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Home > Government > Board of County Commissioners > District 4 Blog
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5/24/2012|
MPO Public Hearing June 22 - Cape Coral Council Chambers - all are invited to attend
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THE LEE COUNTY METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (MPO) WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON JUNE 22, 2012 AT 9:00 A.M. LOCATED AT THE CITY OF CAPE CORAL COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 1015 CULTURAL PARKWAY BOULEVARD, CAPE CORAL, FLORIDA, TO CONSIDER APPROVAL OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:
- Adoption of the FY 2012/13 through FY 2017/18 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)
- Review and Prioritize the following Projects:
- Bicycle, Pedestrian, Intersection Improvement Projects
- Transit and Aviation Projects
- State and Federally funded Roadway Projects
The Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization Board will also be approving amendments to the Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC) Bylaws, the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Bylaws, the Transportation Disadvantaged Local Coordinating Board (LCB) Bylaws, and the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Board Bylaws. The MPO Board will also be approving the General Planning Consultant Selection Committee rankings. LeeTran will be giving a presentation on the update of the J.N. “Ding” Darling Wildlife Refuge Project as well.
All meetings of the Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) are open to the public. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this meeting should contact Ms. Meghan Marion at the Lee MPO 48 hours prior to the meeting by calling (239) 244-2220; if you are hearing or speech impaired call (800) 955-8770 Voice / (800) 955-8771 TDD. Or, e-mail mmarion@leempo.com. 5/21/2012|
Paper Artist Displays work in Commissioner Hall's office
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: May 21, 2012
CONTACT: Commissioner Tammy Hall – District 4 Commissioner
(239) 533-2226 office
LOCAL PAPER ARTIST DISPLAYS WORK IN DISTRICT 4 COMMISSION OFFICE
FORT MYERS, FL — Lee County Commissioner Tammy Hall is supporting local artists by giving them an opportunity to display their artwork in her Fort Myers office.
This month NFM resident and paper artist Bobbi Robertson will display her work in the District 4 Office located at the Old County Courthouse in downtown Fort Myers. The display consists of framed artistic pieces, paper sculpture, and star books. Bobbi artistically reuses paper to create texture pieces with a contemporary flare. Bobbi has included beautiful calligraphy work on some of the pieces. The work will be on display until June 25th. The public is welcome to stop by and view the work and learn more about the artist. Please call 533-2226 to confirm office hours for viewing the artwork.
“The arts are an important part of the cultural and development of our community” says Commissioner Hall. “I believe that government can play an important role in public awareness, developing the use of public spaces for display and interaction of art, and for the encouragement and commitment of continued financial support both public and private of all the arts.”
Other local artists will be featured every six weeks. Commissioner Hall’s office is on the first floor of the Old County Courthouse, 2120 Main Street in downtown Fort Myers.
Commissioner Hall is the recipient of the Angel of the Arts Award – Business Sponsor 2009. She was elected to the Board of Lee County Commissioners in 2004 and re-elected in 2006. Her district includes North Fort Myers and the central and northern portions of Cape Coral. For more information on this program, please contact Carmen Salomé, Executive Assistant, at 239-533-2226.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Bobbi Robertson is a retired floral designer from Highlands NJ and has been a resident of North Fort Myers for the past 15 years. She has studied calligraphy since the 80’s and is the past president of the Jersey Shore Calligraphers Guild and the Calusa Scribes her in the Fort Myers area. She has taught paper making, decorating with paper, tea bag folding, origami and calligraphy and many area art studies and craft stores. For more information on Bobbi or to view her work, please contact her directly at 239-995-9343 or doborob@aol.com (theartsannex.blogspot.com)
Carmen Salomé
Executive Assistant to Commissioner Tammy Hall
Lee County Board of Commissioners
District 4
239-533-2226 office
239-485-2054 fax
Email: dist4@leegov.com
Website: www.lee-county.com 5/14/2012|
Laurel Lane Drainage Improvements update
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Natural Resources is in the process of designing the drainage improvements to be conducted as a Neighborhood Improvement project for Laurel Lane east of Breeze. To facilitate this process, we have hired a contractor to remove the vegetation overgrowth and debris from the ditches in that area so we can get a better look at the existing system. That contractor will be starting tomorrow. I have sent notification letters to property owners along the affected portion of Laurel to let them know what’s going on.
The design should be complete within a couple of weeks and then we will move forward with hiring a contractor to perform the ditch grading and culvert installation/replacement.
I will let you know when that work is set to start.
