Same old, same old
To the editor:
At the Nov. 19 Regular Council Meeting, I submitted the following to all council members, the city attorney and city manager for questions and comments my three minutes at the end of the meeting would not be sufficient to say what I believe needs to be said.
1. The Request for Proposal RCR25176KMR for Bimini East closed on Oct. 30, 025. I would like a current status report as to who, if anyone submitted proposals as we the people already have more than $45 million invested in a large parcel of mowed weeds and property owned by but unusable by citizens.
2. I want documentation on the $10 million issue tied to a failed building purchase by the city, how it happened and the individual(s) responsible that was recently reported by WINK news and will result in a state audit of violations within the building department. A complaint to the state filed by Cape Coral Construction Industry Association based on arbitrary rejections and discriminatory enforcement by the city among other complaints. This from a group you do not want to tick off. Without them, nothing will get done. I also want the address of that specific building and all reports and correspondence issued in regards to this huge failure. Many of us are well aware of the inconsistencies in enforcement of codes and regulations.
3. It has been well over a month now since I put in a Records Request for copies of expense reports for all seven council members, the mayor, the City Manager and the City Attorney along with copies of any and all receipts submitted from Jan. 1, 2025 through 10/15/2025. There is no excuse for this delay. If you have no plans on honoring this request, I need to know. Now.
4. I also want to know why eight of my Records Requests for copies of Public Official Surety Bond (as required by FL Statute 113.07) for all council members and the mayor, have not been provided. Those Record Request were submitted 16 days ago. Those Record Request numbers are:
R105064-110325
R105063-110325
R105062-110325
R105061-110325
R105060-110325
R105059-110325
R105058-110325
R105057-110325
And I want to know why it is taking so long to get documents that should be readily available.
And I would like an explanation from Council members Kilraine, Lehmann, Donnell, Kaduk and Nelson-Lastra as to why they have not honored their campaign promises to not be like the former council. Candidates that all promised to control the rampant spending and do the will of the people — not ignore them. But, IMHO they have failed us all. None of them have made any attempt to roll back any plans but sign off on everything on the Consent Agenda regardless of cost or need including expanding the original parameters of some projects, rationalizing your “approval” because it may have been already budgeted for. Did ANY of them EVER opt to reduce the scope of projects? Do they realize budgets for projects can and have been expanded — but never reduced? Are they aware project parameters can be reduced as well as expanded? I’ve seen no evidence of that. All the city manager does is expand the scope and the cost with no regard for wants of the citizens and the council approves it all.
Their spending will only increase our taxes at a time where the people in the northeast Cape are suffering with the massive UEP bills they received just before the holidays. Guess their Christmas will be spent wondering how long they will be able to afford to stay in their homes. Many, sadly will either lose their homes or have to sell them at a loss. Families will be devastated. But this administration and majority of council members, IMHO couldn’t care less. They wring their hands about how they’re going to pay for a lavish Yacht Club most of us do not want and the city does not need- especially with a $300-plus million price tag. Then there is Bimini East and the golf club they will probably want to spend hundreds of millions on. At the COW last week I requested you pull the almost $750,000 median beautification contract as a place to start cutting spending. They all just rubber stamped a want, not a need. Guess you’re as bad as the last council. No, IMHO you’re worse as at least we knew who they were. You all misrepresented yourselves to the citizens and should be ashamed.
Marie Kavanaugh
Cape Coral