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Radio Road Beautification MSTU Minutes 11/18/2013 • llif Radio Road Beautification M.S.T.U. ii, Nik Advisory Committee 3299 East Tamiami Trail Suite 103 Naples Florida 34112 November 18, 2013 MINUTES I. CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order by Chairman Dale Lewis at 3:00 PM. A quorum was established; four voting members were present. II. ATTENDANCE: Members: Dale Lewis, Chairman Helen Carella, Fred Rogers, John Weber (Vacancy) County: Darryl Richard—MSTU Project Manager Harry Sells—MSTU Project Manager Others: Scott Windham—Windham Studio, Inc. Robert Kindelan—CLM Al Benarroch—Affordable Landscaping Service & Design, LLC Mike Ward—RWA, Inc. (Anne lacuzzo—JuriStaff) III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Addition: • Under Item VIII, "Project Manager's Report" o Add new paragraph: `B. RWA Survey Proposal" Fred Rogers moved to approve the Agenda as amended. Helen Carella offered a Second in support of the motion. Carried unanimously, 4—0. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: October 14,2013 Corrections: • Page 3, last paragraph: The sentences shall read as follows: (corrections in bold) o "Discussion continued: topics included the definition of a"berm" and the possibility of erecting a fence or wall." o "Darryl Richard stated a"buffer"must provide a visual screen. To construct a fence or wall, the Board of County Commissioners must first review and approve a proposal." November 18, 2013 Fred Rogers moved to approve the Minutes of the October 14, 2013 meeting as amended. Chairman Dale Lewis offered a Second in support of the motion. Carried unanimously, 4—0. V. BUDGET REPORT: (Report attached: "Radio Road MSTU Fund 158, dated November18, 2013') • Current Ad Valorem Tax: $ 308,200.00 (estimated) • Received to date: $ 2,342.88 • To be Collected: $ 305,857.12 • Operating Expenses: $ 155,500.00 (Line Item 32) • Open Purchase Orders: $ 79,402,21 • Spent to Date: $ 8,010.35 • Operating Funds Available: $ 68,087,44 • Improvements General/Capital: $ 534,800.00 (Line Items 33 and 34) • Commitments: $ 19,330.05 • Available: $ 515,469.95 • Reserves (for contingency): $ 3,300.00 • Total Budget (Available funds): $ 624,584.38 Darryl Richard noted the taxes collected were from last year—payments that were made during the latter half of the year. Harry Sells confirmed the County allows the MSTU to spend the funds to be collected even though it has not been paid. VI. LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE REPORT—ROBERT KINDELAN, CLM: Robert Kindelan stated: • the primary issue has been irrigation and the lack of control of availability of water Chairman Lewis asked if the MSTU could do anything to assist in solving the issue. He stated if the MSTU losses plants due to lack of irrigation, the cost for replacements will not be paid by the MSTU. Robert Kindelan explained the system was designed to notify the County when there is a problem. However, the County does not relay the information to the Contractor. He stated the system is checked on a weekly basis by his crew. One problem is the computer does not turn on the system when extra water is needed Darryl Richard confirmed Collier County hired Roger Dick to operate the Motorola equipment and he reports to the County's Road and Bridge Division. He explained the Motorola equipment has not been functioning as anticipated. The County was to receive daily reports ("alarms") and notifications when a problem was detected. He continued, in his experience, it was the Contractor who discovered a problem in the field and notified the Irrigation Project Manager of the issue. He confirmed if the plants do not receive water on a weekly basis, they will suffer. 2 November 18, 2013 /'1 A lengthy discussion ensued. Some of the topics discussed: • Lack of communication between the Irrigation Project Manager and the Contractors • Emails sent requesting extension of irrigation times were not promptly answered • Problems resulting from the County's preferred watering method, i.e., short cycling which did not distribute sufficient water • Problems resulting from the County's policy to turn off the system rather than relying on the rain sensors to control irrigation Darryl Richard stated another MSTU experienced similar issues. Al Benarrock confirmed that Radio Road East MSTU, which his company services, has had the same problem—lack of control of the irrigation system and not receiving notification of an issue. Darryl Richard stated Affordable Landscaping Service and Design has the maintenance contract for Radio Road East. By the time Mr. Benarrock was notified of the problems,the plants had dried out. Scott Windham explained that temperatures were beginning to cool due to increasing winds which affect ground moisture, causing the ground to dry up