Council sets assessment rates for upcoming budget
It might be hurricane season in Southwest Florida, but as the calendar is about to change to September, it also is budget season for the Cape Coral City Council.
Council members set assessment rates for several items and voted them to be placed on the Lee County tax bill as non-ad valorem special assessments for collection during Monday night’s meeting at City Hall.
Among the assessment rates set were the Fire Service Assessment, stormwater user fees, solid waste removal, vacant lot mowing, wastewater and irrigation collection costs.
The Fire Service Assessment rate of recovery remains at 64 percent with the rate for tier one properties set at $122.60 and tier two at $2.40 per EBU. The tier one rate is paid by everyone with the tier two rate added for improved properties. The rates are expected to bring the city $24 million in revenue, an increase of about $2 million over last year.
The stormwater rate is being raised to $87 for 2017 with another proposed increase to $111 for 2018.
Solid waste removal fees will increase to $181.13 due in large part to an increase in the disposal fees charged by Lee County. The $17.70 rate increase also includes a 1 percent increase to Waste Pro. Commercial waste removal fees will increase by 4.5 to 5.5 percent for the same reasons. Cape Coral’s disposal fees continue to be the lowest in the county.
An increase in the vacant lot mowing rate will go into effect for properties in District 1 at $65.54 where the fewest vacant lots are located, and $51.10 for properties in Districts 2-4.
Reflected in the vacant lot mowing rate is the addition of burrowing owl nest trimming by mowing contractors instead of by the volunteers from Friends of Wildlife. City staff maintains the change is a matter of liability and property rights issues.
The mowing and waste removal fees also include the addition of a full-time city employee between them to monitor, supervise and resolve issues that arise through citizen complaints.
Councilmember Rana Erbrick cast the lone “no” vote for both resolutions on the grounds that she sees no need for the additional employee to oversee the programs that already have oversight measures in place.
“It sounds like duplication to me that is not worthy of a half-time employee,” Councilmember John Carioscia agreed.
“I have a problem with providing a full car for a half-time employee,” said Councilmember Rick Williams. “Waste Pro should provide an inspector, not the city.”
Council also unanimously voted to support the Now or Neverglades Declaration which has collected nearly 30,000 signatures in just a few months. The declaration urges lawmakers to use Florida’s Amendment One funds to purchase land south of Lake Okeechobee to send water south from the lake to the Everglades instead of to the estuaries on the east and west coast of the peninsula.
Council will not meet Monday in observance of the Labor Day holiday. The next regular meeting is Sept. 12.
Council will meet, however, on Sept. 7, for a special workshop session at 4:30 p.m. at the Nicholas Annex building and on Sept. 8, at 5 p.m., in Council Chambers for the first of two public hearings set to approve and adopt the Fiscal Year 2017 Operating Budget.