FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Pete Winton, Lee County Administration,
              (239) 335-2777

BOARD HIRES SANIBEL CAUSEWAY ENGINEERS

FORT MYERS, Fla. (March 18, 2003) - The Board of Lee County Commissioners today approved the following items during its regular weekly meeting. They are:

Sanibel Causeway - Approved a professional services agreement with URS Corporation to provide engineering services for designing the reconstruction and replacement of the B and C spans of the Sanibel Causeway. The contract amount is for $3.13 million. URS will provide all engineering services, including for roadways, structures, geotechnical activities, surveys, drainage, signing and pavement markings, utility relocation, landscaping, design surveys, right-of-way maps, maintenance of traffic, cost estimates, environmental permits, environmental mitigation plans, quantity computations booklets, and any other incidental items. Using an expedited process, the county hopes to begin construction of the bridges later this year and complete the structures sometime in 2005. For more information, call Scott Gilbertson at 479-8580.

Zoning Review - Approved adding two additional permit representative positions in the building permit review (Zoning Review) section of the Department of Community Development to maintain service levels because of increased activity. Annual cost is about $80,000 (including fringe benefits).

Clergy Toll Exemption - Eliminated the exemption from paying county bridge tolls for members of the clergy. The County Attorney's Office questioned the constitutionality of the exemption and from an operational standpoint it led to delays on the bridges and there were indications of abuses by people who were not clergy. The Board voted 4-1 with Commissioner Andy Coy dissenting.

Storm Water Management - Approved the county's portion of the fifth annual report for the Lee County NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) Storm Water Permit. The county obtained its federal permit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in October 1997 and is required to submit a report annually of activities associated with the operation and maintenance of the permit.

Transit Study - Approved a contract with the University of South Florida's Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) to prepare the county's Transit Development Plan (TDP). The contract is for $91,097. The TDP is a strategic policy and long-range financial plan that outlines the next five-year (2003-07) outlook of LeeTran's vision for public transportation and identifies an implementation program to establish priorities for service improvement.

Land Donation - Agreed to deed the 129-acre Mullock Creek Preserve to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. This assists DEP in meeting the requirements of its grant from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to acquire and restore 1,515 acres within the Estero Bay State Buffer and Aquatic Preserve. The county will receive credits for the donation.