Void in leadership
Void in leadership
To the editor:
Week after week Cape Coral is witness to a city government reminiscent of the poor little lambs that have lost their way. There is an obvious void in leadership from the mayor’s chair on the dais. The mayor constantly needs to be reminded of what’s next on the agenda. Perhaps passing the gavel at the beginning of the meeting might be a solution for his frequent memory lapses and the many infractions of basic parliamentary procedures that are now typical during city council meetings.
At the Wednesday, Feb. 17, COW UEP Meeting several things were discussed. Unfortunately the “E” in the Utility Expansion Project was totally absent from any discussion by council. Instead, possible waste water overcharges were discussed at length for the majority the meeting. This resulted in an agreement to send a question of legislative “intent” to the AG for a determination. “This is a political football,” said the mayor. “The best thing we can do is get it off our laps.” How’s that for leadership and responsibility?
In the meantime the SW 6-7 utility assessment area has been on hold for almost two years (June 9, 2008) and continues to be ignored. This assessment area would have brought in added assessment revenue, utility impact fees and more importantly additional rate payers for all three utilities to help share the burden of paying the assessment bonds and help toward lower the utility rates for the current approximately 53,000 rate payer accounts.
Unfortunately, when it comes to the UEP, beginning June 9, 2008 and continuing through today, a rudderless ship chooses to ignore a destination that was booked by city leaders approximately two decades ago. It is time for this council to get back on course and bring the needed and necessary water and wastewater utility infrastructure to the rest of the City of Cape Coral.
Ralph LePera
Cape Coral