Resident reports slab moisture and the CDD weighs storm-surge resilience

During public comment, resident Lynda Sorensen described water intrusion under her home’s slab, buckled master bedroom flooring and high moisture and mold identified by a leak-detection specialist. Sorensen said inspections found no plumbing or HVAC leaks and that the condition appears tied to excessive ground moisture and ponding that submerged underground downspouts. She asked the CDD and the homeowners association to coordinate on installing drain tiles and relocating downspouts farther from the home.

Board Chair Bob Schultz and staff members discussed ownership and likely responsibility for drain tiles, with staff noting drain tiles are most likely an HOA matter while the CDD can potentially address ponding concerns in some cases. Operations and engineering staff reviewed site topology and golf-course drainage maps and said the location had not been part of the water-management system due to original zoning as an indigenous preserve; rezoning later made it club land.

Separately, Eric Long presented a resilience proposal that would span five to ten years and suggested forming an advisory/review panel to coordinate storm-surge planning with county and state agencies. Long described a hypothetical analysis for a "Hurricane Milton" scenario in which a 10- to 12-foot storm surge could have flooded an estimated 45% to 55% of the community, and he asked the Board to designate a representative and staff or engineering liaisons to support coordination. The Board reached consensus that Long and newly appointed supervisor Keith Merrill would assist and authorized District Engineer Charlie Krebs to support as needed.

The Board did not adopt immediate capital projects tied to the storm-surge discussion at this meeting; instead, staff were asked to help coordinate multiagency planning, pursue possible partnerships and report back to the Board.