MINUTES OF MEETING

PORT OF THE ISLANDS

COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

 

            The regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors of the Port of the Islands Community Improvement District was held Thursday, March 15, 2001 at 4:00 P.M. at the Egret Room, 25000 Tamiami Trail, Naples, Florida.

 

            Present and constituting a quorum were:

 

            Richard Gatti                                              Chairman

            Bernard Wolsky                                         Supervisor

            Richard Burgeson                                       Supervisor

            Ted Bissell                                                  Supervisor

 

            Also present were:

 

            Darrin Mossing                                           Manager

            Dan Cox                                                    Young Van Assenderp

            Jerry Taricska                                             Hole Montes & Associates

            various residents

 

FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS                         Roll Call and Oath of Office for Supervisor Burgeson

 

Mr. Gatti called the meeting to order and stated that all Supervisors were present at roll call with the exception of Supervisor Gross.

 

SECOND ORDER OF BUSINESS                    Approval of Minutes of the February 15, 2001 Meeting

 

Mr. Gatti stated enclosed in your agenda package is a copy of the minutes of the February 15, 2001 meeting. Are there any corrections, additions or deletions?

There not being any,

 

On MOTION by Mr. Wolsky, seconded by Mr. Bissell, with all in favor, the minutes of the February 15, 2001 meeting were approved as presented.

 

THIRD ORDER OF BUSINESS                       Staff Reports

 

A.        Attorney

There not being any, the next item followed,

B.        Engineer

There not being any, the next item followed,

C.        Manager

Mr. Mossing stated there is an informational item enclosed in your agenda package at the request of Mr. Stephens. It is the irrigation schedule for the District’s landscaping.

Mr. Gatti stated in light of the water restrictions, there have been comments that the District irrigation system has been going off at odd hours. Mr. Stephens obtained this schedule from Big Cypress Landscaping Company. Please keep in mind that we have had many lightning strikes and the timers are sometimes thrown off schedule.

Mr. Mossing stated Mr. Burgeson has been absent at the last two meetings so I have not been able to administer the Oath of Office. I would like to do that now.

Mr. Mossing administered the Oath of Office to Mr. Burgeson.

D.        Field Manager

There not being any, the next item followed,

 

FOURTH ORDER OF BUSINESS                    Supervisor's Requests and Audience Comments

 

Mr. Gatti asked how are we doing financially? How is our cash flow?

Mr. Mossing responded we are doing well. The Water and Sewer Fund, which is our main concern, has received assessments up front and those funds are available. As we get further into the fiscal year we will continue to update the Board.

Mr. Gatti asked so we are getting the tax receipts?

Mr. Mossing responded yes, a large portion of the assessments have been received. They are all due by March 31. Most of the taxes are paid by the mortgage companies in December on behalf of the residents. In May the county holds the tax certificate sale and we usually pick up more assessment then.

Mr. Gatti asked are there any surprised that you anticipate financially?

Mr. Mossing responded no, the District is doing well.

Mr. Gatti stated I have heard numerous comments regarding the number of cuts in the road. Apparently they are not being repaired as quickly as we would like. The first problem is that it is very difficult to get an asphalt contractor to come out here for such a small job. We would like to ask the builders to expedite that as much as possible because it is an inconvenience. From the builder’s standpoint it is an irritant because the county is making them put in retention basins. Half of their land is going to be dedicated to the basins. Mr. Colleta, the Commissioner, has a community meeting once a month. Certain people are invited to intent. If there is anything you would like to talk to him about you can set an appointment. Their next meeting will be in the Everglades City Council Chambers on April 3, 2001 at 4:00 p.m. I have set an appointment with Mr. Colleta to talk about getting the county involved in the fire system since it is a county responsibility.

Mr. Mack stated in November we talked about changing the irrigation system to fresh water. What is the status of that?

Mr. Taricska responded there has been a change of direction on that project. It was decided that we would not spend the money to do that and instead use reclaimed water to supplement the irrigation. We are now working on the easements and getting that permitted by the Department of Environmental Protection. Their existing rules set limitations for adding water to a reclaimed system.

