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Commission Moves Forward on Major Projects
Aug 2, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FORT MYERS, FL. (August 2, 2005) - The Board of Lee County Commissioners today approved the following items during its regular weekly meeting. They are: Major Projects - Took actions to move forward the following major projects: Sheriff's Evidence Facility - Authorized negotiations with Architectural Concepts to design the new 60,000-square-foot Sheriff's Evidence Facility on a 3.46-acre parcel located at D75 Commerce Center (off of Treeline Avenue). Northwest Regional Library - Awarded a contract to BSSW Architects for $693,775 to design the 40,000-square-foot Northwest Regional Library at property adjacent to Mariner High School and Mariner Middle School at Chiquita Boulevard and Tropicana Parkway. Matlacha Bridge - Authorized negotiations with E.C. Driver & Associates to provide consulting and design/alignment services for the Matlacha Bridge Replacement with another drawbridge. Construction is still five years out. The contract includes expanded community outreach and public participation efforts. Colonial/Metro - Awarded a contract to Pitman-Hartenstein & Associates for $1.99 million ($1.3 million grant funded) to design a queue jump at Colonial Boulevard and Metro Parkway. The consultant will design and permit a Queue Jump (electronic toll overpass integrated with the Leeway/Sunpass systems) at the intersection of SR 739 (Metro Parkway) and SR 884 (Colonial Boulevard). The design will consist of a minimum of one lane in each direction of SR 884 being elevated over SR 739, to allow the through movement on SR 884 to bypass the signalized at-grade intersection. Construction has not been funded but could cost about $20 million. The county is seeking grants. Utilities Office - Authorized negotiations with Sheeley Architects to design the Lee County Utilities Office Building at 7391 College Parkway, the current site of the Utilities Customer Service Center. Once built, Utilities Administrative Offices will move from the Public Works Building in downtown Fort Myers. Sanibel Library - Approved a November 8 referendum question asking Sanibel voters if they want to create a separate Sanibel Public Library District. Impact Fees - Approved a $64,165 contract with James Duncan and Associates to complete a Road Impact Fees Update Study, to be completed within a year. Road impact fees were last updated in July 2003. Impact fees are updated every three years. Also received an update from county attorneys that the plaintiff's appeal in Brown v. Lee County (school impact fee litigation) for a rehearing and written opinion has been denied by the appeals court, ending litigation as to the constitutionality and methodology of the fee. Tax Rate - Approved the maximum county tax rates for fiscal year 2005-06 as the same as the existing rates, meaning tax rates cannot go up but could go down. The Board can reduce the rates at its September budget hearings. The Arts - Approved $125,000 for the Southwest Florida Community Foundation to manage funding on behalf of the Alliance of the Arts under the Tourist Development Council Attractions Marketing Program, which is part of a competitive process that allows not-for-profit organizations and local government agencies to request Tourist Development Council funds to promote attractions in Lee County in order to generate overnight stays in Lee County accommodations. Bus Route - Set a 5 p.m. August 23 public hearing to discuss eliminating LeeTran Route 80 along Metro Parkway, which originates at SouthTrail Publix, with service to Bonaire Towers, Edison Mall, medical facilities on Evans and Winkler Ave, Metro Pkwy between Colonial and Daniels, with service through Page Park and the Villas, and ending at Bell Tower. In the last two budget cycles, late evening service and Saturday service has been eliminated due to low utilization. The proposal for the FY-06 budget is to eliminate all remaining (Monday - Friday) service on the route. In FY-04 Route #80 carried an average of 5.05 passengers per hour of service, compared to the system average of 14.53 passengers per service hour. The total cost per passenger trip on Route 80 was $13.02, compared to a system average of $4.52 per passenger trip. Elimination of this service will result in reduction of $288,681 in expense in FY-06. |