•;"* i . r<- hi, 1 i island REPORTER Week of Nov. 29-Dec. 5, 2001 SANIBEL & CAPTIVA, FLORIDA VOLUME 28, NUMBER 48, 28 PAGES 75 CENTS RACCOONS SUSPECTED Master plan Trowbridge, Chamber The Sanibel City Council has agreed to negotiate with a consultant con- cerning a parks and recre- ation master plan. still haggling over —See page 2 Remembrance Friends and neighbors of termination/resignation the late Milt Scheiter gathered recently to dedi- cate a remembrance gar- By Mason Laderer rescinded bis resignation, present- den in his honor. Staff writer ed the board with a petition signed by 82 members requesting "a spe- —See page 4 Questions were raised and some cial task force be appointed from answers were given as several rep- the membership to review the resentatives of island businesses board's decision to terminate Mr. attended the Chamber of Trowbridge and unless the board's 'Ding' .expansion Commerce Board of Director's action was for cause and not for meeting in the wake of Keith performance he be reinstated The U.S. Fish and Trowbridge's controversial resig- Wildlife Service is seek- ing public input concern- nation as executive director. t> See Trowbridge ing plans to expand the Trowbridge, who recently page 2 boundaries of the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge complex. —See page 5 Eco golf Anew golf course designed to be environ- By Anna Liakas that the veteren trapper adhere mentally friendly recently Staff writer closely to city procedures con- opened in Bonita Springs. cerning the handling of aggressive Citing a controversial incident alligators. in which a 13-foot alligator was In an Oct. 22 incident at the —See page 8 Michael Pistella killed, a letter from Sanibel Dunes Golf and Tennis Club, a Jerry* a blue front Nappa owned by islander Dick Muench, used to call this cage at Jerry's shopping center home Natural Resources Director Rob replacement alligator trapper until he was killed a few weeks ago by what some believe Loflin to state licensed nuisance DPlr are raccoons. See page 3. wildlife trapper John French asks t> See Policy, page 11 Wildlife wars BIG BUNCHE BEACH PLANS Former Sanibel Wildlife Janes Causeway Committee member Rhonda MacKenzie responds to a recent arti- named cle on the group. ac reement —%See page 9 chairman sti in works By Pete Bishop ofBOCC Lee County News editor JSLArtD IM& has big plans By Mason Laderer for nearby Staff writer Sanibel City Attorney Doug Island Gardening Bunche Wyckoff said Tuesday he' is Beach after Island master gardener Sanibel resident and former its acquisi- working on changes to a new Ron Sympson responds to mayor Bob Janes was announced • tion through interlocal. agreement with the two letters from readers. as the new chairman of the Lee the county concerning the Sanibel County Commission in the Conservation Causeway, and. that he should —See page 16 Board of County Commissioners 2020 pro- be able to send the latest draft Reorganizational Meeting last gram. See to the county soon.; . week. page 3 for -. Changes to the existing Although he was not due to MSKS AND RECREATION details. interlocal. agreement; which take the position until the 2003 was agreed to in 1989 and term, current Vice-Chairman Photo by includes references to a high- • ENVIRONMENT ......pages 5-6 Andy Coy opted not to run for Michael Pistella span, four-lane bridge to the position leaving Janes,-who replace the Causeway* are part • BUSINESS .............pages 7-8 was up for the vice-chair posi- of an ongoing conflict resolu- tion, next in line. Commissioner tion process .between the city • OPINION........... page 9 Ray Judah will be serving as and Lee County, The City vice-chairman in the 2002; year. Council as,ked for conflict res- • LOOKING BACK page 12 Janes said, "I'm honored to olution after county plans to rebuild portions . of the • TV LISTINGS..........page 19 have the privilege of serving as the chairman, but it really con- • DATELINE........... page 23 t> See Causeway !> See-Janes page 28 9 CLASSlFiEDS...........page 24 page 12 2Q Week of Nov. 29-Dec. 5, 2001 • ISLAND REPORTER THOWBRIDGE From page 1 Recreation Master Plan coming together immediately." Lee Horton of Sanibel Print and By Pete Bishop Graphics opened the meeting's public News editor comment and said, "I ask the board to talk about Keith's termi- The Sanibel City Council agreed Nov. nation. I know a lot 20 that a consultant working on the city's of (Chamber) mem- Park's and Recreation Master Plan will bers are confused examine existing and potential recreation about the issue and I sites around the island, in addition to ask that the member- studying the city's Recreation Center. ship become In a unanimous vote, council members informed about what authorized the negotiation of a scope of is going on." services that combined two lesser studies