Community council asks locals to join incorporation panels

By Staff | Jun 24, 2015

Alex Dworzanski

More than 35 people attended the June 15 meeting of the Lehigh Acres Community Council, where the board talked about the possibility of incorporation.

Some attendees were confused and asked out loud why should Lehigh incorporate. When they believed they were not getting the right answer, they stormed out.

Mohamed Yasin, council president, said the meeting was not about arguing the points of incorporation. As the only agenda item, it was held to talk about forming groups and getting a feasibility study done on whether Lehigh should incorporate or not.

The board passed out sheets asking attendees to join committees to study the pros and cons of incorporation. At the meeting’s ended, there were only 17 signatures. Yasin said there were more who were going to sign up, but they were not at the meeting.

The session began at 6 p.m. and ended shortly before 8 p.m.

MEL TOADVINE Rick Anglickis, member and past president of the Lehigh Acres Community Council, welcomes the new board members Hathor Renza and Lemec Bernard, right.

Rick Anglickis, who said earlier the council was not going to be directly involved, introduced Alex Dworzanski, a vice principal at East County Lee High School.

“I grew up here,” he said. “I am ready to help to see this move forward.”

He will be joined by Alaine Capucci, who has said he is willing to head up a group to work toward incorporation.

Voters have rejected incorporation in straw polls twice.

Yasin said the council is for incorporation, but members have said they will support a group that will examine the pros and cons of incorporating.

Dworzanski, a 35-year Lehigh resident, thought citizens could do better if they would look at both sides of incorporation.

“I have no political aspirations, but I’ll be a facilitator,” he said.

He did not believe citizens were given enough information the last time the discussion of incorporation came up, about six years ago.

“Lots of citizens did not get educated. We have a Hispanic population here. We do not want to exclude them. We need to provide Spanish speaking people the same information, too,” he said.

Dworzanski asked attendees to join the committees to begin a discussion on incorporation.

“I am you commissioner who represents you and the eastern part of Lee County,” Lee County Commissioner Frank Mann said. “I live in Alva and nobody there talks about incorporation. They are a rural area and are not interested in incorporation and that is okay.

“But Lehigh is the largest town in land mass in the state of Florida that is not incorporated. We on the council will do all we can to provide for Lehigh, but if I lived in Lehigh, I think I would rather choose my community’s future and not let those in the county who come from other areas,” he said.

Members argued over the population of Lehigh was, with some saying it was well over 100,000.

Frank LaRosa said he did not believe all of the area of present Lehigh had to be incorporated, if that is the way the people go.

“We can choose only a small part of Lehigh for incorporation and go slowly,” he said.

In the past, it has appeared that incorporating would include the 100-plus acres of the community.

“The bottom line is that the last time incorporation was talked about, many people didn’t get involved,”?LaRosa said. “We need to get out there and get the true picture of incorporation and what it means for Lehigh. Please get involved for the right reasons to move forward.”

Laraine Pohle-Bristol, an elected council member, said Lehigh can no longer accept being a bedroom community to Fort Myers.

Carol Cherigo, another member, said she understands it is a long process for incorporation, if it comes, “some of us here may not be alive to see it.”

Yasin suggested asking those in Estero, who recently incorporated their community, for help.

“They would work with us and we could use some of what they learned in the process,” he said.

Council member Robert Saul asked about a feasibility and how much it would cost. He was told it could cost as much as $25,000 and Saul asked where was the money coming from.

Damon Shelor, a member and treasurer of the group, said the council needs a voice. He said a feasibility study was done and it is still available despite the growth in population over the years.

“Those feasibility studies that were done are available to us,” he said.

He suggested that the public visit the council’s website.

Member Orville Hall agreed to head up a committee to publicize the work of the committees and work with the newspapers.

Attendees made comments.

“Why should we incorporate with many of us on fixed incomes?” one person shouted.

“You need a leader,” another shouted.

One couple walked out remarking, “these people don’t know what the hell they are doing.”

It was noted that if the community wanted to incorporate, it could not be done for the 2016 election.

It was explained that local legislators have to agree to take a bill to Tallahassee if a community wants to incorporate and that the local county commissioners have to agree for it to be on the ballot.

Mann noted that at the last vote when it was on the ballot, it lost by a few points. The Lee County Commission voted 3-to-2, narrowly allowing it to move forward.

Mann said he was befuddled with what he heard at the meeting.

“There is really no county role in what the community decides. But your legislative delegation has a big say in whether a bill will be taken to Tallahassee. Talk to Rep. Matt Caldwell,”?Mann said. “Get information from Estero. Form committees and each of them should meet with local state legislators and ask them what information they want to be shown.

“The last vote, six years ago, I think, your intention to pursue incorporation only lost by eight points,”?he said. “This is your decision. If I lived here, I would want my people to make our own decisions.”

“I think the community needs to make some decisions,”?Mann said. “I think you should take a stand – paint or get off the ladder. Let the committees do their work.”

Anglickis noted that with all the people at the meeting, only a few stepped up for a committee.

“My suggestion is by the next meeting, have your committees formed. You have these meetings and you all get angry at each other … we on the county commission are doing the best we can for you,” Mann said. “By the end of this month, you need to have your committees filled.”

“We can do that and move forward,” Yasin said.

Most of the attendees said they felt the group was pushing incorporation.

The council urged residents to visit: www.lehighacrescommunitycouncil.com. A list of committees will be available to sign up for.

Also during the meeting, two more people were elected to the board. They included Lemec Bernard and Hathor Renza.

The next meeting will be held July 20 in the conference room at the Lee County Sheriff’s Office East Zone substation.

The public is invited to attend.

: MEL TOADVINE Rick Anglickis, member and past president of the Lehigh Acres Community Council, welcomes the new board members Hathor Renza and Lemec Bernard, right.