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, February 15, 2022 at 4 p.m.

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

Joe Napolitano – Chair
Larry Roth – Vice Chair
Linda Lea Gibson – Assistant Secretary
Jenny Licht- Assistant Secretary
Mark Novitski – Assistant Secretary

Also present (or attending via web conference):

Cal Teague – PDM District Manager
Chris Pepin – Field Manager
Greg Urbancic – Attorney
Charlie Krebs – Engineer
Christopher Dudak – PDM Client Services Manager
Bill Sowers – PDM Assistant District Manager
Residents

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

The meeting was called to order and all Board members were present. Also in attendance were Cal Teague, the District Manager, and Chris Pepin, Field Manager. Participating via web conference were Charlie Krebs, the Engineer, Greg Urbancic, the Attorney, and Christopher Dudak and Bill Sowers of PDM.

Add 6Cd Fountain Bollards Alternatives Proposal, 7D Lakes 17 Storm Water Structure Repair Estimate, 7E Invoices from HOA Discussion, 7F GIS Services Agreement

Mike Rubin, Vice Chair of the Master Board and chairman of the landscape committee, stated that there were 22 service calls for snails last month. In addition, there were 15 additional emails from Estate to Tad. He believed that the Board is not addressing the problem. He suggested the use of chlorine pellets and distributed a handout with an explanation of the process.

John Corell, the treasurer of Villas I, would like the repairs of the lights in cul-de-sacs on the Agenda. He believed that the CDD is responsible for the repairs.

A. Draft Meeting Minutes for January 18, 2022

Line 103 Novitski is misspelled
Line 105 change Ed Meek to Ed Capezutto

A. Irrigation Contractor

District Manager Teague reviewed the report and the following was discussed:

i. Monthly Irrigation Report

Tad reported that all online bills in the future will be synchronized, so that there will be only one bill.

He continues to flush the mainlines weekly, and all pump stations were working to specifications. The recharge wells were increased to 12 hours a day. There was a mainline break on Belvidere, and it was shut down until it is repaired.

In response to Mike Rubin’s comments, Chair Napolitano stated that the Board had instituted a plan, and he explained how the cleaning process works in snail elimination. He stated that it has been a particularly bad year for snails, and Tad had reported that the cleaning is working. In his report he had included the fact that chlorination was performed in over 400 locations, and he had recorded the days when they were done. He had rechecked all the locations, and very few had to be rechlorinated. District Manager Teague stated that $23,000 had been spent this year. Supervisor Licht wondered if preventative measures are being taken, and if they can obtain results from other communities that show the level of snails in their lakes. Supervisor Novitski wondered if Solitude can address the issue, and District Manager Teague stated that Solitude does not do snail treatment. Supervisor Novitski suggested that Field Manager Pepin and Tad investigate other options that might be available. District Manager Teague stated that the composition of muck in the lakes could be checked to see if this correlates to the snail problem.

B. District Manager

i. Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Discussion

District Manager Teague stated that a proposed budget for 2023 needs to be completed by June 15, 2022, and he asked the Board to submit any budget considerations to him as soon as possible. He will have a draft budget at the April meeting.

Supervisor Novitski wondered if Engineer Krebs could determine if the roads need to be re-milled, because this would have an effect on the budget. He believed that some roads had been re-milled in 2003. Engineer Krebs stated that he will look at the roads and submit a report with photos at the next meeting. He then will give an estimate of the needed re-milling of the roads.

C. Field Manager

i. Project Updates

Field Manager Pepin reported on the following issues:

a. FPL Street Light Replacement

He had no updates. Supervisor Novitski stated that he had a discussion with Mary Gibbs from Estero, and it is possible that the Land Development Code may need to be revisited.

b. Clocktower Foam Repair Update

He reported that the repairs had been completed. He used foam from a can to fill in the openings, but it did not go deep into the decorative molding, so there were still some soft spots. He will continue to monitor it. Chair Napolitano wondered if it could be made of concrete, or if that would be too heavy. Field Manager Pepin stated that they may have to accept a more expensive proposal, because the contractors who utilize E-verify are twice as expensive.

c. Yield Signs in Roundabouts Update

The stop bars had been painted black, since there is no longer a stop sign at the intersection entering the roundabout.

d. Fountain Bollards Alternatives Proposal

Field Manager Pepin had received an estimate of $6,100 to install 10 6×9 lighted paver blocks around the outer edge of the clock tower. He will wait a month to see if the replaced bollard bulbs continue to function as expected.

e. Damaged Drainpipe Behind Boccala Lane Repair Update

Chris reported that MRI had submitted a revised proposal to the Board, because the cost for material had increased $3,500.

f. Lakes 5 & 10 Littoral Planting Update

It was too cold to plant, so they will wait for warmer weather in March or April.

g. Hydraulic Spill Cleanup Update

Chris had spoken to Waste Pro about the community’s dissatisfaction with the clean-up. Upon his last inspection, he saw that most of the sand that had been applied to absorb the spill was gone, and the stains were lighter.

h. Hotwire Fiber-optic Installation Update

Chris had met with the project manager, Matthew Rollins, who reviewed the trenching plans with him. Field Manager Pepin directed Mr. Rollins to stay at least 10 feet away from the shorelines, and he also showed him the aerator systems. Supervisor Novitski was concerned about the trenching throughout the auxiliary parking lot for existing power and irrigation lines. Field Manager Pepin identified the location of the hotwire control station and will continue to monitor their progress.

i. Serre Drive Pump Station Access for Contractors

Estate had been asked to move out of the fenced area. They had placed material behind the pump station, which was seen to be unsightly.

