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Naples looks to make natural resources budget greener
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NAPLES — The city of Naples might be short on money, but its budget could be getting greener.
The Natural Resources Department’s operating budget is increasing by almost 83 percent, from roughly $74,000 in 2008 to more than $136,000 in 2009.
Wages and benefits for the three-person department bring its total budget to almost $442,000, according to the budget the Naples City Council tentatively approved Wednesday.
A final vote is set for Sept. 17.
“It’s definitely an increase in the city’s commitment,” Naples Natural Resources Manager Mike Bauer said.
The increase comes as the city wrestles with a $3 million budget deficit the City Council is proposing to bridge by dipping into the city’s reserves and cutting 32 jobs affecting 22 current employees.
Boosting the natural resources budget builds on the city’s 10-year vision plan, adopted this summer, Assistant City Manager Roger Reinke said.
Making Naples “the green jewel of Southwest Florida” was one of the plan’s major goals.
“There’s been many years of problems with Naples Bay and the city wants to correct that or take steps to correct that,” Reinke said. “It doesn’t happen overnight.”
The budget maintains $25,000 for a program that trains landscapers about how to reduce fertilizer and pesticide runoff into city waterways and Naples Bay.
The city also will spend $25,000 on water quality monitoring, almost $8,000 to maintain city lakes that have been planted with native grasses to soak up pollution, $10,000 on lake aerators and $6,000 on more reliable water quality monitoring equipment to help take on new monitoring jobs in Moorings Bay.
A couple new environmental initiatives get backing in next year’s budget, too.
The budget includes $25,000 for water quality and sea grass monitoring in Clam Bay, a hydrologic study of the city’s pollution contribution to that estuary and oyster reef construction there.
Clam Bay has been at the center of a political turf war between the city neighborhoods of Seagate and Naples Cay and the Pelican Bay neighborhood north of the city limits.
The budget also includes $12,000 for a city effort at reducing its energy use, an outgrowth of a controversial decision this spring to sign the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.
It sets a nonbinding goal for cities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012.
Bauer said he plans to present an energy audit to the Naples City Council at its Sept. 15 meeting and ask for approval to set up a task force to find ways to cut the city’s contribution to global warming.
The budget increase coincides with an organizational change that puts the natural resources department under the direct supervision of City Manager Bill Moss rather than under Community Services Director David Lykins.
As part of the move, Bauer’s $113,000 salary is paid entirely by property tax revenues; in the past, the city’s stormwater fees paid half.
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Talk about waste. Natural resources just built a water testing lab. Wait.... The city already has a water testing lab. The existing lab can run every test that natural resouces need.
How about the boat dock they are building behind natural resources??? Don't we own a marina????
If the 5 remaining council members would look at the waste the city has they could fund a couple of jobs.
When are you going to wake up?????????????
#1 Posted by notstupid on September 7, 2008 at 12:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It is very exciting to read that our City of Naples is choosing to emphasize clean waterways, healthy lakes, reducing wasteful fertilizer usage, and Florida Friendly Yards which minimize water use. We welcome funding placed in Dr. Bauer's department. Learning to live in synchrony with the incredibly beautiful natural environment that constitutes our paradise is a benefit to us all.
#2 Posted by conchsoup on September 7, 2008 at 8:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree but at a time like this when people are losing jobs and money is tight is it wise to be spending it on something that we seem to already have. Everyone has to tighten they're budgets now.
The school system is wanting to replace local people that clean our schools with a company from out of town. Maybe the money could have better been spent there.
#3 Posted by fishman on September 7, 2008 at 11:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I notice they want to spend 25000.00 for sea grass monitoring, How about seagrass replanting instead. Manatees have to eat something. We have grass beds disappearing daily in Collier county. Repacing sea grass beds that our now dead or just gone is good for the environment not watching it.
#4 Posted by fishman on September 7, 2008 at 11:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Two points: 1) This increased budget may secure the jobs of those in the Natural Resources department.
2) Other jobs lost in the City are due to the cutbacks in the City's ability to deliver services. When the taxes supporting the City are reduced, services are reduced. When the building industry collapsed, the need for the city employees involved in permitting and planning and so on, no longer had funding or responsibilities.
#5 Posted by sunalsorises on September 7, 2008 at 12:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well like I said I'm all for it I just hope it's not to little to late. I would still like to see them start somewhere with the replanting of sea grass in Collier county. I've been in south Florida my whole life and it's a shame to see what has happened.
#6 Posted by fishman on September 7, 2008 at 2:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
#1, talk about waste.
Nice article(?) but there are long term city employees out of a job.
So,
What's with the cop that the city council has on the payroll to baby sit their meetings at a major taxpayer cost.
I understand that he already collects a city pension, wife is a city fire official and now they contract with this guy at a very impressive hourly rate to sit around city hall all day.
City council, you lay off others but keep your personal body guard. Why?
Not enough cops working during the day to cover the meeting and save taxpayers a few bucks.
Another patronage job and we pay the tab.
Mr. Moss, you continue to insult the city council, residents, taxpayers and employees while still taking care of a select few.
NDN, this may be worth looking into.
#7 Posted by 1stepforward on September 7, 2008 at 5:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
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