Check Out Our FALL 2011 CITY PARKS Insert Inside! On The Move A Quarterly Update From Your City Hall Good News on Bond Ratings Will Save More Than $26 Million “Premium” bond value also will bring $5.6 million in additional bond proceeds he City of Cape Coral will save more than $26 million in interest costs notified the City in early-August that they were assigning an “A” rating to the and gain additional dollars from a bond premium after the “Big Three” City’s upcoming bond release. Fitch also affirmed their “A” rating on the Water T ratings agencies assigned good ratings to the City’s Water and Sewer bonds. and Sewer bonds and Special Assessment bonds. “Another great piece of news is that because of their stability, our Standard & Poor’s upgraded the bond ratings with Water and City’s bonds are highly coveted by investors and are selling at 102 Sewer bonds moving from a “BBB+ with a positive outlook” to an percent of their face value,” added King. “This will bring an addi- “A- with a stable outlook.” S&P also upgraded the Special Assess- tional $5.6 million in bond proceeds to the City.” ment bonds from a “BBB- with a positive outlook” to a “BBB King said that investors are willing to pay more than face value with a stable outlook.” for the bonds, and sacrifice some return on their investment, in “This is terrific news for the City since we are planning a exchange for the bonds’ stability in the market. bond issue to refinance about $175 million in utilities and short- The City has reduced operations and maintenance costs at City term debt,” said City Manager Gary King. “With better credit rat- water and sewer facilities, and is eliminating more costly short-term ings, the interest rate on this bond issue will be about 5.3 percent, debt. These cost reductions and financial policy changes have con- which is lower than the 6 percent we anticipated. This reduction will save $26.5 tributed to increased confidence from the ratings agencies. million in interest over the life of the bond.” “We continue to evaluate our debt management and investment policies, and Moody’s affirmed their outstanding credit ratings on the same bonds. Water will work with the credit agencies to improve our financial positions,” added King. and Sewer bonds remained at an “A1” rating, while Special Assessment bonds “The changes we have made in our financial policies and overall management remained at “A2.” The third of the “Big Three” credit ratings agencies, Fitch, direction literally is paying dividends for our City.” n

HIGHLIGHTS PRSRT Standard City Council Sets US Postage n Charter Schools Get “A” Grades...... 4 PAID Lower Tentative Millage Rate n Taxable Values Drop Again...... 5 FT. MYERS, FL City must identify $1.3 million in additional budget cuts n Myth About City Utility Bill Rates...... 6 Permit No. 521 n Chinese Drywall Fee Waivers...... 7 above the $8.3 million cut by city manager n Dogs Permitted at Restaurants...... 8 n July 25, City Council set the tentative millage rate n Holeigh Morin Receives Award...... 9 for property taxes to fund the City’s Operating Bud- n Coconut Festival...... 10 O get. The tentative rate approved by Council was 7.8702. n City Manager’s Proposed Budget...... 12 This was a slight reduction from the millage rate recommended by n City Manager Gary King in his proposed budget. King Sonny’s Employs Cape Residents...... 13 recommended keeping the rate at 7.9702 – the current n Sun Splash Wraps Up Season...... 15 rate. Because of reduced property values, keeping the same n Customer Billing Moving to City Hall . . . . 16 millage rate would have resulted in a tax decrease for n Cape Looking for Global Business. . . . . 17 nearly all Cape Coral property owners. n Watch for Unlicensed Contractors. . . . . 18 Using the current rate, the city manager’s proposed budget reflected an $8.3 million reduction from the previous year’s amended budget n Police/Fire Unions Reject Contracts. . . .. 19 and the elimination of about 90 full-time positions. Since 2008, the City has cut n Council Reduces Utility Rate Increase. . .. 19 continued on page 4  n Residents Clear “Recapture Rule”...... 20 2 FALL 2011 www.capecoral.net City of Cape Coral Council Members DISTRICT 1 DISTRICT 2 DISTRICT 3 DISTRICT 4

Kenneth “Marty” McClain Peter Brandt William Deile Chris Chulakes-Leetz 239-574-0437 239-574-0437 239-574-0437 239-574-0437 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

DISTRICT 5 DISTRICT 6 DISTRICT 7

Erick Kuehn Kevin McGrail Derrick Donnell, Ed.D 239-574-0437 239-574-0437 239-574-0437 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] City of Cape Coral Administration

City Manager City Clerk Financial Services Information Technology Services Public Works Gary King Rebecca van Deutekom Victoria Bateman, Director John MacLean, Director Steve Neff, Director Fire Services City Attorney Community Development Parks and Recreation Utilities Department Bill Van Helden, Chief Dolores Menendez Paul Dickson, Team Leader Steve Pohlman, Director Jeff Pearson, Director Human Resources City Auditor Economic Development Katherine Robinson, Police Department Editor/Public Information Margaret Krym < Vacant > Administrator Jay Murphy, Chief Connie Barron, Director

On The Move is a quarterly newsletter produced by the City of Cape Coral for the citizens of the city. The publication is mailed as a courtesy to every household and business in the city. Comments or questions can be directed to the City Manager’s Office, P.O. Box 150027, Cape Coral, FL 33915-0027 or by email to [email protected]. www.capecoral.net FALL 2011 3 Mayor’s Message

ne of my priorities as Mayor is to get as The City Council began on a positive note by setting to to making up this much information out to the residents as the initial millage rate below last year’s rate. The initial reduction. This does O possible. I truly believe the residents should starting point for the FY2012 millage rate is 7.8702. not mean Council will know what is going on in their City. I have been That is a reduction of .1 mills from the current FY2011. begin hacking away at doing this through a few different methods such as Each tenth of a mill equates to $831,884 to the City. To services to the point this newsletter, an online blog, the media, as well give you a basic understanding of the millage rate, this of creating blight. The as holding online chat sessions. Links to my live is the rate used to calculate property taxes paid by a essential services are chat sessions, archived chats and online blog can be homeowner. It is applied to the value of your property in place, and we do found on the City’s website (www.capecoral.net). on a “per thousand dollar” ratio. not see cuts in service These outlets allow residents to ask specific questions Over the past few years, property values throughout as being necessary to reduce the millage rate. We concerning City business or read about a particular the city have declined, and this year is no different. Re- believe there is still room to become more efficient; topic of interest. I welcome your questions and hope gardless of that fact, some of us felt it was necessary to however, this will not be an easy task. We are living you have the chance to take advantage of these op- lower the millage rate. This is good news for our hard- in tough economic times, and we have to change the portunities. working taxpaying residents. Essentially, this means way we do things to make it through these challeng- FY2012 Operating Budget review is now in full two things: It shows residents how serious we are about es. While everyone in our city is going to have to swing, and the Council is evaluating the City Manag- lowering taxes, and it allows the residents to have more pitch in to make it through, we cannot depend solely er’s proposed budget for adoption in late September. disposable income that can be spent on other goods on our residents to carry the entire burden. If we all The budget is one area that the City Council reviews and services in the city. This will have a positive impact work together and have reasonable expectations, we and analyzes to save funds or to identify potential on our local economy and could create or save jobs. as a city will come through the hard times and create savings. City Council is diligent in their review and I do not believe that a federal bailout is something a stronger and more efficient city in the future. concentrates on identifying ways to improve on the we can count on and we, as a City, need to do what we Thank you for your time.n proposed budget while maintaining the level of core can to maintain affordability. Streamlining how the services that our residents expect and deserve. City is run and becoming more efficient are the keys

City Manager’s Message

aking the City of Cape Coral more business- and we have an article in this issue that touches on these hearing is September friendly is one of my main goals as city efforts in more detail. We are demonstrating every day 22 at 5:05 p.m. M manager. Our Economic Development Office to the industry that our commitment to bring business to We are heading into and our Permitting staff have worked to create a busi- the Cape is strong. the busiest part of the ness climate that is welcoming and responsive to our City staff and I continue to evaluate various options hurricane season, and business community. There is no doubt we have been to help reduce the scheduled rate increases for water and I encourage all of our successful. sewer bills. They are scheduled to increase on October 1, residents to be pre- We continue to receive high praise from develop- and we are exploring ways to minimize the increases. We pared for the storms. ers and business owners for our efforts to make their have some good ideas that will make reductions possible; We have had nine experience with the City painless and predictable. Our however, they will take a little time to develop and imple- named storms at the time of print, which means seven “customer advocates” in the Department of Community ment. But I am committed to pursuing every viable op- more are predicted, and many could become hurricanes. Development provide step-by-step support to the busi- tion to ease the financial burden on our water and sewer Please make sure you have a plan in place. I encourage ness owner or developer throughout the permitting and customers. all of our residents to consider purchasing flood insur- business licensing process. Even in the hot, summer As many of you may know, I submitted my proposed ance from FEMA. If a storm hits, most insurance poli- months, we are remaining busy. Our staff at the permit- FY 2012 Operating Budget to City Council. The proposed cies will not cover any water damage due to rainstorms. ting desk is processing about 132 customers each day budget held the line on the tax rate (7.9702) while cutting Flood insurance is a wise investment. Thanks to the and keeps the average wait time at about 10 minutes. more than $8 million from the previous year’s budget. efforts of your City staff, our residents are eligible for a The Economic Development staff continues to re- City Council approved a reduced millage rate of 7.8702. discount on their purchase, from 25 percent for resi- ceive multiple inquiries from potential businesses, and While that may not sound like much of a reduction, it will dents in the Special High Hazard areas to 10 percent for many of these are in serious negotiations to locate here mean that another $800,000 will need to be cut. When all other residents. Please consider adding this valuable in the Cape. More than 100 active projects are in the you add lower than anticipated state revenues and a couple insurance for additional peace of mind. pipeline, and if successful, could result in more than of other expenditures, it brings the total additional cuts to Thank you for your time.n 3,000 jobs for Cape Coral residents. The staff has been $1.3 million. Yes, it is a challenge to find other places to doing a great job attracting interest to Cape Coral, cut but it is a challenge that we will meet. The final budget 4 FALL 2011 www.capecoral.net

