Heritage Harbour preps for maintenance change

HERITAGE HARBOUR — The Heritage Harbour South Community Development District is on track to assume responsibility for lake and wetland maintenance in January.

Representatives of Morris-Riley Development Management Services, the company hired to oversee the project, already have received bids for lake and wetland maintenance within the CDD and are expected to bring a recommendation on what companies the district should hire at the December board meeting.

The district will assume responsibility for ongoing maintenance services for its re-use water line distribution system, flood control/storm water system and other items from the Heritage Harbour Master Association, which is still developer-controlled, starting in January.

“We’ve had some issues with floods, and we’ve had a lot of questions as to when the last time the storm drains were cleared out,” Board Chairman Charles Faust said. “The CDD owns (the storm water system) right now, and we have a responsibility to maintain it.”

At their public meeting Nov. 4, Heritage Harbour South CDD supervisors learned Morris-Riley’s plan as well as how the company plans to implement maintenance programs.

Morris-Riley Principal Matt Morris said contracts for lake maintenance will handle weed and algae control in the lakes, as well as water quality, and similar issues, such as the removal of exotic plants, in wetland areas.

Several lakes and two wetlands will continue to be maintained by the Master Association because they are either owned by the developer’s subsidiary, Aquaterra, or are a benefit to landowners within Heritage Harbour, District Manager Jim Ward said.

Although the board also has funded a storm water infrastructure renovation project, which will include the removal of sediment from inlets and mitered end pipes, marking pipe ends, repairing erosion around Weir structures, among other items, those projects will not start until the second quarter of the 2011 fiscal year.

During last week’s meeting, the board also approved a contract with Morris-Riley for $12,500 for the company to inspect and report about infrastructure owned by the CDD, but being maintained by the various community associations within Heritage Harbour.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

IN OTHER BUSINESS
• Supervisor Joseph Jaudon again took an Oath of Office after earning reelection to the board. Supervisor Lee Bettes, who also was reelected, will be sworn in during the December meeting because he participated in the meeting by phone.
• For the upcoming year, the board agreed Supervisor Charles Faust would again serve as chairman; Rosalie Celio as vice chairman; and Bettes, Jaudon and Tony Burdett all as assistant secretaries.
• The board agreed to provide notification to the Stoneybrook Golf Course that the district is the fee title owner of the lakes within the boundaries of the course and to ensure no employees/agents of the course are allowed in the lakes without the district’s approval.
• Community Manager Jim Ward said negotiations with Aquaterra are still ongoing.

Associations change management companies
On Nov. 1, HH Management officially assumed control of the Heritage Harbour Master Association and River Strand Master Association, which includes its golf course, clubhouse and restaurant.
A company out of Ft. Myers previously managed the associations.

HH Management will continue to manage Stoneybrook and various sub associations throughout Heritage Harbour. The company, owned by Dennis Colletti, can be reached at 747-7261.