The city of Cape Coral is taking a new look at its multi-billion dollar utility expansion plan.

Cape Coral City Council will discuss a proposed 2021 comprehensive utilities master plan update during a workshop session set for Wednesday at 4 p.m. at City Hall.

The objective is to develop a comprehensive water, wastewater, irrigation and supporting systems Master Plan that enables the city to plan and budget for the implementation of system improvements to maintain a high level of reliability and efficiency for current demand, future growth, and emergency situations, officials said.

According to the city, master planning is used to determine future investments needed for infrastructure that will provide for new growth and address deficient and aging infrastructure. 

The problem is that the master plan in hand also is aging. The most recent Utilities Master Plan was completed in 1999 and it planned for established future expansion areas through 2020.

There were a few interim updates during that time, which were required to secure State Revolving Fund loans. In 2004, MWH completed the Facilities Master Planning Report which focused on expansion of utility treatment facilities. 

Beginning in 2012, the city’s Master Plan was updated for the Southwest 6 & 7 UEP, and updated again in 2016 for the North 1 and North 2 UEP projects. 

At this meeting, the firms of AECOM and Stantec will present the 2021 Master Plan Update to City Council in a PowerPoint presentation. 

The proposed UEP schedule had the North sections broken into 12 parts, with infrastructure needs determined as the city continues to grow.

Instead of eight sections in the North, there are now 12. North 1 is set to be completed by 2024, and it has already been separated into two parts.

New areas, such as the Pine Island Road corridor and Hudson Creek are expected to be worked by 2025, North 3 is expected to begin around this time, along with the Burnt Store corridor. The cost is expected to be more than a half-billion dollars.

By 2030, The North 4 and 5 expansion areas are set to be worked on, at a combined cost of $735 million.

The North 10, 11 and 12 sections are to be set for 2045.

All told, from now until the city’s projected buildout in 2090, the total tally the UEP and all other utility projects is expected to be more than $5.5 billion.

Project funding includes assessments as well as a city-imposed capital facility expansion charge.

The amount of the city assessment to be levied on affected property owners for North 1, next in the queue, has not yet been determined.

The previous expansion, North 2, began in 2017 and affected approximately 5 square miles, or approximately 8,800 parcels.

The North 2 assessment, for a typical, 10,000-square-foot residential lot was $12,632 — $3,021 for water, $7,457 for sewer and $2,154 for irrigation water. The city-imposed capital facility expansion charge added a second assessment of $6,750 — $1,320 for water, $3,112 for sewer and $2,318 for irrigation.

Stantec will present a model of what per-phase overall costs are expected to be. The models will allow Council to see in real time the implications of actions taken in the present and future.

As this is a discussion meeting, no vote will be taken. However, future steps include finalizing the master plan, hiring a consultant to update the impact fees to be assessed and for council to adopt a new rate resolution in 2022.

The time of the meeting was moved to to 4 p.m. so council can hold a shade meeting regarding collective bargaining.

“Shade meetings” —  meeting to discuss such things as formulating the city’s position concerning union negotiations and pending litigation — are closed. All other meetings are open to the public.

Council meets in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 1015 Cultural Park Blvd.