Judge validates water utility referendum
The Town of Fort Myers Beach has been approved to continue a process concerning long-term borrowing to replace its decrepit water utility system. Lee County Circuit Judge Sherra Winesett validated a 4-year-old referendum at a hearing at the Lee County Justice Center on Monday.
According to the referendum language, it allows town officials to acquire financing and extend existing financing in excess of 36 months in connection with the refinancing of the purchase of the water utility operated by the Town’s Public Works Services, Inc. and for the purpose of providing capital improvement necessary in connection with the operations and maintenance thereof.
Mayor Larry Kiker, Town Manager Terry Stewart and Town Clerk Michelle Mayher attended the hearing and the latter two testified after the case was presented. Kiker said the validation met all the requirements and the State District Attorney had no objections to the case.
The original three-year loan to purchase the water company from Florida Cities Water in 2001 was about $3.2 million and has been rolled over three times. A remaining $2.5 million is still owed for the water utility.
“We presented the case, then they put our main witness, Terry Stewart, on the stand. He answered all the questions about how we got to here. Michele Mayher also testified concerning the statistics of the referendum,” said Kiker.
Beach voters originally approved the referendum back in 2007. The total number of votes cast was 1,983 of which 1,817 approved for a 91.6 percent passing rating.
The validation was approved for up to $18 million. Stewart said the actual work would take 4 to 6 years to complete.
“The engineering firm has already done an assessment of the system and identified areas of potential phasing work,” he said. “Staff and I will sit down and come up with a recommendation where to begin our work and make decisions about the methodology for construction (request for proposal). Then, we will get that all back to the council. The big decision will be about actually going to the bonding process. This will be the biggest project ever undertaken by the Town of Fort Myers Beach both in the physical scope of the work and in the cost associated with it.”
Fixing the town’s aging water utility system is crucial to replace asbestos-covered pipes and install updated pipelines. In 2009, the Town had to shut the entire water system down when a main water line broke. That prompted town officials and employees to complete emergency valve replacement on Estero Boulevard.
“This has been a high priority project for the town for many years. What happened today (Monday) continues this council’s effort to take care of the infrastructure on Fort Myers Beach,” said Kiker. “Our water situation brings us another step closer to perhaps a long-term solution for Estero Boulevard as well.
On Friday, Kiker reported Lee County has brought forth $750,000 to begin a preliminary design on the Beach’s main road.
Judge validates water utility referendum
The Town of Fort Myers Beach has been approved to continue a process concerning long-term borrowing to replace its decrepit water utility system. Lee County Circuit Judge Sherra Winesett validated a 4-year-old referendum at a hearing at the Lee County Justice Center on Monday.
According to the referendum language, it allows town officials to acquire financing and extend existing financing in excess of 36 months in connection with the refinancing of the purchase of the water utility operated by the Town’s Public Works Services, Inc. and for the purpose of providing capital improvement necessary in connection with the operations and maintenance thereof.
Mayor Larry Kiker, Town Manager Terry Stewart and Town Clerk Michelle Mayher attended the hearing and the latter two testified after the case was presented. Kiker said the validation met all the requirements and the State District Attorney had no objections to the case.
The original three-year loan to purchase the water company from Florida Cities Water in 2001 was about $3.2 million and has been rolled over three times. A remaining $2.5 million is still owed for the water utility.
“We presented the case, then they put our main witness, Terry Stewart, on the stand. He answered all the questions about how we got to here. Michele Mayher also testified concerning the statistics of the referendum,” said Kiker.
Beach voters originally approved the referendum back in 2007. The total number of votes cast was 1,983 of which 1,817 approved for a 91.6 percent passing rating.
The validation was approved for up to $18 million. Stewart said the actual work would take 4 to 6 years to complete.
“The engineering firm has already done an assessment of the system and identified areas of potential phasing work,” he said. “Staff and I will sit down and come up with a recommendation where to begin our work and make decisions about the methodology for construction (request for proposal). Then, we will get that all back to the council. The big decision will be about actually going to the bonding process. This will be the biggest project ever undertaken by the Town of Fort Myers Beach both in the physical scope of the work and in the cost associated with it.”
Fixing the town’s aging water utility system is crucial to replace asbestos-covered pipes and install updated pipelines. In 2009, the Town had to shut the entire water system down when a main water line broke. That prompted town officials and employees to complete emergency valve replacement on Estero Boulevard.
“This has been a high priority project for the town for many years. What happened today (Monday) continues this council’s effort to take care of the infrastructure on Fort Myers Beach,” said Kiker. “Our water situation brings us another step closer to perhaps a long-term solution for Estero Boulevard as well.
On Friday, Kiker reported Lee County has brought forth $750,000 to begin a preliminary design on the Beach’s main road.