Meeting Minutes for November 19, 2025
Laguna Lakes
Community Development District
The regular meeting of The Board of Supervisors of the Laguna Lakes Community Development District was held at the Laguna Lakes Clubhouse, 15250 Lakes of Laguna Boulevard, Fort Myers, Florida and also via web conference on November 19, 2025.
Present and constituting a quorum were:
Mike Cutler – Chair
Michelle Martel – Vice Chair
Jonathan Busa – Assistant Secretary
Bruce Given – Assistant Secretary
David Williams – Assistant Secretary
Also present were:
Mandie Rainwater – District Manager, Premier District Management (PDM)
Melissa Gindling – Assistant District Manager, PDM
The following is a summary of the discussion and actions taken at the Laguna Lakes Community Development District (CDD) Board of Supervisors regular meeting.
FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS Call to Order and Roll Call
The meeting was called to order, and Assistant District Manager Gindling called the roll. Supervisors Cutler, Martel, Busa, Given and Williams were present. Also attending were District Manager, Mandie Rainwater and Assistant District Manager, Melissa Gindling.
SECOND ORDER OF BUSINESS Approval of the Agenda
The agenda was approved as amended with one addition: 7B: Resident Request for Additional Plantings at 8799 Spring Mountain Way.
On MOTION by Vice Chair Martel, seconded by Supervisor Busa with all in favor, the Board approved the agenda as amended.
THIRD ORDER OF BUSINESS Audience Comments on Agenda Items
There were no audience comments.
FOURTH ORDER OF BUSINESS Consent Agenda
A. Items to be Pulled for Discussion
B. Motion to Approve Consent Items
All consent items were approved.
On MOTION by Vice Chair Martel, seconded by Supervisor Busa, with all in favor, the Board approved the Consent Items as presented.
C. Consideration of Items Pulled for Discussion
D. Consent Items
i. Draft Regular Meeting Minutes for October 15, 2025
ii. Financial Statements for September 2025
iii. Financial Statements for October 2025
iv. November Field Report
v. Irrigation Work Orders Log
FIFTH ORDER OF BUSINESS Engineer
A. Drainage Concerns at 8880 Paseo De Valencia Follow-up
The Engineer is currently on vacation but provided a written update. The contract with Conover & Sons for the drainage improvements behind 8880 Paseo De Valencia has been executed. Work is expected to begin within the next two weeks, and the contractor will notify the District Manager once a start date is confirmed. FL GIS was previously unable to televise the smaller pipe in this area during the last inspection; however, they now have a smaller camera system and should be able to televise this location as part of the inspection currently underway.
B. BMAP Program Update
Engineer Baker met with Evelyn from the BMAP program to review nitrogen-load reduction targets. He now has access to the program portal and will begin entering projects in December. They discussed the possibility of an educational program, and using the District’s existing “lake maintenance standards,” as approved by the Board, as eligible project submissions. Staff intends to submit several of the District’s ongoing maintenance activities as projects.
C. Easement for Drain Pipe Update
The survey work has been scheduled, and Bowman is coordinating with FL GIS to verify the exact pipe location.
SIXTH ORDER OF BUSINESS Irrigation
A. Irrigation
i. Irrigation Monitoring and Schedule Update
Several reports are included in the packet and additional materials. The irrigation schedule had been reduced to two days per week, but due to recent concerns about stressed turf, Angie recommended temporarily increasing it back to three days. No Limit provided an extensive list of work order updates, and an updated work order log is included in the additional materials. Insight Irrigation submitted an Excel file outlining the irrigation schedule, which will be integrated into their mapping program. It was also clarified that the schedule lists the irrigation days for each address, not specific run times.
ii. Insight Irrigation Monitoring Contract for 2026
Insight has presented their contract renewal for 2026. It is the same cost as 2025. They also provided optional services: an annual on-site system audit and a weather station with 4 soil moisture sensors.
Staff will ask for clarification on the weather station proposal, including:
- Placement of the four soil moisture sensors: Where will they be located? Will they be distributed throughout the community or placed in a single area?
- Size and appearance of the sensors: How large are they? Will they create any issues for mowing or landscape maintenance?
- What are the typical monthly charges to run the station?
- Is the data connection reliable?
- Typical maintenance requirements: Are there recurring maintenance costs? Is an annual maintenance program available, and what is the cost?
- Types of actionable data provided by the station: For example, whether the system would help determine when to adjust irrigation from three days to two days per week.
On MOTION by Vice Chair Martel, seconded by Supervisor Busa, with all in favor, the Board approved the 2026 contract renewal for Insight without the two optional services.
iii. Discussion on Controller Replacement and Consolidation
The Board discussed the potential replacement and consolidation of irrigation controllers. Aaron from Insight recommended replacing Controller 5 now and suggested having No Limit map the existing wire connections to support future consolidation. No Limit has been asked to provide a proposal for this work and to review the community to document all wiring connections.
On MOTION by Vice Chair Martel, seconded by Supervisor Busa, with all in favor, the Board approved the replacement of Clock 5, at a cost not to exceed $10,000.
B. Cane Toad Program Update
A tracking log has been added to the field report, and comments and updates from staff and a concerned resident are included in the packet. The Board asked staff to inform the resident that the CDD is trying a new approach using the ten traps along with the tadpole service.
