Page 2 - Newswach - Oct 2018

A message from the Chairman: SECPID
UPDATE
The Minutes of the SECPID Board meeting on September 18, 2018 can be found at SECPID.ORG. A major topic was a comprehensive discussion of SECPID’s longer range financial resources and plans.
Installation of one new camera and one replacement camera will be completed in October.
Our next scheduled meeting is November 20, 2018. This is SECPID’s annual budget meeting, and the proposed budget for 2019 will be presented for discussion and approval. Please plan to attend. Your participation is a key to the continued effectiveness of the Shenandoah Estates Crime Prevention and Improvement District – SECPID.
SECPID FEES
Where do the fees come from?
There are 2,072 residential properties in Shenandoah Estates, and each one is subject to the Shenandoah Estates Crime Prevention and Improvement District annual fee. The fee – currently $75 – is included on the Property Tax bill each year. However, for 2018 there were 318 properties eligible for the “Age Exemption”, and the fee is NOT collected on those properties. This translates to about $24,000 annually that would otherwise be available to provide security and improvements in Shenandoah Estates.
After deducting the Sheriff’s collection fee and EBR Assessor’s fee, SECPID will receive approximately $128,500 in 2018. That’s only 20¢ a day for each of the 1,754 properties against which the fee was charged.
How are the fees used?
www.SECPID.org | UPDATE | October 2018
Whether you are already paying the annual fee or not, please consider additional support for SECPID’s activi- ties, which support and promote the value of Shenandoah Estates to its residents. Voluntary contributions may be mailed or given to any Commissioner. Checks can be made out to SECPID, and our mailing address is:
Shenandoah Estates Crime Prevention and Improvement District Box 77926 | Baton Rouge, LA 70879-7926
First, where do fees NOT go? Each Commissioner serves on a voluntary basis, including his or her time, personal computer and printer, office supplies, etc. SECPID has no employees or offices. Not one penny is spent on anything not directly related to or required by SECPID’s authorized activities.
SECURITY is SECPID’S single largest commitment of resources each year.
For 2018, the amount budgeted for security expense is $85,000, or 66% of that 20¢ a day. $74,300 provides 2,286 hours of Sheriff’s Deputy Patrols, and the remainder is camera fees, maintenance, and utilities.
In addition, the amount budgeted for installing new cameras and replacing our older cameras (which have reached their useful life limits) totals about $33,000.
Altogether, more than $108,000 – or 84% - of this year’s collections goes directly to real-time security activities.
ESSENTIAL ANNUAL EXPENSES make up the rest of the budget. These include insurance, legal expenses, community outreach, and communications. This last includes this monthly page, and the SECPID.ORG website, where the official minutes of bi-monthly public meetings, monthly financial reports, and other useful information is posted.
SECPID’s security cameras are NOT surveillance cameras. They are hi-tech cameras that react to and record motion on and near the street. The captured images are accessed ONLY by law enforcement for use in criminal investigations. LOOK FOR MORE DETAIL IN THE NOVEMBER “SECPID UPDATE”.
SECURITY CAMERAS
SHENANDOAH ESTATES CRIME PREVENTION AND IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT | www.SECPID.org