A spokesperson with the East County Water Control District (ECWCD) said today that ECWCD is taking steps to ensure that Lehigh businesses are given first consideration, whenever possible, in the award of contracts for the purchase of goods and services through the policy titled Lehigh Acres First.

Carla Ulakovic said that when good and services are available and competitive vendors are found locally, the proposed plan will allow the District to prioritize the vendors based on geographic order beginning with Lehigh Acres, Lee County, Southwest Florida, Florida, and the whole of the United States.

In an effort to help stimulate the economy, District is encouraged to only buy goods, wherever possible, from U.S. based manufacturers.

The Board of Supervisors will review several scenarios and formulate the specifics of this policy at its April 23 board meeting, Ulakovic, c community project specialist said.