Cape Coral holds special meeting for resident concerns about waterways

The Cape Coral Waterway Advisory Board is holding a special meeting at 1 p.m. Thursday to find out what residents most care about regarding their city’s water.

No two residents had the same concerns regarding the waterways, which shows they’re probably always going to be a work in progress. The board meets every two months, but Thursday’s meeting is special and outside of its normal schedule.

Some of the issues heard from those living and boating around Cape Coral had to do with boater safety and congestion in the canals. Others were concerned about speeding and a general lack of boating knowledge among many of those out on the water. One look at the Waterway Advisory Board agenda shows that this must be a common issue, because it’s listed on there by multiple board members as a topic up for discussion.

“Many people go too fast in the canals,” said Cape Coral resident Tom Abraham. “In this country, you can run a boat without a license. In Europe, you have to have a license, to pass a test. It’d probably be a good idea to have people pass a test before they’re allowed to run on a power boat. But I doubt that that’ll ever happen.”

The agenda shows a wide array of possible topics suggested by board members. These include: trash in the canal system, responsible boating, water quality, dredging, waterway accessibility, high traffic in the northwest spreader canal and using reject water for irrigation. In a city with more than 400 miles of canals plus the Caloosahatchee riverfront and Gulf of Mexico, this board has no shortage of topics to address.

Joseph Cruz, vice chair of the board, said he couldn’t give many details as to what would be discussed, but encourages anyone living in Cape Coral with concerns to come to the City Council Chambers at 1015 Cultural Park Blvd. at 1 p.m. to voice them during the public input portion of the meeting.

“I would just encourage the public that, if they are… if they have a concern about the waterway, or they’re interested in learning more about what the potential issues are, or the actions that may come forward, that they should just attend… the meeting and become informed citizens,” Cruz said.

If you have any concerns about the water in cape coral–you are invited to come voice them at the meeting at 1 p-m today in the council chambers.