New Cape Coral City Council Members focus on bettering their city

Monday marked the swearing-in of news Cape Coral City Council members. They all have goals to make their city a better place.

With their right hand on the Bible and the other in the air, Cape Coral welcomed three new city council members. One is returning to an office they once held.

This is where the real work begins and Councilmember Tom Hayden can’t wait for the challenge. “I am incredibly excited. This is been a pull of mine for the last year to get elected and start planning, start looking at the vision for the city and we just finished 50 years,” Councilmember Hayden said.

As the city grows, so do its COVID-19 case numbers. Is the pandemic a priority in Cape Coral? Hayden points WINK News to the city’s “Mask Up Cape Coral” campaign.

“I think we’re gonna have to have the discussion to make sure people continue to wear mask, continue to abide by keeping themselves and others safe,” said Hayden.

For Councilmember Dan Sheppard, if the COVID-19 crisis has shown us anything, it’s shined a light on Cape Coral’s need for a second hospital. “A lot of us that live here when we need different types of testing we’re always going over the bridge to Fort Myers so with our city growing we need more of the medical in the city,” Sheppard said.

Sheppard is another new Cape Coral City Councilmember.

Jessica Cosden is returning to Cape Coral City Council and says one priority is how Cape Coral manages its population explosion. “I think the city council will have a big role to play in managing that growth so that when we build out at 400,000 people we are ready and prepared and don’t make any foolish mistakes,” said Councilmember Cosden.

Other priorities new councilmembers have mentioned include pedestrian safety which means adding more sidewalks and the controversial Chiquita Lock.

Many of the new councilmembers told WINK News reporter Brea Hollingsworth they want to get lock issues resolved once and for all.