Renaissance Community Development District

The regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors of the Renaissance Community Development District was held on Monday, October 11, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. at the Club at Renaissance on 12801 Renaissance Way in Fort Myers, Florida and via web conference.

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

Doug Dickey – Vice Chair
John Huether – Assistant Secretary
Sam Martin – Assistant Secretary

Also present (or attending via web conference) were:

Cal Teague – District Manager from Premier District Management (PDM)
Tom Hart – Attorney
Mark McCleary – Engineer
Christopher Dudak – Client Services Manager, PDM

The following is a summary of the actions taken at the Renaissance Community Development District (CDD) Board of Supervisors meeting.

The Renaissance Community Development District meeting was called to order, and District Manager Cal Teague called the roll. All Board members were present, except Jim Mercer. Also present were Cal Teague, District Manager, Mark McCleary, Engineer, and Tom Hart, Attorney, and Christopher Dudak from PDM via web conference.

The Board agreed to table this until a new Supervisor is appointed.

There were no Audience comments on the Agenda Items.

A. Draft Emergency Meeting Minutes from August 9, 2021

Attorney Hart requested that the language stating that there was no physical quorum on line 9 be removed.

B. Draft Regular Meeting Minutes from August 9, 2021

A. Board Vacancy

An ad is on the website, and several Supervisors had thoughts on potential candidates.

B. Lakes Maintenance Updates

This is covered in Field Manager Christopher Pepin’s Field Report.

C. Meeting with Club on Water Use/Cutting Natural Areas

• District Manager Teague will talk to Nick Cristaldi, the Club Superintendent, to inform him that they cannot clear any vegetation in the natural areas, because this could be a permit violation.
• Vice Chair Dickey commented on the algae in the littorals along the golf course lake banks. He asked if it is caused by blowing grass into the lakes. District Manager Teague stated that this is possible. The Board asked that Field Manager Pepin talk to Nick Cristaldi and request that grass not be blown into the lakes.

D. Water Use Permit Concerns

i. Recharge Wells Proposal

• Engineer Mark McCleary met with the contractor to discuss an evaluation of the wells that the Board is requesting, but there is no proposal as of yet.
• He also commented that there will be an expense to get the specialized large trucks on to the golf course to inspect the pumps. The inspection will allow the contractor to get an estimate for the repairs, calibration, and cleaning needed to get them functioning. He mentioned that the berm on the south side is covered with vegetation that will need clearing, because the vegetation presents a challenge to get to all the wells.
• Engineer McCleary additionally stated that all the wells are permitted, but only two have motors in them. They all have issues which prevent them from getting operational and online.
• He also stated that the main concern is to have them running, in preparation for future drought conditions.
• It was also discussed that the pumps would never bring the lake level up so that they remain at optimal elevations, but the pumps could be used to help irrigate the community.

E. Additional Owners with Hardened Surfaces on Lake Edges

i. Indemnity Agreements/Letters

The letters have been sent. The Board decided to follow the actions taken under the next Agenda item.

ii. Huether Waiver Consideration

• Supervisor Huether stated that the County had told him that there was a chance that they would allow the hardened surface that he had installed, but they would need acceptance by the legal entity owning the lake, which is the CDD. He also stated that the County told him that there was no guarantee that the County would approve it, but if the owner (the CDD) did not object, they did not see any issues.
• Attorney Hart stated that Fiddlesticks had approved the variances at their community.
• Engineer McCleary commented that in the permit context, the CDD was not over the 25% maximum of lake banks with hardened surfaces, because several bulkheads and other structures had not been built. He did not see any problems with the CDD accepting the variance.
• Supervisor Huether and Mr. Harrelson, who has property with the same issue, could both make application for the variance, and in the future, the forms that Supervisor Huether submitted could apply to other homeowners with similar issues.
• Supervisor Huether has a conflict of interest, so he cannot vote on the motion. District Manager Teague will send Supervisor Huether a form for to include in the record of the proceedings.

There is no New Business.

