Please note: Minutes are draft until they are approved by membership
Greater Pine Island Civic Association — Membership Meeting Minutes
February 4, 2025 | First Baptist Church of Pine Island
Board Members Present: Deborah Swisher-Hicks, President; Nadine Slimak, Vice President, Sue Dahod and Christine Blum.
Treasurer’s Report
Treasurer Steve Eldredge presented financials for the month of January. He commented on the fact that we are holding quite a bit of cash and equivalents. He stated that it is his intention to purchase more CDs, but he is working to stagger the maturities and expects to make another purchase within the next week.
BEGINNING CHECKING BALANCE-BANK (Truist) $ 3,852.31
BEGINNING CHECKING BALANCE-BANK (First Horizon) $ 1,000.00
BEGINNING BALANCE-CASH $ 103.00
INCOME
01/27/25 Zeffy Deposit $ 25.00
01/24/25 Deposit (Mail-In Memberships) $ 55.00
01/13/25 Zeffy Deposit $ 40.00
TOTAL INCOME $ 120.00
EXPENSES
01/27/25 Check-PO Box Renewal $ 72.00
01/08/25 Check-First Baptist Church of Pine Island $ 100.00
TOTAL EXPENSES $ 172.00
ENDING TRUIST CHECKING BALANCE $ 3,800.31
ENDING TRUIST MONEY MARKET $ 6,965.52
ENDING FIRST HORIZON CHECKING BALANCE $ 1,000.00
ENDING FIRST HORIZON MONEY MARKET $ 30,260.08
ENDING BALANCE-CASH $ 103.00
ENDING CHECKING/MONEY MARKET/CASH BALANCE $ 42,128.91
CERT. OF DEPOSIT (First Horizon-3.85%, Matures 06/08/25) $ 40,253.27
CERT. OF DEPOSIT (First Horizon-3.50%, Matures 12/10/25) $ 20,000.00
Mr. Eldredge also shared with the membership that the review of 2023 books was now complete and nothing notable was found during the review. The review of 2024 financial information should take place in the coming months, but before year end.
Board Elections
Members of the Greater Pine Island Civic Association (GPICA) elected new board members during this month’s annual meeting. Steve Eldredge announced that Swisher-Hicks, Slimak and Board Member Scott Wilkinson were re-elected and that Bokeelia resident Kathy Chumley was elected as a new Board Member.
Community News
Pierce Memorial
Board member Sue Dahod shared plans for the memorial for Codty Pierce, who died Jan. 13, and invited his Island friends from the community to attend the Tuesday, Feb. 11 activities starting with:
- A short memorial beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Randell Research Center, 13810 Waterfront Drive, Bokeelia;
- Followed at 6:30 p.m. by a gathering to share stories about Codty at Carmen’s Kayaks, Knight’s Landing, 16499 Porto Bello St., Bokeelia.
Seven Islands
Dahod also provided an update on the Seven Island project. This massive development has been envisioned by the Cape for more than a decade and the project moved forward when the developer, Gulf Gateway Development, and the city applied for an Army Corps of Engineers permit to build seawalls, dredge and build docks for the infrastructure of the mixed-use development proposed to include residential, commercial and entertainment facilities. The public notice of the application was made on Dec. 4, 2024. The project will encompass seven undeveloped man-made islands located on the east side of the Spreader Canal not far from Matlacha. The developer envisions a 10-year build out with the first phase focused on Island 7 and the frontage on Old Burnt Store Road. Ultimately, the project calls for:
- Condominiums
- Apartments
- A Marriott-branded hotel with 240 rooms
- Fish houses
- Waterfront restaurants
- Tiki bar
- Public marina and more than 200 boat slips
- Lagoon resort where a beach will be created on the waterfront of the hotel
- More than 10,000 square feet of meeting space
- Commercial spaces
Conservation 20/20 Purchase
GPICA President Deborah Swisher-Hicks shared that the GPICA Board sent a letter to Lee County Commissioners in support of a proposed Conservation 20/20 land purchase in Bokeelia. The land is an 80.5-acre parcel located near existing conservation properties — the Conservation 20/20 Smokehouse Bay Preserve and the Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge (a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service property). The land is a former tree farm.
Conservation 20/20 is a Lee County land acquisition and management program voted into place twice by Lee County residents, who agreed to tax themselves to support the conservation of environmentally sensitive lands. At Tuesday’s Lee County Commission meeting, commissioners voted to allow staff to begin negotiations for the property.
Chiquita Lock Lawsuit
Dahod also provided an update on the Chiquita Lock lawsuit: Cape Coral is seeking millions of dollars in legal fees from the three fishermen who brought the suit opposing the issuance of a DEP permit to Cape Coral to remove the Chiquita Lock. The fishermen have filed suit in federal court to stop the Cape from attempting such a retaliatory action against citizens who oppose their government’s actions.
Resiliency Survey
Vice President Nadine Slimak urged all residents — not just GPICA members — to take the GPICA’s resiliency survey. The goal is to use the information gathered to help understand which parts of the island have received the most storm impacts and to possibly seek governmental or grant support to make those areas more resilient to future tropical storms and hurricanes.
- Visit www.GPICA.org/resiliency-survey/ to take the survey
FDOT to attend GPICA March Meeting
Treasurer Steve Eldredge provided an update on the Little Pine Island Bridge reconstruction and announced that a representative of the Florida Department of Transportation will be at the March GPICA meeting to discuss the bridge. Residents are encouraged to attend.
Adopt-A-Road
Swisher-Hicks announced the dates for the monthly GPICA road clean-up and invited volunteers to help on the first Wednesday of every month.
- 2025 Dates: Feb. 5; March 5; April 2; May 7; June 4; July 9; Aug. 6; Sept. 10; Oct. 8; Nov. 5; Dec. 3
- Where/When: Volunteers gather at 9 a.m. at the Post Office on Barrancas. Swisher-Hicks also thanked Member Ellen Ballard of Bokeelia for organizing the monthly clean-ups.
The meeting recording can be found here
Please Note: There were technical difficulties with the recording.
Next meeting of the GPICA is March 4 and will be held at The First Baptist Church of Pine Island (5363 Avenue D, Bokeelia).
— Respectfully submitted by Steve Eldredge, Secretary