i! B32 . October 13,1978 Island Reporter VOL 5 NO. SO SERVING SANIKL-CAPTIVA AND THE ISLANDS FKOM ESTERO BAY TO THE OASPAMLLAS OCTOKS 20, 1978 2 SECTIONS 68 P APES 20c Keepers of Homeowner claims 1 boobytraps a the Plan bluff for burglars 4 By Mark Twombly The owner of a Sanibel house that had been rigged with a dozen explosive booby- traps claims the devices were harmless, and that police were overzealous in calling in a DUANE WHITE bomb squad to dismantle the traps. The Fort Myers Police bomb squad Duane White, as a prime mover in dismantled the boobytraps Monday after- noon at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Robert M. instituting and preparing Sanibel's Yoder on Sanibel-Captiva Road. Sanibel Comprehensive Land Use Plan, has Patrolman Lew Phillips discovered the devices on a routine check of the house last proven himself to have foresight and weekend. initiative. As the Chairman of Sani- The Yoders, who spend about five months a year on Sanibel, had, asked the police to bel's first Planning Commission, he check the house while they were, away at has provided the leadership to help their home in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Phillips reportedly checked the door to see maintain the Plan's integrity. if it was locked and noticed a sign warning intruders that the house had been rigged with explosive devices. According to Sani- bel police, the state Attorney's office in Fort Myers recommended the bomb squad be called to dismantle the devices. "They are harmless," Virgina Yoder said yesterday from her Kutztown home. "They were just a bluff to keep burglers away." Mrs. Yoder said her husband, a Kutztown MIKE KLEIN # continued on 19-A Mike Klein has the scientific and engineering background and the analytical approach necessary to deal Maxwell's ethics charges dismissed; Nungester new target with the intricacies of Sanibel's Plan. Middlebrooks of Miami and Dr. Paul Brown tions, I try to support him." - . Klein has had 20 years' experience Twenty days allowed of Fort Myers casting the dissenting votes. Dr. Brown added, however, that he was Charge of wrongdoing In the case of Mayor Butler, only Middle- pleased with the final outcome of the vote to working with federal agencies which for amended complaint brooks dissented. dismiss the complaints. made against manager will help him streamline the Plan's When asked yesterday why he voted Goss, who was off the island and said that ByDonWhitehead differently in the two cases. Dr. Brown said he did not have afl the facts, commented, By Susie Holly administration. that in the vote on, Goss he was "simply yesterday in a telephone interview^that he Complaints brought in September by going along with Middlebrooks." He said was "far from satisfied with what has been Former city employee Steve Maxwell has f !•*«*«- Steve Maxwell against Mayor Zee Butler that it was clear how.Middlebrooks was reported publicly." Goss said that he filed a complaint with the Florida City and and Councilman Porter Goss were dismis- going to vote, adding that "when I see that a County Management Association against sed by the state's Ethics Commission on colleague on the commission has reserva- % continued on 4-A the man who fired him, Sanibel City Wednesday, but Maxwell was given 20 days Manager WilliamJNungester. to provide new information on some of bis Maxwell, who served as assitant to the allegations. city manager from October, 1977 to May, Maxwell, a former city employee who was 1978, has charged that Nungester has not terminated by the city manager in May, lived up to the Association's code of ethics. filed several charges against; the Sanibel Gault blasts bureaucracy Specifically, Maxwell alleges that Nun- councilmen, including the allegation that gester: Vote for Klein and White they failed to file full*financial disclosure Spending by the.Sanibel cfty govern- • allowed violations of the building code statements. This charge was dismissed by "bureaucracy" and "bringing back the ment should be reduced and personnel feeling of a village" on SanibeL to occur during construction of Joey's the Ethics Commission because the law does cuts'Should be made in. city hall, Joe restaurant and a quadraplex known as the not apply to municipal officials: "We are acting like a big dty of Ganft said in an interview tills week. 20,000 people, and we only have three Bone project on West Gulf Drive; Maxwell's cqmplaint also alleged that Gault, critirizmg What he termed to four thousand,''said Gault. • illegally signed a development permit Mayor Butler and Goss failed to disclose ."increasing; bureaucracy,** said that he Gault also gave his views on the rate for Sundial;: A Stronger Team alleged ownership interest (in Goss* case, is "offering people a sensible alterna- of growth ordinance proposed by • failed to have an agenda prepared for a his wife) in Mariner Group/Mariner