County decision muddies the waters of communication
The Lee County Commission prides itself on its environmental record.
Persuading voters countywide to tax themselves for the purchase of sensitive habitats and wetlands via the 20/20 program certainly gives the board laurels to rest upon for years — and generations — to come.
The board’s reputation for working with the county’s cities, towns and communities, though, is not quite as stellar.
A case in point would be this week’s hasty decision to appeal the city of Cape Coral’s request to remove the Ceitus boat lift. Added to the commission’s agenda by Commissioner Bob Janes with no notification to the city, its elected officials or the residents affected, this is decision-making at its worse, the kind that gets local communities and their elected boards in an uproar.
Consider: Critics of the city project obviously received a heads-up because two were granted presentation time. Then, based on arguments the city was not given an opportunity to counter, discount or rebut, the commission voted 4-0 to contest the city’s plans to remove the lift in the Cape’s northwest “spreader system.”
Let us point out this is a project that has been churning though public channels at the state level for more than two years.
It’s small wonder the county and the Cape are again squaring off, each claiming the environmental high ground.
County officials cite two concerns; that one, the removal of the lift would pollute Matlacha Pass, and two, the city has no immediate plans for replacement of the lift. As for their unexpected action, county officials point to a ticking clock: the last day to appeal state authorization for the lift’s removal is Monday.
The city counters that the lift is causing damage to abutting wetlands, endangering six acres of mangroves. Officials here also point to approvals received last month from Florida Fish and Wildlife, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Environmental Protection.
At any rate, the Cape maintains that if the county wanted to contest the city’s plans, the county should have invited Cape officials to the commission meeting so that all positions could have been presented and considered before the vote to appeal.
While the rhetoric roils, on the notion of notification we will agree — all the county did was muddy the waters with political, um, runoff and cause another county vs city stink.
This is not the way to get things done.
County Commissioner Ray Judah has asked to speak at Monday’s city council meeting. As always, we welcome his visit and look forward to his presentation. Commissioner Judah has said he will apologize for the way the decision was considered by the county board, and we look forward to that, too.
Meanwhile, we ask our elected boards to get together before decisions that affect both are made.
And we remind our county commissioners that communication and cooperation also are “green” issues as the lack thereof usually proves to be costly.
Please don’t ask us to write that check.
— Breeze editorial