"June Is Busting Out All Over", as the song goes, and today, she presented us with a heat wave! (I don't know about you folks, but that's "a bit toasty" for me!) True warmth radiated from Our Blanche, as she welcomed us to this noon's Meeting. We joined Pres. Liz, as we rose to say The Pledge. We accompanied Jack in singing "God Bless America". Rose chose a heartfelt quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson for today's Thought. His wish was to "Leave the world in a better place than when he found it, out of love and respect for others", and this is our hope too! We had 23 Members in attendance at today's Meeting, and there were 5 Guests, who joined us. Blanche introduced them. They were Paul Lambiase, today's Program Presenter, his wife Trish, Jan, Kelli, and Chip. 

Pres. Liz highlighted some items from this morning's Board Meeting. * Sharon Fredericks is going to become an Honorary Member. * Wednesday's Parade has been cancelled due to the heat wave. * On the Rotary Day of Service, 6/22, Habitat for Humanity will be hosting an opportunity for people to help at Pal-Mac High School. * Also, on 6/22, those who are able to help spruce up the surroundings at Hospeace House, can meet Rose at 9:30 AM. Bring gardening tools along with you! * Globally, there have been 5 cases of Polio recorded in Pakistan, and 5 cases of the same in Afghanistan. * District Membership has increased by 90 people. * In terms of Attendance, if one wishes to earn the Perfect Attendance Award at year-end, then Cindy, as the Club Secretary, will need documentation from that Member, as to Rotary Activities, that he/she has been involved with throughout the year. This would be in addition to that Member's Meeting Attendance. One can go into Club Runner to update his/her information also. * We're looking into adding four new benches at the Pickleball Court to honor our deceased Members, Jill Hotelling, Ed Joseph, Bill Cooper, and John Brahm. * Judy noted that the Gavel Dinner will be held at Brew and Brats next Monday Evening. (A Memo including all the details was issued to the Membership recently). * Liz thanked everyone for all the support everyone gave her throughout her year as Club President. She was especially pleased that she was able to try new things during her tenure, as well!

As mentioned earlier, today's Program was brought to us by a well-known friend from the Naples Historical Society, Paul Lambiase. His Presentation was focused upon the Naples Planning Board, and he gave a very detailed account of what the Planning Board is all about, and all that it does.

 Before plunging into his topic, Paul gave us a bit of background information about himself...in 2010, he retired here because he loved the area! An Air Force man, he was a Graduate of RIT, and he spent 40 years working at the U.of R. In 2021, he became a Trustee of the Naples Library, and he soon found himself becoming involved with the Naples Planning Board.

"I'm from the government, and I'm here to help!" can be a misleading comment according to Paul, but he squelched our negative thoughts by explaining all that the Planning board does, based on fairness and consistency. He noted that Government Regulations sometimes pose barriers, yet, at the same time, they protect us.

In an effort to promote health and wellness within the Naples Community, originally, there were two Planning Boards, but the municipalities merged. The Town and Village are parallel, but they have different regulations.

The C.E.O. (Code Enforcement Officer) is very influential, as he is the one who interprets the Zoning Laws. PB Members are required to complete four hours of training each year. Planning Board "powers" and its authority are at the Legislative Body's discretion. Its Regulatory Powers include Site Plans, Permits, Signage, Historical Preservation, and Architectural Review.

Before building, State Law requires a specific process, and there are General Considerations to be made. Items to consider are Location, Landscaping, Drainage, Street Pattern, Service Access, Streets and Roads, and Utility Installation. That is quite a battery of items to consider!

Paul showed us an example of an Application for Subdivision, and he reviewed each of the steps involved. The PB requires Legal Authority for an Application to be accepted, and that includes Proof of Age. A Survey Map of Lynnie Lou's was on display also. He also showed us an example of an Environmental Assessment Form. When the State Environmental Quality Review Act is required, this is when the C.E.O. steps in for clarification. Public Hearings, Decisions, and Additional Considerations (Open Meetings) are made too. Paul concluded his talk with a Question-and-Answer Period, and that interaction provided further clarification for us, as well. Many thanks to Paul for taking the time to explain all that the Naples Planning Board does! 

Liz had the Rotary Moment for us this noon! Recently, when she and Clyde were at a Red Wings Game, they met a Fellow Rotarian from Fairport, who had been at the Saratoga Springs Conference also. Come to find out; after chatting with this fellow, he was a Member of the Masons just like Clyde!

The Kitty for the Ace of Hearts was at $357 this noon! Judy informed us that were just six cards left to choose from! Paul picked Ticket # 022775, and it belonged to Sherry! John got the Ace of Hearts for her! Yeah!!

Paul's interesting Program drew many Happy Bills today, as did Trish and our Guests, Brenda's son and DIL being home for a visit, and John's new car! We were thinking of Skip as he recuperates in the hospital, after what Judy thought was a tick bite. Get well soon, Skip!

We clapped for Liz, as she nears completion of her Rotary Year as our Club President. She has done a remarkable job, having added some fun "twists and turns" (to the Meetings) along the way!

We recited the Four-Way Test, as the Meeting came to a close. Stay cool this week, everyone!

On a personal note, as I draw near to the end of my tenure as your Club Secretary, I want to thank each and every one of you for all the support you have given me over the years! It has been a pleasure working with you all! As you probably can surmise, writing The Grapevine each week has been one of my most favorite duties! I know Cindy will do a stellar job, as Secretary, as she takes my place. I promised that I'd "sub" for her in the event that she can't make it to a Meeting, if I'm available. "Thanks for the memories, friends!"