The 2022 Newsletter
2022 will be remembered as a year of change for the MPOA and our Beach Park.
Over the past three years alone, we have welcomed over 330 new households to the Moorings Property Owners Association, and our membership now includes a total of over 1,500 households. During this rapid growth, we’ve continued to invest in additional benefits for our membership - capabilities like wi-fi at the Beach Park, and new signage in our community, and now the rebuild of the Beach Park.
And now, we will continue to evolve and improve the Moorings Property Owners Association via our online 2022 Newsletter. The Annual Newsletter has been shifted online to better align with how the majority of our members consume their news, reduce environmental impact, and save on printing and postage costs.
From the Office of the President
by Cliff Holland
‘So sad for so many,’ are words that come to mind when looking back on the impact of Hurricane Ian. No one understands the magnitude of this loss more than those who personally experienced it. I hope our residents are on the road to recovery and have persevered through the many challenges. The outpouring of support from neighbors and friends is extraordinary and speaks volumes to the character of our community.
The MPOA Board of Governors is very focused on restoring The Moorings and our beach park. The beach park took a terrible hit from Ian and will require complete restoration. We will view this as an opportunity to create an improved experience for our members and bring back the beauty of this incredible asset. Thank you to so many of you who have donated to our Restoration Fund. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. We also appreciate your patience as our work progresses; it will take several months to complete this project. We will do our best to open the park when it is safe to do so.
When the park reopens, please remember that our attendants are there to ensure members have a safe and pleasant visit. Please, support their efforts by recognizing our park rules and treating them with respect as they fulfill this very important role.
I encourage members to attend our monthly Board meetings. They are scheduled on the second Tuesday of the month from October to May and are held at the Moorings Presbyterian Church located at 791 Harbour Drive. Representatives from City Staff provide updates on important projects and plans, and a representative from the Naples Police Department discusses specific issues and opportunities in the neighborhood. Frequent guest speakers are also included to cover topics relevant to our members. Member ideas and feedback are always welcome!
We are very fortunate to live in a wonderful place like The Moorings. The MPOA Board will continue to focus on opportunities to enhance our community.
Naples City Update
by Ted Blankenship
MPOA Board Treasurer & Naples City Councilman
Since Hurricane Ian hit Naples, the City has been in recovery mode. In order to assure safety, the first priority has been repairing and cleaning the streets, stormwater systems, water lines, and sewer systems. Along with that, partnering with FP&L, phone companies, and internet providers to get services restored to residents went hand in hand with the work of city employees. Longer term, the City will need to finish removing debris, cleaning the beaches, repairing City facilities, and rebuilding the Pier and Lowdermilk Park. Fortunately, it appears that we have insurance, adequate reserves, and federal and state assistance to help cover these costs. City staff will develop a post-storm action report to address shortcomings, lessons learned, and what we can do to harden infrastructure to be more resilient.
Before the hurricane, the City had been focused on implementing several water quality improvement initiatives. These include the Beach Outfall Pipe Removal and the Water Quality Improvement Project on Gulf Shore Boulevard, several stormwater lake remediation projects, and stormwater system improvements. These efforts will continue although the timing may be impacted by the hurricane recovery efforts.
We also plan to continue to address redevelopment standards, affordable workforce housing, inflation impacts, and staff recruitment/retention.
It has been so encouraging to see residents, City and County staff, churches, relief agencies, and service providers unite and work hard to help our beautiful City recover and rebuild! Thanks, everyone!
MPOA Efforts to Enhance the Beach Park and The Moorings in General
by Collene Van Noord
MPOA Board Secretary
The MPOA Board of Governors has been working hard on behalf of our members, our beach park, and our beach park attendants, even more so since Ian’s devastation. We have addressed security, refurbishment and improvements, plus planned changes for 2023. As the reopening timeline of our beach park is uncertain, please understand that all comments below are intended for once the beach park is open. None of this could have been done without many generous donations from members and other community members.
We are excited to announce the launch of a new website at www.mpoa.org where, for the first time, Moorings property owners can apply for MPOA membership and pay online. New memberships are activated on January 1 of every calendar year. Registration can still be completed with our paper form for those who choose. It will be available at the beach and downloadable from our website. Allow up to two weeks for registration to be verified, processed, and communicated to the beach park attendants.
For the safety of members and attendants, once Hurricane Ian refurbishment allows, we are adopting important security and policy changes:
To improve park security, entrance and exit gates will be installed at the beach park. The attendant will be alerted electronically if a vehicle with no decal or an expired decal passes through the entrance.
Security cameras have been installed so attendants and Naples Police can monitor activity as needed.
Owners who rent their property are subject to a separate 2023 fee structure. It is explained on the MPOA website. As in the past, those who rent their property forgo their property rights to use MPOA member benefits, including beach park access, when their property is rented.
