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Board to send county manager letter rebutting delegation remarks on Lehigh Acres engagement
Summary
After members of the state delegation reportedly said Lee County refused to work with LAMSA (Lehigh Acres Municipal Services Association), the board directed the county manager to send a letter documenting county engagement and prior actions on Lehigh Acres services and joined letters from the district commissioner.
Lee County commissioners directed the county manager to send a letter to the delegation to correct comments made at a recent delegation meeting that suggested the county refused to work with LAMSA (a Lehigh‑area special district). The motion followed a lengthy discussion led by Commissioner Pendergrass who reviewed past correspondence and urged the board to put the county’s record on the public record.
Pendergrass cited letters from Commissioner Mann (the district commissioner at the time) from 2021 and 2022 and staff notes showing the county did study LAMSA proposals and engaged repeatedly on matters such as streetlight installation and district boundaries. County staff summarized prior meetings and said LamS A's proposals raised boundary and taxation complexities (including cross‑county jurisdiction into Hendry County) and that LAMSA did not provide subsequent information requested by the county that would have allowed a full transfer of services.
Public commenters, including Marcia/Marsha Ellis and others, urged the board to ensure Lehigh Acres receives needed services such as water, sewer and streetlights; board members noted county spending in Lehigh Acres in recent years and emphasized continued efforts to extend services. The board voted to have the county manager prepare and send a letter documenting the county’s actions and history on the record.