Millage Rate ...... from page 1 City Manager Names Steve Neff 463 positions from the budget, and the City now has fewer employees than in 2005. More than one-fourth of the City workforce has been eliminated in the as Public Works Director past four years. ity Manager Gary King has By setting the rate lower than the proposed budget, the city manager must named Steve Neff as the new find more than $800,000 in additional budgets cuts. With the city manager’s Public Works Director. Neff had addition of funding for streetlights and lower, state-shared revenue numbers, C been serving as the interim director since the additional amount of cuts necessary to balance the budget is $1.3 million. January 13 following the departure of This amount was prior to the rejection of the tentative union contract agree- previous director, Chuck Pavlos. ments by Police and Fire unions, which added another $2.6 million to the new “Steve has provided leadership and ■ total reduction. direction in guiding the department through our recent reorganization of Public Works services,” said City Manag- er Gary King. “He has played a primary role in planning and managing this Three Proposed Charter transition. His broad experience within the city will be invaluable as we continue Changes on November Ballot to introduce fresh ideas for the cost- Steve Neff efficient delivery of services.” oters will have three proposed changes With nearly 500 employees, Public Works was the largest department in to the City Charter on the Novem- City government prior to the reorganization. King established a separate V ber 8 ballot for their consideration. Utilities Department and consolidated several services to the Financial The City Council appointed a charter review Services Department (Facilities, Fleet, Real Estate, Project Planning). The committee to discuss possible changes to the new Public Works Department will consist of Planning and Permitting, charter, which provides general governance Environmental Resources, Engineering Project Management, Survey and for Cape Coral. The committee makes Maintenance. recommendations to the City Council, and Neff moved to Lee County in 1981 working for Guepel DeMars and was Council must approve the changes to be hired as the City Engineer for Cape Coral in 1984. He has served as the placed on the ballot. interim Public Works Director on several occasions and has been Trans- Here is a brief summary of each proposed portation Manager within the Public Works Department for more than 12 charter change: years. Neff’s annual salary will be $117,026. Neff has a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Purdue Univer-  CHARTER AMENDMENT TO ALLOW COUNCIL TO ESTAB- sity and is a licensed, professional engineer in the state of Florida. Neff is LISH PERSONNEL STANDARDS WITHOUT RECOMMENDATION married and has two sons. n OF CITY MANAGER This proposal amends the Cape Coral City Charter by permitting City Council to establish personnel standards without the requirement of a rec- ommendation by the City Manager. City of Cape Coral Charter  CHARTER AMENDMENT ALLOWING COUNCIL MEMBERS TO DEAL WITH CITY EMPLOYEES DIRECTLY REGARDING INQUI- Schools Receive “A” Grades RIES AND INVESTIGATIONS This proposal amends the Cape Coral City Charter by clarifying how he City of Cape Coral Charter School System received perfect scores City Council Members may deal with City officers and employees who are for all of its schools. Oasis Elementary, Christa McAuliffe Elemen- subject to the direct supervision of the City Manager directly without going T tary, Oasis Middle, and Oasis High School through the City Manager for routine informational inquiries and Council all received “A” grades from the state of Florida. authorized investigations. “We are very proud of our students, faculty and parents,” said Dr. Lee Bush, Charter School Admin-  CHARTER AMENDMENT ALTERING AMOUNT REQUIRED TO istrator and Principal of Christa McAuliffe. “Our BE PAID UPON TERMINATION OF ASSISTANT MANAGERS AND charter schools provide an exceptional learning DEPARTMENT HEADS experience in a great educational environment.” This proposal amends the Cape Coral City Charter by changing the sever- Enrollment applications may be found at each ance pay required to be paid when the City Manager terminates the employ- school, and prospective students and parents are ment of Assistant City Managers and Administrative Department Heads, at welcome to call the schools to set up tours, or visit will, from four months salary to an amount up to four months salary. n the website at www.capecharterschools.org. n Dr. Lee Bush www.capecoral.net FALL 2011 5 Cape Coral’s Taxable City Council District Boundaries Values Drop Again Adjusted for 2010 Census Numbers he City of Cape Coral has new district boundaries for its seven City n July 1, the Property Appraiser’s Office provided the City with Council districts. The completion of the 2010 Census required the the Certificate of Taxable Value for FY 2012 ad valorem tax T City to review existing Council districts to see if the city’s population O rolls. The City’s taxable was apportioned equally among the districts. assessed value was $8.6 billion City Council appointed a committee to compare the current boundaries which was 2.51 percent lower with the 2010 Census population distribution in Cape Coral. The committee than the final value adjust- determined that the district boundaries needed to be redrawn to fairly dis- ment board total of $8.8 billion. tribute the population. The committee drew new boundaries and submitted Although this marked the fifth their proposals to City Council. None of the proposals would affect sitting year of declines in taxable as- Council members. Council gave approval to the new districts earlier this sessed value, City officials were year. The new district boundaries became effective immediately, and current pleasantly surprised that the candidates for City Council had to qualify in these new districts. decrease was not more significant. Staff had been using an estimated 6 To view the new City Council district map, visit the City’s website at www. percent decrease for budget planning purposes. Ad valorem taxes (aka capecoral.net and select “Maps” from the “Find” option in the navigation box. n property taxes) are the single, largest revenue source for the General Fund, the City’s primary operating fund. Property taxes represent 60.7 percent of the current revenue sources. As illustrated on the chart, the taxable assessed value is currently sitting between the FY 2004 and 2005 levels. In early October, the Property Appraiser will provide the City with the Final Taxable Value. n 6 FALL 2011 www.capecoral.net Busting Myths About Cape Coral Myth – The City of Cape Coral has the highest utility rates in southwest Florida his oft-repeated statement is not accurate. When compar- ing water and sewer rates in our area, it is important to look T at the complete utility bill for a full and fair comparison. This includes the portion of the bill covering the cost for irrigation water. When the entire utility bill is compared, the City of Cape Coral has the third lowest bill in Southwest Florida. The City of Cape Coral is one of two area utilities that provide “reclaimed” water for irrigation use by customers. Utility customers in other areas must use their potable drinking water supply to ir- rigate their lawns during the dry season. This adds a significant cost to the utility bill. Cape Coral provides reclaimed water for irrigation at a flat monthly fee of $9.50. Compare that to the irrigation cost for a customer on Charlotte County utilities who pays $87 a month for the average of 10,000 gallons of irrigation water. In fact, customers in eight of the 11 local utilities will pay more than $42 per month for water to use for irrigating. While a straight comparison of only water and sewer costs would put Cape Coral high on the list (second to the City of Fort Myers), this would be an incomplete comparison. A significant cost is being omitted in this discussion – the cost for irrigation water. Thanks to the City’s reclaimed water service, the City of Cape Coral’s utilities bill ranks fairly low when compared to other utilities in our area. n

Business is Booming in South Cape host of new restaurants, shops and offices have made South Cape economic downturn has impacted significantly the retail sector in Lee County the choice destination to open a business this year. The Cape Coral and Cape Coral. The South Cape CRA retail opportunity is primarily driven by A Community Redevelopment Agency credits the boom in business to residents in and surrounding the district within a broader trade area along with a the close-knit network of businesses along with the agency’s ongoing efforts to high commuter traffic currently running through the CRA. promote the South Cape. The Vision Plan provides guidelines for addressing the retail market. The first Since January 1, 58 new businesses have opened in the South Cape CRA. opportunity for a revitalized retail sector will come from strong local restaurants, This includes 11 restaurants, 15 retail businesses and 32 professional or personal specialty fresh and prepared food operations and entertainment venues. service establishments. CRA staff will be tracking the growth of business and For a complete list of all new businesses in the South Cape, visit our website at success of these new establishments. www.southcape.net. n “We have made every effort to improve the communications and outreach to the South Cape business community,” said Helen Ramey, Economic Develop- New Eateries in the South Cape ment Manager for the Community Redevelopment Agency. “With monthly merchant meetings, informative newsletters, email news updates, quarterly tab-  Bistro in Vivo...... 4827 Milton Street loids and a subsidized monthly advertising program, we have established strong  Bread Pete...... 4402 Del Prado Boulevard lines of communication between the CRA and our stakeholders.”  Cakes Bakes & More...... 4402 SE 16th Place The vacant space formerly known as June’s Hallmark has been transformed  China Tokyo Express . . . . . 4823 Milton Street into the recently opened Sushi-Hibachi Buffet. The building that was the former  Ciao Wood Fire Pizza . . . . . 823 SE 47th Terrace Bikini Joe’s on SE 47th Terrace had the interior completely renovated and is now  Cuba – Talia Café ...... 516 SE 47th Terrace Ciao Wood Fired Pizza. The location known for the former Chocolate Forest on  Fat Fredo’s Pizza...... 1334 Cape Coral Parkway E Del Prado Boulevard is now “Bread Pete,” Cape Coral’s first American-European  Pizza Budd’s...... 4419 Del Prado Boulevard self-serve bakery featuring pastries, croissants, Baguettes and breads.  So Sweet! Cupcakes ...... 1615 SE 47th Terrace According to the South Cape Vision Plan, one of the strongest and most  Sushi Hibachi Buffet ...... 1339 Cape Coral Parkway E feasible near-term opportunities in South Cape is creating a destination that  Royal Key Bar ...... 1306 Cape Coral Parkway E. improves the quality of daily life for the City’s residents and attracts visitors. The www.capecoral.net FALL 2011 7 Cape Coral Police Department Focuses on Maintaining Accreditation n August, the Cape Coral Police Department welcomed resources and improves service delivery – regardless of the assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for size, geographic location, or functional responsibilities of I Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., or CALEA. Since 1989 the agency. the Cape Coral Police Department has been nationally accredited This accreditation program provides public safety agen- by CALEA, and every three years since have had onsite visits from cies an opportunity to voluntarily demonstrate that they assessors to ensure that the department adheres to the highest meet an established set of professional standards which: national standards.  Require an agency to develop a comprehensive, well CALEA was established in 1979 as a credentialing authority thought out, uniform set of written directives. This is one of through the joint efforts of law enforcement's major executive associa- the most successful methods for reaching administrative and tions: operational goals, while also providing direction to personnel.  International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)  Provide the necessary reports and analyses a CEO needs to  National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) make fact-based, informed management decisions.  Require a preparedness program be put in place so an agency is  National Sheriffs' Association (NSA) ready to address natural or manmade critical incidents.  Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)  Are a means for developing or improving upon an agency's relation- The purpose of CALEA’s Accreditation Programs is to improve the delivery ship with the community. of public safety services, primarily by: maintaining a body of standards devel-  Strengthen an agency's accountability, both within the agency and the oped by public safety practitioners covering a wide range of up-to-date public community, through a continuum of standards that clearly define authority, safety initiatives; establishing and administering an accreditation process; performance and responsibilities. and, recognizing professional excellence.  Limit an agency's liability and risk exposure because it demonstrates The CALEA Accreditation Process is a proven modern management that internationally recognized standards for law enforcement have been model. Once implemented, it presents the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), met, as verified by a team of independent outside CALEA-trained assessors. on a continuing basis, with a blueprint that promotes the efficient use of  Facilitates an agency's pursuit of professional excellence All members of the Cape Coral Police Department have been working hard to maintain the nationally accredited status through CALEA. We have no doubt that we will continue to be looked upon as one of the top police City Council Approves Fee Waivers departments in the nation. ■ for Chinese Drywall Repairs

