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Fire Rescue Department Urges Replacement of Aging Ladder Truck and Fire Engine
The Fire Rescue Department Chief presented capital budget needs for FY27, highlighting two critical replacement commitments: a ladder truck and a fire engine. The current ladder truck, purchased on a 10-year lease, will have its turn-in option expire in FY28, with a $250,000 balloon payment if not replaced. The truck has experienced significant out-of-service time due to repairs, costing $90,000 in the past fiscal year and being out of service for 160 days in 2025. The estimated annual lease payment for a new ladder truck is $300,000, with available debt service funding from the current lease that would cover $1,058,500 of the new vehicle's debt service, leaving a shortfall. The fire engine, approximately 18 years old, has ongoing electrical issues and body corrosion from Hurricane Irma, requiring a $50,000 engine rebuild in 2024. By piggybacking on a bid from the Greater Naples Fire Department, delivery time is reduced from 36 to 19 months, saving approximately $200,000. The estimated annual payment for the new engine would be $84,000. No FY27 funding is required for these vehicles, but decisions and commitments are needed by October of this year for an expected FY28 delivery.
Building Department Seeks $225,000 to Remodel Annex Office Space and Add Accessible Restroom
Daniel Smith, Director of Community Affairs, presented a request for $225,000 to remodel the annex building's second floor, which currently houses the building department. The building, built in 1981, has limited space, with only two workstations available, and the proposed remodel would expand capacity to five workstations. Additionally, the remodel includes constructing a handicapped-accessible restroom, which is required to close out the permit for the annex building. Funding for this project would come from the building department's enterprise fund, which is generated from permit fees, and not from tax dollars. The project is a continuation from the previous year's requests and is considered a necessary step to improve the working environment for staff.
Public Works Proposes $6.3 Million in Capital Projects for FY27, Cites Need for Bond Passage
The Public Works Department presented four proposed projects for FY27, including street resurfacing ($1 million), construction of bike lanes and shared paths on Bald Eagle Drive ($1.5 million), bridge replacement for Caxambas and Escott bridges (city's $4.5 million component), and citywide drainage improvements ($1.3 million). The department also detailed ongoing FY26 projects such as the North Collier/North Barfield intersection improvements, Sandhill Street shared path, annual paving, canal aeration pilot project, Collier Alternate Bike Lanes, and traffic signal control replacements. The director emphasized that the total FY27 request of $6.3 million is challenging to fund solely through operating budget transfers, suggesting that the passage of a transportation bond in August would be critical for funding the bridge replacement and street resurfacing. The Caxambas Bridge project requires a funding agreement with FDOT in July. The citywide drainage improvements budget is based on an average of 10 repairs per year at approximately $130,000 each.
IT Department Seeks $152,240 for Network Upgrades and PC Refresh in FY27
The IT Department presented its FY27 capital budget, focusing on network equipment upgrades, data storage, and PC refresh programs. Key initiatives include replacing 75 network switches, enhancing off-site data storage and recovery, upgrading vehicle maintenance equipment for council chambers, and a PC refresh program for 245 computers. A significant portion of the budget is dedicated to data center server upgrades, a three-year project completed in FY26, which improved hardware redundancy, local storage, and cloud backup capabilities, enhancing data reliability and system restoration. The total capital request for FY27 is $152,240, a decrease from FY26 primarily due to the completion of the data center project. Costs are shared across funds, with 54% allocated to the general fund, 10% to building services, and 36% to water and sewer.
City Council Workshop Discusses FY27 Capital Budget Proposals Totaling Over $3 Million
The city council held a capital budget workshop to discuss proposed capital initiative items for Fiscal Year 2027. The general fund has a proposed capital initiative request of $428,000. Building services requested $225,000, and water and sewer requested $2,450,000, bringing the total for all funds to $3,103,000. These proposed items are currently unfunded, and the council will provide direction on how to fund them. The workshop covered fleet and facilities, fire rescue, public works, and water and sewer departments' capital needs. Specific projects discussed included park tot lot resurfacing, city hall elevator modification, bollard replacement, electrical box replacement, PD badge readers, PD parking lot seal coat, fire engine and ladder truck replacements, and various public works infrastructure projects like street resurfacing, bike lanes, bridge replacement, and drainage improvements. The IT department also presented its capital budget for network equipment upgrades, data storage, PC refresh programs, and data center server upgrades.
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