Workshop Meeting Minutes for May 16, 2023

Habitat
Community Development District

A workshop 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, May 16, 2023 at 3 p.m.

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

Larry Roth – Chair
Norman Reno – Vice Chair
Linda Lea Gibson – Assistant Secretary
Jenny Licht – Assistant Secretary
Joseph Napolitano – Assistant Secretary

Also present (or attending via web conference):

Cal Teague – District Manager, Premier District Management (PDM)
K. J. Moses – President, Master Association
Michaele Till-Cazares – HOA Landscape Committee
Melissa Gindling – Project Specialist, PDM
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 workshop meeting was called to order and all Board members were present. Also in attendance were Cal Teague, the District Manager, K. J. Moses, President, Master Association, Michaele Till-Cazares of the HOA Landscape Committee, Melissa Gindling from PDM, and Several Residents.

SECOND ORDER OF BUSINESS Approval of the Agenda

On MOTION by Supervisor Licht, seconded by Supervisor Napolitano, with all in favor, the Agenda was approved, as submitted.

THIRD ORDER OF BUSINESS Audience Comments on Agenda Items

There were no Audience comments on Agenda items.

FOURTH ORDER OF BUSINESS Bella Terra Community Association/Habitat CDD Maintenance Agreement Workshop

District Manager Teague provided documents and presented a GIS map with acreage information regarding the approximate CDD and HOA ownership in Bella Terra.

Vice Chair Reno stated that he had reviewed the HOA Budget for 2021 and 2022. During his evaluation of the expenditures, he discovered that the HOA had not gone over budget, as they had previously stated. He asked if the HOA could provide different figures from the Budget, and Michaele Till-Cazares did not have that information.

The HOA and the CDD discussed the purpose of the negotiations, and what items the HOA is requesting the CDD to cover. Several Board members and residents stated that it seems that it would be easier to keep the maintenance agreement the way it is. A resident noted that all of the funds used are paid by the homeowners, whether they are designated to the CDD or the HOA. Giving the maintenance responsibilities back to the CDD was also discussed, but Vice Chair Reno stated that the HOA has a landscape vendor and the CDD does not.

There was discussion on how much money, if any, should be given to the HOA for their landscape budget, and District Manager Teague noted that the CDD cannot spend funds on private property, therefore the HOA and CDD properties must be clearly stated. Creating separate line items was considered, which would indicate where the funds are being distributed. Specific figures were discussed, and District Manager Teague explained that he had entered landscape enhancements when he was drafting the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget.

They looked at what areas of the community are maintained by the CDD, and which are maintained by the HOA, and K.J. Moses reviewed all of the projects that the HOA has completed in the current year, which are many. Supervisor Licht suggested that the CDD take responsibility for trimming the trees in the median.

In conclusion, District Manager Teague stated that it was his understanding that the Board was in agreement that the current maintenance agreement should be retained, and just the distribution of expenses needs to be decided. He stated that he will proceed with the assumption that the agreement will stay as is, and the CDD’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget will include a line item for tree trimming. The Board agreed with this assumption, and it will be further discussed during the regular meeting to follow.