Naplesnew.com

County wavers on expanding island sewage plant

The North Fort Myers island, which commissioners bought last month, is already home to a 45-year-old treatment plant

By Charlie Whitehead

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/jun/26/county_wavers_expanding_island_sewage_plant/?breaking_news

Lee County commissioners will stand by their decision last month to buy a North Fort Myers island in the Caloosahatchee River for $13.8 million.

Whether they will follow through on their original intention to expand a sewer treatment plant there is yet to be determined.

Commissioners voted 3-2 to buy the 5.8-acre island in the community of Waterway Estates, which is already home to a 45-year-old treatment plant and on which the Calusa Isle Yacht club had plans to build a marina. The plan was for Lee County Utilities to expand the existing plant from 1.25 million gallons per day to 3 million.

That prospect riled residents, who stormed commission chambers demanding a re-vote. It also got the attention of North Fort Myers Utilities, a private company that offered commissioners a deal they claim will save them $3 million.

County utilities director Doug Meurer disputed the claim, but commissioners said with the potential savings they have to look into the possibility.

“Folks, I have to look at the possibility of $30 million,” Commissioner Frank Mann said.

Savings aside, commissioners were told that expanding a sewage treatment plant on the banks of the Caloosahatchee is a bad idea. Even Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp — who lives nearby — signed a petition against the expansion.

“To expand a sewage treatment plant by the river makes absolutely no sense to me,” said lifelong resident George Wheaton, a member of the county’s Conservation 2020 committee. “There have to be other alternatives.”

Wheaton was in chambers to see commissioners make two environmental land buys recommended by his committee but felt moved to speak.

“We’re working hard to try to make that river clean,” Wheaton said. “This is unreal. If we had any type of catastrophe, it would cause a severe spill of raw sewage.”

Wheaton, like many others, said he’s not necessarily against commissioners buying the island, which could be used for a riverfront park and boat ramp.

“But to buy a very expensive island and use it for a sewage treatment plant makes absolutely no sense,” he said.

Greg Makepeace, president of the North Fort Myers Civic Association, echoed that. He said commissioners must move slowly and study all the facts.

“Certainly the best use is not the expansion of that plant,” he said. “It just doesn’t make sense.”

Commissioner Brian Bigelow pushed to bring the issue back. He said he doesn’t want to plunge the county into a legal quagmire by trying to back out of the purchase, but he does want to reconsider the treatment plant expansion.

“I would like to pull away the land acquisition decision from the future use,” he said. “This is one more effort to slow this down, take our time and fully understand the ramifications.”

Mann agreed, saying he felt rushed when commissioners agreed to the buy on May 1.

“It did seem to be awfully fast,” he said.

Mann said he may even be ready to re-think a 1990’s policy decision commissioners made to look to control water and sewer service in the county.

Commissioner Tammy Hall, who voted in the majority for the purchase, said she has no problem looking at alternatives.

“I was not uncomfortable with the acquisition before and I’m not uncomfortable with it now,” she said.

Commissioners will consider the future of the plant and alternatives to the expansion after their July break.