(con't)
Many many members of our community have been very actively involved with one stage or another over these past years......developing the concept, soliciting neighborhood approval, setting up a special taxing district with the County, negotiating an Agreement with Deering Bay that evolved into an $175K Mediation Settlement, purchasing a private strip of land, surveying and engineering the site, designing the structure, dealing countless times with County and City officials, reviewing contractor bids, modifying the plans, then finally breaking ground with Coral Gables agreeing to act as GC on behalf of the County.
But it was KB board member Lisa who eventually took ownership of the constant dealings with the guardhouse's sub-contractors and vendors, and was not the least hesitant in notifying public officials when things weren't being done right, were omitted, or needed changing. (If I were on the receiving end, I probably would have developed a tick or a stutter, so persistent -- and accurate -- was she!) She and Scott watched the construction budget carefully (a combination of special taxing district funds and the DB settlement proceeds), and frequently proposed sensible changes which our board members and the County/City accepted.
Who is this 'firebrand' Lisa? A graduate of Ohio State, she and Scott had been married nearly 24 years when Scott, a Northern Trust Senior Vice President , tragically passed last September from an unknown heart condition. They had moved into Kings Bay shortly before Katrina in 2005, and soon championed the idea of restoring the original subdivision names to our streets; Lisa also was a prime mover in getting the County to pave the right-turn area from 67th to Old Cutler. Presently Lisa conducts research at the UM Miller Medical School's Rheumatology/Immunology Dept. Her oldest daughter Sidney will attend Fla. Gulf Coast Univ. in Ft. Myers this fall, majoring in marine sciences. Daughter Kelsey will enter the 8th grade at Palmetto Middle, and is thinking about becoming a veterinarian.
A heartfelt Thank You from all of us, Lisa.