March 2024 Meeting Agenda

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Tuesday’s GPICA Meeting to Feature Water Quality Program and Proposed Annexation Charter Amendment

Please join us for the next meeting of the Greater Pine Island Civic Association (GPICA) on Tuesday as we host a discussion on a proposed amendment to the Lee County Charter and learn about a water quality testing program seeking volunteers. This will be the first meeting at our new location, the First Baptist Church of Pine Island, 5363 Ave. D, Bokeelia, 33922, located next to Pine Island Elementary School.

  • What: GPICA March Meeting
  • When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 5
  • Where: First Baptist Church of Pine Island, 5363 Ave. D, Bokeelia; next to Pine Island Elementary School.
  • Livestream: We also plan to livestream the meeting to our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/PineIslandCivicAssociation, though we ask for patience as this will be the first time we’re using a new AV system.
  • Note: Members will be asked to approve our February meeting minutes. Please review them here before the meeting so you can vote.

Meeting Presenters

Pine Islander Judy Ott, in partnership with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (FDEP) Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves staff (CHAP), will provide an overview FDEPs Aquatic Preserves Program, focusing on CHAP and its involvement in the Charlotte Harbor Estuaries Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Network.

This Water Quality Monitoring Network program is a coordinated system of more than 50 volunteers who regularly conduct water quality monitoring throughout the six local aquatic preserves in Southwest Florida: Lemon Bay, Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte Harbor, Pine Island Sound, Matlacha Pass, San Carlos Bay and Estero Bay estuaries.

  • The program is recruiting volunteers to collect water samples in the Pine Island Sound area.

Mikes Maillakakis, General Manager of the Greater Pine Island Water Association (GPIWA), will provide an overview of a proposed amendment to the Lee County Charter to address voluntary annexation. This charter amendment wouldrequire municipalities to include county utility franchises, such as the GPIWA, in the annexation process.

  • This could include providing a process for transferring services or infrastructure, or compensating utility providers for services and infrastructure.
  • The inclusion of county utility franchises guarantees that nonprofit utility providers, such as GPIWA, have a voice in the annexation process.

Public input is critical to the Charter Review process. Pine Islanders are encouraged to attend an upcoming meeting of the Charter Review Commission to speak in support of this change to the charter at one of the upcoming meetings:

  • March 12 at the South County Regional Library, 21100 Three Oaks Parkway, Estero
  • March 26 at the North Fort Myers Park and Recreation Center, 2000 North Recreation Park Way, North Fort Myers
  • If you cannot attend in person, you can email your comments in support of the amendment to charter@leegov.com.

About the Lee County Charter Review Process

Every eight years, Lee County undergoes a charter review process. A Charter Review Commission of 15 members is appointed by the Lee County Commission to review the county’s current charter and propose any amendments or revisions for placement on the general election ballot. All registered voters then may vote them down or up.

To be placed on the general election ballot, proposed Charter amendments or revisions must:
Receive an affirmative vote of three-fifths (3/5) of the membership of the entire Charter Review Commission and be submitted to the County Commission for its consideration for placement on the November 2024 ballot. The County Commission must agree to place the item on the ballot.

OR

Receive an affirmative vote of four-fifths (4/5) of the entire membership of the Charter Review Commission. These items are placed directly onto the November 2024.

Other Community News of Note

Lee County Watering Restrictions

Heads up! In January, the Lee County Commission voted to amend the watering ordinance for unincorporated Lee County. Despite what you may have read elsewhere, the amended rule DOES APPLY to Matlacha, Pine Island and other areas served by the Greater Pine Island Water Association.

Under the amended rule now in place between Feb. 1-May 31:

  • Odd-numbered addresses may only water on Saturdays
  • Even-numbered addresses and common areas may only water on Sundays.
  • No watering may occur between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

People in unincorporated Lee County who irrigate outside the permissible days and hours could be subject to a warning or a fine.

  • Click here for more information on watering rules (and you can download Captain Conservation coloring pages, too!)
  • Click here for more information on the water shortage that led to the change in watering rules
Lee County Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) on the Island

Lee County has included three Island-based projects in its update to the CIP five-year master plan:

  • Improvements to Lavender’s Landing boat ramp, 7290 Barrancas Ave. N.W. In 2021, the County began planning major updates to the main structure and the cottages to make them more appealing as rentals to visitors and was beginning the process of seeking a vendor to handle cottage rentals.
  • The creation of a dog park near Winn Dixie. This site will also serve as a temporary site for hurricane debris removal. In 2021, Lee County solid waste purchased the property near conservation land (Buttonwood Preserve) just south of the Winn Dixie. When the site is not being used for debris, it is intended to be used as fenced off leash dog park.
  • Improvements to the Pine Island sewer plant in St. James City, which services Matlacha.
Park Updates

Philips Park Tennis/Pickleball Courts

Just a reminder that the public pickleball/tennis courts at Philips Park, 5675 Sesame Drive, Bokeelia, are temporarily closed for resurfacing and painting. The courts will reopen once those updates are completed.

Matlacha Park

The playground at Matlacha Park has reopened! Check out the great new pirate ship!

Road Updates

Little Pine Island Bridge

Lee County has approved an agreement for the full replacement of the Little Pine Island Bridge. FDOT and LeeDOT are working to develop the design and construction plan. The County portion of the agreement is $2.4 million. Part of this project will require moving the sewer main, and the county approved that $1.1 million cost as well.

