Chairman Matt Lewis began the meeting by introducing District Manager Heather Dilley with Kai, the company that took over as property manager for the CDD at the end of January. Dilley noted that the meetings now have two audience comments segments: one at the beginning of the meeting and one following new business. Comments are limited to 3 minutes, and Dilley reminded the audience that it is essential to maintain decorum to keep the meeting flowing.
Pam Senk, Vineyards HOA president, kicked off audience comments by thanking Field Manager David Sylvanowicz and BDI for their help with an issue with the neighborhood’s sumps. She asked the board to expedite the approval of proposals for work on the West Park Village sump as it is becoming a safety concern for the Vineyards.
In his report, Sylvanowicz explained the situation with the sumps in the Vineyards. BDI recently discovered that the sumps are the CDD’s responsibility (not the Vineyards HOA). He said the Brazilian pepper had been removed from all three sumps, and there is a fourth sump in West Park Village they are working on.
District Engineer Robert Dvorak said he received four proposals for digging out and regrading all four sumps and noted the work is similar to the clean out of the sump behind 7-11 that took place last year. The bid from EEL was significantly lower at $109,750, which can be concerning, but he said the family has been doing this type of work for decades. He added that the bid averages $25,000 per sump, which is not far from the $30,000 the district paid for the 7-11 sump project. Lewis asked if there were any red flags in the bid. Sylvaowicz said the scope of work was the same for all four bids. Legal Counsel Erin McCormick said the contract should include verbiage that warranties the work. The board unanimously approved EEL’s bid, provided they secure a construction bond.
Turning to Pond 125, Dvorak received bids from Finn Outdoors and Site Masters, which were within a few dollars. He added that Site Masters was able to start earlier and the district has worked with them. The board unanimously approved the bid from Site Masters for $42,000 to install the sump pump, drain boxes, and drain pipes. They also unanimously approved a bid from BBS for $23,376 to run buried electrical line from an existing panel to the berm. Work should start by early March. The board also approved moving forward with the paperwork to make the CDD the legal O&M entity for Pond 45 (at Davidsen).
Sylvanowicz asked about Phase 2 for sidewalk repair. Lewis asked to add that item, along with discussions regarding erosion at Pond 51 to the February workshop agenda. McCormick turned to Pond 120 (homeowner encroachment). Regarding the letter to the homeowners in question, she said she was informed by WCA Legal Counsel that, while the board has no issues with the content of the letter, they prefer not to do a joint letter. She added that the WCA board agreed that, if the situation wasn’t corrected, they would move forward with their violation process. McCormick suggested moving forward with the letter from the district and Supervisor Chris Barrett suggested letting the homeowners know that the WCA will issue notices if the problem is not corrected.
In the second audience comment segment, Shires VM Barry Anderson asked if the board had found the sketch of potential sports field space that was mentioned previously. Barrett said there had been a lot of misinformation that the board was actively pursuing the addition of a sports field with lights. He clarified that the only thing the board has talked about is field space that could maybe be used for practice. He added that the purpose of the Feb. 17 workshop is to discuss possibilities. Supervisor Jim Wimsatt added that the discussion is on greenspace use and maintenance in general.
WCA Board President Michiel Oostenbrink, who attended briefly, said he wanted to speak on his own behalf (not representing the board). In a nutshell, he said he wants to see Westchase as a family-friendly environment where kids can get out and play.
Greens VM Steve Splaine asked for an update on the golf course discussion. Supervisor Reggie Gillis reiterated that this is a 10-year-old discussion and a few months ago, out of blue, the current owner mentioned he might be ready to sell. Gillis emphasized that there has been no decision whatsoever and Golf Course Consultant Greg Christovich had been rescheduled to speak at the Feb. 17 workshop.
Lewis then informed the audience that Supervisor Greg Chesney submitted his resignation, effective at the end of the May 5, 2026, meeting. Lewis added that he appreciated all Chesney had done for the community in his 23.5 years of service. The remaining board members will appoint a replacement at the conclusion of the May meeting. Turn to page 6 for more information on the process.
In his resignation letter, Chesney concluded with a piece of advice for the community: “We don’t get to choose every challenge we face, but we do get to choose how we show up for each other.”
A motion to accept Chesney’s resignation passed, concluding the meeting.