Councilmember Joanne Ribble (left) was congratulated on her 2022 Home Rule Hero Award by Mayor Katy Errington
Council started their meeting with Mayor Katy Errington acknowledging Councilmember Joanne Ribble’s Florida League of Cities’ 2021 Home Rule Hero Award. The League recently recognized Councilmember Ribble with this prestigious award for her work and advocacy efforts during the 2021 Legislative Session.
As District 1 Councilmember, Ribble is liaison to the League, the united voice for Florida’s municipal governments. She has also been elected to serve as secretary to the southwest chapter.
Via Coconut Point Landscape Design Contract
Via Coconut Point is an approximately 2.75-mile-long 4-lane divided roadway that extends from Corkscrew Road at the north end to Pelican Colony Blvd on the south end.
The landscape design project will provide a concept design for the entire roadway, taking into account the existing landscaping. It addresses the medians as well as the sides of the roadway and will be consistent with landscape projects throughout the Village.
Once the concepts have been designed they will be presented to Council and the public for input. Plans also call for negotiating with the developers along the roadway to be responsible for the median in front of their development.
Council approved contracts with Bruce Howard & Associates in the amount of $60,000 and RWA Engineering for $11,700, with a contingency fund of $7,200. The FY 2020-2021 CIP budget for this project is $276,000. (Summary)
Community Development Software Consultant Contract RFI 2020-02 and Resolution 2021-14 Budget Amendment
Community Development Director Mary Gibbs stated that the software currently in use by the Community Development Department is outdated and requires the purchase of a new software package in order to enhance customer service and efficiency, and that meets the industry standard. The department will need IT technical assistance in order to accomplish this change.
Council approved Resolution 2021-14 and the selection of Provion Inc. as the consultant of record. They authorized Village Manager Steve Sarkozy to negotiate and execute a contract for a not-to-exceed amount of $250,000 along with a contingency fund of $25,000, which covers an approximate time period of 18 months.
Estero Virtual Visitors Center
Barry Freedman, Estero Council of Community Leaders (ECCL) Executive Management Team, gave a short presentation requesting the Village’s support for requesting a grant from the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau to create an Estero virtual visitors center. The goal is to develop a tool to make Estero a destination area that improves our economy and provides visitors a place to learn about and want to experience Estero.
This effort is supported by the ECCL, the Estero Chamber of Commerce, the Estero Rotary Club and the Estero Forever Foundation.
Mayor Katy Errington signed a letter of support. (Letter) Freedman is scheduled to come back to Council in the future to present additional details.
Letter to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Lee County Commissioner Kevin Ruane requested the Village’s support in presenting a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requesting every possible management practice for controlling lake discharges to avoid harmful effects on the environment by red tied and blue-green algal blooms.
Council agreed to sign the letter and asked that a workshop be presented in the near future reviewing Lake O discharges and its impacts. (Letter)
Ordinance 2021-04 – Amend Land Development Code to appoint co-chairpersons to the Planning, Zoning and Design Board
When the Land Development Code was adopted, one Code section established a Planning, Zoning and Design Board. The Council later appointed co-chairs to this Board. A minor amendment to the Code is needed to allow for co-chairs instead of one chairperson. The co-chairs are Howard Levitan and Leonard “Scotty” Wood III. (Ordinance)
Council passed this first reading of the ordinance and set a second reading for 9:30 a.m., June 16, 2021.
Ordinance 2021-08 – Amending the Village Code, Chapter 28 – Roads and Bridges Article VI
This ordinance came to Council at the request of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office as they can only control activities in Estero that comply with its ordinances. It also is consistent with Lee County, Bonita Springs and other municipality ordinances.
The ordinance prohibits activities that interfere with the primary purpose of public roads and rights-of-way by causing distractions to motorists, unsafe pedestrian movement within travel lanes, sudden stoppage or slowdown of traffic, rapidly changing, dangerous traffic movements, increased vehicular accidents and pedestrian and motorist injuries and fatalities. (Ordinance)
Council passed the first reading and set the second reading for 9:30 a.m., June 16, 2021.
Workshops
FY 21-22 Budget Introduction
Deputy Village Manager Kyle Coleman gave a presentation on the FY 21-22 budgeting season. This included:
- Budget Purpose
- Budgeting Principles
- Budget Calendar
- Preliminary Revenue & Cost Projections
RFP for state legislative and executive branch lobbying services
Procurement Manager Bob Franceschini reviewed the RFP process, and pointed out that the goal of this RFP is to engage a firm that Council and staff are comfortable working with and will professionally and effectively represent the Village’s interests to the State of Florida. A Village selection committee will review and rank the firms by qualifications and then present Council with a proposed contract with the top firm. (Presentation)
Cloud Server Transition
Deputy Village Manager Kyle Coleman gave a presentation on transitioning data storage to the cloud which would improve the Village’s cybersecurity. He explained the benefits: security, accessibility when staff need to work remotely, reliability and the fact that it’s government lite. The cost would be $30,000 upfront, with an estimated $3,000 annual savings. (Presentation)
No voting occurs during workshops.
Residents may view the archived meeting by going to the Village website http://estero-fl.gov/council/watch-meetings-online/
The next Council meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, June 16, 2021.