Laguna Lakes Community Development District

The regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors of the Laguna Lakes Community Development District was held via web conference on Wednesday, May 27, 2020.

Attending via web conference authorized by Executive Order 20-69 waiving the quorum requirement were:

Jonathan Busa – Chair
Ellen Young – Vice Chair
Joyce Judas – Assistant Secretary
Mark Wessler – Assistant Secretary
Paul Rumbold Jr. – Assistant Secretary

Also attending via web conference were:

Cal Teague – District Manager
Chris Pepin – Field Manager
Christopher Dudak – Assistant to the District Manager

The following is a summary of the discussion and actions taken at the Laguna Lakes Community Development District (CDD) Board of Supervisors meeting. It was conducted using Go to Meetings as a result of Executive Order 20-69 which waived the quorum requirements during the COVID-19 emergency and allowed for meetings to be conducted in this manner.

The meeting was called to order and the District Manager called roll. All Board members were present. Also present were Christopher Dudak, Assistant to the District Manager, and Chris Pepin, the Field Manager.

The Agenda was approved as presented.

There being none, the next Order of Business followed.

The regular Meeting Minutes from April 22, 2020 were approved as presented.

i. CDD/HOA Berm Issues Logs

The Berm Issues Log was reviewed and the Board reaffirmed their approval of having the Field Manager remove any new banana tree growth when it is observed. He stated that these are existing banana trees, and will note if any new banana trees are planted.

ii. Berm Landscaping Plan Development

The Field Manager consulted with JVM Landscaping to create a list of plants that would be suitable for the berm. The Board reviewed a list of acceptable plants submitted by the Field Manager.

JVM is trying to incorporate as many of the existing plants if they are from the approved list that fit within the plan. Phase II will begin with JVM preparing a plan with costs to retain any plants from the approved list, then filling in the bare spots with the plants from the approved list and removing all non-approved plants. The Board agreed that the following should be stricken from the approved list: oleanders, firebush, hibiscus, ficus, macho fern, oyster plants, and Mexican petunias.

The JVM plan includes any plant removal, all plant material and installation costs. This will be an all-inclusive plan. Phase III will be the implementation of the plan in either a phased or complete installation program. The reason JVM was selected was because they said that their fees for creating the landscape plan would be written off if they got the planting proposal.

American Shoreline Restoration is scheduled to begin the lake repairs in early June.

JVM Landscaping completed this project. The original count of 399 sabal palms was incorrect. They actually pruned 450 palms at $18 each, which was an additional $918. The total for this project was $8,100 and there were no objections from the Board concerning the additional work. The Field Manager was asked if that included ferns attached to the palms. He said he requested vines and sprouts be removed.

This project was completed by Ramirez Landscaping. It was suggested that this be an automatic clean-up. The Board would like a proposal for a semi-annual clean-up to maintain the south berm now that the bulk of the work has been completed.

JVM Landscaping is scheduled to install plants on the eastern berm during the week of May 25.

The Board reviewed the water and soil results from Lake & Wetland. L&W and the District Manager explained that the initial tests were hard to use as a base since they had used a test kit but this time sent their samples for analysis to a laboratory, which they will continue to do in the future for more consistent results. The report verified that the lakes are in good shape. The District Manager recommended that soil analysis does not require the same test frequency as water testing, which he recommends be done quarterly or semi-annually. The Board currently has a semi-annual water testing contract and agreed to continue that schedule. The DM also stated that dead vegetation, grass cutting, fertilizing and dog waste contribute to nitrates which cause algae blooms. The Board would like to do a muck analysis on the lakes and include that data in a base inventory to measure/track lake conditions to see if there are improvements. A proposal will be prepared for the next meeting.

These issues were covered under Item 5F. The Board wants to prioritize the lakes that have issues by maintaining a spreadsheet or summary by lake.

a. Lake 1
b. Lake 2
c. Lake 3
d. Lake 4
e. Lake 5
f. Lake 6
g. Lake 7
h. Lake 8

The Field Management report for April was discussed with the following actions approved as follows:

• A homeowner who placed paver bricks on the lake bank behind his house will receive a letter to remove them.
• Another home with new pool construction failed to properly install a silt barrier.
• Mulch was installed where requested.
• The Clock #2 door needs a key to secure the door.
• Landscapers need to return the clock to regular mode after using it in “maintenance mode” in order for watering to take place.
• Brazilian pepper trees along the southern wall need to be removed to avoid falling seeds.

There being none, the next Order of Business followed.

There being none, the next Order of Business followed.

$8,735 in funding was obligated by FEMA plus $437 for administrative fees.

The tentative budget was approved by the Board and the public hearing date was set for August 26.

The Supervisor of Elections reports there are 971 registered voters in Laguna Lakes.

The Financial Statements for April 2020 were discussed. The Board voted to accept them with no changes.

The Attorney is going to freeze his rates this year. The Board expressed appreciation for the rate freeze.

There being none, the next Order of Business followed.

Supervisor Judas asked about the Pleco fish issue and how they can be eliminated. She also sees people catching fish and not releasing them, which is required. The rules will be reviewed about where people can fish, and a reminder sent that the community has a catch-and-release policy.

Supervisor Rumbold asked that the supervisors be copied on all matters regarding irrigation and other issues that impact the community so they will be informed if questioned and can prepare a unified response.

A homeowner who is feeding ducks has also attracted a gator to a neighbor’s yard. She will be contacted that this is against the law.

An outline of the 10 years’ worth of capital improvements and maintenance costs, specifically irrigation costs, has been posted on the CDD website. It reflects the current annual irrigation maintenance of $9,000, down from $56,000, for example. Residents can be directed there for more information on community expenses.

There being none, the next Order of Business followed.

There being no further business,

Next Meeting: June 24, 2020 at 4:30 p.m.