All five Commissioners of the East County Water Control District tabled a motion Monday night, January 17 that would give the ECWCD authority to buy the I&E office building off of Williams Rd. in front of the Town Lakes development after sometimes a heated exchange between members.

The District is currently renting one-half of the building for both its administrative and crew offices at the I&E building off Williams Rd.

Jim Mitchell, a representative from Fifth Third Bank, which would provide a loan to purchase the building, was at the meeting. He said the 90-day option to receive a loan for the building was still open, either for the purchase of the I&E Building or the construction of another office building.

Welch opened the board comments, “I will not vote for this commitment letter in any way shape or form. I did not originally vote for this office building and would not now. Some modest building needs to be added to the main property.”

“If I am not going to vote for it, extending it another 90 days would be futile in my opinion. Welch said of the commitment letter that was before the board.

The district’s attorney Mary Viator explained to Mitchell and said the platting process could take up to a year to complete and the 90-day time table in the commitment letter would not be reasonable.

“Is it more realistic not to go forward with it (commitment letter) tonight and wait until the re-platting is done?” Mitchell agreed, “That is what I would do.”

“I have a different perceptive on it than Commissioner Welch. I don’t think you can build half like this for the ability that we have to purchase this (I & E Building) one for.” Chairman Commissioner Nate Stout said.

The current building is being rented and it is in receivership and the bank will take $750,000 for its sale. Several months ago the building had been listed for well more than $1 million by its owners before they were forced into receivership.

The board is divided over whether to borrow money to buy the I&E Building or to build another building on the ECWCD site.

If the building were to be purchased and paid for over a five-year period, it is estimated that around 94 cents in additional fees would be added to a landowner’s assessment annually. A quarter-acre lot owner is now being assessed at around $26 a year, officials said.

“We are here to support you. Whatever the desire of the board is that, that is what we are here to do” Mitchell said.

Stout then lead into a discussion with the District staff about renting out a portion of the 10,000 square foot building to a doctor’s office which would save up to $60,000 a year. One-half of the building could be rented out to help pay for the other half, the side that the ECWCD is using, but one commissioner said it wasn’t fair to compete with others in the community by competing for renters.

Commissioner Mike Welch took a sharp contrast to this notion.

“So we will be competing with other business, with other taxpayers who pay into here?” he asked.

He then interrupted the chairman and wanted to hear from the other commissioners, and said; “I would like to get this off the table as soon as possible” Welch continued in his challenge to the chairman Stout and said, “I am sorry you are manipulating the conversation.”

Stout said he only wanted to know the cost to buy a new building. At that point Welch got up and began heading for the exit.

“When you’re done call me back” Welch said, and slammed the door to the room.

Stout ignored the rant and moved forward with his questions to the staff.

Stout then turned to his fellow commissioners and asked their opinion on the facility and the commitment letter from 5/3rd Bank.

Commissioner David Deetscreek then spoke up.

“I took positions as a candidate and I am going to stay on those positions against this, perhaps for different reasons then what I am going to caution the board on before I became a commissioner.”

“There seems to be hair around this whole deal. There seems to be some issues around the whole deal.” Deetscreek said. He listed several things that he felt he was not comfortable with and said he would not vote for the commitment letter, and a series of items which included the land being in receivership, the re-platting issue, homeowner documents that needed to be rewritten as the property abuts the Town Lakes Community, and parking issues in regards to parking commercial vehicles at the facility near a residential area.

“I have real concerns about the usability of the property, let alone the cost of the facility.” Deetscreek said.

As Deetscreek ended his comments, the youngest member of the Commission spoke up.

“I feel we have three options. We either build a building, or we buy this building and continue to lease this building, or we continue to rent a building and not have a permit place,” said Commissioner Mike Bonacolta. He said clearly he could not vote for the commitment letter in its current form because of the concerns that had already been raised.

Staff addressed the parking concerns that several board members brought out. Soon after the new members of the board took office a series of emails were sent between District Manager David Lindsay and Commissioner Welch questioning the safety and security of the district’s fleet during holidays and weekends. Staff addressed the issue by only leaving three vehicles each night.