t their final Council meeting be- fore summer break in June, City City Golf Championship A Council unanimously approved Resolution 13-11 providing for a waiver Will Be in October of permit fees associated with remodel- ing and repairing damage caused by he 2011 City Championship will be held on October Chinese drywall. The permit fee waiver 22 – 23 with the kickoff Pro Am on Friday, October applies to homes built from January 1, T 21. The entry fee is $125 for the two-day, 36-hole, 2003 through December 31, 2010. stroke play City Championship tournament. The fee covers greens fees and “We know there were many homes that received defective Chinese drywall, cart fees for two rounds, practice range balls, tee gifts, Saturday lunch and a and the damage this product causes is significant,” said City Building Of- Sunday awards banquet. ficial Paul Dickson. “This fee waiver will help reduce the financial burden Last year was the inaugural Pro Am event, and 19 teams participated. on these homeowners.” Entry fee for the Pro Am is $75. Players who participate in both the Pro Am Improvements eligible for a fee waiver must be the direct result of dam- and City Championship will receive a special discounted entry fee of $180 for age caused by having defective drywall in the house. These improvements both events. Be sure to sign up early to ensure a spot. Pick up a registration include replacing existing drywall, plumbing, electric, or air conditioning form at the course or access the form on the website after October 1. systems in accordance with the original house plan. Remodeling that includes In addition to the annual City Championship, Coral Oaks Golf Course offers an expansion of a structure or reconfiguration of a structure does not qualify. Men’s and Ladies’ Golf Associations, junior golf programs, golf instruction, clinics, The permit waiver only is available to the original owner of the home. golf schools, charity fundraising events and special discounts for group play out- The permit fee waiver applies to a remodel permit, which is all-inclusive ings. Check with us before you go anywhere else. Our season pass memberships for any work required to repair the damage caused by defective Chinese are a fantastic value for golfers who like to play more than two times per week. drywall. The amount of fee savings to the homeowner will vary depending If you have interest in any golfing programs, golf outings, group bookings on the size of the home and the scope of work. The fee waiver for Chinese or would like to hold a banquet or party at Coral Oaks, please call us at (239) drywall repair will be in place through June 30, 2015. n 573-3100 or visit the website at www.CoralOaksGolf.com. n 8 FALL 2011 www.capecoral.net Council Waives Permit Fees for Two City Parks Receive Home Addition for Pfc. Corey Kent Playground Makeovers n June 20, City Council approved a layground improvements were recently completed at two of Cape permit fee waiver for the construction of Coral’s parks – Four Freedoms Park and Giuffrida Park. a 500-square-foot addition to the family O Four Freedoms Park Improvements home of Pfc. Corey Kent. Corey lost both legs P and suffered other serious injuries in a roadside During the month of June, the safety playground surface under one bomb explosion while serving in Afghanistan. of the playground equipment areas at Four Freedoms Park was replaced. The Cape Coral Construction Industry As- The old rubber square tiles were replaced with X-Grass, a synthetic turf sociation urged Council to approval the waiver intended to improve the safety surface quality. The X-Grass is a softer sur- and announced that members of the organization face and much cooler to play on, especially during the hot summer season. would be providing $63,000 of material and labor The City has received many compliments from parents and kids who toward the project. The effort also was supported have had a chance to see and play on the new surface. Be sure to stop by by the U.S. Forces Fund, a local Southwest Florida and check it out the next time you are in the area. Four Freedoms Park is charity to help our heroes abroad and at home. Pfc. Corey Kent located at 4818 Tarpon Court. Council voted unanimously to waive the permit fees and expedite the per- Giuffrida Park Improvements mitting process. The permit fees were estimated to be about $350; however, the When replacement parts for the deteriorating play equipment installed in value of the community support to assist Corey and his family is immeasurable. 1994 at Giuffrida Park were no longer available, the Parks & Recreation Depart- For more information on the U.S. Forces Fund, visit their website at www. ment decided it was time for a makeover. Staff removed the old units in the usforcesfund.com. n 2- to 5-year-old and 5- to 12-year-old play areas as well as the playground sand safety surface underneath the units. Fortunately, the existing swing set was still in good shape and could remain; however, new equipment was on the way. In July, new playground structures for these same age groups were in- Restaurants Now Permitted to stalled in the park. The improvements to the area included the addition of ADA mulch safety surface to replace the play sand. The new playground Allow Dogs in Outdoor Areas structures are more modern and colorful than the previous equipment. The work was completed in early August, and the playground area was reopened ity Council approved an to the public. Based on the reaction of the kids, the City’s improvements ordinance that will allow were much appreciated. Giuffrida Park is located at 1044 NE 4th Street. n C patrons to bring their dogs to participating restaurants. Dogs only will be permitted in designated outdoor areas and Council Approves Contract cannot be inside a restaurant. The ordinance approved on June 6 was sponsored by District 4 Council- for Phase II Road Paving member Chris Chulakes-Leetz and District 6 Councilmember Project in North Cape Kevin McGrail. ity Council approved Restaurant owners who want the award of contract to to allow patrons to bring their C C.W. Roberts to complete canines to their establishment Phase II of the North Cape Paving must submit an application and Project. The total contract cost is pay a fee. The application requires $350,000. Work will be underway specific information about where in September, and the contractor dogs will be allowed and when. The annual fee for the permit is $75. has 45 days from commencement Florida Statutes give local governments the authority to establish a to complete the project. procedure to permit dogs in designated outdoor areas in food service This phase complements Phase I of the North Cape Road Paving Proj- establishments. The City’s ordinance only offers the opportunity to restau- ect, which provided $1 million for road resurfacing work on some of the rant owners who may be interested in allowing dogs outside. There is no most neglected streets in Cape Coral. Phase II will pave about 4.28 miles requirement for any Cape Coral restaurant to allow dogs at their place of of residential streets north of Kismet Parkway. business. For additional information and to view the maps of the Phase II area, For more information, contact the Department of Community Develop- go to the City’s website at www.capecoral.net and click on the Road Paving ment’s Permitting Division at 574-0430. n news article in the center column of the main page. n www.capecoral.net FALL 2011 9

Holeigh Morin Named 2011 Distinguished Young Professional Award by Florida Recreation and Park Association oleigh Morin, a recreation specialist with the City’s Parks In her spare time, Holeigh acts as an advocate for the envi- & Recreation Department was name the Florida Recre- ronment dedicating much of her time to biological research and H ation and Park Association’s “Distinguished Young Pro- environmental cleanups. Holeigh also volunteers at local schools fessional.” The award is given annually to one individual in the within their school counseling programs in hopes of identifying entire state of Florida, making this a coveted award among Parks innovative and positive theories for her profession. & Recreation professionals. As a Parks and Recreation professional, Holeigh has been an Holeigh earned this prestigious Young Professional award active member of the Florida Recreation and Parks Association through her hard work and dedication, not only to her profes- since 2009. She has participated on FRPA’s State Marketing Com- sion but also within her community. As a professional, Holeigh mittee as well as assisted with teaching sessions and “It Starts in has created and improved many programs for youth ages 3 – 18. Parks” activities at Southwest Region meetings. Holeigh works Some of her successes include teen events, afterschool programs, at the Wm. Austen Youth Center and is truly a dedicated young camps, fine arts events, environmental clubs and Cape Coral’s professional who faces every day with a smile. Congratulations, teen volunteer program. Holeigh! n