more quickly. He agreed irrigation should run for longer periods of time. Chairman Lewis asked who from the County should be requested to attend the next meeting to explain why the equipment is not working as anticipated. Darryl Richard noted a meeting with Michelle Arnold,Administrator Steve Parnell and himself had originally scheduled for Thursday to discuss the Radio Road East problem. He will request that it be held earlier in the week. During the meeting, he will advise Mr. Parnell of the situation on Radio Road. He further stated he will try to schedule a separate meeting with Growth Management to include Pam Lulich, John Beleek, and Roger Dick to review this situation. He noted another MSTU paid its Maintenance Contractor additional fees to hand-water the plants. Chairman Lewis stated an MSTU should not be required to spend unnecessary funds to correct the County's error. Al Benarrock stated the irrigation system should never be shut down. He explained there is sediment on the pipes due to the use of re-claimed water. If the pipes become dry,the sediment will dry and affect the valves. He suggested the system should remain running at all times during the year—including the summer months, even if only for a very short period of time, to keep it flushed and to avoid the heads/valves becoming clogged by dry sediment. Darryl Richard confirmed the same issue has affected all areas of the County. Chairman Lewis stated Devonshire "looks like a desert." Robert Kindelan noted the system did run on Devonshire—but the top surface was still dry and irrigation was scheduled to run during the evening (9:00 PM). He emailed Roger Dick to ascertain if the system had been re-programmed to run through its cycle with continuous watering. 3 November 18, 2013 He further stated if short-interval watering continues, his company would not be responsible for the cost of replacing plant material. He was advised the County had received complaints from residents about water on the roadway, yet the roads are wet when it rains. To eliminate the problem of wet roads, irrigation should not have been placed in the medians. He concluded since there is irrigation in the medians and he is contractually responsible for maintaining the plants, he must receive the amount of water requested, when it is requested. If not, he will notify officially Darryl Richard that his company will not assume responsibility damage to the plant material due to the lack of water. Mr. Kindelan cited the Vanderbilt Beach MSTU as an example where his company does control the watering schedule. A separate control system, independent of the Motorola equipment, had been installed and has eliminated the lack of water. Darryl Richard confirmed an alternative system had been installed on Radio Road East because of the same issues. A "Hunter" Controller was installed to eliminate the problem. He noted the "Rain-Bird"was approximately one tenth of the cost of the Motorola system. He stated he understood the Contractors' frustrations. The solution is to adjust Motorola's central control system. He also understood that Roger Dick receiving numerous emails on a daily basis from five Contractors. Chairman Lewis stated MSTU's funds are taxpayers' money and the MSTU must answer to them concerning how it was spent. He further stated the taxpayers want results. Harry Sells agreed meeting with Michele Arnold and Steve Carnell is the correct next step. The outcome of the meeting should be a direction to Growth Management to find a solution. Chairman Lewis moved to approve that if the MSTU determines that plant material has been lost due to irrigation problems, the MSTU will not be held responsible to replace the plant material. John Weber offered a Second in support of the motion. Discussion: • Chairman Lewis stated for the record if the problem is traced back to the County, the department in charge of irrigation can pay to replace the plant material. • Darryl Richard stated if a Hunter Controller had been installed on Devonshire, the Contractor would be able to adjust the irrigation schedule as needed. Chairman Lewis called for a vote. Motion carried unanimously, 4—0. Action Item: Darryl Richard stated he will relay the MSTU's motion to Michelle Arnold. Chairman Lewis stated he will call Michele Arnold the following day to discuss the situation. VII. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT'S REPORT—SCOTT WINDHAM,WSI: (Reports attached: (1) "Radio Road and Devonshire Monthly Maintenance Report, dated November 12, 2013" and (2) "Radio Road MSTU Projects Status Report, " dated November 12, 2013.) 