Herons Glen’ monthly newspaper, “The Heron,” is looking for a volunteer to be our new Delivery Coordinator.

For more information, please send an email to HGnewspaper@gmail.com and put Delivery Coordinator in the Subject line. Someone will get back to you.

The peak of the mating season is in May/June when alligators are more likely to become aggressive and move from lake to lake in search of a mate.

Experts suggest maintaining distance from alligators, avoid feeding them and be aware that they may be lurking when you are in or near water.

Stay away from the lake banks and do not allow your pets near the water. Small pets wandering along the edge of a lake will be a quick easy meal for an alligator.

Wandering Male gators looking for love this time of year have been found under cars, in front entries, garages left open and even pools.

Never feed alligators, they will lose their natural fear of people and become extremely dangerous.

Living with Alligators: A Florida Reality

Living in Florida, we have to share our space with a very large reptile, the American alligator (Alligator mississipiensis). Because of Florida's booming population growth, people and alligators are constantly forced to cross paths, increasing the chances of conflict. Knowing where alligators live, how they behave and what you can do to avoid conflict with alligators is key to sharing space safely.

Read full article click here…
Living with Alligators: A Florida Reality

May Meeting

• The next Grounds Meeting will be held on May 9, 2024, at 1 pm in the HOA Conference Room/Zoom.
• For application review at this meeting, Residents must submit the Grounds Approval Request form and support documents no later than May 2, 2024, to the HOA Office.

Click on the following links to review or download the community standards for landscaping and related items:

Community Wide Landscape Standards & related items

Grounds Approval Request Form (pdf download)

Grounds Approval Request Form (fillable online)

Forms are also available at the HOA Office.

Report to the HOA Board April 2, 2024

The Grounds Committee Meeting was called to order at 1 pm on March 14, 2024.

Seventeen resident requests were approved, 2 on hold. There were two-yard waste violations.

Respectfully submitted,
Peggy Lindquist
HOA Grounds Committee Co-Chairperson

The April 11th meeting will be reported on at the May 7th Board Workshop.

Herons Glen HOA 3rd Quarter Assessment fees
were due on April 1, 2024

Payments must be received by April 15th to avoid late fees and interest.

Accounts not paid by April 15th will have a late fee and interest applied to the balance. All fees applied will be due and require payment of the full amount.

Paying Your Herons Glen HOA Assessment Fees
Residents who are not on Automatic Payments should consider signing up for auto pay or set up bill pay through your bank. This is the most secure way to make assessment payments.

Remember that bill pay through your bank takes extra time to arrive so please set the payment date early to avoid late fees and interest.

Paying by mail can also take extra time for delivery but still must arrive by April 15th so please mail early to avoid the late and interest fees.

If you receive electronic statements through email and do not find that you received a statement by April 1st you are still responsible to pay the assessment fee on time. Check your spam and if still not there then send an email to bookkeeping@mbcopa.com You will need to include your name, address, and account number in the email.

To access your HOA Account online please use the link below:

https://mbc.cincwebaxis.com/5805

This link is also on the HOA webpage
www.heronsglenhoa.org

You may also pay by credit card for an additional fee through the account link above.

Please note the website link above is separate from the Herons Glen Recreation District account links and log ins. The above accounting link is for Herons Glen HOA only.
Herons Glen HOA quarterly assessments do not include payments made to the Herons Glen Recreation District, Fairways HOA, Solana HOA or Meadows HOA.

Report to the Board, April 2, 2024

Hearings were held on March 11, 2024, to discuss violations for three Herons Glen properties.

The resident attended the first hearing via Zoom. There was unanimous confirmation of the fines in this case.

No residents attended the second hearing. There was unanimous confirmation of the fines in this case.

No residents attended the second hearing. There was unanimous opposition to the fines in this case.

Respectfully submitted,
Linda Lynch, Chair

Report to the Board, April 2, 2024

Meeting of March 27
Linda shared a copy of the March Herons Glen newspaper with the article explaining the differences between the HOA and the HGRD and including information on how to access the HG Governing Structures document.

Mike called attention to the HOA website link under Community Info, HG Community Governing & Oversight Chart, which does not link to the correct document. Joyce will contact the Mars to have this corrected.

Joyce also explained the need and process for requesting a log-in for the HOA website to access HOA Committee minutes and financials. This may be the subject of a future communication to residents.

The 3/25/24 draft of the article for Understanding the HGHOA Architectural Review and Grounds Committees which incorporates revisions requested by the Grounds Committee was reviewed by the group. Several revisions from ARC will be made and the newly revised document will be sent to all Committee members for comment and then shared with the ARC and Grounds Committee Chairs. This article includes information about the Approval Process Flow Chart for both committees. Linda hopes this document will be ready for publication in the May issue of the HG Newspaper.

