The ‘state-of-the-association’ review by VHA President Fred Briggs and remarks by State Rep. Don Hahnfeldt marked the advocacy group’s Annual Meeting, Wednesday evening at the Lake Miona Recreation Center.
First order of business, officiated by Art Rowe, was the re-election of Fred Briggs as president and Joe Elliott as executive vice president. Phil Walker invited everyone to attend as well as to volunteer at the VHA’s Country Western Hoedown, on Saturday, Jan. 27.
Briggs thanked everyone for his “fourth one-year term”, and then updated the 150 audience members about the VHA’s effective initiatives during the past year. These included:
- its participation in establishing The Villages’ Enrichment Academy
- last February’s Hoedown
- honoring community leaders and organizations at VHA’s recognition event
- VHA’s sponsorship of ‘information sharing’ forums with developer Mark Morse
- holding bingo fundraisers that supported its Community Foundation
- conducting four educational initiatives that covered the diverse topics: “Preparing to Live to 100,” “Where Your Money Goes,” “Covenants and Restrictions,” and “Active Shooter”
- sponsoring four Town Hall meetings
- conducting monthly New Resident Orientation Nights that welcomed more than 1,200 neighbors
- holding its “Golf Cart Safety” clinics that were attended by a total of 1,500 residents
- The Helping Hand program that provided much-needed durable medical equipment to those with disabilities or are homebound. During the past year, volunteers made 3,000 pick-ups and deliveries to appreciative residents.
- In conjunction with its Community Foundation, the VHA donated $15,000 in cash and goods to local hurricane victims, as well as supplied meals to residents of The Villages’ historic section who were isolated by hurricane flooding.
Next was a Legislative Update by Don Hahnfeldt, who previously served as VHA president, a member of the Central Florida Health Alliance Board and was a Sumter County Commissioner.
He began by emphasizing some of his legislative priorities during the upcoming session such as highway safety by mandating motorcycle insurance; establishing penalties to cities and counties that don’t comply with Sanctuary City regulations; and restricting marijuana use to medical purposes, and not supporting legislative outreach efforts that ‘micromanage’ cities and counties.
Hahnfeldt than highlighted the distinctiveness of Sumter County and how it ranks ‘number one’ in Florida in numerous measurable parameters. For example, the County has the state’s highest percent of residents with bachelor degrees, highest median income, population growth, home ownership, rising home values. It also has the lowest ‘health risk determination’ in the nation.
He then narrowed his discussion to The Villages’ unique demographics – the world’s largest retirement community – such as its average resident age of 68 — the nation’s older population that is 10 years older than the runner-up metropolitan area. Another interesting fact: there are no ‘native’ Villagers among its population of some 160,000.
“We all came here from other places because this is where we wanted to be,” he said.
“The Villages now is twice the size of Manhattan, and that might double again,” he forecast. That growth has spurred greater challenges. One is managing traffic flow and ensuring roads such as U.S. 301, the Florida Turnpike and I-75 can accommodate the increased population.
Another is to ensure continued quality healthcare that meets the demand for the growing and aging population. “The Villages Regional Hospital is the nation’s ‘number one Medicare-dependent hospital,” Hahnfeldt continued. “We have a very cooperative and beneficial relationship between The Villages Health System, which is privately held, and the Central Florida Health Alliance – the non-profit organization that operates both the Villages and Leesburg hospitals.
He stressed five reasons why he thinks The Villages has been so successful:
- strong stable leadership of our elected representatives and officials at all government levels, along with our appointed managers.
- shared vision
- inter-organization cooperation among the cities, counties, the developer and district government
- an apolitical approach that disregards political party affiliation
- also the role and impact of the VHA and its members who, by serving on numerous boards and commissions, have successfully represented the interests of its members
He concluded by voicing his concern about the opioid crises and how only one of every four youngsters are qualified to serve in the military or perhaps hold other workplace positions of responsibility.
“They need your voice and your leadership,” he encouraged everyone, “and for you to continue to stand for the liberties and freedoms that you have provided.”