Ongoing issues with the Houseguest Pass; including improper use, selling, copying, and sharing with non-members; have led the Board to revamp them. The new procedures for temporary Houseguest Passes are on our website. Please see the Membership section of the website for details.
Before Ian, MPOA had begun and is continuing to invest in several enhancements to the beach park. Besides the installation of security cameras and gates, we have also installed Wi-Fi. The restrooms are still in the process of being renovated. We were in the process of planning for new benches and tables to be installed in the park. We know our timeline has obviously been impacted, but our Board and our members believe these improvements will give us an even more special beach park.
We continue our commitment to investing in improvements to the community beyond the beach park. We are committed to the preservation of the beauty of The Moorings and purposely participate in activities designed to promote the health of our bays and waterways. We have addressed entrances to The Moorings. We replaced The Moorings sign at Tamiami and Mooring Line Drive and enhanced the landscaping. The sign at Harbour Drive has been refurbished and a new sign at The Moorings neighborhood entrance on Anchor Rode has been installed. We made a generous contribution to the Blair Tree Foundation to replace many trees in The Moorings that have been missing or were lost during Hurricane Irma.
The MPOA Board is committed to protecting, preserving, and enhancing The Moorings community.
“None of this could have been done without many generous donations from members and other community members.”
Enhancements to the MPOA Beach Park
by Rick Freniere
MPOA Vice President
This past year, The MPOA installed internet access and park-wide Wi-Fi. This installation has enabled us to install security cameras to monitor both the entrance and exit driveways. Monitoring both allows our attendants to review any incidents with the local authorities. Our internet access will permit us to modernize our record-keeping and move to an auto-sticker process. It will be an integral part of our gate installation and then daily gate use.
Over the past 18 months, we have been working to install motorized sliding entrance and exit gates and modernize the restroom facilities. Our goal was to have both projects completed for the upcoming season, but the timeline for these projects has been substantially delayed by Ian’s devastation. The storm damaged both our water and electrical supplies to the park. The water supply has been restored, and a complete replacement of the electric meter and main shut-off is scheduled for the near future. Work inside the bathrooms has resumed, and we hope to have the facility back in service before the year’s end.
Many emergency projects have taken place since the storm including the removal of large amounts of sand and debris. Essentially all existing tables and benches were damaged or destroyed and needed to be removed. Several palm trees were uprooted and the entire hedge along Gulf Shore Boulevard was severely damaged and needed removal as well. In its place, we installed a six-foot construction fence with gates.
We have once again started working on our master plan which includes a comprehensive restoration of the Beach Park. This long-term goal has become imperative because of Ian’s damage. Items to be addressed include benches, tables, walkways, landscaping, and rebuilding the accessibility porch. Our vision includes using products that are sustainable and environmentally friendly.
These enhancements are being made with attention to safety, beauty, comfort, and preservation of our asset – the beautiful Beach Park.
Environmental Initiative and Waterways Report
by Sharda Spahr
The MPOA is committed to fostering environmental stewardship. As a part of this effort, you will notice a few changes:
We designed the new logo shown to the left. When you see this, it indicates that the subject refers to environmental issues.
Several months ago, our landscapers stopped using chemical fertilizers in favor of biological products at the beach park. With its location on the beach and proximity to the waterways, we decided to eliminate these products which negatively affect wildlife and water quality. Following the example of the city’s related pilot program was an important step in helping to preserve two of our biggest assets.
To encourage environmental stewardship by members at the beach park there are a few initiatives to encourage and allow you to do your part:
There are to be no glitter, balloons, paintball guns, tiki torches, Chinese lanterns, or fireworks in the park. The use of styrofoam, plastic straws, and other environmentally unfriendly materials is strongly discouraged. We also ask that you remove all trash when you head out, leaving only footprints.
Members can contribute to a healthier environment by recognizing the importance of shorebirds on our beaches. A number of shorebird species visit Southwest Florida’s beaches both in summer and winter. Migrating shorebirds depend on specific breeding and wintering sites for their survival and reproductive success (AWE). Please, respect shorebirds, give them space, do not disturb them, and encourage your beach neighbors to do the same.
Efforts with our larger community are also making an impact:
The Moorings Bay Citizens Advisory Committee (MBCAC) in partnership with the city of Naples Natural Resources Department is conducting community outreach with residents living along Moorings Bay. We developed a PowerPoint: “How You Can Improve Water Quality and Shoreline Habitats.”
As water quality is important to our quality of life, it’s good to know that we too can do our part. Be vigilant and notify Code Enforcement at (239) 213-5030 or after hours (239) 566-9101 if you see debris or runoff, especially from construction sites, or illicit dumping into the bay. Both can enter the bay through the storm drains and further degrade its water quality.
