Coral City Council each approved a contract to purchase 43 parcels 19 acres for Bimini Basin East for $40 million-plus Cape Coral City Council acts as the CRA governing commission
The votes to acquire the properties, which are south of Cape Coral Parkway
“We do not intend to be the developer, nor hold the property putting it back out on the market for the price of the land for someone to acquire.”
CRA Executive Director Michael Ilczyszyn, who also serves as the city’s manager
Parkwa, were unanimous.
“We do not intend to be the developer, nor hold the property putting it back out on the market for the price of the land for someone to acquire,” said CRA Executive
Early voting starts Saturday
By CJ HADDAD
cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com
ith the 2024 General Election just months away, voters throughout the county can begin the process of finalizing the ballot by voting early in primary races
Early voting in person will be held ahead of the Aug 20 primary from Saturday, Aug 10, to Saturday, Aug 17, at 12 locations throughout the county from 10 a m to 6 p m daily
“We are absolutely prepared to begin Early Voting, and our trained and dedicated poll workers and staff are ready to assist voters,” said Lee County Supervisor of Elections, Tommy Doyle “Early voting offers great flexibility and convenience Precinct voting is not required during early voting, and there are multiple days of voting to choose from ”
Voters who have cast a ballot via a mail-in ballot
See EARLY VOTING, page 40
Early voting
Early voting in person will be held ahead of the Aug 20 primary from Saturday, Aug 10, to Saturday, Aug 17, at 12 locations throughout the county from 10 a m to 6 p m daily
The interlocal agreement between the two entities is to enter into a contract for the sale and purchase with Bimini Center o f C
Condominium Association to purchase Bimini East for $40,089,504.
Teacher and bus driver shortages among the challenges ahead
By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breeznewspapers com
More than 100,000 students will walk through the doors of their school Monday morning, starting another school year a year into which the district staff has put a tremendous amount of preparation
“We just so greatly take pride in trying
Ken Savage said of parents “It’s such
entrust their children
know full well what it is like, I have two children in second grade ” His excitement for a new year kicking off boils into his own two children entering second grade and all the activities that go along with it meeting the teachers, walking them to their classroom on the first day
As with past years, this year has its challenges
As of Thursday morning, the district has 170 teacher vacancies, a number that was 211 this time last year
“Every single vacancy matters to us,” Savage said, adding they would love for those career changers who want to become
Dr. Ken Savage
Cape Coral continues discussion on FY ’25 budget
By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com
Cape Coral officials continue to hone the city budget for next year with a document reflecting the City Council approved 5 2188 “half back” millage rate to come to the table
The half-back rate is lower than the 5 3126 mills proposed by the city manager but higher than the “rollback” rate; the rate at which overall revenue from property taxes would remain flat
Financial Services Director Mark Mason said the Council made an adjustment to the property tax rate two weeks ago, which was not included in Tuesday’s budget workshop presentation
The 2025 proposed budget – $984,115,107 – presented included the rate of 5 3216, which is a decrease from 5 3694 mills in the current budget
One mill is equal to $1 for every $1,000 of assessed taxable valuation
Property taxes are one component of the city tax bill
The budget discussed at the workshop again had fire service assessment revenue remaining at 70% cost recov-
ery, an 11% increase in water and sewer rates, a 4 93% increase in stormwater rates and a 14 7% increase in solid waste rates
Mason said there also were lot mowing program adjustments
The presentation also went into a deeper dive within different departments, some of which have requested additional staffing
The FY 25 budget includes 66 44 positions at a total cost of $6,071,409 The general fund proposed positions includes six for the city attorney, two for the city auditor, 12 for police, 9 44 for administration and 2 70 for fire general fund
“In the last five, six years, we have seen a decline in the number of full-time equivalent employees per 1,000 residents It’s simply an observation,” Mason said, adding that the population has grown significantly since 2020 “We are now 227,000 ”
There was a great deal of discussion about the six proposed city attorney positions at a cost of $923,945 Those positions included one administrative clerk, one assistant city attorney II, one city attorney office manager, one police legal advisor/assistant city attorney, one senior assistant city attorney and one senior paralegal
City Attorney Aleksandr Boksner said he has dynamically shifted the roles to meet the legal demands of the city He said to reduce outside counsel from having to be utilized, he has proposed the six additional positions
“My proposal is to bring us on par and bring us to a level to where the city should have been address growth, complexity of work regarding the projects, but also further development in CRA, entertainment and downtown,” Boksner said “That is what I believe is necessary to meet the legal needs of the city and to ensure they do not go by the wayside ”
Council gave a consensus to move forward with a city attorney office manager, senior assistant city attorney and police legal advisor positions
“What I am trying to establish is the right attorneys that will be able to succeed in the future years to come if I am not here I have to move the chess pieces accordingly,”
Boksner said
Another department that received a good amount of discussion was the city auditor
A consensus was also reached to keep the two internal auditors in the budget for City Auditor Andrea Russell’s request
“Both of these positions are entry level I think this is important I don’t think this should be one of the things we cut We can put more resources into it and get more,” Councilmember Jessica Cosden said “Get more resources into the audit office and get more audits back. Audits are important They save money, increase productivity and reduce liability ”
Cosden said the city auditor department has not been well staffed since she has been with the city for nine years
“I would really like to see this happen,” she said
Another department that received a lot of discussion was from the Police Department, as it had 12 position requests for $1,138,530
“This November it will be four years for me in this position,” Police Chief Tony Sizemore said “When I assumed the position of police chief, we were significantly behind in personnel to be able to accomplish expectations and goals for the community We have made great strides and continue to make great strides ”
His requests are needs, not wants, he said
For professional staff, Sizemore is asking for a 911 operator, one crime analyst, one customer service representative and one IT systems administrator As far as sworn officers the request is for six investigative police officers, one community services police officer and one patrol police officer
The crime analyst, Sizemore said is for child sex crime and internet sex crime type of cases There has been an exponential increase in these types of crimes, he said
With the high volumes and seriousness of these type of investigations, Sizemore said they cannot afford to miss, or misstep any of them
The IT systems administrator would help with the high dollar software and hardware programs that will be fully operational come October
“When this goes fully live you get full-time troub l e w i t h
Sizemore said
As far as the sworn side of position requests, he said is due to the big uptick within the special victim’s unit.
includes construction fraud, as well as narcotics activity
The community service p
assigned in the same bureau as School Resource Officers as there has been an uptick in threats
Although City Council said they would support the five officers for the traffic unit, Sizemore said he has the ability to replicate a traffic unit through innovative ways
The city will continue to hold discussion on the budget with two public hearings to follow
The first public hearing will be held Thursday, Sept 12, at 5:05 p.m. to approve the tentative millage rates and proposed budget
The final public hearing will be held at 5:05 p m Thursday, Sept 26
The city budget document may be found at capecoral gov/department/financial services/office of management and budget php
More than 100,000 students will head back to school on Monday as the new school year begins
It’s said that each year brings a fresh start, a new beginning, for children and educators alike
This year, maybe more than ever, we are among those who hope this is more promise than platitude
For too many children are not doing well when it comes to educational basics, too many are falling behind as the School District of Lee County itself acknowledged in June as the last school year wrapped up.
As reported by education reporter Meghan Bradbury:
The district earned its lowest ranking ever ninth among the top 10 districts for the 2022-2023 school year
The third-grade achievement ranking went from 13th among the largest 25 districts in the state in 2016-17 to 22nd
For the 10 largest districts for math, the district ranks ninth
For the 2022-2023 school year, the district had an 85 1% graduation rate, a ranking of 47th statewide
What does this mean on the student level?
We will use those third grade numbers
Only 27% of third graders were proficient in reading at grade level with a whopping 52% scoring below the minimum “passing” benchmark, according to test score data compiled for the Florida Department of Education
Only 37% were proficient in math with 44% scoring below the minimum “passing” benchmark
The numbers were abysmal as they have been for too many years, predating COVID, predating Hurricane Ian School Board member Melisa Giovannelli summed up succinctly the information presented to the board in June:
“We have been neglecting children for 12 years Our job is to identify deficiencies and do something about it The data is quite clear and for me I have always spoken about identifying the problems and taking ownership I am prepared to move forward today because we can’t waste another year. Let’s do something about it I don’t know how you go about making a meaningful change without really doing change It’s about the
This week’s poll question: What do you think of Vice President Kamala Harris’ choice of Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate ?
Good choice.
∫ I had another choice in mind but I have no issue with the ticket ∫ Poor choice
∫ Doesn’t matter to me I’m not
Make plan so you are ready to vote
As your Supervisor of Elections, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of participating in your primary elections
The upcoming Aug 20 primary election is your opportunity to become an active participant in shaping the future of our government at all levels
This year, every voter will have something to vote on Ballots will include partisan and nonpartisan races, as well as two universal primary contests
Given the significance of the races being decided in the primary, it is unfortunate that voter turnout remains historically low for primary elections
Florida’s Election Code provides you with three different voting options You can vote by mail, vote in person during the flexible Early Voting schedule or vote in person on Election Day As a reminder,
National Purple Heart Day
To the editor:
Guest Commentary
precinct on Election Day.
In our summer newsletter, we have provided a guide that includes everything you need to know for the Aug 20 primary election I encourage you to read it thoroughly, ensure your information is current with my office, request your Vote-by-Mail ballot as your just-in-case insurance policy and make your plan so you are ready to vote!
Newsletter.
Supervisor of Elections For more information, visit https://www lee vote/ or call 239-533-8683
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
waste of taxpayer dollars I suspect that any other city employee who cost the city $100,000 would be fired on the spot
∫
press time: 133 votes Percentages are “rounded ” Poll results are not scientific and represent only the opinions of Internet users who have chosen to participate
On Wednesday, Aug 7, our nation honored those service members who were awarded the Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is awarded to those service members who have been either wounded or killed as a result of enemy action while serving in the United States Military A Purple Heart is a solemn distinction and means a service member has greatly sacrificed themselves, or paid the ultimate price, while in the line of duty
Many Purple Heart Monuments across the United States bear the saying, “MY STONE IS RED FOR THE BLOOD THEY SHED THE MEDAL I WEAR IS MY COUNTRY’S WAY TO SHOW THEY CARE IF I COULD BE SEEN BY ALL MANKIND, MAYBE PEACE WILL COME IN MY LIFETIME ”
May we as Americans, remember why we mark National Purple Heart Day and the sacrifices of our nation’s veterans
Let us set aside all of the tumultuous campaign political rhetoric by honoring and recognizing the true meaning of sacrifice made by our nation’s heroes in the protection of our nation’s freedoms.
For those who fought for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know FREEDOM IS NOT FREE
Most people in life never get a chance to meet their heroes, I served and continue to serve with mine
A special thank you to all our nation’s veterans for their service and sacrifice
And, a special thank you to the city of Cape Coral for the display of the Purple Heart Banners on Cape Coral Parkway Jack Wagner, Commander Chapter 696 (Lee, Collier & Hendry Counties)
The Military Order of the Purple Heart Cape Coral
A waste of taxpayer money
To the editor:
In October 2023, a Cape Coral citizen spoke his piece criticizing a policy of the City Council at an open council meeting When he returned to his seat, he turned his back on council showing the same disrespect towards council that he felt they were showing him
The mayor, acting alone, requested that the man turn around in his seat When he refused the mayor, again acting alone, had the citizen removed from the meeting When the citizen tried to attend another meeting, he was shown the door by the police department as per instructions from the mayor. When he attempted to attend a third meeting he was arrested by the CCPD, again on instructions from the mayor
The charges against him were dismissed for insufficient evidence As could be easily foreseen the citizen then sued the city for violating his First and Fourth Amendment rights
The Cape Coral Breeze now tells us that the city has settled the lawsuit at a cost of $100,000 to the taxpayers of Cape Coral
I believe that the Mayor should resign immediately for this
George Starner Cape Coral
Cape Coral City Budget for FY 2025
To the editor:
I was reminded of a Mark Twain quote this weekend: There are three kinds of lies; lies, damn lies and statistics. How true when it comes to our city leaders and how they describe the budget changes from the prior year The first statistic they use is that they have never raised the millage rate and have lowered it this year This implies that they are reducing property taxes The only comparison to judge a tax dollar increase is the rolled-back millage rate that is mandated by the state to be produced to give the public a “true” picture of whether the city is increasing taxes The rolled-back millage rate for FY2025 is 5 0888 The proposed budget is for a millage rate of 5 3126 The proposed millage rate gives the city $18 2 million or 13 7% more to spend than last year’s record adopted budget. Last year they increased property taxes by $16 6 million or 14 3% Did keeping the millage rate the same or lowering it reduce tax dollars? I think not
The second statistic I hear from our city leaders is that we reduced the budget from last year This implies that they cut cost They have not, they are increasing true cost substantially this year They tout budget reductions simply because of timing of long-term debt, mainly for utility expansion and new parks overruns last year In FY 2025 they are proposing to add 67 more employees, adding more projects that will take forever to get done and buying more land No cuts!
As it is an election year, the council will most likely approve the rolled-back millage rate that will save existing homeowner some tax dollars over last year’s increase. Unfortunately, the council is also supporting raising all three of the assessments that are tacked on to your property tax bill In my case they are raising those assessments 13% Everyone should have received your assessment notice this week showing what you will be paying this coming fall They don’t show what you paid last year, so you must figure out the increase yourself The TRIM notice gives us three comparisons, what we paid last year, the rolled-back rate and the proposed rate impact to our tax bill Why can’t the city show the change from the prior year for assessments; they don’t want you to know
Tom Shadrach Past chair of the Budget Review Committee
Tommy Doyle
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: LOCAL RACES - ELECTION 2024
Vote Pease
To the editor:
I am writing this letter in support of Charlie Pease for District 5 Cape Coral City Council I feel he is the best candidate by far in this race. He is young, vibrant and truely a pillar of the community He is in charge of the only trade school in Cape Coral and has demonstrated a commitment to countless young men and women to succeed in the trade industry Charlie has successfully collaborated with many prominent people in our city and you could not find a better friend to represent people’s needs when it come to the parks and recreation department He is lobbying daily to bring new programs to teach, such as marine engine repair which, in turn, will bring new companies to build their products right here in Cape Coral
The current councilman in District 5, Robert Welsh, is busy voting on stipends and out-of-control sending Welsh supported revamping the 11-acre Jaycee Park, disrupting the surrounding neighborhood which has been thriving for more than 40 years On Wednesday he said he does not support it as the plans now presented I’m sure 90% of these residents just want to be left alone
So, here is a chance to put a reliable, home-grown resident to represent all the residents with transparency, commitment and most of all common sense Vote Charlie Pease for District 5, Cape Coral City Council, a man who has a plan for all the residents of our great city
Chris Cammarota Cape Coral
Vote Kilraine
To the editor:
It is time for the voters of Cape Coral to elect QUALIFIED individuals to the Council
When anyone looks at the qualifications of current Cape Coral Council members, it is shocking how ill-educated and unqualified to run or administrate the $1 billion Cape Coral budget
Two members only have a high school education with no background in how to run anything remotely as complex as running a city One is a social worker with no expertise in finances or planning, one a journalist, two are Realtors (the last thing we need on our council), one is an attorney, but not a corporate or financial attorney So how are they qualified to run a city with a $1 billion budget? Now answer this if you owned a company with a $1 billion annual budget, would you give control of it to totally unqualified individuals?
