ROTONDA WEST ASSOCIATION, INC.
Aquatic Canal System
Minutes - July 18, 2007

Present: Nick Gizzi (Chair) Norb Zoltowski, Cleon Kern, Bob Winter, Olga Durham Linda Harrison, and Richard Stravino

Absent: Bob Seneca, Earl Haas

Management: none

Other Members/Visitors Present: George & Donna Krabbe, Claudette & Joseph Romano, John Eisele

Meeting was called to order by Chair Nick Gizzi at 3:00 pm. Roll call was taken. Minutes from June 27th were reviewed and accepted.

5 Year Plan: The Aquatic Canal System (ACS) 5 Year Plan was submitted to the RWA Board for review prior to the July 18th Board meeting and was unanimously approved at the meeting. However after reviewing the plan further, Director Romano indicated that the plan should not be approved and recommended that her annotated changes be made. Nick Gizzi suggested that the authors review her comments to determine if and or what changes should be made and thought the suggested elimination of the “all in one printer” needed for the digitalization project might be valid. Note: after the meeting Nick decided to add Olga Durham, former Board President and Committee chair to the author review group.

2008 Budget: Chair Nick Gizzi announced that the Budget and Finance Committee has requested that all committees have budget numbers for them by September. He asked all of the Aquatic Canal System sub-committee chairs working with their members to have projected budget figures by the next meeting so that they could be forwarded to the B & F Committee. He suggested looking at Section 10 of the 5 Year Plan for the recommended procedure on how to do this.

RWA Boat and Trailer: The RV Lot administrators have agreed to allow John Farrell’s (Aquatic Management’s boat) trailer to be stored on top of our trailer. The purpose for this arrangement is to have the trailers in close proximity in the event of a storm threat so that the boats can be removed from the canals quickly.

Dick Stravino was assigned the task of getting the RWA boat in the water at John Farrell’s dock on Boundary Boulevard. Dick reported that this had not yet been accomplished because the engine would not start. He cleaned the gas tank added fresh gas and oil and attempted to clean the weathered cables to the boat battery. He stated that the gas lines apparently were not disconnected from the motor and gas was not purged after its last use, which may be as long as a year ago and that the boat cover was not used. The battery cable may need to be replaced. He was advised that there may also be a problem with the ignition system. The connections to the bilge pump were also corroded. He stated he would like to get the motor started before putting the boat into the water. He plans to find someone with outboard motor knowledge to look at the engine and if unsuccessful will bring it to a professional mechanic to determine if repairs will be required.

Sub-Committee Reports

Marine & Aquatic Habitat: Bob Winters reported that all of the Lakewatch volunteers were collecting their water samples but he hasn’t heard from Bob Seneca.

Canal Infrastructure & Storm Water Outflow: On July 17th several Board members and concerned citizens attended the Charlotte County Board of Commissioner’s MSBU Tax Assessment Hearing at Lemon Bay High School to discuss Storm water issues and assessments. These assessments (proposed tax increases) are for annual programs to clear primary drainage outfalls. I and then Norb asked if the new assessments would include the Rotonda West Outfalls that have been neglected for years and Norb also asked why the County had accepted a non exclusive drainage easement from the Developer in 2002 for these Outfalls. . The question was not answered; however Tom O Kane stated that he was aware of the complexity of our problem from our previous visit with the County Stormwater Manager. Mr. O Kane asked us to attend a MSBU Advisory Committee meeting on Wednesday July 25th at 9 am to discuss these issues. Norb took this opportunity to give Tom a copy of the information we had presented to the County Stormwater Manager Jo Ann Vernon & John DeGiovine at a previous meeting. (note: I realize that I didn’t go into this much detail at the meeting but I wanted to publish a more complete report of the subcommittee’s effort at the Commissioner’s meeting.

