Council Deals With Long Agenda

The October 17th City Council Meeting was one which focused on appreciation, ballfields and a rental registration quandary that is getting closer to being resolved.

It began on a high note where the council would show their appreciation of the dedication and commitment by one of their own when asked to serve. Councilor Claire Babrowski offered up her substantial knowledge and capabilities when called upon to serve the community upon the resignation of former Councilor Victor Rios. Babrowski would serve out the remainder of his term on council which ran from December 7, 2020 until after the upcoming election in November of 2022.

In those two years of service she brought with her considerable experience in the corporate world as well as a stabilizing influence on her fellow councilors as some debates would often lose focus on the question before the dais which she shared with her colleagues on the board.

Babrowski will continue to serve until after the swearing in of the three new councilors to be elected in November of next month. The October 17 meeting would be her last one unless a special meeting is called. Council Chairman Erik Brechnitz would present her with a proclamation honoring her service to the community.

The city would also approve a 10-year Interlocal Agreement with the Collier County School Board to lease a school athletic field located at Tommie Barfield Elementary School. This would continue a longtime arrangement with the District at no additional costs to the city and would require any additional capital improvements to be the responsibility of Marco Island Academy.

Council would then take up the First Reading of the Short-Term Rental Registration Ordinance which has been so hotly debated. Once again after an approximate  90-minute review of objections from audience members who recently failed to defeat the ordinance during a referendum vote, the council would go on to defeat two separate attempts by Vice Chairman Grifoni to have the city staff bring back two separate ordinances, one which mirrored the simplified Collier County ordinance and the second would be similar to the ordinance which recently was approved by the citizens, but with some minor modifications to deal with what he felt would add “legal sufficiency.”

That attempt would fail by a 5-2 margin with only Grifoni and Councilor Irwin voting in favor. Another attempt by the Vice-Chair to extend the ordinance to cover all residences, including condominiums. That attempt failed due to a lack of a second.

Council would adopt the ordinance with one minor change by a 4-3 vote with Councilor Grifoni, Irwin and Babrowski objecting.

The implementation plan was deferred to the staff for formulation. Assistant Manager Lucius would make a presentation on the proposed plan.

November 17 will be the next scheduled meeting of council where the second reading of the Ordinance will take place at that time and the ordinance finalized and adopted.