FALL 2013 Check Out Our CITY PARKS Insert Inside! On The Move A QuAr TerL y upd ATe From y our CIT y HALL Five-Year Road Paving Project to Start in Residential Areas City plans to direct about $30 million to pave more than 350 miles of roads T he City of Cape Coral is keeping its prom- city’s 3,000 lane miles of roadway. ise to the residents and will begin a multi- “When City Council passed the Public year, $30 million road resurfacing project Service Tax in April, citizens were told the in October. When completed, the five-year project additional revenues would be used to address will repave more than 350 miles of local roadways. our long-neglected capital needs,” said Szer- “When the City conducted its 2013 Citizen lag. “We want to keep our word and direct Survey, Cape Coral residents identified road main- the majority of the $7.6 million generated by tenance as their No. 1 priority,” said City Manager the public service tax toward paving streets.” John Szerlag. Bids will be opened in September, and Since 2007, there have been no funds available City Council is expected to vote on the to maintain residential streets. Streets in the north projects in October. Paving activity should Cape have deteriorated to gravel, and local roads begin shortly thereafter. View the proposed in the southeast Cape are more than 20 years old. schedule and map for the 5-year project on Local roads should be repaved on a 20 – 24 year page 4. n continued on page 4  life cycle, while major roads should be resurfaced on a 10 – 12 year life cycle. The City needs about Equipment and crews will soon be paving roads in residential See Page 4 for Road Paving Schedule and $6.5 million annually to properly maintain the neighborhoods. the Cape Coral Road Paving Map.  H I G H L I G H T S R Water & Sewer Rates to Decrease PRSRT Standard US Postage PAID FT. MYERS, FL Permit No. 521 OSTAL CUSTOMEECRWSS Ratebs yal s3o wPilel rrecmeanint s toabnle Oin fcuttuoreb yeearr s1 with nnn WPLeeagrtmaecritiyn RRgee qSfucuhnirededsm uCeloen mt . s .p . .l . .e . .t . .e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567 P restart of Utilities Extension Project n Cape No . 2 in Housing Recovery . . . . . . . . . 8 n CRA Stormwater Project Underway . . . . . 10 A fter several years of steady increases in the water and sewer rates, n Council Approves Reduced Fire Assessment . . . 11 customers will begin to see some relief with a 3 percent reduction n in FY 2014. The reduction was possible after City Council moved Pine Island Road Widening Project . . . . . 12 forward with the extension of utilities in Southwest 6 and 7, and in the North n Business License Renewals Due . . . . . . . . 13 1 and North 2 areas. n Iraq War Monument at Four Mile Cove . . . 14 The new rate model presented by Burton & Associates also forecasts zero n rate increases for the remaining nine years in the forecast period. North RO Plant Supplying Water . . . . . . . . 15 Annual rate increases became the norm for water and sewer customers n Southwest 6 & 7 UEP Moves Forward . . . 16 after a prior City Council halted the utilities program in 2009. This decision n ALERT Cape Coral Notification System . . . 18 placed the financial burden on the current ratepayers to pay the debt n associated with the new North RO Plant, expansion of the Southwest RO Ford’s Boathouse Selected for KC Riverstop . . . 18 Plant and expansion of the City’s two wastewater treatment plants. Over the n General Employees $50 Million Pension Reform . . . 19 n continued on page 4  Mid-Year Crime Stats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 2 FALL 2013 www.CApeCorAL.neT City of Cape Coral Council Members DISTRICT 1 DISTRICT 2 DISTRICT 3 DISTRICT 4 Kenneth “Marty” McClain John Carioscia Lenny Nesta Chris Chulakes-Leetz 239-574-0437 239-574-0437 239-574-0437 239-574-0437 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] DISTRICT 5 DISTRICT 6 DISTRICT 7 Rana Erbrick Kevin McGrail Derrick Donnell, Ed.D 239-574-0437 239-574-0437 239-574-0437 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] City of Cape Coral Administration City Manager City Clerk Financial Services Information Technology Services Public Works John Szerlag Rebecca van Deutekom Victoria Bateman, Director John MacLean, Director Steve Neff, Director Fire Services City Attorney Community Development Parks and Recreation Utilities Department Bill Van Helden, Chief Dolores Menendez Paul Dickson, Team Leader Steve Pohlman, Director Jeff Pearson, Director Human Resources City Auditor Economic Development Lisa Sonego, Director Police Department Editor/Public Information Margaret Krym Dana Brunett, Director Jay Murphy, Chief Connie Barron, Director On The Move is a quarterly newsletter produced by the City of Cape Coral for the citizens of the city. The publication is mailed as a courtesy to every household and business in the city. Comments or questions can be directed to the City Manager’s Office, P.O. Box 150027, Cape Coral, FL 33915-0027 or by email to [email protected]. www.CApeCorAL.neT FALL 2013 3 Mayor’s Message W hen