Fire Department Conducting Pre-Fire Plan Reviews at Local Businesses he Cape Coral Fire Department is con- practices are known as Pre-Fire Plans. ducting pre-fire plan reviews at many of On any given day in Cape Coral, citizens may T the city’s local businesses. Firefighters encounter Cape firefighters inside these busi- have been focusing their attention on the larger, nesses. You may wonder why they are there but home improvement stores, which is why citi- these professionals are observing the loading zens may have spotted Cape fire engines and fire of the building, looking for alarm panels and crews at these establishments. These firefighters checking to see that exits are marked and easily are not shopping…they are conducting pre-fire accessible. During these checks, firefighters plan reviews. have found modifications made to a structure Every progressive fire department relies on that altered a known floor plan or substantially well-trained firefighters to fight fires and save changed the building without our knowledge. lives. However, having well-trained firefighters Cape Coral’s Engine Company officers and is only part of what makes a successful depart- staff will be verifying conditions to ensure that ment. Firefighters also must know ahead of time what hazards they may changes or alterations to the building have not occurred, which may impact encounter when a building is burning. The large, home improvement stores their ability to respond under adverse conditions. Hazardous household where people shop regularly and are familiar with the layout can become a chemicals and fuels might be found on the premises during the walk-thru. different creature when filled with dense black smoke and high heat. This is Fire personnel can bring these conditions to the attention of the responsible why establishing a pre-fire plan for these structures is vital. party to eliminate the potential hazard to customers and workers. A walk If a first responder arrives at 3 a.m. to a fire at one of these stores, the around a large building can alert firefighters to the locations of pre-piped responder must know what he/she will be facing when they arrive. Knowing Fire Department connections, fences, gates or other obstructions, overhead the construction type, the height of the ceilings, the loading of overhead bins power lines and other utilities that may need to be secured during active and shelves, and the general layout of the building is crucial. Firefighters firefighting operations. must be able to work their way through the structure under adverse condi- During Pre-Fire Plan reviews, Cape Coral’s firefighters will record in- tions, locate the fire, extinguish the flames a perhaps rescue someone who formation, sketch the points of egress, note the utility areas and locate fire may be inside. hydrants ahead of time. This information is uploaded into the Computer Another example is where a severe storm may cause damage to a struc- Aided Dispatch (CAD) system. When responding to a call, having this ture during business hours. Responders must know where best to enter the information readily available on the computer screen can help firefighters damaged structure and search for potentially injured survivors. Or perhaps execute the pre-planned strategies and tactics. These plans may save pre- a propane or hazardous chemical spill has occurred, which brings firefight- cious time, and ultimately save lives and property. ers to the building with a need to stabilize the situation. Knowing the layout More than 18,000 times each year, the City of Cape Coral Fire Depart- and contents of the building is essential. These examples illustrate the need ment provides the very best customer service to its citizens. When you see to be prepared for every eventuality. That is why your Cape Coral Fire them out and about in the community, please feel free to approach them Department personnel are out visiting business locations and multi-story with any questions or concerns. Ask them about their activities, and they occupancies on a regular basis. In the Fire and Emergency business, these will be happy to answer any of your questions. n 10 FALL 2011 2011 General Election Information 7th Annual Coconut he City of Cape Coral will be holding a General Election for four City Council seats on Tuesday, November 8. Council districts 2, 3, 5, 7 are on Festival is November 11-13 T the ballot along with three City Charter Changes. Voter Registration – Registration for the General Election closes at 5 p.m. on he 7th Annual Coconut October 11. Citizens must be registered to vote. Election is Tuesday, November 8. Festival will be November Early Voting – City Council approved early voting to provide opportunities to T 11 – 13 at Sun Splash Fes- our Cape Coral citizens to participate in this year’s General Election. Early voting tival Grounds at 400 Santa Barbara will be at the Lee County Elections Cape Coral Branch Office located at 1031 SE Boulevard. The Coconut Festival is the 9th Place on the following dates: largest carnival, concert and entertain- n October 31 – November 5 ment event in Cape Coral, with more Monday – Friday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. than 30,000 people estimated to attend. Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Admission cost is only $5. Mail Ballot – Any registered voter in Lee County may request a Ballot by Mail. On Friday, November 11, the event will kick off with a “COCO British Requests for these ballots may be submitted for single, multiple or all elections Rock-n-Roll Invasion.” The featured bands will pay tribute to two legendary within a calendar year. Only the voter, a designated member of his/her immedi- bands from England. The celebration also will include food vendors, carnival ate family, or legal guardian can request a ballot for the voter. Immediate family events and the Capital Bank fireworks at dark. means the voter’s spouse, parent, child, grandparent, sibling or legal guardian. To Saturday is designed to rock your socks off “American-style” with national request a Ballot by Mail, or for more information, please call (239) 533-6919 or rock ‘n roll entertainment. There will be a tribute to Aerosmith from an Amer- fax (239) 533-6913. ican band called “Draw the Line.” The City is finalizing the headline act at NOTE: The post offic will not forward ballots. Ballots will be mailed about this time but past history indicates the headliner will be a good one. Between three weeks prior to each election. Please provide the address you will be residing bands, get ready for the Saturday night Capital Bank fireworks spectacular. at during this time. Sunday is “COCO Family Day” with entertainment during the day includ- Ballots must be returned to the Main Office of the Lee County Supervisor of ing a community stage of acts, the second annual “COCO Cheer Fest” and Elections, in person or by mail no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day. much more. Mail ballots cannot be dropped off at polling locations. If you receive a Ballot The Cape Coral Coconut Festival is the City’s signature event celebrat- by Mail and then choose to vote in person at any early voting site or on Election ing friends, family and the community. Join us this November and go “Go Day, you must surrender the ballot you received in the mail. n COCO Nuts” in Cape Coral. Special thank you to Capital Bank and LCEC for proudly sponsoring the event. If you would like more information on this year’s Coconut Festival, visit the website at www.Cocofest.com or call the Special Events Division at Customer Billing Changing Phone (239) 573-3125. n Process for Spanish-Speaking Customers ustomer Billing Services is changing their phone process for Spanish- speaking customers. Currently, customers who opt to speak with a New Format for Upcoming C Spanish-speaking Customer Service Technician can press option ‘2’ on the prompt menu when calling 574-7722. Those calls are placed in a call queue General Election Candidate Debates to be handled by three, Spanish-speaking customer service techs. With this setup, Spanish-speaking callers wait until one of these three techs are available to new format will be used for the upcoming General election candi- take the call. date debates hosted by the City of Cape Coral. Questions posed to the In reviewing their service delivery measures, Staff found that our Spanish- A candidates will come from participants in the City’s current Citizen’s speaking customers often had longer wait times. This was due to the fact that any Academy, and Jeff Koehn, publisher of CapeCoral.com, will ask those ques- of the Spanish-speaking techs might not be available to answer calls (working the tions. NBC-2 Anchor Len Jennings will return to moderate the debates. counter, on break, at lunch, out sick, etc). Year-to-date, our “speed-to-answer” “We thought it would be a nice change to present questions to the candi- for Spanish-speaking customers is averaging just over 12 minutes. The “speed- dates that come from our citizens,” said Public Information Director Connie to-answer” for all other callers is just over 7 minutes. This needed to change. Barron. “Our participants in the Citizen’s Academy provide a pool of residents City staff decided to improve the speed-to-answer for Spanish-speaking callers who have displayed an interest in City government.” by including their calls in the queue with all customers. This does two things: The General election debates will be Thursday/Friday, October 27/28. The 1. Reduces customer options on the front of the call, and thus reduce the time 90-minute debates begin at 7 p.m. and are broadcast live on CapeTV from Council it takes for the customer to get to their call destination. Chambers. Districts 2, 3, 5 and 7 are on the ballot. The top two vote getters in 2. Reduces the call wait times by putting all callers into the same queue. each district in the Primary election move to the General election on November 8. Customer Service also will provide an option for the Spanish-speaking caller Special thanks to the News-Press and Breeze for their past participation to leave a telephone number for callback. This way, a Spanish-speaking customer in the debates, including this year’s Primary debates. To view replays of the service tech can return the call when available. ■ Primary debates, please visit the City website: www.capecoral.net. ■ www.capecoral.net FALL 2011 11

Customized Incentives, Business-Friendly Message and Niche Market Concentration Making a Difference in Adding Local Jobs

