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BSU CALLS FOR STUDENT ARTWORK FOR 2009 WATER CONSERVATION CALENDAR

Bonita Springs Utilities invites Bonita Springs elementary school students to submit drawings for BSU’s 2009 Water Conservation Calendar by June 27. Ryan Thompson’s drawing, submitted when he was a Bonita Springs Elementary School fifth-grader, was chosen for the cover of the 2008 calendar.

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (May 7, 2008) – Bonita Springs Utilities invites Bonita Springs elementary school students to submit drawings for BSU’s 2009 Water Conservation Calendar. The artwork should show the importance of water and ways to use it wisely. Students whose drawings are selected to illustrate the eighth edition of the calendar will win movie tickets and recognition during a BSU board meeting.

The contest is open to Bonita Springs students who are in kindergarten through fifth grade during the 2007-2008 school year. Entry forms are available on the utility’s Web site at www.BSU.us or at the BSU office on East Terry Street. The deadline for submitting illustrations is June 27.

The not-for-profit utility has published the calendar annually since 2002 as a way to remind its member-customers of the importance of smart water use throughout the year. Nearly 500 drawings were submitted for the 2008 calendar.

“Part of BSU’s mission is the protection of our water resources,” said BSU Executive Director Fred Partin. “Feedback from our member-customers shows that the calendar is a great tool for keeping the water-conservation message top of mind throughout the year.”

The idea for the water conservation calendar was the result of a 2001 brainstorming session among a group of the utility’s member-customers who now select the illustrations for the calendars.

Bonita Springs Utilities is a not-for-profit water and wastewater utility that serves more than 30,000 homes and businesses in a 60-square-mile area. For more information about the utility, visit the BSU Web site at www.BSU.us.

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BSU WATER CONSERVATION CALENDAR PROMOTES WISE WATER USE YEAR-ROUND

Artwork created by these Bonita Springs students and five others illustrates the seventh edition of the Bonita Springs Utilities Water Conservation Calendar: (front row, standing, left to right): Jasmine Sandoval, Joey Gross and Mariana Ruiz; (back row): Ryan Thompson, Elanne Zuniga, Carla Garcia, Rebecca Szilagyi and Jessica Vargas-Medina.

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (March 27, 2008) – Ryan Thompson is telling everyone in Bonita Springs, “Conserve Water! Water is good!” Ryan’s artwork, created last year when he was a fifth grader at Bonita Springs Elementary School, is used on the cover of Bonita Springs Utilities’ 2008 Water Conservation Calendar. Drawings from a dozen other Bonita Springs-area elementary-school students are used to encourage the utility’s member-customers to use water wisely year-round.

The works of the following students were selected from nearly 500 entries: January: Michael Focarazzo, Bonita Springs Elementary; February: Elanne Zuniga, Bonita Springs Elementary; March: Carla Garcia, Spring Creek Elementary; April: Rebecca Szilagyi, Bonita Springs Elementary; May: Luis Giron, Bonita Spring Elementary; June: Angelina Guzman, Spring Creek Elementary; July: Karina Rodriguez, Bonita Springs Elementary; August: Jasmine Sandoval, Bonita Springs Elementary; September: Joey Gross, Bonita Springs Elementary; October: Jessica Vargas-Medina, Bonita Springs Elementary; November: Kimberly Lerma, Bonita Springs Charter School; and December: Mariana Ruiz, Bonita Springs Elementary.

Carla Garcia’s artwork was selected for the sixth consecutive year. She is now in middle school and will not be eligible to submit for the 2009 calendar. Two other student-artists made encore appearances in the 2008 calendar: Jessica Vargas-Medina’s work was chosen for the third time and Rebecca Szilagyi’s for the second.

“This seventh edition of the calendar provides daily reminders of the importance of our water resources, with practical tips from the South Florida Water Management District for water conservation,” said BSU Executive Director Fred Partin.

The student’s messages range from specific advice – Follow Water Restrictions – to philosophical ideas – depictions of the earth with and without water. In addition to the students’ illustrations, the calendar provides lists of useful phone numbers and Web sites, and offers guidelines for saving water throughout its pages.

The initial idea for the water conservation calendar was developed during a 2001 brainstorming session among a group of the utility’s member-customers who now serve as judges in selecting the illustrations. This year’s judges were Bonita Springs residents Darren Boole, Don Keylon, William Lonkart and Charles Dauray, a member of the South Florida Water Management District Governing Board.

Calendars are available at the BSU offices at 11860 East Terry Street.

Bonita Springs Utilities is a not-for-profit water and wastewater utility that serves more than 30,000 homes and businesses in a 60-square-mile area. For more information about the utility, visit the BSU Web site at www.BSU.us.

