Garden Leaders files bid protest

LAKEWOOD RANCH — After three Lakewood Ranch Community Development District boards agreed to hire a new landscape contractor starting Jan. 1, the boards now have taken steps to protect their decision.

Lakewood Ranch’s current contractor, Garden Leaders, filed a bid protest Dec. 8, after supervisors awarded a new landscape contract to Down to Earth Lawn Care in November. Supervisors on CDD 1, 4 and 5 on Dec. 15 declared an immediate and serious danger to the public’s health, safety and welfare, to necessitate the continuation of the contract award process.

Supervisors also agreed to proceed with hiring special magistrate Hamilton “Chip” Rice to conduct a formal hearing on the issue if a mediation between the districts’ and Garden Leader’s attorneys fails.

“The operating rules for the individual districts provides for a hearing process when someone files a process,” CDD 5 attorney Andy Cohen said. “We wanted to step back and provide the most neutral third party to hear the matter for both sides.”

Mediation between attorneys was scheduled for Dec. 19, after the East County Observer went to press.

Cohen said the issue may take a few months to resolve if it goes before a hearing officer, who would, after hearing both sides of the case, issue a recommended order that contains findings of facts and conclusions of law regarding the case. The officer’s recommended order then would go back to each district board for consideration.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

IN OTHER BUSINESS

CDD 2
• Supervisor Dick Moran reported a sub-committee of Country Club Edgewater Village Association’s Safety Committee has reached a consensus to add lighting in the Edgewater community. About 20 bollard lights will be added near the gazebo and park entry areas, among others.

CDD 5
• Supervisors continued their meeting to 11 a.m. Jan. 5, to discuss deficiencies, and potential remedies for them, of the La Cantera wall. The CDD is asking Schroeder-Manatee Ranch to pay for some of the repairs.

Inter-District Authority
• The board is ready to purchase land for a new maintenance facility but is waiting for Schroeder-Manatee Ranch to determine its right-of-way needs for a roadway that connects to the parcel the IDA is buying.
District-wide

• Capital Improvement Plan workshops have been scheduled for January. Meetings will be held at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall as follows:
• CDD 1: 9:30 a.m. Jan. 24
• CDD 2: 1:30 p.m. Jan. 31
• CDD 4: 1:30 p.m. Jan. 30
• CDD 5: 3:30 p.m. Jan. 24
• IDA: 9:30 a.m. Jan. 30

• CDD boards updated the usage fee structure for CDD parks and facilities. The new policy establishes usage rates for businesses, non-profits and large events.

For-profit organizations now will be charged $50 per hour for the use of park and other facilities for events of less than 100 people. For events of more than 100 people, not-for-profits will pay $20 per hour and for-profit organizations will pay $50 per hour. Rates will remain $10 per hour for residents and $20 per hour for non-residents.