he local economy and job market is growing stron- and export markets. This is a crucial first step in push- ger every month as evidenced by the growing ing businesses to go after additional global trade that is T number of business expansion and recruitment growing much faster and stronger than many of the projects currently being handled by the City’s Eco- other market segments. Planning is now in place nomic Development Office. to continue this push with more events and train- “We have 103 active projects currently in discus- ing from Florida State and other federally funded sions compared to only 16 projects just 18 months programs. ago,” said Audie Lewis, Business Recruitment Specialist for the City. “If successful, these projects have the potential to  Veterans Investment Zone (VIZ) bring more than 3,000 additional jobs to the area over the next 2 – 3 years.” Economic Development staff created the Veterans Investment Zone Staff attributes most of the change to the aggressive business-friendly (VIZ) initiative to capitalize on the market changes surrounding the new initiatives that have been put into place over the past year. This includes Regional VA Clinic currently under construction in Cape Coral. This ini- Council’s approval of multiple customized incentives that have helped the tiative has proved to be a great success and has garnered a number of high Economic Development staff market Cape Coral as a much better place to do profile projects to complement the location of the VA patient base and the business in Florida. associated federally funded job market. Although pleased with the results thus far, City Manager Gary King and The Veterans Investment Zone also contains the new Army Reserve the Economic Development staff are aggressively pursuing additional op- Training Center site due to open in 2013. Economic Development staff con- portunities to push the economy and the local market to maximize the quick tinues to market these types of usage for federal programs including other recovery and jobs in Cape Coral. One of the key elements of their success to potential U.S. Army Reserve functions that would mesh with the VA Clinic date has been Economic Development’s focus on ways to stimulate niche ele- and the Training Center. Likewise, City staff and key local businessmen ments of the economy. In essence, they are looking for opportunities to drive recently hosted a day-long tour of Cape Coral for Major General Thurgood, change within smaller segments of the job market. the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Army Reserves. These efforts helped bol- ster Cape Coral’s commitment to foster growth in this niche market.  International Trade Summit Niche market program focus continues to drive many of the successful The Economic Development Office recently held an International Trade elements of the current job creation market. Economic Development staff Summit at the Marina Village Resort to stimulate growth within the import is currently working on plans to stimulate progress toward the Veterans Investment Zone as part of the first-year anniversary of the roll out of that program last November. It has proven to be one of the biggest lead gener- ating mechanisms ever created within the Cape Coral Economic Develop- Yappy Hours at Sun Splash ment Office.  2012 Health Care Summit ack by popular demand, Sun Splash will be hosting “Yappy Hours” The City Manager and Economic Development staff is also working on again this year on October 1 – 2. This is the final weekend before a new Health Care Summit to be held in January 2012 to coincide with the B the park closes for the season, and as they did last year, Sun Splash completion of the new VA Clinic. The health and medical markets have will open the park for the canine residents of the city. continued to show strong growth even during this recessionary climate. “We had a great The Economic Development team wants to capture some of these niche response from the com- market businesses to more fully diversify the local economy. munity to our first Yappy One of the newest initiatives being pursued is the creation of another Hours event last year,” customized incentive aimed at the commercial real estate investment and said Waterpark Manager broker market. The premise behind this incentive is to stimulate rapid Sandra Greiner. “We utilization of vacant commercial property in the city. Like most other mar- think this is a wonder- kets locally, Cape Coral has a large inventory of unused commercial space. ful way to wrap up our Once filled, these buildings represent thousands of potential jobs that could season.” be used to combat the current unemployment rate. At the Yappy Hours One major advantage of the customized incentives program has been event, dogs have the use the Economic Development push to tie each incentive to a strong Return- of the pools while their human companions get to be the spectators. Be- on-Investment (ROI) margin for the City. This is probably the main reason cause of last year’s success, the waterpark expanded the event to include the that each of the incentives to date have met with unanimous approval from entire weekend. For more information about Yappy Hours, check the Sun City Council. This foundational concept will remain one of the key fea- Splash website at www.sunsplashwaterpark.com. n tures of each new incentive developed. n 12 FALL 2011 www.capecoral.net City Manager’s Proposed Budget Cuts $8.3 Million and Eliminates 90 Positions Budget hearings are scheduled for September 8 and 22 n July 13, City Manager Gary King submitted his proposed balanced for General Fund activities, the City Manager proposed increasing capital budget of $445 million. While the development of the budget began reserves by $440,000 to begin addressing the capital needs that have been O last December, the FY 2012 budget required a great deal of analysis deferred in the past several years. and planning. City administration’s main objective was to ensure that the The City Manager’s proposed budget included leaving the operating mill- basic service needs of our community were being met during challenging age rate at the $7.9702 per $1,000 of taxable assessed value for a 3.05 percent economic time. decrease in taxes. On July 25, City Council approved a proposed millage The City Manager’s proposed budget included: rate of 7.8702, which became the not-to-exceed rate and will result in an ad-  Cutting $8.3 million from the budget ditional 4.26 percent decrease in taxes.  Maintaining existing millage rate at 7.9702 Because of the lower, Council-approved millage rate, a reduction to the  Reducing staffing by 89.99 full-time equivalent positions City Manager’s Proposed Budget in the amount of $831,884 will be required.  Establishing minimal capital improvements reserve The City also had a reduction in state-shared revenues of $176,668, and City  Reducing program subsidies Manager King committed to fully fund the streetlights, reinstating a previ- Savings also are anticipated as a result of outsourcing various programs ous recommended reduction of $313,430. This brings the total additional such as Peppertree Removal, Street Sweeping, Canal Maintenance and Golf cuts to $1.3 million. Course Greens Maintenance. The City of Cape Coral will hold two public hearings on Thursday, Sep- The City’s primary operating fund, the General Fund, represents $135.6 tember 8 and Thursday, September 22 to solicit public input on the City’s million or 30.5 percent of the total budget which is $2.6 million or 1.9 percent proposed $445 million budget for the fiscal year 2011-2012. These hearings lower than the FY 2011 adopted budget and $8.3 million or 5.8 percent less have been scheduled for 5:05 p.m. in the City Hall Chambers located at 1015 than the FY 2011 amended budget. The General Fund supports daily opera- Cultural Park Boulevard. tions of the City to include Police, Fire, Parks & Recreation, Public Works, and The City’s proposed operating budget can be reviewed online by visiting general administrative functions. While no capital funding was appropriated the City’s website at www.capecoral.net. n

New Additions to City Coral Oaks Now Offers Charter Schools Complete Online Tee Times he City of Cape Coral Charter School system has completed a $7.5-million expansion at olfers now can T the Oasis campus that completes the site, book their tee allowing 400 more students to enter Oasis El- G times at Coral ementary, Oasis Middle and Oasis High School. Oaks via the Inter- Because the charter does not allow the schools net. The golf course to issue debt, the City issued the bonds and owns recently added the the buildings. The Charter School System leases ability to schedule tee the buildings and pays the entire debt service on the times online, which bonds from its yearly state per-pupil revenues. makes the course more The expansion included 12 classrooms each to the elementary and accessible to golf- middle schools, a gymnasium for the high school, and an enlarged cafeteria ers. Tee times can be for the high school. The gymnasium includes five administrative offices, booked up to five days six classrooms, locker rooms, a walking track around the upper gym area, in advance; however, and a fitness center with a separate dance floor area. After September 1, the same-day booking is fitness center will be available to the general public for a nominal fee during not available. evening and weekend hours. Go to www.coraloaksgolf.com and follow the easy instructions to book The buildings were designed and built by NDC Construction/Lawson your next golf outing. Management also is in the process of working with Group Architects of Sarasota, and many local contractors and workers GolfNow.com about partnering to open up more avenues for golfers. were hired for the project. The City of Cape Coral Charter School System Don’t forget that Coral Oaks has very competitive summer rates through began operating in August 2005 with Oasis Elementary. The System has October 31. Cape Coral residents can play 18 holes for $25 before noon grown to house more than 2,800 students. Thanks to the support of council and $22 after noon. These rates include your golf cart. Coral Oaks has a members, governing board members, parents and the excellent work of our twilight golf rate of $20 every day after 3:30 p.m. Special Internet offers can fantastic teachers and staff, the schools have been a tremendous success. ■ be found on Coral Oaks website. n www.capecoral.net FALL 2011 13 City Council Approves Plan for Water Quality Improvements in the North Spreader Canal n July, the City Council approved a comprehensive construction of a barrier was not in the public interest due to plan to provide water quality and ecosystem improve- concerns about adverse effects on fish and wildlife, including I ments to the North Spreader Canal. Council took the endangered or threatened species. FDEP also noted con- action after a majority of stakeholders involved in the North cerns about erosion, shoaling, and adverse effects on public Spreader Ecosystem Management Agreement discussion failed health, safety, or welfare or property of others. to reach consensus on a plan that required specific actions to To address the concerns raised in the denial, City Council address water quality issues. The plan was approved by the City approved the comprehensive plan in July. The plan will be of Cape Coral but rejected by most of the other stakeholders. more effective at addressing the environmental concerns Since the stakeholders could not reach consensus, the City than a barrier replacement. The comprehensive plan will was required by the Consent Order with the Florida Depart- provide for productive and cost-effective improvements that ment of Environmental Protection to submit a permit appli- enhance water quality in the North Spreader and Matlacha cation for construction of a permanent stormwater barrier and boat lift in Pass. The plan also supports responsible development. The plan has been the North Spreader Canal. The permit application was denied by both the submitted to the FDEP for review. Army Corps of Engineers and the FDEP. In the denial, FDEP indicated that The most important improvements in the plan include:  Adoption of a City of Cape Coral fertilizer ordinance (completed last fall)  Condition-based timing for development of sewers  Changes in the Cape Coral Seawall Engineering Design Standard for Sonny’s Bar-B-Q Hires saltwater canals on the North Spreader system to provide structure that is beneficial to marine habitat 103 Cape Coral Residents  Upgrading swales in the area west of Burnt Store Road and south of Kis- met Parkway for better stormwater treatment n ore than 100 Cape Coral residents now have jobs thanks to the opening of M Sonny’s Bar-B-Q on Pine Island Road. While the restaurant “officially” opened on Friday, July 29, Sonny’s began City Utility Workers Save Dollars serving customers a week prior, and the re- sponse from the community has been very positive. on Backwash Filter Project General Manager Alan Horowitz said that 99 percent of his new restaurant ity workers with the City of Cape Coral Utilities Department will staff of 103 was unemployed when they came to interview at Sonny’s. save customers about $60,000 in project costs by completing the “During the interview process, we made a conscious effort to hire unem- C rehab of two, automatic backwash filters in house. The filters at the ployed Cape Coral workers and not individuals looking for second jobs,” Everest Water Reclamation Facility have been said Horowitz. “With this unsettled economy, we wanted to help get our in use for 22 years. local people back to work.” The City began work on rehabbing the Sonny’s opened in the building previously occupied by Uno Chicago two filters after receiving approval from City Grill at 738 SW Pine Island Road. Sonny’s paid back taxes and an outstand- Council to move forward. Rather than using ing water bill from the previous owners, which had resulted in a lien on an outside contractor to perform the work, the property. Horowitz said they had a few delays due to some contractor Utilities staff removed the filter media (sand issues but he had high praise for the City of Cape Coral. and anthracite) using City equipment and “I cannot thank the City of Cape Coral enough for their assistance in labor. The scope of work included limited getting this restaurant open,” said Horowitz. “The City staff was fantastic engineering, sandblasting, caulking, coating and professional, and helped us work through any issue that arose.” and replacement of filter plates. Horowitz found none of the permitting and inspection challenges that Staff has realized additional savings by us- he heard to expect when opening a business in Cape Coral. ing leftover sand, anthracite and filter plates, Jeff Pearson “We are extremely pleased to have Sonny’s in Cape Coral and to hear which remained as surplus material from the how City staff assisted with getting their business opened,” said Mayor John recent expansion of the Southwest Water Reclamation Facility. The project Sullivan. “It is reassuring to know that our efforts to be more business- is budgeted for $325,000; however, with these savings, City staff expects the friendly and to make the permitting process seamless and painless are entire project to come in under this budgeted amount. being realized.” “This is another example of how our Utilities staff takes the initiative to Prior to opening the restaurant on Pine Island Road, the closest Sonny’s get projects done at the lowest possible cost, and in the process, save dol- location for Cape Coral residents was on Winkler Road in Fort Myers. n lars for our ratepayers,” said Utilities Director Jeff Pearson. n 14 FALL 2011 www.capecoral.net

