New LACPC Board: Elected last week were the following on the Lehigh Acres Community Planning Corp. They are from left to right, Richard Georgian, treasurer; Debbie Bartha, secretary; Edd Weiner, president; and Thomas Pfumer, vice president. Photo by MEL TOADVINE

Bo Turbeville, who has been president of the Lehigh Acres Community Planning Corp. for the past five years told fellow LACPC members that he is “bowing out” as president and as a member of the board.

He made his announcement Jan. 13 just before LACPC members opened up the nominations for a new board of officers for the 2010 year.

“As of tonight, I am handing in my resignation as president and member of this board,” Turbeville said.

“I want to devote myself to some other things that are important to me, such as the Lehigh Weed and Seed group. I think it’s important to see through because if we can get a grant, it will go a long way in helping Lehigh,” Turbeville said.

The young man is active in his family business of selling and servicing business office equipment and has been the president of the Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce. He has help guide the group through the formation of a Lehigh Acres land use plan and noted at the meeting that the plan is at the state level, waiting for approval or any changes to meet Florida statues before being sent back to the Lee County Commission.

“That shouldn’t take much longer,” he told the group.

With the resignation of Turbeville, praise followed from fellow commissioners.

Then it was time to nominate a new board and the four new board members were nominated and voted on and passed unanimously. The new board includes Edd Weiner, president; Thomas Pfumer, vice president; Debbie Bartha, secretary; and Richard Georgian, treasurer.

At that point, Turbeville left the table and sat in the audience while the meeting continued under the direction of Weiner, who himself sat in back of the room because he said he had a bad head cold and didn’t want to spread it.

Before Turbeville passed the gavel, he said he thinks Lehigh must face issues such as the use of septic tanks and said a group wanted to come to the LACPC and show the pros and cons of having septic tanks. Turbeville also said there should be an architectural review group formed to serve in Lehigh.

Turbeville said he would like to see Lehigh come up with candidates for local and state offices, something others agreed with. Frank LaRosa, a member of the LACPC, is the only person on the board who holds an elective office as a member of the board of Lee County Health Systems which operates three hospitals in Lee County.

“We need to encourage folks in Lehigh to seek these empty positions,” LaRosa agreed.

Turbeville praised State Sen. Dave Aronberg, calling him “a friend of the LACPC.”

“But he’s running for attorney general and has to leave the Senate due to term limits. We need to get to know the other candidates. We need people who will be good for Lehigh,” Turbeville said.

“Let’s get behind local people to encourage them to seek office,” LaRosa said again.

Before Turbeville left the meeting table, he also noted that there are issues in Lehigh.

“Out kids have little do do here, we don’t have sidewalks like we should. Kids have to walk in the roads because there are no sidewalks and this time of the year when it is dark early in the morning, it’s unfortunate for kids who can’t walk on sidewalks,” he said. The memory of a student killed several months ago in Lehigh was still on the mind of the LACPC.

Some said they have talked to school board members and they have been told that school routes change every year, so it is impossible to put up street lights at bus stops.

“We also have single member district voting that the county will discuss as the election gets closer,” Turbeville said.

Also at the meeting, members of the LACPC were generally disgusted that the county commission or the zoning people were not sending people to LACPC meetings to present plans for development.

Edd Weiner noted that there are perhaps 8,000 people in Lehigh who are not paying street light taxes,

“That means if you’re not paying taxes, then someone else is for you,” he said.

The meeting ended up becoming a venue for issues in Lehigh which board members said must be addressed.

Amendment 4, which will be on the ballot in November, was brought up and Weiner said every change that would be made in the land use plan would have to go before the people in a referendum.

“You need to be know it is the most dangerous thing coming. This will affect Lehigh,” Weiner said.

The group noted that it was not formed to get into political actions, but Turbeville suggested everyone Google Amendment 4 and read it on the Internet.

With Turbeville’s resignation from the board, that leave an opening for someone who is interested in helping guide Lehigh in the future.

Interested applicants should send a letter stating why they are interested in becoming a member and send it to Edd Weiner, PO Box 757, Lehigh Acres, FL., 33936. At the next meeting on the second Wednesday in February, applicants will be given the opportunity to speak before the board as to why they would like to join. Then the board votes on the new member who takes his or her seat on the board after the voting.

The letters of application should be postmarked by Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010. The next meeting is Feb. 10 at 6:30 p.m. at Veterans Park Community Center.