Scott Brenner

Lee County is clearly underway to work our way out of being one of the Nation's leaders by taking positive action to fend off our current reputation as the highest foreclosure markets in America, yesterday I spoke with Sharon Leventhal, senior advisor in Charlie Green's Clerk of Lee County Courts, who runs the daily auction of foreclosure properties.

Changes have been planned for over a year and today they have made progress to allow much more open and unrestricted- accessible to buyers on the Internet.

Yesterday's conversation with Sharon Leventhal stated that the new software vendor has all ready a proven track record with operational online auctions presently operating in nearby local Florida Counties.

I understand that the software enhancements will allow prospective buyers to search the case number from the court calendar, get the plaintiff and defendant, dollar amount of the complaint, then link over to the Lee County's Tax Appraisers website to get further tax and property information.

The target rollout date to where the software is actually operating the on-line auctions is sometime in the next 90 to 120 days.

The thought process is Lee County Clerk's foreclosure auction operations will be operating on a hybrid for some time meaning several days of the week they will continue to hold the auction at the courthouse and several days held on line as with anything new and computerized I am sure there wil a shake out period but it is one the best plans to move foreclosed property at real market value I believe we will be leading the nation in deploying new and creative ways to engage in free market enterprises.

Job well done to Charlie Green and his staff to come up with this creative way to work the citizens of Lee County out of the over supply side inventory market place. Now cross your fingers and hope it works.

Some times the voice of the local community can be heard, and when it's heard good things can happen. Case in point several months ago I wrote the following letter to Lee County Commissioner Tammy Hall:

Tammy,
Following up from last nights NFMCPP meeting, when I mentioned Linda Ellis, a NFM property owner who has an interest in the commercial property at 18941 N. Tamiami Trail, NFM she attended our last NFM design & review board meeting 3/4/08 voiced her concerns of the adult sexually oriented located across the street from her property. That the location of the adult business has caused her to lose a potential tenant on her vacant property due to the adult business located across the street.
Mrs Ellis has been in contact with Rick Roberts, Lee County code enforcement who recommended that she attend our NFM Design & review to gather support. According to Mrs Ellis and her documentation, the adult entertain businesses located near her property claims that there are "residential use properties: that are in fact within the 1,000 foot as documented in Sec. 43-1204, Prohibited locations, item (20). That the adult business is in violation of this rule and is hurting her financially see the attachments.
Mrs. Ellis provided us the this link to the county's ordinances:http://www.lee-county.com/ordinances/PDF/1995/95-18.pdf . We identified these businesses in the future vision statement as being undesirable and we are asking for the county to take a further look at the claim Mrs. Ellis has brought to our attention regarding the business being closer then 1000 feet of residential uses.
Look forward to your reply.
Best regards
Scott J. Brenner, NFM Design & Review, Chair
Brenner Team at Sellstate Elite
3351 Marinatown Lane Suite100
Ft Myers, FL 33903
Office 239-995-0698 Fax 239-995-0180
Cell 239-671-5929
www.sellstate-elite.com
sbrenner@sellstate.com or scottjbrenner@gmail.com

From the above letter these actions took place, it is real is good to see your local goverment officals take community activitist advice and put into action the collective voice of the local community,

From: Jacob, Michael
Sent: Monday, June 09, 2008 10:03 AM
To: Dist4, Hall
Cc: Collins, Donna Marie ; Roberts, Rickey G.; Mccabe, Leonard F.
Subject: RE: Exotica Fantasy Gifts Code Violation

Carmen,

The owner of Exotica Fantasy Gifts will not be able to acquire a Sexually Oriented Business permit. She has been cited and received a notice of hearing in front of the Hearing Examiner. Her counsel has indicated that she is going to come into compliance with our Code. As for the sign, we do not regulate business names and will not require her to remove or change the sign.

Michael D. Jacob
Assistant County Attorney
Lee County Attorney's Office
(239) 533-2236 (telephone)
(239) 485-2106 (facsimile)
mjacob@leegov.com



Please note: Florida has a very broad public records law. Most written communications to or from County Employees and Officials regarding County business are public records available to the public and media upon request. Your e-mail communication may be subject to public disclosure.

From: Dist4, Hall
Sent: Friday, June 06, 2008 4:18 PM
To: Jacob, Michael
Cc: Collins, Donna Marie ; Roberts, Rickey G.; Mccabe, Leonard F.
Subject: RE: Exotica Fantasy Gifts Code Violation

Good afternoon. We received a call from Linda Ellis this afternoon. She is asking for an update on this case. I understand that Len McCabe personally updated her, but she is requesting this office confirm his report. Also she is questioning whether the sign (Exotica) will be removed? She said John Deer will not rent her building if the sign is there. I assured her I would find out whether the sign is in conformance.

Thank you .

