Note: Minutes are draft until approved by membership
Greater Pine Island Civic Association Membership Meeting Minutes
March 5, 2024 | First Baptist Church of Pine Island
Board Members Present: Deborah Swisher-Hicks, President; Nadine Slimak, Vice President, Mike Sweeney, Treasurer, Steve Eldredge, Secretary, Tim Heitz and Sue Dahod.
President Deb Swisher-Hicks called the meeting to order at 6:38 p.m. She thanked Pastor Jim and the First Baptist Church for allowing us to hold our meetings at the Church and provided an overview of the upcoming program:
Mikes Maillakakis, General Manager of the Greater Pine Island Water Association, who will discuss proposed Lee County Charter changes to the approval process of Voluntary Annexation by a municipality. And Judy Ott and Abriana Sadler, who are looking for volunteers for a water quality monitoring program.
Treasurer’s Report
Mike Sweeney presented the February 2024 GPICA Treasurer’s report, including a Chiquita Lock funding update:
- ACCOUNTS
Money Market $16,764.92
Checking $7,042.79
CD Investment $78,548.43(July 3 rollover)
Cash Box $103 - INCOME TOTAL (since February 6 meeting) $220.46
Breakdown
$95 Cash memberships
$125.46 (Square online purchase of memberships) - EXPENSE TOTAL (since Feb. 6 meeting) $442.00
Breakdown
$300 Church rental for February
$70 Sun Biz Florida Tax
$72 Post office box rental (yearly) - CHIQUITA LOCK (CL)LEGAL DEFENSE STATUS**
Original GPICA Pledge- $2,500
Donations from Members- $2,975
Matching GPICA donations $2,975
Bill#1 Chiquita Lock Lawyer ($2,500)
Bill#2 Chiquita Lock Lawyer ($3,000)
Current Total $2,950
**Background: GPICA agreed to a funding match for all Chiquita Lock donations made by GPICA members. Currently three donations have been submitted using our online payment system, Squareup.com, which deducts a fee for the use of its services. GPICA is supporting the full match and making up the payment difference. GPICA received the follow donations through Squareup:
$25.00 for which we received $23.97, service fee of $1.03. $200.00 for which GPICA received $194.70, service fee of $5.30. $100.00 for which GPICA received $96.80, service fee of $3.20
Difference GPICA will be making up the service fees in the amount of $9.53.
Mike noted that we will shortly pay all the monies donated and our match to the lawyer for the Chiquita Lock defense.
The Treasurer’s Report was accepted by the membership without questions.
Mike also thanked the volunteers who participated in the community road cleanup including: Claudia Reed, Linda Britton, Christine Blum and Ellen Ballard.
President Swisher-Hicks then took time to allow GPICA Board members in attendance to introduce themselves. Each then gave a short update on their background.
Speakers
Lee County Charter Review Committee-Voluntary Annexation Process Changes (Mikes Maillakakis, General Manager of the Greater Pine Island Water Assn.)
Lee County has a provision in their Charter which requires them, every eight years, to create a commission which reviews and could ultimately lead to changes in their Charter.
A language change, under consideration, is the process for voluntary annexation. This could have an impact on the Water Assn. The specific change would allow the County to review all voluntary annex changes. Mr. Maillakakis noted that the City of Cape Coral has been annexing in a westward direction and this proposed change could allow the Water Assn. to be included in these discussions around any annexations that impacting their service area. Mr. Maillakakis encouraged community members to attend one of the meetings on either March 5 or March 26 to let the Commission now that it is important to accept this new amended language regarding voluntary annexation.
Questions/Comments from the Membership
- Could you provide commentary around the language and how it specifically impacts the Water Association?
- What is our motivation as citizens to recommend adoption of this language?
- Is the Commission or the Water Assn. driving the change to the process?
- Would it make sense for Pine Island and Matlacha to incorporate to stop the annexation process?
- Is it possible to develop a script to use when speaking in front of the Charter Commission
- Comment-If you plan to speak to the Charter Commission you need to be prepared to speak to them, they will not be presenting anything. They simply will want to know if you have a public opinion on the voluntary annexation process.
Volunteer water quality monitoring network (Judy Ott, Pine Island resident, and Abrianna Sadler, Florida Department of Environmental Protection-Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves Office (CHAP).
Ms. Ott presented a brief historical overview of water quality monitoring in our area. Pine Island and Matlacha have been designated an aquatic preserve since the early 70s. Charlotte Harbor since the mid-70s. Lemon Bay in the mid-80s.
The Aquatic Preserve office opened in the mid-80s in Pine Island. In the mid-90s the Aquatic Preserve moved up to Charlotte County from Pine Island. The water quality monitoring network has been around for 25 years.
Ms. Sadler then presented an overview of the preserves that the Charlotte Harbor Office monitors. There are 5 estuaries and 46 monitoring sites. There are several sites that are currently not monitored, hence the request for volunteers.
Ms. Sadler then reviewed what a “day-in-the-life” of a monitor looks like. You must have a boat (in practically all cases), you are trained on the equipment used to collect water samples, with on-going support provided by CHAP. It takes 2-4 hours, on the first Monday of the month, within the hour after sunrise.
Questions/Comments from the Membership
- Do you have to be a full-time resident?
- Are there any monitoring sites that do not require a boat?
- How is this data used when we see consistently water quality problems? It seems like there is not really any action taken to ameliorate what the data shows.
- Why do we not have an action plan for Pine Island and Matlacha as we believe they are impaired? How do we get a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) established for Matlacha Pass, Pine Island Sound or both?
- What is all the years of water quality testing actually accomplishing since our water quality continues to deteriorate?
- If you’d like to volunteer, email Abriana Sadler at Abrianna.Sadler@FloridaDEP.gov
Next meeting of the GPICA is April 2 and will be held at The First Baptist Church of Pine Island, 5363 Avenue D, Bokeelia.
—Respectfully submitted by Steve Eldredge, Secretary