Dike Flooded Sanibel's 1990-91 Budget
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INDEX mmm*. 1961-1990 Still first on Sanibel and Captiva VOL. 29, NO. 39 TUESDAY, SEPT. 25, 1990 THREE SECTIONS, 40 PAGES 50 CENTS Dike flooded CEPD offers SCCF test will mitigation determine if city proposal to DNR plan holds water By Steve Ruediger By Steve Ruediger Islander staff writer Islander staff writer If the Florida Department of Natural Resources finds the A preliminary test finally began last week on the dike Captiva Erosion Prevention District at fault in Sanibel's system set up over a year ago at the Sanibel-Gaptiva erosion, the CEPD has proposed placing 5,000 cubic Conservation Foundation on Sanibel-Captiva Road. yards of sand on the Sanibel beaches near Blind Pass, The dike enclosure was created to see if the city's which would widen them by 40 feet. proposed Surface Water Management Plan would work. That is the central proposal in the letter prepared by the However, there had not been enough rain until recently to '<,4SE3^& .!W>^s|KseiaH»eetHig Thursday, Sept. 20 and provide enough surface water to conduct the test. mailed to the DNR on Friday. Two weeks ago, water flowed over the Sanibel River The letter started with a page and a half of background weir at Beach Road for the first time in two or three years. which reiterated and re-emphasized that the CEPD does not Obviously, the water was deep enough for the test to believe the groin it extended at the south end of Captiva is begin. causing the erosion on the north end of Sanibel. SCCF Executive Director Erick Lindblad turned the The letter then stated the CEPD prefers the beach pumps on last Wednesday, Sept. 19 and the five acres renourishment solution over modification of the groin. surrounded by the dike were filled 24 hours later. The Photo by PETE SLOSSON The letter ended by listing other actions being taken, pumps brought the water from the nearby Sanibel River. including creating a task force with Lee County and Thursday, City Manager Gary Price, Assistant to the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Ex- Sanibel to work on the problem, supporting Lee County's City Manager Bill Mills, City Councilman Mark "Bird" ecutive Director Erick Lindblad checks the and Sanibel's request for emergency funds and applying for water level in the flooded dike are on the an Inlet Management Plan for Blind Pass. Please see DIKE, page 14A SCCF's grounds. The CEPD board Thursday also put together two resolutions: one for it to pass at its next regular meeting on Wednesday (Sept. 26), and the other a suggestion for Sanibel and Lee County to consider approving. Sanibel's 1990-91 budget On Sept. 11, the CEPD refused to pass a resolution suggested by Lee County and Sanibel. Among other No allocation changes, 2.4072 millage retained problems, it would have been a joint resolution by the three governments and CEPD attorney Nancy Stroud told By Frances Adams meeting when most of the audience had gone. Mayor Jerry the board it could not legally participate in joint Islander staff writer Muench brought up "a little thing extra to add," which resolutions with other governments. After lengthy public debate during the final budget resulted in two nice bonuses for City Attorney Bob Pritt: Also at the Sept. 11 meeting, the board members had hearing Sept. 18, the City Council ultimately did not he will get his 4.9 percent merit increase 11 months early, decided to ask the DNR for a few days delay in coming up budge an inch from its tentative 1990-91 budget. and can now engage in private legal work ("wills, and with a mitigation plan. The DNR had requested it by It approved the 2.4072 millage rate, which is a 10.55 stuff like that") as long it doesn't conflict with his city Sept. 25 and the CEPD had hoped to wait until its percent (.2298 mill) increase over the rolled back rate of employment. regularly scheduled Sept. 26 meeting to prepare it 2.1774 mills. The roll-back rate is the millage rate that "How do we make sure his #1 priority is with his main However, press reports on that meeting said the CEPD generates the same amount of property (ad valorem) tax source of income ... hourly-wise ... so he isn't working was not cooperating with Sanibel, the county and the revenue as was received by the city last year, when applied part-time for us and part-time for someone else?" asked DNR. to the current year's adjusted taxable value. Councilman Mark Westall. The CEPD immediately held an emergency meeting on The 1990-91 budget totals $11,764,854, which is an Councilman Mike Miracle extolled Pritt's excellent Sept. 14 to prove