City Receives Approval to Reduce Deep Well Testing to Monthly Basis Change will save dollars and irrigation water during dry season he City of Cape Coral has received permission from the Florida tion water during high production/low demand times when storage capacity is Department of Environmental Protection to discontinue weekly deep exceeded. Rather than discharge the water into the Caloosahatchee River, the T injection well testing at the Everest Wastewater Reclamation Facility City can pump excess irrigation water down the deep injection well for dispos- and move to monthly testing only. The change will divert at least 3.9 million al. Once the water is pumped into the well, it cannot be recovered. gallons of reclaimed water to irrigation customers each month and save about The deep injection well officially was placed into service for testing last year, $9,600 per year in lab costs. and Cape Coral was required to conduct weekly deep well injection testing for “We know that 3.9 million gallons of water each month is not a large a minimum of six months before a permanent permit can be requested. The amount when you look at our typical demand for irrigation,” said Utilities testing requires pumping 20 percent of the average daily flow down the well, Director Jeff Pearson. “But every additional drop of irrigation water we can which was about 1.3 million gallons per week. Now that the City can move to produce at our facilities will help us through the dry season.” monthly testing, that frees 3.9 million gallons of irrigation water to be used by The deep injection well at Everest is used as an alternate disposal for irriga- customers. ■

Florida Public Records Code Shifting Responsibility for Law Has Long History Mowing of Abandoned Properties s most of our residents know, we have been inundated with fore- any Florida residents are familiar with the state of Florida’s Public closed properties during the past few years. Code Compliance has Records Law, which makes nearly every document created by a A been doing a phenomenal job at keeping these properties mowed M government entity available for public view. What residents may to prevent them from falling into deeper blight conditions. Despite some not know is that Florida’s insistence on transparency was codified in 1909, overwhelming challenges to keeping making Florida public records law the oldest in the country. up with all of the overgrowth, Code On March 3, 1845, Florida became the 27th state in the United States of implemented several plans to address America. In 1909, they officially enacted the nation’s first Open Records Law. the onslaught of foreclosures and the Less than 60 years later, Florida established another “first” when the state subsequent code issues. Legislature passed the first Open Meetings Law in 1967.  Property Registration Program – Even as far back as 1889, there is evidence of a Florida Court deciding Code required banks to register bank- whether a record is public in the case Bell v Kendrick, 6 So. 868 (Fla. 1889). owned foreclosure properties with the City and provide the name of who is The court records state: [W]henever a written record of the transactions of a responsible for maintenance of the property and the contact for violations. public officer is a convenient and appropriate mode of discharging the duties  Increased teamwork and cooperation among the City staff, property of his office, it is not only his right, but his duty, to keep that written memo- preservation companies and banks. rial...and, when kept, it becomes a public document — a public record —  Decreased timelines for getting properties mowed. belonging to the office, and not the officer.  Used volunteers for general maintenance. It is the tradition of our state to keep the public informed of the workings  Elevated the stature of mowing liens to ensure better chance to recover costs. of their government. The basic principal is that the records a governmental All of these efforts have shown great success. However, at this time, agency possesses have been paid for by the taxpayer. It would be only logi- Code Compliance is working to shift responsibility for mowing these prop- cal to think that a purchaser of goods would want to be able to know what erties from City government (and taxpayers) to the property preservation they have purchased. Therefore, it is our duty as a governmental agency to companies/banks. provide these documents when requested in keeping with the rich tradition The result of the shift in responsibility may mean it will take a bit longer of the state of Florida. to get a property mowed. But it also means that the City will be using less Our City Clerk’s Office prides themselves of your tax dollars to mow privately owned properties. Code expects the on their responsiveness to the public and time to get a property mowed will be extended to 30 days rather than the their adherence not only to the statutory 19 days currently in place. This is due to paperwork that is required by requirements of the Florida Public Records banks and property preservation companies to pay contractors to mow and Law but also the spirit of open government. maintain the properties. This change will probably impact a limited num- For more information on Cape Coral pub- ber of properties in the foreclosure process since the majority of foreclo- lic records, contact the City Clerk’s Office at sures now are in a routine maintenance schedule with these companies. 574-0411. Public records also can be requested Please be patient as it will take longer for any newly foreclosed home to get online from the Clerk’s Office. Go to the main established with a mowing schedule. The good news is that these properties will portal at www.capecoral.net and under “Publi- not be neglected and City taxpayers will not foot the bill for their maintenance. cations” in the navigation bar, select “Forms.” n If you have questions or concerns, please call Code Compliance at 574-0613. n www.capecoral.net FALL 2011 15

Sun Splash to Wrap Up Underground Power Line Successful Season Project in CRA Continues hanks to everyone in the community, Sun Splash Family Waterpark has had an excellent 2011 season. The park had amazing attendance T all summer and waterpark visitors were protected by our 5-Star award winning lifeguard staff. “Family Fun Nights” have been a huge success, with the park reaching capacity at almost every event. Sun Splash will hold its final “Family Fun Night” of the season on Saturday, September 10 from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. Tick- ets are only $6 per person for Cape Coral residents and $8 per person for non-Cape residents. Admission is on a first-come, first-serve basis, so plan to arrive early. Same day ticket holders will have the option to pay $3 extra to stay for the evening, with food service remain- ing open during that time period. Sun Splash’s last “Aqua Theatre Night” of the season will be held on Friday, Septem- ber 23 from 6-10 p.m. featuring the movie “De- spicable Me” on a giant inflatable movie screen that you can see while floating in the Family Pool. Tickets are $8 for Cape residents and $10 per person for non-residents. Please check our website for Contractors work on the installation of underground power lines. possible special end of season pricing. Sun Splash also had a terrific response this season to its new “Super here has been substantial progress in the past few months on the Snack Card.” With this new card, park guests could pre-purchase their construction of the underground 138KV electric power transmis- choice of 10 food/beverage items for only $25 (less 15 percent for Season T sion line from Del Prado Boulevard to the South Cape Substation Pass Holders) – providing up to $15 savings per card over in-park prices. As in the CRA District. All three of the access vaults and about 1,900 feet of of August 1, more than 1,200 “Super Snack Cards” had been sold. the underground conduit are completed. There is still some time to splash into Sun Splash. The waterpark is open The new transmission line will connect the substation in the CRA to weekends, Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. through September the Everest substation and complete a power transmission loop between 25. Stop by and cool off, and look for some late-season specials and group major substations throughout the city. This loop will provide alternate deals. Visit our website at www.sunsplashwaterpark.com to find money sav- power sources to the CRA area for increased system reliability and reduce ing offers and register to receive free email updates. Also follow Sun Splash the potential for overloading the system. The project, including repaving, on Facebook and Twitter, or call (239) 574-0558. n is expected to be completed in December. n

Habitat Conservation Plan Full Day Children’s Programs Nearing Completion on “Schools Out” Days he Habitat Conservation Plan draft is complete, and the final re- hen school is out, Parks & Recreation is open to fill in with fun view will soon be forwarded to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service activities. The Youth Services Division offers full-day child care T for their review. Once that final draft document has been reviewed W to students in grades K-8 on the days when school is not in ses- by USFWS, requested changes will be made to the document. The final sion. Fall program dates are September 5, 29 and 30; October 17; No- draft Plan will be brought back before Council this fall for approval. If vember 11, 23 and 25. The cost is $26 per day for Cape Coral residents approved, the Conservation Plan will be returned to the USFWS for final or $39 per day for non-residents. review. Participants will enjoy day trips, indoor and outdoor activities, Because the Habitat Conservation Plan includes the Florida scrub jay crafts, organized group games and more. Parents should provide their mitigation requirement, the City must complete an Incidental Take Permit children with a nutritious lunch and two snacks each day. A pizza application. The Incidental Take Permit will take about one year to gain lunch will be provided by Parks & Recreation on non-travel days. approval from the USFWS. Mitigation activities for the Florida scrub jay Please contact the Youth Center at (239) 242-3950 for more informa- on the Lee County 20/20 property will begin once the Take Permit has tion and to reserve your child’s spot. n been approved by the USFWS. n 16 FALL 2011 www.capecoral.net Sun Splash Scores 5-Star Safety Rating Twice Within a Month

