Current Notes:
MISS FLORIDA JOINS OUR FOURTH OF JULY PARADE
Folks who want to put a float in the parade can download this Parade Application and mail it in.
FOR THE RECORD -
Thursday, June 25
By Lee Melsek
Pruning and primping the budget
It's looking more and more like living on Fort Myers Beach is about to get more expensive.
That's because the council seems to be intent on raising town property taxes again this year, which would be the second year in a row for many property owners.
The reality is, they don't have to raise taxes. They went into the summer with a $909,000 deficit looming. But Town Manager Scott Janke sharpened his pencil, scrutinized the digits that define spending and receiving and cut $135,000 out of it. Some of it would reduce money for special events, some would reduce what we pay a special master for code enforcement hearings and some would be taken our of the vessel removal fund.
No new employees are in the new budget, and no pay hikes are there either.
Janke also is showing council how they could increase revenues by raising parking fees from $1 to $2 an hour, which he estimates would bring in about $140,000 of new money. Some will argue that $2 an hour for people to park to go to the beach is gouging and they're probably right.
But even with the latest additions and subtractions his budget projections still show that the council would need to increase it's property tax millage rate from the current .709 to .875 mills to balance the new budget. Either that or start collecting a Florida Power and Light franchise fee - passed on to customers - which most council members don't want to seem to do.
What's not being talked about is this: There would be no need for a tax hike at all if the council would put the $1 million it earmarked for the county's ill-fated beach renourishment plan into the general fund's unrestricted reserves. That would take those unrestricted reserves to about $4.5 million. Janke says the town need only keep about six months worth of the budget - about $2.5 million - for rainy day emergency funds in those reserves.
By September, when the final budget must be passed, we should know that renourishment isn't going to happen. But that, of course, would up to the council. So far, they seem more intent on talking tax hikes and less on making government run more efficient.
One other use of that $1 million could be as a loan to town's water utility to at least begin fixing the worst parts of that broken system. Some council members want to wait for state grants or borrow the money to fix the system. But the state ignored the town's request this year for grants, and many, including some town staff, worry we don't have another year to wait to fix a system that is on its last leg. Using that money as a starter fix would reduce the amount needed to fix the entire system, meaning we could save money on a fix-it loan by borrowing less.
So this council could be about to increase taxes and even increase the amount we pay to park. But how about generating more revenues by increasing the paltry sum Times Square businesses pay to put their tables on public property or make them pay more than the 35 percent it costs the town to pick up their garbage. While residents pay more to park and higher taxes we may still be subsidizing the Times Square business people's garbage pickup to the tune of 65 percent of the cost.
There are more meetings throughout the summer and plenty of time for residents and taxpayers to get involved.
Renourishment's last stand
You can see it in their eyes, read it in their expressions, hear it in their frustration.
This council is coming to the realization that the beach renourishment they promised voters is slipping further way from them each day.
They've done everything they know how to do, including committing - at the eleventh hour - their town manager and staff to do a job the county was supposed to do but failed to do - gathering enough easements to get the project done.
Once again, they've been slapped in the face by the county's man in charge of the project, Steve Boutelle, who now is refusing to collect the easements our town manager and his staff worked their butts off the obtain. Some of the claims coming from Boutelle has caused even more confusion. Is August 1 the drop dead date on this project, they wonder? It sounded that way when he talked about needing to know by the end of this month if there would be enough easements for the job.
What once was perceived as the biggest, most ambitious shoreline project ever proposed for this island has turned into a nightmare of broken promises and poor salesmanship by county government.
It's over, some on the street are saying.
Good riddance, those who opposed it in the first place proclaim.
HIGHER TAXES COMING?
Monday, June 22 -Town council members are betting that island taxpayers won't mind higher property taxes next year to keep the services they have now and to complete more projects. Just in case, they're planning a public relations blitz to sell the idea.
While they wrestle with declining revenues and expensive projects, they are looking at anything they can find to create more revenues. That includes a Florida Power and Light franchise fee - which would be passed on to customers - raiding the town's $3 million reserve fund and, what is looking more likely, higher taxes.
Big ticket items on the horizon are the millions needed to fix the water system and the takeover of Bay Oaks Park, which in the past has cost about $600,000 a year to maintain. The county had been paying half of that amount but no longer will after October 1.
Town Manager Scott Janke has said he would need a millage rate of 1.1 mills to balance the budget if no more revenues are found. That would be nearly double the .71 mills property owners now pay in the town's portion of property taxes. A mill is a $1 tax on each $1,000 of taxable property. For a home valued at $500,000 a 1.1 mill rate would mean the owner would pay $600 in town property taxes on top of the property tax they pay the county.