4 November 18,2013 Radio Road and Devonshire Monthly Maintenance Report: • Irrigation issues: Urgent action needed o Irrigation has not been working properly o Plants are under severe stress due to dry conditions o Request to extend the timed run has remained unresolved Devonshire: • Continue to top sheet and mechanically edge the Asian Jasmine along gutters and sidewalks • Hand-weed Asian Jasmine as needed • Plant missing Asian Jasmine at west corner of Radio Road, Lakeside Park, and east R-O-W after vehicle pads have been constructed • Lantana to be trimmed to height of ten inches • Remove seed pods from Montgomery pods Radio Road: • Remove seed pods from Montgomery pods • Remove dead fronds from medians • Median 15: Trim dead limbs from Yellow Tabebulas • Median 15: Fill in 10 Silhouettes • Median 21: Replace 3 yellow Tabebula with Natchez Crepe Myrtle • Median 29: Remove spent flowers from Orange Birds • Median 30: Remove Dinnis to be replaced with Dianella Radio Road MSTU Projects Status Report: A. Rich King Project: • A pre-construction meeting was held on site with FPL safety rep on November 15th in preparation to begin construction • A sample of the pavers will be submitted—an exact match is not necessary • Locates will be completed within the next week B. Service Vehicle Pad Project (Devonshire): • Notice to Proceed has been processed • Anticipated completion: February, 2014 • The contract was awarded to Bonness C. R-O-W Refurbishment Status (east side of Devonshire): • Previous recommendation: Obtain a 5-foot easement from shopping center owner to plant a new Clusia hedge (along back of R-O-W line) and between hedge and sidewalk, 2 to 3 feet for Asian Jasmine • Temporary utilities locates: FPL, water, and Comcast utilities are present within the area • Water line appears to present a problem—planting depth is 5 to 6-inches 5 November 18, 2013 • Staff will obtain estimates for a subterranean utilities survey to be completed; Committee will review during next meeting • After data is obtained, WSI will prepare a concept plan and budget estimate for the project • Plan will be submitted to the County for review by the R-O-W Department • It was noted the total cost for the project is still unknown • To date: $12,000 has been spent VIII. PROJECT MANAGER'S REPORT: A. FPL Consent Agreement—Recorded • Agreement was approved by the Board of County Commissioners and executed by the Board and FPL. It has been recorded. B. RWA Proposal • A proposal was submitted by RWA in the amount of$7,900, plus $800 for reimbursable expenses, to conduct the survey Discussion ensued concerning the merits of the project and whether or not to go forward. Chairman Lewis asked if it would be possible to simply erect a fence and "be done with it." Darryl Richard reminded him a permit would be required to erect the fence but the survey would still be required. Fred Rogers noted the owners of Berkshire Commons should be involved. Darryl Richard confirmed the commercial property owners will be included in the next discussion, but first a meeting will be scheduled with the County's Planners. Scott Windham stressed the need for the survey—he would not put a"shovel to the ground"until he knew what was underneath and Chairman Lewis concurred. Chairman Lewis cautioned the Committee would not commit to spending additional funds until the results of the survey were reviewed. Scott Windham pointed out irrigation will be necessary, but the biggest challenge will be removal of stumps. He reiterated the Right-of-Way was narrow and the current hedge was "skating" on the edge of the R-O-W. Fred Rogers stated whatever hedge is planted should specifically allow for pedestrian traffic and not be "broken through." Chairman Lewis moved to approve accepting the RWA proposal, dated November 12, 2012, in the sum of$7,900,plus $800 for reimbursable expenses, with a contingency of up to $4,000. Fred Rogers offered a Second in support of the motion. Carried unanimously, 4—0. Chairman Lewis asked Scott Windham if he would be onsite to supervise the project as the Committee's "eyes and ears." .-� Mr. Windham explained RWA will perform the site work and gather data which he will review. 6 November 18, 2013 IX. OLD BUSINESS: (None) X. NEW BUSINESS: (None) XII. PUBLIC COMMENTS: • The Chairman of the Berkshire Lakes Master Association noted the following issues: o The culvert on Radio Road is just outside the property line—the weeds are not trimmed on a regular basis—maintenance is needed especially during the rainy season. Darryl Richard noted the culvert was no longer within the MSTU's jurisdiction and stated he will contact Pam Lulich in the County's Growth Management Division on behalf of the Master Association. o Regarding the Median: The County severed the Master Association's electrical line and the cost to repair it is approximately $30,000. Mr. Richard agreed when the County took over the roadway, a full assessment should have been performed and all utilities should have been identified, i.e., what was privately owned. He acknowledged restoring the electrical to both