Collier County Commissioners Return to Business After Summer Recess

The Army Corps of Engineers featured in two different discussions during the first BCC meeting after summer recess.

Commissioner Taylor had put forth a recommendation to not move forward with the current Coastal Storm Risk Feasibility Study by the Corps. Taylor thanked and complimented the Corps on the work done so far but feels that the cost to the county versus the risk assessment is not worth considering further. “About 750 million dollars would be spent by Collier County yet it reduces the risk by 36%. That is a lot of money to spend for a 36% success rate,” said Taylor.

Deputy County Manager, Amy Patterson, informed the Board that the Army Corps is relooking at the plan. “Recently, we’ve been informed by the Army Corps that they are having to relook at the cost benefit specifically and therefore the projects that were included in the feasibility study,” she said. “As we are experiencing throughout the country and here locally there have been pretty rapid escalations in construction costs and other costs related to projects. Cost benefit is one of the most important aspects of this project and the ability to put federal funds on a project. If you can’t meet cost benefit, then they can’t spend federal funds and that was woven into the discussions about areas that were not receiving the same protections as others part due to the cost benefit.” The Corps was going to make a presentation to the City of Naples the end of August but asked for a delay to reexamine the feasibility of the study and the projects. “Anything that they went before the council and talked about before could clearly be dated it could be greatly changed,” she explained. The Board was expecting a chief’s report in October but “that is not happening,” Patterson said.

“Let me separate rumor from fact,” said Commissioner LoCastro. “The Army Corps doesn’t come in here and give you a plan, they don’t give you blueprints, they don’t bring in bulldozers – this is a feasibility study, an analysis. The Army Corps comes in and gives you the benefit of their experience. Often times their analysis is ‘if money were no object, here are some crazy things that you can do. What we are looking for is just their final report. There is nothing to vote on, I don’t think anyone up here wants to wall the city of Naples or Collier County and that’s not what we are voting on. I think it would be irresponsible to take a three-year study that millions of dollars were spent on, they are at the 80% mark being done, and not get the final solution of the report.”

Colonel Joe Schmidt, an expert on Army Corps studies, notes that the only way the study moves forward is if there is an agreeable cautionary partner. The county will get the report regardless – the study has to be completed due to Congressional authorization. Where the county decides to go from there is the county’s choice. If the county decides to partner with the Corps on the study, then it moves through various approval processes for funding. It was also noted that the number of changes the County may make on the final study could affect it enough that the Corps could not move forward on their end.

Commissioner LoCastro, Saunders, Solis and McDaniel agree it is premature to put this study to bed at this point.

The second instance of Army Corps of Engineers involvement came from Lee County, who has been heavily involved in the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual. The Corps has put together a new plan on water discharge from Lake Okeechobee and Lee County is looking for major modifications in the optimization phase. Commissioners saw a detailed presentation on the complex cause and effects of the water release. Afterwards, Lee County Commissioner and Chairman, Kevin Ruane, talked about Lee’s position. “If there are not significant changes to this, we are prepared to do whatever we need to do, even to go to a challenge administratively if we have to.” This stems from the unbalanced approach to the water releases. As it stands now, the majority of the water releases will go west into the Caloosahatchee Estuary, with a minimum amount being sent east to the St. Lucie Estuary. While it is preferred to have as much water released South as legally allowed, right now far less water will be sent east than west. Commissioner Ruane, speaking on behalf of the county, feels it is unfair that the west coast shoulders most of the burden of Lake O releases which results in algal blooms and poor water quality from Sanibel Island to Collier County. This will affect “quality of life, tourism and property values.” Ruane also said they would like the state to set up and address, in a regulatory way, where water can be sent.

Lee County has received support from other counties and is asking Collier to join them. The Board agreed to write a letter supporting Lee County in their efforts to get the modifications they require.

The commissioners ended their meeting by discussing the creation of a clear policy on how meetings will proceed in the Chambers. Noting the emotional and sometimes contentious meetings that have happened this year, Commissioner Solis feels it is time Collier adopts an ordinance that details rules on the decorum of a BCC meeting and what everyone’s role – from County Manager to the Sheriff – will be. All the commissioners agreed to send the ordinance Lee County has in place to county staff to put something tailored for them.