On Marco Island: Independent Reporting, Documenting Government Abuses, Exposing the Syndicate, Historical Records of Crimes Against the Environment

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Saturday, January 30, 2010

Cistern: Finished! Approved!

Yesterday January 29, 2010 the implementation of the cistern design as previously posted on this blog was inspected and approved by the City of Marco Island!

This follows the approval by Collier County's office of the Florida Department of Health.

And better than the required governmental approval, the cistern works better than expected!

Hence, We Be Done! Proving once again that the process of going from Concept to Design to Implementation works. And more importantly, that it is the CITIZENS, and not government, that are the true stewards of our environment.

Here are the final images:


And the cistern capturing rain water (January 1, 2010):



Summary

The 1,400 gallon cistern (yes, 1,400 gallons) was filled twice in 30 days - twice since January 1, 2010 – the dry season. In the rainy season, it will get filled probably every 2-3 days.

The cistern system supplied a measured 1.5 gallons of water per minute to the sprinklers.

The entire installation requires no electricity or maintenance.

Total net-cost for the cistern:

Thanking the following:

  • Councilors Recker, Kiester, Forcht and Councilor-Elect Batte for their individual and continual support
  • Director Roney Joel for saving us untold hours by suggesting the specific valve denoted in the original design
  • Entire Marco Island City Council for voting to abate the City Fee (though a fee was still required and now the task of getting a reimbursement)
  • Collier County's Florida Department of Health
  • Cain's Bobcat Service for doing the installation based on the design and for the expected last minute adjustments and for having to deal with a dreamer …

Going Forward:

For those residents that do convert to cisterns, the City should allow the septage to be pumped into the sewer lines. Assuming the septage is being pumped into the lines at least one lift station away from the plant, there is no reason whatsoever the City cant give an incentive to those of us that actually act on protecting the environment. Querying the EPA reveals that the EPA does NOT object to this process – an effort undertaken when informed that the septage could not be pumped into the sewer lines because the EPA claims that this process is illegal (no sense querying the FDEP – they don't find anything illegal).

The City should publish specific steps to help the citizens, especially the elderly, know exactly what steps to follow.

The City should eliminate the need for that truly silly overflow valve.

The City Council should establish an independent agency/board comprised of 2-3 non-syndicate citizens to pursue cistern and other environmental initiatives for the residents. Normally, these initiatives would come from local government as is the case in nearly all other communities in the country. But since we have no such function here, let's establish an independent one. This body must report to the Council and must NOT go through any City staff management. Though there are several staff members with truly invaluable experience and knowledge, they can be consulted.

Lastly, in the next few days a grant will become available for application. In speaking with the director of this soon-to-come grant, the cistern idea is "a great idea" and "the kind of initiative we will support". There is no doubt that the entire cost to convert to a cistern will be covered by this grant. So as to avoid how the "Staff" aborted the last grant opportunity, the City Council can use the above noted agency/board to pursue this wonderful opportunity for the residents.

Good luck.


Notes on the pictures:
Pic1:I decided to have them sealed so as to practically eliminate debris, insects, small animals or the syndicate infiltrating the cistern. Both downspouts capture not more than 25% of the rain that hits the roof of a 2,200 square foot house. As noted in the video, a 30 minute moderate rain storm filled 25% of the cistern from these two downspouts - or approximately 350 gallons.

Pic3: Before the line was put in place. The cistern is a MEASURED 1,400 gallons and NOT the 900 as speculated by the City then repeated as if fact. Hence, blanket statements about capacity should not be made ...

Pic4: Works by narrowing then expanding the existing diameter of the flow, which as the ancient Romans proved, creates a vacuum. This vacuum sucks the water out of the cistern. The black hose leads directly into the cistern, the opening of which is just inches from the bottom of the cistern.

Pic7: From the you-cant-make-this-up category. The CITY asked: "So what happens when the cistern is filled?" I answered: the gutters overflow. Cant have that! (which of course happens all the time). So the CITY required that this overflow valve be installed so when the cistern becomes full from too much rainwater, the excess water does not overflow the gutters and water goes on the lawn, but the water comes out of this valve and goes ... on the lawn. It was installed where the septic tank outflow was originally that fed the drain field.

Pic 8: Hose feeding the Mazzei valve drops down to about an inch from the bottom of the cistern. If you look carefully you can see through the water in the cistern - the water is perfectly clear and clean. This water is NOT city water - it is 100% rain water from the rain of 1/25/2010.

