MINUTES OF MEETING

NORTH SPRINGS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

 

            The regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors of the North Springs Improvement District was held Thursday, February 7, 2002 at 4:05 P.M. in the District Office, 10300 N. W. 11 Manor, Coral Springs, Florida.

            Present and constituting a quorum were:

 

            Matt Lauritzen                                      President

            Sal Mendolia                                          Secretary

 

            Also present were:

 

            Rhonda K. Archer                                 Finance Director

            Dennis Lyles                                          Attorney

            Donna Holiday                                      Recording Secretary

            Jane Early                                              Gee & Jenson

            Roger Moore                                           Engineer

            Scot Davidson                                        WCI

            Warren Craven                                     WCI

 

 

FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS             Roll Call

            Mr. Lauritzen called the meeting to order at 4:05 p.m. and Ms. Archer called the roll.

 

SECOND ORDER OF BUSINESS         Approval of the Minutes of the January 3, 2002 Meeting

            Mr. Lauritzen stated that each Board member had received a copy of the minutes of the January 3, 2002 meeting and requested any additions, corrections or deletions.

            There not being any,

 

On MOTION by Mr. Mendolia seconded by Mr. Lauritzen with all in favor the minutes of the January 3, 2002 meeting were approved as submitted.

 

THIRD ORDER OF BUSINESS            Consideration of Interlocal Agreement with Broward County for Feasibility Study, Preliminary Design or Related Services for Projects Recommended under the Broward Countywide Integrated Water Resource Plan

            Ms. Archer stated several months ago you approved in concept that we proceed with the application for grant money that coincides with this Interlocal Agreement to do some water studies.  Part of the study is another interconnect to the west for potable water between North Springs and the City of Coral Springs.  Exhibit A to the agreement lists the programs involved.  This is the final form of the agreement which will allow us to get the grant money to do these studies.  It is not just potable water but moving storm water from drainage basin to drainage basin such that when it is low is some areas we can move the water rather than outfalling to the Everglades.  These are studies that we submitted which were approved.  If you formalize this agreement we will forward it to the County and they will put it on their agenda and we will receive grant money to do the studies listed on Exhibit A.  The total amount is $50,930 and half will come from the County and half will come from us.

 

On MOTION by Mr. Mendolia seconded by Mr. Lauritzen with all in favor the Interlocal Agreement with Broward County as outlined above was approved.

 

FOURTH ORDER OF BUSINESS        Consideration of Five Year Permit Renewal/Recertification Program for Surface Water Management Permits

            Mr. Lyles stated this item has been before a couple of other Boards in this portion of Broward County.  Coral Springs Improvement District has had it on their agenda and Turtle Run C.D.D. has had it on their agenda.  In part this is in response to some of the criticisms that have been levied at Districts.  We believe they are unfounded because we understand how these Districts are supposed to be operated and we believe over a long period of time, the Districts in this part of Broward County that have been managed by Severn Trent have been functioning properly, they manage the storm water properly, we have not had flooding incidents that are out of line with the stormwater events we have experienced and some other parts of the county have.  There are those who would put Broward County over these stormwater systems and the Districts.  Part of their effort has been to point out that they don't know if everything meets current engineering standards.  One of the criticisms that we have responded to with this item on the agenda is that the permits get issued and there is no follow-up.  No one does any reinspection to see that things are continuing to function the way they were proposed to function when the permit was originally issued for an outfall, an interconnect or a control structure of some kind.

            Mr. Lauritzen asked isn't that part of what management does?

