Cortez might benefit from a smaller FISH.
The Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage held a board meeting March 1, but lacked attendance for a quorum and could not conduct formal business.
The nonprofit FISH is dedicated to preserving Cortez’s commercial fishing legacy and is known for its restoration project on the 100-acre preserve east of the village. FISH also organizes the annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival, which was canceled this year and in 2020 due to the pandemic.
FISH’s 15-member board usually meets the first Monday of the month at Fishermen’s Hall, 4515 124th St. W., Cortez.
However, the board has lost four members since the last annual meeting in April 2020. Treasurer Michael Northfield died in September 2020, and, in the past several weeks, Linda Molto, Plum Taylor and Janet Miller resigned.
According to board member Jane Von Hahmann, filling the vacancies has not been easy.
“In trying to get new board members. We’ve struggled,” von Hahmann said. “I’m sure that COVID, all this stuff, has made it harder to get people to step up and volunteer to be on boards right now.”
Since no one new has opted to run in the board election this year, a change to the group’s by-laws that would reduce the board to its existing 11 members was on the docket for the meeting March 1. However, only six members attended, two shy of a quorum, prompting von Hahmann to consider speaking with President Kim McVey about scheduling an emergency meeting.
Even with an emergency meeting, the annual meeting — where the membership would cast a final vote on reducing the board — would be pushed until the end of April or early May, von Hahmann said.
Let’s talk about it anyway
Though they didn’t have a quorum, the board addressed various items, including:
- A proposal to make von Hahmann treasurer in the wake of Northfield’s death and Miller’s resignation.
- A presentation from Mark Johnson, who is seeking written support to build and operate a publicly funded shellfish hatchery.
- Updates on various fundraising initiatives to compensate for the loss from the Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival’s cancellation, including a new website for donations and a new rental agreement for Fishermen’s Hall.
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