A. Financial Statements for July, August, September

District Manager Teague stated that the Financial Statements for July and August have been sent to the Board, but the September Statements have not yet been completed. The September Financial Statements will be presented at the next meeting.

A. Field Report

The following comments were made and questions asked:

• Three plecostomus fish were seen in Lake 6 last month.
• On September 3rd Nick Cristaldi reported a fish kill on Lake 17. Lake and Wetland Management was informed, and they removed the fish manually. They filled three bags with dead fish. It is believed that the fish died due to oxygen depletion, which results from low levels of dissolved oxygen (DO) in the water.
• There were aerator issues that still remain. Since Lake and Wetland Management is now working under Solitude, the response time has been slow. An example of this was the delayed response for the repair of the air leak on L-8.
• The contractor working on the home at 9609 Via Lago Way removed white rocks from the shoreline and placed them on the homeowner’s property. This was discussed in Attorney Hart’s report below. District Manager Teague will ask Field Manager Pepin to investigate the possibility of putting sod down where the stones were removed.
• The Board would like to consider having the cabbage palms along the shorelines pruned within the next few months. The Board requests that Field Manager Pepin prepare a map identifying the trees to be trimmed and to get proposals from other firms.
• Some panels on the south side of the I-75 wall are separating from the post, and the wall is falling apart. The Board would like Field Manager Pepin and Engineer McCleary to look at the condition of the wall and determine if it is of immediate concern. Engineer McCleary stated that there might be an asset or reserve study that addresses the wall, and they will look at it. There was discussion about replacing the wall that has a chain link fence with plantings for sound deafening. Another option discussed was to budget for a new wall.
• There have been some shrub and sod issues at Mall Loop Road and near the Palomino side entrance. Communication with Juniper Landscaping remains very poor, even though there is a new account manager. Field Manager Pepin has asked for proposals several times over the last few months, and still has not received them. The Board suggested that Field Manager Pepin contact Valerie Nolan for assistance in getting a response from Juniper.
• Vice Chair Dickey received a letter from a resident who requested a tree, an oak or maple, be cut down along the shoreline. The Board stated that this would not be a problem, if the homeowner would pay for it. It needs to be flush cut to preserve the root structure which stabilizes the lake bank. Before the Board authorizes it, the Board needs to know precisely which tree is in question, and why the resident wants it to be removed.

B. Follow-up Items

i. Lake 7 Erosion Project Updates

• As of September, Field Manager Pepin reported that the water levels are still too high to finish the repairs. He will be visiting the lake soon and will determine if Lake and Wetland Management can finish this project. The Board asked if the 4:1 slope was still the goal. District Manager Teague stated that it should be.
• Resident Tom Blackwood reported that his downspouts had not been connected to the new lake drainage system, even though he had paid the $600. Field Manager Pepin will look into this. Mr. Blackwood’s address is 12441 Vittoria Way.

ii. Lake 7 South Washout Repair Update

According to Field Manager Pepin, the water levels are still too high to complete the needed repairs. He will be investigating the shoreline to see if Lake and Wetland Management can begin the project.

iii. Perimeter Wall Planting Proposals

• Field Manager Pepin had not received any estimates for the planting/irrigation along the I-75 wall. An email from Supervisor Mercer was presented that reflected the prices for planting along the exterior of the wall. The Board stated that they need a 5-year plan for wall repairs before plantings could go in.
• The Board asked if the gang painters that had been arrested were paying for the repainting. This will be researched and reported.

A. 9609 Via Lago Way CDD Lake Bank Restoration Letter Update

Attorney Hart had sent a letter to Klein Farms concerning the pebbles that need to be cleaned up, as previously discussed. Vice Chair Dickey showed pictures of it. The resident would like Field Manager Pepin to place sod there.

In another matter, resident Alfred Veglia sent a letter to Attorney Hart asking about dead trees in the preserve. Field Manager Pepin stated that those are cypress trees that turn brown for part of the year.

Engineer Mark McCleary had nothing to report.

There were no Supervisor requests or comments.

There were no Audience comments.

The Next Regular Meeting is December 13, 2021 at 9:00 a.m.