CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Now that it's hurricane season, people who live in Cape Coral are thinking about things like stormwater management. They say this, along with other utility issues, are the most important thing for the city to focus on as it works to shape its next strategic plan.
Every two years the city takes the pulse of the people who live there to see what they're concerned about.
The 2021 National Community Survey showed 92% of people said it was “essential” or “very important” that utilities be the major focus over the next two years.
The report said recent weather events are probably the reason behind this. Ratings for sewer, storm water, and electric and gas were average compared to national benchmarks and saw rating increases since 2019.
The overall quality of the utility infrastructure was rated lower than the national average. Another area ranked lower was garbage collection. That's also no surprise considering the Waste Pro saga Fox 4 has been tracking for you. After months of delays, the company says its operations in Cape Coral are finally back on track.
There are other elements that fall under the utility branch as well. For example, fewer people rated the quality of drinking water as "excellent" or "good" in 2021 compared to other years.
Fox 4 is working with the City of Cape Coral to get details on the concerns outlined in this survey.
It also showed 92% of people who completed the survey rated economic health as “essential” or “very important.” Only 26% of people believed the economy would have a positive impact on their income in the next six months. That was from when the survey was taken earlier this year. This rating declined from 2019 to 2021 and the survey report said it's likely due, in part, to COVID-19.
While that may be one of the main reasons people have the economy on their minds, about 6 in 10 favorably rated the overall economic health of the city and the overall quality of businesses and services. This was up from 2019.
To voice your concerns on these and other topics you’d like the city to include in its next strategic plan, you can attend a community forum planned for Tuesday. It’s scheduled from 5:00 pm -8:00 p.m. at the Lake Kennedy Center at 400 Santa Barbara Blvd.
