UEP needed, but not now
To the editor:
First of all I believe we do need to go forward with utility expansion. Just not now
We are paying for the mistakes made previously about building this large facility up on Kismet Road. I was wondering if the same people that pushed this through are being asked, why did you build the plant so big, and if these advisors received raises in their salary for such bad planning. Look at the repercussion it caused. I feel that this is going to happen again with this new project. The city council is being forewarned this time. The people don’t want it in now and you were voted in because you promised accountability.
I have lived here over 25 years and have had a real estate license all that time. I have never known a city that made the residents pay for new roads. Yes, to put in lines, but not to do new roads. That is where a lot of the cost is involved. I lived on Coronado Boulevard when they updated to larger water lines and had to tear up some of the street and we didn’t have to pay for the street. I have owned lots in all the areas starting down on Beach Avenue and when I got my first assessments, I noticed that there was never and address on the six or seven pages of paper work… I have called the city many times and asked to have an address on the assessments only to be told that the city recognizes the parcel by the strap number and not the address. Well as a resident I can tell you that people recognize the land by the address.
When the assessments first came through we were told that the vacant lots were being charged impact fees. When the people objected because they weren’t using the system until the lot was build on the city changed the name of the fee to capital expansion to pay for the new plant. City administrators can do that. Still no address on the billings, just strap numbers.
My assessments are now in expansion #6 and they already have water lines down the street and going into the houses that have been built. The lots are close to the Palmetto Pine Golf course and some are on the golf course and were purchased because they already had the water lines on betterment. These streets are also in good shape and when I was told that I have to pay for the water line, even though it’s already in, I couldn’t see the validity in that. A family member has a home and doesn’t have to pay for the water because he’s hooked up already, but being next door and having the same availability and being a vacant lot, we do.
We got our assessments from the city and then two days later we received a revised assessment because a mistake was made. I was at the meeting where the city financial advisor was asked what happened. He said it was the printer’s mistake and they paid for the new mailings. Printer’s mistake? Who sent them the figures? Who proof reads the city’s notices? Is this the same city administration that wants to charge me 5 percent to handle my deferred payment schedule and they can’t find a way to put addresses on the assessments? I think not. To put an address on is only added a line in the computer program.
The big and main concern about the sewers being put in is the economy. How can you assess people in trouble already? Why not put the water line up Del Prado Blvd like you’d like for commercial expansion? Why all or nothing? Why, why, why?
I’m truthfully giving some of my lots up. They are not worth what the assessments cost. So as someone in the city said, the city won’t lose money, the lots will be sold as a tax certificates. That’s how I bought most of mine for family members, so I know the process. All you’ll accomplish is hurting the citizens who own lots now, having paid taxes, lot mowing and storm water all these years lose on their land and let some (maybe out of state) investors come in and grab them. I can also guess that they won’t want the lots with the assessments and the interest piling up on them so the city will be stuck for paying for the bonds they are borrowing for the project. No matter how I look at it, citizens are getting taken.
You have a Realtor on board that said her heart goes out for the people but that hasn’t stopped her from pushing this through. She said the lots are worth less than $10,000, some a lot less so who would pay $18,000 for utilities, plus interest and administration costs if you defer payments? Not me.. We elected our council members to represent us, not the city staff. I think they have forgotten that.
Allen Richards
Cape Coral