City Web Page Part III

On July 18, 2005 Council member Boyd complained again(he previously complained in Feb. 2002) that Civic published a Wanted, Dead or Alive Poster. This is the Wanted Poster that appeared in a Civic publication Oct 2002.
Where does it say "dead or alive?"

Council member Day said, "politicians are shown behind bars."
Where are the bars?



The following story accompanied the poster.

Compromising Residential Neighborhoods, but Who Cares?

The City of Cape Coral derives most of its tax base, about 90%, from residential property owners. Cape Coral’s biggest industry is the residential home building industry. So why is it that we have a number of City Council members who are so willing to continue to compromise the standards and trash our residential neighborhoods by relaxing laws designed to protect us? Over the years we have witnessed many of these transgressions that have infringed and eroded the peace and tranquility of our residential zoning laws. It is unfortunate that we have elected representatives with trailer park mentalities who think nothing of allowing commercial businesses to flourish and prosper in residential neighborhoods to the detriment of their neighbors and refuse to pass laws or diminish exiting laws that are intended to protect the most important investment that most of us will ever make, our homes.
The latest example of the assault on our residential neighborhoods occurred during the October 7 City Council meeting. Council member Dick Stevens tried to enact legislation that would prohibit certain types of commercial vessels from being docked in canals behind residential property. Among these vessels would be barges such as those used for dock building ( including the cranes and pile drivers on the barges) unless the vessel was actively engaged in the construction of a dock at the site. Another example would include towing vessels such as Sea Tow (which previously operated out of Tarpon Point Marina). Clearly these are commercial vessels that are actively engaged in commercial business activities and should not be allowed to dock in residential neighborhoods.
The most outspoken individual against the ordinance was Council member Boyd (and here we all thought Paul Monroe was gone). He had additional support from Council members Asfour, Day, Davis and Tate who ganged together to defeat Stevens’ legislation on a 3-5 vote.
Supporting Stevens’ ordinance was Mayor Kempe and Council member LePera. In the discussion regarding the ordinance, Kempe equated Sea Tow vessels as having the same purpose as tow trucks and asked Boyd if he would allow the overnight parking of “tow trucks” in residential driveways? Unfortunately Boyd and other refused to see the parallel Kempe created.
Mayor Pro Tem Alex LePera also fully supported Stevens’ ordinance and has long been an advocate of laws initiated that protect and preserve our residential neighborhoods. In the past she has voted against relaxing the truck ordinance allowing six wheel trucks (sponsored by Boyd) in R-1 residential zoning unless they can be garaged. She also sponsored legislation that prohibited short term rentals (less than thirty days) in R-1 neighborhoods, basically the operation of a hotel/motel business. That legislation failed because of the likes of Tate, Boyd and Davis who voted against the legislation at the time, in effect allowing a commercial enterprise to operate in residential neighborhoods.
Unfortunately we have added to council representatives such as Asfour and Day (Day appointed Joe Gensor an outspoken opponent against zoning restrictions to P&Z Board) who appear to be against anything that has to do with protection and preservation of our rights as homeowners & residential property owners.
It is now time that we all speak out and tell these representatives how we feel about the need to protect and preserve our investments and that we are opposed to allowing our residential standards to be diminished and compromised by their sub-standard thinking. If we don’t start to voice our objections now, to the poor decision process they make at our expense and allow the deterioration to continue we will all suffer through the loss of our property values. A good way to start voicing your objections is by sending emails to: council@capecoral.net. Let them know what you think about their voting records and we as homeowners demand that they start protecting our residential neighborhoods.