But fear not We have a candidate who came out of retirement because of the many, many issues with this city, the least of which is the council’s total disregard for the will of the people they supposedly represent And unlike council members who have full time jobs and for whom Council pay is just an add-on to their current structured full-time jobs, Joe Kilraine will be laser focused on the responsibilities of the Council FULL TIME. Among his objectives are to rescind the massive stipend the current council voted for themselves Joe Kilraine will NOT take the stipend unlike his District 5 opponent Robert Welsh who voted against the stipend (after he knew the Consent Agenda already had to votes to pass it) BUT IS TAKING THE MONEY
Now for Joe Kilraine’s qualifications and accomplishments He has 45 years business experience and the following degrees: BS Chemical Engineering; MS Chemical Engineering; MS Polymer-Materials Engineering (plasticsceramics-metallurgy) Lehigh University, MBA University of Scranton and PHD Business Administration (contracts) UCAL Western Built, staffed and operated successfully, the
youngest Plant Manager ever in a Fortune 100 Corp with responsibility over $1 billion and directorship of three additional facilities
His Water Quality and geo-structure expertise directly applicable to the Cape's water challenges No one else running for council comes close to these qualifications He is a no-nonsense candidate who came from humble beginnings but achieved incredible successes
Cape Coral needs this man of integrity to represent the people with no hidden agendas and actually LISTEN to the people
Marie Kavanaugh
Cape Coral
Time for a change in Lee County Commission District 5
To the editor:
The Buckingham community recently hosted a Meet the Candidates event for Lee County Commission District 5 The incumbent, Mike Greenwell, has been noticeably absent from such events in the past, but surprisingly attended this meeting At one point, he stated that he “doesn’t need this position ” Apparently, he is making a sacrifice for the people, and we should feel fortunate?
Most of the people in Eastern Lee County feel anything but fortunate Mr Greenwell is performing like a man that doesn’t want or need his job not very well! Since our County Commissioners only meet for their regular meetings two times a month, I would expect them to attend every meeting Greenwell has only attended 73% of the meetings year to date
It appears he has a very cozy relationship with the other commissioners and some developers His campaign manager heads the campaigns of three other sitting commissioners and is the lobbyist for Neal Communities Neal is attempting to build a thousand-plus homes in cluster communities off North River Road in the rural Alva community and the current commissioners have approved their plans so far, despite significant resident opposition
A handful of wealthy people will make a lot of money with this development, but our entire county will feel the impact of this huge density increase with even worse traffic, increased crime, and decreased services. Lee County will be impacted negatively, and Alva will forever be changed from a quiet rural community to a bustling, congested urban sprawl
All Lee County Republicans can have a voice in the Aug 20 election This race is county-wide It’s time for a change Vote Amanda Cochran for Lee County Commissioner District 5
Elizabeth Adams Alva
Vote Sheridan Chester
To the editor:
Vote for Sheridan Chester for Lee County School Board District 7 at large
Vote in the Aug 20 Primary If Sheridan gets 50% of the vote plus one then she is on the school board
Her vision is simple: empower teachers, engage parents, and ensure every student has access to a high-quality education She believes in safe, supportive learning environments, innovative educational practices, and transparent communication with the community
The Lee County School Board has been failing our children Comprised of mostly non-educators, the current board has failed to stem the drastic teacher shortage, has gone beyond state mandates to remove books from classrooms, and rejects a culture of tolerance and inclusion. This in a district
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
that has a 60% minority enrollment
Sheridan Chester is a master educator, a dedicated public servant who has been teaching the children of Lee County for 23 years, as a Middle School Substitute Teacher, the last two years teaching GED Chester was twice named “Teacher of the Year for Middle School ”
She has served her community as mentor for Dress for Success, Footsteps to the Future, and the African Caribbean American Center (AFCAAM) She has worked in the State Attorney’s Office advocating for survivors of domestic violence, and was twice named Woman of the Year, Royal Palms Chapter, American Businesswomen’s Association
Lee County School Board needs at least one representative who has taught in our schools Sheridan knows what our students and families need and is superbly prepared to deliver Dennis Raube Fort Myers
Amanda
Cochran
will fight for you
To the editor:
We have two Republican candidates running for County Commissioner District 5
I know very little about the person running for reelection, Mike Greenwell, and it’s not for a lack of trying Early on, I repeatedly offered Commissioner Greenwell the opportunity to come and speak at one of our Southwest Florida Business Alliance meetings The publisher of The Roar offered him monthly article space to share everything he was doing for us, his constituents After multiple attempts at outreach, we were ultimately told via his assistant: “Commissioner Greenwell said he would reach out to you if he is able to speak or write ” You’ll be shocked to learn that he never found the time to speak or write even once in the past two and a half years
Amanda Cochran is Greenwell’s primary opponent Amanda’s from Alva, and like a lot of us, she doesn’t like how we’re being represented or the direction Lee County is headed A trait I find admirable in Amanda is that she initially had no interest in public office, but seeing no one else stepping up, she jumped right into the ring
Running for office is hard and, at times, downright ugly, and Amanda is getting a firsthand education in that reality Regardless, she’s a fighter and is just getting started.
I believe people like Amanda Cochran, who have no interest in becoming career politicians, are a big part of the solution Lee County needs We can’t keep electing the same people, year after year, and expect anything to change
I believe Amanda embodies what future government leadership should be She’s interested in us, not advancing her agenda I want to think that as a businessman, I’ve developed a good sense of who people are, and I genuinely like Amanda Cochran
I encourage you to check out her website and speaking schedule for yourself This lady is all over Lee County because the current voting system makes Amanda campaign all over Lee County to win. So, she’s covering a lot of ground and will likely speak in your neighborhood soon Go and listen to her and, by all means, ask some questions to see where she stands on things
I’m over someone representing me who’s not interested in what I care about My experience has been that Greenwell seems to fall squarely in that category, and I believe Amanda Cochran does not
To me, Amanda Cochran is the best candidate for County Commissioner District 5 because, unlike the incumbent, she wants to hear your voice and will fight for you What a refreshing change that would be!
From page 4
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See LETTERS, page 7
Butch Swank Lehigh Acres
Exciting year ahead for School District of Lee County
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From page 6
m e n t i n g s i g n i f i c a n t c h a n g e s , e s p ec i a l l y i n o u r A c a d e m i c S e r v i c e s d i v i s i o n
W e h a v e i n t r o d u c e d a n e w s e r v i c e d e l i ve r y m o d e l t h a t d i v i d e s o u r D i s t r i c t i n t o
plans for retribution against his perceived enemies, not plans for improving the lives of Americans Trump is a racist, misogynist con man who has told his followers he doesn’t need their votes: meaning he plans to seize power, even if he loses the election He doesn’t intend to fail if he needs a second coup
Ray Clasen North Fort Myers Kamala for President?
To the editor: Joe Biden has pulled it off He has managed to put in line for the Presidency someone who, if through some
f o u r r e g i o n s : N o r t h ,
S o u t h , E a s t , a n d W e s t E a c h r e g i o n w i l l b e o v e r -
s e e n b y n e w l y a p p o i n t e d
R e g i o n a l A s s o c i a t e S u p e r i n t e n d e n t s , s u p p o r t -
e d b y t e a m s t o a d d r e s s a r e a s s u c h a s S t u d e n t
S e r v i c e s , E n g l i s h
L a n g u a g e L e a r n i n g ,
C u r r i c u l u m , o u r
O p e r a t i o n a l a r e a s , a n d m o r e T h i s s t r u c t u r e w i l l e n a b l e u s t o b e m o r e r e s p o n s i v e a n d s u p p o r t i v e t o t h e n e e d s o f o u r s c h o o l s W e w i l l w o r k
t o g e t h e r a s o n e , c o m m i tt e d t o s t u d e n t a c h i e v em e n t , w i t h c l e a r c o m m u -
n i c a t i o n , e x p e c t a t i o n s , a n d r e s p o n s i b i l i -
t i e s L o o k i n g a h e a d , w e a r e e x c i t e d a b o u t
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
awful result is elected, will take the prize as the worst President ever Kamala Harris is a first-class communist policyist who combines her outlandish socialist proposals with obvious stupidity in that she has no idea as to the chaos her proposals would cause
The list of her ridiculous proposals is long You can hear them almost hourly on FOX radio or TV From open borders to defunding the police, she has expressed more anti-American ideas than anyone else on the political scene including Bernie Sanders She is actually to the left of the avowed communist senator from Vermont
Why has the Democrat party put forward such an
t h e o p e n i n g o f t h e n e w F r a n k l i n P a r k
E l e m e n t a r y S
unqualified candidate? Her term as Vice President hasn’t shown her to have any leadership skill It has to be that the party feels they can control her, she would be a figurehead President for the party leaders behind the curtain This short list includes Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer Since they were obviously behind pushing Biden out of running, we can be sure they expect to control an otherwise inept Kamala Harris should she actually be elected
Neil Miller Cape Coral
County Commission: Mulicka, Thornton face off in District 3
By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com
Lee County Republican primary voters will have a choice to decide who gets on the November ballot for the open Lee County District 3 Commissioner seat being vacated by Commissioner Ray Sandelli.
David Mulicka, owner and founder of HONC Destruction, and Matthew R Thornton, a retired contractor who lives off San Carlos Boulevard on Fort Myers Beach outside town limits and operates a ranch in North Fort Myers are running in the Republican primary
The candidates have different visions of the district and county, with Mulicka favoring more development while Thornton calls himself an “environmental conservation” candidate
“I am very pro-property rights,” Mulicka said “We are never going to stop growth from happening ” Mulicka favors developments proposed off Main Street in Fort Myers Beach for the Bay Harbour marina and hotel, townhouse and commercial project The project is currently in front of the Lee County Board of County Commissioners for a land use change approval “Something good needs to happen there,” he said
Mulicka also favors the Kingston project which has drawn widespread opposition from environmental groups who say it represents threats to the endangered Florida panther population Mulicka said the developers behind the project, Cameratta Companies, “are very thoughtful about conservation ”
Mulicka, a lifelong resident of Lee County, is married to state Rep JennaPersons Mulicka He sees his years of experience in the contracting business and pulling permits from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and working with the Army Corps of Engineers as a positive that could help the county rebuild the Fort Myers Beach Pier faster Mulicka said he has been visiting the pier since he was a child “It’s an engine for economic development We need to get it back as soon as we can,” he said
“I love Lee County and have had a wonderful life growing up here,” Mulicka said “I want to use my conservative business and community involvement experience to help rebuild and improve our paradise, keep our residents safe, restore and protect our waterways, and get government red tape out of the way for businesses.
Thornton, who grew up around Fernandina Beach and began visiting Fort Myers Beach as a child in the 1970s with his family tug boating, bought a residence on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach (outside town limits) eight months ago with his wife Christi They had been living in Cape Coral but Thornton said they grew tired of increasing taxes and paying tolls for trips to Fort Myers Beach He moved to Lee County four years ago and also owns a ranch in North Fort Myers.
He said voters on Fort Myers Beach he speaks to want to keep the “small town feel” of Fort Myers Beach
“I want to see Fort Myers Beach go back to the way it was,” Thornton said Thornton said the town needs housing for those who work on the island and called the Bay Harbour project on Main Street “not the greatest idea ” Thornton and his wife Christi have started a golf cart business on Fort Myers Beach called Trippin Rides “It’s better to go trip-
S
Commission Disrict 3 Party: Republican Age: 57
Occupation: Owner and founder of HONC Destruction
Educ ati o n: G r a d
d f r o m
Cape Coral High School, attended University of Florida
Family: Married, two children
Years in district: 19, lifelong resident of Lee County
Campai g n w e bs i te : www DavidMulicka com
S e a t
y Commission Disrict 3 Party: Republican Age: 62
Occupation: Retired contractor, cattle rancher
Educ ati o n: G r a d u a t e d f r o m North East High School in St Petersburg
Family: Married, six children
Years in district: 4 months (four years in Lee County)
Campai g n w e bs i te : www Thornton4lee com
ping with us then tripping on the sidewalks,” he said Thornton said they have plans to expand to shuttling visitors to the area from the airport to Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel in what he sees as “a big need” due to the traffic
Thornton said the infrastructure can’t handle the multiple large-scale hotel development projects heading for the Fort Myers Beach area “Infrastructure is a problem,” he said
Thornton is concerned about increasing development leading to delays evacuating the island in the event of another hurricane an issue cited in the initial rejection of the Bay Harbor plans by an administrative law
See DISTRICT 3, page 40
David Mulicka
Matthew R. Thor nton
Greenwell, Cochran face off in District 5
By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com
When Lee County Board of County Commissioners Chairman Mike Greenwell was hitting home runs for the Boston Red Sox three decades ago, running for political office was about the last thing on his mind Greenwell still doesn’t consider himself a politician though he takes his politics seriously representing District 5 on the board of county commissioners
“I didn’t think I was going to be a politician and I still don’t think I’m a politician,” Greenwell said
The Alva Republican and former Red Sox All-Star faces a primary challenge from fellow Alva resident and Realtor Amanda Cochran, with the main issue between the two being the level of development in their communities and countywide
Cochran, who manages and co-owns RE/MAX River & Ranch, believes the Lee County Board of County Commissioners has been too permissive in allowing zoning changes that go against the county’s comprehensive plan including a rezoning of Greenwell’s property that led to a lawsuit she has filed against the county
Greenwell has countered that the rezoning was necessary after the state took approximately 17 acres of his property for an expanded highway on State Road 31 that connects to Babcock Ranch
For Greenwell, who counts two home runs against Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan to his credit and a runner-up finish to Jose Canseco in the 1988 American League MVP race, this political fight is shaping up to be about as tough as any at-bat he faced as a ballplayer He is seeking a second term in office after being appointed by Gov Ron DeSantis in 2022 to fill the seat left vacant by the late Frank Mann Greenwell went on to win a three-way Republican primary and then a special election
Cochran, a sixth-generation Lee County resident, said the lawsuit she filed led to a greater awareness of the decisions and actions by the county commissioners in approving developments in the county
“What led me to my decision to run is seeing there are several communities concerned about overdevelopment in Lee County,” Cochran said
Mike Greenwell (incumbent)
Seat sought: Lee County Commission Disrict 5 Party: Republican Age: 61
Oc c upati o n: L
5
Commissioner
Education: North Fort Myers High School Years in district: 33 years
Family: Married, two children
Campai g n w e bs i te : MikeGreenwell com
Cochran is concerned in particular about Greenwell’s North Olga property which has been approved by the county commissioners for a rezoning to allow for 400,000 square feet of commercial space and 122 multifamily units
In the lawsuit, Cochran alleges that the project will be the largest commercial development ever requested by anyone on State Road 31 She alleges that the county’s rezoning of the property is spot zoning, allowing commercial development in a rural agricultural area
Cochran said that while she understood Greenwell is losing about 17 acres to the state for the road expansion, the result would be “urban sprawl ” The court case centers around, in part, whether proper notice was given to the public before the 2023 rezoning hearing took place, while Greenwell was on the Lee County Board of County Commissioners Another hearing had been held in November of 2022, not long after Hurricane Ian
The main concern regarding the project for Cochran is traffic and safety
“Traffic is more than an issue It’s a life safety issue,” Cochran said
“We are a little bucolic corner,” Cochran said of the Alva and Olga community that includes some of the last large tracts
Amanda Cochran
Seat sought: Lee County Commission District 5 Party: Republican Age: 49
O
RE/MAX River & Ranch
Education: Fort Myers High School Years in district: 28 years
Family: Married, two children
Campai g n w e bs i te : www Amandsforlee com
:
of large and undisturbed rural lands in the county
“People come out there to gain a sense of exhale from the big city,” Cochran said
For Greenwell, the rural nature of the community has already started to disappear since Babcock Ranch was developed with commercial components both completed and under way
He said he is losing more than 1 million square feet of his property to eminent domain for the road expansion necessitated by the nearby 18,000-acre Babcock Ranch development which will ultimately will consist of 19,500 homes and an estimated 50,000 residents Commercial development includes a shopping center anchored by a Publix with an adjacent center under construction
As a result, Greenwell will be closing his 31 Produce fruit and vegetable market and his family’s Cracker Shack Cafe They are both still open for now
He said the rezoning of his property for commercial development is what is best for his family to compensate him for the loss of his property
“I didn’t seek out the city of Babcock Ranch, coming up to
See DISTRICT 5, page 40
Land purchase: City plans to sell acreage
From page 1
“The purpose of the CRA is to be a catalyst for redevelopment,” Ilczyszyn said “We are seeking to go into this property that has been assembled by an individual and his family over several decades and purchase the properties ”
Ilczyszyn said they will turn around and put the piece of property back out on the market for the free market providing private developers the ability to acquire and turn around and develop a much larger, bigger development
Bimini East has the potential to be more than a quarter billion dollars as a private sector, 18-acre investment, Ilczyszyn said, adding when the project becomes taxable, the new value comes back to the CRA to further develop projects within the district
Ilczyszyn said when you have to go in and buy properties that have buildings on them, some have to absorb the cost of demolition and that loss of value
“That is why Bimini West, and The Cove was successful They are going into raw land,” he said “The owner of the property was a willing seller He has been looking to sell No developer would pay him what the property is worth today The CRA is the entity the state has created, and we have adopted with the county to be the catalyst to go in and absorb the cost of demo and turn around and sell and get (tax increment financing funding) money ”
An appraisal was done, which separated the properties with a structure from the unimproved property sites
He said there is $5 million worth of property that the owner has left unimproved, and $35 million for the developed sites with structures
“We are paying fair market value,” he said
An appraisal was done, which separated the properties with a structure from the unimproved property sites.
