McNees Speaks at Marco Island Realtors Membership Luncheon

The Marco Island Area Association of Realtors (MIAAOR) held their annual Realtor Support Network trade show and general membership luncheon at the Hilton recently after it was rescheduled due to Hurricane Ian. Booths manned by the affiliates offered information, giveaways and prizes all with a ‘sports’ theme. Those in attendance enjoyed a buffet lunch with a Cuban flair. Bill Filbin gave the invocation and reminded everyone about the 25th Anniversary of the St. Matthew’s Thanksgiving Feast food drive which he spearheads for the realtors each year.

Past President Jim McGregor announced the incoming 2023 Board of Directors. Those on the new board will be inducted at a banquet December 13th.

City Manager Mike McNees and Assistant City Manager Casey Lucius attended the luncheon to give an update on the City’s efforts during and after Hurricane Ian. The City had a contingency plan using satellite which meant communication channels were back up almost immediately unlike areas such as Lee County (Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel) which couldn’t be contacted.  Once national news realized someone was approachable, McNees said he gave about 18 interviews after the storm to communicate to the rest of the world that it ‘wasn’t as bad here'.  

He noted the orange conduit coming up all over the island is actually fiber optics being installed by Summit Broadband. The City also met with ‘Hotwire Communications’ which will serve the entire island with a fiber optic backbone. The purpose of the fiber optic cable will be to serve cell towers making their service more reliable. He said they estimate installation will be complete by mid-2023.  

McNees said the new drainage system the City spent a lot of money on proved to function well.  Shortly after high tide he could see pavement on San Marco and Heathwood as the tide receded. Other areas which would typically be a problem also drained well.

McNees talked about Veterans Community Park opening soon and commented it’s a really cool facility. Saltwater killed bushes and shrubs were destroyed, but the trees survived.   

(Note: It has since been announced by the City the tree lighting ceremony will be combined with the grand opening celebration of Veterans Community Park.) 

McNees said there was structural damage to approximately 302 homes and 60 businesses.  Stacy Witthoff asked if those numbers were quoted by FEMA. “No,” he said, “these numbers were gathered by our Building Inspectors and people in that department going block by block by block.” 

“You may have heard about this rental registration thing,” McNees said jokingly, “The ordinance to establish a rental registration will be coming back to City Council for a second reading on December 5th. “After that meeting, we will be responsible to enforce it and bring that program to life. We have one more chance in a public hearing to take this ordinance and turn it into something that will work in the real world. One more public reading, if you’re interested and know the details, and you have suggestions on how it can work better, what I encourage you to do is to come to that meeting. Come to the microphone and give us those recommendations. Specifically, how can this be made to work better. So, if you have the knowledge and really want to help us with the nuts and bolts of it, help us now. We’re going to have to work with it. Let’s make it work as best we can.”   

A question from the audience came in about Code Enforcement and what is happening with that department? McNees said he welcomed the question because in his opinion the Code Enforcement officers become scapegoats. “They have a very difficult task. All they can do is enforce the code as it is written, and I’ve learned the only thing worse than no code enforcement, is code enforcement. It is a constant balancing issue. I will challenge directly if anyone says if code enforcement had just done their jobs we wouldn’t have this short-term rental ordinance, and that is just false. Tracy Frazzano does a monthly report which shows they’re doing their jobs. Our philosophy as a City is we’re not about punishment, we’d rather see compliance. I think they get a bad rap.” 

A final question from the audience asked if the City was willing to bring the two sides of the rental ordinance together to work out a common-sense approach stating that there is “a lawsuit the City is going to be faced with if it goes forth in any way, shape, or form and that the City attorney won’t even sign off on it. So, what can be done in the period of time between now and the December 5th meeting so we can have a more common-sense approach, even something more like what Collier County is doing?” McNees said, “Here is my answer: there is an ordinance, and it is going to be adopted. Either as it is, or with amendment. There aren’t two sides, there are probably four or five, maybe fifty sides that see it in different ways. My door has been open. The opportunity to adopt the ordinance like Collier County came to the City Council table and your side of the table fought it. You killed it. That is what happened, so here we are.  We have to make this work.”