Water, sewer system upgrade OK'd
By: Joel Moroneyjmoroney@news-press.com news-press.com
November 05, 2005
Lehigh Acres' water and sewer system will get a $25 million upgrade and expansion, but who will run it is yet to be determined.The Florida Governmental Utility Authority board met Friday and passed the bond issue to help pay for the expansion.But it delayed for 60 days a decision on the renewal of the system's operating contract with an outside company.
The board is working with Lee County Utilities on a cooperative agreement that will ensure system upgrades meet county standards.Commissioners have discussed having the county assume control of the system.
"This is so that, should we take the system over in the future, it will comply with county standards," said county Public Works Director Jim Lavendar, who represents Lee County on the FGUA board. "What we're doing now is making a future transition easier, should it occur."The authority — composed of representatives from Polk, Citrus, Osceola counties and, since last month, Lee County — is seeking to expand the system in order to reduce the number of wells and septic tanks in the area.Currently, just 12,000 Lehigh residents are on the system, Lavendar said.
But residents have voiced concerns about property assessments for mandatory connection to the system even if they have working wells and septic tanks.Those concerns spurred commissioners to discuss county ownership.
Frank Lohlein, an opponent of the buildout, said residents could face bills surpassing $17,000 each to finance the expansion.Lohlein's primary argument against the plan is that there's no proof — in surveys or studies — that the current system cannot handle the influx of new residents to the area, he said.
Speaking on Friday evening, Lohlein pointed to what he called improper collusion between the authority and the Government Services Group, a private consulting firm contracted by the authority that is run by Robert Sheets, a systems manager for FGUA.
"It's a game that they play — not telling the whole truth to everyone," he said of the FGUA.Ralph Hemingway, a former Lehigh Acres fire commissioner who has consulted state water officials on capacity issues, said he's siding with the FGUA to maintain control and bolster the structure of the system.
Hemingway cited outdated, low-capacity pipes that will not be able to accommodate existing residences once new developments are built."The way Lehigh is growing, they're going to have to put in more or they'll see drastic problems," he said Friday evening.
November 05, 2005
Lehigh Acres' water and sewer system will get a $25 million upgrade and expansion, but who will run it is yet to be determined.The Florida Governmental Utility Authority board met Friday and passed the bond issue to help pay for the expansion.But it delayed for 60 days a decision on the renewal of the system's operating contract with an outside company.
The board is working with Lee County Utilities on a cooperative agreement that will ensure system upgrades meet county standards.Commissioners have discussed having the county assume control of the system.
"This is so that, should we take the system over in the future, it will comply with county standards," said county Public Works Director Jim Lavendar, who represents Lee County on the FGUA board. "What we're doing now is making a future transition easier, should it occur."The authority — composed of representatives from Polk, Citrus, Osceola counties and, since last month, Lee County — is seeking to expand the system in order to reduce the number of wells and septic tanks in the area.Currently, just 12,000 Lehigh residents are on the system, Lavendar said.
But residents have voiced concerns about property assessments for mandatory connection to the system even if they have working wells and septic tanks.Those concerns spurred commissioners to discuss county ownership.
Frank Lohlein, an opponent of the buildout, said residents could face bills surpassing $17,000 each to finance the expansion.Lohlein's primary argument against the plan is that there's no proof — in surveys or studies — that the current system cannot handle the influx of new residents to the area, he said.
Speaking on Friday evening, Lohlein pointed to what he called improper collusion between the authority and the Government Services Group, a private consulting firm contracted by the authority that is run by Robert Sheets, a systems manager for FGUA.
"It's a game that they play — not telling the whole truth to everyone," he said of the FGUA.Ralph Hemingway, a former Lehigh Acres fire commissioner who has consulted state water officials on capacity issues, said he's siding with the FGUA to maintain control and bolster the structure of the system.
Hemingway cited outdated, low-capacity pipes that will not be able to accommodate existing residences once new developments are built."The way Lehigh is growing, they're going to have to put in more or they'll see drastic problems," he said Friday evening.
posted by Editor Facts & Myths @ 8:44 AM
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