There is $5 million worth of property that the current owner has left unimproved, and $35 million for the developed sites with structures
The streets cannot be purchased, Ilczyszyn said
He said when buying all property on both sides, the city will be able to vacate that public right of way, which then becomes private right of way, which will then generate $3 5 million in land that is inaccessible
“The odds of finding someone to buy the whole property would be tough,”
Commissioner Dan Sheppard said “With the land being cleared, the city has multiple ways of developing it and involving more than one developer.”
Councilmember Tom Hayden, sitting as a CRA commissioner, said this is a key piece of land that can continue the stimulation by making the land attractive
“I think it continues the growth we are seeing in a very popular area of the city,” he said
Councilmember Richard Carr asked during the City Council meeting following the CRA session how the management will be handled for some of the properties that are currently occupied
Ilczyszyn said all the leases have a 90-day clause if the owner sold the property
“If we execute this when the property closes, as the property management firm, he will move forward with ending those leases and getting those buildings unoccupied, so we can move forward with the redevelopment,” he said
City, CRA, to purchase old golf course acreage
$10.4 million land buy hailed
By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com
The city of Cape Coral, in partnership with the South Cape Community Redevelopment Agency, will move forward with purchasing The Golf Club, a property that has been closed since 2006, for a price of $10.4 million.
Cape Coral City Council acts as the CRA governing commission and the city’s manager serves as the CRA director The votes were unanimous
“We have been after this for 15 years I love the fact that we are finally in a place where we can purchase the property at a fair price Now we’ve got it at a reasonable price, and it will be priceless for this community as we move forward to develop it A big win for the city,” said Councilmember Tom Hayden, acting as a CRA Commissioner said during meeting held before Wednesday Council session
The CRA approval was for a payment in the amount of $5,395,643 to the City of Cape Coral for the contribution of the purchase of the former golf club acreage at 4003 Palm Tree Blvd
The City Council’s subsequent approval will provide $4,055,000 from the general fund and $1,004,357 from the stormwater fund towards the purchase price
The purchase price is $10 4 million plus one half the closing costs for an estimated not to exceed price of $55,000
Mayor John Gunter said the property owners wanted $14 million, but the city held its ground He said one day out of the blue, the assistant city manager got a phone call and said they would take the deal
“This isn’t something we are going to buy
by officials and Save Our Recreation group alike
CITY OF CAPE CORAL
A contract to buy the 175-acre parcel at 4003 Palm Tree Boulevard, past home of The Golf Club, has been approved by Cape Coral City Council and the South Cape Community Redevelopment Agency Commission, with closing some time after Oct. 1.
tomorrow and next week start building there
We still have a lot of things to do. This is definitely a three-to-four-year plan down the road It’s a step in the right direction, but still a long way to go,” Gunter said Still, the purchase was praised by Save Our Recreation, a citizen group formed years ago in hope of preserving the acreage as greenspace
“Overall the comments were very positive,” said SOR member Barth Wolf in an email blast after the vote “Council members used words like ‘historic’ and ‘momentous ’
when talking about this The Mayor said we can make this the “Central Park of Cape Coral
“Now we just need to continue to be involved and make sure it gets turned into a great asset for the city that preserves this beautiful greenspace Thank you to all who showed up for the meetings today and thanks to all who have supported preserving the golf course over the last 18 years ”
The closing on the property will happen soon after Oct 1 with the intent that the 175 acres to be used for future green space with
recreational activities
“This is tremendous for the city the people that live in the neighborhoods surrounding it,” Councilmember Dan Sheppard said, sitting as a CRA commissioner
He added that when the golf club closed down it depressed and blighted the area
“We are going to lift that neighborhood back up create a destination that will bring people to the downtown,” Sheppard said, adding this has been one of his missions for many years and he is really excited about what is happening
City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn said during the City Council meeting that they will do a more routine schedule to cut the lawn, remove some invasive exotics that have grown on the property, as well as embark on a process to engage the public, most likely after the Parks & Recreation Master Plan is completed
City staff will take that data from the master plan to help shape what may be a good fit for the golf course property and move into more focus groups
The site will need some environmental remediation due to its previous use
“The site is contaminated We do need to get an understanding some areas where we do need to protect the health and safety of the public,” Ilczyszyn said “Safety is first and foremost ”
He said one of the things they are talking about doing is a cleanup day with the community to show them the immediate support of the acquisition of the park
“We are thinking of ways to immediately engage the public in turning the place around,” Ilczyszyn said
A pair of property owners are not happy regarding a city staff condition tied to their requests for vacation of a narrow strip of their canal front hefty cash contributions to Cape Coral's new tree bank
Three property owners whose requests for vacation were presented to a hearing examiner Tuesday had the condition included among staff's recommendations, with two facing five-figure contributions with a combined total of more than $54,000.
Eric Feichthaler, the attorney representing the property owners, told hearing examiner Anne Dalton the city should take initiative to correct the tree fund conditions of approval as the city has never had a resolution regarding the payment of such a fee
“We never had any prior knowledge of a contribution to a tree fund and unlike the one who had a $2,800 fee, ours is a 2,100% increase on the per-square-foot charge,” Feichthaler said “In addition to not being authorized to impose a charge, there doesn’t appear to be any procedure to how it’s determined That number shocks the conscience ”
One applicant, Freedom Boat Co , owns a two-lot platted site in southern Cape Coral at the end of Montclaire Court, with frontage along the Monticello and Monterey canals
The applicant requests to vacate an unexcavated canal right-of-way and platted easements adjacent to the canals, which would enlarge the property slightly to the waterfront
City staff recommended approval with conditions,
including that Freedom Boat make a one-time, nonrefundable contribution of $32,722 11 into the city's General Tree Fund, enacted by Cape Coral City Council in December as an option for developers looking to reduce the number of trees required or non-single family projects
Those funds would be used by the city to acquire and plant black or red mangrove trees on property owned or managed by the city to enhance water quality, or any other appropriate purposes in accordance with the city’s land development code
The contribution would need to be completed prior to advertising the adoption of the resolution approving this vacation request Should the City Council not approve the vacation request, the city would return those funds
In a second case, the owners, Ho Thy and Phan Trang, sought to vacate a canal right-of-way and platted easement at their Southwest 52nd Street home As a condition of approval, they would have to contribute $21,691 94
A third hearing asked for a contribution of $2,800, which would only be returned if the City Council does not approve the vacation request
Feichthaler said he believed that case happened before the tree fund existed, but that none of the applicants knew such a contribution needed to be made
The city has installed a new methodology based on
what the land was worth, using Lee County property records to determine assessed cost per square foot and multiplies that by the requested vacated area, and halves that, rather than a set fee
Feichthaler said the contribution of one property was about $28 per square foot, while the home with the lesser fee was $1 per square foot
Resident James Lear said he agreed with Feichthaler, adding that there was no fee requirement prior to the cases brought Tuesday, nor could he find anything about the tree fund in an ordinance or anything
“I don’t know how the math came out, and I also disagree with the $2,800 fee for commercial property, which would have a higher impact,” Lear said “I don’t think the public as a whole would approve continuing to make these payments This should be voted upon as an ordinance ”
Feichthaler said he is a supporter of trees and supported a tree ordinance when he was mayor in 2006. However, the fee as tendered by city staff is not the way to do it
Further, the payment must be made in full before it goes to City Council, meaning the landowners would have to find the money somehow, despite having no notice of the fund payment
“My client will have to find $32,000 for the privilege of being heard by the legislative body and only promises reimbursement only if denied,” Feichthaler said
The HEX will make her recommendations within the next few weeks The cases then will come before City Council for final determination
Tropical Storm Debby douses Southwest Florida
By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com
Cape Coral may not have had it the worst in terms of street flooding, but the city received plenty of rain from Tropical Storm Debby over the weekend
Southwest Florida experienced its first tropical storm of the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season, Debby, which dumped about 6 inches of rain on the Cape before turning into a Category 1 hurricane on Monday, according to the National Weather Service
Flood and coastal flooding warnings remained in effect in Lee County until Monday evening and areas of Cape Coral experienced standing water to the degree of having to shut down intersections
On Sunday, the city of Cape Coral closed the crosssection of Trafalgar Parkway and Chiquita Boulevard due to flooding City officials reported the signal at the intersection was inoperable
“City crews have promptly set up detours on all approaches to the intersection to ensure that traffic can be redirected smoothly and safely,” stated city officials. “Drivers are strongly advised to avoid the area and seek alternate routes to minimize delays and congestion ”
Cape Coral Fire Department officials shared tips for drivers when flooding occurs in the city
“With all of the rainfall from Tropical Storm Debby, Cape Coral is experiencing some localized street flooding as expected,” said CCFD spokesperson Andrea Schuch
“City of Cape Coral crews are actively working to address the flooding issues at the intersection of Chiquita and Trafalgar,” said city spokesperson Melissa Mickey via email “Although the intersection remains closed, significant progress has been made The crews have successfully cleared the inlets, allowing water to flow more freely They have identified obstructions within the pipes and are using a vacuum truck to remove these blockages The team is dedicated to resolving the issue as quickly as possible to restore normal traffic flow ”
Tips include:
■ Driving through flooded roads is dangerous because it is hard to tell how deep the water is, which could cause
damage to your car, or worse
■ Six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars causing loss of control and possible stalling
■ A foot of water will float many vehicles.
On Monday, an update from Lee County officials stated that Lee County Parks & Recreation is assessing sites for damage and impacts from Tropical Storm Debby Bunche Beach Preserve, Lynn Hall Memorial Park and access No 4 of Bonita Beach Park are currently closed Some parking areas along Bonita Beach are also impacted
“Lee County Emergency Management continues to monitor the impacts the community experienced Sunday,” officials said in a release Monday “Lee County Depart-ment of Transportation crews continue working today to ensure roads are clear and drainage continues to flow to the extent that the onshore winds allow DOT and Solid Waste have staff in the impacted areas to address the extent of the damage and any debris-removal needs ”
All Lee County Transit (LeeTran) routes are fully operational, with no detours due to Debby in place
According to the National Weather Service, Hurricane Debby made landfall Monday morning over Florida's Big Bend region, where Hurricane Warnings are in effect
Lee County Emergency Management was actively monitoring the tropics and in communication with its state and federal partners at the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center
“The activity in the tropics is a good reminder for residents to be prepared for the height of hurricane season, which is upon us,” Lee County officials stated
County officials shared the various ways residents can stay informed when storm systems are on the horizon
■ Monitor local media outlets, the National Weather Service-Tampa, and the National Hurricane Center
■ Sign up for AlertLee, which is an emergency notification system that allows registered users to receive telephone, text, and/or email
■ Download the LeePrepares app from Google Play
or the App Store
■ Follow Lee County Government on social media
■ Bookmark http://www leegov com If a storm is approaching, Lee County Government will continuously update the website with relevant information.
They also reminded residents that it's time to have a plan:
■ Refresh your memory on your Evacuation Zone and your Flood Zone Review the All Hazards Guide
■ Double check your Family Emergency Plan and an Emergency Supply Kit
Find tips at www leegov com/hurricane
“Your Family Emergency Plan should include where you would evacuate – like a family member’s or friend’s home or a community outside the area,” officials stated “Your Family Emergency Plan should include a list of steps, such as securing loose items in your yard and ensuring your shutters are up Review this list now and ensure you have what you need on hand as you continue to monitor the tropics ”
Lee County Emergency Management is working with local fire departments to provide sand and sandbags for residents who request them Residents should contact their local fire department for details
To find the fire department that serves their neighborhood,residents can enter their address in the Resident Information Lookup Tool at www leegov com
The county is also asking the public to report blocked ditches, swales, canals and areas of local flooding
Officials said first, to find out if your road is maintained by Lee County DOT, visit www leegis leegov com/RoadLookup/ If it is not maintained by Lee County, find your municipal contact by visiting http:// www leegov com/dcd/flood
Second, officials said to put in a Request for Action (RFA) to improve surface water drainage along your county-maintained road by contacting the Request for Action Hotline at http://www leegov com/dot/re-questforaction
Residents can use the same website to also report blocked creeks and streams The reported information will be directed to Lee County Natural Resources
Eric Feichthaler
Veterans Day does not make it onto school district’s holiday calendar
By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com
After hearing multiple options to substitute days to have Veterans Day off for the 2024-2025 school year, the School Board decided to keep the calendar as is with the committee considering honoring it as a day off the following school year
“Essentially, the committee without formal votes stood by the committee’s work,” interim Superintendent Dr Ken Savage said He said the committee does believe
Veterans Day is recognized educationally speaking
“They do utilize it as an opportunity to highlight and support veterans while they are there,” Savage said
The board was given other options maintaining exactly what the committee adopted and recognized, or having some level of substitution by taking an existing holiday and trading that out
During the first semester those days were the first Monday of winter break, the first Monday of Thanksgiving break, or Rosh
Hashanah in October Another option was extending the first semester into January, swapping President’s Day, or Easter Monday, or extending the last day of the school year to June 2, rather than May 30
“This complexity is precisely why there is a committee that does the work This is why they didn’t make an amendment,” Savage said.