Linda suggested that another article/bulletin topic might be what projects need ARC or Grounds Committee approval so that residents have a “list” they can refer to. Patti suggested wording in the Design & Development Guidelines that might serve as the basis. Linda will research the documents for ideas.

Joyce updated the group that the revised Annual Meeting Attendance Proxy Form will be submitted for legal review within the next couple of months. She will keep the Committee apprised of the results.

Linda will follow up with Craig Woolley, SSEP regarding emergency contact information that might be available from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Joyce included an article in the 3/22/24 Weekly Bulletin about the HOA internal database for residents to note emergency contact information and how to update information. This might be appropriate for a short newspaper article. The Committee also suggested that Joyce periodically include this information in the Weekly Bulletin.

Joyce spoke about the new HOA text messaging system that is replacing HGGems. It is more user friendly and has better functionality. The rollout will continue.

Linda asked if any other HOA Committees should receive outreach from our committee. There does not appear to be a need from the Finance Committee. Mary asked about the Compliance Committee and its role in general and in conjunction with the ARC and Grounds Committee. Patti suggested that a future article about the Compliance Committee with an emphasis on how it provides homeowner protection (a positive perspective) might be in order.

At Linda’s request, Chris will ask the Board to approve the addition of a category for the HG Newspaper (separate from the Communications Committee category) on the online HOA Volunteer Form to prevent confusion between residents wishing to volunteer for the newspaper v. those volunteering for the Communications Committee.

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, at 1:00 pm in the HOA

Respectfully submitted,
Linda Lynch, Chair

April 2024

It is April in Herons Glen which means we will be saying goodbye to our Canadian friends and other “snowbirds” for the summer. It also means there is a lot of activity within Herons Glen. The Activities Committee will be holding the “Bark Extravaganza” on April 14th from 1:00 to 4:00 pm in the parking lot outside the Ballroom. Join us for a dog fashion show, glamor shots, and raffle for a pet portrait. The LCSO Ice Cream truck will be there along with other vendors and exhibits.

We recently had an emergency requiring a resident to be life flighted by helicopter. When we have an emergency, we need the cooperation of residents so we do not impede the first responders or possibly threaten the safety of the victim. Fortunately, we have CERT members in our community who are trained to assist first responders, so please follow their instructions.

I would also like to share with the community some of the history regarding the Farmer’s Market that sets up the Clubhouse Parking Lot each Thursday. This Farmer’s Market used to be set up at Magnolia Landing, but that community did not adequately support it, so it moved here and saw greater support. We don’t want to lose our Farmer’s Market due to lack of support, so please keep them in mind as you do your grocery shopping.

Rick Romine
Herons Glen HOA President

• HOA Architectural Review Committee (ARC), Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at 9:00am
• HOA Special Board Meeting, Wednesday, April 10, 2024 at 4:00pm
• HOA Board Meeting, Wednesday, April 10, 2024, at 5:00pm
• HOA Grounds Committee, Thursday, April 11, 2024, at 1:00pm
• HOA Communications Committee, Wednesday, April 17, 2024, at 1:00pm
• HOA Activities Committee, Thursday, April 18, 2024, at 10:00am
• HOA Architectural Review Committee (ARC), Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at 9:00am
• HOA Finance Committee, Thursday, April 25, 2024, at 1:30pm
• HOA SSEP Committee, Friday, April 26, 2024, at 8:30am

If you are planning to attend any of the published meetings please contact the HOA Office at hoaoffice@heronsglenhoa.org for registration information to attend via Zoom.

Keep them safe- they are depending on you
-Do not allow children to drive the golf cart, it is not a toy.
-Remind your visitors there are alligators in all of the lakes. Small children or dogs should not be at the waters edge of any lake.

April 1, 2024
Gutter Cleaning

When protecting your home from wildfire you need to get your mind in the gutter
We often say how the small things matter BIG when it comes to protecting your home from wildfire. Gutters on your home certainly fall into this category. Gutters perform yeoman’s duty in getting water off your roof and away from your foundation, certainly a very important function. But when wildfires happen, they become a hazard filled with dry dead leaves, pine needles and debris that give blowing embers a foothold for ignition to your home.

Keeping gutters clear of flammable debris is not only important, it’s not something you have to do once a year and then forget about. Maintenance of your home ignition zone is an ongoing process whether it is your gutters or other parts of your property.

