I / If PAID SANIBEL, FL
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ARTS, DINING & ENTERTAINMENT — SECTION B 1 OUTDOORS — FISHING, SHELLING, NATURE NEWS — 16A I fit, BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE i / if PAID SANIBEL, FL. PERMIT #33 POSTAL PATRON Vol. 37, No. 37 Friday, September 18, 1998 Two Sections, 36'pages 75 Cents .fAis QUESTIONING THE CANDIDATES This week, the Islander asks the four candidates for City Council to talk about environmental issues. Seepage 12A NO DRAWBRIDGES? The Lee County Plan has a written rule that does not allow drawbridges over navigable waterways. Seepage 3A SNOOK VACSLATIONS Capt. Mike Fuery reports that the Marine Fisheries Commission agreed to a one-snook limit in Punta Gorda last week, then reversed itself in what may be an illegal meeting. Seepage 3A BUDGET ROLLBACK Despite all the fear of massive tax increases, City Council managed to reach rollback in its first budget hearing last week. Seepage 3B NIGHTLIFE Here's what's happening out 'n' about during the evenings. Seepage 3B Arts ........ 5B Business Services ... 11B Classifieds....... 20-23A Crossword............. 1 OB Letters.................. 13A Police Beat. 5A What's Playing ....... 4B Kelly Brothers completed the main section of the renovated Sanibel Pier this week. The City now plans to connect the pier to a new broadwalk that leads to the Lighthouse bathrooms. The pier should open Oct. 1. Photo/Carlene Brennen. 2A • Friday, September 18,1998 • Islander "We Make Yacht Calls" sai, i • • • ' For over 100 years, Northern Trust Bank has been a impeccable service year after year. Northern Trust's leading provider of Private Banking, Trust and Asset Wealth Management Group is dedicated to meeting Management Services in the United States and the particular needs of families managing significant internationally. assets. We deliver the full capabilities of Northern Trust in the most convenient way possible, no matter Northern's Trust and Asset Management services where you are in the world. 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Northern Trust BanM The Private Bank DADE BROWARD PALM BEACH 'MARTIN INDIAN RIVER COLLIER LEE SARASOTA MANATEE PINELLAS . HILLSBOROUGH Subsidiary of Northern Trust of Florida Corporation and Northern Trust Corporation, Chicago. Member FDIC. ISLANDER • Friday. September 18, 1998 • 3A The Front Page County Plan bans drawbridges City adopts a resolution calling for But the discovery that the Lee County Plan allowed only a high span bridge changed all that and councilmen, Janes: Buy f fie causeway? preservation of a low span causeway and prompted by the need to change the provision in the Lee County Plan, took unanimous action last Tuesday. Some 15 years after the plan was abandoned, revision of county policy which excludes "Plans don't get changed overnight," said Council- there is again discussion at City Hall about buying a drawbridge man Andrew Reding who sponsored the resolution calling the Sanibel Causeway. for preservation of a low-span causeway. "It takes literally Sanibel City Councilman Bob Janes proposed By WENDY HUMPHREY years to do a plan amendment." once again looking into acquiring part or all of the The discovery that Lee County bans building draw- The policy that the city wants changed is policy 79.1.4 Sanibel Causeway at the Sanibel City Council meet- bridges over navigable waterways lent new urgency to a pro- which reads "New or replacement bridges on evacuation ing Tuesday. posal to let the county know, finally, formally and unequivo- routes spanning major or marked navigable waterways shall "If Sanibel had control over that bridge we'd cally, how Sanibel residents stand on the low span causeway not be drawbridges except where a high span cannot physi- be in a better position to design it," he commented. issue. cally be constructed." The policy was discovered by Assis- He was also concerned about the speed of driv- When a resolution calling for the preservation of a tant Planning Director Ken Pfalzer while researching evacu- ers along Periwinkle Way. low span bridge was discussed at the last council meeting ation policies. It had not been mentioned during any of the "They're coming across the causeway at 55 two weeks ago, it was put on hold. Several council members outreach sessions that the county has been conducting to in- mph," he said. "It's very hard to get them to