[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6483799,"mediaKeyId","5576882-6c839cc3e8a61738c697ed4769e3c8a7","parentId",5576882,"title","Council committee coalesces around rental‑registration plan: $35 annual, $350 short‑term, fines for noncompliance","audioSeconds",3330,"startMs",3460000,"endMs",6790000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5576882-6c839cc3e8a61738c697ed4769e3c8a7&start=3460&end=6790","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5576882-6c839cc3e8a61738c697ed4769e3c8a7/thumbnail_3460000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6483799/Cape-Coral-City/Lee-County/Florida/Council-committee-coalesces-around-rentalregistration-plan-35-annual-350-shortterm-fines-for-noncompliance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6483799-a492a9cb332ab17fdaf4ef7d1ed6bc37/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152177&Signature=OEUGTog1nHyPOml-y1AFjUA2NJqGOAJTZP5LFsN9wMZ~hBz77DCQmElx1VSZT-lKGUCSmyL3cLvWEtNn1-6Vs~Tcvc1deZ8g2USnKrwn4ri7aZ0B~9Gwp~nAqYQV4xXlmbOo3gsxvhQbfMFNJT~BQkDf1juTeRXkE4TgBEPZN5hhAi0~jNUWwnnsV9HKT50hsnviHLwBeSgtBNc9diuuq7QHOqrlmx4iav0XPDkad8QHaWvieBPWVFjeUKASm6Prd727Bb0QhP2UVpwWbyPacbDkGhvicDC-VUfR4C8l5d-ylSo~eOxVmz7J1r30JHEXQDuaBPsoPxEMbkh6Gx3jmw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Cape Coral, FL","date","2025-08-13T22:49:18.733Z","article","Cape Coral council members on Wednesday reached committee‑level consensus on a rental‑registration framework that would require all rental properties to register with the city and impose higher registration fees and stiffer penalties for short‑term rentals.

Council members and staff discussed analysis presented earlier showing an estimated number of rental properties in the city (staff cited an earlier study figure of roughly 6,522 rentals; other estimates mentioned during the meeting ranged higher). Staff said a “ready‑to‑serve” cost model — the estimated per‑unit cost of maintaining enforcement, clerks and police availability — produced a $441 per‑unit annual service cost; council discussed setting registration fees well below that cost for policy reasons.

After extended debate about enforcement complexity, housing affordability and enforcement resources, committee members agreed on a structure staff will convert into ordinance language: an annual registration fee of $35 for long‑term (six months or longer) rentals and a $350 annual registration fee for short‑term rentals. The committee also coalesced around a fines regime for failing to register: a $500 civil fine for first discovery of an unregistered long‑term rental and a $1,000 fine for an unregistered short‑term rental, with penalties increasing for subsequent violations (council directed staff to draft a mechanism that doubles the penalty on repeated violations).

Council members emphasized enforcement and public outreach. Staff said the city can use third‑party data services and marketed platform portals to identify short‑term listings and that the police and code enforcement departments will use registry information to open enforcement cases when listings indicate a property is operating as a short‑term rental without registration. Members also recommended a public outreach period and an implementation lead time; several council members said a January 1 effective date would give time for an education campaign to reach owners and managers.

Council members discussed implementation details including whether to treat the registration fee as a business tax receipt (BTR) and how to structure renewals. The city attorney recommended a two‑tier penalty approach with larger penalties for intentionally failing to register and smaller penalties when a registrant fails to renew on time. Council asked staff to prepare draft ordinance language that includes the agreed fees, the fines schedule, renewal and refund language and options for pro‑active compliance letters and third‑party enforcement tools.

No formal roll‑call vote occurred Wednesday; committee members asked staff to file the ordinance for the next available agenda with the agreed fee structure, a recommended implementation date and a public‑notice plan.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Committee of the Whole Meeting - August 13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","After stakeholder discussion, council members reached consensus on a rental‑registration program: an annual registration fee for long‑term rentals and a higher fee for short‑term rentals, a tiered fine structure for unregistered units and a public outreach timetable. Staff will prepare an ordinance for council consideration.","taxTitle","Cape Coral City, Lee County, Florida","taxId",4188,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6483804,"Council delays charter‑school ordinance, asks staff for full Chapter 26 review",1194,2590000,3784000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5576882-6c839cc3e8a61738c697ed4769e3c8a7&start=2590&end=3784","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5576882-6c839cc3e8a61738c697ed4769e3c8a7/thumbnail_2590000.jpg","/articles/6483804/Cape-Coral-City/Lee-County/Florida/Council-delays-charterschool-ordinance-asks-staff-for-full-Chapter-26-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6483804-11ca8d9737b4c152431270eeecaba982/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152177&Signature=kXnMJbELXblhKX0aimAqy6I-HJWwkYYsjx7wM4RXC7D4q5vujnOmH0DLrXyNIyCBcCU-xTE6gx4QDJK-tX7yMxxEJcxRzoPAaOGzT6qhI6PSIECugHqMOBSeyVJok2K5vX1iBiFl7fqQdgXLWH9N68ljwS1M5uFKLyzE2fZe16gYqQEq5yWO9jil1mYUbi0noKGKtTwnq9DzlkxA5yHOnN0MYfRC4YMIL5Q4lUfbByeq9l30SgEnGegJhyXhex9grA-IYillxoOZOBUrbUG7p289W3zvKbawi9hhgw0j97WDavZzxEd2Vrs9QXWpDU3eVHuSimphVUlzQYrg3i~muw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Cape Coral City Council committee on Wednesday asked staff to postpone an ordinance that would amend parts of Chapter 26 of the city code governing the charter school system and to return with a consolidated rewrite covering the entire chapter.

