INSIDE: Legal Notices CITY LEGALS FICTITIOUS NAMES AUCTIONS MISCELLANEOUS
www.capecoralbreeze.com
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
$1.00
Council to discuss raising fire services assessment
By MEGHAN BRADBURY
news@breezenewspapers.com
This city of Cape Coral is looking at raising its levy for fire services. Cape Coral City Council will discuss raising the city’s fire services assessment from 70% of the cost of Cape Coral Fire Department operations to 81%. That “cost recovery” money goes into the city’s general, or operations, fund. At 70% cost recovery, the assessment for an average single-family home last year was estimated at $478.39, an increase of $55.61, or a 13.15% change year over
News of Note Cape Coral CRA issues first Demolition Assistance Grant
The Cape Coral Community Redevelopment Agency has awarded its first Demolition Assistance Grant to Nautilus Equity Group, LLC, to remove a structure at 4528 S.E. 15th Ave. The new Demolition Assistance Grant Program accelerates the removal of blighted buildings within the CRA district by reimbursing a portion of demolition costs. It aims to revitalize properties, spur economic growth and enhance community safety. Nautilus was awarded up to $30,750 to complete the demolition of the building, which posed serious environmental and safety risks, including mold and asbestos. Nautilus Equity Group, LLC, plans to clear the site in anticipation of a new building, paving the way for future investment. For more on the grant program, visit https:// cms4files. revize.com/capecoralfl/ edo/business_incentives/ CRA%20Demolition%20 Assistance%20Grant%20 Program%20-%20rev%20 7.24.pdf
year for the current fiscal year. Council had raised the assessment from 62% to 70% in August 2023, a total revenue increase of $13.5 million. CCFD services were part of the city’s property tax-funded General Fund until the recovery assessment began in 2014 in the wake of the Great Recession. The first levy was set at 38% of cost of operations with the remaining 62% of operational costs still funded with ad valorem property tax revenue. In 2016 that cost recovery shot up to 64% where it stayed for a couple of
STAFF REPORT
news@breezenewspapers.com
The submission process recently kicked off for the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge’s annual contest for amateur photographers who enjoy capturing shots of nature and wildlife. Sponsored by the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge, the 33rd annual “Ding” Darling Amateur Photo Contest opened July 15 to non-professional photographers. All entries must be submitted electronically. The cash award prizes have increased this year to $500 for first place, $300 for second place, $200 for third place and $50 for honorable mentions. Award payouts have nearly doubled from past years. The complete contest rules are as follows: ∫ There is a $25 per person entry fee that provides you with a membership to the DDWS and is used to defray the cost of the contest. One fee covers two entries per person. ∫ Only amateur (all ages) photographers are eligible to enter (may not possess a professional photographer tax identification number for the
Legal Notices. . . . . . . 5 Local Tides. . . . . . . . 3 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . 3
48445 46010
1
years before dropping to 59% and then up to 62% before reaching 70%, where it has remained. As submitted to the Cape
‘Ding’ Darling Refuge amateur photography contest underway
Index
7
Raising the fires services assessment was one of three options Council was given this budget cycle to help fund an additional $66.5 million in unfunded staff-requested positions and projects for the new fiscal year to begin Oct. 1.
Last year’s second place winner was Conrad Peloquin, of Walnut Creek, California, for “Anyone Know Where We Are Going?”
Coral City Council, City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn’s budget came in with a General Fund budget of $264,339,124 and an allfunds budget of $1,495,767,829. Raising the fires services assessment was one of three options Council was given this budget cycle to help fund an additional $66.5 million in unfunded staff-requested positions and projects for the new fiscal year to begin Oct. 1. The other options were to raise the current property tax rate of 5.2188 mills
See ASSESSMENT, page 4
Cape City Council vote expected on collective bargaining agreement with Fire Fighters Local 2424 By MEGHAN BRADBURY
news@breezenewspapers.com
First place last year went to Wayne Kliewer, of Clinton, New Jersey, for his photo titled “Pretty in Pink.” sale of photographs). ∫ Photos must be taken at the refuge and have been taken within two years of entry date. ∫ Each person may enter up to two photos but is eligible to win only one award. ∫ Photos must be submitted electronically via email to ddamateurphotocontest@dingdarlingsociety.org. Each photo must be a JPEG file of at least 3000 x 2400 or four megabytes. Panoramic photos are not allowed. ∫ Photos that have won awards in previous DDWS photo contests may not be resubmitted. ∫ Judging will be anonymous. Please do not put your name or anything that will identify you See PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST, page 4
The Cape Coral City Council will return from its summer hiatus today and is expected to vote on the collective bargaining agreement with Cape Coral Professional Fire Fighters, Local 2424. The three-year agreement has a total dollar amount of $3,960,460 for year one, $1,649,136 for year two and $1,618,118 for year three. The agreement includes an advancement in the department’s CAPE program, which is “dependent on the receipt of a satisfactory rating in the employee’s performance evaluation.” The adjustments to the CAPE system shall be effective as of Jan. 4, 2025. The CAPE system hourly pay levels will be adjusted by 13.31%. There is also an additional 5% 9th step for fire inspector pay plan. For fiscal year 2026, a 4% adjustment will be made for CAPE system’s hourly pay levels and an additional 2.5% for lieutenant pay plan for the first full pay period in fiscal year 2026, October 2025. An addition to the agreement is for organ donor and recipient leave. The verbiage reads that “an employee shall be entitled to leave time when either receiving an organ or bone marrow donation or donating an organ or bone marrow.” The employee can receive up to 40 hours for non-shift employees, or up to 48-hours for shift employees “of leave time when absent due to the donation, or receipt of bone marrow.” It further states that “the employee shall be eligible to receive up to 160 hours of leave for non-shift employees for donation or receipt of an organ” and
See CITY COUNCIL, page 4