FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Pete Winton, Lee County Administration
               (239) 335-2777

BOARD APPROVES SCHOOL IMPACT FEE DISBURSEMENT/SIDEWALKS IN NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICTS

FORT MYERS, Fla. (February 3, 2004) - The Board of Lee County Commissioners today approved the following items during its regular weekly meeting (all votes were unanimous). They are:

Impact Fees - Approved an interlocal agreement with the Lee County School Board to disburse half of school impact fees collected but currently tied-up in a legal challenge to school impact fees. The agreement provides for repayment to Lee County if the court ultimately requires the county to refund school impact fees. The county has collected about $38 million since the fees were adopted in 2001, $19 million of which will be remitted to the School Board. In addition, the county will begin remitting half the fees collected quarterly. About $5 million is collected each quarter ($2.5 million will go to School Board). For a copy of the agreement click on www.lee-county.com/meetings/agendafiles/2004/02-03-04/Administrative/A12C.pdf.

Sidewalks - Approved a $355,863 contract with Cougar Contracting Specialties to build various sidewalks in Charleston Park, Harlem Heights, Page Park and Pine Manor. The work must be done within six months and is being funded by the county's Neighborhood Building Program.

Charleston Park ($65,952)

•  Second St. from Ave. D to Railroad Ave. (W. Side)
•  Soloman Ave. from First St. to end (N. Side)
•  Railroad Ave. from First St. to Third St. (S. Side)
•  Charleston Park Dr. from S.R. 80 to the end (W. & S. Sides)

Page Park ($43,746)

•  1st St. from Danley Dr. to Center Rd. (Both Sides)

Pine Manor ($134,298)

•  4th Ave. from Cypress Dr. to Maple Dr. (E. Side)

Harlem Heights ($111,867)

•  Hager Ct. from Concourse Dr. to end (S. Side)
•  New Haven Dr. from Hagie Dr. to Hagie Dr. (Outside)
•  Robinson St. from Concourse Dr. to the end (N. Side)

Beach Cleanup - Transferred $100,000 from Tourist Development Council "Beach & Shoreline" reserves to cover costs associated with emergency beach cleanup efforts. Due to the large amounts of red drift algae being deposited along the Lee County coastline, the expenses related to this cleanup are about to exceed the funds in place.

Repaving Roads - Approved an annual repaving contract for road resurfacing and rebuilding of various streets located in Lehigh Acres and South Fort Myers. The contract is with Ajax Paving Industries for $1.43 million.

Ditch/Creek Cleaning - Increased annual contract expenditure for cleaning and snagging creeks and ditches from $650,000 to $1 million to complete various needed projects before rainy season. The following projects are planned for completion prior to the end of the contract:

Active SFWMD Grant Reimbursement Agreements:

• Imperial River $50,000
• Estero River $50,000
• Halfway Creek $50,000
• Caloosahatchee Tributaries (Daughtrey) $124,123
• Other Planned Cleaning and Snagging Activity:
• Palm Creek $105,000
• Popash Creek Maintenance $100,000
• Woodstock Ditch $20,258