I first came into office, the real estate Cape Coral a destination for businesses. We have of these months, we market in Cape Coral and new construc- several tools available to make this happen. issued 54 permits, tion had come to a screeching halt. We We can leverage our Tax Free International Trade which are high- were the foreclosure epicenter of the United Zones, and highlight development opportunities est monthly totals States. We had very little revenue to work with, surrounding Patriot Plaza and the Veterans Invest- since June 2009. and things were pretty tough. Now after just 3 ½ ment Zone (located near the VA Clinic). We also Although, we do years, it appears that this economy has turned the can offer customized incentive plans to new busi- not ever expect to corner. It has not yet reached the street level but nesses to locate in Cape Coral. approach the un- the economy is getting better. There is hope that We also can improve our business processes by precedented level of the Great Recession has come to an end, and we implementing many of the recommendations that homebuilding that occurred in 2005 (7,694 per- finally are on an economic upswing. were made in the Zucker Report – a report from Paul mits), the increase in home construction we are If you look around you will see many signs Zucker. Zucker has 30 years of experience in public experiencing today is a positive and welcome sign. of the economic recovery in Cape Coral. Many and private management and planning. He con- I am optimistic about the future of our city commercial developments and high-end homes ducted a top-to-bottom review of our permitting and and our community. We seem to have weathered are coming out of the ground, and businesses inspections processes, and made more than 200 rec- the economic storm, and we are starting to see are finding a home in Cape Coral. The property ommendations to help improve our service delivery. the light at the end of the tunnel. I know many values have started to increase again after years of These recommendations will result in fair, fast and residents continue to struggle, and we still have significant declines. The economy continues to more efficient service for developers and builders. work to do. But we will get through this econom- rebound, and we are seeing more and better jobs As the economy recovers, our residential home- ic challenge, and Cape Coral will continue to be being created for our residents. building also is on the upswing. In FY 2009, permits great place to call home. Attracting commercial development to our for new single-family residences had dropped to 159 Thank you. n city is key to adding more jobs for our residents. for the year. For FY 2013, our Building Department This requires us to use all assets available to make has issued 353 permits through 10 months. In two City Manager’s Message W elcome to the fall issue of On The Move. In these savings helped reduce the initial annual cost for my proposed budget previous issues, I have focused on the steps the average homeowner from $250 per year to $150 per does not include any we need to take to ensure that Cape Coral is year. We are still in negotiations with the Fire Depart- revenues from the fire a vibrant, sustainable city – one where people aspire ment and expect a resolution before the end of the services assessment. to live. For the past several years, the City balanced its calendar year. There is an ar- budget by ignoring capital. This is not a best practice City Council established the Public Service Tax in ticle in this newslet- for maintaining a quality city. April but with a lower rate and exemptions for the first ter about the Fire To achieve economic sustainability, we identified 500 kWh, franchise fee and gross receipts tax. This will Services Assessment, four main components: Best Practices, Public Ser- cost about $65 per year for the average electric user in which was approved vice Tax, Fire Services Assessment and Millage Rate Cape Coral according to LCEC. by City Council on August 26. Because of the legal Reduction. The Fire Services Assessment was adopted initially steps required, Council opted for a reduced assess- For the past few months, our City Council has with plans to provide a 1 mil property tax rate reduc- ment and a partial millage rate reduction for the been moving Cape Coral toward economic sustain- tion, which would produce a net impact of about $85 for upcoming budget year. ability albeit there have been a few bumps along the the average homeowner. Combined with the $65 Public We took a few detours from our initial plan but we way. Even with these bumps, the promise made to Service Tax, this would bring the annual cost for the still will arrive at our preferred destination – a city with our citizens remains the same: We will keep the average homeowner to $150. strong police and fire departments, good infrastruc- annual additional cost to the average homeowner at We had planned for the two new revenues and the ture, high quality of life venues, increased property about $150. millage