Proper- tive to what is happening in the city Committee of the Iriandu, expressed city council meeting on the budget August ties, Inc; did not file conflict-of-interest his opposition to dty purchase of the 29; statements after favorable votes; and Gault is a candidate loir the coundl Causeway and Brown properties, and • is responsible for an "excessive" rate of instigated coundl actions favorable to seat now held by Mayor Zee Butier^He said that he bcfieved road improve- employee'turnover in city hall; forSanibel! Mariner. In the case of Mrs. Butler,; made the comments in an Island ments in subdivisions should be fi- • falsified his application for membership Maxwell said that it was "strongly suspect- B^oorter ioterview hut Friday, the nanced bj in the state City and County Management ' ed" that she also had a financial interest in fourth in a scries of interviews with division property . Association. ' . Surety Construction Company. rather tluui u4l^^'iUi:|BO^^'JM^;'r': .!•';..,-•.,,-•'. from other dty ta Nungester said this week that the These charges were also dismissed by the charges were .unfounded. "This is not Ethics Commission, but they gave Maxwell thing that distinguisbes Ms candidacy The text of the taped interview with anything alarming. It is just another form of Paid Political Advertisement, paid te by Cdm^^ 20 days to come up with additional others running for coundl tins Gault is pubKAed on pa«eBl6-17rf harassment. I could see it- coming," he said. Donald B. Manchester, Treasurer. P.O. Box 88, Sanibel, FL 33957. Permission of both information to support the complaints. .. year is Us emphasis on rimplilying the this section. Maxwell refused to comment on the With ..one - commissioner absent - at. the : has been obtained. matter. ••. V, • '•• V- :'...., .. •. .•.•.;./•. -.• \: • ' . time, the vote for dismissal of the allega- tions against Goss was 4-2, with Don % continued on 4-A %j^ A2 October 20, 1978 Island Reporter Island Reporter October 20,1978 A3 IN BRIEF Public to get 'facts' on land purchases Sanibel taxpayers association regroups By Susie Holly next Friday. The planning commission will review possible you, I'd rather they do it," he said, and mail that to us along with a $10 annual regular meetings, but would not comment uses for both tracts on Monday. By Bradley Fray promising to bring it up. at their next fee." on their activities or identify officers. "If The Sanibel City Council Tuesday authorized Councilman Councilman White hopes to get his committee together as they want to make themselves known to meeting. Duane White to appoint a committee which will prepare an soon as possible. Those names mentioned this week as Although they aren't ready io say who Nash did say that the group is holding Chamber invites public informational brochure on the city's proposed purchases of possible committee members included Fred Valtin, George they are or what they are. doing, the Sanibel the so-called. Causeway Properties and the Steamboat Tenney, Peter. Smith, Don Manchester, and Dr. Louise Island Property Taxpayers' Association The Civic Affairs Committee of the property. Council also appropriated no more than $500 to Johnson. apparently has regrouped. Sanibel-Captiva Chamber of Commerce is cover the costs of printing the brochure and distributing it William B. Nash, former Sanibel resident sponsoring a public meeting Thursday, to the public. who now lives in South Fort Myers, is the November 2 to discuss problems and "This is not to be a sales or promotional program. It is group's president. Nash would not comment proposed solutions associated with Sani- simply a program of getting the facts to the people," Island weather this week on the association's membership, bel's land use plan. The Chamber has Councilman White said. "It is necessary that we do it," officers or intent, except to say that there outlined. 11 "problem areas'1 in the plan Mayor Zee Butler added. are "a great number of people who own The city is proposing to buy the 28-acre Causeway This report is based on records kept at the property on Sanibel but don't live here. and is asking for public input at the 8:00 Sanibel-Captiva Chamber of Commerce on Their rights and privileges as property p.m. meeting in the Chamber, building. Properties along Causeway Road for $1.8 million and the 30-acre Steamboat property, or Helen Hooper Brown estate Causeway Road. owners have been abused." Following the meeting a report of findings Nash said the association is chartered will be sent to the planning commission on the gulf for $1.4 million. The purchases would be financed through a loan from the Farmers Home High Low Rain with the state, but according to the corpor- and.city council to aid in their review of Administration at a 5 per cent annual interest rate for up to Thursday, October 12 80 70 0 ation division of the Florida Secretary of the plan.