4/30/2012|
Public Meeting for former Bayshore Utility Company Customers
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Information Release
Board of County Commissioners
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Patty DiPiero
239-533-8534 (Media questions only)
Lee County to hold public meeting for former Bayshore Utility Company customers
FORT MYERS, FL (April 30, 2012) - Lee County Utilities (LCU) will be holding a public meeting on Wednesday, May 2nd from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm at the Yacht Club Colony pavilion on Clubhouse Road in North Fort Myers.
This will be an informational meeting that will provide the residents of Yacht Club Colony information regarding the abandonment of Bayshore Utility Company, Lee County petitioning ownership, and the preliminary plans to provide safe, reliable drinking water to the residents.
For more information regarding the meeting, Yacht Club Colony residents can call 239-533-8700 or email LCU at Utilities@leegov.com.
The Bayshore Utility Company was a private utility under the jurisdiction of the Public Service Commission and the Department of Health. Bayshore Utility provided potable water to approximately 200 customers within the Yacht Club Colony neighborhood, located in North Fort Myers. The utility had been under a consent order and court proceedings, initiated by the Department of Health, due to its failure to meet drinking water standards.
The consent order required certain capital improvements be completed to meet the water quality standards. After more than a year and because no apparent effort was made by the private owner to make these improvements, the Department of Health filed an Application for an Order to Show Cause to declare the utility abandoned and the Order was granted.
The Lee County Attorney’s Office petitioned the Court requesting an emergency hearing to assign responsibility to the County. This petition allowed Lee County to commence activities within the utility to protect the public health and safety of this community. Lee County was able to access the utility on April 25th and have found that significant repairs will be required to bring the utility into compliance.
### 4/27/2012|
MPO holding public hearing on 2012/13 Unified Planning Work Program
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THE LEE COUNTY METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (MPO) WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON MAY 11, 2012 AT 1:30 P.M. TO CONSIDER ADOPTING THE FY 2012/13 AND FY 2013/14 UNIFIED PLANNING WORK PROGRAM (UPWP)
The MPO Board will hold a public hearing on May 11, 2012 to consider Adopting the FY 2012/13 and FY 2013/14 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP).
The MPO Board will also be Endorsing the Minor Update to the Transportation Disadvantaged Service Plan (TDSP); Approving Local Coordinating Board Appointments and Certification; Approving the FY 2012/13 Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund Grant Resolution and Agreement; Approval of the Joint Regional Enhancement Priorities; Approval of the Joint Lee/Collier TRIP Priorities; and Review and Comment on the Draft FY 2012/13 through FY 2017/18 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).
The MPO Board meeting will be held on May 11, 2012 at 1:30pm at the City of Cape Coral Council Chambers, 1015 Cultural Parkway Boulevard, Cape Coral, FL. Written comments received by the end of the business day on Thursday, May 10, 2012 will be distributed to the MPO members at the hearing and made part of the public record. The entire agenda can be reviewed by accessing the MPO’s website at www.leempo.com under Agenda’s and Minutes. Copies can be requested from the MPO office by mail or pick up (call 239-244-2220). Written comments may be submitted by e-mail at dscott@leempo.com, faxed to 239-790-2695 or delivered to 815 Nicholas Parkway East, Cape Coral, Florida 33990
Meghan A. Marion
Transportation Planner
Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization
P.O. Box 150045
Cape Coral, Florida 33915-0045
239-244-2220 ext. 2
Fax: 239-790-2695
mmarion@leempo.com 4/26/2012|
Bayshore Utilities - Update
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Good morning Yacht Club Colony residents,
The following information is being provided as an update to the Bayshore Utility Company court proceedings initiated by the Department of Health. Bayshore Utility was under a consent order to make certain capital improvements to improve the water quality. Because no effort was made by the private utility owner to make these improvements, the Department of Health filed an Application for an Order to Show Cause to declare the utility abandoned and the Order was granted. The Lee County Attorney’s Office petitioned the Court requesting an emergency hearing to assign responsibility to Lee County Utilities. This petition allows Lee County Utilities to commence activities within the utility to protect the public health and safety of this community.
Lee County Utilities is currently working on strategies that will provide reliable potable drinking water to your community and will schedule a town hall meeting in the very near future to discuss those strategies. At this time, LCU staff is assessing the utility and making those repairs that are required for public safety.
We will be placing the system users on a precautionary boil water notice until we have assessed the source water and produced water quality to ensure public health. You should receive a formal written notice later today.
If you have interrupted service or need assistance, please call our Customer Service number 239-533-8700.
Please pass this email on to all your neighbors for their information.
Lee County understands the urgency of this situation and we appreciate your patience in this matter. We look forward to working with you and finding the most effective solutions to this situation.
Pam Keyes, P.E.