slow felt that making that determination before the Planning Com- form the public and to hear citizens' views on bridge op- down on Periwinkle Way." mission had finished its fact-finding hearings was jumping tions. Lee County Sheriff's Department currently the gun. (Continued, page 23A) (Continued, page 23A) City budget reduced to rollback rate By WENDY HUMPHREY Other major cuts included $100,000 cut for addi- salaries to be limited to 3.76 percent for most workers Sanibel city budget was cut to rollback rate at a tion to the disaster trust fund and $61,048 in salary for and 2.5 percent for the higher administrative employ- special budget meeting Saturday. a city deputy building official. ees. Chief among the cuts was $800,000 for scenic A contentious item that remained in the budget Reding noted that salaries of long-time city per- land preservation which was being considered mainly was the 4.6 percent salary increases for the 127 em- sonnel were higher than most other communities. In to buy property owned by the Mariner Corporation on ployees of the city. particular, he noted that the City Manager's salary of the corner of Bailey Road and Periwinkle, and $500,000 Councilman Andrew Reding and a number of $112,000 was the third highest of 12 so-called yard- slated to raise and resurface Sanibel-Captiva Road. members of the public called for the increase in city (Continued, page 7A) School officials, parents, optimistic about expansion By WENDY HUMPHREY lab, an art and music center and a new media center. The Principal urges parents The expansion of Sanibel Elementary School to 8* existing classrooms will also be renovated, the walkways grade seems set to become reality by 2001 if approved by will all be covered and there will be a new cafeteria and to attend meeting the Lee County School Board at their meeting next Tuesday. kitchen. Sanibel School Principal Barbara Von Harten urged Six of the proposed classrooms will be used for 6"1, parents and interested residents to attend the Lee County Organizers are optimistic following a meeting with h Lee County School Superintendent Dr. Bruce Harter on 7' and 8* grade students. The other four replace the por- School Board meeting on Tuesday, September 22 in sup- Thursday, Sept. 10. After the meeting, Harter said he sup- table classrooms currently in use. Only nine of these class- port of the renovation and expansion of the school. The ported the concept and would be willing to commit the funds rooms will be new, the room currently being used as the meeting begins at 2 p.m. but the Sanibel school expansion to expand the school. media center would be converted to a classroom. The cur- is scheduled to be discussed at 3 p.m. The Lee County The grades will be phased in, starting with the current rent multi purpose room would be converted to an art and School Board is located at 2055 Central Avenue in down- 5lh grade in 1999. music center. town Fort Myers in the James Adam Education Building The proposal to be presented to the school board Tues- The Sanibel School Advisory Council, the organiza- across from the Fort Myers Library and behind the fire day is for 10 additional classrooms', a science demonstration (Continued, page 4A) station off Martin Luther King Highway. ' The great Pastor elated to Union contract OK'd ByANNEBELLEW reversal on be at St. Isabel* Islander staff writer •* The City of Sanibel, for the first time in its almost- By CAPT. MIKE FUERY By WENDY 25-year history, has negotiated and signed a contract with The Marine Fisheries Commission did an about- HUMPHREY an employee union, the Fraternal Order of Police. face on snook recently when it reversed a vote to re- When Bishop Almost a year of negotiations preceded the event, duce the controversial bag limit — this after meeting John Nevins of Venice and before negotiations even began, there were several at Punta Rassa allowing local anglers a voice in any asked Father Anthony meetings — a hearing/conference concerning the sta- proposed laws. Pastucci if he would tus of sergeants in relation to the bargaining unit, and The six-member commission chose the Fort consider taking the po- various exchanges of information between the City and Myers area to hold the final public meeting on Sept. sition of Pastor at St. the FOP, FOP and the press, City and the press, and so 10 because this area of the state, from Tampa to Marco Isabel's Catholic on.