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BSU MEMBER-CUSTOMERS RETURN INCUMBENTS TO THE BOARD

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (March 20, 2008) – Bonita Springs Utilities member-customers re-elected incumbents Paul Attwood, Frank Liles and John Mathes for a three-year term on the utility’s board of directors. Bonita Springs attorney Jim Kerr, whose firm monitored the election for the eighth time, announced the results during BSU’s annual meeting, reporting that nearly 21,000 ballots were mailed and 3,610 valid ballots were counted by the League of Women Voters of Lee County.

Attwood, a board member since 2001, serves as board secretary and is district coordinator for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s oil and gas section. Liles, a Bonita Springs native, has served as a board member since 1986, including two terms as vice president, five as secretary and one as treasurer. He is a retired service technician for Embarq, formerly Sprint. Mathes, a board member since 1990 and current treasurer, has served as secretary and vice president, as well as president for four terms. He has owned Mathes Realty Appraisal and Mathes Realty since 1979.

Other board members are Bob Bachman, Marc Ciaffone, Hank Hochstetler, Bob McGrath, Steve McIntosh and David McKee. The board of directors meets at 5 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. In addition, each board member serves on various subcommittees and work groups, devoting 10 to 60 hours a month working with the utility’s management and staff.

Other candidates who sought seats on the board of directors were retired advertising executive and community volunteer Ralph L. Countryman; professional engineer Paul Pinault; retired New York State administrator and FEMA disaster assistance employee Gerard J. Powers; attorney Robert D. Pritt; and Robert H. Sharkey, a sergeant with the State of Florida Department of Corrections.

Bonita Springs Utilities is a not-for-profit water and wastewater utility that serves more than 30,000 homes and businesses in a 60-square-mile area. For more information about the utility, visit the BSU Web site at www.BSU.us.

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EIGHT CANDIDATES SEEK SEATS ON BSU BOARD OF DIRECTORS

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (Jan. 21, 2008) – Eight candidates, including three incumbents, are running for three seats on the board of directors of Bonita Springs Utilities Inc. The candidates are current board secretary and DEP district coordinator Paul Attwood; retired advertising executive and community volunteer Ralph L. Countryman; incumbent and retired Sprint service technician Frank Liles; current board treasurer and real estate appraiser John B. Mathes; professional engineer Paul Pinault; retired New York State administrator and FEMA disaster assistance employee Gerard J. Powers; attorney Robert D. Pritt; and Robert H. Sharkey, a sergeant with the State of Florida Department of Corrections.

Each year BSU member-customers elect three fellow members for a three-year term on the utility’s nine-member board of directors. Ballots are being mailed to BSU member-customers in mid-February, and election results will be announced during the utility’s annual meeting Tuesday, March 18. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the BSU office at 11860 East Terry Street.

Other current board members are Bob Bachman, Marc Ciaffone, Hank Hochstetler, Bob McGrath, Steve McIntosh and David McKee. The board of directors meets at 5 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. In addition, each board member serves on various subcommittees and work groups, devoting from 10 to 60 hours a month working with the utility’s management and staff.

Bonita Springs Utilities is a not-for-profit water and wastewater utility that serves more than 30,000 homes and businesses in a 60-square-mile area. For more information about the utility, visit the BSU Web site at www.BSU.us.

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BSU CELEBRATES NEW WASTEWATER-TREATMENT FACILITY

Celebrating the opening of the new Bonita Springs Utilities East Water Reclamation Facility were (left to right) Phil Flood of South Florida Water Management District, BSU Executive Director Fred Partin, BSU Board President Dave McKee, Katus Watson of construction manager CH2M Hill, BSU Director of Engineering Mike Liggins, Bonita Springs City Council Member Pat McCourt and Lee County Commissioner Ray Judah.

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (December 2007) – Bonita Springs Utilities Inc. celebrated the opening of its new East Water Reclamation Facility in December. The facility, which began operation earlier in the year, works with BSU’s original wastewater-treatment facility to process the wastewater produced by more than 30,000 homes and businesses in BSU’s 60-square-mile service area.

The new facility uses state-of-the art membrane-bioreactor technology to reclaim wastewater and produce effluent that is used for outdoor irrigation. A system of centrifuges and dryers converts biosolids from both facilities into pellets, which are sold for fertilizer. The production of the biosolids pellets ends an era of hauling sewer sludge for BSU.

“The facility was built with equipment that pulls virtually all the moisture from the wastewater, resulting in a dry product that is not only less costly to haul, but also can generate income for the utility,” said Mike Liggins, director of engineering for BSU. “This is a huge step forward for BSU, a progressive way to make our wastewater-treatment system more efficient, and a great example of recycling.”

