By: Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass
The Lee Board of County Commissioners held our Annual Strategic Planning Session last month. This was an informal meeting with my fellow commissioners and County Management staff to discuss the progress we’ve made as a County during this past year, and to look ahead at challenges facing us in the future. The focus of this year’s session was to really tell Lee County’s story and communicating what we’re doing to ensure that our community remains a great place to live with quality services, while also planning for continued growth.
Your Board remains committed to completing and accelerating transportation and infrastructure projects like roads, bridges, sidewalks, and utilities, throughout the County. We continue to expand the Road Paving program with an additional $5 million a year for Lehigh roads. Since my last article, a few residents have contacted my office inquiring about a specific roadway needed for repaving and I ask that you please continue to do so. Also, you can submit a request to DOT directly by calling (239) 533-9300 or emailing paving@leegov.com.
We also talked about our commitment to water quality projects and protecting our most valuable resources, which is not only important for our environment, but vital for a robust economy. If you haven’t had the chance, I recommend visiting our website www.leegov.com/water to gain an understanding of how the County is addressing water quality locally.
You can’t maintain a quality of life, let alone have one, without prioritizing Public Safety. This past budget session in October, the Board approved an increase in the Sheriff’s Budget, which allocated higher pay for their staff and deputies. We also approved 21 new Lee County EMS positions to meet the needs and demands of our growing community. As a retired Law Enforcement Officer for over 25 years, I understand that safety should always be priority.
Public amenities are also crucial to ensuring a quality of life. We continue to increase access and make improvements to our recreational facilities and our staff does a great job managing all our many parks for the public’s use and enjoyment. I urge you and your family to take advantage of all the recreational activities offered at our many community parks, swimming pools, and Conservation lands.
I look forward to joining the East Lee County Chamber later this month for another round of ribbon cuttings celebrating new businesses in the Lehigh area. I hope to see you out in the community and as always, please don’t hesitate to contact my office if I can ever be of assistance. You can call me at (239) 533-2227 or email dist2@leegov.com. I am here to serve you!
