In a recent government meeting, officials discussed ongoing efforts to address stormwater management issues in the Venetian Bay and Portofino Estates communities following significant flooding events last November. Residents had previously raised concerns to the St. John's Water Management District, prompting an investigation that revealed non-compliance with stormwater system maintenance by the Venetian Bay Homeowners Association (HOA).

As a result, the water management district issued a letter to the Venetian Bay HOA, outlining necessary actions to restore compliance. Both the Venetian Bay and Portofino Estates HOAs subsequently engaged engineering firms to assess the situation. The Venetian Bay engineering firm produced a comprehensive report detailing maintenance efforts, which included cleaning pipes, clearing ditches, and removing brush. To date, the Venetian Bay HOA has invested approximately $100,000 in these maintenance activities.

Despite an invitation to present at the meeting, representatives from the Venetian Bay HOA declined to speak, citing potential litigation concerns. However, they communicated their progress and findings to officials, who noted that the engineering assessments indicated the stormwater system's functionality was being addressed.

The Portofino Estates HOA also conducted an engineering survey, which revealed that the ditches in the area, while not perfectly sloped, have sufficient capacity to manage water flow. Engineers confirmed that the ditches are not contributing to flooding issues, and the overall assessment suggests that the stormwater systems are on track to meet compliance standards.

Officials highlighted the importance of ongoing monitoring and data collection, utilizing advanced software modeling to analyze the stormwater systems further. All relevant reports and data have been made available for review, ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of these critical infrastructure systems.