Payment for outside legal services for city approved
An unpaid invoice for $3,000 for outside legal counsel services by Bryan, Miller & Olive touched off a contentious discussion on the twice-defeated proposed 4 a.m. downtown Cape bar hour extension.
The discussion was initiated by Mayor Pro-Tem Rick Williams, who serves as council’s office manager. He asked for a vote to pay the bill out of council budget funds, but also wanted further discussion about policies on how to deal with any similar expenditures in the future.
The invoice was for services by the outside legal counsel initiated by Councilmember Richard Leon, who was granted permission by council last June to research a new ordinance for bar hours and alternative funding sources to pay for it.
“If I had known there was going to be a cost for the city, I would not have gone along with (Leon’s) request to do the research,” said Williams.
Councilmember Jim Burch, who was on medical leave from council when they voted for Leon to proceed, was adamant.
“Spending city funds for the research was at best irresponsible,” Burch said. “I’ve worked on the golf course issue for a very long time, but if anyone I dealt with said they would charge me, I wouldn’t do it.”
Leon responded that no one on council at the time questioned cost involved in the research. Leon also said Williams saying the research could result in perhaps $10,000 more in research costs was false.
“That’s not true,” said Leon. “I don’t know where that figure came from, but no way it would cost the city anywhere near that amount.”
Due to the late hour of the meeting, council agreed that the $3,000 invoice should be paid, but a more formal discussion on policy going forward about spending city funds in such a manner was warranted for another time and place, perhaps at a special workshop session.
Lease agreements approved
Council approved two lease agreements with outside entities to use city owned property.
Council agreed to a 99-year lease agreement at $1 per year with Cape Coral Animal Shelter Corporation to build and use city property for a no-kill animal shelter and adoption facility. The 4.2-acre property is located behind Lake Kennedy Senior Center and adjacent to the Youth Center and north of Sun Splash.
The other lease agreement is a 10-year lease of city property to SalusCare to continue operating addiction services through 2027. The current lease was set to expire in 2018, but the new lease was requested by SalusCare in order to make a significant financial investment in renovating the building, 1105 Cultural Park Blvd., to expand services to meet a growing need among city residents.