Need a Hydrant Moved? Just Charge $26K to the UEP Like the Mayor Did!
- Kyle L'Hommedieu
- Sep 5
- 5 min read
During the unsuccessful recall effort, several concerning issues within the city came to light. One such issue involved the alleged relocation of a "FIRE HYDRANT" at the mayor’s former residence. The mayor publicly denied that a hydrant was moved, claiming instead that it was a potable and irrigation meter that had been relocated. More dishonesty, and the people aren’t even surprised anymore.
However, we believe the fire hydrant was indeed moved to accommodate the installation of a large circular driveway, as its original location would have placed it in the center of the lot. The hydrant was ultimately relocated to the side of the property. When you don't want an ugly yellow "FIRE HYDRANT" in the middle of your lot, the citizens should foot the bill?
We were first made aware of this issue by a concerned resident in the neighborhood.
Relocations Paid for by Taxpayers?
So, why exactly is this being charged to the Utilities Expansion Project (UEP), as the email above clearly shows? Maybe City Hall thinks our tax dollars grow on trees while residents sink under bills, and apparently, they just don’t give a damn.
If there are multiple instances of these so-called “relocations,” it raises serious questions: Who is inspecting these installations? And why are citizens being forced to pay for relocations if the infrastructure wasn’t installed correctly in the first place? Are we really expected to keep footing the bill until the job is finally done right? Or are these simply the mayor’s properties that are receiving all the attention?
It took multiple requests just to start to uncover the truth. Initially, the city completely denied the existence of this project, unaware that I already had internal documents proving otherwise.
MULTIPLE DENIALS OF THE PROJECT AND PLAYING HARDBALL WITH PUBLIC RECORDS
Records don't exist, huh?
It wasn’t until I applied pressure and shared the evidence I had that the information was finally released. I contacted the Fire Inspections department and was informed that the "FIRE HYDRANT" was inspected two days after it was relocated, on February 9, 2022. However, the city refused to release a copy of the inspection report.
Missing Records? Show Us the Additional Charges...
TRANSPARENCY? MORE LIKE HIDE-AND-SEEK UNTIL CAUGHT
Isn’t it funny, or maybe not so funny, how there’s no record of any internal billing for this hydrant relocation? No payment from the homeowner. No payment from the builder, who just happens to be John Gunter himself. So who exactly footed the bill? And more importantly, what could they possibly be hiding from the public? Because when $26,000 mysteriously vanishes into the UEP, it sure doesn’t look like transparency; it looks like a cover-up!
I began submitting Public Records Requests related to fire hydrant relocations, starting with a request for March 2022. The exact wording of our request was: “Please provide any UCD Cost Sheet for work performed for 'Fire Hydrant relocation' in March of 2022, for any property in the city.”
The city responded with an estimated cost of $426.30 to locate the records from that month. Despite the excessive fees, I agreed to the charges because no price will stop us from uncovering the truth. On July 24, 2025, I formally accepted the charges and went to City Hall to pay them that same day.
On August 19, 2025, I received a message from the City Clerk’s office stating that my public records request had taken less time than estimated and that I was due a partial refund. Later that day, the documents were loaded into the portal, and what I saw was both frustrating and unacceptable. The paperwork was identical to what had already been provided in response to my request from February 2022, a request that had been fulfilled at no cost. In other words, the city tried to charge $426.30 for records they had already given out for free.
Even more troubling, the same employee appears to have processed both requests, as their name was clearly listed in the correspondence for each. This raises serious questions about the city's record-keeping, transparency, and whether these excessive fees are being used to discourage public access to information.
I reached out to the City Attorney for answers and copied both the City Manager and City Clerk on the email. Guess what, no response. I even brought it up during Citizens’ Input on August 27th and September 3rd, and still nothing.
I even asked for the original request to move the hydrant! I guess minimal records are kept when you’re asking for something you shouldn’t be.
I’ve requested multiple time frames for any UCD Cost Sheet related to work performed on the “Fire Hydrant Relocation.” We’ll provide an update if additional records come in, but so far they are not being provided in a timely manner, if any even exist, and the costs being charged are excessive.
We've heard that citizens often pay out of pocket for moves like this, but without records, we can't confirm it. Did you personally pay the cost for work like this—or for any similar work—at your property performed by the city?
Oh, sure - nothing to see here, just a little harmless “mismanagement” of public funds. Employees flagged it, kept records, but hey, rules are for everyone else, right? We will keep digging, and who knows what other gems we’ll uncover. Meanwhile, Gunter somehow always makes sure he comes out on top.
More Abuse of Power Exposed — And It Must End Now!
Call it whatever you want — a fire hydrant, a meter valve, or just another line item in the UEP budget. But let’s be clear: City employees themselves have said this was an abuse of power. And we’re calling it what we believe it is, theft of public funds. When taxpayer dollars are quietly redirected for personal benefit, that’s not just questionable decision-making; it’s corruption in plain sight.
I don’t know about you all, but I want our money back and maybe a little explanation for how Gunter keeps making sure he comes out ahead. If your greatest talent is gaming the system, you don’t deserve a seat at the table; you deserve to be LOCKED UP!
You can see the full UCD Cost Sheet for work performed by: City of Cape Coral Department. Also, 45,000 gallons of water were used to flush the system. Nothing like wasting water, I wonder who paid for those 45,000 gallons 🙄
UCD Cost Sheet
All information has been thoroughly investigated and reported by the Take Out the Trash Committee of Cape Coral and/or its authorized volunteers!