BTP Homeowners and Residents
Community News
A lot has gone on around Bell Tower Park over the last couple of weeks, so it’s time for another update.
New Community website – The new Community website is doing extremely well. Again, John Fuller is doing a great job of adding content to the site. Currently, well over 200 owners have signed up and the reviews have been great.
As mentioned in a note from the office last week, a few owners have expressed reservations about signing up, due to identification security concerns. Our web designer, RGB Internet Systems of Naples, also hosts our website. They also host several thousand websites from areas all over the Country and feature an extremely secure network on their servers. This gives BTP users a safe environment.
So, if you have yet to register for the new site (Florida statutes require that owners register to any new community website) please do so at your earliest convenience.
Communications Committee News – After serving for almost a year and a half as Committee Chair, developing, helping format and assisting with editing our Community Newsletter plus making our new website happen, John Fuller has stepped aside but will remain on the Committee.
However, Annie Granatino, an extremely valuable member of the Committee and contributor to the Newsletter has assumed the role. The August edition was just released two weeks ago. The next edition will arrive in November.
On another note — several members of the “CommComm” have chosen to leave the group after serving so well for the past year. Annie is looking for community residents that would have an interest in helping maintain our communication momentum in BTP that has grown over the last year and a half. In particular, she’s looking for people that have had website experience – specifically in helping maintain a website. This will be key as the new website and its content continues to grow.
So, for those of you with website knowledge and experience please contact Brandi in the office for more details.
Landscaping – We had a very productive meeting on Monday with the Greenscapes staff. A couple of items were of interest:
Leslie Cassandra, our Client’s Service Manager for Bell Tower Park further explained their policy on trimming/pruning bushes, hedges, plants etc.
At times, their policy is to “hard cut” certain bushes, etc. This is done when the bush, hedge, etc. appears to have health problems, or has not been cut back for some time. This technique helps to revitalize and rejuvenate. For a short time, particularly during the summer months, the treated bushes, etc. will look unpleasant, however within a few weeks they will generally become much healthier and stronger than before. Patience is the key here – the goal is to have healthier and stronger hedges, bushes, plants, etc. within the Community.
Trimming of most low hanging trees over our streets was conducted last week. However, a few were missed and were being addressed this week.
Also, work is being done to fix a damaged electric line that runs under Cheshire Dr. this week by the Irrigation Crew.
Greenscapes was scheduled to apply weed killer throughout BTP and provide sporadic inspect management spray where necessary on Tuesday August 21st as mentioned previously. The schedule changed due to rain, etc. The application will now take place next week, September 3rd, 4th or 5th.
Again – For those walking their dogs please watch for the flags that will be distributed throughout the community and wait at least a couple of hours for the treatments to dry and, as they say, become “inert” or harmless, before taking them out.
August POA Board Meeting – The Board met on Tuesday the 27th and approved some significant projects for the fall.
Last month, our annual mulching project was approved and scheduled for the week of November 11th using a new vendor, Express Mulching, that uses a technique that blows the mulch instead of spreading it as has been done previously. This saved the Association roughly $26,000 verses budget.
So, on Tuesday, the Board awarded the contract for Palm Tree pruning to Greenscapes. They were the lowest of four companies that provided quotes for the project. For their own reference, their arborist inventoried the number of trees on our BTP property and digitally recorded and mapped the location of each tree – palms and hardwoods. This was done at no cost to the Community and gives us definitive information on our trees. The cost was $30,510 for the pruning project.
Also, the Board approved a new provider to pressure wash the street gutters, sidewalks, front monuments, guardhouse, pool decks, mail kiosks, clubhouse, etc. within BTP. GreenEarth, a company based in Broward County, with a facility in Lee County, supplied the lowest bid.
GreenEarth has also given us a tremendous price on pressure washing driveways in BTP — $65 per driveway – for any driveway in the Community, done at the same time. This project will be done the week of November 18th, so if anyone is interested in having your driveway done – and there are many here that need it — please contact Brandi in the office.
So – our key projects for the fall are ready to go. The Palm Trees (and some Shady Ladies that are touching a few homes in the Community) will be addressed in late October. The much will be done in early November and the pressure washing will be done after that.
Finally, we’ve secured a new fountain and lake management company to replace the old one. Lake Doctors will be servicing our fountains and aerators and promise to do so in a much timelier manner than our current supplier. They will also treat the unattractive weeds and water lilies that are prevalent in our lakes and ponds. These bodies of water have been neglected for years. Littorals, which help keep the ponds healthy, were installed back in the beginning of the Community. However, weeds, etc. have encroached most of the ponds and have gotten out of hand. The Lake Doctors’ process will alleviate this situation and essentially clean up our lakes and ponds. And their treatments will not harm the fish, turtles and other wildlife in and around the water. They will begin after we terminate our current contract with Solitude, the current provider.
The Tennis Court renovation was discussed as well. Due to Brandi’s investigation, it was learned that the permits needed from Lee County to begin the project have yet to be filed. Upon further inquiry, she learned that our contractor, Sports Surfaces, has gone through a change in business classification which has delayed the application process. A representative from the company will be here next week to explain the issue and update us on next steps.
Safety Committee – Once again, their activities have been suspended and will resume in a few weeks. Committee Chair Dan Hickey is planning a reorganization meeting sometime during the week of September 11th. He has recruited two more owner/residents to help with process. As mentioned, the Committee monitors illegal parking, vehicles left unattended, etc., but also brings us valuable outside speakers that deal with neighborhood safety, scammers and the like.
In other news — Last week in Notes to the Community, it was mentioned that Beta Bond would be leaving us at the end of this week. This is not the case. Gratefully, Beta has said that she will remain with us until a new Admin Assistant is selected. She will help train the new person before she moves on to the Cardinal Corporate offices in Naples.
Sadly, Jodi Harrison submitted her resignation from the Board on Wednesday. Her duties as Senior VP of Education at the Wall Street Journal have become too time consuming, thus her decision to step away. As per our POA by-laws, a new member will be selected by the remaining Board members prior to the September meeting.
In closing, please have an enjoyable, safe Labor Day Weekend!
Ron Mc Ewan
Board President – Property Owner’s Association