“We don’t want to cause problems to the taxpayers of the district that is not why we are here for” (speaking of the parking issues). “There is no doubt that if we could have gotten an onsite facility for the right price we probably (would) been doing that.” Stout said.

At this point Welch who had reentered the meeting after two to three minutes outside interrupted Stout again.

“I am sorry Commissioner Stout. I don’t agree with these statements – it is conjecture to say how much a small modest building on site would cost. I still think this ‘Taj Mahal'” building has problems. The very idea that we would be buying a building like that for the function of a small water drainage district to me is outrageous.”

“Do the five of us (commissioners) want to vote on this commitment letter or not? We can stay here all night long, but I am not changing my mind,” Welch said in another heated exchange with chairman Stout, who snapped back: “There are other people here tonight besides you.”

“They are listening to you, who is taking up the body of the time sir?” Welch retorted back.

“I am trying to direct us to a decision.” Stout said as he turned to Commissioner Deetkscreek and Bonacolta.

Stout tried to find the middle ground to seek answers to the questions that were raised by Deetscreek and Bonacolta. However the commissioners were not moving from their positions.

Deetscreek did say he would support a new building at the ECWCD property on East County Lane but not the I&E building on Williams.

In a sign of the standstill Chairman Stout said, “I feel as strongly as Commissioner Welch on this. I think it’s a good price and it’s right around the corner from where we are. I guess I am wondering can we support this – if we can get the questions answered regarding the purchase of the I&E Building? Stout asked.”

Throughout the discussion Commissioner Desmond Barrett who has pushed for a new administration building since February of 2007 sat quietly listening to the debate.

As the chairman prepared to table the item, Barrett spoke up.

“Since I have been the one driving this issue since February of 2007 and we are coming up on our four-year anniversary of debating the building, and should we build, or should we buy. If I were honest, Commissioner Stout, if I had your vote two years ago we would have built the building on the property. But I did not have that because of the same concerns that Commissioner Welch has brought up tonight about the I&E building, that the building is too big and it needs to be cost effective.”

“The more you delay, the higher the cost goes,” Barrett said. He then offered what looked to be a compromise between the split board.

“I would be interested in, going to a two- track approach if the commissioners at the far end (Deetscreek and Welch) would honestly enter into looking at a feasibility study of building at the district site. I don’t want to waste tax payers’ money, as we have already wasted up to $300,000 trying to build the last building at the site.”

As the re-platting issue which is holding up buying the I&E building on Williams Ave. could take up to a year to be rezoned, Barrett seemed to try to sway the commission to possibly building instead.

He raised the question to Welch to define ‘modest’ so he could decide if he could support building back at the former headquarters off of East County Lane.

“It’s utilitarian, enough space for our offices that we need, and a multipurpose room that could fit 100 to 150 (people) with a small kitchen for hospitality,” Welch said.

It seems Barrett’s statements began to move the commission into one voice.

Welch said that he felt he and Barrett where thinking the same thing.

“I agree. I see where Commissioner Bonacolta is coming from and I agree with him 100 percent. We buy this property and the property values will go up. I agree with Commissioner Welch’s point; that we should not be competing with other rental space in Lehigh Acres,” Barrett said.

“Let’s take a two prong approach. We know that it will cost some dollars. We have already spent a lot of money. We should direct our staff to bring some hard numbers back to the commission.” Welch agreed and suggested that staff bring back the numbers to possibly build at the old site, and that he would work with his contacts in the building industry to do the same.

“I feel there is consensus from some board members to take that approach,” Welch said.

As the longest debate since the November elections came to a close, Barrett gave an ominous warning to the board.

“I know some people on this board made promises that there would be no new assessment increases in their campaign. Unless you are going to do drastic cuts to services, to build a building, then you will have to raise assessments. If we were to buy this building then I believe we can find $100,000 worth of cuts each year for the next seven and half years to pay for the building without raising assessments. I cannot say that on a million dollar building in the yard that is small.”

ECWCD staff members were asked to meet with each of the commissioners to get their ideas on where and if a building should be constructed, the size in square feet needed and other information. The item will be placed on the action agenda at next’s month meeting.

Desmond Barrett contributed to this story. Ed.