The board, although all thought Veterans Day should be honored, were okay with waiting until the next school year
“I would love to see veterans honored
School year: District to study its ‘pockets of tremendous excellence’
From page 1
a teacher to become part of the school system “There are recruiters in central officer every day You can just show up ”
He said the School District of Lee County is one of the few districts in the whole country that is growing
“Here in Lee County, we are one of the few that is growing tremendously It’s a good problem, but a challenge We welcome the challenge We can’t get that message out enough,” Savage said, adding that the district will train those individuals and work with them to become certified “We would love the opportunity to help you succeed ”
The district also continues to have a bus driver shortage, with the need to fill 70 opening positions, down from 87 last year at this time Savage said every one of those positions is important as with a shortage of drivers, students are late for school, buses are late picking up a child He said that angers parents as it puts a hardship on families
“All shortages are important to us,” Savage said There is good news for students fewer assessments, as Savage said it is important for the district to understand the purpose of every assessment, as testing should provide a clear purpose
“Every minute we spend testing is a minute we aren’t
every year I would really like the calendar committee to consider Veterans Day here on out,” said Board member Jada LangfordFleming, who initially made the motion
She said she would really like veterans to be recognized somehow, some way in every classroom in every school this year
Langford-Fleming said they should pull data and statistics on the top days that students call out of school, so they can save money, transportation, and substitutes
“I think that is brilliant That should happen,” Board member Cathleen Morgan said
to make improvements system-wide
spending instructing,” Savage said, adding that everything they do instructionally they try to do with a higher level of quality “That starts with assessments ”
If the assessments are riddled with errors that is an issue He said at times the district gave assessments that did not have a clear purpose
It’s a balancing act, he said, of getting the right information through the assessment that will help teachers
“It’s a very complex issue A huge body of work moving forward with us,” Savage said
The body of work also continues with moving the efficiency level higher among all students He said the last two years, the district was nine out of 10 among the state’s largest districts.
“We had never been that low ever in our history You really have to take a good long look in the mirror and understand why that is the case,” Savage said “You have to take the time to deeply understand where you are truly dropping the ball which education challenges are you experiencing ”
That dive is going to be a yearlong process, as there is so much opportunity to study various different areas
“The good news there are pockets of tremendous excellence,” Savage said, as individual teachers are still having profound positive impacts on students in learning in the classroom “A system of our size, you know you are going to have those pockets of excellence That gives us a
real opportunity to study how those teachers, group of teachers, that are really adding that value We are able to diagnose that more effectively ”
Identifying those critical differences and scaling them up, he said is a powerful opportunity for the school district, which began over the summer
With every school year, safety is also at the forefront for the district The School District of Lee County is the only district in Florida that has the OPENGATE weapons detection system at every school
“It really serves as a deterrent,” Savage said as it decreased weapons possession charges that they track
The detection system offers a psychological opportunity for individuals as they understand these types of security measures are in place
“The more important thing is we are trying to create a culture where everyone feels safe and takes a responsibility for safety,” Savage said “A single weapons detection is not a fix all It’s a human issue first and foremost We have to create an environment and culture of safety, so when students know something bad is going to occur it is really how connected we are as people to surface the elements Students are the ones that often report the issues The more connected people are the less likely you have an individual that feels completely isolated and harms oneself, or other people ”
UESTION OF THE WEEK Q
What is your first impression of the city's working budget for the next fiscal year?
❑ Laurie LehMann
I was at the Budget Town Hall on July 25 I listened to the video and received the paperwork I am concerned that though the city is lowering the millage rate I could not get a straight answer that they won’t reassess our homes at a higher value thus increasing our property taxes as they have done in the past.
There are many details that need to be explained such as what is the special revenue fund and what is the enterprise fund
Citizens need to be informed of about every detail of the budget that comes from our tax dollars BEFORE it is adopted
❑ Craig unroe SaveCapeCor
al.com
Shockingly expensive Raising property taxes $18 2 million over last year’s record-setting increase, increasing all three assessments again, raising water/sewer rates 37% over the next three years and adding 67 more people to the city staff, quite unbelievable This excessive spending and over taxing the residents must stop This council is not listening to the residents and they are making Cape Coral unaffordable
Breeze will ask the candidates for Cape Coral City Council an issue-related question In the interest of fairness, each candidate is limited to the same amount of space, about 100 words, for their response
The best part about this budget is purchasing the abandoned golf course that has crushed the spirit of the community and declined values of homes in the surrounding neighborhood for 20 years Turning this green space into a beautiful botanical gardens and wildlife preserve will lift community spirt, add tremendous value to our homes, and catapult the downtown CRA. Because of proper budgeting in the last four years, and right decisions making, we were able to invest in public safety/quality services, encourage more medical facilities, and enhance/build new parks Our city staff managed all this through a pandemic, hurricane, and hyperinflation We are truly blessed as a community
AbOUT CApE COrAl CIT y COUNCIl
Cape Coral has a city manager/council form of government. A Council-appointed, contract city manager runs the day-to-day operations of the city Cape Coral City Council is an elected eight-member board comprised of a mayor and seven council members who set policy and are accountable to the voters The mayor may live in any district Council members are elected “at large” meaning while candidates must live in the district they seek to represent, the seats are filled via non-partisan, citywide elections Every registered Cape voter, no matter their party affiliation or city address, may cast a ballot in every race in both the Primary and General Election.
- DISTrICT 3
Upon my initial review, the budget is a good starting point for a working document Without knowing the finite details from all the departments, it’s tough to judge the accuracy of the current figures We need to keep in mind a budget is nothing more than a financial forecast, just as we do in our personal and business finances The pluses need to out-weigh the minuses and we must set something aside for that inevitable rainy day
My first impression was one of optimism because the working budget used a reduced millage rate of 5 3126 that kept all our current service levels the same During the July 24 council meeting, council further lowered the millage rate to 5 2188 Although I support efforts to lower taxes for our residents, the city manager informed council that if the 5 2188 millage passed, current service levels would be impacted The city manager needed to revise and bring back the budget using both millage rates so that council and residents could discuss the impacts before the final vote I am now anxious
DanieL J. LuDL ow
A lot of fat can be trimmed, i e
Adding 6 heads to the Legal Staff – 46% increase in staff Why? Outside legal support should be used for any litigation
Adding 2 Auditors – 33% increase in staff They are not used properly Waste of money
Adding 12 to the police department – Only 1 is a patrol officer 66 heads being proposed in total (page 43) ❑
I’m concerned with the process as a whole Previously, the Budget Review Committee would have had a very impactful role in the process of creating and passing the city’s budget However, the City Council made the highly irresponsible decision of abolishing the Budget Review Committee stripping further citizen input from the process I believe that it is crucial that the city reestablish this and other citizen boards to improve the process overall In terms of specific projects in the budget, I want to see major reviews and reconsiderations of appropriations for the Jaycee Park renovation project, as well as general reconsideration of projects that may not be as cost-effective as they should be Financial responsibility and citizen input is my vision for the city budget!
❑ Dan ShepparD (inCuMbent)
UESTION OF THE WEEK Q
What is your first impression of the city's
Breeze will ask the candidates for Cape Coral City Council an issue-related question In the interest of fairness, each candidate is limited to the same amount of space, about 100 words, for their response
❑ RIchaRD caRR (Incumbent) VoteRichcar r.com
My first impression is a positive one The city manager presented a reduced overall budget compared to last year The city council further reduced it halfway to the rollback rate The budget includes increased funding for public safety, ensuring the highest level of safety for residents It also allocates funds for the purchase of the “old golf course” in District 4, a project I have been advocating for since my appointment to the city council in December Acquiring this green space is essential as the South Cape continues to grow with new mixed-use developments I will work to find opportunities to decrease the millage rate further before the budget is finalized
❑ JennIFeR nelson nelsonforDistrict4.com
The city’s budget is very comprehensive given that it’s reached the $1 billion mark I’m grateful to see that the Old Golf Course in District 4 is included and will be paid for by the storm water fund of $8 million, CRA funds of $5 4 million, and remaining $3 million from the general fund
I’m pleased that our UEP received $23 million in grant money to help reduce the cost to our residents affected by this project My hope is that next year, we can lobby for more through the state and federal governments
There are 130 open positions, 65 have been open for at least 6 months and 35 have been open for 12 months or more These open positions could be transferred into utilizing those funds to increase our public safety or labor employees salaries or utilized to complete prioritized project
Lastly, the rollback rate looks like it will still give the city $10 million so my hope is current council will consider this
My first impression is that the proposed budget was forced due to the election
More time and consideration must be taken when addressing the needs of our city There are many things to considered, including how to lower the cost-of-living Just lowering the millage rate is not enough to lower the cost-of-living, especially if you’re increasing rates in other areas like water. We need to do a better job of controlling costs, stop wasteful spending, and driving revenue to our city Properly managing the city budget will increase our quality of life and lower our cost-of-living
Prior to discussing my thoughts on the FY 25 budget, I want to thank everyone for their efforts in putting together this budget As I read through the budget it appears to me that the city creates a list of wants and needs and then determines how they are going to pay for such items I believe the city budget should start with an estimated revenue stream (based on previous years) and then determine what activities we can afford; this would allow the city to better control budget increases or create a ZERO budget increase by decreasing the desired wants
❑ Jason conzelman Youtube.com/@conzelman4councilman
I would immediately stop all money that dealt with the Jaycee Park renovations I would cut back on the code enforcement budget, and put that money towards water restoration projects
The modified proposed budget is based on a half-back mill rate, 5 2188 (midpoint proposed vs rollback ) This produces ad-valorem tax revenue approximately $11 million over adopted 2024 Actual out-of-pocket resident taxes paid will be higher because property values have increased, Fire Assessment remains 70% recovery adding $7 M revenue, the public service first 500 hours still is going to the charter schools not exempted, water assessments are increased by 11% (37% next three years compounded), trash is increased anticipating future increases staffing adds 66 personnel with no correction for delayed hiring increases in all Bottom line, everyone will be paying more
There needs to be much more proactive communication and transparency about the overall financial impact on residents and the net increase the average homeowner is facing with the proposed budget. While the millage rate will be reduced and potentially save the average homeowner $50 or so in property taxes, other assessments such as the Solid Waste Assessment and Fire Service Assessment are planned to increase by $40+ and $50+ respectively We can’t bury discussions about these important assessments four hours into a five-hour Council meeting when nobody is present or watching which is what happened on July 24!
When I looked through the city manager’s proposed budget, the first thing I noticed was the amount of additional positions he was trying to add seemed very high, especially since we often go with those positions unfilled I also was encouraged to see that we funded the purchase of the golf course on Country Club that will become great park space for the city However I feel that there are still some areas where we can cut spending and get to the rollback rate while still accomplishing these goals
I was happy to see that the initial proposed budget had a
However, with all the issues that we face with our roadways, I would like to see some of the money being saved go towards fixing those issues now before they become more of a problem down the road
Breeze will ask the candidates for Cape Coral City Council an issue-related question In the interest of fairness, each candidate is limited to the same amount of space, about 100 words, for their response
Important dates . . .
c a m p a i g n r e p o r t s a t l e e v o te
Rachel KaduK R achelK aduk com
At first glance, it may look like a tax cut, but taxes will increase The millage rate proposed is lower than the current rate, however, we have had growth, and our assessed valuation has increased in most cases The budget is planning to increase assessments and water bills The FSA is increasing by 16 47% The Roll Back Rate keeps taxes the same as the prior year except for growth. Growth is $1 8B this year in assessed valuation, a tax increase of $10 5M Homestead exemption does not protect against assessment increases There’s work to do to keep our taxes low
District 7 is a General Election-only race
∫ T h e B r e e z e w i l l p o s t a l l o f i t s e l e c t i o n s s t o r i e s t o o u r w e b s i t e ,
Cape c o ral bre
e z e . c o m.
∫ T h e L e e C o u n t y S u p e r v i s o r o f
∫ T h e L e e C o u n t y S u p e r v i s o r o f
E l e c t i o n s h a s a w e a l t h o f e l e c t i o n sr e l a t e d i n f o r m a t i o n c o n c e r n i n g r e g i st r a t i o n ,
E l e c t i o n s ’ s o f f i c e p o s t s a l l c i t y - e l e ct i o n r e l a t e d d o c u m e n t s , i n c l u d i n g
Races with more than two qualifying candidates are placed on the primary ballot, which this year will be held Aug 20 with Seats 2, 3, 4 and 5 on the ballot.
The two primary candidates receiving the most votes in each race will then be candidates in the City General Election
which also will include the District 7 seat (If there are fewer than three qualifying candidates in any a given race, their names will not appear on the primary election ballot They will appear on the City General Election ballot only )
Voters can cast a ballot in every race
The 2024 municipal election for Cape Coral City Council features five races the seats Districts 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 with the District 7 race to appear only on the General Election ballot While candidates must live in the district they seek to repre-
sent, Cape Coral City Council races are n o
every registered Cape voter, no matter their party affiliation or city address, may cast a ballot in every race in both the Primary and General Election
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❑ Michael david haRpeR
COMMUNITY
Beware of invasive plants!
By CATHY DUNN news@breezenewspapers com
If you lived in a northern climate prior to moving to Southwest Florida as I did, you no doubt have an appreciation for how quickly plants grow in our sub-tropical conditions While it is quite rewarding to see your gardening efforts prosper so easily, the ease with which some plants grow can be indicative of their invasive nature
Florida native plants are
GARDEN CLUB OF CAPE CORAL
d e f i n e d a s p l a n t s w h o s e n a t i v e r a n g e i n c l u d e d Florida around 1500 AD, or at the time of European contact Almost one-third of the more than 4,000 plant species that grow on their own without cultivation in Florida are non-native These plants were either introduced as ornamental plants in residential gardens or as agricultural crops; the Florida environment was so advantageous to these plants that they naturalized or spread on their own Non-native plants are labeled as invasive when they spread extensively into natural areas and displace native plants and disturb naturally occurring native plant communities
To help understand the impact of invasive plants, it may be easier to consider the introduction of non-native a n i m a l s t o o u r e n v i r o n m e n t , s p e c i f i c a l l y B u r m e s e pythons and boa constrictors which are frequently in the news These non-native snakes were introduced to Southern Florida almost 40 years ago, and as non-native species they have no natural predators According to multiple studies they have virtually wiped out raccoons, marsh rabbits, opossums and other once-common mammals in the Everglades National Park; the loss of these species has produced significant repercussions on the food web in the Everglades The introduction of nonnative plants that become invasive has the same potential for reducing biodiversity in our environment, which can negatively impact wildlife and other natural occurrences such as fire frequency and water flow
As a homeowner, how can you take action to prevent the spread of invasive plants? First, you can educate yourself about the plants in our area that are considered invasive and ensure that you do not introduce these plants into your landscape
The UF/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants maintains an online Plant Directory of more than 400 plants that have been identified as either invasive or potentially invasive You can access the directory at: https://plants ifas ufl edu/plant-directory/ The Florida Invasive Species Council, or FISC, maintains invasive s
https://newfleppc bugwoodcloud org/index cfm
You may be surprised to find that the invasive plant list includes plants that are commonly seen in our Southwest Florida landscapes: Mexican petunia, asparagus fern, lantana, Brazilian pepper, heavenly bamboo,
Sales begin for ticketed concerts at Island Hopper Songwriter Fest
By TIFFANY REPECKI trepecki@breezenewspapers com
Celebrating its 10-year anniversary with 10 days of performances, the Island Hopper Songwriter Fest will return to Captiva, Cape Coral, downtown Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach on Sept 20-29
Presented by BMI, iHeart Radio's Cat Country 107 1, the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association and the Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau's Fort Myers Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoods, th festival gives fans the opportunity to singer-songwriters perform in smaller ven with a tropical setting as the backdrop
While most of the Island Hopper events a and open to the public, a few performa experiences do require tickets Tickets are currently on sale for the following performances:
general admission tickets are sold out, VIP tickets are still available VIP tickets include one reserved seat, one meetand-greet and two drink tickets
∫ Sept 25 at 6:30 p m : ACMA Showcase at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in downtown Fort Myers, featuring performances by BMI singer/songwriters Bill Metts, Robert Bidney, Karen Cohen, Bruce Gallant and Roy Schneider The ACMA is the Association of Classical Musicians and Artists
∫ Sept 26 at 7 p m : Five-time Grammy nominee and BMI singer/songwriter Jeffrey Steele will join the Gulf Coast Symphony in a performance at the Florida Repertory Theatre in downtown Fort Myers
∫ Sept 27 at 7:30 p m : Music Row @ Margaritaville at the Margaritaville Beach Resort on Fort Myers Beach,
Kristian Bush, Kassi Ashton and Shane Proffitt While
∫ Sept 29 at 5 p m : This year's headliner, BMI singer/songwriter Scotty McCreery will wrap up the festival with a pool party performance at the Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina on Fort Myers Beach He is known for his hit songs “You Time,” “Damn Strait,” “Rise and Fall,” “Cab in a Solo” and more
People may remember McCreery as the n who won Season 10 of “American Idol ” w, he is 30 and a seasoned country music vetHis sixth album, “Rise and Fall,” was d in May In April, McCreery fulfilled a nd officially became a member of the Grand Ole Opry The award-winning, singer-songwriter's recent hit, “Cab in a Solo,” was penned with Frank Rogers, Aaron Eshuis and Derek Wells It is a tear-in-your-beer ballad sung to a plastic cup of red wine
In addition to the ticketed events, free live performance can be enjoyed at host venues on:
∫ Sept 20-22 on Captiva
∫ Sept 23-24 in Cape Coral
∫ Sept 25-26 in downtown Fort Myers
∫ Sept 27-29 on Fort Myers Beach
Also, people can download the Island Hopper app for a chance to win a three-night stay at the DiamondHead Beach Resort on Fort Myers Beach, tickets to see McCreery and a gift bag.
