Estero Council of Community Leaders

Minutes of the Regular Monthly Meeting

Minutes of the 55th Monthly Meeting
November 16, 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 two community wide organizations.  Two guests were also present. 

Guests were introduced.

Minutes

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

Treasurer’s Report

Chris Smith reported that the ECCL had revenue for the month of $400 and expenses of $140 paid to Kim Dailey, Webmaster, leaving a balance of $4,862.96.
 
The ECIF had income of $121.89 in interest and no expenses, leaving a balance of $30,826.99.  The treasurer’s report was approved as presented.

Announcements

• Estero Community Park One Year Anniversary Celebration, Saturday, November 17th, 9 a.m. ribbon cutting at the K-9 Corral Dog Park
• Look for the new FEMA maps to become available during November at http://www.lee-county.com/dcd/fema.htm
• FGCU, “Innovative Urban and Rural Planning in Florida” Featuring Bill Spikowski, Saturday, December 1st, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Room 213 Student Union Building. For further information see www.fgcu.edu/pa
• 1000 Friends “Toward a Regional Framework” A Transportation/Land Use
   Dialog, Sarasota, December 14th … for further information see http://www.1000friendsofflorida.org/Transportation/071214workshop.asp

Meeting with the Local Legislative Delegation

With the approval of the ECCL membership the organization will make a presentation involving the following issues at the November 29 meeting:
 
·         The duration of the two-mile buffer around Bonita Springs
·         Delays in the widening US 41 From Corkscrew to San Carlos Park
·         Strategic Aggregate Task Force and local control of mining permits in Lee County
·         ECCL support for a Halfway Creek SFWMD Grant

The Annexation/Incorporation Committee Report

John Goodrich Presented the Committee report.  The Committee met October 25,2007 with 32 members being present.  A three-person subcommittee was appointed to propose a resolution to be adopted by the full committee. The full committee/a> met again on November 13th.
 
Chairman Goodrich made the following statement:
 
A two-mile Buffer Zone from the border of Bonita Springs northward to Williams Road prevents the citizens of this area of Estero from participating in the determination of how they will be governed, either as an unincorporated area or a part of a new municipality.
Approximately 7,000 residents and 4,500 registered voters are located within this buffer zone.  Florida citizens in the Buffer Zone are disenfranchised from their right to vote on governance options, a right that is enjoyed by all the other voters in Estero.  The residents of the Buffer Zone have a right to equal treatment with the residents of other parts of Estero.  The residents of the Buffer Zone deserve to know whether they will be able to join with the other residents of Estero should they choose to apply for incorporation.
 
The City of Bonita Springs has had the opportunity to annex all or part of the Buffer Zone since December 31, 2004 and has taken no action.  A survey of all registered voters in early 2005, found that 83% of the respondents did not want to be annexed by the city of Bonita Springs.
 
RESOLUTION
 
Therefore:  I move that the Estero Council of Community Leaders petition the Local Legislative Delegation to waive the requirement of the two-mile Buffer Zone from the northern boundary of the City of Bonita Springs if the City of Bonita Springs has not annexed this area or renounced its intention to annex this area by no later than December 31, 2009.
 
This resolution was adopted unanimously.

Joint Bonita Springs Meeting 

On November 30, the ECCL and the Bonita Springs City Council will have their 6th joint meeting.  As time has gone on, more controversial subjects have been discussed, amiably. City Councilman John Joyce was present at this meeting.  The City has a joint meeting with the County about the south segment of Sandy Lane, among other topics, on November 28.  The ECCL is anxious to see this one mile segment be completed from Coconut Point to Old US 41.
 
Discussions are ongoing about a future health forum to be jointly hosted by the ECCL and Bonita Springs.  The ECCL has met with the Bonita Chamber of Commerce regarding local transportation needs.  The MPO, the Expressway Authority, FDOT and Lee DOT and others were present.  The goal is to focus on the Corkscrew Road and Bonita Beach Road interchanges.  In the MPO 2030 plan $100 million is budgeted for the improvement of these two interchanges. br>  
$1 million is needed for an “Investment grade traffic and revenue study” which will determine whether the necessary bonds for the ten lane project can be sold. The cost of the study is likely to be provided by a State Expressway revolving loan fund. If all else fails money designated for the I75 Coconut Road interchange may be redirected once Congress has acted on the “hijacked appropriation”.
 
In addition the two-mile buffer will be discussed at the meeting. The ECCL declined to hear from a Bonita Springs mayoral candidate.  This refusal was made in a motion and seconded and approved by all present.

December 4th BOCC Hearing

On December 4 the BOCC will hold its final hearing on the two DR/GR moratoriums.   The ECCL proposes that land planning of the DR/GR be completed before any changes are made to the comprehensive plan or zoning for the area. The ECCL should state this once again at this meeting.
 
