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The island's newspaper '•liU wOOOOO of record James Thurber to speak at FORUM Week of February 5-11,2004 SANIBEL & CAPTIVA, FLORIDA VOLUME 31, NUMBER 6, 24 PAGES 75 CENTS Planning Commission holds at seven members Donna T. Schuman Harrity — who has received some criticism "Their meetings are already shorter than diversity." Staff Writer for the proposal — defended his position. ours and we already have five members," Although Walsh commended Harrity - "This is not the first time this topic has said Counciiwoman Judy Workman. "They for proposing these ideas, he felt the quan- If it ain't broke don't fix it seemed to be surfaced." Harrity said. "As elected offi- are not a political group, they are very pro- tity of work the planning commissioners do the popular sentiment about the Planning cials it is our responsibility to look at every fessional and get right down to business." was being ignored. One of the duties of the Commission from those who packed area of our government." For the last 30 years, the Planning Planning Commission is to review the MacKenzie Hall at Tuesday's City Council Based on his experience on the Planning Commission has had seven members. That Sanibel Plan — a process that takes months meeting. Commission, Harrity said, when people get tradition along played a large part in the to complete. Following much opposition from island in front of a microphone they tend to talk council's decision. "The time required by the Planning residents, the council voted 3-2 against a more. He suggested that reducing the num- "1 like Sanibel the way it is," said Mayor Commission is extensive." Walsh said. motion to reduce the number of Planning ber of commissioners could streamline Steve Brown. "Reducing it to five would not benefit the Commissioners from seven to five. Council meeting and cut down dialogue by about Although the Sanibel Code calls for a city." members Marty Harrity and Jim Jennings 28 percent, therefore reducing meeting commission of live, seven or nine mem- One improvement the council did favor cast the consenting votes. time. However, even after his explana- bers, a 1998 resolution established the called for joint meetings between the two When the topic came up for discussion, tion, some still questioned his reasoning. number of commissioners at seven. governmental bodies. As the island Diversity of the commission was also a approaches build-out and re-development, deciding factor in the decision to retain council felt both groups could benefit from seven members. working together. Planning Operation Redstart comes full circle "You get interplay from a variety of peo- Commissioners present were pleased with ple," said Councilman Dick Walsh. "Getting the suggestion. a good cross section of the community will "1 am encouraged by the comments, help us keep Sanibel the way it is." said Commissioner John Dillon. "Re- Mayor Brown, echoed Walsh's corn- development is the key issue and should men! s, take a lot of time." ""I know what I think is representative of Commissioner Ellis Robinson uereed. the community... everything staying the same." Brown said. "The idea of five So. PLAVNIM; seemed appealing, but you wouldn't get the page 2 Causeway referendum action postponed By Donna T. Schuman that postponing the vote would not make Staff Writer sense because the city couid settle on something that voters couid oppose in a Sanibel residents will have to wait a lit- later election. "'1 believe we would end up tle longer than expected to vote on a city in court if it were approved and we had a charter amendment allowing them to settlement that wasn't approved by a approve or oppose any changes to the majority of the people," Walsh said. Story and photos nets in place: one that men in waders Causeway by referendum. Although Cuyler had a "gut feeling"' by Michael Hannan unfurled and dragged across the 65.000 Following a motion from Mayor Steve the vote would not alter any settlement, he Staff Writer gallon home tank; a purse seine that held Brown, the Sanibel City Council opted to agreed to research the matter and advise the captured fish before being checked table any discussion on the matter until the council at its next meeting. At 8 a.m. on Wednesday. Jan. 28, the out, and a third that served to hold fish City Attorney Ken Cuyler could research '"If a settlement is finalized, it would be Florida Fish and Wildlife tank truck that hadn't seemed to heal properly after the effects the initiative could have on the an impairment of that contract and uncon- pulled into the Sanibel-Captiva Conser- their tagging. city's lawsuit against Lee County regard- stitutional to have something that related vation Foundation's Marine Lab at Tarpon Chrissy, the "'Tagging Goddess," from ing the