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This information is being forwarded to ensure that all members are aware of the current direction from the state of Florida and St Lucie County.
ST LUCIE COUNTY "SAFER-AT-HOME" ORDER Yesterday St. Lucie County issued a "Safer-at-Home" policy, going into effect Saturday, April 4th. Here is the link for a full explanation. https://www.stlucieco.gov/Home/Components/News/News/6794/373 Message provided by the St Lucie Tourism Dept: If your community property or properties are rented for short term private vacation rentals, please see the Executive Order (attached below) that was issued by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in response to COVID-19. Here is the brief summary of the order provided by the County: VACATION RENTALS Executive Order 20-87 orders all parties engaged in rental of vacation rental properties to suspend vacation rental operations. Vacation rentals are prohibited from making new reservations or bookings and shall not accept new guests for check-in for the duration of the order. If you believe any licensee is operating contrary to the Governor’s Executive Order 20-87, please report the information, here: http://www.myfloridalicense.com/DBPR/eo-complaints/. Please continue to follow all guidelines and stay safe. Lou Stoddard Presidents Council Board Secretary Presidents Council Members,
As we all work on adapting to this current environment, we want to update all members on changes in schedule and status of current activities. Previously scheduled events have been postponed until further notice. March 27th - SHI WWTP tour March 31st – Presidents Council (PC) membership meeting As we advised in the March 17th update (see the website pcofhi.com for details), there have been changes in the Board and we continue to prepare for the annual meeting in April. Decisions regarding the April meeting have not yet been made. Following is the latest Beach & Dune Committee Update. As you know, the SLC Commissioners (BOCC) met for an Informal Meeting on March 10th to discuss various options for funding the Federal Beach Project. In preparation for the meeting an email was sent to the Commissioners outlining the Presidents Council input on options to be discussed. (see attachment) The Mar. 10th Informal meeting was not the broad discussion of options as anticipated, but rather a one issue discussion about a "South Hutchinson Beach Property Purchase Proposal" for the additional public beach access points. The consensus was that the purchase of any property was not of interest. The PC representatives were disappointed that there was no discussion about any other or new alternatives to acquire the public accesses (i.e. the option to purchase easements from Associations or individual property owners, as had been requested by the PC). County staff also spoke briefly about their forthcoming plan and effort to acquire required “perpetual construction easements” along the length of the dune, consistent with all previous projects. Since the meeting, SLC staff has indicated intent to engage with the impacted Associations and expect subsequent Informal meeting(s) with the BOCC to discuss the project more broadly. The TC Palm reported Jeff Bremer, SLC Deputy Administrator, who has been the senior staff point person directing County efforts concerning the So. HI Beach Project has resigned. It is unclear at this time if this will impact the project in anyway. With the uncertainty and lack of clarity, everyone is encouraged to meet with the County and learn first-hand the status and better understand the impact of the options/timelines on your Association. PLEASE keep us updated on your discussions (via email pcofhi@gmail.com). We will continue to update, via email and the website, any new developments or changes in schedules. Stay well! Presidents Council Board of Directors Update - March 17th
Presidents Council Members, During this time of fluidity and changing schedules, we would like to update members on the current status of PC activities. The website will be updated as quickly as possible and includes many links of help to all of us. See below for the most recent additions. As you know, the March 17th meeting was postponed and will be rescheduled as soon as caution and prudence permits. To date there has been no decision made on the March 31st or April meetings. Information will be distributed as further decisions are made. Tom Gilson, VP and long term Board member, recently announced his resignation from the PC Board. We all appreciate Tom's guidance, support, and efforts during his time on the board and he will be missed greatly. Fortunately for us, Tom will remain the representative for his Association. Since Tom's Director position is not open until 2021, the Board will name the replacement to complete Tom's term. Susan McIntyre, who has been a long time active PC member, has agreed to accept that position. The Board will vote on Susan's confirmation at the next Board meeting. The Annual meeting will be held April 21st. As members were advised earlier this month, four Director seats are open and the 4 incumbents (Harvey Alligood, Laura Jones, Don Stacks, Lou Stoddard) have submitted their names for candidacy. An election will be held, if there are other declarations received. The deadline for declaring candidacy is April 6th and may be forwarded to email pcofhi@gmail.com. Lou Stoddard Presidents Council Board Secretary -------------------- Covid-19 Helpful Links: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html World HealthOrganization: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019 Florida Department of Health: http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/COVID-19/index.html POSTPONED. Presidents Council Membership Meeting March 17th, 2:00pm
Guest Speakers: Shelley Turlock USACE and representatives; Commissioner Frannie Hutchinson and Josh Revord SLC and representatives Topic: Federal South St Lucie Beach Projects AGENDA Beach & Dune Committee Update.
