THE GESTAPO HAS SPOKEN

ccstorms · Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 3:01 pm Post subject: THE GESTAPO HAS SPOKEN

Today I received a package of love in my mailbox from the Gestapo, otherwise known as the City of Cape Coral. The package contained all the wonderful information regarding the water and sewer assessments. Simply put...it's a nightmare. For 17 years my septic tank, well, and sprinkler system have worked just perfectly. However that does not matter. The Gestapo has spoken and I must pay somewhere in the neighborhood of $20,000 to fix what is not broken. This makes perfect sense when you consider the source. The Government whether federal or local is the same. They exist solely to take and waste as much of our money as possible, soon to be followed by shrugs of indifference as many more people file for bankruptcy, lose their homes, and leave Cape Coral.
The Gestapo offers three payment options to suck you dry and destroy your life. None of the options are viable to those of us just barely hanging on and those living on fixed incomes. Thank you City of Cape Coral for another wonderful way to rape the home owners, or should I say, the soon to be homeless.

Lou.

jimp · Advanced Member Joined: Jun 28, 2007 Posts: 40

Well Lou,
I live in SW-5. My total bill was over $22,000 (including hookup). Then, and I mean then, I got my first water bill. $95 a month average. So, I paid all that to get a water bill. Nice. And, if I understand it correctly, that bill will surge over the next few years.
Then, I just bought a water treatment system for my whole house. The city water is worse (or equal) to my well water, with more chemicals put in.
The only bright side I see is 1. My electric bill went down a little. 2. If we have no electricity, we will still have water.......maybe.
Jim

chris · Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 3:51 pm Post subject: Re: THE GESTAPO HAS SPOKEN

With the amount of foreclosures in the Cape and the rise of unemployment, it does not make sense for the city to move forward with this plan. People are struggling as it is with fixed incomes and eventually, in due time, will run a lot of folks out of here. It's sad that our council does not see this but someday they will realize what happened (maybe 5-10 years from now) when the Cape turns into a ghost town. It's completely unaffordable for most folks!! Back in 2001, we paid $14,000 for our water hookup. This was just for them to run two 5' pipes into our lawn. Not only did we have to pay another $1,000 to have somebody hook it up, we had to have somebody crush our sewage tank for another $500. And after forking over all that money we now have a nice little bill coming in each month at approximately $100. I hardly complain about anything but this is one thing that has always bothered me. The city should have planned better for the population surge instead of waiting until the last minute. Oh, and I was perfectly happy with my well too.
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johnny · New Member Joined: Jun 28, 2009 Posts: 7

I have vacant lot in north west Cape Coral (nine acres). I just received a estimated payment amount for Potable Water of $88,825.76.Cash!

About three years ago, the City had a large parcel discount; however, City Council eliminated the discount and now assesses the entire parcel = to 40 80x125 lots. I am just a Hobby farmer. I am being forced to accept product that I do not want or need. I feel like the City is planing to take my land that has been in family for generations. The city is using a highest and best use assessment. It is a win-win for the city and gangsterism to the land owners.

What can I do to stop this? I have sent letters to the council with no reply except Bill Deile. I do not have $88,825.00 or will I have $325,000 ten years from now

jimp · Advanced Member Joined: Jun 28, 2007 Posts: 40

Just an additional note. Across the street from me, I live in SW5, there is a new house that was being rented. Time is up for the owner to "hookup". Apparently, the owner doesn't have the money. So, foreclosure. The two renters were forced out when the bank took over.
I only assume the assessment caused this. I know for a fact the renters were working and paying the rent. They didn't want to move.
Just another factor in "Ghost Town A'coming".
Jim

ccstorms · Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 11:41 am Post subject: Re: THE GESTAPO HAS SPOKEN

From past experience it's quite obvious that when a government whether federal, state, or local, forces a project on it's citizens you can bet that someone involved in the decision making stands to make a huge amount of money.

LOU.

jimp · Advanced Member Joined: Jun 28, 2007 Posts: 40

Very Apparent!!

chris · Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 7:56 pm Post subject: Re: THE GESTAPO HAS SPOKEN

http://www.news-press.com/article/20090...4/1003/ACC
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chris · Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 11:24 am Post subject: Re: THE GESTAPO HAS SPOKEN

http://www.news-press.com/article/20090...2/1003/ACC
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porkerp · Experienced Member Joined: Jun 09, 2005 Posts: 146

Is this the news-press Government hate board or a weather site? Very Happy

I have a different perspective but I don't like where we are at as much as anyone. I'll try to give you some background on why we are where we are at but I don't know how to fix it either.

1. The state (DEP) had an agreement with the City nearly more than a decade ago to hook people up to a centralized sewer system (Not septic) once a certain density per acre was reached. DEP warned that if these areas were not hooked into a centralized system, they could impose a building moratorium in those areas.

2. Well systems are great but if you do reach a certain density (more houses = more wells) in those areas, the wells can run dry or salt water can intrude into those wells making them unusable.

3. The costs are great because the city did not raise rates a little bit each year decades ago, put excess money in reserve, then use to offset the cost for expansion. Over the last 10 years, there have been little to no increases in water and sewer rates (until the new 94% increase over 5 years) because council people took the path of least resistance for decades not raising rates (SLOWLY) and setting that aside for future growth. Recently I was told that water & sewer rates in cape coral are second lowest in the state of florida.

4. There is alot more to a water & sewer system than 50 feet of pipe in front of your house. There are hundreds of gravity sewers, piping manholes, lift stations and two facilities that were expanded to treat the extra flow. There are 280 lift stations that pump the raw sewage to each facility. The water side has dozens of raw water wells that are pumped to the reverse osmosis plants where the drinking water is made and redistributed to the drinking water system. This does not even cover the reuse part as well. In total, about 250 million dollars in water & sewer piping, lift stations, ro wells and facility expansions.

5. No one was a psychic and saw the housing bubble destruction hitting this hard... If we all knew, we would have sold our houses 4 years ago and bought them back for 1/2 price or less today. when these expansions were set in motion, life was good and we didn't see it coming. The bottom line is that the more users on the system, the quicker the capital can get paid down which will also reduce the amount that the rates will be increased. I live in SW 6 and 7 too so I'm not sure how i'm gonna pay it either but the city is between a rock and a hard place. It's easy to play hindsight now, but the bed has been made and now we have to lay in it.

6. Unfortunately, I do think the right answer is VERY BAD short term pain for long term gain. Continue with SW 6 & 7, do water first in north cape and pray that people start moving back to cape coral. maybe it will be like the field of dreams... if you build it, they will come. Lastly, foreclosures have been higher in areas that DID NOT have water & sewer already installed.

Two sides to every story and hopefully only one Hitler ever!