Estero Council of Community Leaders

Minutes of the Regular Monthly Meeting

November 11, 2005

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Eslick in the River Club of Pelican Sound at 2:05 p.m. A quorum was present.

Forty five people were in attendance representing nineteen communities and six community wide organizations.

New Members

New members present included Tony Correnti representing Rapallo and Joan Doyle from Bellagio at The Colony.

Minutes

The minutes of the October meeting were approved and accepted with no corrections.
Chairman Eslick told the audience that the minutes, agendas and other pertinent information to these meetings can be found on our new website, which is building. The site is www.esterofl.org.

Treasurer’s Report

Chris Smith reported no activity this past month. $100 was received today from the community of Grandezza for 2005 dues. Invoices have been sent out to all community organizations with representation. The 2006 yearly dues will be $200. Chris reported a balance of $793.00. A motion was made to approve the report, it was seconded and approved.

Emergency Management

Dick Steele reported that the EMS Task Force met and discussed a Standalone Emergency Department which would have the ability to stabilize and treat many patients so that they would not have to be transported to local hospitals. A facility of this sort is being discussed mainly because of the distance and time involved in transporting patients. With the population explosion in Estero the need is certainly there and increasing. A petition will be offered to residents of Estero to encourage the establishment of this type of facility in Estero. Dennis Merrifield will speak before a legislative delegation regarding this need on November 17. Dennis emphasized this issue involves more than Estero but all the way north from Alico Road and south to the Lee/Collier county line. Dennis praised the CERT teams for their help after Hurricane Wilma. Sam Levy reported that the Fire Commissioners approved the position of an Emergency Planner; this position has not been filled yet mainly because of the lack of affordable housing.

November 17 Legislative committee meeting

The emergency care facility discussed above is on the agenda of this meeting plus the need to push forward on US 41, Corkscrew to San Carlos Park, the Corkscrew/I-75 interchange and Impact fees. Roads, i.e., TRAFFIC affect emergency care and the speed with which Fire rescue can get a patient to that care.

Arts Committee

Fran Wagner reported that the committee met on October 31 with twenty-two people in attendance. The next meeting will be November 18 at Corkscrew Clubhouse from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00. The committee is welcoming anyone interested in the arts in Estero. An “Arts in Estero” workshop is in the planning; it was planned for the Coconut Point Hyatt on January 28 but the SW Florida Symphony has a conflict and the meeting will be rescheduled.

FGCU Arts Program

Patricia Fay, a resident of Estero, is a professor at FGCU in the Graphic and Performing Arts department and an ECCL member from Old Estero. A new Music department head was just hired. The university can be a great help with our Arts Committee.

Transportation Issues

October 28 a meeting was held with Lee county DOT focusing on I-75 and Corkscrew Road from Ben Hill Griffin on the east to Three Oaks Parkway on the west. This intersection is building up commercially at a rapid pace. Harry Campbell will study the widening possibilities and links to all other projects with this section of road, considering the opening of Coconut Point is only a few months away. The FDOT has allocated funds to start the 6 lane widening of I-75 sooner than expected, i.e., early 2007. The county had been planning so that the Three Oaks projects and the Estero Flyover would be completed before the I-75 widening commenced.

Jack Lienesch reported on a seminar he attended on our behalf entitled “Transportation Today”.

A possible water ferry route between Coconut Road and Lovers Key State Park was discussed. This would be a people ferry, not a car ferry since Estero Bay is too shallow for a car ferry. Coconut Point Hyatt and Pelican Landings already have a ferry service for their members and hotel guests to a private beach south of the park. The Hyatt is planning to provide transportation to shopping at Coconut Point once it is opened. As an addendum to this proposal; thirteen Federal and State governmental bodies have filed reports with the MPO regarding building a bridge over Estero Bay to Coconut Road; all of the results were against it.

State and MPO Transportation Issues

The MPO will meet on December 7th and adopt the Long Range 2030 Plan. This plan contains funds for the construction of an Interchange at I-75 and Coconut Road. Phil Douglas stated that we need to remove this interchange from the 2030 plan. Edison Farms owns about 3000 acres east of I-75 and would like a flyover in order to open up their land for development. This area is a protected wetlands and Edison Farms has been cited in the past for violating environmental laws. Looking to the future, maybe this interchange will seem necessary in five years, but now, is not the time to put this in the plan.

Williams & River Ranch Rd Landscaping Project

Dan Dronkers gave a report about the progress of this landscaping project. Bill Prysi, the landscape architect, has come up with plans that will plant both sides of the fence. The committee suggests splitting the project into three phases. The total cost should be from $115,600 to $127,200, depending on the cost of plants. Phase I would cost $70,000, Phase II, $37,000, Phase III $19,000. Breaking up the project would mean planting could begin before the funding is raised for the overall program. The committee will meet with the High School and get their approval and cooperation. The school has committed to the maintenance and irrigation; however, the plantings are designed so that irrigation needs will be minimized. As soon as the Foundation has filed its IRS tax exemption application, deductible contributions may be made. Lowe’s will be contacted for a corporate donation. Developers will be contacted to see if they would like to donate, adopt a tree or contribute in any positive way. You may contact Dan at QBDAN@aol.com or phone 949-0383 and state the word LANDSCAPING before he hangs up, assuming you may be a solicitor.

Village with a Vision

This presentation has been successful for the past three years and reached more than 3,000 people. The first goal of Village with a Vision was to get people involved and that it has done. The focus of this year’s program will be upon NEW communities that have not previously hosted a presentation. It was suggested that the presentation be used at a Community Park Amphitheater organizational meeting. Any one wanting to schedule a presentation should contact the ECCL.

Website Development Update

Graphics are being solicited from all of the commercial developments within the community that have been reviewed over the last two years for the website. Planners, architects, engineers are being contacted who might be able to provide this information. This would present a good website portfolio of what the community is going to look like based upon the graphics that have been presented to the EDRC and ECCP. Jan Baker, administrative assistant to Jim Wallace of Rapallo, has been helping Kim Dailey with this project.

Gordon Lyons reported that the EDRC is changing its meeting place to Rapallo next month. He complimented the Vines on their hospitality for the past three years. The next EDRC meeting will be December 14, 5:00 p.m. at the Clubhouse at Rapallo.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:10 p.m. The next meeting will be December 16 at 2 p.m. at the Pelican Sound River Club.

Respectfully submitted,
Faie Saunders, Secretary