And that’s not the whole story. What your gutters are made of is equally important…..metal gutters, while more expensive and sometimes requiring additional maintenance tend to fair much better under fire conditions than vinyl, which can often melt and ignite carrying fire to other parts of the structure.

NFPA, USAA, the University of California and the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, (IBHS), all have information and resources on a host of risk reduction measures, including gutters. IBHS has some specific information on building materials including gutters for fire resistance in their “Best Practices Guide for Wildfire”. The University of California’s “Homeowner’s Wildfire Mitigation Guide" is another great resource for gutter and building material information. NFPA’s Firewise website provides a list of principles for reducing wildfire risk for your home and USAA has information for its members in what they need to consider protecting their home.

The small things add up, but if you take them one at a time, utilize the science-based practices from the sources above, you will be able to significantly reduce your risk. So go ahead, get your mind in the gutter.

Regards,
Craig Woolley, Chair SSEP

This will allow the staff time to disconnect and move the computers, office equipment and files to the HOA Conference Room in preparation for the flooring replacement scheduled for Saturday, April 6th. On Monday, the office will be open at 9:00 while we move items back in, set up the phones and computers so please allow us a little time during the morning hours to get the office operational.

Public Utility Easement & Fiber Installation

The contractor IVY SMITH continues to work through the community installing fiber optics in the public utility easements for CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber. The installation does not affect the bulk cable/internet contract with Blue Stream who will continue to be the service provider for the community.

CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber is installing fiber optics in their public utility easements throughout Lee County and the state. If you have questions about the installation, please go to installer's website
https://ivysmith.com/contact/customer-service/ or contact their customer service at:

Florida- IVY SMITH- Customer Service Number: 1-855-269-3982

• Customer Service Email: CustomerCare@IvySmith.com

Their site refers to ATT, but they are also contracted by CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber- https://www.quantumfiber.com/fiber-construction.html

Report to the HOA Board April 2, 2024

March Report
The ARC received 40 applications for the month of March.

The committee has been working with the Communications Committee to assist in a publication to promote awareness of the procedures for Architectural Review Committee approval requirements.

The next scheduled meeting is April 9, 2024, at 9:00 am in the HOA Conference Room/Zoom.

Respectfully Submitted,
Andrew Cohen, Chair

ARC Application submission deadlines and meetings:

• The deadline for the April 9, 2024, has passed.
• For application review at the April 23, 2024, ARC meeting, applications and support documents must be submitted by Tuesday, April 16, 2024, to the HOA Office.

ARC Approval Process Chart

ARC Design and Development Guidelines and Related Policies

Reminder:
The application and supporting documents must be submitted by the homeowner (not the contractor) to the HOA Office.

• Owners are not permitted to allow work to be started on their project until the ARC has reviewed and approved the application.
• Any work requiring a county permit must have the permit posted on the job site.
• Contractors are not permitted to post a sign on the property.
• By submitting the application, you are providing the ARC members permission to enter onto your property to gather any additional site information if needed.

Report to the HOA Board April 2, 2024

The HOA Activities Committee met on Thursday, March 21, 2024. The meeting was called to order by HOA Board Liaison Denise Fell at 10:00 AM. In attendance: Bernadette Schirra, Shirley Hrabar, Joyce Lipkin, Janet Norris, Donna Piascik and Debbie DeFazio. Suzanne Offutt had an excused absence.

28 Herons Glen Residents attended the computer class for Seniors held on February 20,2024. Residents found it very informative and were glad they attended.

Bark Avenue Extravaganza is scheduled for April 14, 2024, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Event includes, Dog fashion show, Glamour shots of your pet, Raffle to win a hand painted pet portrait painted by our own Activities Committee Artist, Sheriff’s Office Ice Cream Truck, vendors and much more.

Peace River Wildlife and Animal Refuge Center events will be scheduled in Fall/Spring

The committee is currently researching new events for 2024/2025.

Next meeting to be held on April 18, at 10:00 AM in the HOA Conference room.

Respectfully submitted.
Denise Fell, HOA Board Liaison

• HOA Board Workshop, Tuesday, April 2, 2024 at 1:00pm
• HOA Architectural Review Committee (ARC), Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at 9:00am
• HOA Board Meeting, Wednesday, April 10, 2024, at 5:00pm
• HOA Grounds Committee, Thursday, April 11, 2024, at 1:00pm
• HOA Communications Committee, Wednesday, April 17, 2024, at 1:00pm
• HOA Activities Committee, Thursday, April 18, 2024, at 10:00am
• HOA Architectural Review Committee (ARC), Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at 9:00am
• HOA Finance Committee, Thursday, April 25, 2024, at 1:30pm
• HOA SSEP Committee, Friday, April 26, 2024, at 8:30am

If you are planning to attend any of the published meetings please contact the HOA Office at hoaoffice@heronsglenhoa.org for registration information to attend via Zoom.

