Cape Coral City Council approves deep injection well

With six members in attendance on Monday, the Cape Coral City Council unanimously approved installation of a new deep injection well at the Southwest Water Reclamation and Water Treatment plant.

"It's a backup for our disposal of non-hazardous waste from our wastewater and RO plants," said Utilities Director Jeff Pearson. "The well will be drilled into the Boulder Zone 3,200 feet below the surface."

The depth is much deeper than the city's wells to obtain drinking water for its residents. Previously on rare occasion the city had discharged this wastewater into the Marauder Canal until the Florida Department of Environmental Protection halted the process claiming the discharges exceeded state maximum levels.

The resolution passed by council with Mayor Pro-Tem Rick Williams presiding, minus Mayor Marni Sawicki and Councilmem-ber Jim Burch away in Tallahassee, awarded the drilling contract to Youngquist Brothers Inc. of Fort Myers in the amount of just over $4.3 million.

Youngquist Brothers has drilled several wells for the city in the past.

"The price is about 10 percent below what the engineer estimated the cost to be," said Pearson. "It will be finished in 210 days and final completion in 300 days."

Council approved a resolution vacating public utility and drainage easements underlying previously vacated easements on Southwest 28th Place in order to allow property owners Patrick and Kimberly Shuler more flexibility in developing a single-family home on a slightly larger parcel at 2814 S.W. 25th St. The request was not deemed harmful to the parcel or surrounding area and utility providers expressed no objection.

Council also approved an ordinance completing amendments made to the city's Comprehensive Plan. Cities are required by state statute to update the plan every seven years as conditions change. Most changes were general housekeeping in nature to the Future Land Use element, Intergovern-mental Coordination element, Transportation element, Infrastruc-ture Element and Conservation & Coastal Management element.

A major change was made to the Florida Land Use element regarding Planned Development Project regulations currently being reformed by city staff. Another adds street light installation taking school bus stops into consideration.

The city last amended its Comprehensive Plan in 2007 and has been in the process of updating it over the past year.

Council meets in a special session next Monday at 1:30 p.m. in Council Chambers to be followed by its regular weekly meeting at 4:30 p.m. at the same location.