Council will next discuss the 2009-2010 budget at its regular meeting on July 20th when it must adopt a tentative millage rate. After that the rate can be reduced but not increased. So far, no one has attended any of the council''s budget discussions.
MORE RENOURISHMENT WOES
Monday June 16 - Lee County Marine Operations Director Steve Boutelle, the man in charge of the county's troubled beach renourishment plan, is refusing to get new construction easement agreements from property owners who have agreed to sign them, according to Town Manager Scott Janke.
At the council meeting Monday night Janke said he "confronted" Boutelle when he learned Boutelle wasn't getting the signatures from property owners who Janke and his staff had worked hard to persuade to give them.
"He said he's not willing to spend money to get the signatures until he sees if the project is viable," an obviously frustrated Janke said Boutelle told him. "I don't particularly like this."
Boutelle has been in charge of the proposed project for more than 10 years but failed to get enough construction easements from beachfront property owners to do the job. The county several months ago persuaded the town to take charge of persuading people not to rescind the easements they had signed earlier.Since then, Janke and his staff have worked tirelessly to persuade people to sign new construction easements across their property. But they have so far fallen far short of the 80 to 90 percent of gulf frontage Boutelle has told them the town and county must have to begin the 4.6 mile project. As of now they have only about 42 percent of the easements they need. The town has been told the drop dead date for doing the project is August. 1.
Kiker was directed by council to go and talk to all five commissioners about Boutelle's refusal to get the new easement agreements.
The question is, is Boutelle doing this on his own or does he have the consent of commissioners who are now ready to end this decade-long struggle.
WHERE'S THE MOUND HOUSE?
Monday June 16 - Mayor Larry Kiker, in a burst of aggressive questioning Monday night, demanded to know how much tax money has been spent on the Mound House since the town bought it in 1999.
Mound House Director Teresa Schober told him the figure is about $1.1 million.
Despite a lot of work on the grounds, the house itself still hasn't been restored and, because of its deteriorated condition inside, may be a safety hazard.
"When is it going to be open?" he also demanded to know.
Other islanders have been asking that questions for years but no clear answer has ever been given nor was one given Monday night.
Town Manager Scott Janke also expressed frustration with the decade-long inability to get the Mound House open.
"Why isn't the Mound House open?" he asked of to one in particular. "People have heard different commitments from different councils over the years.
Kiker is also upset that the zoning changes on the Newton property hasn't begun yet.
Kiker, who has been on the council since 2007, says he has no idea what the goal is for either Newton house or the Mound House.
Finally, in a fit of obvious frustration, Kiker declared "I don't want to sign another nickel until I see where we are going with this and when we are going to get it all done." The town has budgeted $164,000 to fix the dilapidated Newton home.
The Mermaid is reborn
The suspense is over. The name of the old Surf Club bar will be The Mermaid Lounge and Liquors.
Owners Scott, Kathy and Valerie Van Selow say the hope to be open by the end of June or early July.
The new name comes from what was another landmark bar on the island, The Mermaid Club, which is now the Beached Whale. It was built in 1949
The Surf Club, built in 1953, will move across the street into the old Waffle House building. It's owned by Bruce Cermak. The Van Selows own the old Surf Club building and Bruce Cermak owns the name that he's moving across the street.
Cermak isn't certain when his new bar will be open. He again this year is one of the sponsors of the Civic Association's Fourth of July parade, along with the Beached Whale, Charley's Boathouse, Salt Water Pro Shop and the Pink Shell Beach Resort and Spa. Terra Nostra and Tropics restaurants also have donated to the parade.
GARBAGE CLEANUP TAKES ANOTHTER STEP
Several businesses in the Old San Carlos Boulevard area have decide to obtain a garbage compactor, allowing them to do away with five or six dumpsters that have been sitting open in parking lots.
The move is the latest in Tidelines' efforts to bring dumpsters into compliance with town laws requiring them to be hidden from view of neighbors and the street.
Town Manager Scott Janke said he was informed of the decision to replace the dumpsters with a compactor during discussions with the owner of the Lighthouse Resort, whose dumpsters are sitting in the town's parking lot on Third Street under the bridge.
Janke said the move is a response to Tidelines' February investigation of illegal dumpsters on the island."You got their attention," Janke said.