It is spring and the weather is perfect! It is a good time to think about emergency preparedness now before the hot, humid, stormy summer and the beginning of Hurricane season on June 1st.

Contact Information
Please update your emergency contact information for the HOA file in the link below. It is important to update this information at least annually and any contact information changes.

Update or add emergency contact info

Leaving your home for extended periods of time

Herons Glen HOA Text Messaging

Lee County- All Hazards Guide

Lee County Special Needs Program
The Special Needs Program is available to all Lee County residents at no cost. It provides shelter for those who live in a home and/or area that is not safe from storm surge or wind and have no other safe place to go. It also provides transportation to a shelter for those residents who do not have a way to get there. You must register to receive these services by completing the Special Needs Program application below.
Registering with the Special Needs Program does not guarantee you will be assigned a space in the Special Medical Needs Shelter. Your application will be reviewed by the Department of Health, and you will be assigned to a shelter where your needs can be managed.
https://www.leegov.com/publicsafety/emergencymanagement/shelters/specialneedsprogram

Waste Connections will be holding a Community Outreach Meeting on Friday, March 29, 2024, at 11:00 am in the Ballroom. Waste Connections is the owner and operator of the Construction and Debris landfill facility a few miles north of Herons Glen. Residents are invited to attend this meeting. We expect to hear about the facility operations, progress and plans to mitigate odors related to their facility.

Waste Connections Management
Dan Gudgel- Florida Division Landfill Manager
Jon Baughman- SLD District Manager
Don Grigg- Regional Engineer
Kenny Stover- Regional Engineer

RSVP is not required but if you are going to be attending please click on the "yes I am going" below so we can provide them with a general idea of how many residents may be attending. (Due to the Saturday Tournament, the ballroom tables and chairs will already be set up so seating will be informal)

"Yes I am going"

We expect Waste Connections will be holding more Community meetings. We will announce the schedule once established.
________________________________________

If you do experience the very pungent “rotten egg” odor, please use the following link to report it. Be prepared to include the date, time, and location. Please note if you are in Herons Glen the general location on their map is E4. It is important to do the report while you are smelling it or very soon after if possible. Submission of the compliant goes directly to the FDEP and copied to Waste Connections.

http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1901263/Zemel-Road-Facilities-Survey-Form

Click on the link below for some background information you may find helpful concerning the history of the odor complaints. This article was published in the HOA News Bulletin sent out on February 2, 2024.

Air Quality Control what is this about?

Please update emergency contact information for the HOA file in the link below.

Update or add emergency contact info

Waste Connections has scheduled a presentation for March 29th at 11:00 am in the Ballroom to discuss their mission & purpose and to review their operation including controlling and mitigating any emissions. Herons Glen residents are encouraged to attend.

(SSEP Committee) Monthly Report to the HOA Board

The following topics were discussed at the February 23, 2024, SSEP meeting:

Joyce Gillespie reminded everyone to put their emergency contact on file and included a link to the Florida DMV where emergency contacts can be accessed in an accident.

Liaison Russ Long reported that the golf cart safety policy recommendations were presented to the Board and a Special Board Meeting will be held to further discuss them.

Jo Moyer and Craig Woolley attended the Communication meeting on 2/21/24. Jo Moyer is the representative for the SSEP.
Firewise date was set for 2025, Firewise will be held on February 10th, 2025.

Firewise, thank you letters, and certificate of appreciations have been sent out to all sponsors.

Our Firewise community day raised $8,529.00. (Leroy Nottingham foundation) received $6,751.20 which is under Local 1826 which is the Firefighters and Paramedics local. (Home Front Heros) received $1,777.80 which is under Lee County Sheriff office.

There was discussion regarding the accident at Herons Glen BLVD. Joyce Gillespie notified Craig Woolley. Craig notified SSEP/CERT members and responded to the scene to provide traffic control.
SSEP’s subcommittee, The CERT team held their meeting on 2/23/24 right after the SSEP meeting.

Dave Kemp stepped down from the SSEP, he and his wife will be moving back to NJ early March. The SSEP wished Dave and his family well and thanked him for his time on the committee.

The next SSEP Next meeting will be held on March 22nd, 2024.

Respectfully submitted.
Craig J. Woolley, Chair

Report to the HOA Board March 5, 2024

The Grounds Committee Meeting was called to order at 1 pm on February 8, 2024.

