OCTOBER 2020
The
for
EAGLE HARBOR'S OFFICIAL
NEIGHBORHOOD CONNECTION
Community Development District Supervisors The Crossings at Fleming Island Community Development District (CDD) is a local unit of special-purpose government that is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors.
Three of these Supervisors will be elected on Nov 3, 2020 to a four-year term. The CDD is responsible for the operations and maintenance of CDD owned assets such as the pools, playgrounds, tennis courts, golf course, etc.
OCTOBER 2020
2
S P E C I A L
Mike Bruno Current Office: Vice Chair, The Crossings at Fleming Island CDD Seat 1 My wife, Marlynn and I have 3 children and have lived in Eagle Harbor for over 17 years and are active participants in Eagle Harbor’s Golf and Tennis Community. We have enjoyed raising our children in a family friendly Eagle Harbor community, and realize the importance of maintaining the Vision of Eagle Harbor. We are Fleming Island small business owners of Always Best Care Senior Services, serving Seniors and Veterans for over 9 years, as a statelicensed and nationally accredited in-home care provider. We are Senior Service Consultants and Elder Care Advocates serving our seniors and the community with a mission to enrich the lives of our clients and their families in a safe, independent and dignified environment through compassionate care, support and education. In addition, we are owners in Jay Home Medical Equipment, providing Home Medical Equipment for our patients to enhance their lives. In addition to my experience running 2 businesses, I accrued over 23 years in the Hotel
Dr. Calvin Lathan III USN-Retired I was born and raised in Upstate New York and spent my early adult life in the US Navy. I enlisted, right out of High School, to become a Navy Corpsman and retired as a Lieutenant Commander, Medical Service Corps. While on active duty I obtained a BS in Biology, a Master’s in Business and Management and a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from the University of Southern California. As a senior officer I was in charge of
Mary Michaels Introduction Hello friends and neighbors, my name is Mary Michaels and I am running for the Crossings at Fleming Island CDD Board Seat 1. I am a resident of Eagle Harbor, and a teacher at Fleming Island Elementary. My family moved here 16 years ago. My husband and I raised our two children here, and I appreciate the years we spent on the swim team, at tennis camps, attending parades and celebrations, and just fishing in the ponds. Early on, I was an active volunteer for both the Eagle Harbor swim team and youth sports in Fleming Island, and continued in both the girl’s and boy’s sports programs, as my children attended Lakeside Jr High and Fleming Island High School. I enjoy being involved, giving back to the community, and working with the children. Prior to being
C D D E L E C T I O N S E AT 1 and Resort Industry where I was responsible for making policy decisions for golf, resort, restaurant and residential operations, giving me great insight into the Talons and Eagle Harbor Golf operations. I have had the honor of being an Eagle Harbor CDD Board member for the past 4 years, where we have made numerous community improvements including: • Over $2.55 million in community savings including: - Retired $2 million in Golf Course debt with return to Eagle Harbor of over $200,000 in past due assessments - Refinanced Water/Sewer bonds saving residents $84/year - Refinanced Bond assessments, saving residents almost 10% annually - Transferred control of EH amenities to the CDD which the District Manager now oversees leading to improved service & savings to the community of over $200,000/year • Oversaw over $8 million in additions & renovations of our amenities including Splash Pad at Swim Park, Tennis Center, Forest Park Playground, & Docks large multi-location budgets and as the Strategic Planning Officer at my last three command was responsible for the 5-10 year planning and budgeting process. I am a proud disabled veteran who spent nearly 50% of my career deployed with the Marines in place like Operation Desert Shield/Storm, Somalia, etc. Our last duty assignment was to the Naval Hospital at NAS Jax so in 1995 so we purchase land in Eagle Harbor and started the process of building our first and only. We moved in on 1 July 1996 and have enjoyed all that our wonderful community provides. My wife Glori and I have raised three sons, two were the first 6th class at Fleming Island, Elementary and all three graduated from Clay High back in 2000 and 2003. a teacher, I was a financial analyst in New York. I hold a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, and a Master's degree in Finance. I have had the good fortune to live all around the country and recognize a great community when I see one. I feel fortunate to be a resident of Eagle Harbor. Why are you running? I am running to ensure we maintain and improve the amenities and common areas that make us a premier community in NE Florida. I believe our residents and families are the heart of Eagle Harbor, and they deserve to be heard. During my previous tenure on the board, I felt I was the voice of the residents. As a policy maker, it is important to hear from the residents, and see things from different perspectives. I have the time and desire to serve, and I think I will bring a different perspective and added value to the board. Describe your experience as it relates to being a Supervisor/Policy maker. In addition to my education and work experience,