Carmen Salomé
Executive Assistant to Commissioner Tammy Hall
Lee County Board of Commissioners
District 4
239-533-2226 office
239-485-2054 fax
Email: dist4@leegov.com
Website: www.lee-county.com

From: Jacob, Michael
Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 4:30 PM
To: Dist4, Hall
Cc: Collins, Donna Marie ; Roberts, Rickey G.; Mccabe, Leonard F.
Subject: Exotica Fantasy Gifts Code Violation

Carmen,

As an update to the Code Violation on Exotica Fantasy Gifts, I met with Code Enforcement Staff this afternoon. I reviewed the file and facts surrounding this violation. There are sufficient facts to move forward with a Code Violation against the property owner in violation of Lee County Ordinance 95-18 and LDC § 34-1204. Code Enforcement Staff will send a notice of hearing to the property owner and violator tomorrow in accordance with our Code Enforcement procedures. I anticipate that this case will be brought before the Hearing Examiner no later than 45 days, but probably closer to 30 days from tomorrow.

If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.

Michael D. Jacob
Assistant County Attorney
Lee County Attorney's Office
(239) 533-2236 (telephone)
(239) 485-2106 (facsimile)
mjacob@leegov.com



Please note: Florida has a very broad public records law. Most written communications to or from County Employees and Officials regarding County business are public records available to the public and media upon request. Your e-mail communication may be subject to public disclosure.

Finally if any members of the North Ft Myers Community have issues or topics of concern which either the North Ft Myers Community Planning Panel or the North Ft Myers Design Review Panel can be of service please contact me and I will do what ever I can to assist.

Regards Scott Brenner, Member NFMCPP & President of the NFMDRP

Greetings from SW FL!

It's getting to a point where you can't ignore the headlines about SW FL in almost ever National media newspaper, TV, radio even NPR has done an investigative report on our housing market and the downward effect it has had on the local economy. But when the headline fade from the public eye and buzz has quieted down my hometown is still one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Know what has been reported in the media, but what brought me to this area nearly 15 years ago is still just as true today as it was then. In fact when I first came to Lee County FL the nation was experiencing an "economic down turn" then as well. But back then we called it a recession, not an economic downturn; it seems to me we spin a lot of things today. It's not a recession because if we say the word recession it would validate itself and become a self propagating and we would really be in a recession then. Call me old school but if it walks like duck, talks like a duck it's not a chicken!

The fact is this area to the world is so beautiful that most of the western civilization would welcome the opportunity to come visit at least a week or more when they are in the "worker bees" stage of life and the entire three or four month season when the worker bees retire.

And why won't they! Just look at what is in our community's back yard, PGA quality golf courses, the Gulf of Mexico in all of its natural glory, tropical islands, Sanibel, Captiva, Estero white sand beaches known though out the tourism industry as one of the best in the world. Unparallel new and creative vast shopping, from regional malls to quaint mom & pop island shops featuring world renowned artist's creations. Gourmet dining nearby and close too from nearly ever where, and our brand new International airport which you can get to almost anywhere in the northern hemisphere on a non-stop flight. Yeah I would say it's good here, even when we are in a recession.

All I know about markets is they go up and down, nothing stays idle, and here are some of the best words of wisdom and old sayings that are true today as the day they where first said:

•1. "BUY LOW SELL HIGH".

•2. You'll know the bottom of the market, has indeed bottomed when it passes you by and prices go up.

•3. You'll know the top of the market when it passes you by and prices start to fall.

What I do know, is whenever I have the opportunity to take a few hours off and break away from my work and daily grind, I enjoy and take the opportunity to get out on the water. And if possible do some Tarpon or flat's fishing. After all it was a major reason I choose to live here. The areas is known for it's world renowned federal protected aquatic preserves. To a sportsman, its draw is as powerful as ringing the school bell at the end of a 4^th graders school day. I lay down tracks and head out to some of the greatest natural preserve and fisheries in all of North America for that matter the world.

Today in the Boca Grand pass there is world record Tarpon schooling out there, maybe rolling on the surface or hugging the bottom of the canyon and some lucky angler sportsman will enjoy the thrill of hooking into "the king of sport fishing". Just hooking up onto one these Tarpon for the next half hour or so they will forget about all to any other of their worldly concerns and focus on getting this "water missile" next to the boat with out it jumping and shaking (more like throwing the hook back at you) to perform this one simple task require a huge amount of skill, luck and physical energy. Just to release this great big beautiful fish back into the open water unharmed, hopefully tagged and a DNA sample taken before the release. To ensure the conservation of this magnificent fish and enjoy sheer excitement one gets when ever you hook into one of these big fish.

This weekend I will try my luck at actually landing a Tarpon and officially earn the title of rooky Tarpon fisher but getting a leader tag on one of the greatest challenges of fishing. So tomorrow before dawn we'll leave to be on station by sun rise to officially catch my first Tarpon. I have hooked over a half dozen, been jumped by some big fish fought them 10 to 20 minutes only to have the Tarpon next to the boat and with one last once of fight in them jump and throw the hook back to me.

So today I do what I need to so that more of my tomorrow's can be filled with natural beauty and challenges like hooking a Tarpon from a boat that I have in my own back yard...

Where can you go from your back yard? If your like me maybe now that the market is down would actually be one of the best times to buy... Give me a call.