FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

BOARD APPROVES EDISON HOME AGREEMENT/UTILITIES PLANT UPGRADES

FORT MYERS, Fla. (October 28, 2003) - The Board of Lee County Commissioners today approved the following items during its regular weekly meeting. They are:

Edison Home - Approved and Interlocal Agreement between Lee County and the City of Fort Myers for county grant funding of up to $500,000 per year (for a total amount of $1.5 million over a three (3) fiscal year period) for repairs and renovations to the Historic Edison Estate. The agreement basically provides as follows:

A.  Section Two. The County funds will be provided on a reimbursable cost basis, $500,000 per year for three
      (3) years, total amount not to exceed $1.5M.

B.  Section Four. The County will not authorize additional County funding beyond that budgeted as of October
      1, 2005 (F.Y. 2005/2006) and as stated in the Interlocal.

C.  Section Five. The County funds will be available and subject to the reimbursement process on or about the
      payment time frames noted. If the City has not used up a previous allocation and is still proceeding to timely
      complete the project, prior funds can carry-over to the next fiscal year. The $1.5M is a cap, unless the
      agreement is mutually amended otherwise. County funds will be used solely to pay for necessary project
      capital improvements and restoration. Construction "soft costs" such as planning and operation and
      maintenance costs are not reimbursable. County's $500,000 per year obligation is a match to City's prior
      payment of eligible costs.

D.  Section Seven. The County's funding source is eligible TDC revenues. The County has sole discretion as to
      whether to budget and appropriate funds for any related fiscal year, County's decision not to budget
      and appropriate future year funds is not a breach of the Interlocal.

E.  Section Eight. The City has stated commitments as to securing alternative funding, timely completion of
     project, and record keeping. The City must provide to the County reasonable assurances as to the
     management entity, non-diversion of funds, written management/financial plans, and that fees will be the same
     for both County and City residents. The City must provide the County project programs outlining the
     improvement plans, time-lines, status reports, use of County funds, and any material changes in the project.

Utilities Work - Approved $720,000 and $$952,000 for work to the Three Oaks Wastewater Treatment Plant and Pinewoods Water Treatment Plant, respectively (both formerly of Gulf Environmental Services, which the county took over on July 1). The Three Oaks work includes the design, permit and engineering services during construction of a deep injection well to dispose of effluent during the rainy season and design the improvements required to bring the plant to proper standards and at the same time increase its capacity with the minimum investment, and prepare the preliminary report to further increase the plant capacity to 6 million gallons per day. The Pinewoods work includes a deep injection well to dispose of brine produced during the treatment process and design for a new wellfield that will draw from the Lower Hawthorne Aquifer and expand the wellfield capacity to allow plant expansion to 5 million gallons per day.

Health Dept. Funding - Approved funding of $1.11 million to the Lee County Health Department for fiscal year 2003-04. Funds are utilized to provide primary care services, communicable disease control, and environmental health services.

State Road 78 - Approved a letter supporting the designation of State Road 78 as a Scenic Highway.

Sanibel Causeway - Again reiterated the Board's support for making the design of the Sanibel fixed span (replacing the drawbridge) as aesthetically pleasing, imaginative and creative as possible within the budget and time constraints of the project. Also directed county DOT, Parks & Recreation, and Visitor & Convention Bureau, with citizen help, to come up with ideas for making the entire Sanibel Causeway "Corridor" from San Carlos Boulevard to Periwinkle Way as aesthetically pleasing as possible.