FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chris Berry, District #5, County Commission
              (239) 335-2225

LEHIGH ACRES TOWN HALL MEETING SCHEDULED FOR SEP. 11 (THURS.)

FORT MYERS, Fla. (August 25, 2003) - The Lehigh Acres Community Council will be hosting a Town Hall Meeting Sep. 11 to discuss alternatives to incorporation. District Commissioner John Albion will attend the meeting.

The meeting will be from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Lehigh Middle School, 104 Arthur Avenue.

The purpose of the town hall meeting is for county representatives to answer questions from the council and citizens about the county's programs, services and projects in Lehigh Acres. Representatives from county departments such as transportation, parks & recreation, libraries and code enforcement, will be on hand to discuss past and ongoing projects in the community.

There will not be formal presentations, however Commissioner Albion will help direct questions to appropriate county representatives and answer residents' questions.

Lee County provides a number of countywide services, including to cities, such as Libraries, Public Safety (EMS), Public Transit, Regional Parks, Human Services, Veterans Services, Economic Development and the Visitor & Convention Bureau. It also provides certain services only in unincorporated areas (because the cities also provide the service) or by contract, including Parks & Recreation (community parks), Transportation, Tolls, Utilities, Solid Waste, Community Development (planning and development services such as zoning, permitting, building inspections and code enforcement) and Natural Resources Management.