the sex, the higher the temp it will be a female.
Tracking Nesting Sea Turtles - (Transport, process, satellite tag, release, etc.)
Go to Sea Turtle.org to see the turtles being tracked, you can actually go there to adopt a turtle. Padre Island has been a leader for nesters. Hurricane Ike caused a shift in nesting activity, most of 2009 activity occurred on beach south of Galveston Island. Did Ike’s ravage on Bolivar beaches affect the nesting patterns? Beach alteration and destruction of nesting habitat, change in beach characteristics, loss of dunes, change in elevation and profile, erosion, loss of sand and narrowing of beach width, altered sand qualities and nest, Transition. Loggerheads
Impact of beach restoration, increase of vehicular activity, building dunes, hay bales, Christmas trees. A turtle being tracked came on to a Galveston area without a dune and left without laying eggs, it came back up on another area that had a small patch of dune and laid the eggs.
Challenges, restoring our beach system, rebuilding the dunes, provide a buffer to tropical events, enhance tourism, and strengthen coastal economics.
Dune fencing can be installed properly as long as it allows the female to nest and the hatchlings to get back to the water. Impact of 2009 – winter on nesting activity, 5th coldest Texas winter in history, delay in start of nesting season, 2009-april 16 vs. 2010 April 14. Delay in rate of nesting activity May 14, 2009 (105) – vs. 2010 (47)
Deepwater after Horizon Spill: another threat to sea turtles, direct toxic effect, habitat destruction, nesting habitats, foraging areas. Turtles drown in the shrimp boat trawls.
Sea Turtles need you!
Recovery of Sea Turtles stocks in the gulf depends on public involvement, Learn, Attend Sea Turtles events, tour the NOAA sea turtle facility, Look for Sea Turtles on Texas Beaches, report sightings of Sea Turtles.
Call 1-866-Turtles to report Turtle sighting.
The West Galveston Island POA will hold the Hurricane Preparedness meeting on June 19, 2010.
Adjourned at 10:30 a.m.