Nearly $6.5 million in Tourist Development Tax revenue is being used to authorize work and reimburse expenses for a number of agreements across the county.
 
Commissioners put into play interlocal agreements to fund 13 beach and shoreline projects with    the Barrier Island Parks Society, Captiva Erosion Prevention District,   City of Cape Coral, City of Sanibel, Town of Fort Myers Beach, Village of Estero, Keep Lee County Beautiful Inc., and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

The projects primarily allow for maintenance of beach park facilities including public accesses, boardwalks, restrooms and equipment.

Projects include 2 million dollars for Facility Beach Park Operations & Maintenance for Sanibel,1.2 million dollars for Beach and Shoreline Maintenance on Fort Myers Beach, and $941,000 dollars for Jaycee Park Restrooms in Cape Coral.

Funding comes via adoption of the fiscal year 2025-2026 budget.

In the budget, commissioners approved Beach and Shoreline Program funding of just more than $29 million, with about $12.4 million from Fiscal Year 25-26 budgeted revenue, and about $16.6 million from prior year reserves. Projects for other amenities within Lee County were approved in the annual budget in the amount of nearly $1.4 million, all from prior year reserves.
 
Beach and Shoreline project funding accounts for 26.4% of the proceeds from the Tourist Development Tax assessed on short-term lodging such as hotels, resorts and vacation rentals.

Contract given to remove vegetation from Ten Mile Canal

 
The Lee Board of County Commissioners continued its commitment to flood mitigation with a vote Tuesday to award a contract to remove vegetation that can impede the flow of water in Ten Mile Canal south of US 41.

The contractor, Sandhill Environmental Services LLC, expects to begin the work in late October and work for about two months, weather permitting.

The $289,000 maintenance contract is part of a multi-phase approach that began in 2017 to reduce the threat of flooding due to stormwater runoff. As part of that effort, a consultant developed a comprehensive plan to reduce potential flooding throughout Lehigh Acres, Southeast Lee County, South Lee County and Whiskey Creek watersheds. Last year, the Board awarded a contract to design and permit improvements in the Ten Mile Canal area, and the recommendations included efforts to remove vegetation. Further improvements to Ten Mile Canal are in design and permitting.

For more information on the types of flooding that may be experienced in Lee County, go to www.leegov.com/flooding. That site outlines the difference between riverine, sheet flow, storm surge and flash flooding and explains how hurricanes Charley, Irma, Ian, Helene and Milton resulted in different damage impacts based on storm tracks, size, strength and forward speed.

Residents who want to learn more about Ten Mile Canal can revisit Commissioners’ 2025 workshop on South Ten Mile Canal Flood Improvements. View the Natural Resources presentation as well as commissioners’ discussion at www.youtube.com/watch?v=gg6obPLZkiI.

In other action Tuesday, Commissioners also accepted a $15,000 grant from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to plant trees in John Yarbrough Linear Park, within 200 feet of the Ten Mile Canal. The goal is to increase the density of trees to decrease erosion, improve stormwater runoff capture, and protect the water quality of the watershed. The planting area includes about 0.6 linear miles by Page Field south to Crystal Drive.

Lee County Public Safety to add autonomous drones

The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to leverage additional drone technology to enhance efforts to ensure public safety by approving the purchase of four autonomous drones to be based across Lee County. The purchase of secure docks for these four drones will be brought forward for Board consideration in the next 60 days.

The Skydio X10 drone provides Lee County Public Safety with fast, reliable aerial support for emergencies, improving responder safety and decision-making ability. Its thermal and zoom cameras help assess disaster damage and monitor large incidents such as post-hurricane search and rescue, while autonomous obstacle avoidance allows safe operation in complex environments.

This equipment was used during Hurricane Milton in 2024, livestreaming conditions to the Emergency Operations Center the morning after the storm’s impact. This live view helped expedite the response to conditions on barrier islands, reducing the time to reopen roadways and restore access.

Lee County Public Safety already has one Skydio drone based at the Lee County Public Safety Center on Ortiz Avenue, and six other drones deployed in vehicles across the county. The docked drone can immediately be launched as first responders are being dispatched, allowing them to have a bird’s eye view of the emergency before they arrive. Drones in vehicles can be deployed by any first responder and remotely operated from the Public Safety Center.

In addition to uses in Public Safety, the drones can be used for aerial surveying for departments like Solid Waste and Parks and Recreation. The technology can also be used for 3D imaging of infrastructure, such as county facilities, radio towers, bridges and water control structures.

The purchase approved Tuesday is for about $136,000, and commissioners also approved seeking up to $100,000 in reimbursement from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Construction contract for Lehigh Acres sidewalk gets nod

 
County Commissioners voted Tuesday to approve a construction contract to complete the Bell Boulevard sidewalk project in Lehigh Acres.

This Lee County Department of Transportation project’s construction phase is fully funded through the Federal Highway Administration. On May 6, the Board approved a grant agreement for more than $2 million to cover construction and inspection phases.

The nearly $1.5 million construction contract with V & H Construction, Inc., consists of a new concrete sidewalk extension on the east side of Bell Boulevard from Sunrise Boulevard to Shadow Lakes Drive that then crosses Bell Boulevard at a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon intersection and continues on the west side of the road to Albemarle Circle.

The project also includes a new steel pedestrian bridge crossing Jim’s Canal. The new sidewalk will connect to an existing sidewalk on the north end of the project at Albemarle Circle and will connect to the sidewalk being constructed now at the south end near Sunrise Boulevard.

Construction is expected to begin in November and be complete by next summer, weather permitting. This project is a priority established by the Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC).

Lee DOT and BPAC continuously analyze ways to improve pedestrian connections in surrounding communities. BPAC looks for projects to fill gaps in sidewalks so that pedestrian amenities connect neighboring communities.

Commissioners vote to purchase four parcels for 20/20 program

Commissioners voted to acquire parcels totaling about 20 acres of land in southeastern Lee County in the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW) area as part of the 20/20 program activity.

The parcels are ranked as Tier 1 acquisitions according to the system commissioners approved in September, which prioritizes environmentally significant land adjacent to existing conservation lands.

The parcels include:

• 5 acres east of Bonita Grande Drive without direct access. It is surrounded by state-owned conservation land within the CREW area. The price is $30,000 plus acquisition costs.

• Three parcels totaling about 15 acres surrounded by state-owned conservation land within the CREW area. The purchase price is $37,500 plus acquisition costs.

Efforts to preserve land in CREW began in 1989 and now include more than 60,000 acres in both Lee and Collier counties. The land provides natural flood protection, water purification and critical aquifer recharge. The watershed also serves as important habitat for animal species such as the endangered Florida panther, snail kite and wood stork.

Under an existing Memorandum of Understanding, the South Florida Water Management District agrees to undertake responsibility of managing Lee County's Conservation 20/20 properties within the CREW wildlife and environmental area.

Conservation 20/20 was established in 1996. More than 31,000 acres of conservation lands are part of the program. The success of the Conservation 20/20 program is shared in tandem with partners, including the federal government, state government, special districts, nonprofits and municipalities.

Additional partners in the countywide conservation efforts include developers, due to the county’s priorities. County Commissioners have created policies that prioritize open spaces, flow ways and wildlife corridors during the development process. In many parts of the United States, conservation lands are purchased through privately funded organizations.

Of geographic Lee County’s total land area of 520,576 acres, the total amount of acres of conservation land is 141,758. This means that 27% of all land in geographic Lee County is held in conservation.

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