Funding: The Commissioners have approved a total of two prospective special taxing district options to date and either can be put in place in late 2020. In the new year, Commissioners will determine which might be adopted. Public Access for more federal funding: The PC has been encouraging the County to develop and earnestly pursue a viable plan “B” for acquiring the 3 strategically located access points necessary to increase the federal funding by as much as $6.1MM+/- (from 35% to 62%+/-). Recently, we were advised the County is investigating alternatives that may be available with undeveloped property. As you may have seen, Gil Smart wrote an opinion column dated December 6th (updated on December 9th) on the beach access issue and options. (link to article) Project Costs: The County continues to question the agreement or "contract" with the USACE and is hopeful that reductions may yet be forthcoming from the USACE's review and sharpening of their pencil. Governmental Affairs Committee Update. Baron Island Storage developer representatives have been holding meetings with the Associations near their proposed site. This storage facility will house 77 garages on the 2-acre property. The property owner, who has filed a suit against the County regarding the Atlantic Wellness project, will continue to contact any interested PC members as new information is available. At this time there has not been any new update. (see PC website for details) The Rivers Coalition has prepared a position paper on Lake Okeechobee management. The Presidents Council, as a member of the Rivers Coalition, supports this action. (link to the paper is on the PC website). Communication Committee Update. The Board of Directors has voted to change the PC fiscal year to a January to December calendar year, thus simplifying the accounting and renewal process. As a result the Communication Committee updated the membership renewal process, and renewal notices have been distributed to Property Managers. There will be no increase in the 2020 fee schedule. Please support the Council and respond to the renewal notice by the due date. The PC website continues to be updated. All the latest news, upcoming meetings, and links to websites of interest are available….check it out. December 17th meeting. Hotwire presented information on their services and capabilities on the Island. You may contact Jamie Lynn French (jamielynn.french@hotwiremail.com and Alex Stefanescu (alex.stefanescu@hotwiremail.com) for any additional information. Upcoming meeting. Hope to see you at the meeting on January 21st. The guest speaker is Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch, SFWMD Governing Board. We wish you and your families a safe and happy holiday….see you in 2020! Presidents Council Members,
It has been a busy summer and fall on several fronts impacting the Island. Following is an update on the status of the projects. Beach & Dunes The County remains committed to refining the cost of the total project presently forecasted at $25MM, and to better understand the proposed $22.8MM “contract” with the United States Army Corp. of Engineers (USACE) who will oversee the Federal project. The Federal cost share can be increased from +/-35% to +/-65% of the Corps’ contract or about $6MM by adding public beach accesses within the project area. Thus, a significant reduction in the local share (cost borne by the County and Island residents) can be achieved. This is why the County focus is to obtain easements from various Associations. The beach access points are critical to moving forward with the project and the PC is working diligently to identify cost effective ways to gain the needed access points. Anyone interested in providing input or gaining more information may contact Josh Revord at the County (772/462-1269). The County has maintained that until the total costs AND Federal share (beach access points) are better understood, the funding options for the “local cost share” cannot be forecasted or discussed meaningfully. To date the contract with the USACE for the 50-year project has not been signed. Until then, if a named storm hits there is no obligation to restore the beach. The deadline for signing the contract is July 2021 and the actual re-nourishment is targeted for the 1st quarter of 2022, before turtle season. The rationale and support for the re-nourishment projects is property protection, while maintaining a turtle friendly environment. Beaches are surveyed at least annually to follow-up from the 2013 project. November 19th Meeting – Mark Perry guest speaker. Get informed by going to Florida Oceanographic Society and Rivers Coalition websites for critical updates. On pcofhi.com, you will find the links to these websites. Also included is a link to the handout with options for getting involved: “A Healthy Estuary is the Foundation for a Healthy Economy”. (attached to this email) October 15th Meeting – Commissioner Dzadovsky guest speaker. Commissioner Dzadovsky provided history on the financial condition of the County and the 5-year budget plan. Links to the presentation materials have been included on the PC website. SLC Utilities – Reclaimed Water As you were advised in October, after discussions between the County and the PC, the District agreed that reclaimed water distribution was part of our plant process and there would be no charge to customers for reclaimed water usage. In addition, the District claimed that based on identified repair and maintenance projects, there is a funding shortfall at the plant that will need to be covered by a rate increase. After further discussion, the District agreed to spread this increase over 7 years, effective 2/2020. The PC and the Utility District have agreed to continue the dialog regarding the plant funding requirements and rate schedules to ensure a better understanding of the needs of the SHI plant. The Utilities District has also agreed to schedule small tour groups (4-5 max) of the plant after the first of the year. If you are interested, you may send a request to pcofhi@gmail.com to be placed on the list. Incorporation Study The Incorporation Committee explored forming a township between the Martin County line and FPL power plant on Hutchinson Island. After review and preliminary evaluation, the committee recommended to discontinue the project at this time. Future Meetings (complete listing is provided on the website)
Have a Happy Thanksgiving! Presidents Council Board of Directors Remember to stay informed through the website: pcofhi.com |
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