FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FORT
MYERS, Fla. (September 24,
2002) – The Board of Lee County Commissioners today approved the following
items during its regular weekly meeting. They
are:
Estero
Community Park – Approved
$669,195 for Parker/Mudgett/Smith Architects to do the final design, permitting
and construction oversight of Estero Community Park.
Park/Mudgett/Smith also developed the master plan for the park through a
comprehensive public input process. Construction
is expected to begin within nine months. The
construction manager is J.L. Wallace Inc. The
master plan includes a recreation center, disc golf course, water playground and
picnic shelters. The initial
10-acre phase of the 65-acre park, which is just west of Estero High School and
east of U.S. 41 on Williams Road, was completed in December 2000 and includes
two, lighted football/soccer fields, a concession/restroom facility, and a
parking lot. The phase being
planned will encompass the remaining 55 acres that run north toward Corkscrew
Road. Construction cost will be
between $4 million and $5 million. For
more information, contact John Yarbrough at 461-7410.
Daniels
Interchange – Approved
APAC-Florida Inc. as the contractor for major intersection improvements at the
Daniels Parkway/Interstate-75 Interchange.
The price is $852,788 with a completion date by December 15.
Improvements will include doubling the capacity of the off-ramps,
including dual right-turn lanes and left-turn lanes onto Daniels Parkway.
They also will include lengthening the left-turn lanes from westbound
Daniels Parkway onto southbound I-75 (toward Naples).
The money is coming from the Port Authority ($150,000) and Florida
Department of Transportation ($1 million for resurfacing Daniels from I-75 to
Treeline Ave. in 2003 and $390,000 from congestion management projects in 2005).
Lee County DOT will advance the funding and construction, with repayment
from FDOT in 2003 and 2005. Contact
Scott Gilbertson at 479-8580.
Senior AIDES
– Approved an agreement with the Dr. Ella Piper Center to participate in the
Senior AIDES Project. The program
provides on-the-job training to limited income seniors 55 years and older.
The federal government pays the workers’ salaries and benefits.
The Senior AIDES improve their skills and professional development by
working in various county departments. They
can work with the county for up to two years.
The county benefits by having additional help to get work done. The
seniors benefit by getting valuable on-the-job experience.
Keep Lee County Beautiful – Approved the 2002-04 Board of Directors for Keep Lee County Beautiful. They are: Chairman Steve Personette (Sprint), Chairman-Elect Neala Hoch (SP Recycling), Vice Chairman Dave Cerrato (Malcolm Pirnie), Treasurer Minette L. LaCroix (SI Ventures), and Secretary Cindy Bear (School District’s Environmental Education Program). Also approved up to $88,000 in funding to KLCB for promotion and education programs about recycling and not littering. For more information, contact Lindsey Sampson at 338-3302.