Horton, who said of the island's recreational needs and he felt reinstatement facilities. should be a consider- The city's recreational needs and prob- ation depending on Horton lems with the existing Recreation Center why Trowbridge was have been points of discussion at City terminated, further stated, "If you have a Hall since at least last spring, when the problem with an employee you let them Sanibel Five-year Budget Projection know and give them a chance to correct Review Committee studied the facility. the problem - you don't just fire them." The committee recommended the city, Board member Liz Fowler said, "We conduct a comprehensive study . of the really can't say anything without legal island's needs and facilities, with help council present, or we risk the threat of from Lee County and the county school lawsuit. [The members of the chamber] board. During budget meetings this past Michael Pistalla think there's something deeper going on summer, Council members identified the Sanibel City Council agreed Nov. 20 that a consultant working on the here, and that's a fair assumption. You recreation center and the master study as city's Parks and Recreation Master Plan will examine existing and want the answers and you deserve them, priorities for the upcoming year. potential recreation sites, including study of the Recreation Center. but we can't say anything today." Sanibel Recreation Director Helene jected cost of $69,0.00. decided that the will contribute to the pro- Island writer and realtor Charlie Phillips presented the council with the Noting that the combination plan is ject in an advisory capacity. Sobczak expressed concern that the hap- three options last week. In one option, more consistent with the Budget Although Mayor Nola Theiss noted penings in the chamber were very similar estimated to cost $35,000, the city would Committee's recommendation, and with that the city has just taken on debt, due to to the situation at the Pirate Playhouse, hire the consultant to create a Park goals set during the city's budget process, the pending purchase of commercial now the J. Howard Wood Theatre, a cou- System Master Plan, encompassing the Council members agreed to the more property along Periwinkle Way, she said ple of years ago. Sobczak pointed out that evaluation and possible development of expensive option without much debate. the recreation project will help the city the theatre incident was an example of a different recreational sites throughout the "With the exception of the money, it study other aspects of its long-range plan board acting without the approval or con- island. The second option was a seems like a no-brainer to combine the as well. sensus of the majority of its membership Community Center Conceptual Master two," said Councilmember Steve Brown. "Anything we do with this will be part in the removal of a director, in that Plan, in which the consultant would look "I think the scope of the whole thing, of a bigger plan," said Theiss, noting that instance Robert Cacioppo. Cindy-Lee at renovating the existing recreation cen- and the fact we'll work with the county the study may dovetail with two issues the Overton of the J. Howard Wood Theatre ter and identify possible sites for a new and school 'board on a master program, city needs to study — redevelopment and echoed Sobczak's sentiment. building. That plan would cost about would very much favor the all-inclusive derelict land. "In the last year we've real- Boardmember $46,000, according to Phillips. The coun- master plan," said Councilmember Marty ly looked at our infrastructure, and now Mike Billheimer cil chose to go with option three, which Harrity, the council's liaison to the city's it's coming to fruition. I think we're doing said, "Keith, you combines the first two options at a pro- Recreation Committee. The council also a good job looking at the big picture." have made many accomplishments that were tremen- dous; arid might not BIG DOINGS AT THE BIG ARTS ANNUAL ART FAIR have been accom- plished by anyone else, but there are reasons that we are where we are." L _ _._ _ Billheimer did not Billheimer elaborate upon the reasons, repeating Fowler's previous comment, "the board could be sued for releasing such information." Boardmember Tony Lapi dispelled many of the rumors, however, and assert- ed the board's decision had nothing to. do with the threatened injunction from the Sunny Day publication and, "[Keith] had no problems handling money." Lapi also said he was willing to put down any other untrue rumors regarding the dismissal of Trowbridge. Boardmember Dick Muench, in light of the petition and member sentiment in the meeting, made a motion to hold a spe- cial meeting open to all members to dis- cuss the dismissal of Trowbridge and the direction the chamber is planning to head.