4 Comments:

  • Great! You have persevered through so much naysaying. Congrats for sticking with it and doing everybody a favor in the process.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Sunday, January 31, 2010 4:18:00 PM  

  • Keep up the good work. Your "negativism" is taking action. Kinda similar to the Constitution and Bill of Rights which is based on negative rights.

    Thanks for your post.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Sunday, January 31, 2010 8:25:00 PM  

  • I live in the Okanagan valley,in southern British Colombia Canada.We are a semi-arid climate.I have had this cistern idea on my mind for at least a couple of years now and have posted such on local talk sites.With the usual negative results.
    It's encouraging to see other people of like mind and actually seeing them accomplish this.
    One question comes to mind.
    Why not just use the drain field,that was already there,for the overflow ?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tuesday, February 23, 2010 2:32:00 PM  

  • i never thought of that --- but while i think its a viable idea of what to do with the overflow that is only there because some government employee wanted it, i dont its do-able. the drain field is disconnected from the cistern by code (at least here in marco island). but i guess that would be something the ones that are hopefully carrying on this charge can look into having the code change ... thanks for the idea!

    By Blogger Daring to Speak, at Tuesday, February 23, 2010 7:15:00 PM  

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Thursday, January 28, 2010

Syndicate Directing the Herded Sheep ...

Per the Supervisor of Elections ...

The strategy of picking only one candidate appears to be at play, said Deputy Supervisor of Elections Tim Durham.

"It's an effective strategy," he said.

Larry Magel, who received the most votes overall, was frequently the only candidate selected in precincts 191, 194 and 195. Those are the precincts along the water, including Hideaway Beach, where he lives, and several condominiums, where his supporters suggested that voters only select Magel.


No kidding, especially when the herd got the following directive:

Recently, I was surprised when several people approached me to say they were voting for Magel, but thought they were required to vote for three candidates. This is not the case. You may vote for one, two or three candidates. But if you want to be assured that Magel can work for you, vote only Larry Magel and pass on "The Slate."

Jack Patterson
Marco Island


There you have it ...

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Friday, January 22, 2010

Cistern Passes County Inspection ...

The prototype cistern based on the hydrostatic design (as previously made public in these pages) just passed the county's health inspection.

Good news!

We used another novel technique - decontamination of the tank did not require toxic chemicals!

Pending a few minor operational adjustments, and no new surprises - like the one we received last week from the City requiring that the gutters leading to the cistern not overflow (???) - we should be done in days for a full operational go-ahead.

Will advise.

Also ...

This author has identified an exciting and lucrative grant program. In speaking with the grant administrator, it seems that the ENTIRE cost of a cistern conversion will be covered!!

This grant will be available for application in February 2010.

After the election, the independent/non-sectarian city councilors will be advised of the grant with the hope that this new grant opportunity is not stillborn or contaminated (no pun intended) by the city --- like the last one.

In all, good news for cistern conversions, protecting the environment, saving water and saving $!

And ...

Thanking once again the Florida Department of Health, the FDH at Collier County, City Councilors Kiester, Forcht, Recker, et al ... and Cains Bobcat Service (the contractor) for doing the work.

5 Comments:

  • What was the novel technique for decomtamination of the septic tank?

    How do you obtain an application for the 2/2010 cistern grant?

    How does anyone prevent gutter overflow....Is this part of City's sewer/cistern permit process?
    please reply to smith8616@comcast.net thanx in advance

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Saturday, January 23, 2010 7:59:00 AM  

  • Kudos to you Mario for your brilliant and tireless efforts regarding this cistern issue. You have done a great service for our community.

    By Anonymous Ray, at Saturday, January 23, 2010 9:07:00 AM  

  • thanks ray, greatly appreciated.

    smith8616@comcast.net :

    i used high-intensity ultra-violet lights! i simply put two in the tank evenly spaced, left them running for a few days, and it worked. - you can actually see the video on this blog and those purple things you see swinging back and forth are the ultra-violet lights.

    the city said (out of the blue) that they did not want the cistern to overflow. we countered that it cant overflow being a sealed system and that the rain water would simply not go into the cistern from the gutters IF the cistern ever became full. so they said that the rain water would then overflow the gutters. and we said, right, just like every house on the planet when the rain is too heavy for the gutters to handle it. and the city said no matter (can you believe this?) so we are in the process of installing a up-valve on the opposite side of the cistern that will pop-up and let rain water out to the lawn when the cistern gets too full - which is exactly what the overflowing gutters would do. don't you just love this place? i will post the outcome of that curve ball.

    as to the grant, sorry but i wont reveal that until after i speak with each of the councilors (kiester/forscht/recker and hopefully batte) independently after the election - so as to avoid what happened the last time - a genuine grant that would have covered the cistern conversion ($750) that was intentionally thwarted. no mas - as we say.

    hope this helps and thanks for your interest.

