Marco Island City Council approves scope of services for Veterans' Park consultant

Marco Island City Council approved Monday the scope of services for the Veterans Community Park consultant for approximately $595,000.

Kimley-Horn will provide design, permitting, management and construction services in accordance with the Veterans' Community Park master plan approved by City Council in March.

"This is the next step in the process of finally getting Veterans Community Park built," wrote City councilor Jared Grifoni in an email to the Eagle. "This is great news for our island as this project has been essentially dormant for over 10 years." 

"Once (this) is completed, then we can move to construction and that will of course needs to be funded," Grifoni wrote. "I have been in favor of using the one percent sales tax revenue to fully fund the build out which will not require raising city taxes at all." 

Grifoni said using the one percent sales tax revenue was discussed during the budget process and that he believes City Council agrees.

"I fully support using a portion of our share of the one percent sales tax increment," wrote councilor Larry Honig in an email to the Eagle. "The community has waited for about a decade to get moving on this project. I am very happy that this City Council finally decided to act."

Councilor Sam Young, on the other hand, wrote in an email to the Eagle there is no consensus in how to pay for the construction of the park. "I think this needs to be further discussed," Young wrote.  

The City Council approved the contract with Kimley-Horn in April 2018 to update the master plan from 2009 that was never acted upon.

Vice-chair Victor Rios was absent during the Council meeting.

More:Marco Island City Council approves Veterans' Community Park master plan

Veterans' Community Park scope of services - Kimley-Horn & City of Marco Island by Omar Rodriguez Ortiz on Scribd