Council wants more information on bringing gas main to Yacht Club
Line would negate need for propane tanks at Boathouse; would allow nearby properties to hook up
A resolution that would have city-funded an extension of a natural gas main to the Yacht Club Community Park to support the Boathouse will come back to the Cape Coral City Council at a future date for a vote.
Resolution 187-26 called for approval of a gas service agreement and construction deposit agreement between Peoples Gas System, Inc. and the city for the extension of the main at a cost of $596,144.
Cost was the sticking point.
Mayor John Gunter said at Wednesday night’s Cape Coral City Council meeting that he would like to explore other funding options first, so he feels comfortable.
“I am a no vote today until we get other answers addressed,” he said.
Other council members had questions that were not answered during the meeting.
Among them was what was the cost difference between a natural gas line and propane in the ground, using hazard mitigation funds to pay for the cost, and seeing if the Kearns Restaurant Group, which is building the Boathouse at the city park would contribute money.
“Everyone asks for natural gas. Tank after tank is going in at these residences. When we think about water quality and runoff — the more of these tanks we keep putting in the ground, the greater risk we take, I believe,” Councilmember Bill Steinke said. “It brings another utility opportunity that is cleaner energy to our residents that choose to hook up and don’t have to sink a propane tank.”
City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn said during Hurricane Ian there was a call that the fire department responded to regarding wood banging against a propane tank at the Yacht Club.
“This is to serve utility gas to the Boathouse in lieu of the tank. Anybody along that line will have the ability to connect but it will be a private decision,” he said. “We are mitigating all safety issues. That tank was 4 feet underground. You might be able to see it behind the tank, a 12 by 12 board that during that storm was literally banging into the top of that. There was a cover protecting those lines and it was broken off,”
Ilczyszyn explained that when bringing electric or natural gas to a project — the developer, or homeowner, does not design the distribution network or transmission network — but rather TECO Peoples Gas and LCEC.
“It is a policy. It’s not negotiable,” he said. “By bringing this utility to the Boathouse anybody that connects to that line within a certain amount of time, we would get a repayment credit.”
Ilczyszyn said the Boathouse is the city, as it is their investment, their infrastructure, and their site.
“We are required to provide the utilities to the site – electric, water, sewer, gas,” he said.
Ilczyszyn said the city is not designing the extension, it is not going through the construction manager at risk through Wright Construction. He said it is not going to be their plans, designed by the city, or built by the city.
Ilczyszyn said if the council was “balking at running utilities solely for the benefit of the Boathouse because it is run by a private sector business and not the city,” then he needs to understand the question behind the question.
He said the city planning to add more than just utilities — city is adding fire sprinklers for resiliency and hazard mitigation.
“If it’s just about cost, we will produce the cost benefit analysis for the tank verse the line,” Ilczyszyn said.
To reach MEGHAN BRADBURY, please email news@breezenewspapers.com