Estero Council of Community Leaders

Minutes of the Regular Monthly Meeting

Estero Council of Community Leaders
Minutes of the 52nd Monthly Meeting
Friday, August 17, 2007
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Estero Community Park
 
The meeting was called to order by Chairman Eslick at 1:00 p.m. at the Estero Community Park.  A quorum was present.
 
Thirty three people were in attendance representing seventeen communities and four community wide organizations.  Four guests were also present.
 
Guests were introduced.

Minutes

Minutes of all prior meetings are available online at www.esterofl.org.  The minutes of the May and June meetings were approved as presented. 

Treasurer’s Report

Chris Smith was absent but e-mailed a report that there was no activity in either account other than interest earned.  Membership was discussed.  Jane McNew is contacting new communities or those not participating.  Most of the established communities are dues paying members of the ECCL. The foundation’s balance includes about $18,000 for the Estero High School landscaping project and $30,000 from the Dunn Foundation specified for the DR/GR study.  The treasurer’s report was approved as presented.

Announcements

City of Bonita Springs Cooperation Program

Sixteen members (8 each) of the ECCL and the Bonita City council met August 10, 2007.  This group meets quarterly to discuss issues of common concern.  This was the fifth meeting of the group and the most energized.
 
Sam Levy reported about the progress of Vision 2017 and the focus groups that Lee Memorial conducted.  The conclusion is that an additional 24 hour emergency services facility and hospital facilities are needed within their service area.   Attracting health care professionals is a priority, however, doctors are not the only shortage we have; all health care professionals are in demand here in southwest Florida. Sam mentioned that FGCU has a college of health care professions and we need to support their recruitment and training efforts.  Governor Crist signed a letter in June refusing to extend the moratorium on free standing health care facilities in the state of Florida.  He challenged the medical community to solve this problem which is that a facility of this type needs all the elements of an emergency room attached to a hospital.  Go to www.esterofl.org to find information on Emergency Medical Care currently in place in Estero.  A lot of valuable information regarding doctors and health services in Estero is on these pages. 
Commissioner Judah attended the meeting and influenced to a good degree with comments on the importance of completing Sandy Lane through Bonita Springs.  The Bonita Beach representatives have problems which they expressed about the Bonita Beach Road I75 interchange.  They need the widening of Bonita Beach Road at this intersection (which is a county project-the interchange being a state project).  This improvement would benefit both communities. Bonita Springs has been involved in the planning of their small part of the DR/GR which is around 4,000 acres.  They now have two consultants working on a plan for the area, Greg Rawl, a hydrologist, and Dan DeLisi, a planner.   

Elizabeth Ordway Dunn Grant

Bill Spikowski was introduced as the person chosen to conduct the study of the DR/GR using the grant monies from the Dunn Foundation.   He is a former county growth management director and professional planner.  He worked for Lee County when the DR/GR was established in 1990.  During the last several years, the county has been concentrating on urban planning with the current population growth.  Early on, the mining that was begun out on Alico Road was expected to be the “mining” area.  Now more landowners are petitioning to open new mines.  What was good twenty years ago does not work today.  Thus, the emphasis now is focused on the DR/GR and rural Lee County with a new study.   The report will be completed within 90 to 120 days and will be an aid for the BOCC’s future DR/GR planning and regulatory decisions.  In response to the audience’s questions, water quality and interference by state/federal government over the county’s decisions were discussed.  The main focus of this final report will be to help and guide the county in its decisions regarding the DR/GR and rural Lee.

Eastern Estero Mining Activities

Kevin Hill resides in the east Corkscrew Road area and has a website www.corkscrewroad.com.  He stated that the new mining application hearings have been continued to September 4, 5, 7, 11, 12 and 14.  These are six additional days planned since earlier hearings.  The group brought a hydro ecologist, Sydney Bacchus to testify and Kevin feels she made a large impact on the Hearing, necessitating more study on the subject by the mining applicant and their supporters.  The group would appreciate any donations made toward their legal fund.  Kevin discussed the Wellfield Protection ordinance which is supposed to make our drinking water safe.  He pointed out the close proximity of one of the County’s wellfields to one of the deepest mines in Lee County.    The people that did the ground water modeling for the County Natural Resources department also did the same for the mining people.   Only a 500 foot setback from a mine and our drinking water source exists.
Don Vilnius talked about the Lake Belt Mining Area Federal Court case and FDOT.  Mr. Vilnius will put this information in written form for the group to read and then release to the public. 

Vote Estero Proposal and Two Mile Buffer Issue

Jim Boesch and John Ruehl were not present at this meeting, as planned.  They would like to put on the January 29 ballot a non-binding referendum that would permit some Estero residents to vote on incorporation.  It is unclear WHO would be allowed to vote or what form of government they have in mind.  Chairman Eslick explained the process of incorporating.  In order to have a referendum on the ballot, it must be approved by the BOCC.  That approval must be 120 days prior to the election date.  That would mean that the BOCC and staff would have to have all this information sometime in September.  It is not clear what area Vote Estero is talking about i.e., north of Williams Road and/or the entire Estero Fire district. The voters need to know the future of the two mile buffer with the city of Bonita Springs.  Would they give the communities north of Estero Parkway that are in the Estero Planning boundaries an opportunity to vote on January 29th?     
 
The meeting was adjourned.  Next meeting will be Friday, September 21, 2007 at 1:00 p.m. at the Estero Community Park.
 
Respectfully submitted,
Faie Saunders, Secretary