  • Learn more about the bridge project here.
  • Please note that the Shared Use Feasibility Study (sidewalks/bike lanes) through Matlacha has been put on hold.

Pine Island Road

Work continues on Pine Island Road repairs through Matlacha. Pedestrians and bike riders are not permitted in the construction zone. Please be aware that lane shifts and short closures may occur throughout construction and plan trips on/off the island accordingly.

  • Don’t forget: You can check the live traffic cams to see how cars are flowing through the area when you’re planning your travels.
  • Traffic cam link

Lee County Fair Housing Plan

Lee County’s Department of Veterans and Human Services oversees resources from federal, state, local, private and nonprofit organizations designated to aid Lee County residents through supportive programs and services, including housing. Working with the Florida Housing Coalition, the Department is currently creating/updating its Fair Housing Plan, which helps to dictate where and how funds allocated through U.S. Community Development Block Grants and other sources are used.

Planning is currently under way for the 2024 Annual Action Plan, Five Year Consolidated Plan for HUD Fiscal Years 2024-2028, Equity Plan, and Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Strategic Plan 2024-2026.

In general, housing, neighborhood development, and projects to assist persons who are homeless will be undertaken and Lee County encourages residents to participate in the planning process. All comments will be considered in preparing the plans and reported in the documents.

There is one meeting left in the public hearing process, scheduled for this Monday:

  • When: 6 p.m. Monday, March 4,
  • Where: East County Regional Library, 881 Gunnery Road, N., Lehigh Acres, Florida, 33971
  • You can also email comments to cplatter@leegov.com
  • Click here for details about assistance programs provided to Lee County residents. Programs include help with rent/mortgage, utility bills, home repair and home purchase for income-eligible individuals and families.

Lee Cares Housing Program for Ian Survivors

Lee County has opened the application portal for the LeeCares Hurricane Ian Housing Recovery Program.

Funding for the LeeCares housing program comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery allocation to Lee County to address the disaster recovery needs of residents impacted by Hurricane Ian, which made landfall in Lee County on Sept. 28, 2022.

Individuals can apply for help through these programs:

  • The Housing Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Elevation program may assist income-eligible property owners to repair, replace and/or elevate property that suffered hurricane damage.
  • The Home Purchase Assistance may assist income-eligible home buyers to purchase a qualifying primary residence outside of the flood zone in Lee County.
  • To view a full list of eligibility requirements and documents needed to apply, visit www.leeflcares.com. Questions can be emailed to leecares@leegov.com. Iindividuals also can call 239-382-5453.

Comprehensive and detailed information about Lee County’s CDBG-DR Action Plan, program allocations, activities and expenditures are provided on the county’s website at https://cdbgdr.leegov.com.

Calusa Waterkeeper Water Sampling Map

Calusa Waterkeeper staff and volunteer rangers routinely perform independent testing of several Lee County waterways. Test results are determined in their independent lab and at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), depending on the number of samples. Calusa Waterkeeper’s close watch of local creeks has compelled more monitoring by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Below is the latest sampling map.

  • Click here to view the interactive map on the Calusa Waterkeeper website.

State News of Note

In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)

From Gulfshore Business: Months before the Legislature opened its 2024 session, Tallahassee lawmakers extended by two years a law that bans Lee, Collier and other Southwest Florida counties and municipalities from adopting changes to comprehensive plans and land-development regulations.
… Section 15 of the bill extends for two years, from 2024 to 2026, a developer-friendly provision in last year’s Senate Bill 250 that prohibits local governments hit by Hurricane Ian from raising building fees or adopting “restrictive or burdensome” changes to comprehensive plans and land-development regulations. Nor may those counties — nor any municipality within those counties — propose or adopt any moratorium on construction, reconstruction or redevelopment of any property damaged by Hurricane Ian.

  • Read the full story and learn about other state proposals that impact local government control here
    Speaking of the Legislative Session…

Did you know that we’re very close to the end of the Legislative session, which adjourns on March 8? The Florida League of Cities follows the legislative session closely and watches bills that have an impact on local municipalities (counties, cities).

The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Association (SCCF) sends out weekly updates on bills being passed in the session that have an impact on the environment, especially here locally.

  • You can sign up for alerts here

SCCF has a current action alert against: Environmental Resources – SB 738 by Sen. Danny Burgess. It passed the full Senate by a vote of 26-7 on Thursday and has been sent to the full House for its consideration. According to SCCF:

  • This bill started out this session with several bad provisions including the requirement for citizens to pay the prevailing party’s attorney’s fees for any challenges to Department of Environmental Protection or Water Management District actions and added a requirement for coastal permitting streamlining measures. Both of these elements were stricken from the bill after a large public effort to have them removed. The House version, HB 789 by Rep. Toby Overdorf has also passed all of its committees and is waiting to be scheduled to be heard by the full House.
  • Additional troubling language was later added to the bill that shields polluters from being held accountable for damages from a toxic spill if their projects have been previously permitted by the state. An example of such pollution would be the Piney Point disaster — a 215-million-gallon toxic water discharge from the phosphate gypsum stack in Tampa in 2021. This massive discharge of pollution coincided with a major blue green algae bloom in Tampa Bay the same year. This bill would shield companies from accountability in those types of pollution events.
  • As a result of climate change, Florida is ground zero for increased rains and stronger hurricanes that will exacerbate future water pollution events. A better solution would be to plan for these events rather than shield the polluters from responsibility.
  • SCCF asks that you click here to take action to contact your Florida House members to ask them not to schedule either of these bills for a vote on the House floor.

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