Carol’s event will be on Tuesday, March 28 at 4 p.m., in the loggia and courtyard of the Johann Fust Library. There is no charge for this program, but advance registration is required. To register, visit the Library Foundation’s website JFLFBG.org. For questions, please email info@JFLFBG.org or call (941) 964-0211.

Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast is excited to team up with Outdoors by Owner (OBO) to connect more people to the great outdoors and protect more special places in the process. A not-for-profit land trust, Conservation Foundation has been saving land in Southwest Florida since 2003. To date, they have permanently protected over 19,200 acres across 56 properties in the five counties they serve. Notable recent conservation successes include the 8-acre Don Pedro Island State Park Addition in Charlotte County, 20 acres of Florida Panther habitat in Collier County, the 191-acre Crowley Museum & Nature Center in Sarasota County, the 432-acre Myakka Headwaters Preserve in Myakka City, the 228-acre addition to Old Myakka Preserve in Sarasota County and the centrally located almost 300-acre Bobby Jones Golf Club in the City of Sarasota.

Lee County has launched the Ian Progress Report, a data-driven site dedicated to updating the community on the fiscal needs, progress and opportunities with state and federal partners as Lee County moves forward after the hurricane.

If passed it will award competitively solicited contracts to American Facility Services, Inc., At Your Service Cleaning Group, Inc., and United States Service Industries, Inc. for custodial services in Lee County Central Zone, on an as-needed basis for an initial three-year period with an option to renew the contracts up to an additional three years. 

“The Clinic’s board and CEO have been working diligently on upgrading the Clinic’s staffing and services over the last 18 months,” said Harrison Coerver, Chairman of the Boca Grande Health Clinic Board of Directors. The Clinic now has three primary care board-certified physicians, three RNs, an LPN, two medical assistants and a radiology technician. The next step is to consider ways we can improve our facilities to support the Clinic team in delivering first-rate care to patients.”

According to the agenda published by Lee County government two days ago, Lee County commissioners were supposed to gather for their regular monthly meeting to discuss many items, including the Gasparilla Island cell phone tower and surrounding site. The agenda describes the item as a decision to be made to allow the new tower’s construction, as it has to be approved by county commissioners because of the Gasparilla Island Conservation District Act. The GICDA specifically addresses any buildings or structures over 38 feet, which are not allowed on the island. 

However, the Community Cell Tower Committee, which is the island’s group of community leaders and emergency officials overseeing the new cell tower project, said they have asked that the description of the agenda item be changed due to a few miscommunications, primarily due to the historic nature of the buildings around the site. The committee was surprised to see this item on the agenda, as they hadn’t even had time to get a good look at its contents.

Staff recommended that the Board approve the item to “maintain consistent, reliable telecommunication services for residents of Boca Grande,” which makes sense. It had also already been signed off on by Community Development Director Dave Loveland, Anne Henkel of Budget Services, Peter Winton of Budget Services, County Attorney Michael Jacob and Marc Mora from the County Manager’s office.

But there were still a few questions from island committee members that had not been answered at the time they last met with Vertical Bridge (the cell tower company) … questions that were supposed to have been answered prior to final submittal of a plan to the county.

West Charlotte County residents turned out in great number to let Charlotte County Commissioners know they are adamant that densities in their area need to be controlled for the protection of the people, wildlife, economy and overall wellbeing of their corner of the county … and they are most certainly concerned about putting anything that […]