it was being cooperative. At that $870,509 (8 percent) increase over the 1989-90 amended service to the city, and said the attorney's personal and gathering, the board decided to write to Sanibel and Lee budget of $10,894,345. In fiscal year 1991, $4,131,166 professional integrity could be relied upon. County, to meet with the DNR and to put together a will come from property taxes. This represents 35.11 "Will the work he does on the outside happen in his mitigation plan. percent of the city's net funding sources. office with the help of his city employees?" asked Deb That was the plan approved last Thursday. The City Council approved the allocation of $858,085 Shoss, Committee of the Islands' budget committee The proposed resolutions worked out Thursday avoid (.5000, or 1/2 mill) for the purchase of environmentally chairman. having Captiva participate in a joint resolution. Suggested sensitive lands, the most controversial expenditure this "Absolutely not!" answered Muench. "He's proven instead is a joint resolution for Sanibel and Lee County in year. Also the subject of debate, yet retained in this year's himself. He's a workaholic and I trust him." which they request shoreline emergency assistance funding budget, were the expenditures of $56,600 for a director of The council voted unanimously to adjust the city from the Florida governor and cabinet. Conservation and Resource Management, $35,000 for the attorney's merit stepdate to Oct. 1 to coincide with City A separate resolution states that the CEPD supports the start of a senior program for Sanibel Community Manager Gary Price's anniversary date, and to add to Pritt's request of Sanibel and Lee County. Association, $34,023 in merit pay for city employees, contract legal language that will allow him to do outside CEPD officials had hoped to go to Tallahassee at the $16,955 for the relocation of Community Housing & work that is not in conflict with his city duties. end of last week to meet with DNR officials. However, Resources Inc. (administers the city's Below Market Rate Both Pritt's and Price's merit increases also were the DNR officials could not fit them in to their schedule. Housing program), $5,000 for an intensive planning approved. With only the 4.9 merit and the 4.9 cost-of- So, that meeting is now expected to take place either this conference for nine city department heads and $7,700 for living increases combined, Pritt will realize approximately Thursday or Friday. the placement of biobarriers on portions of the bike path. The only surprise came at the very end of the evening Please see BUDGET, page 11A Please see MITIGATION, page 13A All the following Information was taken directly A litterer dumped fish carcasses at the ramp area on from Sanibel Police Department reports. Wulfert Road at Sanibel-Captiva Drive Wednesday. POLICE Michael Scott Gaffhey, 24, of Sanibel was charged with Sanibel Police served aggravated battery warrants to careless driving and failure to report an accident after a fiEAT Gwenda Lee Mann of Sanibel Wednesday at the Lee 2:30 a.m. incident Friday, Sept 21 in which Gaffney's car County Jail, where she was being held on unrelated allegedly was travelling at a high rate of speed, skidded charges. The three-count indictment involved a Feb. 20, 100 feet, left the roadway and hit the stop sign beside 1990 incident in which she allegedly chased islanders Lindgren Boulevard at the East Gulf Drive intersection. it was suspended and uncovered the outstanding warrants. Kathleen Lowden, Robert Lowden and Scott Foster. They After his arrest, police reported they found a baggie of told police she had a shotgun in one hand and a box of A man from Scotland brought a credit card in to the marijuana in the glove compartment of his car. shotgun shells in the other when she chased them. SPD on Thursday, Sept. 20. He said he found the card "in a restaurant on Periwinkle." Police Thursday moved an alligator off of Sanibel- The front door of a Sanibel business was found standing Captiva Road into woods beside die road. open at about 10 p.m. last Tuesday, Sept. 18. The lights Police moved a tree branch off of Periwinkle Way at were on and the cash drawer was out with the money in it Martha's Lane Thursday. James M. Poecker of Fort Myers was ticketed last in plain view. Nobody was around. Police called the Wednesday, Sept. 19 for allegedly going 55 mph on the owner of the business. He refused to come down to lock Raymond Leroy Battles of Sanibel was charged Sanibel Causeway. up the business. Police found a way to lock it without the Thursday with driving on a suspended license and with owner.