Newsletter of the Nokomis Area Civic Association
Vol. 12, No. 3, July 2007

Next NACA General Meeting
Tuesday, July 24, 7 pm, Nokomis Community Center
All Are Welcome!  Bring Your Friends and Neighbors!

OPTIMIZE YOUR PROPERTY INSURANCE,
CHANGING LAWS, WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT?

PANEL OF LOCAL INSURANCE EXPERTS: Sam Gold - State Farm; Mr. and Mrs. Len LoCastro III, Len LoCastro IV - Independent Agents


FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK

Dear Nokomis Neighbors:

Nokomis is the hub of much excitement and activity these summer days!  Colonia Lane construction is complete, with sidewalks, street lighting, and a medallion in the intersection with Albee Farm Road; if you haven't seen it you'll be favorably impressed!

The process of connecting our Nokomis neighborhoods to central water is finally underway.  Verizon is in the process of burying fiber-optic cable in central Nokomis to provide their FIOS high-speed internet service to residents and businesses.  US 41 construction appears to be in high gear with visible progress on a daily basis.  Properties on both sides of Albee Road at US 41 have plans for impressive mixed-use development, including restaurants, shops, and residences.  Matthews-Currie Ford is planning for a new dealership facility north of their present site.  Condominiums are being completed on US 41 at Dona Bay.  There are many additional plans in various stages of development, notably our new Nokomis Beach pavilion.

Property insurance and taxes remain two major concerns of Floridians.  Effective solutions are central to maintaining a high quality of life for citizens and providing a needed boost to our local economy.  Hence, we are hosting a Property Insurance Forum at our July 24 NACA Quarterly Meeting, 7:00 p.m. at the Nokomis Community Center.  Coffee and sweets will be served beginning at 6:30, so come early and chat with neighbors!  This meeting is free of charge and open to the public.  Time permitting, there will be an opportunity for questions from the floor.

We'll be asking our panel to emphasize what residential- and commercial- property owners can do to optimize their insurance dollars and, perhaps, how they can reduce their total insurance expense.  To ensure that your questions are addressed by the panel, please email them in advance to our Vice President, Bob Merrill, at WATERWAYS REPORT



NOKOMIS REVITALIZATION NEWS
Bruce Dillon, NACA Revitalization Officer & Nokomis

PLAN-AMENDMENTS UPDATE

The Revitalization Plan amendments received a second review by the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) at their June 26th meeting in North Port.  This session offered a more in-depth review of the conditions for development approval and included several suggestions for changes and the request that the committee and County staff continue their work.  The next meeting with the BCC is scheduled for September 25.


ALL THOSE LITTLE COLORED FLAGS

It's not only roads that are under construction in Nokomis these days.  Crews have also begun construction on the next 1,500 central-water connections.  In addition, construction is also underway for Verizon's fiber- optic network.

The first step in any buried-construction project is having the location of the existing underground facilities identified.  Examples of those facilities include buried power, cable-TV, telephone, central-gas, water, and sewer lines.  A few days before the construction crews arrive, the excavator calls in a locate request, and the companies owning buried facilities in the area are notified and send out their locators.  Depending on the type of facility being located, various colors of flags and temporary paint are used to mark the buried lines.

The flags and paint are temporary, but it is extremely important that they not be removed.  REMOVING THE LOCATING MARKS CAN RESULT IN MAJOR COSTLY AND DANGEROUS UTILITY OUTAGES, AND THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PAYING FOR THE DAMAGE RESTORATION.

All excavators, even individual homeowners installing a fence or planting a hedge or tree, are required by state statute to request the free locate service 48 hours before digging.  For more information visit www.callsunshine.com or call 1-800-432-4770.

COUNTY WATER PROJECT WEBSITE

For the latest information on the central water project please visit http://scg.co.sarasota.fl.us/NokomisWaterLine.

THE IMPORTANCE OF NACA MEMBERSHIP
Tom Bartholomay, NACA Secretary & Membership Chair

My wife and I are anticipating new neighbors and looking forward to welcoming them to our neighborhood!  Along with our welcome, we'll invite them to attend a NACA meeting, because we believe that NACA represents the best interests of our neighborhood.  It is also an opportunity for our neighbors to learn more about our community, add their voice, and feel a part of Nokomis.

NACA deserves credit for many improvements in Nokomis: the new Colonia Lane, the opportunity to have public water soon, and the ongoing revitalization of Nokomis.

Perhaps you have neighbors whom you could invite to a NACA meeting.  Our meetings are very casual and informative.  NACA is only as strong as its membership, so we, the NACA Board, are encouraging you to bring your neighbors and sign them up.  Dues are only $5.00 per family, or $20.00 for 5 years.  With membership, you will receive our quarterly newsletter, The Voice of Nokomis, which will keep you up to date on the latest developments in Nokomis.
Join us July 24th and bring your neighbors!