Council Appoints Chair and Vice Chair

Marco Island City Council appointed its chair and vice chair during its regularly scheduled meeting, Monday. Council chose Councilor Erik Brechnitz to continue serving as chairman. Brechnitz was the vice chair of the former Council, prior to the November 2024 election. He has been serving as acting chair while the Council remained at an impasse for several months over the selection of their seventh member, in addition to being in a tie when attempting to select the chair and vice chair. 

Council then selected Councilor Stephen Gray to serve as vice chair on Monday. 

Gray nominated Brechnitz, which did not require a second. 

“I think [Brechnitz] has got the background, the knowledge, and I think he will move us forward in a very professional way,” said Gray. 

Councilor Deb Henry then nominated Councilor Bonita Schwan as chair. 

Schwan nominated Councilor Darrin Palumbo as chairman. 

The votes came in the order of nomination and Brechnitz became chairman in a 4-3 vote without any votes taken for the others nominated. Schwan, Palumbo, and Henry voted no.

Gray was nominated as vice chair and then Henry again nominated Schwan as vice chair. Since Gray’s nomination for vice chair came first, the roll call led to a 5-2 vote in Gray’s favor, with Schwan and Henry voting no. 

There appeared to be surprise by some city officials at the selection of chairman as City Attorney Alan Gabriel started to tell Brechnitz he needed to leave his seat until Gabriel then realized Brechnitz had actually been voted in to retain it.

In prior meetings, there was consistently a 3-3 tie for chair and vice chair nominees, with Palumbo, Schwan, and Henry voting one way and Gray, Councilor Tamara Goehler, and Brechnitz voting another. 

Filling the vacant seventh seat created a shift in the Council. Earlier in the afternoon, during a special-called meeting, Council unanimously, 6-0, selected Rene Champaign to fill the seat left vacant since November by former Councilor Greg Folley. Champaign will serve approximately 18 months before the seat is up for election by Marco Island resident voters. 

Council took a 15-minute break to reorganize their seats before moving forward with their meeting on Monday. 

"It’s nice to see seven heads above seven chairs,” said City Manager Mike McNees.

In Other Council Business

• Approved a resolution to honor Arbor Day, April 25, 2025, including the need for more shade on Marco Island. 
• Heard from Marco Island Fire Chief Chris Byrne regarding the gift from Senior Softball League player Ray Kane of an automatic external defibrillator for the Winterberry Park ballfields. Kane had collapsed on the ballfields and been saved by an AED in addition to advanced cardiac life support treatment provided by EMS upon their arrival, he said. This inspired his gift. 
• Heard public comment regarding items not on the agenda including a resident who said people are suffering with heat caused by artificial turf in city parks. Resident and restaurant owner Joseph Oliverio lauded Champaign as a unifying choice as a councilman for the city.
• Approved items on theconsent agenda without discussion, including appointing Chris Lewandowski to the Waterways Committee; approved Phyllis Ramirez and Steve Zinkan to serve on the Hideaway Beach Tax District Board for a three-year term beginning April 1, 2025; Ajax Paving Industries of Florida, LLC to resurface the two parking lots at Winterberry Park at a cost of approximately $72,000; replace the raw water influent header pipe inside of the membrane building at the South Water Treatment Plant at cost of approximately $140,000 paid to Quality Enterprises. Palumbo requested moving the change order request for paving at Leigh Plummer Park that increased by about $50,000 from the consent agenda to the regular agenda for discussion, which Council approved.
• Heard the Parks and Recreation Master Plan presented by Carlos Perez, president of Perez Planning and Design. The plan included data from a statistically valid survey of residents, said Perez. The population is expected to increase by six percent in 2035 with an aging population of at least three out of four residents older than age 55, he estimated. Wildlife, trails, public beach access, and shade were among priorities, he said. Pickleball courts, indoor fitness, and a bandshell were popular as well. Upon request from Champaign, Perez said the plan cost $90,000 to create. Each step would need to be approved by Council in the future and is available on the City website. Project possibilities totaled approximately $26 million.
• Approved unanimously, 7-0, the replacement of the roof on the City Hall Annex building at a proposed cost by Advanced Roofing of $150,744. 
• Approved a resolution for hands-free cell phone use in Marco Island, prohibiting having the phone to the ear while driving. Collier County approved a similar resolution and the state legislature is considering a similar bill, said Assistant City Manager Casey Lucius. 
• Approved unanimously, 7-0, the establishment of a local agency agreement between the City and Florida Department of Transportation to construct alternative bike lanes along Collier Boulevard. Public Works Director Justin Martin said the agreement increases a grant from $2.5 million to $4.3 million. There was a bid in 2024 that was higher than estimated. The project will be rebid in two segments and is intended to get bikers off Collier Boulevard to increase safety, completing the existing trail. 
• Approved unanimously a Memorandum of Agreement between City of Marco Island Police Department and US ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to comply with Florida state law chapter 908-104-1 adopted by the Florida legislature on February 13, 2025, that requires law enforcement agencies to make their best efforts to enforce national immigration and customs laws. Marco Island Police Chief Tracy Frazzano recommends the MOA to enforce immigration detainers, which are not criminal warrants, and thus require the MOA to enforce them, Frazzano said. The MOA can be revoked by either party at any time, she said. However, failure to comply with the new state legislation could result in fines or proceedings against them. Palumbo motioned to approve, and it was seconded by Schwan, followed by a 7-0, unanimous approval by Council.
• Approved the change order request for Ajax Paving Inc. that increased the project cost at Leigh Plummer parking lot by about $50,000, for a total cost of approximately $76,427, due to tree roots creating a need for a wider sidewalk and improved drainage, said Joe Parrilli, manager of the City’s fleet & facilities.

Council Communications:

• Schwan asked to hear from the Beautification Committee about their budget on May 5. 
• eBike and micro vehicles were discussed by multiple Council members, including Gray, Palumbo, and Schwan, with the goal of Marco Island working with Collier County MPO plans, which will also head to the Board of Collier County Commissioners future agenda, to increase safety of micro vehicle and eBike usage. Palumbo suggested a discussion on either painted lanes or speed limits to be added to a future agenda.
• Schwan inquired about updated traffic counts on main roads. 
• Brechnitz responded that a level of service, which would include traffic, is required annually by the Comprehensive Plan and hasn’t been done in entirety since 2012.
• Council decided not to complete level of service reviews due to cost, McNees said. 
• Goehler said she attended the meeting at Mackle Park regarding the proposed redevelopment of Port Marco manufactured home community and would like to see a traffic study of Old Marco. Also, she is continuing to work on body cams with Marco Island Police Department. 
• Palumbo suggested watching the last Planning Board meeting. Budgeting will begin in April, and he suggested talking about fundraising, echoing Champagne’s suggestion made earlier in the meeting regarding a need for a city discussion on its vision for the future.
• Commercial opportunities at Caxambas Park were discussed by Gray, Schwan, and Palumbo, who said since 1977 there were businesses run there. Schwan would like to consider kayak rentals and local boat captain use. Palumbo suggested the City run Caxambas rather than Collier County government. Brechnitz said Hideaway Beach deeded the park to the County.