For more information, visit IslandHopperFest com or download the app
IMAG History & Science Center hosting Annual Community Day Aug. 17
The IMAG History & Science Center is holding its Annual Community Day Saturday, Aug 17, from 10 a m to 2 p m , with half-off admission, activities, shows and discounted memberships. For Community Day, the IMAG is planning different activities and crafts for children and families as well as animal shows, science shows and other presentations while NBC 2 meteorologists provide teaching seminars for hurricane preparedness
In addition, organizations from the community are joining in on the fun including Lee County Sheriff’s Department, the Fort Myers Fire Depart-ment, Lee County Natural Resources and Solid Waste as well as Lee County Mosquito Control District
It just wouldn’t be Community Day without our Fightthe-Bite friends
Also joining in on the fun are the Edison and Ford
Winter Estates, the Alliance for the Arts, the BaileyMatthews National Shell Museum and Aquarium, and the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation sharing information about activities and camps for kids, families and adults on Sanibel and Captiva Islands. And, if you love animals, Community Day is a must for you because CROW (Clinic for Rehabilitation of Wildlife), a teaching
wildlife, will be on hand as well as Dogs Inc, acknowledged for their wonderful work in training guide dogs and providing service and companion dogs
There will be plenty of fun, food, and treats to eat throughout the day
The IMAG History & Science Center is located at 2000 Cranford Ave , Fort Myers For more information, call 239-243-0043 or visit theIMAG org
American Legion Post 90 in Cape Coral installs officers
New officers were installed at the American Legion Post 90 in Cape Coral for 2024-2025 The ceremony was attended by dignitaries from the Department (state) Legion of Florida as well as the SW Area and District 13 to which Post 90 is assigned
The ceremony started with the installation of Legion Auxiliary Unit 90 officers, followed by Legion Riders Chapter 90 officers, Sons of American Legion Unit 90 officers, and finally, officers of the American Legion Post 90
The officers for Post 90 are Commander ET Moore, Treasurer Bill Kearns, First Vice Commander Ted Clark, Second Vice Commander Keith Berres, John Baker Adjutant, Robert Noble Judge Advocate, Armand La Fleur
Lindhorst Historian, Service Officer Lakeshia Penn and seven Executive Board Committee members: Harry Finke,
Bill McKernan, Rebecca Sewell, Dennis Stebbins, Jack Fitzgerald, Lisa Arnold and Laurene Fowler
Moore urged all area veterans to join the American Legion Rapid growth in Southwest Florida means many new residents who are veterans and family members They can become part of the community, help serve vets in need and enjoy the fun and camaraderie that Post 90 offers
American Legion Post 90 was founded in April 2001 Located at 1401 S.E. 47th St., in Cape Coral, the post offers a full canteen and food service and sponsors scholarships, scouting troops, blood drives, V A volunteers, and national emergency funds programs to assist veterans in need
For more information about Post 90, call 239-5408128 or contact alpost90cape@yahoo com or the Legion PR Officer, Ted Clark, tedclark12@gmail com, 845-5277948
A carrotwood tree. UF/IFAS PHOTO
EDUCATION
EDUCATION BRIEFS
Cape students named to Dean's List at Palmer College of Chiropractic
DAVENPORT, Iowa -- The following students from Cape Coral were named to the 2024 spring trimester Dean's List at Palmer College of Chiropractic's Florida Campus in Port Orange, Florida: Sofia Alonso, Jeslyn Kolasa, Joseph Perez and Brooke Reilly.
Palmer College of Chiropractic, the first and largest college in the chiropractic profession, has campuses in Davenport, Iowa; San Jose, California; and Port Orange, Florida
For additional information about the college, visit http://www palmer edu
Sun Splash Family Waterpark’s Back To School Supply Drive ends today
Sun Splash Family Waterpark is hosting their Aloha Back To School Supply Drive now through today, Aug 9, to benefit local families and students through Cape Coral Caring Center
People who donate five new school supply items from the preferred list will receive a voucher for a $10 oneday admission ticket that is valid through Sept 2 Regular priced general one-day admission to the water park costs $25 99 for guests under 48 inches to $35 99 for guests 48 inches and taller Children aged 2 years old and under are admitted free
Back To School Supply Drive most needed items include: backpacks, 1-inch 3-ring binders, block erasers, s
books, construction paper (9x12, 100 count or less), 24 count crayons, 8-tab dividers, folders (with pockets and brads), glue bottles, highlighters, index cards (100 count), manila paper (9x12, 100 count or less), markers (10 count), notebook paper (wide-ruled, 100 count), pencil pouches, pencil sharpeners, rulers, safety scissors, 1-subject spiral notebooks (wide-ruled) and watercolors
The school supply drive will benefit the Cape Coral Caring Center, founded in 1990 by the Cape Coral Ministerial Association and serves the needs of our fellow citizens in Cape Coral
For details, park hours, upcoming special events and information about the city w aterpark, pleas e vis it SunSplashWaterpark.com.
UF Hispanic Alumni Weekend
Reunion and celebration Aug. 30-31
Gainesville, FL – Aug 2, 2024 – The University of Florida Association of Hispanic Alumni is excited to announce the Hispanic Alumni Weekend Reunion, taking place on Aug 30-31 on the UF campus during the UF vs University of Miami football game This special event will bring together Hispanic alumni, current students and the broader UF community for a weekend of celebration, connection and engagement
The weekend will feature a variety of activities, including a tailgate party on the Reitz Union lawn, networking events with alumni and campus partners, and open board discussions The highlight of the reunion will be the celebration of student scholars, recognizing the achievements of 12 Hispanic students who have excelled academically and contributed to the community
The funds raised during the weekend will go directly towards scholarships for deserving UF students of Hispanic background, helping to support their educational aspirations and ensure their continued success
Local businesses and organizations are invited to sponsor the event, with various sponsorship levels available to fit different budgets and marketing goals
Sponsors will receive recognition on event materials, opportunities to engage with attendees, and marketing exposure through event promotions
For more information about the Hispanic Alumni Weekend Reunion, including sponsorship opportunities, please contact Regina Rodriguez, President Elect at info@ufaha org
For more about the Hispanic Gator community, visit https://ufaha org/
AUGUST 9, 2024
School District continues to implement new safety measures in all area schools
By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com
The School District continues to hone their safety measures to be compliant with House Bill 1473 – the Safety Bill
Parents and staff received an email Monday informing them of the safety measures the district will make for the Safety Bill, which was recently signed into law by Gov Ron DeSantis
The email stated that “all school classrooms and other instructional spaces must clearly and conspicuously mark the safest areas in each classroom or other instructional space where students must shelter in place during an emergency ”
“Our safety and security team joined school administrators and school resource officers to survey every campus over the summer to determine and mark the safe area in all instructional space,” district spokesperson Rob Spicker said “As required by law, each area is clearly identified Students will be advised of the location and practice going to that area during some emergency drills ”
In addition, the bill also requires schools provide instruction on the use and misuse of FortifyFL, the state mobile suspicious activity reporting tool
The FortifyFL app was created and funded by the Florida Legislature in 2018 as part of the Marjory
Spicker said students have been using this suspicious activity reporting tool for years
“Tips are reported to local law enforcement and school administrators for immediate investigation,” Spicker said “What is new this year, is that we must advise students within the first 10 days of school about the app and the consequences for reporting false information, or fake threats ”
The FortifyFL app is on each student’s Chromebook
The app can also be downloaded on their device, or reported through the FortifyFL website Students can also report suspicious or concerning behavior to their teacher, administrator, SRO or CrimeStoppers, Spicker said
“The School District of Lee County was in compliance with many of the features of HB 1473 before it passed, so the new law codifies much of what we were already doing We will continue to keep all doors locked, gates secured, expand the guardian program and implement our layers of security so that our students and staff are as safe as possible during the school day,” Spicker said “We continually look for ways to protect our students and staff and when new technology is available, we determine if it will work for us We are also proud to be the only district in Florida that uses OPENGATE weapon detection systems at every school and are focused on refining the procedures this year to enhance the protection they provide to our schools ”
Bishop Verot bowling team first to be included in county school sports schedules
By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com
Initial engagement from the School District of Lee County will allow the Bishop Verot High School bowling team to be included in the sports schedule this year
“There is a great opportunity I appreciate that opportunity to be involved with this Not there yet The bowling grid is the initial instance that promulgated this,” Interim Superintendent Dr Ken Savage said
During a July meeting, Board member Armor Persons made the motion, which was passed, to include Bishop Verot at a reasonable and appropriate level for all sports
Savage said the bowling grid is just a symptom of a larger issue He said the real opportunity is that all students of Lee County are the future – public, private, charter, home school
The partnerships, such as with Bishop Verot, is to embrace the opportunity to see different vantage points
“I was privileged to have a great conversation with our team This is going to be a process The opportunity is to really have a bridge and engagement with this particular private school, but with all schools Sports gives us an opportunity to bridge these,” Savage said
During board comment, Board member Debbie Jordan said from her understanding schools can choose not to play a certain school – that it is their right
“Some of our schools go to Georgia to play Some of the schools that are within our own district do not play each other That is more than 200 miles,” she said
Board member Chris Patricca said she would like to throw out the possibility of the district having some sort of sportsmanship agreement
“Spitting at a principal would be unacceptable and lead to whatever the consequence is,” she said “In order to play a Lee County school, you have to follow certain standards of sportsmanship ”
Backpack flashers for students available at Cape Coral’s fire stations
In preparation for the first day of school next week, the Cape Coral Fire Department is giving out reflective backpack flashers
“Many students walk or wait for the bus in the mornings when it is still dark out,” says Acting Fire Chief Mike Russell, “To help them be more visible as they make their way to school, we encourage parents to pick up a free backpack flasher from any of our Cape Coral fire stations ”
Reflective backpack flashers are available at all 13 Cape Coral fire stations and Fire Headquarters through Aug 19, or while supplies last
■ Station 1 – 4610 Coronado Parkway
■ Station 2 – 521 Nicholas Parkway
■ Station 3 – 1627 Everest Parkway
■ Station 4 – 2007 Santa Barbara Blvd
■ Station 5 – 1029 Diplomat Parkway
■ Station 6 – 4540 Chiquita
Fire fatality reported; arson investigation under way
C C F D d i s p a t c h e d n i n e u n i t s , w h e r e u p o n a r r i v a l , f i r e f i g h t e r s e n c o
r e 4 a m
t h e s t r u c t u r e ” C C F D o f f i c i a l s s a i d f i r e f i g h t e r s q u i c k l y b e g a n a n a g g r e s s i v e f i r e a t t a c k a n d p r i m a r y s e a r c h , w h e r e a n a d u l t v i ct i m w a s f o u n d a n d c a r r i e d a w a y f r o m t h e h o m e t o a w a i t i n g E M S
C a p e C o r a l P o l i c e D e p a r t m e n t P u b l i c A f f a i r s O f f i c e r M e r c e d e s S i m o n d s s a i d , " T h e v i c t i m w a s t r a n s p o r t e d t o t h e h o s p it a l , w h e r e t h e v i c t i m w a s u l t i m a t e l y p r o -
n o u n c e d d e c e a s e d I n v e s t i g a t o r s a l s o f o u n d a d e a d c a t i n t h e f i r e ”
C C F D f i r e f i g h t e r s w e r e a b l e t o b r i n g t h e f i r e u n d e r c o n t r o l i n a b o u t 1 5 m i n -
u t e s a f t e r t h e i r a r r i v a l , o f f i c i a l s s a i d T h e c a u s e o f t h e f i r e i s u n d e r i n v e s t ig a t i o n b y t h e C a p e C o r a l F i r e I n s p e c t o r s , t h e S t a t e F i r e M a r s h a l s O f f i c e , a n d
C C C P D “ T h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n i s o n g o i n g a t t h i s t i m e t o f i n d o u t t h e c a u s e o f t h e f i r e , " S i m o n d s s a i d “ T h e f i r e h a s b e e n l a b e l e d a s a r s o n a t t h i s p o i n t ”
children We failed because the data shows that,” she said
We point out that 12 years is pretty much the entire school career for the graduating Class of ’25
So yes, it’s not only time for a change, change is long, long overdue
The board has taken action, including a decision to create four new “assistant superintendent” positions for a more hands-on emphasis on schools
Voters have taken action, too, converting the appointive superintendent of schools position to an elected post with the first elected superintendent since the ’70s to take office following the General Election in November
Will these two substantive changes in administrative restructuring make a difference in the classroom?
We don’t know
But we do know that’s the only place district practices, policies, goals and objectives matter: whether our children all of our children, not less than half are getting the “world class education” the district has long said is its goal
May this school year, in fact, be a fresh start, a new beginning here in Lee County
That is exactly what district students need
That is exactly what they deserve
Breeze editorial
School district to reduce number of student assessment tests
By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com
The School District of Lee County reported that it will test students less this year
“I am so encouraged by knowing that you aren’t taking a step back from assessing, but evolving with the way that education is moving,” Board member Jada LangfordFleming said during the Tuesday briefing session
Interim Superintendent Dr Ken Savage said assessments are a critical aspect of how to provide information through the teaching process
It is essential that they always understand what evidence students can give of what they know and understand, he said
“You cannot teach, really, without informing that process,” Savage said “In fact, we engineer our instruction on that students can demonstrate significant evidence ”
He explained there is a delicate balance between the time it takes to access and the time it takes to help students learn. The district needs to take the time needed to deeply review every assessment they offer to students
This affords them the opportunity to identify specific assessment paths and find an alternative method, if needed
Continuous Improvement Coordinator Erin Groeneveld said overall the district will test less this school year Notable changes are the removal of comprehensive assessments in elementary and high school. Also, the district is limiting exemplars for no more than three per quarter per subject area.
