Each week through the Primary, The Breeze will ask the candidates for Cape Coral City Council an issue-related question. In the interest of fairness, each candidate is limited to the same amount of space, about 100 words, for their response.<\/p>\n
Cape Coral City Council races are non-partisan races. Council members qualify in their respective districts but are elected at-large. This means all registered city voters may cast a ballot in each race regardless of where they live and the party to which they are affiliated, if any. This year\u2019s Primary, on Aug. 18, features three Cape Coral City Council races: Mayor and the seats for District 1 and 6. District 4, with only two candidates, will be on the\u00a0 Nov. 3 General Election ballot.<\/p>\n
The candidates below are running for the mayor\u2019s seat on the Cape Coral City Council:<\/p>\n
Question of the Week: Should the city work to resolve the lease situation with the Cape Coral Rowing Club? If so, what do you propose?<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0 Lisa Cohen-Adkinson<\/p>\n
Yes, there is an applied contract. The taxpayers purchased and installed a $500k floating boat dock for the Rowing Club. These youth programs deserve stability. Council agreed that this would be the home for the Rowing Club, then half the council backed out for the Seven Islands Project that people in the North Cape really want.\u00a0Those boat slips will create a narrow unsafe place for rowers and boaters to use the space simultaneously.\u00a0I think the boat slips should be on the opposite side of the Seven Islands allowing the rowers to use their home location.\u00a0If Seven Islands can work the expense for removing the rare mangroves, they should work the cost of doing business into dredging the pass in the middle to lighten the traffic for the rowers.<\/p>\n
VoteLisa4Mayor.com<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0 Richard Erickson<\/p>\n I don\u2019t need 100 words. Emphatically, yes. Taxpayers have already invested in a purpose-built rowing dock at Tropicana Park. I support bringing all parties together to resolve concerns through reasonable screening, traffic management, and operational guidelines instead of forcing the club to relocate. We should honor our commitments, maximize taxpayer investments, and support a program that teaches discipline, teamwork, and leadership to Cape Coral\u2019s young people. A promise is a promise\u2026let them row!<\/p>\n ericksonformayor.com<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 John Gunter (I)<\/p>\n To clarify, Council considered a license agreement rather than a lease. I support working toward a resolution with the Rowing Club while helping them find a permanent home. However, Tropicana Park must remain open and accessible to all residents, including the Rowing Club, but I do not support using park space for equipment storage. Council has directed staff to evaluate alternative storage locations, and I am confident we can find a solution that allows the Club to continue operating while preserving the public space at this park.<\/p>\n gunterformayor.com<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 Richard Leon<\/p>\n Yes. The Cape Coral Rowing Club has invested years in developing young athletes, building character, and serving our community. The city should work with the club to find a long-term solution that respects surrounding neighborhoods and creates a design that complements the community rather than detracts from it. When organizations invest in our community, government should strive to be a reliable partner, not an unnecessary obstacle. Good leadership brings people together, respects differing viewpoints, and advances the common good through practical solutions that serve the best interests of Cape Coral.<\/p>\n richformayor.com<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 Kara Brooke Rodgers<\/p>\n Yes, the city should work to resolve the lease with the Cape Coral Rowing Club. The Rowing Club has been a part of this community for nearly 20 years and provides opportunity to the young people who participate in it. The Rowing Club has helped some team members gain admission to schools like Stetson, Holy Cross, UC San Diego, the U.S. Naval Academy, and MIT. I would support the resolution that was proposed, wherein the Cape Coral Rowing Club would install an 8-foot chain-link fence surrounded by a continuous hedge at Tropicana Park and use the facilities as planned. <\/p>\n