FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BOARD SENDS
MANATEE RULE OBJECTIONS/DECISION ON ISLAND SCHOOL
FORT
MYERS, Fla. (January 7,
2003) – The Board of Lee County Commissioners today approved the following
items during its regular weekly meeting. They
are:
Island
School – Unanimously
approved and directed the following: 1) extended the lease of the Island Charter
School at Boca Grande Community Center for two years; 2) during that time county
staff will work with the Island School Board to permit and build – with
private funds – a 6,000-square-foot expansion at the center site for the
school (the expansion will be built where the two tennis courts are now, which
will be relocated to Wheeler Street with private funding); 3) county will
consider charging the Island School a land lease to use the site; and 4) county
will determine existing and potential demands for programmatic use of the
community center. For more
information, contact John Yarbrough at 461-7410.
Manatee
Rules – Approved a letter
to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service transmitting comments and objections to
the proposed Manatee Protection rules that would result in a virtual moratorium
on private docks, sea walls, and boat launch facilities in Lee County (the
comment period for the rules ends Dec. 13).
Also approved a resolution objecting to the proposed regulations and
requesting immediate federal processing of pending single family dock permits
and seeking a long-term solution to potential future permitting delays (there
are about 500 dock permits in abeyance). For
more information, contact Steve Boutelle at 479-8128.
Conservation
20/20 – Approved the
$2.83 million purchase of a 365-acre parcel on Pine Island through the
Conservation 20/20 Program. The
land is located on the southwest corner of Stringfellow Road and Papaya Street
about 4.5 miles south of Pine Island Road.
The site includes pine-flatwoods, saltern marsh, mangrove forest, live
oak hammock and freshwater wetlands. For
more information, contact Lynda Riley at 479-8505.
Palmetto
Extension – Made offers
on nine properties for right-of-way for the Palmetto Avenue Extension in Fort
Myers, which will connect the segments of Palmetto Avenue, which is completed
from State Road 82 (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard) north to the
Caloosahatchee River, but has three gaps from S.R. 82 south to Colonial
Boulevard. For more information,
contact Scott Gilbertson at 479-8580.
Roadway Actions
– Awarded $1.19 million construction contract to Cougar Contracting
Specialties to place sidewalks along the east side of Stringfellow from State
Road 78 to Mackerel Road and the south side of Leeland Heights Boulevard from
Lee Boulevard to North Street (eight month completion time).
Awarded $237,325 design contract to Jeffrey C. Cooner & Associates
for widening to four lanes of Gladiolus Drive from Winkler Road to Pine Ridge
Road (2.3 miles). Construction
planned for 2004. Awarded $800,000
engineering services contract to Hardesty & Hanover for repair and
rehabilitation of Sanibel Causeway Drawbridge (Span “A”).
Other – Deferred public hearing on Dunbar/Belle Vue annexation (forwarding to Mar. 4 referendum) until Jan. 28. Awarded construction management contract to Lodge Construction to build a garbage transfer station next to the incinerator that will be used to move excess garbage to the Lee/Hendry landfill. Adopted changes requiring Tourist Development Council members to file financial disclosure forms. Approved $758,000 agreement with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for design of a 40-acre filter marsh/flowway to cleanse water runoff into Lakes Regional Park. Approved $76,000 for 2002-03 county contribution to funding of Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council. Approved $20,300 contract with Lifeline Family Center for use of Choose Life License Plate proceeds.