he staff at Sun Splash Family Waterpark received a 5-star safety rat- maintain our ing from Starfish Aquatics Institute after unannounced audits were visitors’ safety T conducted twice within a one-month period. The 5-star rating is when they come the highest rating awarded by the Institute, and Sun Splash has received the to Sun Splash,” 5-star rating each year of its seven-year association with Starfish Aquatics. said Recreation A Starfish auditor arrived unannounced at the facility on June 14 and Superintendent July 6 as a “guest” and videotaped four Sun Splash lifeguards and their job Keith Locklin. performance. Lifeguards must conduct themselves professionally, have The audit proper sun protection and rescue equipment, and maintain coverage of their scores consist specific zones. The four lifeguards under surveillance received 5 stars. of a combina- “This illustrates that our waterpark staff is well-trained and prepared to tion of the video surveillance of lifeguards, three skill scenarios, aquatic manage- Customer Billing Services ment, and park safety (signage, water clarity, cleanliness, etc). The overall score can be 0 to 5 Relocates to City Hall stars with 5 being the highest. The aquatics auditor who conducted the July audit was from Glenview, ustomer Billing Services has relocated to City Hall. Over Labor IL and was auditing Sun Splash for the first time. The auditor provided very Day weekend, the office moved from its location at 1490 NE Pine positive feedback about the facility’s safety levels and commented that Sun C Island Road back to City Hall on Cultural Park Boulevard. The Splash Family Waterpark was raising the bar for the rest of the waterpark move will be more convenient to customers since Customer Billing Servic- industry. n es now will be in the same location as many other City-provided services. The relocation also provides significant dollar savings by eliminating the lease obligation for the office on Pine Island Road. “The Pine Island Road location served our customers well for over five years but moving back to City Hall will be better for our customers,” said Parks & Recreation Online Bill Boyd, Customer Billing and Assessment Services manager. Customer Billing Services hours of operation also will change. The new Registration System Upgraded hours will be 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday. Customer Billing Services provides water billing services for more than he Cape Coral Parks & Recreation Department recently upgraded its 55,000 accounts and tax-billed assessment services for more than 300,000 WebTrac online registration system to make it easier for customers stormwater/solid waste/lot mowing accounts. The office also manages the to learn about and sign up for Parks & Recreation programs. Web- n T loan services for more than 8,000 accounts. Trac software is a real-time connection to RecTrac and GolfTrac Tee Times, which allows customers to have 24/7 access. Some of the new features of the upgraded version of WebTrac include:  The “forgot password” piece is simpler than the previous version. You can Junior Golf Association Program a enter your email address, and if the system finds a match, it will immediately email the user id and password to the email address on file. Huge Success  Customers now have the ability to sign in as a registered user who is permitted to “Shop,” or as a guest who is able to “Browse” first, then register he Cape Coral Junior and log in. Golf Association  Customers are able to view their own household enrollments, member- T Junior Golf Program ships, reservations, account balances, calendars and childcare statements. was held this past June and  Transactions made online now include real-time criteria, restriction, and July. The program was very availability checking, resulting in complete orders with no manual review popular with 250 children required. registered and an average of  With SSL and Firewall, WebTrac offers security and privacy by requiring a 173 children per week. Coral user name and password to enter the website. Oaks staff wants to thank all To access the upgraded WebTrac software and sign up for Parks & Rec- the volunteers who make this reation programs, go to www.capeparks.com and click on the “Sign Up” community program so suc- link under “Register Online” in the left column. For more information, call cessful. n (239) 573-3128. n www.capecoral.net FALL 2011 17 Cape Coral Seeking Global Businesses for Foreign Trade Zones f you are a Cape Coral business that exports products or services, our ness does not have to pay U.S. Customs duty charges on imported products or Economic Development Office wants to talk to you. The Economic materials, which eventually will be re-exported. This could save your company I Development Office wants to publicize and brag about the Cape Cor- thousands of dollars in fees. al “global businesses” in our future marketing materials. Please call Economic Since 1997, these Foreign Trade Zones have been administered by Southwest Development Office at (239) 574-0444 or email us at [email protected]. Florida International Airport. They are located in Cape Coral in the Mid-Cape If you own a business and are interesting in exporting, then we also want to Industrial Park and North Cape Industrial Park. To take advantage of these talk to you. Our Economic Development staff has been working with the U.S. zones, you must be registered with the Airport, and your business must be Commercial Service (U.S. Department of Commerce), SW Florida Interna- physically located in a Foreign Trade Zone. tional Airport and Enterprise Florida to make local companies aware of the According to the U.S. Commercial Service, companies that export grow 15 benefits of exporting. If you are thinking about exporting, Economic Devel- percent faster, pay 15 percent higher wages and are 12 percent more profitable opment has resources that can help you with information, export plans and than those that do not export. Companies that export goods typically are not nation-specific trade representatives. as adversely affected by an economic downturn as other businesses. By export- This past June, the Economic Development Office sponsored an Interna- ing, you have the ability to place your product or service in markets that are tional Trade Summit, and about 100 business owners attended the event. experiencing above-average growth, which can extend your product’s life cycle. With more than 45,000 companies in Florida that export, the state is second If you have any interest in exporting your goods or services, please call the only to California in exports. Economic Development Office at (239) 574-0444. You also can visit the web- One of Cape Coral’s best assets for the exporting business is our two For- site at www.bizcapecoral.com for the International Trade Resources located eign Trade Zones. The advantage of a Foreign Trade Zone is that your busi- under the “Business Resources” tab. n

Membrane Replacement at RO Plant Produces Public Works Collects Canned Big Savings in Energy and Labor Costs Food for Cape Coral Caring Center membrane replacement project completed by crews at the City of Cape Coral’s Southwest Reverse Osmosis Plant has produced A significant energy and labor cost savings for water customers. The new membranes were installed in 2010 and have reduced energy consump- tion by $88,545 per year, the City’s largest energy reduction project. In addition to the energy savings, the City saved about $33,600 in labor costs by using in-house staff rather than an outside contractor to load and install the membranes. mployees with the Public Works Maintenance Division did more “The replacement of these membranes was long overdue, and our Utilities than just participate in their annual special luncheon this year, team did an excellent job planning and completing the project at a significant E which is funded from their soda and snack sales at Everest Annex. cost savings,” said City Manager Gary King. “The annual energy savings While the luncheon is held to recognize the employees’ hard work during alone from these new membranes will provide a payback on the initial project the year, this year’s luncheon was a little bit different. cost in only 3.7 years.” On August 2, the staff invited eight members of the City’s Special Pops In the reverse osmosis process, semi-permeable membranes are used to program to attend the luncheon as a “thank you” gesture for their hard work. separate the salts from the brackish water. The reverse osmosis membranes The staff also added an “admission fee” to the luncheon for employees. The fee? work much like a coffee filter with coffee grinds, although these membranes Two canned food donations for the Cape Coral Caring Center. repel the salts rather than collect them on the membrane filter itself. The “We wanted to do something for our Special Pops participants who always standard warranty on these membranes is 3 years, and the average lifespan is have a smile for us when they come around with the recycling program,” said 5 – 7 years. The membranes at the Southwest plant were 12 years old, which Chris Camp, Public Works Engineer. “We also thought it would be nice to use far exceeded their recommended lifespan and raised concerns of a membrane the luncheon as an opportunity to collect canned goods for the Cape Coral failure. In July 2010, City Council approved the replacement of the old Caring Center at a time of the year when people may not be thinking about the membranes with the purchase of 840 new, more-efficient membranes. The Center’s needs.” new membranes use less pressure and horsepower, which results in an energy The division’s goal was to collect 300 cans of food from their 120 employees savings that is equivalent to the annual power usage of 48 homes. The cost for (hoping some employees would bring more than two cans). Employees were the new membranes was $326,760. more than generous, donating 462 canned food items, which were picked up by “Our City staff continues to embrace the goal of reducing our energy use the Cape Coral Caring Center and added to their food pantry. by 10 percent by 2012,” added King. “As this project illustrates, when we work “The employees’ response to the canned food ‘fee’ was better than I ex- toward achieving this goal, we also can produce additional savings within our pected,” added Camp. “Plus, the attendance of our Special Populations friends overall operations. This is good news for our citizens.”n made this year’s luncheon much more enjoyable.” n 18 FALL 2011 www.capecoral.net Doing Any Work Around the House? Make Sure You Hire Licensed Contractors

re you planning to remodel your home? If so, make sure you hire a ness and Professional Regulation or the Citizen’s Action Center (574- licensed contractor and secure the proper permits. Although 0425) to check the license before hiring a contractor. A it might be tempting to use unlicensed contractors because n Always be wary of a deal that sounds too good to be true. they usually charge less, the cost to repair the work or the exposure n Obtain more than two estimates. to liability can be overwhelming. n Do not give in to high pressure sales as it is your home and Here are some of the dangers of hiring unlicensed contractors: hard-earned money. n Work is done without the required permit(s), which means no n Be careful of door-to-door sales people. They need a ped- inspection to ensure compliance with state and local building codes. dler’s license, so ask to see it. n Poor workmanship. n If you notice anything suspicious call Code Compliance at n The property owner becomes liable for injuries of workers. 574-0613. n n No recourse to recover lost funds or damages. n No warranties.