    By Blogger Daring to Speak, at Saturday, January 23, 2010 9:36:00 AM  

  • You are so vigilant. Keep up the fight. The city is at times inept especially with comments regarding overflow. It is the same situation with the folks addressing the city with regard to shell driveways. It was once dusty now its a safety issue. What the city does not want to say is that gravel/shell driveways are not in the style of a "syndicate" developed community.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Sunday, January 24, 2010 12:06:00 PM  

  • thanks!

    i cant agree more. until the island is disinfected and purged of the arceri-tucker-trotter-minozzi-walduck-gibson-patterson-garcia-lazarus-TURK intellectually and morally corrupt syndicate, simple problems as the ones you describe will become cancerous (like them) and fester (like them) and drive more people off the island and have more taxes.

    since these goons infest everything and got their puppets in the city governance, everything has to be cross-checked against their agenda of 1)slur/defame anyone they dont agree with, 2)mica-chamber-realtor-vomitorium driven agenda of making marco yet another crap tourist trap .... and hence tax regular mostly retired residents off the island.

    with everything masked in lies and deceit by the above named miscreants, simple problems like leaking water pipes, leaking sewer pipes, water pressure, gravel drive-ways become contentious.

    like the people in massachusets, lets hope that the few that are left on marco with any dignity will vote against the arceri-tucker-trotter-minozzi-walduck-gibson-patterson-garcia-lazarus-TURK syndicate candidate and bring respectability back to local government.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Sunday, January 24, 2010 1:09:00 PM  

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Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Hope for America, Lesson for Marco Island

With the election yesterday of Scott Brown as US senator of Massachusetts, all Americans can once again reaffirm that they have the power, will and foresight to make the necessary changes even in the most unlikely circumstances.

A senate seat "held" for five decades by the most liberal senator in the last five decades, in a state comprised of 75% democrats, ultra-liberals, socialists, communists and near-Trotsky's was readily handed to a seeming no one with diametrical opposite views.

As the pundits and talking heads will regurgitate for the next while, the reasons are vast. But as related to Marco Island, perhaps one should take stock of just two of these reasons.

First, the uber-priority in the hell-bent battle to pass socialized medicine above all else was an indication that politics and ideology took priority over all else. The real priority of honestly addressing the crisis of having over 20 million unemployed Americans was but a purpose by which to perpetrate anti-capitalist, anti-democratic agendas. Since honest Americans know that working to earn a living takes priority over political and ideological beliefs, the voters demanded a reprioritization of their representatives.

Secondly, even ardent supporters of socialized everything were disgusted by the means by which nationalized-socialized medicine was being put forth. Back room meetings cloaked in secrecy, special deals for unions (this author being a member of one), outright bribery, public denigration of those that dared oppose the zeitgeist and the marginalization of those with an opinion were the common tactics of the ruling national syndicate. Obama-Reid-Pelosi and their minions spared no one, spat on the Constitution and thereby on every American. To this, even their philosophical brethren said enough.

And in these two reasons alone, there manifests the ever perennial hope which is America, in that as long as We the People exercise our rights even through intimidation, there will forever be that shinny city on the hill.

And herein lies the lesson to Marco Island.

Marco Island's ongoing election for city council presents the same opportunity, the same makeup and the same chance at redemption as the brave souls in Massachusetts took and correctly used yesterday.

Here too there is a syndicate, the Syndicate, which has dictated for all too long the workings of the City.

Enough is enough. Even if you agree with the underlying motivation of the Syndicate to commercialize everything, to facilitate the realtors, cheap tourist traps, gaudy overpriced and overrated food-like places, to make Collier Boulevard into a Vegas strip-light, you must by now be repulsed by their tactics.

Backroom deals, coordinating their puppet councilors through intermediaries so as to ambush the public in city council meetings, infesting every "committee" knowing they are but fronts to screen councilors that are too lazy or incompetent or corrupt to do their own work, public slurs and obscenities directed at people volunteering to serve on a school board, lying about the water utility, about the septic tanks, about the STRP, about the cost of cisterns, even the shady secret deal with the local school board pol to build some commercial faux power generating facility on a piece of land that is clearly earmarked as SCHOOL SITE while putting forth the blatant propaganda readily parroted by their puppets on the city council about some "endangered" species … is enough to caused systemic nausea.

