Habitat
Community Development District

The regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors of the Habitat Community Development District was held in the Bella Terra Clubhouse at 20070 Bella Terra Boulevard in Estero, Florida and also via web conference on Tuesday, April 20, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Present (or attending via web conference) and constituting a quorum were:

Larry Roth – Vice Chair
Linda Lee Gibson- Assistant Secretary
Jenny Licht – Assistant Secretary
Joe Napolitano – Assistant Secretary

Also present (or attending via web conference) were:

Cal Teague – District Manager
Greg Urbancic – Attorney
Charlie Krebs – District Engineer
Chris Pepin – Field Manager
Tad Kring – Irrigation Specialists
Christopher Dudak – PDM Assistant to the District Manager
Nancy Dudak – Premier District Management
Rob Warner
Jim Meek
Reese Graber
Residents

The following is a summary of the actions taken at the Habitat Community Development District Board of Supervisors Meeting.

FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS

Call to Order and Roll Call

The meeting was called to order and all Board members were present, except Chair Novitski. Also present at the meeting were District Manager – Cal Teague, Tad Kring – Irrigation Specialists and Field Manager – Chris Pepin, while attending virtually were the Attorney – Greg Urbancic, Engineer – Charlie Krebs, Christopher Dudak and Nancy Dudak from PDM. 

SECOND ORDER OF BUSINESS

Pledge of Allegiance

THIRD ORDER OF BUSINESS

Approval of the Agenda

The Board reviewed the amended Agenda.

FOURTH ORDER OF BUSINESS

Audience Comments on Agenda Items

• Rob Warner talked about the snails that are plugging up the irrigation system.
• Jim Meek asked about an exposed geotube on Lake 17.
• Reese Graber thanked the CDD for repairing the swale behind his house. He said the contractor was outstanding.

FIFTH ORDER OF BUSINESS

Approval of the Meeting Minutes

A. Draft Meeting Minutes for March 16, 2021

The Board reviewed the Meeting Minutes from the previous meeting. Supervisor Licht asked about needing three proposals for landscaping in the cul-de-sac, which the District Manager stated will be discussed later in the Agenda.

SIXTH ORDER OF BUSINESS

Staff Reports

A. Irrigation Contractor

Mr. Kring addressed the Board concerning shrinking water levels at this time of year. He said temperatures are warmer and snails grow in the pipes. He said that his team continues to flush the lines on a regular basis and that Solitude is putting in copper sulfate around the intakes to help with the situation. He said that it is better than it used to be, but that this is an ongoing maintenance issue.

i. Valve Replacement Update

Mr. Kring said five valves have been installed since his last report. He said he has six valves on the to-do list. There was a discussion about the maintenance budget for the project. Currently, there is only $5,000 remaining. Additional funds will be required.

A 25-horsepower pump replacement at pump station #4 went in last week. Pump station #2 had a main line break during a pool installation, which he said will be billed back to the contractor, and all the intake valves will be replaced at the same time. He said that they have 49 isolation valves at this time and he would like them to be placed on the GIS map.

(Greg Urbancic joined the meeting via web conference at 4:27 p.m.)

The Board discussed Mr. Kring’s contract, which has not been increased since 2013. He will submit a proposal for next meeting. There was discussion about the threshold that requires going out to bid. The Attorney confirmed that the threshold is about $200,000 (adopted for inflation from the original $190,000.) He said there should always be some sort of competitive bidding as a general guideline for the best interest of the community.

ii. Rainy Season Irrigation Schedule Reduction

Concerning water usage, he said they went over by 8% last year at one point in the season. Usually, the South Florida Water Management District does not say anything until they reach 10%, but he said that flushing the pipes registers as irrigation water use. Mr. Kring said that to reduce consumption, he has mentioned this to contractors. He said he could put a mechanical meter at the flushouts to measure what is coming out, and SFWMD would deduct it from their water usage. During dry season, he said they are averaging less than the normal use for the area. They will restrict watering to one day a week per zone during the rainy season. They will begin watering one day a week starting June 15. The landscapers were told that special landscape projects will be an exception.

B. Chair

i. Emergency Access Road Electrical Plan and Construction Proposals

There were no updates on this item.

C. District Manager

i. FY 2022 Budget Discussions

The Chair sent in his requests for the FY 2022 Budget. Supervisor Licht suggested including sidewalk installations totally 2,290 linear feet of sidewalk for $45,800, which she clarified would go into next year’s Budget. The District Manager said there is one more meeting to make changes, then there will be an advertised Public Hearing and adoption will be in August.

ii. fStop Project Update

Ms. Dudak reported that they rescheduled the date that the fStop representative will go with the Field Manager to find the best camera locations for this project which should be before the next meeting.

iii. GIS Phase IV Update

The Field Manager requested that Passarella create sub layers to allow for the view of individual roadway signs. He said, for instance, that if they want to view only stop signs, that would be easier to see on one layer. He also commented that the median locations have been included as requested.

iv. Bond Arbitrage Letter

The District Manager stated that this is an annual $500 expenditure. There was no positive arbitrage to be reported to the IRS.

v. District Registered Voter Count

There are 2,952 registered voters in the community.

D. Field Manager

i. Field Report for April

• The Field Manager stated that overall the lakes look good, even at their low water levels of the season.
• They installed a retaining wall on Lake 26 to stabilize the aerator cabinet. 
• They conducted a trash cleanup along the lakes and preserve that produced a large amount of plastic bottles, balls, etc.
• The trail cams allowed them to see people on mini bikes, so they added “no trespassing” signs there and on Lake 25.
• He commented that two solar lights are no longer working and that he had found a supplier that will send new batteries for $300/battery for the solar lights.