I S S U E
• Increased Security throughout the community • Helped create a 10yr capital plan to maintain and enhance our magnificent amenities for many years to come & Increase Property Values for all Eagle Harbor Residents My goals for the CDD in this next term include: • Retiring the Golf Course Revenue Bonds • Execute 10yr capital plan to maintain and enhance our magnificent amenities • Continue to solidify the Financial Stability of the CDD to keep Eagle Harbor strong • Future Pickle Ball Courts coming in early 2021 • Continued improvement of Golf Course & Talons financial & service performance • Find ways to support our local businesses that pay 40% of our CDD fees I appreciated your over 2500 votes in 2016 and hope that you will continue to support me in 2020, as I still have many goals to accomplish for the Residents of Eagle Harbor! EXPERIENCE & POSITIVE RESULTS COUNT CONTINUE THE VISION FOR EAGLE HARBOR! The family officially retired from the Navy back in 1998 after serving for more than 20 years. Since then I have been a professor at the University of Charleston and find that I have a lot of time on my hands and now wish to be part of those who help to maintain and continue to improve the Eagle Harbor Community by hopefully becoming the new seat number one member of the Crossings CDD. If elected I will be an active member to ensure our hard earned money is effectively used to both maintain and improve our beautiful neighborhood. Looking forward to seeing all of you who vote for me at the monthly meetings or hearing from you via my email or cell phone. Thank you! I previously served on the board, completing my term in 2016. During that time we had a board that had the ability to work together effectively and we accomplished many improvements. We refinanced the general obligation bonds, saving residents almost 10% annually and retiring $2 million in debt. We developed a plan to refinance the water and sewer bonds. We developed and completed the renovation of Talons, replacement of the golf course greens, and made improvements to the tennis courts. All this without any increase to residents. What is it that you want to accomplish? What I would like to accomplish is fundamental. I would like to preserve, maintain and improve the amenities and common areas that distinguish us from other communities in NE Florida. I would like to keep Eagle Harbor a family friendly community, where the residents feel they get both enjoyment and value from their amenities, and that their investment is protected. I would like to accomplish this with transparency and resident input.
David M. Herold Introduction: Greetings, fellow Eagle Harbor residents. My name is David Herold and I am running for Seat #2 on the Eagle Harbor CDD Board. My family and I have lived in Eagle Harbor for 21 years, with our children graduating from Clay and Fleming Island High Schools. My community involvement includes not only my 8 previous years on the Board (2010-2018), but also approximately 1-½ years on the Architectural Review Committee (ARC), 10 years volunteering for the Eagle Harbor Summer Swim Team, 4 years volunteering for the Fleming Island High School Swim Team, and raising several thousand dollars over those years to support the HS team’s out-oftown events for Regional and State swim meets. Family and Community are very important to me! Why I am running: From my years of Community involvement, I believe I can help ensure we maintain a quality community, with excellent amenities, while keeping our home values at the highest levels. My desire to serve Eagle Harbor is matched by few; I’ve had the good fortune to serve with others who care about the community and would like to do so again.
C D D E L E C T I O N I S S U E S E A SPECIAL T 2 CDD ELECTION ISSUE Description of my experience as it relates to being a Supervisor/Policy Maker: In 2008 I began attending CDD Board meetings to better understand our Water and Sewer charges. As a regular attendee, I began to learn the “slow pace” of things happening on the Board. All the while, I was educating myself on the workings of the CDD, Florida Statutes governing the Board, reviewing past and current budgets, and reading all records in the on-line archives. I believed I could make a difference and made a successful run for Supervisor in 2010. My tenure on the Board consisted of two years as a Supervisor, 2 years as Vice Chairman, and 4 years as Chairman. Accomplishments while on the Board include the plan that retired $2 million in golf course debt and facilitated payment of over $200K in past due assessments, refinancing bond assessments saving residents nearly 10% annually, refinancing the water/sewer bond saving resident $84/yr., and $8 million in renovations and additions to our amenities including the golf course, Talons, tennis facility, dock, playgrounds, ADA accessibility and the Swim Park Splash Pad. Also, a fundamental change was achieved in how Eagle Harbor operates, including the transfer of control of Aquatics, Tennis, Maintenance, and Community events to the CDD Board. This change improved response to the Community’s needs, better service, and more resident fun—while saving $400,000! My almost 40-year career in construction
Eric Heinton
company. I have a bachelor’s in Finance, an MBA, MAI and CCIM.
