Deborah Lux

Punta Gorda District 3 Newsletter

February 4, 2024  

The Latest Lux News & Views!

Hello Friends,

What an incredibly busy week it has been. Let's start with what matters most this week as this affects the future of our city.

I apologize that this newsletter will not be as detailed as usual. Providing details of the comprehensive plan could make the newsletter excessively long. If you have questions about specific details, I'm available to discuss. You can reach me at

dluxcouncil@gmail.com.

Comprehensive Plan

Please attend the February 7th council meeting, 9 am at the Military Heritage Museum. The Comprehensive Plan serves as the MASTER plan guiding our city, and it is once again up for a vote to move forward to the state.

Florida Statute 163.3181 Public Participation in the comprehensive Plan. The intent of the statute is to make sure that the public participates in the comprehensive planning process to the fullest extent possible. 

I strongly urge you to attend this meeting. With the decision for the comprehensive plan to be voted and approved by council, it's crucial to have your input during the meeting to ensure that council makes an informed decision about our city’s future. 

The notice went out in the Sun Newspaper to give notice to the residents.



 “Upon conclusion of this public hearing, the city of Punta Gorda will transmit the proposed plan to the state land planning agency and other agencies pursuant to section 163.3184 (4), Florida Statutes.”  

I recognize that three minutes of citizen input may not be sufficient to express your concerns fully, and I aim to adhere to Florida Statute 163.3181 on public participation.

I have attached photos of the strikeout portions and cleaned areas that the staff worked on before placing them on the Feb 7, 2024 agenda.

Click Here to view images of the strikeout portions and cleaned areas of the Plan that staff worked on before placing them on the Feb 7, 2024 agenda.

One Charlotte, One Water

Town Hall Meeting

Last Wednesday, the county presented information and sought feedback on water quality in Charlotte County. I found it informative, and I anticipate participating in future open meetings addressing water issues. For more details, you can contact Brandon Moody at Brandon.Moody@CharlotteCountyFL.gov. 

Additionally, I believe it would be beneficial for the City to organize similar workshops, providing residents with the opportunity to offer their input.

Tallahassee- Meet the Representatives:

The Mayor, Vice Mayor, and our City Manager visited Tallahassee to meet with our representatives. While other cities, like Northport, have all council members attend such meetings, our city manager mentioned that our city has historically only had the mayor and vice mayor in attendance during his tenure.

From my understanding, the discussions in Tallahassee were focused on issues given at the legislative meeting. To recap, the topics discussed during the October 2023 council meeting, as presented by the Punta Gorda lobbyist, were brought forward for consideration at the legislative meeting. 

           1.-Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion $10 million

           2. -Septic to Sewer project $15 million

           3. -Seawall replacement program from Ian $ 7.5 million

           4. -Storm drainage pipes infrastructure $ 5 million

           5. -Baynard Rd. improvements $ 2 million

           6. -Downtown flood mitigation $ 5 million

           7. -EOC land acquisition $ 5 million (EOC= Emergency Operations

Center)

At the November 2023 legislative meeting held at PGICA, the Mayor only addressed 1, 2 and 3 above.



• Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion has a projected cost of $78 million.

• The Septic to Sewer project in Charlotte Park is a recognized issue

that has been in existence for about 20 years with no changes.

• Instead of $7.5 million for Hurricane Ian seawall replacement and

mitigation, just under $5 million was asked for. It's worth noting that

the council recently approved an increase in residents' annual fees

for seawall repair and maintenance.

TOWN HALL

I appreciate the fantastic turnout for the first event, and due to the overwhelming response, I had to request the library to double the room size.

A survey was distributed to all attendees. While there were several issues discussed, the survey feedback highlighted the major concerns of the residents.

The Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Regulations topped the list.

The city's infrastructure, related to frequent water pipe breaks and flooding even with minor rains, is a significant concern.

Residents expressed a desire for more opportunities to voice their concerns, including providing town hall meetings and workshops, as they feel their input is not adequately heard.

There's also apprehension about overspending, with no cap on project costs, and a preference for prioritizing infrastructure over beautification projects.

Your feedback is invaluable, and I encourage further communication to foster a comprehensive understanding of our community's viewpoints.

If your questions or concerns were not addressed during the event, feel free to reach out to me via email. I'm happy to engage in further discussions.

Please note that if you are using the city's email system, I might not receive your emails as they may be blocked by security. If you haven't received a response, or if you prefer, reach out to me directly at dluxcouncil@gmail.com.

I will continue to host these town hall meetings and plan to organize an evening meeting for those who still work. The next meeting will be:

Thursday, February 29th

1:00 pm to 3:00 pm.

An additional meeting will be announced soon.

CLICK HERE to RSVP for the next TOWN HALL.

Spotlight of the Week:

Do The Right Thing of

Charlotte County

"Do The Right Thing of Charlotte County" is a program with a rich history, dating back to its founding in 1995 by Captain Don Cerbone. This initiative was created to honor students who demonstrate acts of heroism, engage in community service, and consistently make choices that align with doing the right thing.

The program's mission is clear: to instill positive attitudes, foster self-esteem, and provide public recognition for the outstanding achievements of these students.

Throughout the school year, on a monthly basis, 4-6 exceptional students are nominated to receive well-deserved recognition for their commitment to doing the right thing. Attending and sponsoring this program is one of my most heartwarming activities.

I'm excited to share the story of one remarkable student, 7-year-old Noah Scaringella, who was recently honored for his act of heroism during the last Thursday's event. This was the letter submitted for his nomination.

“On Saturday, September 29th of 2023 our family partially witnessed a jet ski accident in Laishley Park in Punta Gorda. My husband Nick saw the Jet ski headed toward the fishing pier and said he thought there was an accident and was going to run down there to check. My seven year old Noah said, “mom let me go, I’m a faster runner, and can swim really well”. I quickly said no, knowing that if there was an accident what he might see would not be for the eyes of a child. A friend we were with stated that it must not be that bad, because no one was jumping in the water! I quickly thought, ummm…. I think I better call my husband as he CAN’T swim! Over the phone he told me, it doesn’t look good, the man is far out, and a woman is trying to swim him in. He told me to run to the boat ramp and see if a boat was there to head to the pier to help. As soon as Noah saw me running, he said, “Mom let me do it, I’m faster, please, let me go”. I told him to run ahead of me, yelling to him what to tell the boaters. He ran, and he ran fast! He started telling the boaters, “can you please go to the pier, the one you can’t fish off of, there was an accident, can you help, someone is in the water”? I got there a couple seconds after to reiterate what was going on, and the 2 boats quickly went to the pier to help. Once the boats got there my husband sent them to stop the running jet ski in the water, as my husband and another man helped pull the people out of the water as the rescue workers arrived. As Noah saw many of the police officers, fire fighters, and FWC officers he knew from school and cub scouts walk by, he continued to ask how the man was, and that he was praying for him and them.



I am beyond proud of Noah for being so eager to help, and confident in his running and swimming skills (even though I would not let him close to the accident scene, he still jumped into action running to ask boats to aide in the rescue). He also made sure to talk to his little sister and friend about how they needed to stay far enough away from the accident scene to not interfere with the space the rescue workers needed to properly help the injured. All of this from a seven year old, whom struggles with sensory processing disorder and anxiety! This kid was so thankful that God put him in a place to be able to help someone in need (even though I kept him at a distance).

I would like to nominate Noah Scaringella (7 years old) as a child for the Do the Right Thing Program”

Isn't that story truly incredible? This heartwarming event takes place once a month throughout the school year. Specifically, it occurs on the first Thursday of each month at 3:30 pm, at the Punta Gorda Police station.