Incorporation on table for council meeting in June
Mohamed Yasin
The Community Council of Lehigh Acres voted to make all 40 plus people on its board to be members of an incorporation committee and plan to spend the June meeting talking about nothing but incorporation.
It also voted not to take a position until after such a meeting is held and then Council President Mohamed Yasin said the board will take a vote to support incorporation or to reject it.
“I think many of us know that it will be for our committee to support the move to incorporate.
“In fact, after meeting with Alain Capucci and another gentleman who is his co-chairman, who together have begun a grass roots movement to get the community incorporated, I also met with Lee County Commissioner Frank Mann, who represents us and he said this group should take on the leadership role and move toward incorporation,” Yasin said.
DeWit Green, a member of the community council, suggested that a committee be formed. In fact, a motion was passed unanimously to establish such a committee to study to the pros and cons of incorporation. But Green didn’t expect the group to include the whole council.
Then following a vociferous discussion, Yassin said the committee would consist of everyone on the community council.
“It will be on the agenda, the only item to discuss at the June 15 meeting that Monday night,” Yasin said.
In the past the council, which is made up of many community leaders in Lehigh, has opted for “outsiders” to take on the issue of incorporation.
But Yasin noted that a bill that has passed in the legislature and is expected to be signed by Gov. Scott moves Lehigh Acres closer to becoming a municipality.
Rick Anglickis, a past president of the council said in the past there was a committee appointed, but its sole job was to recruit people who were not on the council, to take on a movement toward incorporation.
Currently, Alain Capucci of Lehigh Acres, has stepped forward on his own to take on leadership in the incorporation movement. He appeared in April at the request of Mohamed Yasin, council president, who had met Capucci who told him he wanted to get the community involved in incorporating.
Yasin said Capucci and others who have joined him will be invited to the June meeting which will be held on the third Wednesday night of the month beginning at 6:30. The meeting will be held in the large meeting room at the Lehigh Acres Sheriff’s Office substation on Homestead Rd.
Member Linda Carter said the group needs to know the pros and cons before it endorses incorporation. The public is invited to attend and as always speak before the group for three minutes on anything involving the Lehigh community.
“I want details on incorporation,” Carter said.
Anglickis agreed to help to get Alain Capucci and other supporters to the next meeting.
Anglickis said he had talked to former Sen. Dave Aronberg, who once represented most of Lehigh in Tallahassee. Aronberg, who lives in Wellington on the east coast, told Anglickis that Wellington is not incorporated but the next thing to it and perhaps something like what Wellington has done could be done for Lehigh.
Anglickis said Wellington is a municipal taxing district and there are several other communities that are not incorporated, but carry the same recognition.
A bill that passed the Legislature and was expected to become law with or without the governor’s signature this week. HB1225 moves Lehigh closer to taking over many of its municipal responsibilities through the establishment of another agency replacing the East County Water Control District. Built in the bill are referendums for the public to vote on different areas of responsibility given to a newly formed group.
Many local issues would come before this new district which will replace the East County Water Control District. Its five members would serve on this new board which will continue to do the business of the water control district.
Some 16 people turned out at the May 18 meeting, including Scout Leader Don Poidevin and about nine of his Scouts. They were from Troop 270 and Poidevin said the Scouts came to observe how the Lehigh Community Council works. The Scouts were recognized with applause from the council.
In other action, the Community Council heard Andrea Adams talk about youth activities at the Veterans Park recreational complex. She also spoke of the teen dances on the third Friday night of the month and asked for volunteers to help out.
Adams also reminded the council that Make a Difference Day in Lehigh would be held this year on Oct. 24, the same day as it is recognized nation-wide. She said the program will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Those who would like to become involved can contact her at the Sheriff’s Office in Lehigh or attend a projects meetings on the second Tuesday of the month at the sheriff’s station meeting room at 4 p.m.
She said camping activities at Veteran Park are being planned. Also there will be a Boy Scouts Night.
Council member Steve Conti reminded the group that it had discussed erecting some type of monument at Veterans Park in the past. He said approval for such a memorial has been obtained, but getting such a memorial up was not an easy job. No action was taken on Conti’s comments.
In a future council meeting, Yasin, said members of Code Enforcement will be invited to attend and give details about their work.
It was announced that one of the code enforcement officers who worked in Lehigh had just retired.
“We’ll surely invite the director of code enforcement to our meeting,” Yasin said. That invitation is likely to be made to the July meeting since the entire June meeting will be devoted to incorporation which may see a vote by the council to support incorporation in an active way.
Twice there have been movements to incorporate, but both failed, one in a straw vote and the other in a referendum whether or not to put incorporation on the ballot. Some of the members said many people don’t understand incorporation.
Before Lehigh can incorporate, it must have the support of local legislators of which Rep. Matt Caldwell is the chairman of the group.
