Meeting Minutes for January 26, 2026
Heritage Palms Community Development District
A regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors of the Heritage Palms Community Development District was scheduled on Monday, January 26, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. at the Heritage Palms Golf and Country Club at 10435 Washingtonia Palm Way, Fort Myers, Florida and via web conference.
Supervisors present and constituting a quorum were:
Mike Whitten – Chair
Stan Switzer – Vice Chair
Bob Breisch – Assistant Secretary
MaryAnn Ferry – Assistant Secretary
Brian Anderson – Assistant Secretary
Also attending in person were:
Mandie Rainwater – District Manager, Premier District Management (PDM)
George Smothers – Resident
Gary Rodgers – Master Board Liaison
Daniel Schroeder – AIM Engineering
Dawn Ratican – AIM Engineering
Also attending remotely:
Chris Dudak – Client Services Manager, PDM
The following is a summary of the discussion and actions taken at the Heritage Palms Community Development District (CDD) Board of Supervisors Meeting.
FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS Call to Order and Roll Call
The meeting was called to order at 8:00 a.m., and District Manager Rainwater called the roll. Chair Whitten, Vice Chair Switzer, Supervisor Breisch, Supervisor Ferry and Supervisor Anderson were present and constituted a quorum. Also in attendance were District Manager Mandie Rainwater, resident George Smothers, Master Board Liaison Gary Rodgers, Daniel Schroeder and Dawn Ratican from AIM Engineering. Attending remotely was Client Services Manager Christopher Dudak.
SECOND ORDER OF BUSINESS Approval of the Agenda
An amended agenda was presented, with the addition of Agenda Item 8B: Hole in Sidewalk Repair Proposal 10487 – 10497 Washingtonia Palm Way.
On MOTION by Supervisor Breisch, seconded by Vice Chair Switzer, with all in favor, the Board approved the Agenda, as amended.
THIRD ORDER OF BUSINESS Audience Comments on Agenda Items
There were no audience comments.
FOURTH ORDER OF BUSINESS Consent Agenda
A. Items to be Pulled from Consent Section for Discussion by the Board
No items were pulled for discussion.
B. Motion to Approve Consent Items
On MOTION by Supervisor Anderson, seconded by Supervisor Ferry, with all in favor, the Board approved the Consent Agenda, as presented.
C. Consent Items
i. Draft Regular Meeting Minutes for December 15, 2025
ii. Financial Report for December 2025
D. Consideration of Items Pulled for Discussion
FIFTH ORDER OF BUSINESS Attorney
The attorney did not provide a report, however District Manager Rainwater reminded the Board that their four hours of annual ethics training for 2026 are now due. The law requires the Board to be trained annually ASAP but with a deadline of December 31, 2026 for this year.
SIXTH ORDER OF BUSINESS Engineer
A. Discussion on Change of Engineer at AIM Engineering & Surveying
District Manager Rainwater reported that the packet included communications from Jamie Rivera and Dawn Ratican of AIM Engineering. Ms. Rivera separated from employment with AIM effective December 24, 2025, and offered the Board the option to subcontract the District’s engineering services from AIM to her new engineering firm. Ms. Ratican, Vice President of AIM Engineering, indicated that AIM would agree to this arrangement if the Board so desired; however, she also stated that AIM is able and willing to continue providing engineering services to the District and proposed replacing Ms. Rivera with Daniel Schroeder as the engineer.
Staff consulted with District Counsel Urbancic, who advised that the District should not subcontract the existing engineering agreement. Counsel further advised that if the Board wishes to continue working with Ms. Rivera, the appropriate course of action would be to terminate the contract with AIM Engineering and re-advertise a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for engineering services.
Ms. Ratican and Mr. Schroeder were present at the meeting and available to respond to questions from the Board.
i. Meet Proposed New Engineer: Daniel Schroeder
Included in the packet was the resume of Daniel Schroeder. Mr. Schroeder stated that he has 16 years of Community Development District (CDD) experience with AIM Engineering, and he currently services two CDDs. Mr. Schroeder participated in the original pitch to the District with Jamie Rivera. He has experience in water resources, flood mitigation, and water quality and has experience with SFWMD reporting. He would serve as the District’s primary point of contact.
The Board asked why Jamie Rivera left AIM Engineering, and referenced Ms. Rivera’s comment in the packet that AIM Engineering was moving away from serving private development. Mr. Schroeder responded that her departure was due to a difference in core values. Vice President Dawn Ratican explained that Ms. Rivera had been heavily focused on growing AIM’s CDD business and stated that AIM is a family-owned firm rather than a national firm and is not as aggressive in pursuing growth of its CDD client base.
Without motion, the Board accepted the change designating Daniel Schroeder as the District’s engineering point of contact and agreed to continue the current contract with AIM Engineering.
