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Board Pursues Water Access Site/Say in Lehigh Utilities
Aug 23, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FORT MYERS, Fla. (August 23, 2005) - The Board of Lee County Commissioners today approved the following items during its regular weekly meeting. They are: Fisherman's Coop - Authorized staff to move forward with negotiations to purchase the Fisherman's Coop site on Pine Island. If the county acquires the property, it would be used as a boat ramp site for recreational purposes and an access/transfer site for residents of the outer (bridgeless) islands to remove solid waste and take construction materials and white goods back and forth between the islands. The 15-acre site (all but two acres are mangroves) is being offered for $16 million. An existing contract with a potential purchaser expires in early September. Tuesday's action means the county will accept the offer of assignment of the $100,000 purchase contract; authorize staff to work on a number of contract issues with the sellers; and gives staff the ability to extend the purchase contract a maximum of 90 days at $50,000 for every 30-day extension. County staff also will develop a financing/business plan that could include a combination of funding sources including Conservation 20/20 funds (for the mangroves), special assessments and/or fees to the outer islanders, boat ramp construction funds, and revenues generated from the future site from such things as boat slips. Lehigh Acres - Adopted a resolution expressing the county's interest in rejoining the Florida Government Utility Authority (FGUA), which operates the Lehigh Acres utilities franchise. The FGUA is a special purpose government district set up in 1995 to operate utilities. At that time, it had no holdings in Lee County and the county eventually left the FGUA. But in 2003, it purchased the Florida Water facilities in Lehigh Acres, and the county now has an interest in having a say in how the FGUA is operated by becoming an official board member. The county will send the resolution to the FGUA for consideration in rejoining. If the FGUA agrees, it will work out an interlocal agreement with the county and the county will receive an appointment on the FGUA Board. The County Commission also agreed to send a separate letter from the Chairman to the FGUA stating that the county has an interest in purchasing the Lehigh utility and requesting that the FGUA not undertake any changes to its five-year plan or any financing decisions (a $25 million bond issue is planned), without the county's consent. Beach Pier - Approved $400,000 to repair the pilings at the Fort Myers Beach Lynn Hall Pier. The county will determine a more defined scope and time schedule in the next couple of months. Downtown Building - Approved the $560,000 purchase of a 4,200-square-foot building at 2072 Victoria Avenue in downtown Fort Myers, to house the county's Veteran Services Office and the Sheriff's civil process servers. Public Safety - Authorized staff to pursue construction of a public safety complex on county owned property on Pine Ridge Road that would house the Iona-McGregor Fire District, Lee EMS, and possibly Sheriff's District Station. |