“It’s essential that teachers and parents understand that every time we assess students it is with great purpose,” Savage said
One of the things he heard last year was there were significant errors with assessments assessments that in some cases showed multiple choice answers with multiple correct answers
“Both answers were correct, and it negatively impacted student’s grades The number of assessments that had significant flaws was over 30 To say there is an opportunity for improvement is an understatement,” Savage said “If they were given a test that is flawed, or not aligned with standard benchmarks, it is a problem that we have to address ”
Continuous Improvement Coordinator Erin Groeneveld said overall the district will test less this school year. Notable changes are the removal of comprehensive assessments in elementary and high school Also, the district is
also limiting exemplars for no more than three per quarter per subject area
There also will be a change from iReady diagnostic to flexible iReady assessment to select students
Chief Academic Officer Nathan Shaker said middle school will not use the iReady program He said the program is primarily for elementary school students
For this upcoming year, the only students who would take diagnostic testing for iReady would be incoming kindergarten students, or those new to the district
In years past, students would take an assessment, or diagnostic test for iReady two or three times a year to reset the learning path
Shaker said students will not have to take the iReady diagnostic this year, as they will use the same path they had last year.
“They will take the flexible assessment at the school’s discretion,” he said
iReady, an intervention program that teachers use, is computer based with the expectation to have students do 45 minutes a week in reading and math
“It does provide us with a source of data of how the students are progressing,” Shaker said
Savage said iReady can be used as an intervention piece, as it drills down to specific benchmarks and standards, providing a customized learning path It also provides teachers with specific tools of how to utilize benchmarks in small groups
“It’s really understanding how to utilize that particular system for school learning,” Savage said
The school district may not schedule by grade level more than 5% of student total school minutes in a year to administer state, standardized, or district assessments The school district is below the 5% for all grade levels
Doyle faces primary challenger in Supervisor of Elections race
By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com
Tommy Doyle has served as Lee County Supervisor of Elections since 2016 and has heard the worries espoused by his Republican primary opponent Michael “Mick” Peters and a contingent of the electorate concerned about potential voter fraud He has heard those who think the 2020 presidential election was stolen from former President Donald Trump
Doyle is here to tell you that election wasn’t stolen and that elections in Lee County are among the safest in the state and the country. Voter fraud, he said, is a rarity. When there is an allegation, his office looks into it and takes it seriously But the amount of voter fraud that would have been needed to happen in the 2020 election didn’t happen, as experts and many courtrooms have all agreed since
This primary is an open contest, meaning voters of any party or even independents can vote to choose the Republican candidate There are no other challengers for the office
The issue of voter fraud is the cornerstone of the campaign by Peters, who said he is also concerned about undocumented immigrants voting and even the identities of dead voters being used by voters
Doyle said there is no evidence any of that is occurring, has occurred or will occur here “He has nothing,” Doyle said of the allegations by Peters
Peters, who is 65, is on the Lee County Republican Party Executive Committee He moved to Lee County in 2011 and works as a commercial mortgage broker
“I want the cleanest elections in Florida,” Peters said “Our current system is a trainwreck,” he said of the electoral process “Both parties really stink at this I don’t know why people think Republicans can do this better than Democrats ”
Peters, who resides in Fort Myers, said he is “data-driven” and calls himself “a bean counter.”
Doyle said the most recent case that bordered on a potential misuse of a ballot in Lee County was when an elderly woman whose husband died notified his office that a vote-by-mail ballot was sent to him and returned it Apparently trying to help his office, she signed the ballot
Tommy Doyle (incumbent)
S e a t s o u g h t :
Supervisor of Elections Party: Republican Age: 72
Length of residence in c o unty : L e e C o u n t y native
Fami l y : M a r r i e d t o Donna for 37 years and h
n : Ryan, Taylor and Lauren
Mi
tary S
United States Air Force 1972-1975
:
Campaign website: www VoteDoyle com
as it was sent back with a note telling the office that her husband died
“She was trying to help,” Doyle said
Doyle’s office removed more than 10,000 deceased voters from the Lee County voting registration rolls this year His office is notified by the Clerk of the Court and the Lee County Health Department every week of deceased residents
Doyle said his office is notified by the Clerk of Courts anytime an undocumented immigrant reports for jury duty so that they can be checked to make sure they are not on a voter registration roll
This year, about 8,000 vote-by-mail ballots were sent back to his office by the Post Office, meaning the voters no longer resided there The ballots were never opened and the Supervisor of Elections does not forward ballots to forwarded addresses
His office also verifies every signature on a ballot If somebody were to open a ballot that wasn’t their own and try to fill it out, they would need to know the person’s signature, Doyle said Voters can also update their signatures by signing an application form online The office has a
S e a t s o u g h t :
Supervisor of Elections Party: Republican Age: 65
O c c u p a t i o n : C o m m e r c i a l m o r t g a g e
broker
Length of residence in county: Since 2011
Family: Married, wife
Marge and two children
Campai g n w e bs i te : Mick4yourvote com
full-time staff to review signatures. In the case that a signature is rejected, a voter will be notified and have the opportunity to come to the Supervisor of Elections office and verify their signature
The office also sends out confirmation notices to voters every election cycle to ensure they are still residing at their residence If the Post Office notifies the Supervisor of Elections of a change in address, the voter is put on an inactive list After two election cycles, that voter is removed from the rolls and de-registered
Peters said he is also worried about drop boxes being potentially misused Doyle said the dropboxes are monitored in-person. An individual is not allowed to possess more than two ballots that aren’t on their own at the dropbox though they can drop off as many ballots of family members
Doyle said election security and streamlining services to make the electoral process more efficient are his top issues
“When I first ran for election, I promised to eliminate
See SUPERVISOR of ELECTIONS, page 34
Michael “Mick” Peters
BUSINESS
Quality of life draws businesses to Lee County
As a longtime resident and business owner here in Lee County, I know that the nearly ideal year-round weather is not the only thing that brings people to our piece of paradise to live, work and play
The efforts put forth over the years by the stewards of our ever-growing community have continually pushed forward the quality of life They have helped to attract businesses and families alike that have made Southwest Florida what it is today
Earlier this year, U S News & World Report ranked Fort Myers No 1 in its “Fastest Growing Places” rankings
As our growth contin-
u e s , m a n y b u s i n e s s e s pondering the move to our region are looking at our quality of life They need to know that not only can the area support their company, but that t
makes them want to stay here for the long term
a n d m a k
home
That answer has been
a r e s o u n d i n g y e s f o r many reasons, including these seven factors:
Education
Stevens Guest Comment
■ In 2023, the graduation rate for The Lee County School District was 85 1%, which was the second-highest rate in the district’s history
■ Eight colleges and universities, including technology and trade colleges, operate here
Health care
■ Lee Health is consistently ranked among the top 15% of hospitals in the country
■ There are six hospitals in Lee County.
Housing
■ Lee County is relatively affordable compared to other parts of the state
■ Renting a two-bedroom unit costs $1,450 per month, a rate 7 6% cheaper than the state average of $1,560
■ There are a variety of housing options, from waterfront properties to suburban neighborhoods
Infrastructure
■ About $100 million is allocated in Lee County for new roadways in the next two years
■ The county has planned significant investments in sewer systems, water management and roadway work, amounting to more than $1 billion over the next three to five years
Climate
■ The average temperature in Lee County is 75 degrees
Travel
■ Construction is underway at Southwest Florida International Airport that will add 24 new gates
■ The airport is planning additional international direct flights
■ As of June 30, 6 5 million passengers had gone through RSW in 2024, on pace for a record-breaking year
■ Sports tourism is at an all-time high with a recording breaking 188,000 hotel room nights booked for sporting events in 2023
Entertainment/Dining
■ There are nearly 2,000 restaurants in Lee County
■ Lee County is a sports mecca that is home to two
Brightwater Lagoon holding hiring event
By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breeznewspapers.com
Brightwater Lagoon, a six-acre man-made pool with a number of amenities in North Fort Myers, is holding a hiring event this weekend with more than 50 positions available
Brightwater Lagoon General Manger Jimmy Cruz said this property is Metro Lagoon's fourth with the other three located in the Tampa area
The other locations include Southshore Bay Lagoon in Wimauma, Miranda Lagoon in San Antonio and Epperson Lagoon in Wesley Chapel
“This is the first lagoon outside of the Tampa Bay area,” Cruz said of the North Fort Myers facility. “We are excited to bring the lagoon life down here to this community ”
Although the Brightwater Lagoon, which is part of the Brightwater community in North Fort Myers, does not have an official opening date yet, a hiring event will be held this weekend, today, Aug 9, and Saturday, Aug 10, from 10 a m to 4 p m , at 8630 Sunny Page Lane, North Fort Myers
“We are excited to have the opportunity to bring on some front-line team members in various roles,” Cruz said “We are getting closer and closer to the opening date We are in the final stages of construction and working with the county on approvals needed for us to open.”
The more than 50 positions available are in food and beverage, admissions staff, lifeguards and grounds teams
“We have our own food trucks and multiple areas where people can get food and non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks,” he said, adding that they need bartenders, barbacks and servers
They also need a small team for guests that are coming from the outside, or residents to go through an admission process to make sure guests enter the lagoon in a timely fashion
Cruz said they also need a grounds team to take care of the cleanliness of the entire facility.
“The majority of the positions are part-time,” he said Cruz said they have a small team taking care of the property and getting assets into place, but it is now time to bring on some more people to get them trained and ready for opening
Those interested in attending the job fair are encouraged to first apply online at www MetroLagoons com/ Careers
“They have the ability to read details about each position and pay to make decisions,” he said “We are eager to help the applicants answer any questions during that process as well We can obviously talk about which posi-
tion would be best for them here on site ”
Cruz, who has a background in theme parks, worked for many years in the Tampa and Orlando area for such parks as Universal Studios, Bush Gardens and Sea World
“I had some mutual colleagues considering working for Metro and it got me energized to join the team,” he said, which brought him back to Florida from Oklahoma “It’s a great opportunity to live in a different part of Florida and experience Southwest Florida
The lagoon itself is six acres and is provided as an amenity for the residents that live in the Brightwater community, a master plan community in North Fort Myers, Cruz said
“Instead of having a golf course, a big club house, it is a six-acre lagoon with sandy beaches, water activities, and a resort style swim up bar,” he said “First and foremost, it is an amenity for the community, but we can also bring in guests that can come in for the day and join in on the fun as well ”
Brightwater Lagoon, Cruz said, is great for all families – the folks that live in the community, or folks that live in the area and want to check it out
The lagoon also offers kayak and paddle boards rentals, inflatable obstacle course in the middle of the lagoon, a water slide, food trucks and various shade options
“The water obstacle course is for those that want to get in there and climb and be able to enjoy a big playground on the water It’s all an inflatable obstacle course that pieces together,” Cruz said “It’s a fun opportunity to do something like that in the middle of the lagoon ”
Brightwater Lagoon also offers a VIP area – Cabana Cove – to elevate individuals’ experience with such options as renting a cabana, shaded seat areas and a more secluded dedicated swim area and a bar
“This facility is going to be great for the residents and general public,” Cruz said “The residents are going to have a really great opportunity to use this facility We are going to have a lot of activities and events – trivia nights, fitness classes, cigar nights – build that community for them that gives them the opportunity to really enjoy living at Brightwater ”
For more information, visit www metrolagoons com/ lagoon/brightwater He said they will make sure they have plenty of room for residents before setting the rest of the attendance they feel they can bring in for the general public.
“Everything is sold online,” Cruz said “We hope to open this year as soon as we get the green light from those helping us with the approval process and finishing out the construction We are excited to bring on some more people as we get closer to that date ”
Mark
GRAPHIC PROVIDED
An artist’s rendering of Brightwater Lagoon under construction in the Brightwater community in North Fort Myers.
Three school board seats up for grabs
Cape Coral voters can cast a ballot in District 7 to be determined ‘at large’
By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com
Three School Board seats are up for grabs, including an at-large seat to be determined countywide
Three candidates are vying in District 7 Vanessa Melbis Chaviano, Sheridan Chester and Joshua D Molandes
Also up are the seats for District 2 and District 3, which will be decided by voters registered in the respective districts
Cape Coral voters may only cast a ballot in the District 7 race in which is open to all voters
The District 2 candidates include incumbent Melisa Giovannelli, a real estate agent, and Carol Frantz, a retired radiologic technologist
District 2 represents South Fort Myers from Allen Park Elementary School to three Oaks Elementary School.
District 3 represent areas from Fort Myers Beach to Estero Candidates are Bill Ribble and Kaitlyn Schoeffel District 3 Board member Chris Patricca did not seek reelection
School board races are non-partisan
District 7
M
Southwest Florida for more than 10 years, said the board has to address the teacher shortage in order to fix the student achievement
“Teacher pay must be raised,” he said School safety is also of paramount importance and he will continue to work and add to the Guardian Program, , Molandes said
“The most important issue is teacher shortage and overspending on construction,” he said “If elected, I will use my decade of experience representing folks as a trial attorney to advocate on behalf of the teachers, students, staff, and parents ” Chaviano, a 25-year resident of Lee County, is in mar-
District 7 At-lar ge race; ever yone votes countywide
Vanessa Melbis Chaviano
Seat sought: District 7
Age: 40
Education: Bachelor's degree in criminal justice and criminal forensics, masters degree in criminal forensics and behavioral analysis and a master's degree in business administration
Occupation: Marketing operations at LIV Digital Marketing
Length of residence in county: 25 years
Family: husband and two children
Sheridan Chester Seat sought: District 7
Age: 75
Education: CUNY, Borough of Manhattan Community College, AA, John Jay College of Criminal
Certified Recovery Peer Specialist
Occupation: substitute teacher for Lee County School District
Length of residence in county: 25 years
Family: husband, two children and two godchildren
keting operations at LIV Digital Marketing. If elected, she said she will prioritize a student-centered approach to education, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to achieve their fullest potential
“This includes enhanci n g a c a d e m i c p r o g r a m s , supporting diverse learning styles, and providing robust special education services I will advocate for smaller class sizes, increased access to mental health resources, and technology integration t o p e r s o n a l i z e l e a r n i n g
Additionally, I will foster a collaborative environment
Joshua D. Molandes
Seat sought: District 7
Age:
Education: BA in molecular genetics and law
Occupation: retired trial attorney
Length of residence in the county: more than 10 years
Family: wife and four children
where teachers, parents, and community members work together to support students’ academic and personal growth,” Chaviano said
Competitive salaries, improved benefits, and supportive working conditions are at the top of her list in attracting and retaining high-quality educators Competitive pay and benefits, along with flexible scheduling options is needed to improve the bus driver shortage, she added
Safety, as with the other candidates, is paramount
“I will support comprehensive safety plans that include physical security measures such as secure entrances, surveillance systems, and emergency response protocols Expanding the Guardian Program will also be a key focus, allowing trained school personnel to provide additional protection,” Chaviano said
Student achievement is the most important issue the district is facing, she said
“Ensuring all students receive a high-quality education that prepares them for future success is essential
resources, supporting teachers, and implementing innovative teaching methods,” Chaviano said
Chester, a 23-year substitute teacher in the school district, has lived in Lee County for 25 years
She said if elected, she will visit each school and let the students and staff know that she is completely vested in their success
C
district is currently facing is
teacher shortages She said they must provide teachers with a realistic wage
“How do we expect to hire and retain quality teachers if we are unwilling to make an investment?” she said
To ensure schoolhouses
School board: Both an at-large and two district-only races to be determined by the
From page 32
are kept safe, Chester said they have to enforce policies that are already in place
“I love my community and am willing to do the work required to provide our community with an educated population,” she said
District 3
Schoeffel, 31, a car dealership spokesperson and mother, said if elected, she will help students achieve their fullest personal potential by creating a school district where every child has the opportunity to succeed, where schools are safe and inclusive, and where teachers are supported and valued
“I hope to be a voice for the new generation of parents and educators, bringing innovative ideas and a deep commitment to making a positive impact on the Lee County School District,” she said
Schoeffel, who has firsthand experience in education, having worked as a substitute teacher, said she is committed to advocating for better pay, resources and support for teachers and staff to create an optimal learning environment and ensure they attract and retain the best educators
“Our teachers deserve to be valued and supported in their crucial role,” she said
Safety and a positive school environment are essential, Schoeffel said, adding that she will advocate for safety measures and programs that foster a supportive and inclusive culture.