Supervisor Anderson asked Mr. Schroeder for his opinion regarding the Field Manager’s recommendation to upgrade stormwater inspections to a multi-year ROV (remotely operated vehicle) inspection program. Mr. Schroeder stated that an ROV inspection program could be valuable, particularly for older pipes. Several Board members noted that an ROV inspection conducted during the prior year’s Enclave issue did not prove useful, as former engineer Sam Marshall indicated that the video footage was too cloudy to provide meaningful information.
Supervisor Breisch addressed the delayed roadway reflector inspection mapping, stating that he needs to hand off the project. He suggested that Field Manager Pepin may be able to assume responsibility.
Staff will work with AIM to ensure they are up to speed on the roadway project for 2026 and any other needs.
The AIM Engineering team was excused at 8:24 a.m.
SEVENTH ORDER OF BUSINESS Old Business
A. Deer Lake Request to Cut Back Preserve Encroachments Update
A proposal from Pristine Lakes and Wetlands in the amount of $400 was obtained to remove a dead pine tree that poses a potential hazard to the property at 7439 Sitka Deer Way. Chair Whitten reminded the Board of the history of the issue. Supervisor Anderson asked whether the Board has a legal responsibility to manage the issue. Chair Whitten responded that the Board has previously undertaken similar work as a matter of being a good neighbor.
On MOTION by Supervisor Breisch, seconded by Vice Chair Switzer, with all in favor, the Board approved the proposal from Pristine Lakes and Wetlands to cut down the dead pine tree in the preserve behind 7439 Sitka Deer Way at a cost of $400.
EIGHTH ORDER OF BUSINESS New Business
A. 2026 Sidewalk Safety Hazard Grinding Proposal
Field Manager Pepin provided a proposal to grind down multiple sidewalk panels that have a lip of ¼ inch or greater, and are posing a potential trip hazard.
On MOTION by Supervisor Breisch, seconded by Vice Chair Switzer, with all in favor, the Board approved the proposal from Community Field Services Inc. to grind 24 sidewalk sections for a cost of $1,375.
B. Hole in Sidewalk Repair Proposal 10487 – 10497 Washingtonia Palm Way
Field Manager Pepin reported a hole in the sidewalk around a water valve near 10487 Washingtonia Palm Way, and he provided a proposal for $598 to repair it.
A second sidewalk issue, a trip-and-fall incident that had not been reported to the Board yet, occurred near 10420 Wine Palm Road and has been reported preemptively to the District’s insurer. The insurance adjuster reviewed photos of the area, and he recommended repairing an area adjacent to but separate from the trip area. Field Manager Pepin is in the process of obtaining a proposal to address both the trip area and the recommended more extensive preventive maintenance work by the nearby manhole cover.
The Board discussed a third, older sidewalk issue in front of 10501 Wine Palm Road: work had been performed there by the City of Fort Myers following a water line break and it resulted in removal of a portion of sidewalk and ramp. Greg Kriesch had been asked to restore this area to how it had been before the city removed it, but he had not addressed it by the meeting date.
District Manager Rainwater suggested seeking a new proposal to bundle all three issues together, and the Board concurred with this approach.
On MOTION by Chair Whitten, seconded by Vice Chair Switzer, with all in favor, the Board approved sourcing a single proposal for the three open sidewalk items including: the hole by 10487 Washingtonia Palm Way; remove and repour concrete by the manhole cover at 10420 Wine Palm Road; and replacing the sidewalk ramp and ADA mat by 10501 Wine Palm Rd., contingent upon Field Manager Pepin and Greg Kriesch agreeing to these, all for a not to exceed cost of $2,000.
Mr. Smothers asked the Board to address the crosswalk in front of his home as 10501 Wine Palm Road. The crosswalk leads to his driveway, and he requested that the crosswalk be re-angled diagonally away from his driveway. Chair Whitten noted a similar condition at the crosswalk located at Tiger Palm and Curry Palm. Chair Whitten will coordinate with Field Manager Pepin on the issue, and later in the meeting he requested the crosswalks discussion be added to the next agenda. Supervisor Anderson asked whether there is a legal requirement to modify these sidewalks and crosswalks, and staff will seek an opinion from Attorney Urbancic for the next meeting.
NINTH ORDER OF BUSINESS Field Manager
A. Current Field Management Report
District Manager Rainwater reviewed the field report, and the following items were discussed:
- Chair Whitten noted that the water control structure (WCS) on Wine Palm, Lake L-2, as referenced on page 38, will have the dead littorals replanted by Pristine Lakes and Wetlands. He would like to meet with the contractor onsite to review the placement of the new plantings, as they were not installed as he had hoped. His intention was for the plantings to better mask the view of the WCS.
- For Lakes L-6 through L-9, all power should now be on, and Fountain Kings will activate the aerators as noted at the bottom of page 40. The Board requested an update confirming that the aerators have been turned back on.
- At Lake L-6, branches that were triggering the motion sensor camera have been removed.
- At the intersection of Wine Palm and Tiger Palm, a section of sidewalk and pedestrian ramp had been removed by the City of Fort Myers for a waterline repair. Kevin Ammon from the clubhouse advised Field Manager Pepin that their concrete contractor would be onsite for another project, and he offered to replace the missing sidewalk section at that time. After discussion with Chair Whitten, it was agreed to proceed with the repair. However, the additional concrete was not installed last month, as the contractor was informed that the CDD requested the work be delayed. This concrete work was ultimately bundled under the Agenda Item 8B above as requested.
