State budget includes $13M for county projects
Includes $7.5 million for county to conduct I-75 interchange study between Tucker’s Grade and Bayshore
The $117.6 billion budget signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis this week includes more than $13 million in funding for Lee County projects, as well as numerous vetoes of funding for local projects which had been approved by the state legislature.
The city of Cape Coral will receive $2.5 million to support improvements to Northeast 24th Avenue, a key corridor that also serves as an evacuation route, and $150,000 to purchase a Police Department emergency response vehicle.
The approved funding reflects partial awards for both the Northeast 24th Avenue project and the emergency response vehicle, city officials said in a release issued Wednesday.
The city also something among the county behests.
The budget includes $7.5 million for Lee County to conduct a report and study to explore facilitating a new interchange between Tuckers Grade and Bayshore Road — a long-awaited dream of the city of Cape Coral.
Also awarded was $2 million for the county to construct force mains and upgrade valves to connect the wastewater system to the new Southeast Water Reclamation Facility in South Fort Myers to improve flow reliability and support growth in the county, $2.5 million for the county’s water reclamation facility project on Fort Myers Beach, $1.3 million for a new county medical examiner facility, and $600,000 for Lee County’s Mike Greenwell Regional Park to fund master planning, design and/or construction for the 92.3-acre site in northeast Lee County for a multi-use event center, agricultural facilities, and community amenities.
The new Fort Myers Beach water reclamation facility will rehabilitate and modernize the Fort Myers Beach Water Reclamation Facility to restore treatment capacity, replace aging infrastructure, and repair damage from Hurricane Ian, according to a synopsis of the plans provided by the county. Key improvements include constructing three advanced Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) trains – vital in the advanced wastewater treatment process – and implementing hazard mitigation and flood-proofing measures to protect the facility from future climate impacts, ensuring reliable service for coastal communities.
While water projects rated high on the approved list, the city’s of Cape Coral’s $10 million funding request for its Utilities Expansion Project was not approved.
The city’s original legislative funding requests included: $10 million for the Utilities Expansion Project (UEP); $5 million for Northeast 24th Avenue improvements and evacuation route enhancements and $300,000 for a Police Department emergency response vehicle
“City officials will continue to advocate for future funding opportunities to support the UEP and other infrastructure priorities,” the city release states.
Among the county projects vetoed by DeSantis in the region was $2.5 million for the Lee County Sun Trail Network/Iona Area Sidewalk project. The proposal from the county was to construct a new sidewalk on Pine Ridge Road from San Carlos Boulevard to Summerlin Road. This would be part of the statewide Shared-Use non-motorized (SUN) Trail Network.
DeSantis also vetoed $1.1 million for the Program for All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) in Lee County, $1 million for a Bonita Beach Road landscaping design project, $1 million for a Bonita Springs Paradise Road Bike Pedestrian Improvement Project, $600,000 for a Bonita Beach Road/Imperial Parkway Gateway Aesthetic Improvement, $750,000 for a Fort Myers fire station, and a veto of $125,000 that had been approved by the state legislature for safety and security for the Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center in Naples.
In the Town of Fort Myers Beach, DeSantis approved $1 million for the funding of a clubhouse for the Fort Myers Beach Woman’s Club.
The old clubhouse was destroyed by Hurricane Ian. DeSantis also approved $400,000 for the town for stormwater infrastructure improvements in and around Times Square, and for sidewalk and street repairs.
To reach NATHAN MAYBERG, please email nmayberg@breezenewspapers.com