“Mental health resources must be readily available to support our students and staff, ensuring their well-being and success,” she said
Ribble, a resident of Estero since 2007, worked as a vice president of corporate operational development with UPS
“If elected, I will continue to monitor the Envision 2030 Strategic Plan and hold the district accountable for the execution of the plan,” he said “Key initiatives of the pan include promoting a safe learning and working environment by enforcing the Code of Conduct and eliminating classroom disruptions Increase employee recruitment
and retention by paying our teachers a fair competitive wage.”
As far as tackling teacher and bus driver shortages, Ribble said wages must be competitive to keep existing employees and to attract new employees
“With the Lee County School District budget of almost $2 8 billion dollars, the budget needs to be revisited for how this money is spent,” he said
The 26% teacher turnover of teachers and staff is the most concerning issue for the Lee County School District, according to Ribble
“We need to be able to attract well-qualified employees for all positions in the district for the district to be effective We need to address wages,” he said
Ribble said the district also needs to continue to enhance the English Language Learners program, so the students presently 18% of the district can excel in the classrooms with their peers
Ribble said although he is impressed with the safety at the schools, he will encourage the continued training and expansion of the Guardian Program, as adding that level of security will help support SRO effectiveness
“Our Lee County Sheriff’s Department has done an excellent job of keeping our schools safe here in Lee County I continue to be impressed with the one point of entry at each school and the School Resource Officers that staff them The new Gateway Security Monitors are now in place at each school location to check each person accessing the school,” he said
District 3
■ Bill Ribble
Seat sought: District 3
Age: 74
Education: BS education and MBA
Occupation: retired VP of corporate operational development with UPS
Length of residence in county: since 2007
Family: wife and two children
Campaign website: www.voteribble.com
■ Kaitlyn Schoeffel
Seat sought: District 3
Age: 31
Education: BA in broadcast and minor in political science and dance
Occupation: car dealership spokesperson
Length of residence in county: 6 years
Family: husband and two children
Campaign website: www kaitylnforleecountyschoolboard com
District 2
Frantz, who has lived in the district for 46 years, was a supervisor of a radiology staff of 12 Giovannelli, who has been on the school board since 2016 and 25 years building her business in the real estate business, is a product of the school district, as are her children and grandchildren
District 2
■ Carol Frantz
Seat sought: District 2
Age: 68
Occupation: retired radiologic technologist
Length of residence in county: 46 years
Family: husband and three grown children
Education: ARRT, 1976, Clara Maass Memorial
H
Hesselgrave
Campaign website: http://carolfrantz com
■ Melisa Giovannelli
Seat sought: District 2
Age: 61
Occupation: Realtor at Barclays Real Estate Group
Length of residence in county: Native to Lee County
Family: husband, two daughters and two grandchildren
C
press.com
School District addresses ESE policies
By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com
The Lee County School Board was presented with legislation changes for exceptional student education Polices & Procedures during a first reading Tuesday
The P&P is specialized instruction and services for ESE students, which is a basis for identification, eligibility, and placement for students that outlines the steps the district’s team must go through to determine if the student is eligible for services
The first major change pertains to restraint of students with disabilities The school district will have procedures for providing a copy of the written notice on the day of the incident to the parents
Another change is eligibility for children who are developmentally delayed from age 3 through 9 years of age, instead of the previous 6 years old The areas of delay include adaptive, or self-help development, cognitive development, communication development, social or emotional development, or physical development including fine, gross or perceptual motor
Another major area that had a change was alternate assessments, which gives a student
access to modified curriculum or assessments
The last big change is how services are allocated and used in private schools an area that deals with Family Empowerment Scholarships
According to the presentation provided during the board meeting, “effective July 1, 2022, the McKay Scholarship Program was repealed and joined the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program under the Unique Abilities category, which provides children of families with limited financial resources with education options to achieve success in their education ”
Interim Superintendent Dr Ken Savage said by having the state set up this type of template, it ensures districts are held to the same rules and regulations The comprehensive opportunity provides a one-stop shop of procedurally what documents look like Savage said each family’s child is the most important thing in the whole world to them He said if they encountered difficulty, it becomes very emotional and difficult as they want to ensure the district is doing everything possible for each child
Supervisor of Elections: Primary race
From page 28
long lines at polling locations, protect your tax dollars, and ensure our elections are secure I’m proud to say we’ve accomplished all those things and more,” Doyle said “Our community has faced numerous challenges over the past few years We’ve endured hurricanes, a pandemic, and a historic recount in 2018. In every instance I relied on my business experience, ingenu-
ity, and outside-the-box thinking, and each time we persevered to conducted successful elections ” Doyle said he was recently asked by a voter if the 2020 presidential election was stolen “My reply to her was ‘voter fraud is very rare and it is usually a mistake by the voter,’” Doyle said. Lee County is one of the best in the country in protecting against voter fraud, Doyle said “Our elections are secure and accurate ”
Civil rights settlement leaves legal questions in its wake
By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com
Attorneys representing a man who filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Cape Coral and ultimately settled for $100,000 said the settlement should be a wakeup call for City Council whose amended meeting policies may still be problematic
Scott Kempe, a long-time resident who was ejected from a City Council meeting and later arrested for attempting to attend another, maintained his civil rights were abridged
The suit naming the city and Mayor John Gunter alleged that Kempe was “unconstitutionally arrested” in violation of the First and Fourth Amendments
Matt Miller-Novak and Derrick Eihausen represented Kempe in the lawsuit, where they said Kempe merely wanted to express his criticisms of Cape Coral’s handling of Jaycee Park Kempe spoke in opposition to redevelopment plans for Jaycee Park during public input at Cape Coral City Council’s Oct 11, 2023 meeting
Kempe returned to his seat where he later turned his back to the dais He was asked to turn around and then told to leave after he declined
“My turning my back to the Mayor and city council while in my seat was not pre planned,” he said Thursday “I made sure I did not disturb anyone in the process and was totally silent It was the Mayor who interrupted a speaking member of the city council to address my seat position I was aware of my First Amendment right to peacefully protest, which was evident when the Mayor asked me to turn around and I replied that as the council had turned its back on us (the citizens), I was turning my back on him He then ordered the police to physically remove me As for my arrest at a future meeting, my civil rights were again disregarded and I was handcuffed and arrested, not because of anything I said or did, but because I knew the council meeting rules better than they did This Mayor has continued to tread on its citizenry without regard to the Constitution or the Florida Sunshine Law "
Miller-Novak said Kempe turning around in his seat was a “silent expression” that wasn’t disrupting the meeting
“The person that disrupted the meeting was (Gunter),” Miller-Novak said “Had he never even pointed to (Kempe), or made it an issue, it never would have been an issue ”
Kempe then tried to attend the Oct 18 Council meeting
and was told to leave pursuant to Council rules which, at that time, banned residents ousted from a meeting from attending subsequent meetings until Council voted to allow them back in Kempe then showed up for the Dec 13 meeting and “advocated for his rights” as he said he was told the ban was improper because the rule regarding Council approval called only for a vote to be allowed back into the same meeting
Miller-Novak said there is a bountiful amount of historical case law that states you cannot ban an individual from future speech based upon past conduct
“They are allowed to have rules that are narrowly tailored to a compelling government interest in terms of regulating speech at a meeting,” Miller-Novak said. “But that’s more about protecting the efficiency of the meeting, not protecting future speech ”
Kempe was arrested and issued a “Notice to Appear” on charges that included resisting/obstructing an officer without violence and trespassing The charges were dismissed on Jan 25 for “insufficient evidence ”
Council subsequently modified the rules to specify how meeting bans were to be handled in Feb. of 2024.
The modification states that anyone who engages in behavior that is prohibited will be asked to leave and may be escorted from the room by police Anyone removed, but not arrested, will be banned from further attendance of all council meetings for 30 days for a first violation A second violation within 90 days will result in a 60-day ban A third ouster within a year of the first will result in a 90-day ban after which the person will have to petition Council stating the reasons why they can attend meetings without violating the rules Council then will decide whether the person is permitted to attend future meetings
Eihausen, who is a Cape Coral resident, said he feels the lawsuit was a “wake-up call” for City Council
“But unfortunately, it was an expensive lesson,” he said “I’ll leave it to the taxpayers to potentially inquire if this was a good use of funds.”
City officials said the settlement is not an admission of any wrongdoing on its part
“The City of Cape Coral has resolved this matter with a settlement of $100,000 This decision was made to avoid prolonged litigation,” the city said in a statement earlier released by its Communications Office “The City has not stipulated or agreed to any validation of the plaintiff’s claims and chose to
settle to bring this matter to an expedited conclusion ”
Eihausen said while the city did change its policy, Kempe’s case was set for a preliminary injunction motion before being settled
“We never really (had the chance to go) into the issue of whether or not the amended policy about kicking people out and letting people back in is constitutional,” Eihausen said “We tend to think not
“Just because they appoint a mediator or another attorney that’s paid for by the city to adjudicate whether or not it was proper for the city to ban somebody from a meeting, it still doesn’t solve the underlying potential unconstitutional action of banning somebody from a meeting.”
Miller-Novak also took strong issue with the arrest
“It was an abuse of police power,” Miller-Novak said “It’s one thing to kick a person out of a meeting It’s one thing to refuse their admittance that might violate the First Amendment It’s another thing for the government to take the terrible second step of abusing their police power to arrest somebody for protected speech or trying to attend a public meeting they had every right to attend under Florida Law and the constitution itself
“It’s ridiculous that a human being should face having a criminal record for doing nothing but showing up to a public meeting because they couldn’t handle him sitting backwards in a chair
“It was petty It was thin-skinned It was fickle ”
The First Amendment Foundation, a non-partisan, nonprofit organization that monitors legislative sessions and programs, penned a letter to the city regarding its updated procedures for meeting bans, sharing concerns
“The provisions of these Agenda Rules are concerning in that the consequences serve as a restrictive punishment period that limits citizens from engaging in free speech and or petition during council meetings,” the foundation wrote, in part, while citing prior similar case law “We strongly urge the City of Cape Coral to rework (the consequences) to conform to federal and state law and to reconsider the ban time periods as it could unlawfully infringe on private citizens First Amendment rights and their ability to freely participate in the free flow of expression and ideas We understand the City has a right to maintain order and decorum to enhance Council meetings ”
Show ’em who the ‘Big Fish Boss’ is
With so many different species available to the Southwest Florida angler this time of year achieving a Southwest Florida inshore or offshore “slam” is always a real possibility.
Most know that a fishing slam is an angler catching a number of different species or catching various members of just one family of fishes during one day's fishing I always thought of slams as a way of challenging one’s fishing skills or achieving a personal goal, but there are also tournament slam competitions for fun and cash prizes as well as recognition in the record books I had no idea that the International Game Fish Association, the official keeper of angling records, even recognized slam catches It’s called the IGFA Grand Slam Club
The following designations apply to IGFA Slam Clubs:
■ Three species in a day = Grand Slam
■ Four species in a day = Super Grand Slam
■ Five species in a day = Fantasy Grand Slam
There is also a Royal Slam Club This one honors the outstanding accomplishment of catching a collection of different game fish species within an angler's lifetime A “Royal Slam” is defined by an individual angler catching each of the required species within a category.
Then finally we have the big one -- the IGFA Royal Slam of Royal Slams Club category Australian angler Matt Price accomplished this feat by catching all of the Royal Slams, which consisted of 46 different species of fish, which also took him around the world to accomplish He stated that of all the species he needed that the dogtooth tuna and Porbeagle shark where the hardest to collect requiring eight trips to three different countries to accomplish
Not all of the IGFA recognized Royal Slams are for saltwater species There is a category for freshwater trout and bass as well Large and smallmouth, stripers and rock bass are but three of the eight bass species in this Royal Slam category
A typical Southwest Florida inshore slam would be a redfish, a trout and a snook A coastal slam could be a bonito, Spanish mackerel and a permit Need a bigger challenge? Go for a 100-pound slam which includes a
Coast
Island Coast football team counting on senior leadership
By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com
It’s that time of year once again where shoulder pads are being strapped on, chin straps are being tightened and high school football programs start chomping at the bit to get back onto the field
Friday nights are about to get turned up across Southwest Florida as countless talented teams call the region home
The Breeze will highlight West Zone and other local teams leading into the regular season to give fans an early look at their favorite team We sat down with each head coach and select players a series of questions on what they expect from their program
Look for continued coverage of local high school programs in The Breeze in upcoming editions as we continue the journey to Friday nights where the lights shine the brightest
Island Coast High School
Head Coach: Tyran Jones (2nd year) 2023 record: 4-6 (1-2 district)
Competes in: 3A District 13
Preseason: Aug 15 at Bonita Springs, 7:30 p m First regular season game: Aug 23 at Port Charlotte, 7:30 p m
The Gators look to build in coach Tyran Jones' second year at the helm, with various additions to his coaching staff. Island Coast went 3-2 over its last five games last season, and hope to carry that momentum into this year's campaign Jones said he will lean heavily on his senior leaders and standouts to bring Island Coast success in the 2024-25 season
How do you feel as a program heading into the season?
“With the brand new coaching staff we brought in, I think we should have an upward season, and we're hoping for an upward season That is going to be the strongest part of our game this year is coaching I think last year, that was our point of emphasis that we needed a lot of help with.”
Expectations from the team on and off the field?
“On the field, I've always said I want a player-led team Our job on Friday nights is to watch the results happen I feel like we're going to be prepared for every single team It's up to the players to do what needs to be done
“Off the field, grades is our biggest thing You can't be recruited without good grades We spent a lot of time making sure we're all at a 3 0 (GPA) or better That's always what we're trying to aim for ”
How do you plan to build off of last season?
“I think with the four-win season that 100% was not on the kids, that's on me and coaching It was a big step for
me to come in, and me not being familiar with the area too much, it was hard for me to get a staff together But now, we got through the summer and we're heading into the season looking to build off of it ”
How would you describe your coaching style/team identity?
“Player-led I'm a players coach I pretty much let the players dictate how we're going to go into practice, the season and everything else I shift things where they need to be shifted, but I'm very much a players coach Our identity is that we need to be a senior-led team I want us to build off of that leadership, and I want guys to step up ”
What do you hope to take as a whole from this upcoming season?
“I want to be able to say we had the ability to hang a district banner before our seniors leave here.”
Expected challenges?
“Heat Heat is No 1 We're already getting ready to adjust for it That is going to be the biggest challenge this season And our identity at quarterback We have two quarterbacks Our offensive line has been helped We need to them to step it up as leaders and take charge of the huddle, take charge of the team, and be mentally tough ”
Players to watch this year?
■ Anthony Harris, middle linebacker, senior
■ Keenan Moore, QB, junior
■ Dominik Rosado, QB, senior
■ Rick Bruno, safety, senior
What has the team chemistry been like so far with the team?
