Town crashes County M&P party
Four Town officials decided to drop by a Lee County Board of County Commissioners Management and Planning meeting Monday afternoon. Mayor Larry Kiker, Town Manager Terry Stewart, Vice Mayor Bob Raymond and Councilman Alan Mandel wanted to hear the commissioners’ proposals regarding beach re-nourishment on Fort Myers Beach.
“The commissioners were open to discussion and allowed me to talk, which is rare to have outside commentary at M&P meetings,” said Kiker. “They are going to reserve judgement until they get a handle on it. I think they’ll have another conversation in the very near future.”
According to Kiker, one of the proposals is a $150,000 Town Share, while another proposal involves the Beach giving $110,000 due to the partnership with the property that Lee County owns. Another project proposal requires no money from the Town.
“We still need the technology to finish doing the rest of the beach,” he said. “This doesn’t make the 3.6 mile problem go away. We have a couple of hot spots that need attention. We’re trying to be proactive not reactive with the issue.”
The County Commissioner agenda item caused some concern at the FMB Town Council meeting Monday morning. Both sides have been trying to work out an amended Interlocal Agreement since the Lee BOCC unanimously approved the latest beach re-nourishment project -termed a navigational improvement plan by Beach officials- for up-to-$4 million on Jan. 26. The project’s scope, which then included a $250,000 Town share, was reduced from 4.6 miles to one mile long from Bowditch Point to the public fishing pier encompassing two county parks.
In mid-February, the Town Council and Stewart wrote a letter of intent to act as a reply to the BOCC’s revised ILA. The letter included criteria involving the Navigation Channel Project, a Beach Management Program and the original ILA between town and county.
When the letter was sent, Kiker explained the purpose of it was to recognize the original ILA would be defunct and discuss different ways to manage a beach. At the time, in a memorandum sent to council members, Town Attorney Ann Dalton stated the new ILA ‘does not sufficiently protect the town’s interests’ and that the inclusion of the original ILA would ‘in all probability lead to ambiguities and confusion.’
Before attending the BOCC M&P, Stewart told the council he was admittedly amazed the issue was being brought up without input from Town officials.
“I’m a bit surprised it’s on the Management and Planning Committee agenda for the County Commissioners prior to our finishing the meetings with them,” he said. “I’m also surprised that it would be on the agenda with us not having any contact whatsoever from the County responding to the letters that were sent out by the mayor and me through your direction. There has been no specific responses to any of the items that were put forth in those letters.”
According to Stewart, there has been no responding negotiation or discussion from County officials except for asking the Town when it will join in the process and for its share of the re-nourishment money.
Stewart said Steve Boutelle, the Marine Operations Manager for the Lee County Natural Resources Division, provided the County Commissioners with backup documentation which recommends “some resolution will be worked out with the Town prior to June 22, the final day to define the project and move forward.”
“I can also tell you there is some comments within this documentation that indicates the Town has acknowledged that we are breaking an ILA and therefore it should be responsible for any cost occurred. I can tell you this town council has never made any such acknowledgment, and there was never such acknowledgement that was sent to them. I think he’s mistaken in that regard.”