rate reduction to be implemented during adop- values and a great city image. And we kept the ad- Our Best Practices has been focused on pension tion of the FY 2014 budget; however, our bond coun- ditional cost to the average homeowner to about $150 reform. The Police union agreed to reforms that will sel recommended we take the fire service assessment per year. Even with this increase, we will continue to provide $75 million in savings over 25 years. In July, through a bond validation process. This process extends be one of the best and most affordable cities in Florida, our General employees’ unions agreed to reforms beyond the FY 2014 budget adoption, and as a profes- and a place where our citizens and that produce $50 million over 25 years. That is $125 sional city manager, I cannot budget for what “might families proudly call “home.” million in pension cost reductions to the City, and be.” While we anticipate a successful bond validation, Best regards. n 4 FALL 2013 www.CApeCorAL.neT Road Paving Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from page 1 *** includes reclamite/chip seal/microsurfacing of previously paved roads . Water Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from page 1 past four years, water and sewer rates increased by 49 percent, and the average monthly bill jumped from $81.97 to $115.78. If City Council had not restarted the UEP, utility customers were facing a 2.5 percent rate increase this year as well as 2.5 percent increases each year for the next nine years. With the restart of the UEP, utility customers should not see any increases in those years, and the potential ex- ists for another decrease sometime in the future. Cape Coral’s utility rates remain one of the lowest in the area. n Citizen’s Action Center Having a City Related Issue? You Call... We Act! 574-0425 www.CApeCorAL.neT FALL 2013 5 Residents Reminded to Follow Watering Schedule Conservation is necessary to ensure limited watering supplies last until the rainy season arrives C ape Coral is entering the dry season, which means it is imperative Adjust Sprinkler Timers that our residents strictly adhere to the watering schedule. The City for Time Change has a limited supply of irrigation water, and proper conservation is on November 3 necessary to avoid the possibility of tighter restrictions. A two-day irrigation schedule is in place year-round for watering lawns Residents are reminded in Cape Coral. Residents who use the dual-water system or their private to check the timers for their wells have a specific four-hour timeframe on their designated days for wa- sprinklers and adjust accordingly tering. The watering days depend on the last number of the home address. for the time change associated Here is the two-day schedule that is in effect for all of Cape Coral: with Daylight Savings Time. On November 3, the clocks “fall  Monday & Friday: Midnight to 4 a.m. for addresses ending in 0 back” one hour. While the City  Monday & Friday: 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. for addresses ending in 1 provides a grace period to allow residents to adjust their timers  Wednesday & Saturday: Midnight to 4 a.m. for addresses ending in 3 and 5 and avoid a citation, that grace  Wednesday & Saturday: 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. for addresses ending in 7 and 9 period does expire after 30 days.  Thursday & Sunday: Midnight to 4 a.m. for addresses ending in 2 and 4 If you have neighbors who are “snowbirds” and just arriv-  Thursday & Sunday: 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. for addresses ending in 6 and 8 ing back in the Cape for the winter, please remind them to check their timers. We do not want any of our Non-residential, duplexes and other multi-family units can water on Mon- residents receiving citations, and planning ahead for the dry season will help day and Friday from midnight to 8 a.m. avoid those costly tickets. n What is Long-Range Planning? Cities need to prepare for future development trends L ong-range land use planning, tion Cape Coral for the future. also known as comprehen- So, what is the value of long-range planning? Stated simply, long-range sive planning, is a discipline planning, with the assistance of an educated and involved public, attracts that prepares communities for the high-quality businesses and industries to the area, protects the natural re- future by analyzing emerging devel- sources that makes Cape Coral so unique, and greatly improves Cape Coral’s opment trends, planning efficient quality of life. n service provision for infrastructure, identifying future goals for the com- munity, and by developing policies to Cape Coral Makes List of achieve those goals. Just as busi- nesses use strategic plans to prepare themselves for the next business cycle, communities use long-range planning to prepare their communities for “Best Small Cities to Work, expected and unexpected land use trends. In this field, planners work with the Comprehensive Plan, the key planning document of the city, as well as Play and Sleep