Jason C. Collins

The City of Naples Vision document outlines the city's enduring character, focusing on protecting and enhancing the natural environment, preserving its small-town feel, and sustaining economic vitality. The strategic direction is structured around five key pillars: preserving small town character and culture, ensuring environmental sensitivity, providing an extraordinary quality of life for residents, fostering economic health and vitality, and maintaining high-performing government. Key initiatives include improving water quality, reviewing planning and building codes, facilitating beach nourishment, balancing redevelopment with community character, investing in infrastructure, promoting economic development, engaging with regional partners, preserving historical landmarks, managing airport impacts, and developing multi-modal transportation networks.

The document outlines Naples Zoo's 'Roaring Into Our Future' capital campaign, a $25 million initiative designed to address the future of animal care, welfare, conservation, education, and guest experiences. The plan focuses on three main goals: ensuring optimal animal care through a new on-site Animal Hospital, inspiring environmental stewardship and a positive future for wildlife via a new education center and expanded programs, and enhancing member and guest experiences with a new entrance, visitor center, and exhibits. This strategic effort aims to expand the zoo's offerings and capacity to serve the growing Southwest Florida community, foster family engagement, and make a significant impact in conservation and education.

The City Council meeting included discussions and decisions on various topics. These included awarding a contract for portable radios, amending water and sewer rates, approving the purchase of police interceptor vehicles, and approving an amendment to the traffic signal maintenance agreement. The council also discussed flood insurance renewal, special event moratoriums, and appointments to various boards and committees. Additionally, there were discussions on design concept options for the Naples Pier, resolutions concerning lake filling on private property, and first readings of ordinances related to transient lodging density, recreational facilities, and outdoor dining regulations. The meeting also covered second readings of ordinances amending setback zone regulations and adjusting market value in property maintenance regulations.

The City Council held a special budget meeting to discuss and determine the 2024 tax levy and tentative millage rates for the City of Naples, exclusive of dependent taxing districts. They also addressed the adoption of the tentative budget for the fiscal year commencing October 1, 2024, and ending September 30, 2025, along with appropriating funds for the city's operating expenses. The council also discussed the tax levy and tentative millage rates for the East Naples Bay Special Taxing District and the Moorings Bay Special Taxing District, including adopting their respective tentative budgets for the upcoming fiscal year.

The meeting included discussion on determining and fixing the 2022 tax levy and final millage rate for the City of Naples, exclusive of dependent taxing districts, to provide sufficient funds for general fund operations. It also involved adopting the tentative budget for the City of Naples, Florida, exclusive of dependent taxing districts, for the fiscal year commencing October 1, 2022, and ending September 30, 2023, which appropriates funds for operating expenses. Additionally, the meeting addressed determining and fixing the 2022 tax levy and final millage rates for the East Naples Bay Special Taxing District and the Moorings Bay Special Taxing District to provide sufficient funds for their operations, along with adopting their final budgets for the upcoming fiscal year.