General Meeting Summary May 2023

General Membership Meeting RECAP- May 2023

Once again, in my office at 7:02 AM sipping coffee and reminiscing about our meeting the other night. My first Open Public Meeting as president and we attracted more attendees than expected. New rows of seating seem to appear in the blink of an eye, just before commencement. Thank you all for pitching in! I noticed the press, some new faces, neighbors, and family members. These gatherings are so important for our members and residents to obtain "unfiltered and pure information" on important issues impacting our way of life in NW Cape.

Jerry Smith, President

Click the link below to see the video of our meeting

General Meeting Summary May 2023Michael Ilczyszyn, Interim City Manager

Interim Cape Coral City Manager, Michael Ilczyszyn, provided answers. He handled all our questions in a lighthearted, cordial way. This resonated with the crowd. It did not take long for everyone to settle in.

Michael was invited to present a new interactive map outlining economic development projects in the city which was recently released out of his office. This is a tremendous asset for our Development Review Committee. Progress of development projects can be followed daily. Upon completion of the presentation, Michael graciously agreed to stay with us for the entire meeting. This was much appreciated. He jumped back into many discussions and was invited to close out our meeting. He smiled.

Link to Interactive map Click Here

Our members were delighted by the announcement of the formation of the NW Cape Waterways Action Committee, led by our immediate past president of NWNA- John Bashaw. This committee was formed to respond to the overwhelming request of our members to create a direct access pathway (EXIT) from the North Spreader Canal directly to Charlotte Harbor. John's presentation discussed three options under consideration.  It was agreed that all three options are needed however, option 1 presents the least path of resistance and will be the focus for the near term. The path for Option 1 may be viewed using the link below:

Link to Option 1 Path

John Bashaw, Waterways Chariman

John's presentation included an immediate request for funding from members and the business community to remove large rocks blocking boat egress in the KEY DITCH. A contractor has been secured to provide this service. The Key Ditch was utilized prior to Hurricane Ian by (shallow draft) boaters to directly access Charlotte Harbor. The entrance to Key Ditch is located just south of Jacaranda Parkway in the North Spreader and the exit to Charlotte Harbor is at Two Pines Channel. A Request for a Proposal from a qualified contractor will be pursued to prune and trim mangroves hanging in the Key Ditch waterway. This work and other maintenance will be pursued under a maintenance permit held by the city. Installing Paddling Trail markers to identify The Calusa Blueway Trail can also assist boater navigation departing the Key Ditch and entering open areas and islands approaching the Two Pines channel to Charlotte Harbor. This project can benefit kayakers and boaters of Cape Coral and all of Lee County.

If you would like to contribute toward the NORTH SPREADER WATERWAY EXIT, please contact John Bashaw or myself, directly. Contact Jerry or Contact, John

Again, special thanks to the Interim, Cape Coral City Manager, Michael Ilczyszyn for attending and remaining on site after the meeting to handle many one-on-one discussions. Much appreciated! Having Michael Ilczyszyn at the meeting gave him the opportunity to understand our needs and to educate us on the jurisdiction of our waterways, and the limitations and opportunities involving this project.

Kind regards,
Jerry Smith, President-NWNA[video mp4="https://nwcape.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/May-2023-Regular-Meeting_Final.mp4" poster="" ][/video]