Easy” with the general public to determine a unique vision of their community. In Cape Coral, long-range planning has already fulfilled several goals to C prepare the city for the future. Planners helped identify more than 2,500 ape Coral made the Top 10 list of “Best Small Cities to Work, Play acres of new commercial land over the past five years, which will help to and Sleep Easy.” The list was compiled by creditdonkey.com, a diversify the ad valorem tax base of the community and provide residents popular credit card comparison website. The site publishes credit and visitors additional employment and shopping options. Long-range card reviews, deals and tips to help make informed credit decisions. planning assisted in establishing the Veteran’s Investment Zone (VIZ), an The website evaluated metropolitan areas with fewer than 1.1 million economic district centered near the Veterans Administrative Clinic – an residents to determine which ones let you work, play, and sleep soundly area with an enormous potential. Lastly, long-range planning is an ongo- while enjoying a small city atmosphere. Cape Coral landed at No. 7 on the ing exercise – planners today are reviewing the current state of the compre- list due to its local employment opportunities, outdoor recreation and low hensive plan, and are revising and updating this plan to proactively posi- crime rate. n 6 FALL 2013 www.CApeCorAL.neT Code Corner: What Types of Work Require a Permit? W hat types of work or home repair require a storm water. These projects include driveways and replacing/in- permit? The City of Cape Coral is governed stalling sod in swales and rights of way. by the Florida Building Code, which is It is best to call the City and ask prior to any project to see if developed through the International Code Council permits are required. It can be very costly if your project was done (ICC). The Florida Building Code has been devel- without a permit and one was required. If your project requires or in- oped to address the unique challenges of this state. volves a contractor, make sure they are properly licensed and insured. The basic rules of thumb for determining if your Please contact Code Compliance if you have any questions at project requires a permit are as follows: (239) 574-0613 or stop by the Permitting Counter at the Building  Is it structural? Division, City Hall first floor from 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. during  Is it electrical? the week. n  Is it plumbing?  Is it HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning)? If you answer “yes” to any the above, your project is going to require a Code Compliance to Host permit. Here are some common projects that require permits:  Installation of sheds, gazebos, patio covers, sun shelters, boat canopies Unlicensed Contractors Forum  Fences and walls over 24 inches in height  Interior remodels other than replacing fixtures C  Replacement of doors and windows ode Compliance will host a forum on unli-  Re-roofs/new roofs censed contractors on Thursday, September  Swimming pools: above-ground and in-ground 26 in City Council Chambers. The forum  Replacement of Chinese drywall will be from 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. Code of-  Any structure: garage, carport, or primary structure ficers will address the pitfalls and prob- Topics will include:  Re-plumbing/piping of a structure lems with using unlicensed contractors  Replacing the HVAC (air conditioning) system to do projects. The City will be joined  What is a Licensed Contractor?  Adding electrical service by the Florida Department of Busi-  The Importance of Proper  Any other project that includes any of the above ness and Professional Regulation, law Licenses To further assist, if you are remodeling without affecting any of the above, enforcement officers and the Cape Coral you do not need a permit. These projects include new flooring, painting, Construction Industry Association.  The Effects of Unlicensed Contractors replacing fixtures in the same place they were originally installed, hanging This event is free to the community. ceiling fans, low-voltage landscape lighting or maintenance. For more information, please call (239)  How to Verify a License Additionally, permits are required for projects that affect drainage or 574-0684. n  Agencies to Contact Sun Splash Wrapping Up a Successful Season Waterpark closes September 30 S un Splash Family Waterpark is wrapping up its 21st season of operation. Even with some significant rain days, Sun Splash remained a popular destination for summer fun and play. “Family Fun Nights” continued to be successful, and the park reached capacity for almost every event. Visitors also enjoyed the “Aqua Theatre Nights,” which this season featured the films “Surf’s Up,” “Shrek the Third” and “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted.” Park guests could view the movie on a giant inflatable movie screen while floating in the Family Pool. Due to the popularity of these nights, they will return next season. into Sun Splash. The