December State of the City

The great news is so far the sand truck haul has been successful with minimal challenges. I have had very few emails and phone calls about the project. I received an email from a tourist who was impacted by the project and the City assisted by making their vacation experience acceptable. I also received a phone call from a resident asking when the project was going to start and my answer was, “A week ago.” I am not going to be naïve and indicate there is no hassle.

Certainly our residents especially on the truck routes, including me, have been impacted. Also beachgoers have had to find other parking locations as the renourishment work areas have been inaccessible. In addition, our Lee County neighbors are not happy with the Corkscrew Road truck route.

My compliments to Mr. Gary McAlpin, Coastal Zone Manager, Collier County Government, the contract’s personnel, Phillips and Jordan, Inc., our very own Naples Police Department and Roger Jacobsen, Manager of Code Enforcement, the City Dock, Beach Patrol and Parking Departments, the professional truckers hauling the sand, and
Mr. Nick Stewart, President, Stewart Mining.

The success of this project was through good planning and excellent execution.

In preparation, Mr. Stewart stockpiled 209,000 tons of sand to insure availability throughout the project time frame as the daily haul is 8,000 tons per day and the
mine produces 7,000 tons per day. The Sheriff ’s Office and the Florida Department of Transportation inspected the trucks to insure that they are mechanically safe and road worthy.

You may have seen the white stars on the trucks indicating they have been inspected. Because of a legal challenge, which was dismissed by Department of Environmental
Protection, the project started a month late. This delay added pressure to accomplishing the task before the start of tourist season. Phillips and Jordan mobilized and
began nourishing the beach at Park Shore on October 16 and on the Naples beach on October 21.

This was a challenge to the contractor as their experience had been on construction sites with no public interaction. In order to insure public safety, the unloading and work zones were secured with fencing and personnel.

An ATV leads the off road truck up and down the beach. As of November 4, 2013, the following has been accomplished:
(1) Approximately 3,000 of the 8,000 feet of the Park Shore beach has been completed.
(2) The Doctors Pass dredge project was completed and approximately 44,000 cubic yards of sand have been deposited south of the Pass.
(3) The south portion of the Naples Beach is complete and 6,000 of the 7,000 feet northern portion has been completed. Next the contractor will renourish north of 3rd Avenue North and then the project will move to Lowdermilk Park. The first task will be to place a foot of cover over the dredged sand south of Doctors Pass and
then move south to complete the project. The southern portion of the Park Shore Beach, approximately 3,000 feet has been completed and now the effort will be on the
northern portion. Every effort is being made to complete the project as soon as possible.

By the time this article has been published, the project will be near completion.

SOCIAL SCENE

• On October 3rd, Arthrex had the official opening of their new manufacturing facility at Ava Maria. Congratulations to Mr. Reinhold Schmieding, President, Arthrex, and his
entire team.
• On October 3rd, community garden plots at the River Park Community Center were planted. I enjoyed working with the young people at Macedonia Missionary Baptist
Church and teaching them how to get their hands dirty. Everyone looks forward to a bountiful harvest. As part of the Blue Zone effort, there is consideration to expanding
this project. If you would be interested in a garden plot next year, please email me.
• On October 23rd, Aqua Lane Shores held their welcome back party at Hamilton Harbor which included a boat tour of the canals. What a great way to return to Paradise.

• On October 25th, the Stone Crab Festival officially kicked off. The festival was one of many events held as part of City Fest which was enjoyed by all.

• The 60th Anniversary Celebration began at the Naples Art Association. Happy Birthday and thanks to the organization for all it has contributed to the cultural fabric of our community. Watch for all the activities over the weeks highlighted by the 60th Anniversary Gala on February 20, 2014.

• On October 26th, the new Wiggins Pass was celebrated. This is a $1,750,000 project that brought together all stakeholders to make the pass safe for boaters, solve the erosion on Barefoot Beach, increase the dredge cycle, and improve the environment.

• On October 29th, the Junior Achievement (JA) Banquet was held. Congratulations to the JA of Southwest Florida 2013 Business Hall of Fame Laureates; John DeAngelis, David Diamond, and Mayela and Orlando Rosales.

• On October 31st, Halloween was enjoyed especially on 5th Avenue South. The costumes were spooktacular and it was so difficult to choose the winners of the costume contest. Thanks to the Fifth Avenue South

Business Improvement District for making this happen.

GET INVOLVED!

I am very excited about this opportunity to reach so many people in the community and encourage each of you to become involved with your local government as you deem appropriate. If you have any ideas, suggestions, or comments, please give me a call at 239.248.1550 or email me at mayor@naplesgov.com.