Background:
Why am I running for the Board of Supervisors?
I’ve been a resident of Waterford Landing in Eagle Harbor for 20 years. My wife (Mary) and I raised three sons, Connor, Quinn and Drew, all of whom attended our local public elementary, middle and high schools. They rode their bikes to school, to the Swim Park, and the Tennis Courts. They participated in the Summer Swim program which inspired Quinn and Drew to swim competitively through high school. I coached flag football at the YMCA. We celebrated graduations at the Swim Park, holidays at Talons, Halloween Hayrides at Lick Skillet and the annual Christmas parades. Quinn and Drew were lifeguards at the swim parks. Connor maintained the clay tennis courts and worked the pro shop in the evenings. Eagle Harbor has been a wonderful place to live, make friends, and raise a family.
I have the time, energy and the interest. I strongly believe I can positively impact the quality of our master planned development. The Board, CDD, District Manager: The Board of Supervisors consists of five (5) elected Supervisors. They govern the CDD on your behalf. Our CDD manages and maintains the Golf Course, Talons, Swim Parks, Tennis Facility, preserve areas, docks, parks, waterways and boat storage. These are the most desirable elements of any master planned community. Your annual CDD fees help fund these services and amenities. The District Manager is an employee of the CDD. He/She reports to the Board and serves at their discretion; they are his/ her Supervisor.
management has been comprised of supervision and project management of multi-million-dollar projects, developing estimates and budgets, responding to and issuing Requests for Proposals (RFPs), negotiating contracts and writing Statements of Work (SOWs), and managing staffs of 5 to 50 men and women. My continued involvement as a resident since 2018 has kept me informed and involved in current Board matters. I was outspoken while serving on the Board, and as a resident, I continue asking the hard questions. What I want to accomplish: Working with the upcoming Board, I want to ensure Eagle Harbor maintains a quality of life unsurpassed in NE Florida by: 1) Communication—making sure there is an open line of communication between residents and the board to ensure our community continues to improve 2) Budgets are watched and maintained throughout the year 3) New budgets capture savings and anomalies, and adjustments are made/corrected during the appropriate budgeting period 4) The companies that serve the community perform at or above their contractual requirements, without excessive spending or cost overruns 5) Maintaining the highest level of service at all events and facilities especially Talons. There are over 7,500 voters and well over 10,000 residents in Eagle Harbor. The slightest increase in patronage from this very large population could boost revenues significantly. Perhaps we need more specials and events coupled with targeted advertising. • Diligent management of the preserve areas helps protect our long-term property values. We need better management of the vine overgrowth in the preserve areas. Removal of some undergrowth could be a solution. • The CDD can partner with local law enforcement to improve speed limit enforcement along Eagle Harbor Parkway and other major community thoroughfares. The CDD could act as a conduit between residents and Clay County to expedite road and sidewalk repair requests. Neither falls under the formal scope of the CDD, but the CDD is the logical “go to” entity.
My Qualifications/Experience:
My Perspective & Ideas
I have 37 years of business experience including asset management, corporate real estate acquisitions, dispositions and lease negotiations, project management, real estate appraisal and property management. I’m currently the director of corporate real estate for a Fortune 200
• An effective Board must be open to opposing and new ideas, engage in robust discussions, and formulate key decisions based on merit and the good of the community.
• We must ensure adequate reserves are being accumulated to fund future repair and replacement expenses to avoid increasing the CDD fees.
• The Covid pandemic has severely handicapped 2020 revenues of our recreational amenities,
Please consider voting for me in the upcoming November election.