Eighteen resident requests were approved.

There were no yard waste violations reported in February.

The March 14 meeting will be reported on at the April 2nd Board Workshop.

Respectfully submitted,
Peggy Lindquist, HOA Grounds Committee Co-Chairperson

Grounds Application submission deadline and meeting

April Meeting

• The next Grounds Meeting will be held on April 11, 2024, at 1 pm in the HOA Conference Room/Zoom.
• For application review at this meeting, Residents must submit applications and support documents no later than April 4, 2024, to the HOA Office.

Click on the following links to review or download the community standards for landscaping and related items.
Community Wide Landscape Standards & related items

Meeting held on February 21, 2024

Craig Woolley, SSEP Committee Chair, and Jo Moyer, SSEP Committee member, attended to discuss how the Communications Committee might work with them. Jo and Karen Willis already write and submit articles to Joyce for the Weekly Bulletin and to the newspaper when appropriate. Linda will make sure that Jo’s email is added to the monthly HG newspaper article deadline reminder that is sent out.

Linda mentioned that the Committee was reviewing information around emergency contact listings and databases so that the HOA knows who to contact and to whom information can be released if a resident is unable to do so. Craig will check on the File of Life or similar information possibly available from the Fire Department or Sheriff’s Office.

The group was informed that the HG Governing Structures document prepared by the Committee has been approved by both the HOA and the HGRD. The document is now available on the HOA website. An article in the upcoming HG newspaper will discuss differences between the HOA and the HGRD and will include information about how to link to the document on the HOA website.

The HOA website links for the Grounds and ARC process flow documents are also now live. Linda presented a draft article that may be used in the HG newspaper to explain how the two committees work and provide the links on the HOA website. Comments from the Committee will be incorporated and then the draft article will be sent to Mary Kelley (also on ARC) and Andrew Cohen, ARC Chair, and Mary Wright, Grounds Chair, for review. It can then also be published in the weekly HOA Bulletin and made available through the HOA Office and the ARC and Grounds Committees as well.

The Committee discussed the revised Annual Meeting Attendance Proxy form that the HOA has utilized. Mike will incorporate the latest comments and send a revised form to Committee members for final review. If edits look good, Linda will send on to Joyce for legal review.

The Committee has agreed to cancel the August 2024 meeting.

The next meeting would normally be held on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. Because that date conflicts with the Pretty in Pink lunch, the next meeting will be held on Wednesday March 27, 2024, at 1:00 pm in the HOA Conference Room.

Respectfully submitted,
Linda Lynch

February Report

The ARC received 54 applications for the month of February with one placed on hold for additional information and the one application denied.

The next scheduled meeting is March 26, 2024, at 9:00 am in the HOA Conference Room/Zoom.

Respectfully Submitted, Andrew Cohen, Chair

ARC Application submission deadlines and meetings:

• For application review at the March 26, 2024, ARC meeting, applications and support documents must be submitted by Tuesday, March 19, 2024, to the HOA Office.
Reminder:

The application and support documents must be submitted by the homeowner (not the contractor) to the HOA Office.

• Owners are not permitted to allow work to be started on their project until the ARC has reviewed and approved the application.

• Any work requiring a county permit must have the permit posted on the job site.

• Contractors are not permitted to post a sign on the property.

This month the HOA Board will consider a recommendation from the SSEP Committee regarding registration and regulation of golf carts and low speed vehicles that use our roadways.

We now have approximately 25 engraved memorial pavers in our Memorial Garden which was approved and constructed over the last few years. The pavers in this garden offer an opportunity for residents to remember their loved ones who have died and who were residents of Herons Glen. If this is of interest, there are forms in the HOA Office for this dedication. There is also a section within the Memorial Garden dedicated to the volunteers who have and are serving our community in the name of Cindy Farley who “Forever set the standard for Volunteerism”.

Due to the response Waste Connections received at their Firewise table, they have scheduled a presentation for March 29th at 11:00 am in the Ballroom to discuss their mission & purpose and to review their operation including controlling and mitigating any emissions. Herons Glen residents are encouraged to attend.

I want to remind everyone to obey the stop signs and speed limits within our community and stay alert whether you are driving, operating a golf cart or other vehicle, biking, jogging or walking and watch out for others.

Rick Romine,
HOA President

2024
June (15)
May (14)
April (14)
March (12)
February (22)
January (14)

2023
December (20)
November (15)
October (10)
September (11)
August (4)
July (16)
June (12)
May (11)
April (17)
March (19)
February (20)
January (25)