The stars and stripes will unfurl on a 250-foot flagpole in Cape Coral to celebrate the United States’ 250th birthday, while no flag will wave over Bonita Springs.
Cape City Council approved the flagpole Wednesday after City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn said an unnamed donor put about $141,400 in escrow to cover the remaining amount needed for the $420,000 project. The purchase and construction will be paid with donations.
The flagpole will be the tallest in Florida. Dynamic South, which builds cell towers, will construct the pole at Bernice Braden Park.
Earlier Wednesday, Bonita City Council decided against putting up a 200-foot flagpole east of Interstate 75 at the site of the Bonita Springs Aggregate Pit. The flag and pole would have cost between $450,000 and $500,000. The city had budgeted about $90,000 for the project.
The Cape vote was five to three. Council had tabled the vote at its March 4 meeting because only a little over $270,000 had been raised. Ilczyszyn said at that meeting he had a donor who would make up the shortfall when fundraising ended July 4, but the council was uncomfortable with the idea.
He returned Wednesday with the escrow check from the donor covering the shortfall as of Wednesday. Ilczyszyn had raised $281,221 as of Wednesday.
The funds in escrow will be reduced monthly as additional donations are raised through July 4. If full funding is reached before July 4 the escrow money will be returned. Otherwise, the remaining balance will be used to pay off the contract.
Rachel Kaduk, Keith Long and Jennifer Nelson-Lastra voted against the project. Kaduk was the most vocal.
She said the idea didn’t come from taxpayers, but from the city manager, and taxpayer money would be needed to maintain the pole.
“I spoke often in my campaign about infrastructure and fiscal responsibility and investing in projects that serve our residents in tangible lasting ways. I don’t believe that this is that,” she said.
Nelson-Lastra was concerned about the city having to pay for the maintenance, which would cost about $15,000 a year.
Council members supporting the project said maintaining the flagpole with money from the general fund was no different than if people donate trees, medians or other items that need to be maintained.
“Even if somebody donates a $200 tree, once that tree is planted in the ground, we are maintaining that tree, which means we’re fertilizing it, we’re trimming it, we’re watering it. All the costs associated with that tree, probably in the first two years, we’ve already paid more than $200 for that tree,” Ilczyszyn said.
Mayor John Gunter said the city manager filled his obligation to make sure the project would be paid for with donations.
“So, for that reason, I will support the resolution,” he said.
Councilman Derrick Donnell said the flag was just something else for council to fight about and it’s not something that should divide us. He voted for it because Ilczyszyn did what he said he would do.
“Hopefully, as we step back, we can move forward and get on to exactly what Councilmember Kudak is saying, the things that really matter.”
Money and time were the issues in Bonita Springs.
Council decided against spending the $400,000 to $500,000 it would take to put up a flagpole and flag in honor of the United States’ 250th birthday. Council would have had to take the money from the gateway monument signs budget. Instead, council decided to spend nearly $84,000 from the flagpole account for engineering and design work for the flagpole site and explore other ways to celebrate the fourth.
Council didn’t make a final decision, but talked about using the Cape Coral example of seeking donations to pay for the flagpole after the engineering is finished.
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