Lee County does not presently have a fertilizer ordinance. There is pressure by the state to correct situations like this where the waters are being contaminated.  A proposal is being considered that would establish a “no fertilizer period” from July 1 to September 30. ECCL, The Conservancy and several environmental organizations favor this period extending from June 1st to September 30th.
 
The hope is that nitrogen from the summer rains and grass clippings can do a natural fertilizing job.  Golf courses are covered by more stringent state regulations.  There are two counties and one municipal wellfields in the DR/GR.  The ECCL has been working with a local, hydrologist to study the model and look for any needed improvements that might be needed if the Wellfield Protection Ordinance is to be sufficient.

Transportation Concerns

Efforts are being made in Washington to change the I-75 Coconut Road interchange $10 million back to the widening and improvement of I-75.  You may read about the Expressway Authority meetings on their website, www.swfea.net.  Their agenda and minutes of their meetings will fill you in. 

County DR/GR Planning Progress Report

The report commissioned by the ECIF, researched and written by Bill Spikowski and paid for by the Elizabeth Ordway Dunn grant was delivered to the BOCC today. Cost of copies of the report are $22, but may be downloaded from the ECCL website for free. A Stakeholder Committee will be appointed by the BOCC to work with the Consultant chosen by the County to research the DR/GR and recommend new policies and plans for the DR/GR to the County Board.

Water Restrictions and their Implementation in Estero

Nick Batos attended a meeting of the South Florida Water Management District where Phase III water restrictions were discussed.  If a significant amount of rain has not fallen in the near future, the District will go to Phase III water restrictions for southwest Florida. Phase III means homeowners would have to go from watering two times a week to once a week. Golf courses could go from 70% to 55% of normal watering; this will affect the attractiveness of the Estero community quite significantly. Information may be found at www.sfwmd.gov/conserve.

New Estero Post Office

The EDRC reviewed the post office design at their last meeting. Mr. Eslick asked if the Post Office design could be expanded, Several years ago during discussions about the plans, it was thought that there would be 50 to 60 postal routes serviced by this site with parking for that many employees plus the needed public parking.  Now, it looks like no deliveries will be made from this facility. It was suggested that the northern Estero residents should continue their push for service by this facility. It is understood that the adjacent postmistresses makes such zip code decisions.

Increasing Estero Citizen Participation

The ECCL is trying to facilitate the residents of Estero participating in the three 2008 elections, i.e., the presidential preference primary on January 29, the primary election on August 26th and the general election in November 4th. Lists of inactive voters (5200 Estero residents) have been removed from the registration lists. 
 
These persons can vote, but will not receive prior voting information in the mail, since they are listed as “inactive”. These lists have been shared with the ECCL members/community leaders.  If you find someone on the list in your community, who you know is still able to vote, encourage them to reactive themselves. Nick Batos from The Brooks Concerned Citizens has developed a website that would enable residents to participate in reaching out to State, Regional and Local decision makers.  You may go to www.brooksconcernedcitizens.com and sign in, follow the navigation on the side bar and you can e-mail officials regarding certain subjects.
 
On January 7 at 3 p.m., Ken Wilkinson, Lee County Property Appraiser, will be coming to the Shadow Wood Country Club house for a Property Tax Forum which is open to the public. The voting public should be aware that with the Presidential Preference election on January 29 includes a referendum on property tax reform.  Information is on the ECCL website, www.esterofl.org

Estero Fire Rescue

It was reported by Chief Tom Siegfried that the district had two miraculous “saves” in the last few days; one, a little boy got his arm caught in the pipe of a skimmer in a swimming pool and a one year old was rescued from the bottom of a pool.  Both survived and are getting along well.  The “skimmer boy” is home in New York and is sending down the pipe that he was caught in to have the firemen autograph it. The chief emphasized using all safety precautions at your home pool. Water pressure issues are being checked particularly in older areas of the Estero Fire Rescue district.  The Chief warned that this will be a bad year for ground/grass fires because of the lack of rainfall and asks every citizen to be cautious and careful.

Estero Community Improvement Foundation

Dan Dronkers reported that talks are ongoing about our foundation possibly joining ranks with the Bonita and Southwest Florida Foundations.
 
Estero residents may open a checking account at Fifth Third Bank in San Carlos and the Bank will contribute $100 for each account to the ECIF; see Jodi Adams.
 
March 14, 2008 is the date for the Spirit of the Gulf concert at Estero High School; the cost will be $20.
 
Having no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
 
Next meeting will be Friday, December 14th at 10:30 at the Estero Community Park.
 
Respectfully submitted,
Faie Saunders