FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

BOARD APPROVES TWINS LEASE/ACCEPTS GRANTS FOR LIBRARY AND HOMELAND SECURITY/APPROVES BABCOCK MONEY

FORT MYERS, Fla. (August 3, 2004) - The Board of Lee County Commissioners today approved the following items during its regular weekly meeting (backup can be viewed at
http://www.lee-county.com/meetings/agendafiles/2004/08-03-04/080304/080304.htm). They are:

Twins Lease - Unanimously approved an extension to the year 2020 of the Minnesota Twins lease to do the team's spring training at the Lee County Sports Complex. The agreement also contains two, five-year renewal options that take the lease, potentially, to 2030. The Twins will pay annual rent of $300,000. In addition, the Twins and county each will contribute at least $20,000 annually to a capital improvements fund unless the fund reaches $250,000. As is now the case, the Twins, during Spring Training, will operate all concessions, parking and ticket sales. As part of the negotiations, the county also agreed to build the Twins a new weight room/meeting room complex for $900,000. The Twins also will have a message billboard built at the entrance to the Sports Complex. The improvements are being funded with surplus tourist tax revenues.

Babcock Appraisal - Approved $80,050 as the county's 50% match to fund two appraisals of the 91,361-acre Babcock Ranch. The South Florida Water Management District is paying the other half.

Library Funding - Formally received $500,000 from the Florida Department of State, Division of Library and Information Services to help fund the construction of Northwest Regional Library at Mariner High School in Cape Coral. Construction of the 40,000-square-foot regional library is estimated to begin sometime within the next 12 months.

Homeland Security Funds - Approved an agreement with the Florida Department of Community Affairs to receive $312,122 of Homeland Security funding to conduct homeland security related planning, training and exercise tasks, and to complete certain Emergency Operations Center enhancements as follows: 1) Emergency Operations Center EOC) security and operational improvements ($42,570); 2) Integrating federal planning requirements into local emergency planning documents and vulnerability assessments ($178,612); 3) Local and Regional Exercises ($34,551); and 4) All Discipline Training ($56,389.00). No county match is required.

Yaeger Courtyard - Approved a resolution dedicating and naming the pedestrian courtyard area between the Justice Center and the SunTrust Building (Justice Center Annex) as the "James G. Yaeger Justice Center Courtyard" in honor of former County Attorney Jim Yaeger. This is recognition of Yaeger's 29 years of service to Lee County citizens and his 26 years as county attorney, making him one of the longest serving county attorneys in the State of Florida.

Schandler Park - Received $200,000 from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Recreation Development Assistance Program (FRDAP) for improvements to Schandler Hall Park in east Fort Myers. In 2001, Lee County Parks and Recreation purchased additional land at Schandler Hall Community Park with FRDAP assistance. This FRDAP grant now provides additional funds to improve the land with recreational facilities. A picnic area, playground area, multi-use tennis court and related support facilities will be developed on the land with this financial assistance.