            Mr. Lyles responded it is part of what management does but it has been more of a system that if our field personnel see a problem, we inspect and do what needs to be done.  What some other Districts in the southern and central part of the County are doing is a voluntary program that they instituted several years ago, a five year recertification.  If you approve this program, people to whom we have issued a permit of some kind, will be required on a five year basis have a certification from an engineer hired for that purpose, not our engineer, that the permitted improvement is still functioning within the criteria established when it was permitted and we will in turn have that record and it will be part of the overall County system of monitoring to make sure things like this continue to function and to the extent that they have a water quality component, that there is no degradation of water quality standards.  What we have before you today is not adoption of this program.  The item in your back-up describes what it will look like and who is already doing it and who is thinking of taking it on and exploring implementing it voluntarily.  Staff's recommendation at this time if you agree it is worthy of consideration, is to let us do some work and present a more detailed proposal at an upcoming meeting.  If we are going to adopt it, we believe you will adopt it through a rulemaking procedure and advertise it and put it into effect that way. 

            Mr. Lauritzen asked would they be accountable to us or Broward County?

            Mr. Lyles responded they will be responsible to us.  Keep in mind that everything that we do as a District comes from the South Florida Water Management District permitting and criteria.  The ultimate party to whom everybody is accountable is S.F.W.M.D. and we have no quarrel with that and we want it to continue that way.  What we want to avoid is creating some new layer between this District and S.F.W.M.D. which is the County having the ability to come in and do inspections or repairs and sending us a bill.  We don't think that is an appropriate way to go forward.  We want to present a united front with the other Districts that are run responsibly by the independent Boards that are elected to run them such as this Board.  We would be joining in with those Districts.  The larger ones are Old Plantation, Central Broward and South Broward Drainage Districts.  They already do this.  We would like to add North Springs and Coral Springs. 

            Ms. Archer stated we want to identify all the permits and the size of the recertification.

 

On MOTION by Mr. Mendolia seconded by Mr. Lauritzen with all in favor staff was directed to research the permits involved and to bring back to the Board a recommendation at a future meeting.

 

FIFTH ORDER OF BUSINESS            Consideration of Change Orders

          A.    Change Order No. 1 & Final for Pine Island Road and Trails End Extension for a Net Increase of $72,363.68

            Ms. Early outlined the items in the change order.

 

On MOTION by Mr. Mendolia seconded by Mr. Lauritzen with all in favor Change Order No. 1 & Final for Pine Island Road and Trails End Extension for a Net Increase of $72,363.68 was approved.

 

          B.    Change Order 1 & Final for Aquatic Plant Control in Heron Bay for a Net Decrease of $10,067.80

            Ms. Early outlined the items in the change order.

 

On MOTION by Mr. Mendolia seconded by Mr. Lauritzen with all in favor Change Order 1 & Final for Aquatic Plant Control in Heron Bay for a Net Decrease of $10,067.80.

 

SIXTH ORDER OF BUSINESS            Consideration of Permit Request from Joanne Corinella to Construct a Fence within a Drainage Easement

            Ms. Early stated apparently in Pine Ridge South, some of the lots abut the water and then there is a 100' FP&L easement.  People have constructed decks and all kinds of structures without a permit.  There are several structures there already.  This person is asking for a permit to go past the District's easement and to encroach into the FP&L easement.  My engineer went out there and he recommends that we don't do that.  Mr. Schooley has been out there and he recommends the same thing because he has no access. 

            Mr. Lauritzen asked has someone explained to her that we need access?

            Ms. Early responded my engineer spoke to her about this.

            Ms. Archer stated if you want to follow staff's recommendation and deny it, you should have us determine how many properties are encroaching and how much area we need to maintain that and notify the other property owners that they need to move their fences back to where they need to be moved to so that we have adequate access. 

            Ms. Early stated I will go out there with Mr. Schooley because the applicant is already encroaching into the easement.  If he feels that he still has enough room for maintenance, we can say that everyone has to back up to that point. 

            Mr. Lyles stated if they have a dock and it is in our way, in an emergency we will take it out but fences create a different problem for us because they have some protections under Florida Law.  We need to take a closer look at this and notify people who have a fence or encroachment into our easement that they have to remove it or relocate it and see how it goes.  We have run into this in other Districts and the vast majority of people are ultimately willing to comply. 

            Mr. Lauritzen asked how far are we going down that road?  Will we send them a letter and then who enforces that?  Do we call code enforcement?