Even if you agree with what the Syndicate wants to facilitate, vote your conscience and stop this putrefaction of the City government by voting against the Syndicate slate candidate, what they do and how they do it.

Marco Island has an opportunity to vote for people that will work in the open, who are beholden to only one special interest named "We The People", that will not scurry in the dark for special deals and understand that all issues are best resolved in the open. Even if you don't agree with the non-slate independent candidates of Messrs. Batte, Forscht and Kiester, vote for them for God knows the City of Marco Island needs an open honest form of government at all levels – just as the national ruling body got the message and a much deserved flush.

As the people of the commonwealth of Massachusetts did, stop the sleaze, vote out the Syndicate, discuss your goals in public, and the entire island populace will be the better for it.

2 Comments:

  • It's hard to absorb your message between so many exaggerated, negative adjectives. So which 3 are you voting for??

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Thursday, January 21, 2010 5:07:00 PM  

  • "hope"? "better for it"? "best resolved in the open"? "redemption"? "shinny city on the hill"? "open, honest form of government" ?yep, these are real "negative" - amazing.

    i hope that all 3 get elected and voted accordingly. good men that make honest mistakes - like all of us - even those that interpret "hope" as a "negative".

    and the "negative" all come from the direct actions of the syndicate - so ask them why they created all of the negative/illicit deeds and not shoot the messenger.

    By Blogger Daring to Speak, at Thursday, January 21, 2010 5:45:00 PM  

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Sunday, January 10, 2010

Election Recommendations

Amendments:
Vote NO on all amendments.

Justification: The wording on the ballot is NOT the wording that will be used to amend the city charter.

Candidates:
Recommend:
Joe Batte
Ted Forcht
Chuck Kiester

Justification: Independent, honest, fiscally conservative, environmentally conscious, not part of a special interest group, listen to all residents, open-minded, want to lead, novel ideas, understand multi-dimensional dynamics by which to expand local economy, vision.


Do Not Recommend:
The remaining candidate
Justification: He is part of a slate of existing councilors and pols that are syndicated to controlling all aspects of government for the benefit of special commercial interests. This slate has controlled the City of Marco Island too long and has led to divisiveness, personal attacks (the comment to the previous blog post but one example) and has led the city to near fiscal bankruptcy. Let's have for once a city council where the majority is not directed by the syndicate.

How to Complete the Ballot:

  • Use a black or blue pen.
  • You must affix postage.
  • Put ballot in Security Sleeve.
  • Sign, date, print address on reverse of mailing envelope.
  • Print Name on reverse of mailing envelope under Voters certificate.
  • Mail as soon as possible.

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Friday, January 08, 2010

What to Name City Hall

If you are from the Rob Popoff School of Protecting, Respecting and Tolerating the Rights of Others Exercising their 1st Amendment Right of Free Speech:
The City of Marco Island Marxist Hall

If you are from the sludge the oozes behind closed-doors and arranges for surprise items to be voted on and then show up by "coincidence" to speak supporting the unscheduled item:
The Syndicate Puppet Factory

If you still believe that the STRP was put in motion because septic tanks were polluting the waterways:
The Patterson "There Be Fecal" Emporium

After the feds prosecute for violating the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act:
They All Worked or Laboured Here before They Got Indicted

So exactly why did several councilors claim that Charlie Crist personally told them that the City will get a sewer system "whether the citizens wanted it or not" at about the same time that the partner of a city councilor was appointed to Crist's Commissioner of the Florida Elections Commission:
The Syndicate-to-Crist Good 'Ol Boy Club Meeting Hall

In memory of he who publicly boasted to deleting emails about city business from citizens he did not like (and unlike his colleague not getting prosecuted) and lying about having photographs of people planting asbestos:
E. Glenn Tucker et. Al.