waterpark is Sun Splash also had a terrific response to the “Super Snack Card” open weekends, Saturday and Sun- offer. With the snack card, park guests are able to pre-purchase their day, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. through choice of 10 food/beverage items for only $25 (season pass holders received a September 29. Stop by and cool off. Also, look for some late-season specials 15 percent discount from this price). The Snack Card provided up to $15 sav- and group deals. n ings per card, and offered a convenient and affordable way to enjoy refresh- Visit www.SunSplashWaterpark.com to find out what is coming up ments throughout the park. More than 1,000 “Super Snack Cards” were sold. or call (239) 574-0558. Register to receive free email updates or follow Sun Splash on Facebook and Twitter. Although the season is wrapping up, there is still some time left to slide www.CApeCorAL.neT FALL 2013 7 Bridge Replacement Project in Northwest Cape Featured in August “Public Works” Magazine City’s saves dollars by using staff for bridgework maintenance A bridge replacement project in the north- of the Overhold Canal, exposing west Cape was highlighted in the August the canal bed. issue of “Public Works Magazine.” The Four badly damaged and degraded article focused on the City’s Public Works Mainte- 61-foot steel storm pipes, which were 66 inches nance Division and the cost savings generated from in diameter, were replaced using 60-inch HDPE using in-house crews to complete bridge mainte- pipe. HDPE pipe has a life expectancy of 100 years.  nance. The Maintenance Division repairs bridges The existing concrete stem walls of the bridge and replaces storm pipes throughout the city. and guardrails were the only parts of the previous The bridge replacement project featured in structure salvaged and reused.  A total of 1,500 the article was on NW 36th Avenue at NW 42nd cubic yards of fill dirt and 200 tons of stone were Terrace. The project required advanced planning used to rebuild the bridge. Layered compaction and construction work, which the in-house crews was performed to meet Florida Department of typically do not perform on a daily basis or on Transportation standards.  New pavement was laid most capital improvement projects. The old bridge to match the road elevation prior to construction.  (pavement, guardrails, storm pipes, etc.) had to be Using highly skilled City employees to perform removed before improvements could be com- the work, this pipe/bridge replacement project Maintenance division crews replaced steel equalization pleted.  To accomplish this, crews installed dikes pipes with Advanced Drainage Systems Inc.’s 60-inch was completed at a savings vs. hiring an outside on both sides of the bridge and pumped water out corrugated HDPE N-12 WT pipe. contractor. n Commission on Florida Law City Completes Legacy Enforcement Accreditation Assessments Refunds Totaling Completes Onsite Review of $19.3 Million Cape Coral Police Department T he City has completed the refunding of $19.3 million in legacy assessments associated with the utility assessment A three-member team from the Com- areas from the 1990s.  The City closed the books mission on Florida Law Enforcement on more than 54,000 accounts and mailed about Accreditation (CFA) recently com- 80,000 checks. pleted an onsite assessment of the Cape Coral Financing obligations for three of the larger Police Department. projects ended in 2012 – Green Wastewater, The CFA Panel reviewed the depart- Striped Green Wastewater and Orange Water & Wastewater.  These three ment’s policies and procedures, toured and project areas, along with a fourth project (Orange Irrigation), represented scrutinized the facility as well as interviewed more than 96 percent of the total balance to be refunded.  department staff about the day-to-day operations of the agency. Refunds were issued to the property owner of record as of March 25, The CFA Panel will be submitting its report to the full Commission at their 2013.  All refund amounts included any interest earned over the period of meeting in November.  While not official until the Commission votes at that the loans less administrative costs to issue the refunds.  meeting, the Cape Coral Police Department has been made aware they can These legacy assessments were the result of one of the largest utilities anticipate a highly favorable report and recommendation for reaccreditation. expansion efforts in Cape Coral.  In the 1990s, utilities construction encom- The Cape Coral Police Department has been accredited by CFA since passed most of the developed city (southeast Cape) as areas received water, 2004. This will be the agency’s third reaccreditation having been reaccred- sewer and/or irrigation lines and new roads.  