The utility has contracted with Nutri-Source, an Orlando firm that will purchase and haul the nutrient-rich, organic pellets, and market them as fertilizer for the citrus, sod and vegetable growing industries. BSU estimates that 1,600 tons of pellets will be produced each year.

“The results are fewer trucks on our roads, no problems with finding land to accept sludge, and a way to help offset operating costs, rather than paying someone to haul sludge for the utility,” said BSU Executive Director Fred Partin.

The East Water Reclamation Facility, located on 165 acres along the east side of I-75 north of Terry Street, has the capacity to treat 4 million gallons of wastewater per day. It is designed to be expanded to a capacity of 16 million gallons per day.

When this facility is fully expanded and operating with our original wastewater-treatment facility, BSU will have the capacity to handle all the wastewater produced by Bonita Springs once the area is fully developed,” said Partin. “This plant is our last major piece of infrastructure.”

CH2M Hill served as construction manager for the $58 million project. South Florida Water Management District provided a $1 million grant toward the construction.

Bonita Springs Utilities is a not-for-profit water and wastewater utility. For more information about the utility, visit the BSU Web site at www.BSU.us.

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FGCU PRESIDENT VISITS BSU

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (Dec. 28, 2007) – Bonita Springs Utilities Board Member Steve McIntosh, who also serves as treasurer of the Florida Gulf Coast University Foundation, gave FGCU President Wilson Bradshaw a tour of Bonita Springs, including a stop at BSU. (Left to right) BSU Executive Director Fred Partin welcomes Dr. Bradshaw, along with McIntosh and BSU Board Member Hank Hochstetler.

Bonita Springs Utilities is a not-for-profit water and wastewater utility that serves more than 30,000 homes and businesses in a 60-square-mile area. To learn more, log onto www.BSU.us.

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APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR BSU BOARD CANDIDATES

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (Nov. 21, 2007) – Applications are available for candidates for the Bonita Springs Utilities Inc. board of directors. Member-customers of the not-for-profit water and wastewater utility will elect three representatives for a three-year term this spring. Any BSU member who is a full-time resident of the area served by BSU is eligible to run. Candidates cannot be related, as defined by the BSU bylaws, to members of the board. Those interested in applying for candidacy may pick up application forms at the BSU office at 11860 East Terry Street. Completed applications must be received at the BSU office before 5 p.m., Monday, Dec. 31, 2007.

Ballots will be mailed to BSU members in mid-February, and the results of the election will be announced at the annual meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, March 18, 2008. Bonita Springs attorney James Kerr, whose office has supervised the election process for the past seven years, will serve as election monitor for 2008.

The board of directors meets at 5 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. In addition, each of the nine board members serves on various subcommittees and work groups, devoting from 10 to 60 hours a month working with the utility’s management and staff. Board members receive monthly stipends and optional health insurance coverage.

Incumbents Paul Attwood, Frank Liles Jr. and John Mathes are eligible to run for re-election. Other board members are Robert Bachman, Marc Ciaffone, Henry Hochstetler, Robert McGrath, Stephen McIntosh and David McKee.

Bonita Springs Utilities serves nearly 30,000 homes and businesses in a 60-square-mile area. Its mission is to provide safe, reliable potable water and wastewater treatment, emphasizing responsible protection of our resources at the most effective cost to all members. To learn more, log onto www.BSU.us.

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JUNE 26 PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING ON BSU RATE CHANGES

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (June 8, 2007) – Bonita Springs Utilities Inc. will share information about proposed adjustments to the utility’s rates and fees Tuesday evening, June 26. The 7 p.m. meeting will be held in the BSU Board Room at the utility’s offices at 11900 East Terry Street.

BSU proposes increasing both monthly charges and Aid-to-New-Construction fees, one-time charges that help cover the system-wide cost of building treatment facilities and installing lines. If approved by the Bonita Springs City Council, the water ANC fee will increase by nearly 25 percent to $2,600, and the wastewater ANC fee by 19 percent to $3,925. Monthly fees for water and wastewater services will increase on Sept. 1 by the Consumer Price Index 2006 rate of 3.4 percent.

“BSU is committed to providing cost-effective service to our member-customers, and rate adjustments are a responsible move in the long run,” said Fred Partin, BSU executive director. “These rate increases are needed to cover the increased costs of fuel, chemicals and labor, as well as stricter water-treatment and security guidelines.”

Representatives of Public Resources Management Group Inc. will present the findings of the 2007 Water and Wastewater Rate Sufficiency Study, which analyzed BSU’s operating costs, expected capital needs, anticipated growth, rates charged by other utilities and other considerations. BSU representatives will answer questions from member-customers.

Bonita Springs Utilities is a not-for-profit water and wastewater utility that serves more than 30,000 homes and businesses in a 60-square-mile area. For more information about the utility, visit the BSU Web site at www.BSU.us.

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