And to prove that there is consistency and that rules are always applied uniformly, the Syndicate will ensure that their ilk and those in the now defunct Celebrate Marco show up to support the following name, and when African-Americans or Hispanics or Orientals or anyone who is one of "those people" stand up to decry the name, they are escorted out of the building because after all the individual for whom city hall is to be named is "not here to defend himself":
William Joseph Simmons Memorial Building

Named after the ONLY two idiots stupid enough to put themselves at risk by repeatedly measuring toxic levels of hydrogen sulfide in the air, hydrogen sulfide and sulfuric acid in the waters and stupidly believing that the Crist-FDEP-Tucker-Minozzi-Popoff-Trotter cabal would act or vote to at least temporarily stop damaging the health of people and the environment, and for believing that anyone else could give a flying F$%&!@K:
Godfrey Davies and Mario Sanchez Hall for the Naively Dim-witted

If you want to know who paid for it:
Quality Enterprise Park

To commemorate he who contributed the parking to very same City Hall being named while being stupid enough to solicit a "patient" (presumably not a mental one) while said patient was recording him:
Andrew Guidry Halfway House

If you want to give it an apt name:
District 9

If you want to give it an honest name based on who really runs the place:
Syndicate Hall

… but seriously,

If you are an American that values free speech and those that speak the truth:
The Robert Glaub Democracy Citizens Centre

3 Comments:

  • You are one of the most disgusting, reprehensible organisms ever to consume resources that could be better used by productive organisms. I refuse to refer to you as human, because that would be an insult to all other members of the human race. You are without shame or intelligence, but only evil venom. I pity you more than dislike you. Going through life in a delusional and hateful state must be a very sad way to live.

    By Anonymous Patrick Neale, at Sunday, January 10, 2010 1:14:00 PM  

  • It seems to me that the naming of a public building in honor of an individual should be predicated on the history of the building or the municipality. To hear the current city council pontificate one would think that the history of Marco Island began and ended with Glenn Tucker.
    Just to refresh the memories of the elite who control the city council, and ipso facto the city, we would not be a city were it not for the gargantuan efforts of Harry Cowin, who, by the way, passed away recently without adequate acknowledgement from council. He subsequently became the first chairman of the city council. If city hall is to be named after anyone he would be the logical choice. But as I said, the present city council cannot see beyond the end of their collective noses. Which, by the way, is how they approach all of their civic responsibilities.
    A pox on all of them. Humphrey

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Monday, January 11, 2010 1:10:00 PM  

  • I've grown weary by the vituperation we're witnessing, not just related to the election, but to an effort to recognize a major contributor to life on Marco. Glenn Tucker and I fought like cats and dogs politically, but were able to maintain a friendship built over the years, through a personal and professional relationship. For opponents to naming City Hall in his honor to resort to the most scathing adjectives in denouncing such a move is beyond my comprehension. I used to believe that Marcoites had a lot of class and a better vocabulary. The majorit do fit that description, but a few on both sides of an issue have a limited vocabulary and display that deficiency everytime they get their hands on a word processor. Liked him or not, the fact remains that Tucker served the longest of any council member, and was not a member of the syndicate, although sometimes one wondered. My own feeling is that if Tucker is to be honored, so should Harry Cowin. Harry died recently. Latecomers to the Island didn't know how hard he worked for cityhood, and was rewarded for his efforts by being elected by his peeers as the First Council Chairman. So why doesn't the Council if it wants to do something constructive, name it the Cowin-Tucker City Hall or the Tucker-Cowin City Hall. But please, if you don't like the idea, show some class and act like a grownup in your voiced opposition.

    By Anonymous David Rush, at Tuesday, January 12, 2010 9:08:00 AM  

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Thursday, January 07, 2010

EPA: City Water has 3 Contaminants Above Federal Health Limits

From an 2008 EPA report: 3 contaminants below legal limits, but above health guidelines

Marco Island, Florida. Serves 27,470 people.

    

Contaminant

Average
result

Maximum
result

Health
limit

Lead (total)

0.22 ppb

1

0.20

Radium-226

0.78 pCi/L

1.10

0.05

Thallium (total)

0.17 ppb

2

0.50


 

Source: New York Times: http://projects.nytimes.com/toxic-waters/contaminants/fl/collier/fl5110183-city-of-marco-island

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Sunday, January 03, 2010

Cistern In Action

Rare, once-in-a-lifetime video of INSIDE a newly converted septic-tank to cistern.




Note the volume of water! Turn up the speakers so you can hear the narration and sound effects.

This video was taken on January 1, 2010. The rain lasted for approximately 15 minutes and filed approximately 25% of the cistern - a 1,000+ gallon cistern by the way (for those that are believing another syndicate-posed urban legend that septic-cisterns are only 750 gallons). And this volume of water from ONLY approximately 1/4 of the volume of coming off the roof!




What a waste of water if one were to simply let this water run-off into the swales or the waterways.

A SUGGESTION: perhaps the City of Marco Island can instead of mandating the destruction of septic tanks to fuel the STRP, why not save water, save the environment, and save money for the residents and mandate cisterns?

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