Canal Trash Prevention/Cleanup: Linda Harrison reported that Don and Belinda Olsen are away and that she sent them an email in an effort to determine section captains for the canals. People have been out picking up trash. She cleaned the Parade Circle and noted that the Eisle family was doing so from a small tractor on the next day apparently as part of their contract. Olga Durham suggested that a call be made to Waste Management to request that their pickup people be more careful with garbage that is dropped when they make their pickups. Resident Joseph Romano asked if this topic was part of Aquatics. Olga Durham responded that the trash could end up in the canals

Nick Gizzi reported a sighting of illegal dumping at Parade Circle and Oakland Hills Road. Police were notified but no one was apprehended.

Linda Harrison stated that she plans to have a workshop to help people make tools to aid in picking trash out of the canals.

Education & Publicity: Bob Winters and Olga Durham are working on an article for the next issue of West Ways. It will have a pitch in it on how people can do their part to keep the canals clean.

Bob Winter reported that SWFWMD requested that we make a grant application for grant money to be used for the educational effort. Two years ago we rushed to meet the application deadline and it was submitted with errors before it was read by Olga and Bob. The application deadline is August 24th.Linda Harrison offered to help.

Norb Zoltowski asked what publicity campaign was being planned for the Aquatic Contractor (John Farrell) “State of the Canal System” Presentation to be made in October. Bob Winter reported that this was planned for October 24th at an evening meeting and John would be bringing in Eco-system type speakers. Publicity on this event will start with a West Ways article and our web site. He asked if Linda and possibility the Olsen’s would help in getting word out to the newspapers. Bob stated that he will get more information on the topics to be discussed and will ask John Farrell to provide a description/agenda for the Event.

Four to One Slope Compliance: Nick Gizzi reported that there were several locations that needed the 4 to 1 canal slope checked. There was discussion as to whose jurisdiction this should fall under. Nick stated that this is a Rotonda issue and no matter what it is called it must be inspected. Residents J. Eisle and J. Romano claimed that there is a ±20% variation allowed in the slope. This was rebuked by Norb Zoltowski, Olga Durham and Cleon Kern. It is a Maximum of 4/1, 5/1 is better. 20% deals with the “feathering in” at the top of the slope.

Norb Zoltowski suggested that the RWA Publication; Grade for Canal Front Lots which is part of the Application for Architectural Review for New Construction when signed by both the Owners and Builder’s through Pete Traverso’s office be updated. In signing this Application both of these parties agree to comply with our Deed Restriction, Section 17 requirement and this RWA publication. Section 17 also calls out this RWA Publication which sites the 4/1 maximum i.e. a Limit. It is not stated directly in Section17. This Publication written by Cleon Kern and others needs to be updated for some table clarification and to add information and pictures illustrating how stem wall, sea wall & retaining wall solutions can be applied to meet the 4/1 requirement for any Canal Bank situation at initial build.

The committee discussed the interruption of inspections since no one replaced volunteer Norb Zoltowski when he could no longer conduct the inspections. Norb stated that he had inspected over 300 sites and the majority of problem starts with the Builders putting the Sediment Barrier at the Top of the canal Embankment instead of at the Toe, i.e. the Canal Edge as required by County regulation 3-5-95. He noted that if residents were told to be on the look out for such Sediment Barrier locations, follow up inspections would catch the problem when it is easily corrected.

Norb agreed to inspect current sites until a new person(s) could be trained to continue the inspections and Nick asked him to inspect 4 sites. Director Krabbe stated that the Deed Restriction Committee is also addressing this problem and is proposing to hire another surveyor. Norb noted that there is an existing method for doing this (Flow Chart) in the original 5 yr plan and now recently approved ACS 5 Yr Plans Appendix along with a Nonconformance Report Form to be filled out by the Inspector. It calls for a picture to be taken and attached to the form.

Discussion also ensued as to how to correct the slopes that were not inspected and are not in compliance. It was generally agreed that such situations would only be addressed on a complaint as our Deed Restrictions do not have a statute of limitations on compliance.

The next meeting will be August 22, 2007, at 3:00 pm

The meeting adjourned at 3:50 p.m.