ited in 2007 and 2010. (Agencies must be reaccredited by CFA every three “Our Finance staff did a great job processing all of these accounts and years.) For more on the benefit to the community of having an accredited issuing the refund checks within a short timeframe,” said City Manager Police Department, visit www.flaccreditation.org/Benefits. John Szerlag. “While I know many residents were happy to receive the The Cape Coral Police Department also is internationally accredited by refunds, we do not expect this to occur on the same level with recently the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CA- completed projects or subsequent projects because we are using better cost LEA). The department has held the CALEA accreditation since 1989. n and finance processes.” n 8 FALL 2013 www.CApeCorAL.neT Early Voting Available for Cape Coral Ranks No. 2 on Cape Coral General Election RealtyTrac’s Housing T Market Recovery Index he General Election for Mayor and Council Dis- tricts 1, 4 and 6 will be Tuesday, November 5. City Cape Coral-Fort Myers is only Florida metro Council authorized six days for early voting for Cape Coral registered voters. Voters can cast their area in the Top 20 list ballots on Election Day or the following days:.  October 28 – 31 and November 1 – 2 C ape Coral-Fort Myers is one of the top metro markets leading the Weekday hours: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. nation’s housing recovery according to a new index released by Saturday hours: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. RealtyTrac®. RealtyTrac released its first-ever Housing Market Re- Early voting is available at the following Lee County Elections offices: covery Index (HMRI) in mid-August, and Cape Coral was second behind  Lee County Elections Cape Coral Branch Office (Cape Coral) Rochester, NY in showing the strongest signs of recovery. 1031 SE 9th Place, #3 Cape Coral-Fort Myers was  Lee County Elections Main Office (Fort Myers) one of the hardest-hit markets in 2480 Thompson Street, 3rd Floor the last seven years. According Questions regarding Cape Coral elections should be directed to the City to RealtyTrac, the recovery in the Clerk’s office at (239) 574-0417. n Cape Coral-Fort Myers market is being driven by strong home price increases, which are being fueled by a high percentage of cash and insti- Three Cape Police Officers tutional investor purchases, along with sharp decreases in foreclosure Promoted to Sergeant activity. The Cape Coral-Fort Myers ranked second on the list despite an above-average percentage of underwater homeowners and distressed sales. C ape Police Officers Donald Donakowski, Paul Kaye and Brian Cape Coral-Fort Myers was the only metro market in Florida on the Kearney have been promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Donakowski Top 20 list, while four Florida cities posted recovery index scores among has been with the Cape Coral Police Department since 2000, while the 20 lowest. Kaye and Kearney have been with the department since 2002. They were assigned to positions in the Patrol Bureau. Congratulations! n Unemployment Average Home Price City Change Since The Housing Rate Market Bottomed Out 1. Rochester, NY 7.0% 93% City Council Candidate Debates 2. Cape Coral, FL 7.4% 82% 3. Albany, NY 6.4% 44% for General Election Scheduled 4. San Jose, CA 6.9% 70% T 5. San Francisco, CA 6.5% 96% he City of Cape Coral and CapeTV 98 will host candidate debates for the upcoming general elections. The Mayor’s seat and Council 6. Birmingham, AL 5.9% 58% seats in District 1, District 4, and District 6 will be on the ballot 7. Atlanta, GA 8.9% 57% this year. The final two candidates for the Mayor’s seat and District #1 seat 8. Ft. Collins, CO 6.2% 21% will be selected in the September 10 primary. The dates for the general election debates are Thursday/Friday, October 9. Flint, MI 10.1% 64% 24 and 25. The debate for the three districts will be conducted on Thurs- 10. Oklahoma City, OK 5.4% 41% day, while the mayor’s debate is scheduled for Friday. The debate for the district seats will be 90 minutes, and the may- RealtyTrac is the nation’s leading source for comprehensive housing data. oral debate is set for 60 minutes. Debates begin at 7 p.m. in Council The HMRI was calculated based on seven different factors relating to the Chambers and will be broadcast live on CapeTV and via videostream- health of the real estate market: unemployment rate, underwater loans per- ing on the City website and Ustream channel. Jeff Koehn, publisher centage, foreclosure activity percent change from peak, distressed sales per- of www.capecoral.com, will be the moderator, and questions will be cent of total sales, institutional investors share of total sales, cash purchases posed by Tom Hayden, News-Press and Valarie Harring, Cape Coral share of total sales, and median home price percent change from bottom. Daily Breeze. RealtyTrac ranked 100 major U.S. metros based on this total recovery The debates will be taped for replay on CapeTV, Channel 98 on Com- index. Median home prices have bottomed and now are rising in all 100 cast and will be available for downloading/viewing on the City’s website: ranked markets. Foreclosure activity also appears to be past its peak in the www.capecoral.net. n 100 ranked markets. n www.CApeCorAL.neT FALL 2013 9 City Auditor to Use “Life-Cycle” Audit Approach with Southwest 6 & 7 T he City Auditor’s Office is moving forward with audit plans designed  More effectively administer construction contracts to provide timely audit reviews of the upcoming Southwest 6 & 7  Plan a construction control system to receive the most value for the utilities extension project. City Auditor Margret Krym will use an ap- construction dollars proach known as “Life-Cycle Audit.”  