• The Field Manager put in a request to West Coast Electric to check lights at the entrance that do not turn off.
• MRI completed repairs on two stormwater structures, which took a year to get to permit requirements, and the Engineer will certify the modifications that will be submitted to the S. Florida Water Management District.
• Decorative Foam and Stone came to check out the pillars at the clock tower and gave an estimate of $4,000 to replace the columns with concrete foam. They withdrew their bid when asked to complete the eVerify paperwork, so the Field Manager will find another vendor.

ii. Project Updates

a. Stormwater System Cleaning/Inspection Update

The Field Manager asked MRI to review their 2018 stormwater system cleaning videos to verify whether issues were present at that time that are being reported as current. MRI responded that they do not keep the videos so no verification could be made. The Board authorized the District Manager and Field Manager to negotiate a contract for the stormwater cleaning that was identified but to also get other proposals.

b. FPL Street Light Head Replacement

The Field Manager asked if the Board likes the new street light fixture and, having verified that, he said FPL can begin the project, which will be completed in six weeks.

c. Erosion Repairs Lakes 3, 5 and 10

American Shoreline Restoration will start the project in July or August.

d. “No Trespassing” Signs on Preserve Paths

These signs were installed at key locations where trespassers have been identified.

e. Clock Tower Water Quality Maintenance

The Field Manager said that Culligan has been trying to contact Water Works Pools so that they can identify the flow rate through the current filters. Water Works Pools said they could not provide any information, so he asked Culligan to provide an estimate to install a flow meter so they can identify what size filtration system is necessary.

E. Attorney

i. Cul-de-Sac Maintenance Agreement Revision

The Attorney was tasked with putting together an agreement for an increase in CDD funding to replace aging plants in the cul-de-sacs and looked to the Board for direction. Currently, the Association has responsibility for all costs and expenses for the maintenance, repair and replacement of landscaping located within the cul-de-sacs. The Board discussed equity amongst the cul-de-sacs that are different sizes. After discussion, it was suggested that they increase the annual funds from 3% to 5%. This will be discussed again at the next meeting.

F. Engineer

i. Swale Behind 21027 Torre Del Lago Update

The Engineer said this has been completed. The excess dirt that was removed from the trench was used to restore 220 feet of shoreline along the west end of Lake 16. The District Manager suggested littorals be planted in the restored area, which is in the existing budget, and the Field Manager said he will take care of it.

ii. Village and County Emergency Egress LDO status

The Engineer gave an update on the progress of the Village and County Emergency Egress Limited Development Order and stated that a response from the Village was received requesting several minor changes that he is working on.   Lee County also had a comment/request, so the Engineer is following up on this request to get resolution on their comments which was stormwater related. 

He got some revised bids for the entrance from Collier Paving and MAJ Contracting.  Collier did not include a bid for the gate but they have the low bid without the gate at $81,000. Neither bid included the landscaping.  The MAJ bid was $120,000, including $25,000 for the gate,  which is about $14,000 over the Collier Paving bid.  The District Manager stated that if the gate is actually $25,000, they will be over budget.

The Board discussed their options and would like to proceed using Collier Paving with the understanding that it might be over budget if the gate costs more than what is currently budgeted, which was $95,000, so there is $14,000 available in the current budget for a gate.

SEVENTH ORDER OF BUSINESS

Discussion/Action Items

A. Guardhouse Arch Revision Project

Vice Chair Roth presented an update to the Board. As the Board liaison, he is working with Peter Van Kampen on the project. The proposal they got did not include traffic control, which will be up to the Board. The Board discussed the need for traffic cones. Mr. Van Kampen said it is possible to get 13’6″ height on the arch. There will be no changes to the resident’s lane.  The visitor lane will be blocked at Barletta and redirected to an exit lane, which is next to the Guardhouse, where they can receive a pass and continue back to the entrance lane after stopping at the Guardhouse.  Extra staff will be posted there during busy times. The project is expected to be completed in the summer when there is less traffic. The Board agreed that Vice Chair Roth can make decisions as long as he stays within the budget. The Board thanked Mr. Van Kampen for his assistance with the project.

B. Lake Bank Erosion Project

The Board reviewed a copy of a draft letter that is used in other communities. Costs were estimated and could fluctuate based on the placement of the catch basin in relation to the Lake Maintenance Easement. No objections were raised to the letter.

C. Master Landscaping Plan Update

Supervisor Licht reported that the Master Landscape Board met last week and the next phase will commence soon. She said there is a concern about the holiday lighting staying lit during the Holiday season. It was suggested that someone on the HOA decorating committee ensure that the GFI buttons are pushed when lights go out. It was stated that the Master Association will monitor them.

EIGHTH ORDER OF BUSINESS

Financial Reports

A. Financials for March 2021

The March 2021 Financials were discussed. There were no questions about them.

NINTH ORDER OF BUSINESS

Communications

A. Estero Council of Community Leaders

i. Online Meetings & Community Report: https://esterotoday.com/research-and-reports/

TENTH ORDER OF BUSINESS

Supervisors Requests

• Supervisor Gibson said that people have been reported to be feeding wildlife in the community. It was stated that the homeowner has been notified.
• Supervisor Licht said there was an oil stain on her neighbor’s driveway, and they sent a letter to the roofer who had been there who said he had not caused it. The District Manager said the County has been notified. A resident said there were about a dozen nails on the pavement, too. She also said that she feels that sidewalks should be addressed.

ELEVENTH ORDER OF BUSINESS

Audience Comments

• Jim Meek said he notified FPL about a light glaring into his home.
• Louis Tancredi introduced himself to the Board as the liaison to the CDD Board from the Single Family Homes Association and said he will be providing HOA updates in future meetings.

TWELFTH ORDER OF BUSINESS

Adjournment

There being no further Orders of Business,

Next Meeting: May 18, 2021 at 4 p.m.