Public comment on non-agenda items: 2 representatives of The Brooks Council of Presidents requested Council consider a resolution to support a 22-foot-high wall along the east side of The Brooks to help abate the noise from the I-75 expansion. A representative of Engage Estero stated Lee Health President & CEO Dr. Larry Antonucci has been selected for the Don Eslick Person of the Year Award.  The award will be presented at an event at the Estero Country Club on Feb. 26, 2026.

Action Items

Resident request to mitigate a code enforcement lien

Council accepted the owner’s request to release the Village’s code enforcement lien against her property. Council voted to approve this request as the property is now in compliance.

Williams Road & Atlantic Gulf Blvd. wetland mitigation

The Village’s consultant, Kisinger Campo and Associates (KCA), is working to finalize the design and obtain the required permits for the proposed roadway and safety improvements along Williams Road at Atlantic Gulf Boulevard. These improvements include a raised median to prevent illegal turns, a roundabout, an extended left turn lane at US-41, and sidewalks.

The construction of the roundabout at the Life Care Center driveway requires a small impact to a wetland located on Fountain Lakes property. In order to offset these impacts and obtain a SFWMD permit, the Village must purchase 0.14 freshwater herbaceous mitigation credits from the Big Cypress Mitigation Bank.

Council approved this purchase in the amount of $16,800.

First Reading

Ordinance 2025-14 creating legislatively mandated regulations regarding recovery residence accommodation requests

There was a first reading of this ordinance which the Village is obligated to adopt that contains the minimum requirements set forth in Florida Statutes § 397.487 pertaining to recovery residences.

The second reading and public hearing is scheduled for November 19.

Workshops

Safeguarding your property from fraud

Lee County Clerk of Courts Kevin Karnes described a free service called Property Fraud Alert.  This service alerts subscribers when mortgage, deed or any other land documents are being forged to sell or transfer property that does not belong to them. He highly recommended residents take advantage of this free service to prevent property fraud.

Legislative update

Four years ago, the Village engaged state lobbyists JEJ & Associates and Ron Brown & Associates who  have been advocating on behalf of the Village.  During the workshop there was a discussion regarding our current appropriation, our previous success, and how these funds will be used in the community.

The Village’s 2026-2027 appropriation requests include $800,000 each for the Williams Road & Atlantic Gulf Blvd. improvements, Sunny Grove wastewater extension project, facility alternative irrigation source and Estero Parkway water reuse main extension.

Vulnerability update

The Village’s consultant APTIM provided Council an update on the Village’s Vulnerability Assessment.

The Village was awarded a Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) grant for $450,000 in 2024 to perform a Vulnerability Assessment.  This is expected to be a comprehensive assessment of the Village’s vulnerabilities to environmental conditions including storm surge flooding, rainfall flooding, sea level rise, and drought conditions.

A public outreach meeting was held in October, with a second public meeting scheduled for March 2026.

Eco-Historic Planning Study update

The Village received a CDBG-DR grant for $450,000 for an Eco-Historic Planning Study. The study covers an approximately 1,000-acre area that includes properties along US 41 from Estero Parkway to south of Williams Road, including the Koreshan State Park and Village property along the Estero River.

Land Design ,Inc., and its subconsultants are evaluating the area, including opportunities and constraints of the natural environment as well as economic/market demand to develop a vision, recommendations and master plan.

Community Development Director Mary Gibbs presented an update on this study.

Residents may view the archived meeting by going to the Village website.

The next Council meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, November 19, 2025