The city council in Cape Coral, Fla., placed a hold tonight on a proposed $10 storm water fee increase. Council members voted 4-3 not to send out notices of the increase, reversing a 6-2 vote taken last week that favored sending out the notices.

About 160,000 notices have been printed, and they were scheduled to go out in this week's mail. The mailings were meant to inform residents of a city decision to raise each property's local storm water fee from $75 this year to $85 in 2008 and $105 by 2011.

The rate hike would raise $5 million to fund drainage pipe replacements along Pine Island Road. Some of the pipes in question are more than 50 years old.

"I can't support the additional increases," said Councilman Chris Berardi, who reconsidered his vote the second time around. "We are making progress with the number of crews that we have." He added that the city should catch up with the backlog of swale complaints within the next month.

But according to Cape Coral Public Works Director Chuck Pavlos, the money was going to be used to start the pipe replacement program in the northern part of the city.

"Pipes have collapsed on themselves, and the water doesn't drain," said Councilman Tim Day, whose district covers Cape Coral. Drivers won't mind the additional $10 fee if it helps them drive along roads that frequently flood, he said.

Day and fellow council members Alex LePera and Richard Stevens voted against reversing last week's vote. Mayor Eric Feichthaler, Berardi and council members Dolores Bertolini and Tom Hair voted for sending out the notices.

Source: The News-Press