Civic and Community Corner: Community Planning Panel’s Annual Town Hall Meeting is Tuesday
The Community Planning Panel’s Annual Town Hall Meeting takes place THIS Tuesday, March 24, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Recreation Center. Last year’s THM was well attended and resulted in many positive things for this community, and this year’s promises to be even better.
The keynote speaker is County Commissioner Frank Mann whose jurisdiction includes parts of North Fort Myers.
The Agenda also includes: 1.) An update on the progress being made by the Library Task Force towards realizing a new NFM Regional Library. Linda Yorde, President of the Friends of the Library, will give the report including an analysis of the recent Town Hall Meeting, the meetings they have had since with each of the 5 county commissioners to present their findings; the survey they intend to do shortly on the makeup of the library-users and the mode of transportation they used to get to the Library; and their plans for proceeding.
2.) Lee County Senior Planners Sharon Jenkins-Owens and Anthony Palermo will review the updates to the Land Development Code and how they affect North Fort Myers.
3.) Awards will be presented for “Project of the Year”, Renovation of the Year” and “Good Neighbor of the Year” – come see who wins.
3.) Rick Roberts, Head of Lee County Code Enforcement, will explain his duties and his limitations, and how he is going about his job of curing the blight along our major arteries.
4.) Glen Salyer, head of the County’s Office of Economic Development will discuss this town’s economic plight and how we can turn things around.
5.) The highlight of the evening is a panel discussion featuring Commissioner Mann and Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners, Brian Hamman; Mr. Salyer; Patrick T. Crissy, Business Consultant; John Talmage, an expert on economic development; Ben Smith of LaRue Planners; Kevin Mulhearn, President of The New Business 41 Merchants Association and owner of Prosperity Pointe Marina, and others. The topic will be “How To Reverse The Economic Plight of North Fort Myers.” This will be followed by audience participation and questions on this subject only.
6.) The final item on the Agenda will be audience participation and questions by the audience on any local or county issue.
This wide-ranging program will be democratic grassroots at its finest! It will be of interest and beneficial to every resident. If you are a North Fort Myers merchant, thinking of becoming one, or the owner of a commercial building or lot, – YOU MUST ATTEND THIS MEETING – listen, learn, question and participate; exercise your rights as an American. If you know of anyone in those categories, or anyone whom you think would benefit from this program, grab his or her arm and drag them to this Town Hall Meeting on Tuesday, March 24.
Gregg Makepeace was selected this week by the Lee County Board of Commissioners as “Citizen of the Year for 2014” for “providing outstanding civic contributions to Lee County government”. Gregg prevailed over 6 other nominees including another North Fort Myers resident, environmentalist/conservationist, Janet Bunch. Gregg has been a determined, soft-spoken advocate for the people of North Fort Myers, volunteering more than 40 hours a week for the last dozen years. Gregg has served as President of the North Fort Myers Civic Association for the last 10 years, selecting to not run for reelection after turning 80, but he will continue to serve on its Board of Directors. He has served as President of the Navy Fleet Reserve Group 118 for two years and was instrumental in the creation of the North Fort Myers Community Planning Panel and the Design Review Panel, and continues to serve on both panels since their creation nine years ago. He is also a member of the North Fort Myers Library Task Force Makepeace was a leading campaigner over many years for the construction of the $9 million North Fort Myers Recreation Center completed last year. He has been a mainstay at county commission meetings, committee and sub-committee meetings, neighborhood community meetings, budget meetings, fire district meetings and anywhere that he felt that he could be of help, often in his green North Fort Myers Civic Association T-shirt. It was touching to see this former Marine break down and cry with happiness during his speeches at the groundbreaking and dedication services. This man has been an inspiration to me and many others and if ever an award was well deserved it was this one. Congratulations and enjoy, Gregg!