“Everything is going good Everybody is getting along and trying to come together as a team.” - Harris
“With a senior-led team and the majority of us being seniors, everybody already has that bond and chemistry having played with one another for year And the underclassman can feed off of that chemistry we have ” - Bruno
What do you think will make this group successful?
“It's on the seniors and the leaders to take us as far as we can go ” - Bruno
“Just commitment ” - Harris
How has the coaching staff pushed you to be your best heading into the year?
“They're making sure that we're conditioned so we can be ready for all four quarters We need everyone on their Agame We're just trying to win ” - Moore
“The coaches push us to be better young men and get us ready for things bigger than football ” - Harris
Goals for the year?
“A district championship ” - Rosado
Capt. George Tunison
CJ HADDAD
Island
head coach Tyran Jones with four of his players -- Anthony Harris, Keenan Moore, Dominik Rosado and Rick Bruno, who are being counted on to help lead the Gators to a successful season in 2024.
‘Big
Fish Boss:’
From page 36
There’s a number of ‘slam’ species waiting in
tarpon, a shark and a Goliath grouper all over a hundred pounds Try an on-foot cichlid slam catching a peacock bass (actually a member of the cichlid family), a tilapia and Mayan from local canal
With all the different species available to local anglers this month, challenge yourself or maybe have a friendly slam competition this coming weekend with a few other friends Show them who the “Big Fish Boss” actually is
CAPE CORAL ANIMAL SHELTER
Looking for a loving home
Yang is a 1 to 3-year-old male He a super sweet little guy who absolutely loves to be held and snuggled
There’s nothing better than a cozy cuddle session or getting lots of pets He does tend to keep to himself around other cats, but he’s got plenty of love to give to his human friends
Jo is an under 6-month-old female She is the perfect little lap dog, weighing in at about 10 pounds At under 6 months old, she is still a puppy with lots of energy and playfulness Jo is eager to learn the house rules and become the best companion ever
If you are interested in meeting any of the animals available for adoption at The Cape Coral Animal Shelter, visit its website at w w w c a p e c o r a l a n imalshelter com for additional information
The shelter is located at 325 S W 2nd Ave , Cape Coral, and hours of operation are Tuesday and Thursday, noon to 5 p m , and Friday through Sunday, noon to 4 p m
Please call 239573-2002 for additional information
once and for all
---
Pass-caught tarpon numbers have slowed considerably as coastal catches increased with even more fish starting to take up residence in Charlotte Harbor where they will primarily stay till a lack of baitfish or cold weather sends them heading southward once again The harbors 20-foot holes or the top of Matlacha Pass are traditional productive spots during the coming weeks
The hot weather has moved many offshore species even further offshore out to the 150-foot mark and beyond especially for the bigger specimens Many Gulf anglers are waiting for September when red snapper and gag grouper season opens on the 1st of that month although the red snapper season will only be open on weekends and the gag
local waters
grouper season will be open for just 15 days
Snook fishing is like the weather, hot along the beaches and passes Any structures behind the barrier islands as well as nearshore reefs could put a fat 40-incher on your hook
The local nearshore permit fishery keeps getting better each year with some 30 to 40-pound beauties being caught on small crabs
Spanish macs and super fun bonito have been showing up in random locations so let the birds guide you to the action while inshore redfish fishing keeps getting better each week
Capt George Tunison is a Cape Coral resident fishing guide You can contact him at 239-282-9434 or via email at captgeorget3@aol co
Quality of life: Bringing businesses to Lee County
From page 31
Major League Baseball teams for spring training (Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins), a minor league baseball team (Fort Myers Mighty Mussels) and minor league hockey team (Florida Everblades)
■ There are seven entertainment venues with capacities of 3,000+
We have added 30% more business in the past five years, 33,000 in all We are currently the third healthiest office market in the country This influx of businesses should continue for years to come as we will see much more commercial construction in the region The Alico
Road corridor, Pine Island Road corridor in Cape Coral, Skyplex at RSW and Northeast Lee County are just some of the 10 million square feet of industrial development under construction ensuring sustained economic growth and prosperity for Southwest Florida
Mark Stevens is chair of the Horizon Foundation and president of Stevens Construction, a Fort Myers-based company that provides construction management, general contracting and consulting services to clients and design professionals
Invasive plants: Local
From page 19
Jo carrotwood, mimosa tree and water hyacinth
What if you find that these plants are already present in your landscape? The recommended approach is removal of an invasive plant or its fruits This is not generally an issue for smaller plants or shrubs; however, the removal and replacement of large trees may require advice from an arborist You should also never empty your aquarium into a lake or river because this can introduce invasive water plants into the local environment
Invasive plants represent a threat to our environment by displacing native plants and disrupting the ecological balance We can all help minimize this threat through increased awareness of the presence of invasive plants in our landscape, and by working to remove these plants and protect our beautiful Southwest Florida native environment!
C
Volunteer, Garden Club of Cape Coral pember and president of the James E Hendry Hibiscus Chapter Visit
Yang
District 5: Republican primary contest winner will face Democrat in November
From page 9
my property,” Greenwell said “It (stinks) There is nothing I can do about it ”
As a county commissioner, Greenwell touts his work to speed up development of a new road connecting State Road 80 with Alico Road which he says will lessen travel along Interstate 75 from Lehigh Acres
“We unfortunately don’t have a gate The people keep on coming,” he said “We live in paradise ”
Cochran said her concerns about development extend to other projects throughout the county, including the Kingston project which could bring up to 10,000 new units to Lee County and which has environmental groups alarmed about the impact to the endangered Florida panther
“We have to be very careful about the developments coming through after a catego-
ry 4 hurricane,” Cochran said “My heart goes out to the people of Fort Myers Beach and what they have been through ”
Greenwell, who was on Fort Myers Beach during Hurricane Debby, saw firsthand the flooding on the roads there and said more work is needed on Estero Boulevard to fix the drainage “We need to fix it,” he said
Greenwell said development can’t be stopped
“There is no way to stop the development,” he said He has had to change his phone number over what he said is an attack campaign focused at him and county commissioners for closing the Lee County Civic Center
Greenwell and the county commissioners voted earlier this summer to build an expanded Fort Myers Beach Pier to replace the one destroyed by Hurricane Ian
“We had to build something special for Fort Myers Beach,” he said Greenwell said the enlarged pier will be “a draw for the county ” Though a larger pier will cost more and take more time, Greenwell said he is working with state leaders to speed up the process
Greenwell also wants to redo plans for Crescent Beach Family Park The commissioners had approved replacing the sand at the park with an artificial turf field Greenwell said he wants to revisit the plan and discuss an alternative
Cochran said her top issues are infrastructure, road safety, environmental conservation and clean water
She is strictly opposed to amendments approved by commissioners to approve zoning changes such as the one county commissioners approved for the Bay Harbour marina and residential project on Main Street in Fort
Myers Beach before Greenwell took office A new zoning change request to allow for a hotel to be put there is expected to go in front of the county commissioners shortly after being opposed by a group of residents nearby Greenwell said he can’t comment on the proposal as he will be voting on it
“Stop amending the plan to erode the quality of life that people bought into for a lifestyle,” Cochran said “We wouldn’t be fighting this if they stuck to the plan. Every time they get an opportunity they amend the comp plan ”
While District 5 covers the area of Alva, Lehigh Acres, Buckingham, Olga and unincorporated eastern Fort Myers, all registered Lee County Republicans can vote in the closed primary race
The winner will face Fort Myers Democrat Kizzie Fowler in November
District 3: Republican primary faceoff in contested Lee County Commission race
From page 8
judge
Mulicka said the town lost a lot of hotel rooms to Hurricane Ian
“So much has been removed, we need to start putting them back,” Mulicka said “We’ve lost so many homes ”
Mulicka said it was important to learn from Hurricane Ian to ensure properties are rebuilt the right way
“We will learn from this thing,” he said “The market knows where the best place in the world is to build is and will continue to build here,” Mulicka said
He had a firsthand look at the devastation Hurricane Ian brought to Fort Myers Beach,
as his company was responsible for demolishing many of the homes destroyed on the island and off-island.
“It was difficult because everybody needed everything at once,” Mulicka said “Everybody needed us but nobody wanted it We had tears on the contracts ”
Mulicka said the town has done a good job at rebuilding quicker than many expected
“It was so decimated I think people forgot how bad it was,” Mulicka said “People are still suffering PTSD from the amount of devastation ”
That said, Mulicka also sees the county’s growth as “putting strain on roadways and
infrastructure We must change the mindset of building for today’s needs, and instead build for the needs of our future.”
He is also concerned about water quality and wants better water restoration plans
Thornton said the county needs a better mass transit plan and wants to conserve more land
“Our inland areas are being overrun by developers that are not doing their part to improve our infrastructure prior to building, then leaving it up to the taxpayers to foot the bill Yes, we need to continue to build, but in a sustainable way that serves the environment and the community equally Housing in our suburbs should have larger parcels to
promote an environmentally sustainable growth for those areas as those before us have determined,” Thornton said.
Thornton said Fort Myers Beach needs a lot of assistance
“Fort Myers Beach needs a lot of help,” Thornton said “It needs help from a lot of people and needs help from people who aren’t on Fort Myers Beach ”
County commission candidates must live in the district which they represent but are elected countywide
The District 3 race has no Democratic candidate but does have a qualified write-in candidate, Jake Cataldo
Early Voting: Cape Coral City Council races among numerous local offices on Primary ballot
From page 1
can also track the status of their ballot at Lee vote
Early voting sites in Cape Coral include:
∫ Cape Coral Elections Office - 1039
Southeast 9th Ave
∫ Cape Coral/Lee County Library - 921 Southwest 39th Terrace
∫ Northwest Regional Library - 519 Chiquita Boulevard North
A list of all 12 locations can be found at:
- a n dLocations
The deadline to return a Vote-by-Mail Ballot to the Lee County Supervisor of Elections is by 7 p m on Election Day, Tuesday, Aug 20
Voters returning their ballot by mail are suggested to mail their ballot no later than Tuesday, Aug 13, to ensure timely receipt
Hand-delivered ballots may be dropped off at any of the Lee County Elections Offices, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a m to 5 p m or on Election Day, from 8:30 a m to 7 p m
Vote-by-Mail Ballots may also be dropped off at authorized Secure Ballot Intake Stations located at each Early Voting site during the Early Voting period
Doyle said his office has prepared diligently to ensure every ballot cast is accurate, legitimate, and counted correctly
“Preparations are multi-layered and take months to ensure everything runs smoothly,” Doyle said
The Elections Office shared some ways they prepare for voters to head to the polls:
∫ Coding and testing of election equipment, including tabulators and electronic poll books, to ensure everything is working properly
∫ Timely acquisition of Early Voting sites
∫ Logistical coordination of the delivery and pick-up of all election equipment to and from EV sites
∫ Comprehensive poll worker training and scheduling for approx 500 EV poll workers
“We take extensive measures to ensure the security, accuracy, and transparency of elections, including maintaining strong physical and cybersecurity defenses,” Doyle said. “Under Florida election law, we must conduct public Logic and Accuracy testing on voting and tabulation equipment before each election, as well as a public post-election audit This year, we began using a state-certified independent automated auditing system that allows us to scan 100% of the ballots cast in an election to ensure the accuracy of our tabulation system ”
Lee County election officials are checking signatures to match those on file for vote-bymail ballots and at the voting booth Make sure your ballot is signed and matches your regular signature
In 2022, the office flagged 88 signatures that were deemed not to match by the office of the Lee County Supervisor of Elections, including one by a Fort Myers Beach voter
The office also flagged 108 ballots for missing signatures Voters can go online to the Lee County Supervisor of Elections website to fill out an application to change or update a signature or do so at an elections office
Voters will have until the Thursday after the primary to correct a signature or verify their signature
Doyle said voters who did not vote in the previous election will find new and improved voting equipment The office has upgraded to the latest ES&S DS300 tabulators
As for why voting early can be a benefit, Doyle said, “Early voting is beneficial for voters who prefer to vote in person but might not be able to make it to the polls on Election Day Our website will display wait times for every voting location so that voters can choose their preferred site before heading out to vote.”
Races in the 2024 Primary Election include:
Cape Coral City Council
The 2024 municipal election for Cape Coral City Council features five races seats in Districts 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7, with the District 7 race to appear only on the General Election ballot While candidates must live in the district they seek to represent, Cape Coral City Council races are non-partisan, citywide races, meaning every registered Cape voter, no matter their party affiliation or city address, may cast a ballot in every race in both the Primary and General Election
∫ In District 2, incumbent Dan Sheppard, Laurie Lehmann and Craig Unroe, have qualified
∫ In District 3, the seat is held by Tom Hayden who has announced he will not seek re-election, Derrick Donnell, Chad Bruening, Daniel J Ludlow and Deborah Lee McCormick have qualified.
∫ In District 4, incumbent Richard Carr, William Matthews, former District 4 council member Jennifer Nelson and Robert J Sutter and have qualified
∫ In District 5, incumbent Robert Welsh, Jason Conzelman, Joseph Kilraine and Charles Pease have qualified
∫ In District 7, Jessica Cosden has termlimited out and so cannot seek re-election Michael David Harper and Rachel Kaduk have qualified
Lee County Commission
There are three Lee County Commission seats up this year Two will be on the primary ballot
∫ In District 1, incumbent Kevin Ruane, a Republican, has been elected as an unopposed incumbent
∫ In District 3, Ray Sandelli is not seeking re-election David Mulicka (REP), Matthew R Thornton (REP) will face off in the primary Jake Cataldo, Write-In candidate, also qualified for the General Election
∫ In District 5, incumbent Mike Greenwell (REP), Amanda Cochran (REP) will face off in the primary, The winner will face Kizzie Fowler (DEM) in November
Lee County School Board
Three Lee County School Board seats are also up this year
These are non-partisan races with one district elected at large, two others by district only, all on the Aug 20 ballot
∫ In at-large District 7 every voter countywide may cast a ballot regardless of the district in which they live Vanessa Melbis Chaviano, Sheridan Chester and Joshua D Molandes have qualified
∫ In District 2, incumbent Melisa Giovannelli and Carol Frantz have qualified
∫ In District 3, Bill Ribble and Kaitlyn Schoeffel have qualified
All of Lee County’s constitutional offices are up this election year
Each has an incumbent seeking re-election with two elected unopposed, one facing a write-in challenger, and two facing a primary challenge
∫ Supervisor of Elections: Incumbent Tommy Doyle (REP) has qualified, as has Michael “Mick” Peters (REP) The race will be on the primary ballot as a “universal” primary” open to all voters
∫ Property Appraiser: Incumbent Matt Caldwell (REP) and Steve Cunningham (REP) have qualified and will face off The race will be on the primary ballot as a “universal” primary open to all voters
∫ Lee County Sheriff: Incumbent Carmine Marceno (REP) has qualified, as has Michael D Hollow (Write-In)
∫ Lee County Tax Collector: Incumbent Noelle Branning (REP) has been elected with no opposition
∫ Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller: Incumbent Kevin Karnes (REP) has been elected with no opposition
Candidate information may be found on the Lee County Elections Office website at lee vote/Candidates/Archived-CandidateLists
Early voting for the Nov. 5 General Election will run from Monday, Oct 21, through Saturday, Nov 2, from 10 a m to 6 p m each day
Fill in the blank cells using numbers 1 to 9. Each number can appear only once in each row, column, and 3x3 block. Use logic and process of elimination to solve the puzzle. The difficulty level ranges from Bronze (easiest) to Silver to Gold (hardest).
