The Forest Matters Another Seabreeze Publication VOL. 30 NO. 11
www.seabreezecommunications.com
NOVEMBER 2023
FPOA President’s Update About a third of the calls and emails I receive evince a misunderstanding of the governance of our community. The Forest Property Owners Association (FPOA) is the master association responsible for the infrastructure and services needed for all residents to enjoy their homes and prosper in their lives. Our community contains 14 separate and independent associations and four groups of single-family homes. Each of the associations has their own Board of Directors and president along with a representative on the master association Board of Directors. These entities are also responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of their buildings and surroundings. This responsibility is the same for each homeowner in the four phases of standalone homes. Our community surrounds The Forest Country Club. Whether a member or not, it is a fact we are all involved in the operation of this institution in that all of our home values are affected by its success. The U.S. Post Office has requested all foliage surrounding the mailboxes in our community be trimmed regularly so navigating to them is safe and no accidents happen because of their being obscured. All of our canine pets must be on leashes when outside on your property or being walked on a sidewalk by you or a sitter. We have had incidents of dogs biting other dogs and residents. We have also had occasions where residents or guests not familiar with, or used to dogs, are being frightened by a pet which may only have the intention of just being friendly. The Forest operating budget for 2024 has been approved by our Board of Directors. Invoices for the annual assessment will be mailed out in November or early December. The due date for payment is Jan. 1, 2024. The late payment date when late fees will be charged is Jan. 31. A survey of our roads was taken recently with experts on the
subject of paving needs. It was determined two of our streets need the replacement of their pavement: Forest Boulevard and Bear Cub Court. We are in the process of getting three bids on the work and should have identified a vendor by the October board meeting. The FPOA places in a reserve account funds for this work each year. Our community has a new vendor for our holiday decorations and lighting. Installation of same will commence in November, and the decorations and lights will be in place and operating by Thanksgiving. Your Board of Directors will be considering several important issues over the next months. Because of constant intrusions by people attempting to fish our lakes we will decide whether to install a fence along our northern border. Just because someone has a fishing rod in their hand does not assure that person is just here to fish. Speeding on our roads continues to be a problem. Road striping, the speed calming obstructions, or humps, if you prefer, are connected. The humps in place were never approved by Lee County. Therefore, until they are removed, we cannot obtain a permit for striping. We have received a presentation from a recommended speed control radar photo company. The reports we have obtained from other communities using these devices have been unanimous: Speeding stops. Each of the separate single-family home phases has their own deed restrictions written and filed with the county. Included in these documents are rules pertaining to the size and placement of a home on its lot. In the past exceptions were provided to these rules. This became evident after the hurricane last year. The FPOA has determined this practice cannot continue mainly because we would be setting precedents we could not support or duplicate for others in the future. Copies of the deed restrictions are available on our website:
2023 Festival Of Trees Thursday, Nov. 30 Through Sunday, Dec. 3 The 17th Annual Festival of Trees returns to the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center (SBDAC)! Experience the beautiful trees decorated by local business to raise money for Goodwill of Southwest Florida and SBDAC. See these gorgeous creations beginning for just $2 per person, beginning on Nov. 30.
The Forest Matters
View trees, vote, and buy raffle tickets to win a tree! Raffle tickets: $10; 3 for $25; 10 for $50; 25 for $100. Festival Of Trees Viewing Times Thursday, Nov. 30 – 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1 – 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2 – 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3 – 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
2023 Festival Of Trees Event Information Preview Party: Wednesday, Nov. 29, 6 To 8 p.m. Come be one of the first to see the beautifully decorated trees for the 17th Annual Festival of Trees! You are cordially invited to attend the official Festival of Trees Preview Party on PRSRT STD Wednesday, Nov. 29 from US POSTAGE 6 to 8 p.m. PAID FT MYERS FL Delectable hors d’oeuvres PERMIT 751 will be served alongside a cash bar. Check out all the goodies under the trees and pick your favorite while enjoying cheery holiday music! Only $50 per person! 2023 Festival Of Trees on page 4
myfpoahome.com. Should this service not be available to you they may be obtained at the main gate office. Several homes were sold immediately after the hurricane struck last year. Some were sold to investment companies who have shown little interest in their external upkeep. We have methods to have this remedied. If you are aware of a home which is not observing our rules pertaining to appearance, please contact our property manager at the main office: (239) 482-1109. Stay well, Chuck Patten, President, Board of Directors, Forest Property Owners Association
Holiday4Heroes “We Give Because They Give” Who Are We? Holiday4Heroes was founded in 2007 by Jonette Kessack, who owned a postage and wine store. This grassroots effort was started to fill a need to provide comfort and care to our deployed men and women all over the world. We are a group of team members, volunteers and business owners who had a desire to show our military that we remember them and appreciate their sacrifices for us. What Do We Do? What started as a holiday program, our first year sending 40 packages, became a year-round effort. We now send 100 to 200 comfort packages each month to our brave men and women, and 1,000 packages for our holiday mission. We have now sent almost a total of 20,000 packages. To fill the need at home we have added more programs for our community to serve our in-need and homeless veterans and their families. Additions To The Mission In 2019, we started our Backpack for Homeless and In-Need Veterans Program partnering with the VA and various homeless coalitions. Our backpacks are filled with personal care items, high protein snacks and information on where to get help. In 2020, we began distributing bulk food drops to our in-need veterans and their families through the VA food pantry. In 2021 our local VA Clinic asked us if we could help fill a need in our community. We were asked if we could provide tents and water filtration bottles for our veterans who are losing their homes during the current housing crisis. In 2022 we realized that some of our Mission Make Merry Families, sometimes, need a little extra help for emergencies. When funds are available, we provide what we can to help our families get through these difficult times with a little less stress. Please read about some of the things we are doing for our families. Holiday4Heroes on page 4