DON' T FORGET TO
✓
VOTE
3 OCTOBER 2020
S P E C I A L
OCTOBER 2020
4
S P E C I A L
Laurie McIntyre Dear Eagle Harbor Residents, I’m Laurie McIntyre and I am running for seat 5 on the CDD board. Three seats on the board will be chosen this election with your vote on the November Presidential ballot. Over twenty years ago I sold a home I loved and moved to Eagle Harbor so my boys would have the schools, friends and community that it promised. Fast forward through twenty years of memories and I wouldn’t have changed a thing. Why would I like to have a seat at the CDD table? Because I owe Eagle Harbor. I owe for two decades of my family living our best life in Eagle Harbor and I want to ensure the next 20 years are as wonderful for our families as the last twenty. What major things would I like to change? Nothing. I would like to help keep our community the place we are proud to call home.
Robbin “Robb” Rush Greetings Eagle Harbor Residents, My name is Robbin “Robb” Rush and I am running for re-election for seat 5 on the Eagle Harbor CDD (officially known as “The Crossings at Fleming Island CDD”) on the Nov 3rd ballot. During my 8 years on the Board of Supervisors, we have managed the budget so efficiently that we were able to complete many major renovations to our faculties and amenities with only a small fee increase to residents. Some of these major projects include the golf course and clubhouse (Talon’s) renovation, Splash Pad at Swim Park, HydroCourts at tennis & new metal
C D D E L E C T I O N I S S U E S E A SPECIAL T 5 CDD ELECTION ISSUE How can I help? One of the things I would like to focus on is maintaining and improving the green common areas. As many of you have noticed, invasive vines are overwhelming our natural areas. These non-native vines require a concerted focus to get an upper hand on their advancing nature. If left unchecked, they will eventually smother the trees and landscaping we love. I have begun researching methods from various agricultural departments and the National Forestry Service. I am excited to share what I’ve learned and begin our own test sites to find the best and most costeffective method to take back our nature areas. Another thing I would like to review are our social events. Eagle Harbor community events are where we make new friends and catch up with those we haven’t seen in a while. It’s where we gain a sense of belonging and pride in our community. Two expanding groups in our community are The Grands (Grandparents and Grandchildren) and our young adults that grew up here and have returned home for the time being. A recent study reported almost 3 million young adults have moved back home this year, many bringing their children with them creating new multi-generational households. I would like to review our current events and add new ones to ensure all of our residents, young and
old, have multiple opportunities to choose from throughout the year.
roofs on all major buildings. Our 10 year plan includes more exciting improvements. Maintaining, protecting and improving the amenities and common areas has been a top priority for me. Well maintained common properties and attractive amenities make Eagle Harbor a preferred place to live, which translates to higher home values than surrounding communities. I initially ran in 2012 to have a voice in the direction our community was heading. I’m proud of the direction the Board has taken Eagle Harbor, and excited about the continued vision of the sitting members. Since moving here from New Jersey 17 years ago, my wife, kids and I have been involved in many Eagle Harbor activities including Neighborhood Watch, Swim Team, Soccer and Golf and have enjoyed the many festivals and events made possible by the CDD.
Keeping Eagle Harbor a vibrant and attractive community is important to me. I’d like the opportunity to continue my tenure on the board. Managing a Government entity is very different than managing a business. I believe my years of experience in both are valuable in keeping Eagle Harbor moving in a positive direction. My goal is to have the opportunity to continue the work I’ve done serving the community we love so much. Please vote for me on November 3rd. A vote for me is a vote for experience and positive results. Please feel free to reach out with comments or questions. I can be reached by email or Facebook Messenger. rushrobb@bellsouth.net 1744 Fiddlers Ridge Drive
What can I bring to the CDD table? As a nurse I bring my education and desire for Eagle Harbor to provide community areas that are inviting, safe and promote healthy lifestyles. Our golf, tennis and swim facilities are vitally important to our residents of all ages as well as our pathways, nature preserve and miles of wide sidewalks. Keeping these amenities well maintained, open and available, as they always have been, is part of the foundation our community. With a strong financial background from my first career in mortgage and finance, ensuring your CDD fees are used wisely is the primary goal. I also bring the ability to work well with a team while also providing the leadership required to be on the board. The CDD board members have done an excellent job for the residents of Eagle Harbor. I would like to join them and have an opportunity to give back to the community I call home. Sincerely, Laurie McIntyre
✓ote
Every
Let your voice be heard.
Counts!