He said he isn't sure when the new compactor will arrive but he said he will make sure that it is shielded from view of the neighbors and from the street, as the law requires.
MISS FLORIDA JOINS OUR FOURTH OF JULY PARADE
Miss Florida, Lees Garcia of Tampa, will join the Civic Association's Second Annual Fourth of July parade this year.
The pageant called Tidelines on Friday and said Garcia, who won the crown in April, will appear here along with Miss Fort Myers, Donna Snow.
We are still accepting sponsorships and donations for the parade. Call Dennis Boback at 462-8798 to donate.
Folks who want to put a float in the parade can also call Dennis or download this Parade Application and mail it in.
Wednesday, May 20.
The town failed to collect $2.41 million dollars in water fees from condos and duplexes over the past seven years and is now in technical default on its loan for the system because it hasn't generated enough revenue from water customers.
The collection error and the numbers were revealed by Town Manager Scott Janke Wednesday during a council planning and management meeting. For the past seven years condos and duplexes on the island were charged the $6.20 base fee per building rather than for each unit. There are 6,337 units and duplexes on the island that should have been generating $345,000 a year in those fees to the town. Single family home owners were paying the fee, but individual condo unit owners were not because of an error by the town, Janke revealed.
Janke was instructed to begin talks with representatives of the island's condo associations and let them know the town wants to begin collecting the per-unit fees on July 1.
By doing so, the town can show Suntrust Bank that it has initiated an attempt to bring itself out of technical default on the water system's loan. The town did not meet its'sloan required revenue stream for the water system in 2007 and probably 2008, leaving it in non-compliance with the terms of its loan.
Councilman Tom Babcock wanted to make collection of the lost fees retroactive from last January but other council members don't appear to be in favor of that, arguing that since it was the town's mistake the unit owners shouldn't have to pay for it. Babcock argued making the collections retroactive would be fair to the single family homeowners who have been paying the fee.
Town attorney Ann Dalton said not collecting the unpaid fees could cause other homeowners to oppose any referendum to borrow money to fix the water system.
"I don't know that we can treat the condos differently than the others. An individual homeowner could say if you'd been charging the condos you wouldn't need the money now," to fix the system, she said.
The town's failure to comply with the revenue stream requirement on its loan now means it could have a tough time borrowing more money, at least at reasonable interest rates.
Mayor Larry Kiker said bring in some kind of expert to advise the town on how it should proceed on raising the money to fix the town's decrepit water system.
Janke also revealed that the town is facing $1.2 million dollars in revenue reductions in the next fiscal year beginning in October. The town is considering a 6 percent Florida Power and Light franchise fee as a possible new revenue stream. The fee is added on to the electric bills of the company's beach customers. Councilman Bob Raymond said he supports the fee while Herb Acken opposes it and Joe List, Tom Babcock and Larry Kiker said only that they are willing to consider it during this summer's budget hearings.
NEWS FLASH!!
Friday, May 8 - Lee County officials have rejected our council's request to take possession of Bowditch Point Park and Lynn Hall park.
County officials said those two parks have been maintained with county impact fees, and therefore their ownership must be retained by the county as regional rather than municipal parks.
Town council wanted the two parks as part of a deal to also assume ownership of Bay Oaks Park. The county has told the town it must take over Bay Oaks by Oct.1. If not, some county officials have threatened to close Bay Oaks.
Civic Association meetings will resume in November.
The time, place and speakers will be announced in Tidelines in the fall.
About Us
The Fort Myers Beach Civic Association is dedicated to informing citizens about key local issues. Increasing growth, development, and environmental issues already affecting and potentially affecting further our quality of life provide major incentives for residents to visit Civic Association meetings, to join our organization, and to stay informed. Our meetings are always open to the public and all islanders are cordially invited to attend.
Civic website has been updated
The Civic Association Website ( fmbcivic.org ) has finally been updated.
Each month the latest Tidelines will be on our web page along with our meeting dates and featured speakers, alerts on developing community issues, important actions by our town council and advisory committees and the latest in Civic Association news.
We're also a link on the town's website.
Check us out.
For those who haven't joined us yet, fill out the membership form and send it in together with your $25 annual membership fee.
In the future, more information and services will added to our website. If you have ideas for us, a column, a letter to the editor or would like to run an ad call Lee Melsek at 470-3407.
Thanks for all your support and please keep in touch with us. We're the island's oldest home-based non-profit organization and now boast of a member ship of well over 600 islanders.
If you'd like Tidelines mailed to your home or business each month call Lee at 470-3407 and let him know. It's free.