drawbridge. back to destroy that agreement...that con- Bay. The truck had four tanks, which held Florida Fish & Wildlife, checked every If approved, the proposed amendment tract between the two parties," Cuyler 250 gallons of water apiece. one oi" the fish to ensure that the area would carry a retroactive provision relat- said. "I have some serious doubts as to Volunteers and staff netted and where the dorsal tag had been implanted ing to current decisions made on the whether it would reach back or not." checked about 90 redfish that had been had properly healed. If it hadn't, she Causeway. Council members Judy raised at the Marine Lab for release later Workman and Dick Walsh, both of whom See REFEKENDl M that day in Smith Pond. There were three See REDSTART page 2 page 13 voted against tabling the discussion, felt ABC SCHeOL SANHBL OAiES SGCF 10 BE1EF1T IKKI Matsumoto • LUTERS page 7 Captiva associa- San-Cap Trust Doc Ford to Foster Signing • SrORIS page 10 tion to raise becomes sponsor help SCCF Sign up fur f ow funds for school. aiti get a smm m&& • ENMRONKIFNT page 11 W Valentine's i>ay • RLAI KSUIL page 12 The ABC Auction will be Sanibel-Captiva Trust to It's a chance to get an be Master Sponsor for original Randy Wayne Saturday, Feb. 64, 3-s p.m. • DAIETINE page 14 held Feb. 28 at the Captiva Civic Arts Auction to help White manuscript at auc- at • OBITLAKfES page 19 Association. Children's Hospital. tion. • Q ASSIHEDS page 20 Tte Village . 234© Periwinkle Way — See page 24 • TV LISTINGS page 24 — See page 9 — See page 3 /• >'«" RJH LANIgCAPg Design • Installation • Maintenance • Tree Work Sinil.il ( .ipti\.i Kil 28 YEARS BEAUTIFYING SANIBEL & CAPTIVA Pimm i S.UIIIKI Isl.inc! I 1 JW57 2 • Week of February 5-11, 2004 • ISLAND REPORTER k&i Bob Janes to serve on n other business By Donna T. Schuman microphone system at the Historic national Medicaid reform group Staff Writer Village. adopted a.< resolution of the council Lee County Commissioner Bob Janes Council's 2002 In other business, expressing its "latent to utilize the method has been appointed to a national commit- Human Service the Sanibel City Council... of levying, collecting and enforcing non- ad valorem assessments for vegetation tee on Medicaid reform. Award for "Most • expanded the number of appointees to the . trimming along the Sanibel Estates Canal National Association of Counties Outstanding Parks and Recreation Committee to 11 area. (NACo) President Karen Miller has Public Official," , and appointed four new members. Mitch appointed Janes to NACo's Medicaid 2003 "Advocate Moore, Marcel Ventura, Eric Pfeifer and adopted a resolution appointing the Working Group. of the Year" by the Donna Rhue will take their seats on the ISanibel-Captiva Conservation The working group was formed at the Lee County chap- committee at its February 25 meeting. Foundation as a member of the recreation request of Tommy Thompson, Secretary ter of the National • proclaimed February 1 through February task force for the development of a park of the U.S. Department of Health and Alliance for the 7 Sanibel Island Safe Boating Week. adjacent to the Sanibel Community Human Services. Secretary Thompson is Mentally 111, and a Association and Casa Mariposa. hopeful of a Medicaid reform effort in 2003 "Special • held the first reading of an ordinance establishing a service fee for lien approved a request from the Wildlife Congress this year, and at a meeting with Bob janes Recognition Committee regarding the publishing of NACo officials in January reiterated his Award" from the research, prohibiting verbal replies to request for lien research and creates a- wildlife road fatalities, interest in working with NACo on this Ruth Cooper Center for going above and adopted a resolution extending the. terms issue. beyond his duties as a county commis- new section of the Code of Ordinances entitled "Service Fee F8r Lien Research." of two Planning Commission members The first meeting of the working group sioner to support mental health and until February 16. will be Feb. 29 at NACo's Legislative behavioral care programs in the commu- • held the first public hearing for an ordi- Conference in Washington, D.C. nity. nance granting conditional use approval approved the use of the Sanibel City seal Janes serves as chairman of NACo's Commissioner Janes was elected to the for the Woodhaven Project by the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation on Gopher Tortoise educa- Medicaid Indigent Subcommittee and Board of Lee County Commissioners in • approved a budget amendment-transfer tional brochures. chairman of the Florida Association of 2000 and served as chairman in 2002. accepting a $50,000 grant award for the Counties' (FAC) Health and Human Commissoner Janes has been very Clam Bayou Restoration Project.