Incorporation on table for council meeting in June
Mohamed Yasin
The Community Council of Lehigh Acres voted to make all 40 plus people on its board to be members of an incorporation committee and plan to spend the June meeting talking about nothing but incorporation.
It also voted not to take a position until after such a meeting is held and then Council President Mohamed Yasin said the board will take a vote to support incorporation or to reject it.
“I think many of us know that it will be for our committee to support the move to incorporate.
“In fact, after meeting with Alain Capucci and another gentleman who is his co-chairman, who together have begun a grass roots movement to get the community incorporated, I also met with Lee County Commissioner Frank Mann, who represents us and he said this group should take on the leadership role and move toward incorporation,” Yasin said.
DeWit Green, a member of the community council, suggested that a committee be formed. In fact, a motion was passed unanimously to establish such a committee to study to the pros and cons of incorporation. But Green didn’t expect the group to include the whole council.
Then following a vociferous discussion, Yassin said the committee would consist of everyone on the community council.
“It will be on the agenda, the only item to discuss at the June 15 meeting that Monday night,” Yasin said.
In the past the council, which is made up of many community leaders in Lehigh, has opted for “outsiders” to take on the issue of incorporation.
But Yasin noted that a bill that has passed in the legislature and is expected to be signed by Gov. Scott moves Lehigh Acres closer to becoming a municipality.
Rick Anglickis, a past president of the council said in the past there was a committee appointed, but its sole job was to recruit people who were not on the council, to take on a movement toward incorporation.
Currently, Alain Capucci of Lehigh Acres, has stepped forward on his own to take on leadership in the incorporation movement. He appeared in April at the request of Mohamed Yasin, council president, who had met Capucci who told him he wanted to get the community involved in incorporating.
Yasin said Capucci and others who have joined him will be invited to the June meeting which will be held on the third Wednesday night of the month beginning at 6:30. The meeting will be held in the large meeting room at the Lehigh Acres Sheriff’s Office substation on Homestead Rd.
Member Linda Carter said the group needs to know the pros and cons before it endorses incorporation. The public is invited to attend and as always speak before the group for three minutes on anything involving the Lehigh community.
“I want details on incorporation,” Carter said.
Anglickis agreed to help to get Alain Capucci and other supporters to the next meeting.
Anglickis said he had talked to former Sen. Dave Aronberg, who once represented most of Lehigh in Tallahassee. Aronberg, who lives in Wellington on the east coast, told Anglickis that Wellington is not incorporated but the next thing to it and perhaps something like what Wellington has done could be done for Lehigh.
Anglickis said Wellington is a municipal taxing district and there are several other communities that are not incorporated, but carry the same recognition.
A bill that passed the Legislature and was expected to become law with or without the governor’s signature this week. HB1225 moves Lehigh closer to taking over many of its municipal responsibilities through the establishment of another agency replacing the East County Water Control District. Built in the bill are referendums for the public to vote on different areas of responsibility given to a newly formed group.
Many local issues would come before this new district which will replace the East County Water Control District. Its five members would serve on this new board which will continue to do the business of the water control district.
Some 16 people turned out at the May 18 meeting, including Scout Leader Don Poidevin and about nine of his Scouts. They were from Troop 270 and Poidevin said the Scouts came to observe how the Lehigh Community Council works. The Scouts were recognized with applause from the council.
In other action, the Community Council heard Andrea Adams talk about youth activities at the Veterans Park recreational complex. She also spoke of the teen dances on the third Friday night of the month and asked for volunteers to help out.
Adams also reminded the council that Make a Difference Day in Lehigh would be held this year on Oct. 24, the same day as it is recognized nation-wide. She said the program will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Those who would like to become involved can contact her at the Sheriff’s Office in Lehigh or attend a projects meetings on the second Tuesday of the month at the sheriff’s station meeting room at 4 p.m.
She said camping activities at Veteran Park are being planned. Also there will be a Boy Scouts Night.
Council member Steve Conti reminded the group that it had discussed erecting some type of monument at Veterans Park in the past. He said approval for such a memorial has been obtained, but getting such a memorial up was not an easy job. No action was taken on Conti’s comments.
In a future council meeting, Yasin, said members of Code Enforcement will be invited to attend and give details about their work.
It was announced that one of the code enforcement officers who worked in Lehigh had just retired.
“We’ll surely invite the director of code enforcement to our meeting,” Yasin said. That invitation is likely to be made to the July meeting since the entire June meeting will be devoted to incorporation which may see a vote by the council to support incorporation in an active way.
Twice there have been movements to incorporate, but both failed, one in a straw vote and the other in a referendum whether or not to put incorporation on the ballot. Some of the members said many people don’t understand incorporation.
Before Lehigh can incorporate, it must have the support of local legislators of which Rep. Matt Caldwell is the chairman of the group.
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