- As noted on page 45, this year marks the next scheduled visual inspection under the every-three-year schedule for visual inspection of structures and inlets.
- On page 46, discussion was held regarding a potential multiyear ROV project. District Manager Rainwater stated that several other of PDM’s districts have implemented similar programs, although they are costly. Chair Whitten suggested placing the item on the next agenda. District Manager Rainwater will obtain a proposal for the Board’s review for the next agenda.
- The missing blue reflective fire hydrant markers will be replaced once the season winds down.
B. Follow-up Items
i. Lakes 29 and 33: Aerator Cabinet Repairs / Master Keys for Chair Whitten
A power issue was found with the meter and was reported to FPL. FPL has indicated that they have completed the repairs at 10454 Wine Palm Road and power has been restored.
Field Manager Pepin noted that Chair Whitten has access to the new aerator cabinet, as the new one uses the same key as the other systems throughout the community. One needs to push down on the lid in order for the key to turn.
TENTH ORDER OF BUSINESS District Manager
A. Authorization of Management Changes
i. Acknowledgement of Mandie Rainwater as District Manager and Custodian of Public Records
District Manager Rainwater reminded the Board that Cal Teague is retiring this year. Premier District Management has put forward Mandie Rainwater as the new District Manager for the community and Custodian of Public Records. The Board acknowledged this transition and no motion was needed.
ii. Resolution 2026-02: Board Reorganization; Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer
District Manager Rainwater presented Resolution 2026-02, appointing District Manager Rainwater as Secretary, Jennifer Miller as Treasurer, Cal Teague and Client Service Manager Dudak as Assistant Treasurers, and retaining Client Service Manager Dudak as Assistant Secretary.
On MOTION by Supervisor Breisch, seconded by Vice Chair Switzer, with all in favor, the Board approved Resolution 2026–02, as presented.
iii. Reaffirming Christopher Dudak as Records Management Liaison Officer
District Manager Rainwater reminded the Board that Client Service Manager Dudak also serves as the District’s Records Management Liaison Officer and answers all public records requests. The Board acknowledged this and no motion was needed.
iv. Resolution 2026-03: Check Signing Authority
This resolution adds Client Service Manager Dudak to sign any checks as backup to Cal Teague.
On MOTION by Supervisor Breisch, seconded by Supervisor Andersen, with all in favor, the Board approved Resolution 2026-03, as presented.
ELEVENTH ORDER OF BUSINESS H.O.A. Report
HOA Liaison to the CDD, Gary Rogers, discussed several HOA meeting protocols. The Board asked questions regarding the $3 million received from the federal government and how those funds were allocated. Mr. Rogers explained that the funds were placed into the general fund revenue stream, with the majority used to pay for Oasis. There was extensive discussion regarding the details of the expenditures. George Smothers stated that the Master Association President will prepare a detailed explanation outlining how the $3 million was spent. He added that the total cost of the HOA projects are available through the Master Association and noted that the projects pertain to golf course renovations, including greens and irrigation improvements, among others.
TWELFTH ORDER OF BUSINESS Supervisor Reports, Requests, and Comments
A. Next Meeting Quorum Check
All board members expect to be present at the next meeting.
Supervisor Anderson inquired about a corrugated drainage pipe protruding upward from Lake 15. He has a photograph of the pipe and he will forward it to Field Manager Pepin and to see if it requires repair.
At 9:54 a.m., Supervisor Breisch left the room.
Supervisor Ferry requested additional information regarding the reported slip-and-fall incident. Client Service Manager Dudak explained that the incident had been reported preemptively to the District’s insurance carrier. He noted that the proposed removal and repouring of the sidewalk section around the manhole cover, which Field Manager Pepin was asked to source, was not the specific area where the individual tripped, but was recommended to be addressed by the insurance adjuster as a potential risk.
At 9:58 a.m., Supervisor Breisch returned to the meeting.
Supervisor Breisch announced his resignation from Pond Watch for personal reasons. Supervisor Anderson will assume the role, although he noted he is not in the community during the summer months. It was also reported that Ernesto Lasso de la Vega of Pond Watch is retiring next month, and a replacement has been identified.
Chair Whitten requested that, in advance of this year’s proposed budget meeting, Staff evaluate future roadway work needs and prepare a report outlining what various assessment increases would generate over three, five and ten year periods, similar to reports provided in prior years.
Supervisor Anderson requested another copy of the roadway projections report previously prepared by Jamie Rivera. Staff will redistribute the report to the Board.
Chair Whitten requested that discussion of crosswalks be included on the next meeting agenda.
THIRTEENTH ORDER OF BUSINESS Audience Comments
George Smothers asked when Cane Toad tadpole season begins and District Manager Rainwater noted that it’s when the rainy season begins.