Swearing in New Council Members

Four newly elected members of Marco Island City Council were sworn in on Monday, November 18, bringing three women to the council for the first time in City history. 

New council members Tamara Goehler, Stephen Gray, Deb Henry, and Bonita Schwan raised their right hands as they affirmed to uphold the Constitution, obey laws, and observe the City Charter and ordinances. 

They joined two incumbents, Darrin Palumbo and Erik Brechnitz, leaving one vacant seat. 

Without a tiebreaker, the six-member Council allowed for a stalemate on who would hold the positions of chair and vice chair. 

“It’s going to be 3-3 here for God knows how long,” exclaimed Palumbo.

Council Application Deadline Extended

Former City Councilman Greg Folley vacated his seat on November 5 because he ran for State House District 81, though he lost that election to Yvette Benarroch. Folley did not respond to this reporter’s requests of whether he would consider a reappointment to his City Council seat. 

Meanwhile, Council is to appoint an applicant to Folley’s seat. Later in the evening Monday, Council chose to extend the applicant period from the Tuesday, November 19 deadline to end of business day Friday, November 22. As of Monday, there were 16 applicants. Council scheduled a special meeting at 1:00 PM on Monday, December 2 to review the candidates for the open seat.

Council Fails to Elect Chair and Vice Chair

The new six-member City Council failed to complete their first order of business when they were unable to agree upon a chair and vice chair, following repeated 3-3 votes on the matter. 

When Brechnitz was considered, Schwan, Palumbo, and Henry voted no. When Schwan was considered for chair, Goehler, Gray, and Brechnitz were opposed. This left Brechnitz, who the previous council had appointed as vice chairman, to serve in the role of chairman throughout their first meeting. 

At the next meeting, the council may attempt another vote, with as of yet, no indication of how to break the tie.

City attorney Robert Myers, filling in for Alan Gabriel after the passing of his wife, advised Council of their obligations to select a chair and vice chair at their first meeting following the election as required by City Charter.

“It’s mandatory. There are no real consequences if you can’t agree tonight,” he added.

Trolley Trial Packs the House, Nixed by Council

There was standing-room-only in the Council chambers with overflow seating in the next room, until after Council voted down the trolley. Marco Island’s trolley trial was a contentious issue that many islanders attribute as the cause of the incumbents failing to secure votes to win the election. Many vocal residents were adamantly opposed to the trolley project, while some council members said they voted for it anyway to address residents’ other top concerns of seasonal traffic and limited parking. 

This time, Council listened to the vehement opposition and voted down the trolley project unanimously, 6-0.

Pickleball Price Puts Hold on New Courts

Despite the popularity of pickleball, some residents were concerned about the noise of adding more courts and parking at the Racquet Center on San Marco Road, per public meetings held previously. 

Cost estimate increases led City staff, including Facilities Manager Joseph Parrilli and Assistant City Manager Casey Lucius, to suggest Council vote to reject the bids on the first phase of the project, which entailed removing a pickleball court, two tennis courts and a building. Council agreed unanimously to reject the bids on Monday, citing the cost increase and other Parks and Recreation Department needs. 

The City received two bids, including one at $1.7 million and another at $2.1 million. In the future, the project may be rolled into the Parks Master Plan instead, which could include a future bond to pay for this and other projects, staff advised.

The seven new pickleball courts and 63 parking spaces, among other upgrades, will not be pursued at this time, per Council’s vote. Council had previously approved a project budget of $768,000 on September 5, 2023. Approximately $138,000 was spent on design provided by LJA Engineering, city staff wrote in a Nov. 18 memo to Council.

Banning Swale Parking in Old Marco

City Council voted to approve a ban on swale parking in the Old Marco area, which includes Edington Place, Palm Street, Vernon Place, Bald Eagle Drive, Tampa Place, Gayer Way, Ruppert Road and Old Marco Lane. Residents had complained to Council of in-season parking by visitors in the swales in front of their homes. They will have the opportunity to address this vote if that is not residents’ desire going forward, Council members said. Palumbo made a motion to move forward with a ban on parking in swales in Old Marco, Goehler seconded the motion and it passed 4-2, with Henry and Schwan voting no.

Citizens’ Comments

There were several public speakers, including support for Police Chief Tracy Frazzano despite criticisms from the Police Union; complaints of spending on designs for projects not completed; a request for wheelchair access to accommodate the entry of people with service dogs at Canine Cove Dog Park on Andalusia Terrace, among others.

In other matters, Council: 

Consent Agenda 

Council voted unanimously, 6-0, to approve the routine items of the consent agenda:

• A contract with Ten-8 Fire & Safety LLC, to acquire self-contained breathing apparatus with a tax-exempt lease agreement not to exceed $555,970. 
• A change order to a contract with Advance Environmental Laboratories, Inc. to test monthly for surface water quality and nutrients in City waterways and quarterly for toxigenic cyanobacteria algae at a cost of $83,416.

Vacated a Utility Easement 

Council approved a resolution to vacate the utility and drainage easements for a property at 1610 Briarwood Court, voting unanimously, 6-0.

2025 City Council Meeting Schedule

The City Council regular meeting schedule for 2025 was approved unanimously by Council, 6-0, to continue holding Council meetings at 5:30 PM the first and third Mondays of each month, except in December, holding one meeting on the second Monday of that month.

Land Development Fee Amendment

Resolution 24-69 passed unanimously, 6-0, to revise existing fees in City Ordinances, Chapter 30 Land Development Code. This included a $1,000 fee related to redevelopment that includes a site plan with deviations, as presented by Community Affairs Director Daniel Smith. 

Approved Legislative Priorities

Council approved unanimously, 6-0, 2025 legislative priorities as suggested by Lucius and lobbyist Ron Book. These include three requests, with the first two including a $750,000 request each from the State Legislature, to be matched by the City, as recommended by Book and to be discussed further with him at the December 9 City Council meeting as follows: 

1. Biological active filters to improve drinking water quality estimated by Cardinal Contractors to cost more than $9.9 million dollars. 
2. Tide leveling and canal flushing, which the City already secured approximately $1.2 million toward, leaving a $3 million shortfall in the estimated $4.9 million project as of 2024.
3. Emergency evacuation use of state university and college parking lots and garages for off-island vehicle parking.

Future Agenda

Among other matters, at the next regularly scheduled meeting of 5:30 PM, Monday, December 9, Council is to:

• Appoint a chair and vice chair.
• Appoint a council member, following their special meeting discussion of the matter scheduled 1:00 PM, Monday, December 2. 
• Appoint a council member to the Metropolitan Planning Organization Board. 
• Make a recommendation regarding the parking of boats and boat trailers on residential properties. 
• Vote on contracts for a Winterberry Beach access boardwalk and a boom truck.