FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

BOARD SCHEDULES FINAL PUBLIC HEARING ON JACOBS MALL/LAYS GROUNDWORK FOR WASTE-TO-ENERGY EXPANSION

FORT MYERS, Fla. (November 25, 2003) - The Board of Lee County Commissioners today approved the following items during its regular weekly meeting. They are:

Proposed Mall - Sent to a second and final public hearing on Dec. 9 a development agreement between the county and the owners and developers of the Gulf Coast Town Center (Mall) Development of Regional Impact that will govern the mitigation of the transportation impacts of the project. The developer will pay $10.26 million to mitigate those impacts. That money will be used to widen Ben Hill Griffin Parkway from four lanes to six lanes from Alico Road to the 244-acre project near Florida Gulf Coast University and for other road improvements in that area of the county that benefit the project.

Incinerator Expansion - Authorized the Solid Waste Division, Division of Budget Services, and the County Attorney's Office to proceed with all necessary administrative activities related to requesting proposals for design services, negotiating management services with Covanta, and finalizing a recommended financing plan(s) for the design and construction of the Waste To Energy Expansion Project, third combustion unit, including negotiating and drafting various professional service agreements, planning documents and financing plans for the Board's future consideration. On September 30, 2003, the Governor and Cabinet, sitting as the Power Plant Siting Board approved the Final Order of Certification for Lee County's planned third combustion unit expansion project at the WTE facility. On October 13,2003, the Florida DEP issued Lee County a PSD permit allowing the construction and operation of the third combustion unit. Since that time, County staff has reviewed several alternate design/construction scenarios that may be used by the County for a project of this magnitude, complexity, and uniqueness.

School in Park - Declared 15 acres of property at the proposed South Fort Myers Community Park as surplus so it can be sold to the Lee County School Board for use as a future middle school. The site is 62-acres located across Summerlin Road from Lexington Country Club at 1673 Bass Road. The county purchased the property in April 2002 with the intention of co-locating a community park and school. The county and school district have negotiated a price of $53,500 per acre for the 15 acres.

Visitor Center - Approved a $199,622 contract with Parker, Mudgett, Smith Architects Inc. to design a Visitor Center at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve. The vendor will provide schematic design, construction manager negotiation, design development, building & construction documents advisory and construction contract administrative support services for the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve Visitor Center.