Director
Lee County Utilities
1500 Monroe St.
Ft. Myers, FL 33901
Phone: 239-533-8544
Email Address: PKeyes@leegov.com
Website: http://www.leegov.com/utilities/
4/18/2012|
Letter Carrier Food Drive -
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Letter carriers in Lee and Collier counties need volunteers to carry out a successful “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive on Saturday, May 12. This is the nation’s largest single-day drive to help needy families fight hunger in America. As good as the drive has been in the past, we must do even better this year. As the economy has spiraled downward, millions and millions of families are suffering—struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table. With the increased need for food and related supplies in the two counties, the “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive is especially important.
Helping Stamp Out Hunger is as easy as checking your mailbox. Just leave a bag of nonperishable food where your letter carrier normally delivers your mail. Your letter carrier or volunteer will then pick up and deliver the food to a local food bank. This is the one day when letter carriers collect the food. Food collected in Lee County goes to the Harry Chapin Food Bank and several other food banks; in Collier County, food goes to Collier Harvest. All food collected in food drives is distributed to participating agencies at no cost.
Food banks are notoriously empty during summer months, having exhausted the supply of donations received from other food drives. Summer donations are even more critical since many children in need no longer have the benefits of their school breakfast and lunch programs. Food banks literally circle the second Saturday in May on their calendars, knowing that carriers will again fill their shelves—shelves that, by then, will be depleted of holiday-time donations. The national drive began with a pilot program in 1991.
Individuals who won’t be able to participate on May 12 may drop off their contributions at any Post Office; the items will be saved and added to the May 12 contributions. Businesses can set up collection boxes for employees and customers who may not be able to leave food by their mailboxes on May 12. Monetary donations payable to Harry Chapin Food Bank are welcomed prior to and on the day of the food drive.
Virtually any kind of nonperishable food may be donated in unopened, nonbreakable containers. Items especially in need are peanut butter, tuna, rice, beans, and canned meats, fruits, vegetables, boxed cereals, and soups.
Volunteers are needed to assist letter carriers with their pickups on May 12. Contact Debi Mitchell in Lee County, 573-9638, or Jesse Costin in Collier County, 643-4716. Volunteers are needed to assist with preliminary food sorting on May 12. Contact Bedzaida Bryen at Harry Chapin Food Bank in Lee County, 334-7007; Collier Harvest at 455-3663; or Kim Berghs at the United Way, 239-433-2000, x260.
Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at http://about.usps.com/news/welcome.htm.
A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 151 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 35th in the 2011 Fortune 500. In 2011, the U.S. Postal Service was ranked number one in overall service performance, out of the top 20 wealthiest nations in the world, Oxford Strategic Consulting. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for six years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.
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A portion of Powell Creek Preserve (approximately 20 acres) is being utilized by the Natural Resources Division as a filter marsh. Filter marshes and other water quality and flood control projects are carefully planned on certain Conservation 20/20 preserves. The Conservation 20/20 program was developed to address water quality and quantity projects, protect wildlife habitat and natural communities, and provide for nature based recreation opportunities such as hiking, bird watching and kayaking.
This particular filter marsh is being built to help filter the water in Powell Creek Canal and Powell Creek before the water enters the Caloosahatchee River and to enhance onsite wetlands which were filled before the county purchased the land. The portion of Powell Creek located on the preserve is drawn down due to the canal. This project will rehydrate the creek and will enhance water quality in a portion of the county where water quality enhancements are needed. The majority of the preserve is not being modified and will be kept and managed in its natural state. The project area was planned in the most disturbed areas of the site and the few gopher tortoises within the project area were relocated into an onsite gopher tortoise preserve, where no construction will occur. The eastern indigo snake sign is a precautionary sign for this threatened species since they could potentially occur in the area. To date, no eastern indigo snakes have been recorded on the preserve. The filter marsh was carefully designed around most of the large oak trees and gopher tortoise burrows. A few oaks, were removed in order to get the amount of filtration needed to make the project cost effective.
Once completed, an ADA compliant hiking trail and small trailhead will allow people to hike the trails and observe wildlife within the wetlands. The project looks desolate right now while under construction, but once completed the preserve will contain enhanced wetlands and the plants within the filter marsh will help remove nutrients and other pollutants from entering the Caloosahatchee River. The site will be heavily planted once grading and other construction is complete. For an idea on how the filter marsh will look I would suggest that you visit Billy Creek Preserve or Pop Ash Creek Preserves, other filter marsh projects built on Conservation 2020 land.
Please contact me if I may answer any additional questions. Natural Resources Division staff and I will be happy to meet you on site to discuss the project.