            Ms. Archer responded the City of Coral Springs will back us on it. 

 

On MOTION by Mr. Mendolia seconded by Mr. Lauritzen with all in favor the permit request for the construction of a fence within the drainage easement was denied.

 

SEVENTH ORDER OF BUSINESS      Staff Reports

          A.    Attorney

            There not being any, the next item followed.

 

          B.    Engineer

            Ms. Early stated I have a request from WCI.  I have two change order requests, and if you authorize us to do them, we will do the paperwork next month.  In May 2000, we brought a bid to the Board for Heron Bay East earthwork and it was an unbalanced bid submitted by Ryan.  I recommended at that time not to award the contact.  WCI came to the table and said they didn't want to have to rebid because it would put them behind schedule.  We agreed to let them contract with the second low bidder which was Triple R.  I believe there was only a $900 difference.  They were going to give the District the 10% credit and they would be reimbursed by the bonds as the job went on.  They now have Heron Bay Central and Triple R is right on top of Heron Bay Central finishing up Heron Bay East and they want Triple R to move into Heron Bay Central to dig 35 acres of lakes additional rather than going through the bid process and have someone else move in because they are getting behind schedule again.  That is the first change order.  You will get the same 10% credit. 

            Mr. Lauritzen stated that sounds like a large job.

            Ms. Archer responded these will be handled as acquisitions.  Rather than the District doing the work, they will do the work and we will acquire it from them, less 10% of the actual cost.

            Ms. Early stated we are still inspecting the work for them because they want the District to know that Gee & Jenson inspected the work as it went along so that we can recommend them being reimbursed. 

            Mr. Lyles stated we are not really here for a change order as much as a briefing on some infrastructure work that is going on at WCI's expense and risk. 

            Ms. Early stated if they let Triple R continue, the excavation down to elevation -5 which is all the District pays for, they will be reimbursed through the existing bonds. 

            Mr. Lyles stated there will be an acquisition agreement and we have the right under our Act to acquire a finished improvement.  Since WCI is so far into the project and has a contractor on site, they want to finish it, pay the contractor and have us acquire it.  Our engineer has already telling us that she is going to be able to certify it and that it is at or below market value.  All of this is a briefing of something coming our way as opposed to asking for a vote today.  Later on there will be an acquisition agreement and we will acquire the improvements and it will be part of the system.

            Ms. Early stated we bid Heron Bay East, Pod 1, 2, 3, and 4 and Florida Sewer & Water was the low bidder on all four pods.  I have two pods in Heron Bay Central that WCI wants to move into and they want to avoid having to wait 30 days to go out to bid in order to get them started.  Being that Florida Sewer & Water has been the low bid on the past four jobs and they don't have to remobilize we wanted to change order the P & D water and sewer of those two pods into their contract.  I talked to them to see if they would hold their price because the contact says that if we increase or decrease the quantities by 25%, they have the right to renegotiate the price.  They have agreed to hold  the prices they had in their original bid.  The District only pays for the water and sewer portion which is advance funded by WCI.  I will have to bring the paperwork to do a change order for that to the next Board meeting and you will have to do an amendment to the funding agreement.  Before I did all of that I wanted to bring that to the Board.

            Mr. Craven stated we looked at the original bids and don't feel that we will get better prices. 

 

          C.    Superintendent

            There not being any, the next item followed.

 

EIGHTH ORDER OF BUSINESS         Supervisor's Requests and Audience Comments

            There not being any, the next item followed.

 

NINTH ORDER OF BUSINESS            Approval of Requisitions and Invoices

 

On MOTION by Mr. Mendolia seconded by Mr. Lauritzen with all in favor the requisitions and invoices were approved.

 

On MOTION by Mr. Mendolia seconded by Mr. Lauritzen with all in favor the meeting adjourned at 4:45 p.m.

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                         

Salvatore Mendolia                                                Matt Lauritzen

Secretary                                                                  President