Storm Water Management

Storm water management became a front and center issue since Hurricane Irma.  However, flooding has been a problem since I first moved to Bonita Springs when the town made national news in 1995 for the flooded roads.  The storm water management issue is composed of two main parts—water flow and water quality.  There are proposed solutions for both that I support.

Water Flow

As Bonita Springs has grown, the natural sheet flow of our water has been disrupted, which through the years has resulted in flooding for our city. One of the proposed solutions by the city of Bonita Springs, and important to District 4, is to purchase the Bonita Springs Golf and Country Club and use it to help divert the water back to its natural flow.  The city has been awarded a grant by FEMA to do the Phase I design and it is in progress.  I support the city purchase of the Bonita Springs Golf and Country Club and the continued effort to find solutions to mitigate flooding.

Water Quality

Another part of the storm water management issue is protecting and improving water quality. Runoff of fertilizers, erosion of riverbanks, and sewage due to rainfall can contribute to high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen in the water.  These nutrients contribute to the growth of toxic blue green algae in the water. Bonita Springs responded to this problem in 2015 by installing a bioreactor, a water filtration system, underground in the parking lot at Felts Avenue and Abernathy Street.  The bioreactor is successful in removing pounds of nitrogen from the water each year.  I support the bioreactor effort and continued research on emerging technologies, and I will work to ensure we do everything possible at the local level to safeguard water quality and water resources.

Traffic

Traffic is a major problem in Bonita Springs and surrounding areas, as population is rapidly growing and our roads have not been able to keep up with the increased number of vehicles.  During tourist season, there are daily back-ups at several major intersections throughout the city, and  I support quadrant planning to help alleviate traffic congestion through expanded roadways and multi modal transportation planning. The city must work with state and federal partners to ensure our infrastructure is keeping pace with our growing population.

Workforce Development

I am passionate about this topic and have spent many years of my career promoting job creation. With thousands of people retiring each day and many of them moving to Southwest Florida, we need to prepare our workforce—especially health care.  Nine out of the ten fastest growing occupations in Southwest Florida are in health care. 

I further support the expansion of workforce development in the industries of retail sales, nursing, food service, along with construction and carpentry, as they have been experiencing shortages for several years.  These are critical areas that must be addressed along with education and training for the unemployed and underemployed.

One way to ensure we bring vitality to our community is to provide opportunities and invest in our young people, so they stay local.  Career paths for younger generations will fulfill services for older generations and ensure we have the workforce our community needs in the future.  I plan to donate my entire City Council District 4 salary to a scholarship fund to benefit workforce development of Bonita Springs residents.