SEVENTH ORDER OF BUSINESS New Business
A. Estimate for Berm Pinestraw
Palm tree pruning along the perimeter is scheduled for the first week of December. Historically, new pine straw has been installed along the berm following this work. Everglades Pinestraw submitted a proposal for the installation at a cost of $14,881.20.
On MOTION by Supervisor Busa, seconded by Vice Chair Martel, with all in favor, the Board approved the Pinestraw proposal from Everglades Pinestraw for $14,881.20.
B. Resident Request for Additional Plantings at 8799 Spring Mountain Way
During his field inspection, Field Manager Pepin observed that a homeowner had planted three Bird of Paradise plants on the berm, which is not an approved species. A letter was sent to the homeowner providing an opportunity to remove or relocate the plants before the District proceeds with removal.
The homeowner later spoke with District Manager Teague and shared concerns that their section of the berm appears barren compared to neighboring areas. They requested that the CDD add plantings. FM Pepin suggested that Mexican petunias could be added in the future and noted that applying pine straw would also improve the appearance.
It was discussed that this section of the berm is already included on the long-term replanting list, as the Board is working on a 3–4 year rotation for berm replanting. The resident will be informed that pine straw will be installed, and that the CDD intends to enhance this area as part of a future replanting project.
EIGHTH ORDER OF BUSINESS Field Manager
A. Project Updates:
i. Width of Littorals in Lakes
A small area in Lake 5 still needs to be treated.
ii. No Fishing Signs Replacement
The 4 signs have been replaced.
iii. Stormwater Inspection
The inspection project is currently underway, and all field work is expected to be completed before Thanksgiving. To date, FLGIS has reported that the system appears to be in good condition. They have also acquired a smaller camera system, which is being used to inspect the smaller pipes that run from the streets to the berm catch basins.
iv. Cabbage Palm Trimming
The project is scheduled to be completed December 5–8. An e-blast will be sent to residents next week to provide advance notice.
v. Weed Control and Trash Concerns
The weeds have been treated. However, the contractor who sprayed weeds along the exterior eastern berm caused damage, potentially killing several younger cocoplum plants. Photos of the affected area are included in the field report.
Trash conditions have improved along both the interior berm and the Bass Road berm. The area that was over-sprayed is maintained by the Master Association, and FM Pepin will continue to monitor the condition of the cocoplums.
vi. Midge Flies
No midge flies were observed during FM Pepin’s inspection. A small pocket of white flies was noted at the north end of Lake 1.
The Board discussed the lake level equipment, questioning whether the current settings are correct and who should be responsible for selecting them. It was noted that the lake level indicator had been stuck for some time but is now functioning properly. Staff was asked to review Hoover paperwork to verify if the location of the intake pipe was documented and to follow up with Aaron regarding lake level settings and accuracy.
Chair Cutler requested an update on the fountain warranty repair.
The Board discussed the berm planting list and questioned why bougainvillea was not included. The Board requested that staff amend the approved berm planting list to officially include bougainvillea as an approved plant. FM Pepin will trim the bougainvillea rather than remove it.
On MOTION by Supervisor Busa, seconded by Vice Chair Martel, with all in favor, the Board approved the berm planting list be amended to include bougainvillea.
NINTH ORDER OF BUSINESS District Manager
A. Cash Flow Update / Line of Credit Status
The District currently has $83,000 in its checking account and appears financially stable until assessment revenue is received. No loan has been taken, and with the upcoming increase in assessments, the plan is to gradually build up reserves.
District Manager Rainwater discussed recent legislative session developments, including proposed changes to property taxes. She clarified that CDD assessments are non-ad valorem, so these property tax changes do not impact the District. Regardless of any adjustments to property taxes for residents, the CDD assessments will continue to be collected as scheduled.
B. Resolution 2026-01: FY 2025 Budget Amendment
DM Rainwater reported that the budget amendment and accompanying resolution are intended to make the Board aware of large expenditures during FY 2025, as well as an interfund transfer, and to provide information for the auditor. She clarified that this action is for informational purposes only, as the funds were available and already spent. The auditor requires documentation showing that the Board is aware of where these changes occurred. Assistant District Manager Gindling created a single category summarizing the amended areas, which included additional revenue from bank interest, an insurance payment of approximately $11,000, and other adjustments totaling around $100,000, but ultimately, the District ended the year with a favorable financial position.
Chair Cutler noted that interest rates have decreased slightly, so the District’s interest income may be lower than in the previous year.
On MOTION by Supervisor Williams, seconded by Supervisor Given, with all in favor, the Board approved the Resolution 2026-01: FY 2025 Budget Amendment, as presented.
TENTH ORDER OF BUSINESS Attorney
DM Rainwater reported that the District’s attorney is tracking current property tax legislation, as well as proposed changes related to sovereign immunity amount and the goals & objectives requirement. Staff is actively monitoring these developments.
ELEVENTH ORDER OF BUSINESS Supervisor Requests/Comments
Supervisor Williams reported receiving a text regarding the current lake level, noting that some of the reeds are laying down. It was discussed that ongoing drought conditions in the County are contributing to the low lake levels. Irrigation staff, FM Pepin, and the Chair are monitoring the lake levels from the irrigation pond. FM Pepin has been tasked with keeping an eye on the littoral plantings.
TWELFTH ORDER OF BUSINESS Audience Comments
There were no audience comments.
Supervisor Given reported that he will not be available for the December meeting.