Strengthen controls to reduce the opportunity for fraud Historically, audit resources are engaged at the end of the construction Interim Phase – Interim Audits of Construction Activity period. This often is too late to accomplish corrective action and implement This audit activity will be performed while the construction activity is ongo- changes to protect against unnecessary costs and/or losses. ing and may take the form of a Control Review, a Cost Review, a Change Man- During the initial planning stages for Southwest 6 & 7, City Council ex- agement Review and/or a review of the Financial and Budgetary Reporting on pressed a desire to have a different auditing approach to ensure better pro- the project. The audit resources will be directed toward those audit activities cesses. Krym decided the Life-Cycle Audit approach would result in a multi- that appear to present the highest risk to the project. phased audit, which would be ongoing during the life of the project and provide multiple audit reports. There are four “phases” to the Life-Cycle Audit: Final - Project Closeout Review Phase One – Pre-Contract Reviews This final phase may include a final review of the project records, the appli- The City Auditor engaged Rich Townsend of R. L. Townsend & Associates, cable construction contractors’ records, and a review of the close-out proce- Inc. to perform a contract review of the business terms and conditions of the dures for the project. proposed contracts with the City’s engineering consultant, Tetra Tech and the Who is responsible for “auditing” the UEP construction projects? various construction contractors engaged to complete Southwest 6 & 7. The The correct answer is everyone who is involved in the project. The City has intent was to value engineer the agreements from a financial perspective before employed project management staff to oversee and manage this construction they were executed with the contractors. This phase has been completed, and project. It will be part of their responsibility to review and/or approve the con- recommendations made by R. L. Townsend & Associates, Inc. were incorpo- tractor’s monthly payment applications. This review and/or approval is some- rated into the executed agreements. times referred to as an “audit” of these payment applications. While this is a Phase Two – Training, Controlling Construction Costs form of auditing, these staff members do not perform an independent audit. The City can avoid unnecessary costs, overcharges and/or construction defects through “best practice management” and a control system designed Who can provide an independent audit? to complement the specific business terms and conditions of the contracts An auditor actually provides an independent opinion or conclusion while employed. To assist in developing these best practices and control systems, the performing an audit. The City Auditor’s Office works directly for the City Auditor’s Office engaged Courtney Thompson and Associates to provide train- Council and does not participate in the operations of the City administration. ing to the project management staff. This operating structure protects the independence of the office and enables The course content will include ways to: the City Auditor’s Office to perform audits and render independent opinions  Prevent and detect construction overcharges and conclusions. n Special Events Season Returns “Take Pride in the Cape” is Back in Gear C ape Coral Parks and Recreation is kick- ing off another jam-packed event season New leadership keeps volunteer program active with a full slate of activities beginning with a free “Movie in the Park” at Jaycee Park T he City’s “Take Pride in the Cape” volun- on Saturday, September 21.  This free family teer team is continuing their efforts to help event features “Brave” on a giant inflatable movie clean up Cape Coral. The team has new screen starting at sunset (about 8 p.m.). Dress leadership from Pete Gerard and Ed Davis, who up like your favorite price/princess and have a chance to win a free tea party stepped up after Ray Nicholson decided to step or archery lessons. The Parks and Recreation Department is hosting seven down and enjoy retirement. movie dates in different parks throughout the season, so plan to pack a The volunteers have cleaned more than 1,000 picnic, some lawn chairs or blankets, and enjoy a “Movie in the Park” under properties. In addition to cleaning up abandoned the stars. Check the website for upcoming movies and park locations. properties, this group of dedicated volunteers will October features the return of Cape Bike Night to SE 47th Terrace in paint over graffiti, help people who cannot afford downtown Cape Coral on Saturday, October 12 from 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.  