Update from Donna: Manatee Road dog park to be completed in 2007

Many things are going on this month in the general vicinity of Marco Island and Isles of Capri. You should all be aware that the county will be building a dog park at the Manatee Park site, off Manatee Road. Construction should be finished sometime in 2007.

This park will serve Marco, Isles of Capri, Fiddler’s Creek, Eagle Creek, Lely Resort, Treviso Bay, Artesia, Riverwood, Enchanting Shores and more.

It will certainly be an asset for all the dog lovers in the area.

Meanwhile, the county is in the process of surveying all developments in the area of Manatee Park to determine what facilities are desired and those that are needed in the remaining park site, especially in the immediate area.

If you have any preferences for the new park, please e-mail me with your suggestions at donnafiala@colliergov.net.

Many suggestions have come in already, including bocce ball, exercise room, walking trails, shuffleboard and more. We have a clean slate to work from, so please send me your wishes.

Another good piece of news is that the county took the first step toward a permanent Collier Area Transit (CAT) transfer station, at the County Commission meeting on Tuesday.

The CAT system has been wildly successful and will continue to expand with additional service.

Many of our workforce can travel from Immokalee and East Naples, transfer buses and get to Marco Island for a day’s work, which is desperately needed in these times when the number of our workers is dwindling.

If the initiative moves forward as expected, the county plans to purchase the entire Morandi Used Car property located on Radio Road, near Davis Boulevard and Collier Boulevard, by the end of the year and hopefully follow through with establishing a transfer station within a year.

Right now, everyone traveling on the CAT must transfer at the Vo-Tech center, off Estey Avenue, which is becoming taxing to that facility.

Eventually, this site will house a repair station, a staging area, offices and the transfer station. It’s a perfect site for this type of operation.

Our representatives and senator in Tallahassee will be holding a Legislative Delegation Forum in Collier County at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8, in the commission chambers.

Discussion will include the soaring rates of insurance, Portability of Save Our Homes and what can be done for residents whose main address is in another state and cannot get Save Our Homes tax relief on their Florida residences.

It should be a very interesting day. The forum is open to the public and can be viewed live on Channel 11. You won’t want to miss it.

My commission office is open every Thursday on Marco Island, unless a county meeting is scheduled. Please call my office at 774-8097 to make an appointment, tell me of your concerns, or even if you’d just like to stop by and say hello.

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Donna Fiala is Collier County District One commissioner, which includes Marco Island, Goodland, Isles of Capri and part of East Naples.