Cathy Olson
Cathy Olson
Conservation 20/20 Senior Supervisor
Lee County Parks and Recreation
3410 Palm Beach Blvd.
Fort Myers, FL 33916
(239) 533-7455
fax: 239 485-2302
colson@leegov.com
www.conservation2020.org
www.leeparks.org
4/9/2012|
Lee TV Newswrap - upcoming stories
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The latest edition of Lee TV Newswrap includes the following stories:
*JetBlue Park opens!
*groundbreaking for the new Ft. Myers Regional Library
*an overview of the LeeGROWS program
*the 2011 Citizen of the Year named
*research on the advantages of using heart statins in surgery
*a look at how peanuts can improve your health
*another segment of Your Florida Lawn
*take a walk through the Big Cypress Swamp
These, plus other stories and county information can be seen daily on Lee TV, the county’s 24-hour government access channel. Lee TV is broadcast on channel 97 on the Comcast cable system. You can view Lee TV live on the internet at: http://www.lee-county.com/gov/dept/publicresources/leetv/Pages/live.aspx
To view a program schedule, go to:
http://www.lee-county.com/gov/dept/publicresources/leetv/Pages/default.aspx, and select Lee TV Schedule.
For more information, please contact Keith Smith, Division of Public Resources, at 533-2114.
4/4/2012|
Press Release - Local Artists Display in Commissioner Hall's Office.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: April 5, 2012
CONTACT: Commissioner Tammy Hall – District 4 Commissioner
(239) 533-2226 office
Artwork Celebrates Earth Day and Photography
FORT MYERS, FL — Lee County Commissioner Tammy Hall is supporting local artists by giving them an opportunity to display their artwork in her Fort Myers office.
For the next several weeks four local photographers and one local wood carver, will display their work in the District 4 Office located at the Old County Courthouse in downtown Fort Myers. The display includes framed artistic photography of nature and wood carvings of area wild life. The work will be on display until May 11th. The public is welcome to stop by and view the work and learn more about the artists. Please call 533-2226 to confirm office hours for viewing the artwork.
“The arts are an important part of the cultural and development of our community” says Commissioner Hall. “I believe that government can play an important role in public awareness, developing the use of public spaces for display and interaction of art, and for the encouragement and commitment of continued financial support both public and private of all the arts.”
Other local artists will be featured every six weeks. Commissioner Hall’s office is on the first floor of the Old County Courthouse, 2120 Main Street in downtown Fort Myers.
Commissioner Hall is the recipient of the Angel of the Arts Award – Business Sponsor 2009. She was elected to the Board of Lee County Commissioners in 2004 and re-elected in 2006. Her district includes North Fort Myers and the central and northern portions of Cape Coral. For more information on this program, please contact Carmen Salomé, Executive Assistant, at 239-533-2226.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Eric Levin – Originally from South America he has lived in Bolivia and Trinidad before settling in the United States. “My dad passed to me his love of photography and the outdoors.” Eric enjoys finding new and interesting ways to take photographs and share how he views the world. Eric says “I find that when I shoot, my attention is not necessarily on the end result (the final print), but on enjoying the experience of being in nature. The end result will take care of itself.”
Allen Tiller: From the age of ten, Allen knew he would be an artist, and in 1978 graduated from the Art Institute of Philadelphia. He launched a career doing magazine illustration in the
Philadelphia area, winning several awards for excellence. Allen has developed Multiple Sclerosis. Unable to paint or draw as before, Allen honed his photographic skills. Allen states "It is my desire to share with the viewer the beauty that I see in the world, and to take them to details that might otherwise be overlooked."
Richard Sherman - Rich has known since age four or five that he wanted to take pictures of places. Photography has always been a part of his life since his dad gave him a Time-Life magazine on photography and a Minolta SLR camera. His father shared that same love and Richard learned much working a long side his dad. Rich enjoys traveling and capturing beautiful images where ever he visits. “I hope you enjoy the photographs and that you find peace and tranquility in the images.”
Kimberly Basile – artist bio not available at time of press release.
Jay Gilliford – Jay Gilliford currently lives and produces his wood carvings at his home in Ft. Myers, Florida. He is also a proud veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces. Jay has always had a passion for nature, particularly for birds and bird watching. In combination with his interest in wood and wood carving, his passion for birds has led him to become quite skilled in bird carving and to produce the many beautiful projects that are showcased on his wood carving website. www.jaygillifordwoodcarving.com
Carmen Salomé
Executive Assistant to Commissioner Tammy Hall
Lee County Board of Commissioners
District 4
239-533-2226 office
239-485-2054 fax
Email: dist4@leegov.com
Website: www.lee-county.com
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