Cape Coral lands $25 million grant aimed at helping residents with utility costs

Cape Coral City Council has accepted a $25 million grant that will save northeast homeowners up to $2,400.

"It was a competitive application, and the maximum award for any single entity was $25 million," said City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn. "This will result in a reduction of the assessment for everyone in the assessment area in the UEP."

The grant was from The Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

At Wednesday afternoon's regular meeting, the council announced the funding that will go toward the Utilities Extension Project (UEP), the North 1 portion specifically.

Councilmember Jessica Cosden, whose district encompasses North 1, called this grant a major investment in the community's infrastructure and a reflection of the city's commitment to improving water quality and environmental sustainability.

"It was only possible with the support of Executive Lobbyist Dane Eagle and the diligent efforts of our Utilities Department," said Cosden. "It will significantly alleviate the financial burden of the UEP on property owners."

Here's what we know.

What is the UEP?

The UEP will provide water, sewer, and irrigation services in phases to replace septic and shallow groundwater wells and connect households to the city's potable water treatment and distribution facilities.

There are 7,497 parcels in the North 1 UEP Areas that will be connected to city water; 3,811 are in North 1 West and 3,686 are in North 1 East.

Approximately 35,000 linear feet of gravity sewer pipes will be installed.

Construction has already begun for several areas in North 1 West area, which includes homes between Santa Barbara Boulevard and Del Prado Boulevard and Kismet Parkway East and Northeast 9th Street.

Because of the grant, residents will save on average $2,400 on their assessments.

The city did not have an answer on when the savings would be implemented on the assessments.

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Costs and savings

Property owners will bear the vast majority of the cost for this project through special assessments, which the city can collect to fund capital improvements and municipal services.

The line extension assessment and capital facility expansion charge costs to property owners depending on the size of their respective parcels.

The city charges a 10,000-square-foot lot $33,367 to $35,931 depending on when they pre-pay.

Connection costs are not included in the estimates.

How did the grant come about?

Last year, Dane Eagle, partner with Ballard Partners and lobbyist for Cape Coral, alerted the city that Governor Ron DeSantis set aside funding for septic-to-sewer conversions.

He assisted the city's utilities department with applying for this first-of-its-kind grant, Ilczyszyn said.

Will there be more?

Ilczyszyn said the city plans to apply for the grant this year and hopes to secure an additional $25 million for further assistance for residents in North 1.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Cape Coral gets additional funding for Utilities Extension Project