ends of the roadway would be expensive. o The most serious problem: Irrigation History: Berkshire Lakes maintained Devonshire Lakes for approximately 12 years. When the entrance to Berkshire Commons was installed,the County stated it would maintain Devonshire to be equal to or better than it had been maintained by the Master Association. (Jim Mudd was County Manager at that time.) The irrigation system was re-done by the County and no longer used water from the lakes. • The water supply along Santa Barbara was lost. Four trees were planted but there is no way to irrigate them. • The six entrances no longer have water, i.e., Santa Barbara, Radio Road, and two on Belleville, and two on Applewood. To repair the problem, battery-operated timers but the contractor has disconnected them. He was told it was because there was too much water going to the Jasmine plants. They cannot plant seasonal flowers at the entrances. Darryl Richard explained the Master Association was tied into the County's Motorola Controller system. He stated the Master Association could write a letter to the County explaining that the prior agreement was not being honored. He noted the Irrigation Project Manager is Roger Dick. He noted the MSTU was had the same problem with the central controller. The President of the Master Association stated he would support the MSTU in any way possible. 7 • November 18, 2013 o Exits from the Community are not well maintained. Chairman Lewis noted the MSTU's responsibility is the entire community and its focus is to decide what is beneficial for the entire area—not just one street. The problem is to find a balance. He agreed the worst thing the MSTU did was to agree to maintain Devonshire. Action Item: Darryl Richard stated he will relay the Master Association's concerns regarding the culvert on Radio Road and the issue of watering. XI. COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMENTS: • Fred Rogers noted the area at the intersection of Belleville and Devonshire has not been landscaped, and the FPL box which needs to be repaired. Chairman Lewis moved to approve that the MSTU will landscape the area at Belleville and Devonshire on the west corner near the transformer. Fred Rogers offered a second in support of the motion. Carried unanimously, 4—0. • Discussion ensued concerning future meetings. Chairman Lewis moved to approve suspend the December and January meetings. Fred Rogers offered a Second in support of the motion. Carried unanimously, 4—0. It was noted Darryl Richard will schedule an emergency meeting during the hiatus, if necessary, and will notify the members via email if an emergency meeting is required. NEXT MEETING: February 10, 2014 at 3:00 PM Berkshire Lakes Master Association Clubhouse 495 Belville Boulevard, Naples, FL 34105 There being no further business to come before the Committee, the public meeting was concluded by order of the Chair at 4:40 PM. RADIO ROAD BEAUTIFICATION MSTU ADVISORY COMMITTEE f-12C-A-PC:°' DALE LEWIS, CHAIRMAN The Minutes were approved by the Committee Chair on !d) ..49.13 "as submitted" [ ] OR "as amended" [)G]. 8 • November 18,2013 0 Exits from the Community are not well maintained. Chairman Lewis noted the MSTU's responsibility is the entire community and its focus is to decide what is beneficial for the entire area—not just one street. The problem is to find a balance. He agreed the worst thing the MSTU did was to agree to maintain Devonshire. Action Item: Darryl Richard stated he will relay the Master Association's concerns regarding the culvert on Radio Road and the issue of watering. XI. COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMENTS: • Fred Rogers noted the area at the intersection of Belleville and Devonshire has not been landscaped, and the FPL box which needs to be repaired. Chairman Lewis moved to approve that the MSTU will landscape the area at Belleville and Devonshire on the west corner near the transformer. Fred Rogers offered a second in support of the motion. Carried unanimously, 4—0. • Discussion ensued concerning future meetings. Chairman Lewis moved to approve suspend the December and January meetings. Fred Rogers offered a Second in support of the motion. Carried unanimously, 4—0. It was noted Darryl Richard will schedule an emergency meeting during the hiatus, if necessary, and will notify the members via email if an emergency meeting is required. NEXT MEETING: February 10,2014 at 3:00 PM Berkshire Lakes Master Association Clubhouse 495 Belville Boulevard, Naples, FL 34105 There being no further business to come before the Committee, the public meeting was concluded by order of the Chair at 4:40 PM. RADIO ROAD BEAUTIFICATION MSTU ADVISORY COMMITTEE '9 I A, ILA I • IAA DALE LEWIS,CHAIRMAN The Minutes were approved by the Committee Chair on . G- `9 , 201 "as submitted" [ ] OR "as amended" [X]. 8