S&P Global assigned the City of Bonita Springs an issuer rating of AA+ after reviewing city finances, citing positive financial performance, sizable available reserves, proactive management and limited fixed costs and liabilities.

During the meeting finance staff and the city's financial advisor explained the AA+ rating is one notch below AAA and that S&P noted the city's strong liquidity and low liabilities. S&P said the rating could decline if the city's available reserves declined materially on a sustained basis or if the city took on large unanticipated debt. A short discussion followed in which councilmembers said the rating supports prudent reserve policy and could lower borrowing costs should the city issue long‑term bonds.

Separately, the council adopted a resolution updating the city building‑permit fee schedule. Staff explained the resolution updates the International Code Council valuation table from the 2008 edition to the February 2025 table, reduces the remodel discount from 60% to 50%, adjusts some flat fees and creates two new flat fees for temporary certificates of occupancy and contractor changes. Staff said the fee changes are intended to close a gap between permit fee revenue and department costs and that the proposed effective date was January 1 to allow time to implement system upgrades and public notifications. The council voted to approve the resolution on roll call.

Finally, the council authorized the city manager and mayor to execute a technical redraft of an opioid settlement assignment so that the city's opioid settlement funds are assigned to Lee County, which will then assign amounts to the state as required by the state's requested form of assignment. City staff called the change a contractual drafting adjustment to match the state's preferred assignment flow; the substance of the program and funding use was unchanged. The council approved the administrative assignment on a roll‑call vote.

The AA+ rating, the permitting fee resolution and the opioid assignment were all approved or presented during the meeting; council directed staff to proceed with system changes, notifications and next steps described by staff.