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Cory Lake Isles Hires New Landscaping Contractor

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By KENNETH KNIGHT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 19, 2008

CORY LAKE ISLES - The Cory Lake Isles Community Development District board has awarded its landscaping contract to a company not owned by developer Gene Thomason for the first time.

The district supervisors agreed Sept. 18 to accept Nanak's Landscaping's offer to provide services to the community for $341,375 a year.

The vote passed 4-0, with Thomason, a longtime CDD member and the owner of the company that has provided maintenance and security for the community, abstaining.

The decision is the latest move by the CDD to wean itself from developer control to become a homeowner-controlled community that hires outside companies to handle landscaping and security.

Wackenhut began providing security for the 1,000-home, gated community in May.

The board struggled over its decision to select Nanak's for the landscaping contract.

Supervisors Roger Brown and Madeline Backes pushed for Cornerstone Landscaping, which submitted a bid of nearly $400,000.

"I feel strongly that their nursery and staff have a better solution" for Cory Lake Isles, Brown said.

Supervisor Jane Taggart said she was troubled by Cornerstone's limited experience in doing landscaping and maintenance work that would be required in Cory Lake Isles. Supervisor Suzanne Manzi said her support for Nanak's was based on price and its high evaluation ranking.

The board had hoped to approve a long-term security contract Sept. 18 but shelved those plans after rejecting all nine bids. The board members said they were dissatisfied with the level of personnel experience and scope of services submitted in the bids.

The security bids listed personnel experience that ranged from high school graduates to military training to workers with college degrees. The CDD board asked the district manager to develop a set of tighter standards.

"I'm not willing to have an 18-year-old high school graduate standing in front of my gates," Backes said.

Residents said it was in the best interest of Cory Lake Isles to move forward quickly on the landscaping and security contracts.

"Every month that we wait, we are losing $30,000 for the community," Cyril Spiro said.

After the meeting, Thomason, who is not seeking re-election to the CDD board, issued a written statement about his service to the community and complimented his CDD colleagues and consultants for being "experienced and fiscally responsible leaders."

"This is one my last meetings as a community development district supervisor, signaling the end of a professionally and personally rewarding 17-year career as a member of this board," Thomason wrote.

"I'm comforted to know the 2009 budget strikes an appropriate balance between the broader community's security and landscaping needs and the collective voice of its residents.

"I am also pleased with how smoothly we are transitioning from a developer-influenced to a resident-controlled community, a process that began in 2006. This important transition will be complete when my successor is formally sworn into office in November."

Reporter Kenneth Knight can be reached at (813) 865-4842 or kknight@tampatrib.com.

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