Business Guild of Seminole Heights meeting results

(When you think of businesses in Seminole Heights - think Business Guild of Seminole Heights)

This was a great meeting with 35 to 40 people were present. Great coffee Coffee Bean Cafe, and sandwich wraps, chips and dip by Front Porch Restaurant. The Tampa Tribune was present, but the St. Petersburg Times was missing. Tsk tsk tsk.

Top 5 things right with Seminole Heights:
Great community with diverse demographics, Easily accesible locations, politically active and recognized, unique architecture, and good communication amonst some of the local businesses.

Room for improvement:
Beautification of roads, storefronts, sidewalks and signage; lack of parking; no co0makreting between busineeses, zoning contraints, need ot change fro mcommericla intensive ot commercial general, car lots and unfriendly businesses, lack of business diversity (ie need more banks etc), and bounderies of Seminole Heights unrecognized by many. Crime was very low on the list.

A great slogan came out of the meeting: "Reaching new heights in Seminole Heights" coined by one of the members, whose name I will mention once I check the spelling.

Randy Baron mentioned some great commentary he made today at Tampa City Council about the Tribune getting rid of the Central Tampa edition and placing us in the South Tampa Section. He got some positive response from City Council members. I will quote it all, once it comes out in the City Council transcripts.

BG'OSH needs a logo. It must have the full name of the Guild in it. There is a contest, to end on March 31. Drop all entries off at Yesterdaze during business hours. The best 3 will be brought to the April general meeting to be voted on.

Tony Garcia did a presentation on the status of the Seminole Heights Strategic Business Plan. Apparently City Council has told the various City Department who affect the plan to come up with written responses on how they can support the plan.

Elements from the by-laws were shared:

Full members are businesses located in Seminole Heights, whether bricks and mortar, artists or independent contractors. Full members can vote. Each business can have only one vote. Full members membership dues are $30.00

All others (residents, interested parties and etc) are associate members. They can't vote. Thier dues are $15.00

Then the group broke up into interest groups to discuss and brainstorm. I was in the marketing group. Very exciting group.

The whole evening was energizing. This group is going places!

The meeting place, A. W. Windhorst Masonic Lodge was very cool. I will be doing a whole article on it after some more research.