When considering hiring a contractor, here are some tips to protect you from these risks: Cape Coral Receives 10-year n Ask to see the contractor’s license – licensed contractors will be proud to show their license as they worked hard for it. Saltwater Dredge Permit from n Make sure you see a license number on ALL of the contractor’s forms and paperwork, including advertising as this is a requirement. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers n Never pay upfront. n Call Cape Coral’s Licensing Section (574-0726), State Department of Busi- he City of Cape Coral has received a new 10-year saltwater T dredging permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The new per- mit was approved by the Corps after City Manager Gary King and City Business Youth Center Opens Manager Mike Ilczyszyn met with the Army Corps to finalize the specifics for the City’s saltwater dredging permit. The previous permit expired in June 2010, and City staff has been working Additional TIGERS Location with the Army Corps to renew the permit. he Youth Center’s popular TIGERS afterschool program has “This is good news for our residents as we now are able to restart the dredg- expanded to include a new drop-in location near the Midpoint ing program and begin excavating fill from our saltwater canals,” said City T Bridge. The new program location is at Epiphany Episcopal Manager Gary King. “This will increase their capacity for stormwater runoff Church at 2507 Del Prado Boulevard. This convenient location is perfect and improve the navigability of the canals.” for commuting parents, as it is just minutes from the Midpoint Bridge. The City was required to suspend saltwater dredging operations when the TIGERS (Teamwork Involving Group activities, Exercise, renewal process for federal permit extended beyond the June 2010 expiration Recreation and Sports) is an afterschool, drop-in adventure date of the existing permit. The delays were caused by several issues including for children ages 8 – 18. The program includes homework requests from the National Marine Fisheries and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service assistance, daily exercise, recreation games, sports and that the City of Cape Coral address concerns regarding the presence of endan- educational fun. Our City of Cape Coral staff members gered species within the canal system, specifically the small-toothed sawfish are highly trained in recreation and safety and provide and the manatee. After several months of discussion, City staff was able to an educational afterschool experience for children of the sufficiently mitigate the agencies’ concerns. community. The City is in the process of developing a canal dredging master plan The program is offered Monday – Friday from 2 p.m. – 6 and will be working with a private contractor to provide the service – Gator p.m. when school is in session. Free busing is Dredging from Pinellas Park, FL. provided by most local schools. If interested in “While we will continue to oversee the program, the City no longer will be in this new location, contact your school office and the business of dredging saltwater canals,” said King. “Outsourcing the program request the 2507 Del Prado address for your child’s bus stop. The program will provide more efficient service at a cost savings to the stormwater fund.” cost is only $30 per week with no extra registration fees. Call the Wm. Cape Coral has more than 200 miles of saltwater canals and 150 miles of Austen Youth Center at (239) 242-3950 for registration information. Space freshwater canals. The expiration of the saltwater permit did not impact the is limited. n City’s permit for dredging freshwater canals. n www.capecoral.net FALL 2011 19 Police and Fire Unions Reject Tentative Contract Agreements he Cape Coral Fraternal Order These tentative agreements on wages and of Police Lodge 33 and the Cape benefits, along with reductions in other areas T Coral Professional Firefighters could have provided an annualized savings to Union Local 2424 rejected the tentative the City of about $2.6 million. contract agreements reached with the City “This is extremely disappoint- Administration in June. Police rejected ing as we have met for months the tentative agreement on July 29, while and negotiated in good faith Fire rejected the agreement on August 5. with the Police and Fire union In separate negotiations, the City’s leadership,” said City Manager union negotiators and the Police and Fire Gary King. “We thought we had union representatives agreed to a 3 per- reached a good compromise for cent reduction in salary and a 2 percent both sides.” increase in the employee share of their The wages and benefits concessions rejected pension contribution. The increased con- by the Police and Fire unions were similar to the tribution would have reduced the City’s portion by an equivalent 2 percent. concessions ratified earlier this year by the City’s Blue, White, Supervisory and Professional units. The agreement with those four bargaining units produced annualized savings of $2.1 million. “We recognize and appreciate the financial sacrifices that the City’s Blue, White, Supervisory and Professional union membership made to City Council Reduces Scheduled help gain some financial relief for the City,” added King. “They demon- strated their commitment and desire to help our City navigate these dif- Utilities Rate Increase Again ficult economic waters.” The City is meeting with the Police and Fire union representatives to Council has reduced scheduled rate increases determine the next step in the negotiation process. n from 45 percent to 19 percent

n August 22, City Council approved a 5.5 percent rate increase for water and sewer customers effective October 1. This was the sec- O ond significant reduction made by the current Council in previ- Special Events Season Returns ously approved rate increases. In 2009, rate increases of 15 percent each year from October 2010 – ape Coral Parks and Recreation is kicking off its Special Event October 2012 were approved. Last year, Council was able to reduce the 15 season with a full slate of activities. The season begins on Saturday, percent scheduled rate increase to 8 percent annually. This year, City staff C September 10 with a free “Movie in the Park” at Jim Jeffers Park. recommended that Council reduce the 8 percent increase scheduled for Don’t miss this free, family event featuring the movie “Sorcerer’s Appren- October 2011 to 5.5 percent. Staff has been working to improve opera- tice,” shown on a giant inflatable movie screen. The movie starts at about tional efficiencies and reduce costs. With Council direction, staff was able 7 p.m. The Parks and Recreation Department is hosting six movie dates in to recommend a lower increase this year and is optimistic about reducing different parks throughout the season, so plan to pack a picnic basket and the increase even more next year. enjoy a “Movie in the Park” under the stars. Check the Parks website at “We have been able to reduce previously scheduled rate increases of 45 www.capeparks.com for upcoming movies and park locations. percent over three years to just 19 percent,” said City Manager Gary King. October is packed with events includ- “This reduction is saving the average water and sewer customer almost ing the return of the popular Cape Bike $200 this year alone.” n Night. The event will be Saturday, Octo- ber 1 from 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. on SE 47th Terrace in the South Cape. Rock ‘n Roll music will be played on the main stage, and vendors will be available. The annual Columbus Day Parade/ Italian Food Festival will be Saturday, October 8 also along SE 47th Terrace in the South Cape. The Kids Festival returns to Jaycee Park on Saturday, October 29 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Take the time to discover all of the special events Cape Coral offers, and we will see you at the party! If you would like more information, visit the Parks & Recreation website at www.CapeParks.com or call the Special Events Division at (239) 573-3125. n 20 FALL 2011 www.capecoral.net

Cape Residents With “Save Our Homes” Will Avoid Recapture Rule and See Tax Decrease

early 100 percent of Cape Coral residents who have the “Save for many residents. In these situations, SOH rules still applied, so the taxable Our Homes” exemption are no longer subject to the “recapture value on the property was increased by 3 percent or the CPI. This process N rule.” Only 25 of the city’s 39,659 residential properties protected by continued each year as market value dropped until the taxable values and Save Our Homes will be impacted by the recapture rule as market values and market values finally caught up to each other – one going up (taxable value) taxable values for full-time residents are now in alignment. Because these and the other going down (market value). This tax process is called “recap- properties have cleared the recapture hurdle, most Cape Coral residents will turing.” see a tax decrease this year with the current proposed budget by Cape Coral “It took a few years but now all but a handful of our permanent residents City Manager Gary King. are back on equal footing with their taxable value matching their market “For the past few years, our taxable property values have been declining value,” said King. “This means if their value drops this year and our tax rate significantly; however, some of our long-time residents have not seen much remains the same as proposed, most residents will see a tax decrease on the tax relief from the decline due to the recapture rule,” said City Manager Gary City of Cape Coral’s portion of their tax bill.” n King. “We finally have reached the point where everyone is starting over with a lower base on their taxable property value and Save Our Homes.” The “recapture rule” applies to residents who saw their property market values increase substantially during the boom years. Due to “Save Our Homes” protection, the taxable value on these properties could only increase by 3 percent or the CPI, whichever was less. This meant that even if a property’s market value increased by 10 percent in a single year, for taxing purposes, the value only could go up a maximum of 3 percent. This created large gaps between market value and taxable value during these years. As the market values began declining about four years ago, the taxable property values still remained much less than the new, lower market value

Follow Cape Coral Government City Employees Contribute Nearly on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube $12,000 to 2011 United Way Campaign he City of Cape Coral has several social ape Coral City em- media options available for residents to ployees contributed T follow the activities of City government. C $11,866 to the annual Residents who have Facebook accounts can United Way campaign in “like” the City’s Facebook page and read updates 2011. Due to the tight econ- on various topics. More than 1,200 people cur- omy and financial challenges rently “like” the City of Cape Coral’s page. faced by City employees, this The Facebook page also is interlinked with year’s amount was lower than previous years. the City’s Twitter page. Updates posted to the “CapePIO” Twitter account “Clearly, the economy impacted our employees’ ability to donate this also appear on Facebook. Almost 900 people are following the CapePIO’s year,” said Karen Ramos, with the City’s Economic Development Office tweets. and the organization’s United Way campaign coordinator. “We under- Since March, the City’s Public Information Director Connie Barron stand these challenges, and we appreciate those who were able to reach has been recording a 3-minute, weekly news update called “CapeCast.” down and donate money to this campaign.” The video is posted to the CapePIO YouTube account. The videos can be The City of Cape Coral had two “Keel Club” members this year. viewed via computer or smartphone. The CapePIO channel is connected Keel Club members are participants who contribute more than $1,000 to the City’s Facebook page, where the videos automatically are updated through the United Way campaign. each week. To sign up for the City’s Facebook page, go to the www.Facebook.com/ Keel Club Members CapeCoralGov. To sign up to receive tweets from CapePIO, go to www. ■ Connie Barron, Public Information Director twitter.com/CapePIO. To subscribe to the CapePIO YouTube Channel, go ■ Sheena Milliken, Budget Administrator to www.youtube.com/CapePIO. The City is continuing to use evolving technology and social media Thank you to all the City employees who donate not only to the outlets to better communicate with the citizens. Plans are in progress for a United Way campaign but also to other charitable organizations each regular audio “podcast” show and regular video chats. n year. ■