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 District 1 Cape Coral City Council seat:<\/p>\n
Question of the Week: How should the city proceed on the Yacht Club rebuild <\/p>\n
\u2022 Sean Hartman<\/p>\n
We can easily cut costs on the project, for example on the $4 million crapper \u2013 talk about throwing money down the drain!\u00a0 There needs to be a public-private partnership similar to the ProParks partnership with Sun Splash, where the city still owns the property but it is maintained by a private entity such as the Kearns Group.\u00a0This will virtually eliminate all cost overheads while still delivering wonderful amenities to our residents and visitors.\u00a0We also need to build consensus on the Tourism Development Council for more funds for the Yacht Club.<\/p>\n
seanforcapecoral.com<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 David Newton<\/p>\n I believe the City should complete the seawall and the infrastructure necessary to meet its contractual obligations for the Boathouse restaurant. After that, the city should carefully evaluate the unsolicited proposals it has received for the Yacht Club and continue exploring public-private partnership opportunities.\u00a0<\/p>\n I do not support building a taxpayer-funded resort that could create a long-term financial burden.\u00a0<\/p>\n We should pursue a solution that preserves this treasured destination, protects taxpayers, and delivers lasting value for our community.<\/p>\n daveforcape26.com<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 Thomas James Senatore<\/p>\n The Yacht Club is one of Cape Coral\u2019s most treasured community assets, and I believe it should be restored in a way that respects both its history and the taxpayers who are funding the project. We owe it to residents to rebuild the Yacht Club, but we must do so responsibly.<\/p>\n I believe the project needs to be\u00a0scaled back. There is a significant difference between restoring a beloved community destination and creating an overly expensive facility that places an unnecessary burden on taxpayers. City should require a detailed cost analysis, competitive bidding, and an explanation of why such costs are necessary.<\/p>\n