Council preps ILA for BOCC joint meeting
There will be no surprise to the main topic discussion between the Lee County Board of County Commissioners and Fort Myers Beach Town Council members at their annual joint meeting at Town Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 24.
The 2 p.m. conversation will center on Estero Boulevard. That was the conclusion regarding the County-owned road at a Council work session during the afternoon on Tuesday, Jan. 3.
What may be more unexpected is that Town officials will be asking the visiting County commissioners to view and sign a proposed interlocal agreement regarding the main drag of Estero Island. This is considered the next step since County officials have gone on record to include the road into a 5-year Capital Improvement Plan commitment.
“Our task was to get it on the 5-year CIP,” said Mayor Larry Kiker. “The next thing is in a legal stance.”
Town Attorney Marilyn Miller concurred. She believes starting with a basic framework of an ILA would be a good start. Blank areas within the document could be filled out during the course of the joint meeting.
“We are recommending that you enter into an interlocal agreement, so that it will be more than just being on the 5-year CIP. That will allow us to set some dates as to when (certain issues) will be (taken care of),” she said.
“We need to give (the county commissioners) direction for their staff to work with (Town Manager) Terry (Stewart) and his staff to make the ILA happen,” added Kiker.
The short-range plan will identify capital projects involving Estero Boulevard and thus provide a planning schedule for them. Projects include installing a new water system and storm water issues as well as using the recently completed Right-of-Way study to create streetscape, sidewalk and bike paths to beautify the boulevard.
“We are going to marry those projects together,” said Kiker. ‘We have planning to do for a water system and a couple of other projects. It’s time.”
County has $750,000 already budgeted into the Estero Boulevard project.
“They are moving forward on the preliminary designs,” said Stewart, who will be meeting with County Manager Karen Hawes on Jan. 11.
Councilman Joe Kosinski was asked to introduce the subject at the joint meeting.
The subject of an ILA for Estero Boulevard was brought forth while Council members addressed a priority issues list seen as essential to Town and community needs.
Items such as rebuilding the town’s potable water system, determining whether public support exists for acquisition of a town-owned Town Hall, dredging of a new channel for Laguna Shores navigation access, completion of the Beach restoration project, completion of interim improvement projects for Estero Boulevard and reorganization of Parks and Recreation and Cultural Resources departments were knocked off the Council’s priority list.
For Council’s sake, Town officials are focusing on Storm Water Master Plan improvements (a revision may be completed in a month; Council’s acceptance will be needed with plan to move forward), achieving a final policy decision on the alcohol on the beach issue (still in LPA’s hands) and completing the Mound House (house restoration, kayak shed, additional parking in a proposed lot and if an observation deck should be built).
The Mound House conversation lingered on until Stewart provided conclusions.
“The three main things that you have left with the Mound House are parking, the pier and renovation of the house,” he said. “We are looking at the property at 425 Connecticut to make a decision about the parking. No matter what we do, we are going to have to rezone that property just as we would have to do at 216 Connecticut. But, with this property, we do not have the issues of being down the street. It is right next door.”