Flag Day Observance at the American Legion Rothman
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..'TV. s".' **» By GARY PHILLIPS 4. Zone 4 covers the area from Dixie Beach Blvd. and [email protected] Ca'sa Ybel Road west to Tarpon Bay Road. In May, 2002, Zone Number 4 was established as a "volun- Sanibel City Council is in the process of consider- tary" Brazilian Pepper eradication zone. ing license fee increases for local businesses and also In a memo from Natural Resources Director Rob an ordinance which would amend an existing ordi- Loflin to City Manager Judie Zimomra, Loflin said the nance establishing a licensing system and regulations voluntary phase has reduced the number of properties for construction contractors doing business on the containing pepper, but he recommended the zone be island. designated as "mandatory." Property owners with less First readings of ordinances on the two issues were than one acre in the zone would have 90 days after the conducted at the council's Tuesday meeting. ordinance's passage to eradicate the pepper plants. Ordinance 05-009 would increase occupational license Those with more than one acre would have 90 days to taxes by five percent for all categories. The new fees submit a Brazilian Pepper Eradication Plan to the city. would not take effect until October 1. A list of the cur- Loflin's memo also recommended the establish- rent and proposed higher fees was included with the ment of a new Zone 5, between Tarpon Bay Road and ordinance. As an example, the present licensing fee for Rabbit Road, to be designated as the next voluntary a pet grooming business is $105. That fee would zone as the pepper eradication program moves west- increase to $110 in October. ward across the island. Photo by Gary Phillips Ordinance 05-010 would modify existing ordinance "It's been a very successful program, mostly The Sanibe! City Council paid honor to a long-time city 04-005, which established a system for the licensing, because of the hard work of James Evans in my office, employee at their regular Tuesday meeting. Sanibel registration and regulation of construction contractors the vegetation committee and the property owners Police Dispatcher Peggy Friar-VVicall has served on the and formed a Contractors Review Board to regulate throughout the island," Loflin reported to the council. force for 25 years. contractor licensing requirements. The changes are "We started with approximately 4,000 acres of pepper Mayor Carla Johnston presented Friair-Wicall with a necessary because some types of businesses, including in 1997 and now we're down to a little more than Certificate of Appreciation "in grateful recognition for Mangrove trimming and landscaping, were included in 1,000 acres of pepper remaining." 25 years of outstanding public service faithfully ren- . the original ordinance, but are also covered by other Resident Herb Rubin posed a question about cur- dered to the City of Sanibe!." regulations and need not be covered by more than one tailing pepper regrowth. Friar-Wicall's tenure with the city is actually a second local law. "My property was cleared when we purchased it 10 career. She said her time with the city has been a pleasure, Since the presentation of the ordinances at years ago. Each year I have at least two or three new Tuesday".-- meeting was the first reading for both, there small Brazilian Pepper trees that 1 discover," he said. "After-4- retired 1 vowed I would- only do -things that i was no discussion or public hearing. Both ordinances "I'm curious as to what plans Natural Resources for like/' she said. "Thanks to all of you. The city I pay trib- were scheduled for a second reading and public hear- monitoring new growth on the island." ute to because if 1 didn't like the city I wouldn't be ing at the council's next regular meeting June 21. Loflin said regular inspections of conservation here and I'm just here for the fun of it." In other business, council passed Ordinance 05- lands are part of the plan but private property owners 007, updating the list of nonconforming resort housing are responsible for their own. located outside the resort housing district. "For the conservation areas we use a four-man crew Specifically, the ordinance corrects a previous inaccu- that sweeps through the properties and inspects for Rothman gets public racy by including all 15 units of Mitchell's pepper," he said. "Those areas are straightforward to Sandcasties by the Sea. Prior lists had included only keep up as long as we have the budget to manage the input on Rec Center 12 of the resort's units. conservation lands. On private properties it's still up to •Council also unanimously passed Ordinance 05- the individual property owner. People are keeping up By GARY PHILLIPS 008, which expands the Brazilian Pepper Eradication with it and we're happy to see that the maintenance is [email protected] Map to include a mandatory eradication Zone Number ongoing." More than 20 people attended an informal meeting Thursday, June 2 to discuss their thoughts on the pro- posed new recreation center on Sanibel. The meeting, hosted by City Councilman Tom Rothman, was held in Flag Day observance at the American Legion the conference room at Sanibel Public Library. John Harries opened the meeting by explaining how On Tuesday, June 14, the Sanibel-Captiva American and why it was organized. Legion Post 123 will hold its annual observance of Flag "I was at a city council meeting and Tom said he Day. Legionnaires, Sons of the American Legion and wished there was a way he could communicate and get Auxiliary members will assemble outdoors for the the message across about what he's learned and get some somber ceremony which begins with readings by officers feedback from individuals," Harries said. "It's the true of the Post and a prayer from the Post Chaplain and ends Sanibel spirit that there's civic involvement and engage- with the respectful burning of flags that have become ment in the discussion of projects. He said 'if you can worn and faded. organize a group to get together, I'd love to talk to The Post continues to accept flags for proper disposal them.'" on an ongoing basis. Businesses and individuals may The new Rec Center carries a price tag of approxi- leave them at the Post each day, from 11 a.m. through 6 mately $12.5 million. Many residents feel the design is p.m. The Legion Hall is located at 4249 Sanibel Captiva too elaborate and the cost too high. City council has been Road (mile marker #3), Sanibel. studying and discussing ways to cut some of the facili- Any flags brought to the Post after June 14 will be ty's features and corresponding expense. Rothman held until next year's ceremony. If you have any ques- emphasized throughout the discussion that his purpose is tions please call 472-9979 for more information. merely to inform the public of the recreation center plan Tuesday, June 14, is Flag Day — a national holiday and to hear their suggestions. "I'm not here to sell a plan to anybody or talk about my own feelings," he; said. "What I'd like to do is just IIK 1 I CONNIE MACK I SCCF ENCORE! | give you as much information as I have about the Rec Center and then let you make your own decisions." • LETTERS RAGE 6 (Our congressman SCCF could use a! JT Smith & | Cindy-Lee | Rothman reported on the existing Rec Center, built in • DATELINE .. PAGE 11 (visits SW Fla. little help. > 1982, outlining its features. He said some of the prob- lems with the Rec Center include being four feet below \ i • POLICE BEAT PAGE 13 'We're Still Here' is hav-| the existing Base Flood Elevation. A new facility on the I Connie Mack IV spoke (The foundation is looking] same site would have to be built four feet higher to satis- • TV LISTINGS PAGE 13 (with the media about (for volunteers for some | ing another performance! at RedFish BluFish. | fy current regulations. Rothman also said the 23-year-old I Social Security while vis- (different projects includ-j center was not built to today's wind resistance standards. • PERMITS & DEEDS .. PAGE 14 iitng Fort Myers Beach. |ing the July 4 parade. ! The present gym has no air conditioning. Rothman • OBITUARIES PAGE 16 referred to a 2002 survey which indicated islanders • CLASSIFIEDS PAGE 17 would like a cooler gym. — See page 3 — See page 6 — See page 9 See REC CENTER • VOXPOPULI PAGE 19 page 3 2 Q of June 9 -15, 2005 • ISLAND REPORTER SALE At Our Fort Myers Warehouse! Imagine Robb & Stucky style at once^a-iifetlme savings! Aftir almost 2 decades in the same facility,' Robb t. '' i Is rpoving into a new warehouse. Like most folks,' rat|er sell the furniture .than move it. Southwest Florida**., 3 trove of has^ never seen such a sale. 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