The “Moorings Bay Water Quality and Biological Analysis Report” was released in late 2021. This study analyzed the results of the monthly and quarterly water quality and biological testing done by the city for Moorings Bay from 2009 through 2021. As a result, the consulting firm made several recommendations designed to improve water quality.
Members joined together in Keep Collier Beautiful 2022 Bay Days Great American Cleanup at our Beach Park to help clean the beaches from Doctors Pass to Lowdermilk Park. Please watch for more beach clean-ups in 2023. For more information, visit https://www.keepcollierbeautiful.com/event/2023-bay-days-great-american-cleanup/
Please, feel free to contact me should you have any questions or would like more information.
BE A GOOD STEWARD - CONSERVE AND PRESERVE.
Membership Update
by the MPOA Board
As part of an overarching process to simplify our membership structure, the MPOA Board has established the below MPOA Fee Schedule by Category Beginning January 1, 2023. Online registration and credit card payments are now available at www.MPOA.org (and www.mooringspropertyowners.org) via the Membership page. In addition, paper forms can be downloaded or picked up at the Beach Park. Checks will still be accepted.
New Owner
One-time initial fee: $1,000
Annual dues: $200 (in addition to initial fee)
Members with renters, see Owner With Renters rules and fees (section below)
Owner Occupied
Annual dues: $200
Vehicle registration must be in the member’s name
Members with rental cars will receive a temporary decal
Members with renters, see Owner with Renters rules and fees (section below)
Owner With Renter
Owner must be a member
Rental fee for each rental: $500, 90-day minimum, limit of 3 rentals per calendar year
Rentals that straddle calendar years require a fee for each year
Owners must provide renter’s names and dates of rental
Owners forfeit MPOA benefits, including Beach Park access, for the duration of rental.
Renters allowed one auto decal
Renter passes will indicate the dates of rental
Houseguest pass is an optional, temporary pass for an MPOA member
No houseguest passes allowed for owners with renters
Pass will be dated with a two-week time limit for each pass
Limit one pass per household at a time
Fee for each houseguest pass
May 1 – October 31: $25 per houseguest pass
November 1 – April 30: $50 per houseguest pass
Volunteer Opportunities at MPOA
by Debbie Groover
As members of The MPOA, we all have a common interest in the betterment of our Moorings community as well as the goal of enhancing and protecting the jewel of our neighborhood - our beach park. In the aftermath of hurricane Ian, we are fortunate to have a hardworking, forward-looking board to guide us as we try to restore our precious beach park for all of us to enjoy once again.
We would like to establish a list of members willing to volunteer to assist with such things as our social events, beach cleanup, etc. This is a great opportunity to make new friends and get to know your neighbors and the board members as well.
Currently, we have an opening on the board for someone who can assist with our communications, has a working knowledge of Microsoft Office, setting up Zoom meetings, and has some experience in website management or updating. In addition, the person could write the email blasts and help with articles that will appear on our new website. If you meet these qualifications and have available time, please email me at DebG@mpoa.org
Introducing John Kneafsey
Please welcome John Kneafsey to the MPOA Board. John and his wife, Karen, have been members of MPOA since 2014 and are avid beachgoers who love our park. They moved to Naples in 2013 where they spend about six months a year. John and Karen are boaters, as well, and enjoy the Naples beach and boating lifestyle very much. They have made many friends through their years here.
John grew up on Long Island, in New York, and married his high school sweetheart. They have four children, three of whom live in the New York area and one near Dallas, Texas. John worked in investment banking in New York City for 30 years prior to moving to The Moorings.
John is interested in becoming involved in the community, and he welcomed the opportunity to serve here in The Moorings, as an MPOA board member, and to work with Rick Freniere in overseeing things at our beach park. John will be handling Chickee Hut reservations.
In addition to his work to help improve all aspects of our beach park, John would like to promote The Moorings community as one of the finest in the country.
Thank You Gold Members!
MPOA was a very different organization many years ago that operated on a shoestring but had focused dreams of improving their piece of property into a real gem along the Gulf of Mexico. In order to bring in some revenue to develop the beach park, Silver and Gold Membership levels were created. The Silver was eliminated after a few years, and the donation level to become Gold members increased. Gold members no longer paid annual dues and their names were placed on Memory Boards.
In 2015, Gold membership changed to allow for membership as long as Gold members owned property within The Moorings. That unique level ended in 2022. Gold memberships are no longer available. Over the years, 207 members donated to the park in this unique way.
Thank you for your generosity!
New 2022 Gold Members:
Anonymous
Antonia Macek Bhasin
Ronald & Mary Lynn Stahnke
Gregory & Nina Penza
John & Tracy Matley
Tomas Matlock & Betsy Vinson
Mark & Amy Pace