Two offices, breakout room considered for EOC
Two additional offices and a public works breakout room for the Emergency Operations Center are anticipated to cost an additional $175,000, which will be covered by all hazards funds.
Fire Chief William Van Helden said the all hazards funds for the 700-square-foot addition to the Emergency Operations Center are restricted funds that are designated for disaster funds that can purchase hazards material operations and infrastructures.
The total project budget amount is $1,275,000.
In 2009, the Cape Coral City Council approved a contract with Totems Architecture Inc. for the expansion design for the EOC not to exceed $180,764, which included reimbursable allowances of $46,036 for a grand total of $226,800.
In 2010, council approved a reduction in the cost contract with Totems Architecture for its design services not to exceed $134,349, which included a not-to-exceed reimbursement allowance of $13,848 for a total of $148,197.
The additional square feet, Van Helden said, will simply be added to the current EOC to be used and activated for hurricanes.
Due to the cost of material prices increasing, Van Helden said he does not want to delay the project any further.
“The cost and the prices in material are continuing to go back up,” he said. “There has already been a slight increase.”
Van Helden said Cape Coral has an agreement with the county regarding the all hazards funds to make sure there was equal representation to decide how the funds would be used, along with making sure it fell in line with the ordinance of the county for all hazards. He said he and the city manager are typically the ones who are part of that discussion for the city of Cape Coral.
Councilmember Bill Deile questioned how the millage rate was set during the workshop Monday. He said it was not clear in their budget book of what the millage rate was.
“We approved an increase in the millage rate, I didn’t realize at the time because it wasn’t very transparent,” he said.
Deile asked that in the future the millage rate be more explicit, so he can understand the rate better.
Van Helden said the county’s position has always been to set the millage rate.
“The agreement has to be rewritten and we will do that before the next budget process,” Van Helden said, adding that the revision will come before the council in the next couple of months.