Frustrated Council Fails Again

Marco Island City Council did it again - or rather - failed to do it again. After numerous meetings, interviews and votes, City Council failed to choose the seventh council member to fill a seat left vacant midterm by former Councilman Greg Folley in November.  

Voting on the process was split as was voting on the candidates during the Special Meeting held Tuesday afternoon.  

“We’re at a stalemate again,” declared Councilwoman Bonita Schwan after hours of discussion and votes. 

Continuous 3-3 votes indicate a council divided into two factions, including one that consisting of Acting-Chairman Erik Brechnitz, Councilman David Gray and Councilwoman Tamara Goehler in opposition with the other side, which includes Schwan, Councilwoman Deb Henry and Councilman Darrin Palumbo. 

Early in the meeting, Palumbo threw shade, so to speak, on fellow council members by insinuating they may have violated open government Sunshine Laws by making agreements outside of the public meeting and/or by passing notes to each other during a previous meeting.  

“I’m concerned some of these candidates may have been predetermined,” said Palumbo. 

“We have done a private vote already and I think we just do it out in the open,” said Henry. 

As Palumbo stood up to show a video on his phone that he said looked suspicious, City Attorney Alan Gabriel warned him from continuing.  

“Then file a complaint with the ethics commission,” Brechnitz said to Palumbo, who then sat back in his seat. 

Gabriel maintained his advice against holding a special election for voters to choose who should fill the seat for the next two years, citing that a special election is not the process described in the City Charter, which states Council must fill the vacant seat by majority vote of Council. Gabriel estimated it would take three or more months to complete a special election process. 

After several split votes, Schwan suggested flipping a coin, but that idea failed to get approval. 

Previous meetings had brought forward four finalists by a process of ranking candidates, giving them one or two points. But all four of those finalists failed to get the majority four or more votes necessary to get appointed by Council. During the recent special meeting, two different finalists, Tom Fontana and Dennis Bartolucci, were brought forward in a process of each Council member listing their top six candidates. Fontana made it to five Council members’ lists and Bartolucci made it onto four of those lists. Both men had differing backgrounds related to finance. Neither were able to garner four votes from the dais to the open seat, however.   

Palumbo had said he no longer trusted the other side and was looking for a person with experience in waterways and in advising a council.  

Henry said she wanted to support a candidate with experience in Marco Island government and interviewed candidates Tuesday about their stances on short term rentals and water quality knowledge. 

As the time for the special meeting came to an end without conclusion, the impasse continued.  

“We’re going to continue this conversation but we’re going to continue it with special meetings so it doesn’t interrupt the regular business that we do,” said Brechnitz. 

Regular Council Meeting 

Council attempted again to select a chair and vice chair at the outset of the regular meeting later Tuesday evening but were again unable to get a majority vote. Brechnitz was chosen by the last council as vice chair and will continue to act as chairman on this council until there is a tiebreaker.  

Several members of the community came together to support a path that would allow residents with wheelchairs and service dogs to safely and fully access the dog park. 

Among them was restauranteur Joey Oliverio, who donated $1,500. 

As resident Margaret Hackett said that it recently was the first time she could see the whole park like others see it, Palumbo was visibly moved by her experience.  

“Thanks for allowing us to see life a little through your eyes,” he said. 

Read more from City Council’s regular meeting with updates on CoastalBreezenews.com.