Council Considers More Meetings, Staff Raises

Marco Island City Council’s discussions on a proposal for four percent raises for city staff during Monday’s regularly scheduled Council meeting led to a call for more meetings.

City Councilor Rene Champagne requested special meetings be held monthly with Council and city department directors, including City Finance Director Guillermo Polanco, as well as with City Manager Mike McNees and Assistant City Manager Casey Lucius. 

“We need to get directors and councilors working together on issues,” said Champagne. 

Council would keep the regular agenda meetings as they are, but every month add one business meeting, said Champagne. 

There was no vocal objection to the idea, and several staff and council members agreed.

“We need to start thinking strategically,” said Champagne.

Lucius had given a presentation showing that following a study, it was revealed that Marco Island staff earn less than their counterparts in other Southwest Florida governments and thus should receive a four percent raise for all except the union workers in police and fire. 

Champagne, Council Chair Erik Brechnitz and others said the decision would be best made following an overview of the City’s budget, particularly given ongoing inflation and economic concerns. 

The next meeting, scheduled for 5:30 PM Monday, April 21, includes a budget discussion on the agenda. 

Still, financial discussion will require more time to provide and review more analysis, Council and staff agreed. So in addition to that next regularly scheduled meeting, Council will meet 10:00 AM Wednesday, April 30, with the location likely in the Community Room, 51 Bald Eagle Drive, although other locations were also proposed. 

“On finance, I’ve never taken over any business at any time where the financial information was so limited. You’ve got reports galore that don’t tell you anything,” Champagne complained.

“Our primary priority is to make sure we have the financial stability to cover every emergency that might occur and to have reserves in place,” Champagne said.

Complex Partnership to Improve Canals 

Council will need to allot more time for another complex matter, a private partnership with a Marco Island company, Earthwerks Land Improvement and Development Corp., to improve canal water quality. 

McNees said it’s going to be a complex discussion on scope, procurement and finance; permitting with numerous jurisdictions; and thus will require a special meeting of two to three hours, yet to be scheduled. 

“You’ll have a lot of thresholds to cross in its different stages,” McNees said.

The city attorney, Alan Gabriel, will also be needed, particularly because this proposal came in September from a Marco Island resident approaching Council as a vendor, as opposed to staff.

The public-private partnership called the Marco Island Coastal Habitat and Water Quality (C-HAWQ) Initiative is intended to dredge 100 miles of the island’s canals and use that material to make eco-friendly islands within the canals. Other dredging estimates have neared $200 million and rough estimates of C-HAWQ estimated $50 million costs and added benefits of reefs. 

“I love meetings,” said Gray after several new meetings were announced. 

Consent Agenda

City Councilor Stephen Gray moved the recommended appointment of Darin Spindler to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee from the consent agenda to the regular agenda to allow for discussion, saying later that he didn’t favor the recommendation due to Spindler being supportive of condominiums charging visitors for beach parking, Gray said. He later garnered Council approval 6-1, with Gray dissenting. 

City Council approved the following unanimously, 7-0, as part of the consent agenda, without discussion: 

- Approved a contract with Bowman Gulf Coast LLC at a cost of $194,000 for surveying, designing, bidding, and permitting of South Barfield Drive flood remediation.

- Approved a purchase order change of $65,800 more for restoration of Tigertail Lagoon and Sand Dollar Island, as approved by the Hideaway Tax District Board. 

- Approved a purchase order in the amount of $67,556, also approved by the Hideaway Tax District Board, to hire Humiston & Moore Engineers as consultants on the Tigertail Lagoon and Sand Dollar Island ecosystem restoration project. 

Approved a purchase order of $198,450 to B & J Lining, Inc. for sewer manhole rehabilitation.

Awards and Proclamations

Council proclaimed April as Water Conservation Month, which was reflected in several other votes and discussions, reported separately.

Council awarded city employees Laura Ryan of the utilities department; Dawn Snyder, parks and recreation supervisor; William Prigge of Marco Island Police Department for five years of service. 

Lauree Greene, who works with code enforcement and the police department, was awarded employee of the quarter. 

Marco in Bloom Landscape Awards

Linda Scherzinger, vice chair of the Beautification Committee, presented Marco In Bloom Awards to winners out of the 27 entries in the annual landscaping contest. Winners include Sheri and Eric Lindenfelser of 758 Caribbean Court for professionally designed residential landscaping and runner-up in that category Kim Popple of 1645 Piedmont Circle. Of personally designed landscapes, winners are at 856 S. Heathwood Drive, where Donna Patterson and Frank Higgins personally designed the landscape. The runner-up property is at 755 Plantation Court, personally designed by Linda and Russ Colombo. The home at 1147 Vernon Place, designed by Rhonda and Bob Gloodt in the category of built before 1980 won and used no herbicides or pesticides; their runner-up is at 830 Buttonwood by Laura and Douglas Kotte. The winner in the category of cul de sac design included five families on Richards Court and the award was accepted on their behalf by Bernadette Krause; runner-up was Taylor Court and the Shelton family accepted that award. Commercial Marco Island Yacht Club. The condo winner is Smokehouse Bay Club.