Harvey Haines Looks Back at 35 Years of BSU History
When Harvey Haines retires from the Bonita Spring Utilities board of directors in 2006,
he concludes a 35-year tenure that began as a member of the founding board of directors. As the longest-serving member of the board, he has a vault full of recollections stored in his memory bank. He checked off some of what he sees as the highpoints and decisions that marked the evolution of yesterday’s Bonita Springs Water System into today’s Bonita Springs
Utilities.
The founding board members represented a range of skills, backgrounds and
professional expertise that included a banker, Realtor, builder and engineer. Harvey had been a resident since 1962 and part of the family business, Haines Air Conditioning and
Refrigeration, since it opened in 1963. This made him a natural to represent the service
and retail segment of the business community.
In 1971, the newly initiated water service attracted approximately 700 customers, the
first to get relief from the burden and risk of using well water: low quality with high
sulfur content and contamination from septic systems.
“There were no underground sources of water at all for residents near the beaches and along Hickory Boulevard. Drinking water came home in bottles. Once Hickory Boulevard had water service, development started along the beach as well.”
The availability of potable water became an invitation to development along Hickory
Boulevard and acreage around the bays. Bonita Beach’s first high-rise, The Egret, lit the construction fuse that officials, board members and the chamber of commerce recognized as the prelude to development. Bonita Springs would become a destination instead of a dot on the map that signaled drivers they were midpoint between Naples and Fort Myers.
“None of us could have imagined what has occurred, but even in 1971, we knew Bonita Springs would be a high-growth area, and a good water system would attract development. One of the things I’m most proud of is that we had the foresight to plan for growth, and we recognized that we had the opportunity to get infrastructure in place to handle it.”
In Bonita Springs Water System’s earlier years, keeping tabs on imminent growth spurts was more common sense than complex planning.
“Developers had to contact utilities for information about water and sewer service, and that always gave us a heads up.”
Within the tiny cluster of decisions in the most-significant-decision category was to add
wastewater treatment – a reclaimed-water processing plant – to the operations, he said.
It was the next major step that both encouraged and accommodated growth, second
only to the decision to create a central water system. The decision was huge not only for the utility but also for the future of the entire area.
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His fellow board members toast Harvey Haines for his 35 years of service to the
utility with – what else? – BSU water. Surrounding Harvey, from left to right, are Bob Bachman, Hank Hochstetler, Frank Liles, Bob McGrath, Paul Attwood, Executive
Director Fred Partin and John Mathes. |
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“A study group, made up of members of the community and Bonita Springs Water System, concluded we needed wastewater treatment operations for a number of reasons. We had to clean up the river that was increasingly being polluted as well as protect our estuaries.”
Adding wastewater treatment also would mean the eventual demise of septic systems and
the intensifying threat of contamination they posed to aquifers and well water. |
“One of the most memorable points in my 35 years as a member of the board of directors was meeting with the principals of Bonita Bay Properties [now The Bonita Bay Group] to consummate the purchase of the company’s small wastewater treatment plant. Going into the wastewater business was a huge step for the utility.”
Bonita Springs Water System became Bonita Springs Utilities, and growth placed new
emphasis on long-range planning.
“We had to anticipate what measures we would take when the Tamiami aquifer maxed out and make a major decision about another source of water in order to keep pace with growth. We have been extremely fortunate over the years to have excellent engineers working with us. The reverse-osmosis plant became BSU’s largest project to date.”
Critical decisions, strategic planning, forward thinking and a pioneering spirit characterize
the BSU timeline from beginning to today. As the only member of the original board who is a member of the current board of directors, Harvey Haines has the singular opportunity to scan the timeline and offer an opinion about the most memorable chapter in the 35-year history.
“One of the board’s most notable accomplishments related to the number of bond issues we dealt with … going to New York, having to establish credibility with the bonding agencies, and presenting our case in a way that convinced them we had a viable business.”
He has a plaque on the wall of his office at Haines Air Conditioning and Refrigeration. The Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce presented it to him on June 10, 1972, in
appreciation of two years of service invested in making the utility a reality.
“Of all the things associated with the board that I’m going to miss, it will be the camaraderie among members, all learning from each other, which made this a very enjoyable ride.”
Harvey and Ferne Haines are relocating to Avon Park. The word retirement would be a
stretch.
“We plan to be in Bonita Springs at least once a week. We have many old friends here, I want to make as many board meetings as I can and stay in touch with what goes on, and I will still be involved in decisions affecting the business.”
In addition to serving BSU member-customers for 35 years, Harvey has worked to improve the lives of many in other areas, too – volunteer fireman from 1962 through 1965; fire commissioner for approximately 25 years; director for First National Bank and Colonial Bank; active member of the chamber of commerce since 1963; and member of several professional and trade organizations.
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