Chris commented that the irrigation clocks are very close to the pipes that feed the irrigation pumps. There is a possibility that a fence or separate gate could be installed to access them, but was not certain that this is feasible.

This will be discussed further to see if the material can be moved to another location.

ii. Current Field Report

Field Manager reviewed the report, and the following was discussed:

Concerning the trash that had been placed in the preserve by the resident at 13206 Lazzaro Court, the Board discussed what the next action should be. They decided to have Attorney Urbancic send a letter. If this does not produce results, they will consider going to code enforcement or the HOA.

The Board discussed stormwater control structure 785-116, and Chris presented an estimate from Conidaris Builders to repair the structure for $18,950.

D. Attorney

Attorney Urbancic had nothing at this time.

E. Engineer

Engineer Krebs presented his report and the following was discussed:

i. Emergency Access Road Project Updates

He reported that the gate is now working, but it is operating on battery power. The meter to the gate is not receiving power, even though the meter is powered. Engineer Krebs is investigating this.

ii. 20-Year Stormwater Needs Analysis Update

He was looking at the spreadsheet template from the Florida governor at this point. He expected to be sending a draft to District Manager Teague soon, because there is a June deadline for submission.

A. Interior Gatehouse Renovations

Vice Chair Roth reported that there is no update at this time.

B. Whack Out Weeds Chemical Issue

Field Manager Pepin found a product called Torched Weed Killer that is made up of natural ingredients, which would not be a risk to anyone’s health or the environment.

C. Boy Scouts of America Bat House Project

Engineer Krebs stated in his report that a Boy Scout troop would like to place bat houses in the community for an Eagle project.

D. Lake 17 Storm Water Structure Repair Estimate

This was discussed and acted upon previously.

E. Invoices from HOA Discussion

In 2006, 2007, or 2008, the CDD was in development. The Board discussed financing obligations for several maintenance items in their Villas I cul-de-sacs. In 2014 the Board or the Developer contracted with the sub associations, and landscape lighting was installed. They specified that the HOA of Villas I was entirely responsible for installation and maintenance of enhancements. District Manager Teague felt that this included bad wires and burnt out lights, because they were enhancements. In addition, the 2017/2018 agreements specified that any improvements outside of irrigation and landscaping were the responsibility of the sub associations. The Villas I association felt tree trimming and landscape lights were landscaping.

The Board also discussed the invoice from the HOA concerning palm tree trimming in the cul-de-sacs, and the cost was $40 per tree. It was stated that tree trimming was not in the original agreement.

Motion Failed.

Supervisor Gibson mentioned the trimming of the oak trees, as well as, the palm trees in the cul-de-sacs. She stated that this needs to be done before hurricane season. It was decided that Field Manager Pepin will identify the trees in the cul-de-sacs which need trimming, then this information will be passed on to the sub associations.

F. GIS Services Agreement

The Board discussed a proposal to switch the GIS services contract to a new firm, Florida GIS Solutions.

A. Financials for January 2022

District Manager Teague reported that they are in good financial condition.

A. Estero Council of Community Leaders: https://esterotoday.com/research-and-reports/

The Board decided to take this off the Agenda going forward.

Supervisor Gibson had been approached about a new project beginning in the community, and the residents were wondering if the CDD would be involved in the architecture, because this is not a project the CDD will be participating in. It was determined that the CDD will not be involved. Supervisor Licht stated that she had been asked to be a liaison, but the HOA told her that a Board member was not needed at this time. Supervisor Novitski stated that there had been concerns about irrigation and well heads. The Board decided that the CDD will not be involved, and the HOA should contact the Board if they have any requests. Supervisor Gibson asked if the CDD should make an official statement of their concerns, because the next Saturday is a final presentation on the project. No action was requested.

Michele Tocakaris from Villas III wondered if there is a monitoring process for the work that is being done in the irrigation system. She asked if there is coordination with contractors for wet checks. The Board stated that they will ensure that Tad is communicating with their landscaper, Shaw. She would also like there to be communication between construction contractors and Alliant. Michele was concerned that the presence of snails was continuing without much improvement. The Board explained the history of irrigation and snail issues and treatment. They stated that there is a monthly report from Tad of Irrigation Services, and it shows that the amount of snails is decreasing. The Board suggested that Field Manager Pepin, Tad and Shaw have a meeting and discuss their work with the residents.

The Meeting was adjourned by Chair Napolitano at 5:56 p.m.

The Next Regular Meeting will be March 15, 2022 at 4:00 p.m.