The to maintain their properties through “courtesy cuts,” and pick up trash and Country stage is back and will be located near the Dixie Roadhouse, plus litter throughout the city. They are a model and an inspiration for the entire there will be rock ‘n roll on the main stage all evening. community and they can always use more volunteers. The Kids Festival returns to Jaycee Park on Saturday, October 25 from 10 If you want to join up with the “Take Pride” volunteers, please call Code a.m. – 4 p.m. Compliance at 574-0613. n For more information, visit www.CapeParks.com. n 10 FALL 2013 CRA Commissioners Break Ground Shawn Kopko Retires after on $1.2 Million Stormwater Project 32 Years Kopko spent entire City career in the Utilities water C ommunity Redevelopment Agency commissioners and City staff officially broke ground on July 11 for the $1.4 million stormwater production operations demonstration project in the South Cape. CRA commissioners S Rana Erbrick, Kevin McGrail and Lenny Nesta participated in the hawn Kopko began his career ceremony, along with CRA Executive Director John Szerlag. with the City of Cape Coral in 1981 as a Water Plant Operator Trainee. He worked his way up to Chief Operator and was promoted to the posi- tion of Superintendent in 1988. When Kopko became Superinten- dent, the City’s Southwest Reverse Os- mosis Plant was the largest low pressure RO plant in the world at that time. He oversaw many plant retrofits and changes in technology, and his knowledge and ex- pertise kept the water plant on the leading edge of membrane treatment processes. Kopko implemented the new chlorine system for disinfection, changing from Shawn Kopko chlorine gas to bleach. During his time as superintendent, the City’s population grew from less than 50,000 to more The project will provide an improved drainage system, which could help than 160,000. redevelopment efforts and revive interest in the Cape’s downtown area. Kopko always encouraged staff to find opportunities for cost-savings. Phase I of the project will provide drainage improvements along Lafayette Many of these opportunities were implemented and resulted in millions Street between Vincennes Street and Cape Coral Street. In addition to the of dollars of savings to the City. They also helped create a safer and more stormwater drainage construction, the CRA is funding additional upgrades efficient workplace. to the area to include brick paver sidewalks, bulb outs, improved landscap- He took ownership of the Water Production Division and was a true ing and lighting upgrades. The CRA is investing $100,000 from this year’s pioneer in the water treatment industry. Under Kopko’s direction, Cape budget and $150,000 from next year’s budget to fund these upgrades. The Coral became viewed as a leader in the field of reverse osmosis water project is expected to be completed by the end of the year. production. Kopko was a member of the American Water Works Associa- The stormwater demonstration project is being funded from the Storm- tion, the Southeast Desalting Association and the Membrane Technology water Fund. The City is developing a voluntary Stormwater User Fee a Association. developer can pay to connect to the City’s system rather than building their Many thanks to Shawn for his service to the community. Enjoy your own. The structure of the user fee is being finalized. n well-earned retirement. n Lifeguards at Sun Splash and Yacht Club Community Pool Receive 5-Star Rating from Starfish Aquatics S un Splash Family Waterpark and the Yacht Club Commu- unconscious victim management, professionalism and facility nity Pool have received the prestigious 5-star rating from management. The institute’s mission is to improve safety and Starfish Aquatics Institute (SAI), an independent auditor of reduce the risk of drowning. aquatic facilities. A 5-star rating is the highest rating an aquatic “The safety of our visitors is the No. 1 priority at our facilities, facility can receive for aquatic safety and lifeguard performance. and I am very proud of our team and this award,” said Parks and “Very few aquatic facilities qualify to receive this honor,” said Recreation Director Steve Pohlman.  Leslie Donavan, President of SAI. “This rating represents a tre- According to Sun Splash Manager Sandra Greiner and Yacht mendous commitment to safety and training, and exceptional performance Club Manager Barbara Dickinson, the credit goes to their training manag- by the lifeguard staff.” ers, led by Tony Marzullo at Sun Splash and Mary Beth Pavoggi at the Yacht SAI conducts unannounced performance audits of the facility’s lifeguards Club. These two staff members work daily to make sure the skills of the and management staff throughout the year. The rating is based on perfor- lifeguard staff exceed industry standards. mance in the following categories: prevention, surveillance, conscious and Congratulations! n