Mark Mason, assistant city manager and the city’s charter‑school liaison, described proposed changes the charter school governing board approved in recent meetings. The board recommended an explicit guaranteed matriculation policy — so students admitted into elementary or middle grades may matriculate through the charter system — and clarified preference tiers for admission (for example, children of active military members, board members’ children, students in Cambridge programs and veterans). The board also recommended standardized two‑year terms for governing‑board members and rules about how the board adopts regulations.

Mason said the board adopted the recommendation as Resolution 8‑25 and that staff planned to introduce an ordinance Aug. 20 with final reading Sept. 3. Several council members said the specific amendments raised a broader question about Chapter 26’s overall structure and recommended a single, comprehensive update rather than incremental changes.

Council members asked staff and the city attorney to work with the charter‑school superintendent and return with a consolidated draft that addresses governance, appointment and term language, matriculation guarantees, preference policies and other administrative matters. Council members said a single consolidated ordinance would reduce repeated amendments and avoid piecemeal fixes.

No formal vote was taken Wednesday; council members who spoke supported delaying introduction so administration, the city attorney and the charter‑school governing board could prepare a joint set of proposed revisions. Mason said staff will coordinate with the superintendent, the city attorney and other departments (finance, HR, facilities and IT) and return with a comprehensive draft for council review.","Council members asked staff to consolidate and rewrite all of Chapter 26 governing the Cape Coral Charter School after the governing board recommended limited changes covering matriculation and board terms. The council requested a comprehensive review with administration and the charter’s superintendent before drafting a final ordinance.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6483807,"Cape Coral officials review history and proposed move of Parkway veterans monument",2439,137000,2576000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5576882-6c839cc3e8a61738c697ed4769e3c8a7&start=137&end=2576","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5576882-6c839cc3e8a61738c697ed4769e3c8a7/thumbnail_137000.jpg","/articles/6483807/Cape-Coral-City/Lee-County/Florida/Cape-Coral-officials-review-history-and-proposed-move-of-Parkway-veterans-monument","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6483807-f62ed008d34fc3b7a8080b9d240a5c2f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152177&Signature=XeGcoEzuFYa9vqo0jEKZTdlKE8amdxNHbH~vJPoMcO0U66DcyPGE~XGKl2JlcSOejazLSDwt-LdDjMOzSi3xT74g~Z-ZSiehAlTKVihVg32PbRKUBVFDJbCL74f3bCNRnXqWVFIuREoDvH0R1XsYWAQNdnKhovTEnuHnRwYdsc-RsXnmKOjJhRwIZQWrba-00vniIDGiIB4Z7SbZA8mnuriSzXlnRGvqfjY8w3ol9fIJsjZKfI00f4bVuQyqpSkfDiSRX73y392Bv3NB1Ge6F5-VM-Q3HsQiAG6OMVGZM6o9erogfz9jw-~ctWKycygzAeKfLwEn~kdoIORkxlGOkQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Cape Coral City Council committee heard a historical overview and relocation plan Wednesday for the veterans memorial on Cape Coral Parkway, which must be moved as part of the county’s bridge reconstruction project.

The presentation traced the monument’s origins to community fundraising in 1968 and its dedication May 3, 1969. Robert Greco of Acura Electric, who has led several restoration campaigns and donated the monument’s lighting, described the tower as “a symbol of Cape Coral” and urged the city and county to preserve public access at its new location.

Council members and staff said the county’s bridge-design work requires relocating the monument and that staff has coordinated with Lee County on possible landing sites. City staff recommended placing the monument closer to the pedestrian walkway and not reinstalling the fountain that was added during a later renovation, citing likely higher maintenance costs, saltwater exposure and reduced visibility if the roadway elevation changes.

Greco reviewed the monument’s fundraising and construction history, including original organizing by community groups and a 1968 fundraising drive. He described later restorations — lighting installed in 1999, a median restoration that added a fountain and medallions in 2000, and a 2020 refresh that included color-changing lighting and replacement medallions. Greco said community donors and businesses contributed labor, materials and funding for those efforts.

City staff reported recorded maintenance costs for the fountain and associated equipment since about 2013 total approximately $52,000, and said extending new water service to a relocated site would add project costs. For those reasons staff recommended the monument be relocated without restoring the fountain.

Council members emphasized accessibility and safety in choosing a landing site. Several members urged moving the monument slightly west toward a wider grassy area so pedestrians could safely approach and gather, rather than leaving it tucked near a merge lane. Members also noted the monument’s civic value and urged treating it “with respect.”

The discussion also covered a preexisting visibility corridor tied to a 20‑year billboard agreement with Lamar; city staff said placing the monument inside that corridor could expose the city to contract damages. Staff said the monument’s new siting will require coordination with Lee County and the billboard owner to avoid breaching visibility agreements.

Council did not take a formal vote Wednesday. Staff said they will continue working with Lee County on final placement, will seek a location that preserves pedestrian access, and will not reestablish the fountain unless technical and maintenance issues can be solved.","City staff and community volunteers outlined the monument’s local history and urged careful placement as Lee County’s bridge project will require relocating the Cape Coral veterans memorial. Staff recommended not restoring the fountain at the new site because of visibility, maintenance and contract constraints tied to a nearby billboard.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council committee coalesces around rental‑registration plan: $35 annual, $350 short‑term, fines for noncompliance

Council delays charter‑school ordinance, asks staff for full Chapter 26 review

Cape Coral officials review history and proposed move of Parkway veterans monument