Beach Councilman elected to chair MPO
Fort Myers Beach Vice Mayor Bob Raymond will be the 2011 chairman of the Metropolitan Planning Organization. The Beach resident was unanimously elected Friday at the monthly meeting of the MPO, whose board provides direction in planning future transportation projects and improvements.
FMB Mayor Larry Kiker nominated Raymond, the MPO’s vice chair in 2010, on the request from MPO sitting chair Ray Judah. Kiker shared his nomination wording at last Friday’s meeting.
“Any time I can make a huge commitment on the vice mayor’s personal time, I’ll be the one to designate it. Therefore, I’d like to nominate him,” said Kiker.
Raymond will begin chairing the next monthly public meeting of the MPO. It is a joint meeting with Collier County and scheduled for Friday, Feb. 18, at 9 a.m.
“I really think my position with the MPO will help the town,” said Raymond. “The chairman is heard a lot more than the people who are in the organization. It will be great to work with (MPO Director) Don Scott. He can help point me in the right direction to help out the town.”
Raymond believes the MPO position will also aid in the Beach trolley system. There has been talk of a center lane on San Carlos Boulevard for trolley and emergency vehicle use only.
“It’s awful hard to keep the chairman quiet,” he said. “I’m in a better position to help out with public transportation to and on the Beach.”
With a Beach official at the helm of the county transportation board, Kiker hopes some of the issues relating to Estero Boulevard get addressed as well.
“County Commissioner Brian Bigelow has stated he believes one of the priorities that everyone should be looking at is Estero Boulevard,” said Kiker. “He is one of the people who is in favor of raising the priorities on the Beach. Having Bob as chair of the MPO will be good for the town. Any time we can get significant representation with the folks that are planning our future speaks volumes.”
Raymond has been the Beach representative for the MPO for the past three years.
“I enjoy working with Bob as he has been very proactive on working to get transportation funding for Fort Myers Beach and Lee County, and he has good understanding of how his efforts on the MPO will yield long term benefits for the community,” said MPO Director Don Scott.
The organization includes 16 voting members who annually solicit public opinion regarding proposals for transportation enhancement projects on local roads such as the installation of sidewalks, bike paths and street enhancement improvements.
“He is very highly respected in that group. It is very obvious that the respect and acceptance of his leadership is apparent,” said Kiker of Raymond.
According to its website, the Lee County MPO is the county’s transportation partnership responsible for transportation planning in Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, and Unincorporated Lee County. Its board is comprised of elected and appointed officials in the cities and regions.
Its mission is ‘to provide leadership in planning and promoting a comprehensive intermodal surface transportation system that will provide for regional mobility, encourage a positive investment climate and foster sustainable development sensitive to community and natural resources.’ The vision of the Lee MPO is ‘to have a multi-jurisdictional, integrated multi-modal transportation system that safely and efficiently moves people and goods to, through, and within our area, and which enables Lee County and the surrounding areas to flourish in the global marketplace.’
Four candidates/ three council positions
Now that the qualifying period to submit FMB Town Council candidate forms has passed (Monday, Jan. 24, at noon), Town Clerk Michelle Mayher has announced there are four candidates to fill three opening seats. Vice Mayor Bob Raymond and Councilwoman Jo List have decided to run for re-election. They are joined by Joe Kosinski, a Local Planning Agency member, and Carl Conley, a former Beach newspaper publisher and editor.
Surprisingly, Councilman Tom Babcock has decided not to run for re-election. He shares his thoughts about his decision in a letter to the editor on page 4.
Election Day is March 8, and the new council will take office on March 21.
Beach Councilman elected to chair MPO
Fort Myers Beach Vice Mayor Bob Raymond has been unanimously elected to be the 2011 chairman of the Metropolitan Planning Organization. The Beach resident received the distinction Friday at the monthly meeting of the MPO, whose board provides direction in planning future transportation projects and improvements.
FMB Mayor Larry Kiker nominated Raymond, the MPO’s vice chair in 2010, on the request from MPO sitting chair Ray Judah. Kiker shared his nomination wording at last Friday’s meeting.
“Any time I can make a huge commitment on the vice mayor’s personal time, I’ll be the one to designate it. Therefore, I’d like to nominate him,” said Kiker.
Raymond will begin chairing the next monthly public meeting of the MPO. It is a joint meeting with Collier County and scheduled for Friday, Feb. 18, at 9 a.m.
“I really think my position with the MPO will help the town,” said Raymond. “The chairman is heard a lot more than the people who are in the organization. It will be great to work with (MPO Director) Don Scott. He can help point me in the right direction to help out the town.”
Raymond believes the MPO position will also aid in the Beach trolley system. There has been talk of a center lane on San Carlos Boulevard for trolley and emergency vehicle use only.
“It’s awful hard to keep the chairman quiet,” he said. “I’m in a better position to help out with public transportation to and on the Beach.”
With a Beach official at the helm of the county transportation board, Kiker hopes some of the issues relating to Estero Boulevard get addressed as well.
“County Commissioner Brian Bigelow has stated he believes one of the priorities that everyone should be looking at is Estero Boulevard,” said Kiker. “He is one of the people who is in favor of raising the priorities on the Beach. Having Bob as chair of the MPO will be good for the town. Any time we can get significant representation with the folks that are planning our future speaks volumes.”
Raymond has been the Beach representative for the MPO for the past three years. The organization includes 16 voting members who annually solicit public opinion regarding proposals for transportation enhancement projects on local roads such as the installation of sidewalks, bike paths and street enhancement improvements.
“He is very highly respected in that group. It is very obvious that the respect and acceptance of his leadership is apparent,” said Kiker.
According to its website, the Lee County MPO is the county’s transportation partnership responsible for transportation planning in Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, and Unincorporated Lee County.
Its board is comprised of elected and appointed officials in the cities and regions.
Its mission is ‘to provide leadership in planning and promoting a comprehensive intermodal surface transportation system that will provide for regional mobility, encourage a positive investment climate and foster sustainable development sensitive to community and natural resources.’ The vision of the Lee MPO is ‘to have a multi-jurisdictional, integrated multi-modal transportation system that safely and efficiently moves people and goods to, through, and within our area, and which enables Lee County and the surrounding areas to flourish in the global marketplace.’