Mr. Gatti stated some of you may not be aware that most of the community gets the water for our irrigation system from the river. When there is no rain and high tides, there is a reverse flow. The result is that salt water gets into the irrigation areas. We are proposing to remedy that problem and use the effluent that comes out of the wastewater treatment plant. The engineers are working on raising the quality of that water in order to use it as a supplemental source of irrigation.

Mr. Mack asked what is the time frame for completing that? Dr. Benson had said it would be this season.

Mr. Gatti responded it will not be during this season. South Florida Water Management District will be paying for half of the cost to do that.

Mr. Mack asked what is the status of getting a defibrillator out here?

Mr. Gatti responded we will bring that to Mr. Colleta’s attention but keep in mind that we will also need to have someone out here who knows how to use the equipment.

Ms. Marchand asked wasn’t there talk about the Collier County Sheriff’s Department police cars being fitted with fibulators?

Mr. Gatti responded yes, I think they all have them.

Mr. Crammer asked what are the limits of the District in regards to the property and right-of-way lines? Where does the ultimate responsibility for maintenance lie?

Mr. Gatti responded we would have to know what specific area your are questioning. We would need a specific point of reference.

Mr. Crammer asked who is responsible for the quality control of the streets?

Mr. Gatti responded the District is.

Mr. Crammer stated the restoration work at the end of Newport Drive is substandard.

Mr. Gatti stated we will take a look at the repairs that have been made.

Mr. Crammer stated there are places where water valves are three to four inches below the surface.

Mr. Gatti stated we will make it a point for the engineers to look at those areas and make recommendations and include them in the annual road inspection.

Mr. Crammer stated in the median in front of 123 Newport Drive there is an irrigation valve box that has been leaking since November. I have pointed it out twice to the landscape company.

Mr. Gatti stated call Mr. Stephens and let him know.

Mr. Dyer stated I have been in the construction business all my life and we have always had to get permits to repair the streets.

Mr. Gatti responded the District is not set up that way.

Mr. Dyer stated I agree with Mr. Crammer that the work is substandard. There is trash piled up on the west side. There are rats running around and something needs to be done.

Mr. Burgeson stated we are going to take care of that right away. We were waiting for the sanitation department to get approval to do that.

Mr. Dyer asked are you going to extend the mains and the storm sewer? There are several holes that have been dug.

Mr. Burgeson responded yes, we have to move a lift station and do all sorts of work out there.

Mr. Gatti for the record, that is not the jurisdiction of the District. Those types of complaints are county jurisdiction. We only maintain the common property.

Mr. Burgeson stated I have met with code enforcement and explained the situation. If you have any concerns with the property I am developing please feel free to call my office.

Mr. Gatti stated the District is approaching a point where the master homeowner’s association will become a reality, at the moment that is the developer. When we have that control, we can address all of these types of problems.

Mr. Dyer stated at a prior meeting you stated that we were in the hole. You also stated that a financial statement would be prepared. Who do I contact to get a copy?

Mr. Mossing responded see me after the meeting.

An audience member stated a few weeks ago there was film on the water’s surface. Do you know what it was?

Mr. Gatti responded I do not know. The water is monitored at all times.

Mr. Mack asked would the District consider a fee schedule for cutting the street?

Mr. Gatti responded early on we tried to implement an impact fee policy but it was never adopted. It is something to consider. A lot of the streets have been here for 30 years. I predict that in the future we will have an assessment throughout the community for re-paving all of the streets.

Mr. Burgeson stated when a street is constructed by a developer it is constructed according to certain standards. When the constriction is completed, the developer decides whether or not to keep the street or to turn it over to the District. The engineers then inspect the street and grant their approval.

 

FIFTH ORDER OF BUSINESS                         Financial Statements and Approval of Check Registers

 

On MOTION by Mr. Wolsky, seconded by Mr. Bissell with all in favor the General Fund Check Register in the amount of $277,868.37 and the Water & Sewer Fund Check Register in the amount of $22,657.89 were approved.

 

SIXTH ORDER OF BUSINESS                        Adjournment

 

On MOTION by Mr. Wolsky, seconded Mr. Burgeson, with all in favor, the March 15, 2001 meeting was adjourned.

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                               

Darrin S. Mossing                                                   Richard Gatti

Assistant Secretary                                                 Chairman