FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Pete Winton, Lee County Administration
(941) 335-2777

LEE COUNTY GOVERNMENT ADOPTS FISCAL YEAR 2001-02 BUDGET

FORT MYERS, Fla. (September 19, 2001) – The Board of Lee County Commissioners adopted the Fiscal Year 2001-02 County Budget tonight, including significant increases for public safety, several major transportation projects and spending of more than $540 million for operations and new capital projects.

There are NO INCREASES in any of the county’s tax rates. The county’s new fiscal year begins October 1. Included in the budget is:

$242 million for county operations, including an increase of $5.5 million to hire 51 EMS personnel and add four new ambulance stations, improving the level of service.

$114 million for constitutional officers (Tax Collector, Sheriff, Property Appraiser, Clerk of Court and Supervisor of Elections) and court services, including $72.3 million for the Sheriff’s Office. Of the Sheriff’s increase, $3.2 million is earmarked to staff the 352-bed jail expansion at the Ortiz Correctional Facility.

$167 million for new capital projects, including $20 million for the North Lee County Water Treatment Plant, $19 million to begin the 600 ton-per-day expansion of the Waste-to-Energy Facility, and $12 million for Conservation 2020 purchases (see detailed list of major projects below). To date, more than 7,000 acres of environmentally sensitive land has been purchased for long-term conservation through the program.

Funding was included for three football fields and a multi-purpose building at North Fort Myers Community Park ($1.5 million) and two soccer fields and amenities at Gateway Community Park ($1.2 million).

Major road projects starting next year include widenings of Cypress Lake Drive, Alico Road, Pondella Road and Business 41 in North Fort Myers.

The capital budget also includes $5.8 million for a new state certified touch screen voting system.

The subsidy to Lee Tran, the county’s bus system, was increased to $2.6 million and routes in Bonita Springs and Pine Island were saved from cuts.

$340,000 was kept in the budget for the Smart Growth initiative to explore innovative concepts in community-supported growth management. However, the Board will hold a workshop on this issue before voting on final approval of the initiative.

Included in the operational funding is $2.2 million for human services/community agencies (see list below).

Included in the capital funding is $3.9 million for beach and shoreline projects through the Tourist Development Council and paid for with tourist taxes (see list below).

TOP FY2002 NEW CAPITAL PROJECT EXPENDITURES (in millions):

Project	Amount	Description
N. Lee Water Treatment Plant	20.0	Build 5 million-gallon-per-day r.o. plant
Waste-to-Energy Expansion	19.0	Start of 600 ton-per-day expansion
Conservation 2020	11.9	Ongoing purchase of env.-sensitive lands
Corkscrew Water Plant	8.0	Expansion from 10 mgd to 15 mgd
Olga Water Treatment Plant	7.5	Build reservoir/chloride treatment system
Business U.S. 41 in NFM	6.5	4 lane from State Road 78 to Littleton Rd.
Firearms Training Facility	6.4	Newpublic/private-use indoor shooting range
Bonita Bch. Rd. Resurfacing	6.3	Rebuild to Imperial St. and 6 lane to I-75
Green Meadows Water Plant	5.4	New transmission mains/interconnects/pumps
Sanibel Bridge Replacement	4.2	PD&E for causeway rehabilitation
Summerlin Rd. Expansion	4.0	6 lane from Boy Scout Rd to University Dr.
Inspector/Licensing Bld.	3.6	Bldg. for county/city of FM inspectors
Road Resurf./Rebuild.	3.2	Ongoing maintenance of existing roads
Airport Sewer District	3.0	Development of central sewer in that area
Bonita Bch. Renourishment	2.1	To restore critically eroded shoreline
Estero/Bonita Comm. Park	2.1	Phase II of development of 65-acre park
Palmetto Ave. Extension	2.1	Project with City of FM to connect segments

COMMUNITY AGENCIES FUNDING

SUPPORTED LIVING/HOUSING ($672,338)

Deaf Service Center -- $42,306
IMPACT for Developmental Education, Inc. -- $145,475
Lee Association for Retarded Citizens, Inc. -- $249,466
Lee County AIDS Task Force -- $70,517
Senior Friendship Centers of Lee County -- $104,574
Sunrise community of Southwest Florida -- $12,000
Visually Impaired Persons Low Vision Clinic -- $48,000

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ($711,675)

AgeLink of Lee County, Inc. -- $24,000
Boys and Girls Club of Lee County, Inc. -- $38,279
Catholic Hispanic Social Services -- $80,175
Child Care of Southwest Florida -- $360,000
Dr. Piper Center for Social Services, Inc. -- $65,085
Lee Association for Retarded Citizens, Inc. -- $133,156
Visually Impaired Persons Low Vision Clinic -- $10,980

ACTIVITY FOR YOUTH ($432,881)

Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Southwest Florida, Inc. -- $80,000
Boys and Girls Club of Lee County, Inc. -- $149,070
Catholic Hispanic Social Services -- $50,000
Southwest Florida Addiction Services, Inc. -- $153,811

BASIC ASSISTANCE ($357,108)

Abuse Counseling and Treatment, Inc. -- $210,812
Salvation Army -- $40,000
Southwest Florida Children’s Fund -- $62,031
The Nations Association -- $44,265

BEACH AND SHORELINE PROJECTS FUNDING

City of Bonita Springs
Bonita Springs Riverside Depot Park Improvements --$124,000

City of Cape Coral
Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve Improvement -- $434,780
Yacht Club Community Park – Beach Maintenance-- $26,000

Florida Department of Environmental Protection – Lovers Key State Park
Black Island Multi-Use Trail, Phase II --$96,000

City of Fort Myers
Riverside Park Fishing & Observation Pier --$175,388

Lee County Natural Resources
Bathing Beach Water Quality Monitoring --$10,000
Renourishment Trust Fund --$1,100,000

Lee County Parks And Recreation

Andy Rosse Lane Bayside Access Improvements --$14,500
    Caloosahatchee Regional Park Shoreline Facilities --$210,000
    Hickey’s Creek Mitigation Park --$229,300
    Lee Island Coast Paddling Trail – Pine Island Sound --$85,000
    Matlacha Park Shoreline Protection/Restoration --$45,000
    Operation Beach Maintenance --$658,500

Lee County Public Works
    Capitalized Beach Front Park Maintenance --$50,000
    County Wide Boardwalk Repairs --$75,000
    Lovers Key Roadside Park --$305,000

City of Sanibel
    Bike Racks for Public Beach Parks --$6,400
    Brazilian Pepper Removal at City Beach Parks --$40,000
    Brazilian Pepper Removal at J.N. "Ding" Darling --$85,000
    Facility/Beach Maintenance --$50,000
    Landscaping and Dune Plantings at City Beach Parks --$40,000

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Indigo Trail Boardwalk --$70,000

TOTAL $ 3,929,868