Fort Myers, FL
Once again the residents of Gateway are facing a deadline with SFWMD that is less than 30 days away. After several extensions and 3 meetings in which G.S.D. Supervisors could not discuss the issue because it could not muster up a quorum, here we are again, 26 days away from the state imposed deadline to have this resolved. How close are we to Wetland 47 closure? You take a look at the agreement as it stands now and you tell me if you think we're close.
Another meeting of the "minds", so to speak, is scheduled for today. And, there's another G.S.D. board meeting planned for Thursday. But make no mistake about it, the Gateway Golf and Country Club board of directors still holds hostage a conservation easement we need to move forward in what has to be the most expensive bundle of weeds and pepper trees known to mankind. According to SFWMD, we need the conservation easement to proceed with remediation. Remediation is a long list of items the state wants us to complete which will cost more money, although Friendly Fire has agreed to complete some of that work.
As you know by now, the Country Club contracted Friendly Fire to "maintain" wetland #47. Friendly Fire took a tractor into the wetland which the state frowns upon. A Gateway resident called Lee County to complain about the tractor and that set off a whirlwind of activity that has, so far, cost ALL Gateway residents over $100,000 in fines, attorney's fees and engineering fees. It also started a long battle between G.S.D. Supervisors and Country Club board members that continues to this day, as you can see by the agreement.
Several weeks ago, both sides met in a testosterone filled gathering (sorry Margaret) at the G.S.D. building. The Country Club agreed to give us what amounts to crumbs for all the damage they caused and it appeared an agreement was close. Then, the attorney's got involved and they continue to go back and forth on the wording of the agreement. All the while the clock is ticking on our extension with SFWMD.
The funniest part of this entire episode, if it didn't cost us so much money, is that as these grown adults argue about who's to blame and why, the Wetland has regrown itself into a formidable jungle. But, as you know, more needs to be done to remidiate it. Apparently it needs to be a reflection of the Amazon Rain Forrest. It's kind of like washing your car right after you wax it. If you looked at the wetland now, you'd never know the club sponsored a tractor pull. SFWMD has to have a reason to exist and this is one of them.
The Gateway taxpayers were forced to pay the fine with SFWMD because Ed Tinkle, who was Country Club president at the time, convinced the Supervisors it was the right thing to do. And, nobody was watching the engineering and attorney fees pile up as the issue dragged on. One BIG thing to remember this November. This puppy happened on Bob Nielson's watch. Bob Nielson was the G.S.D. board chairman when your money was being used to beautify a portion of the Gateway Golf and Country Club.
When everyone turns old and gray and looks back on this episode it'll be a legendary story for the ages. My only question is will this issue still be going on when all of us turn old and gray.
