City Council

City of Marco Island Florida 51 Bald Eagle Drive Marco Island, Florida cityofmarcoisland.com Meeting Minutes - Final Monday, March 21, 2022 5:30 PM Community Meeting Room City Council Chair: Erik Brechnitz Vice-Chair: Jared Grifoni City Council: Claire Babrowski, Rich Blonna, Greg Folley, Becky Irwin, Joe Rola City Manager: Mike McNees Assistant City Manager: Casey Lucius City Attorney: Alan L. Gabriel City Clerk: City Council Meeting Minutes - Final March 21, 2022 1. Call to Order Chair Brechnitz called the meeting to order at 5:30 P.M. 2. Roll Call Present: 7- Councilor Babrowski, Councilor Blonna, Councilor Folley, Vice-Chair Grifoni, Councilor Irwin, Councilor Rola and Chair Brechnitz Also Present Michael McNees, City Manager Casey Lucius, Assistant City Manager Laura Litzan, City Clerk Alan L. Gabriel, City Attorney Tracy Frazzano, Police Chief Chris Byrne, Fire Chief Guillermo Polanco, Finance Director Daniel J. Smith, Community Affairs Director Miguel Carballo, Fleet & Facilities Manager Lina Upham, Purchasing & Risk Manager Martin Luna, Video/Broadcast Technician Jim Kornas, Recording Specialist Citizens and Visitors 3. Invocation Offered by Reverend Jessica Babcock of St. Mark's Episcopal Church. 4. Pledge of Allegiance Led by Chair Brechnitz. 5. Approval of the Agenda MOTION by Councilor Blonna, seconded by Councilor Rola, that the Agenda be Approved. MOTION CARRIED BY THE FOLLOWING VOICE VOTE: Yes: 7- Councilor Babrowski, Councilor Blonna, Councilor Folley, Vice-Chair Grifoni, Councilor Irwin, Councilor Rola and Chair Brechnitz 6. Approval of the Minutes a. ID 21-1905 Approval of the City Council Meeting Minutes of February 22, 2022 Councilor Babrowski noted that the voting record in the Minutes incorrectly ascribed the titles of Chair and Vice-Chair. She requested that the titles be corrected in the record. MOTION by Councilor Folley, seconded by Councilor Irwin, that the City Council Meeting Minutes of February 22, 2022 be Approved as Amended. MOTION CARRIED BY THE FOLLOWING VOICE VOTE: Yes: 7- Councilor Babrowski, Councilor Blonna, Councilor Folley, Vice-Chair Grifoni, Councilor Irwin, Councilor Rola and Chair Brechnitz City of Marco Island Florida Page 1 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final March 21, 2022 b. ID 21-1909 Approval of the City Council Meeting Minutes of March 7, 2022 Councilor Babrowski noted that the voting record in the Minutes incorrectly ascribed the titles of Chair and Vice-Chair. She requested that the titles be corrected in the record. MOTION by Councilor Blonna, seconded by Councilor Folley, that the City Council Meeting Minutes of March 7, 2022 be Approved as Amended. MOTION CARRIED BY THE FOLLOWING VOICE VOTE: Yes: 7- Councilor Babrowski, Councilor Blonna, Councilor Folley, Vice-Chair Grifoni, Councilor Irwin, Councilor Rola and Chair Brechnitz 7. Approval of Consent Agenda Chair Brechnitz requested that Item 7c (Authorize the City Manager to Execute A Lease Agreement Providing Space Within City Hall ... for ... Clerk of Courts Services, Supervisor of Elections Services, and a Collier County Commissioner District One Satellite Office) be removed from the Consent Agenda. The Council's action on this Item is now reflected in these Minutes under Topic #13: Items Removed From The Consent Agenda. MOTION by Vice-Chair Grifoni, seconded by Councilor Rola, that the Consent Agenda be Approved as Amended. MOTION CARRIED BY THE FOLLOWING VOICE VOTE: Yes: 7- Councilor Babrowski, Councilor Blonna, Councilor Folley, Vice-Chair Grifoni, Councilor Irwin, Councilor Rola and Chair Brechnitz [Approval of the Consent Agenda Passed the Routine Items Listed Below.] a. ID 22-2165 Resolution - Amending Existing Fees for Parks & Recreation Summer Camp Programs b. ID 22-2158 Award of Contract to Exposhows Inc., for the 2022 4th of July Fireworks, in the Amount of $65,000, with an Option for Two, One-Year Extensions, Subject to Budget Appropriation 8. Proclamations and Presentations Chair Brechnitz and City Manager McNees together, with the support of the entire Council, recognized Ms. Laura Litzan on the occasion of her upcoming retirement as City Clerk for the City of Marco Island. Summarizing her contributions and accomplishments in a Proclamation and a commemorative plaque created in her honor, Ms. Litzan was warmly recognized by her colleagues, the Council, and the members of the public in attendance. She expressed her appreciation by sharing a few words of thanks to all who made her experience in service to the citizens of Marco Island over the past 24 years so rewarding and memorable. 9. Citizens' Comments on Agenda Items Not Scheduled for Public Hearing and Items Other Than Those Appearing on the Agenda Mr. Ed Issler (S. Joy Cir.) expressed serious concern with the placement of the bandshell currently under construction at Veterans' Community Park, and he requested that the Council direct the City Manager to pursue immediate acoustic shielding modifications to protect his neighborhood from the noise and music volume that he anticipates once the bandshell is completed and concert events take place there. Ms. Liz Fitch (Magnolia Ct.) requested that the Council review the status and safety of unregistered/unlicensed businesses using the City's sidewalks and shared use paths for motorized vehicle City of Marco Island Florida Page 2 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final March 21, 2022 tours of the Island. Mr. George Vilk (Magnolia Ct.) amplified on Ms. Fitch's comments expressing concern with the liabilities and hazards of individuals and business owners operating motorized scooters, bicycles, mopeds and similar vehicles on the City's pedestrian pathways. Understanding that homeowners are liable for pedestrian injuries that may occur on sidewalks in front of their homes, he asked the Council to indemnify homeowners of this liability given the expanded business use of these pathways for commercial interests. Mr. Henryk Bucki (Apataki Ct.) expressed his concern with the deteriorating condition of a long-unoccupied house on his street. Noting that numerous Notice of Violation postings have been served at that property since 2017, he asked what process is in place for the City to address and correct this issue. (Editorial Note: Chair Brechnitz responded to Mr. Bucki's question, and he directed the City Manager and City Attorney to prioritize their forthcoming recommendations to encourage greater violator compliance with fines as levied by the City's Code Enforcement Magistrate) Ms. Marilyn Nervig (Address Unknown) shared two specific instances where she was nearly struck by motorists ignoring the flashing pedestrian crossing signals at Collier Boulevard and Bayside Court. She requested that the City investigate installing safer pedestrian crossing signals at that location. 10. Quasi-Judicial Public Hearing None. 11. Ordinances None. 12. Resolutions & City Council Items None. 13. Items Removed from the Consent Agenda 7c. ID 22-2171 Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Lease Agreement Providing Space within City Hall to the Collier County Board of County Commissioners for the Purposes of Operating Clerk of Courts Services, Supervisor of Elections Services, and a Collier County Commissioner, District One (1) Satellite Office Chair Brechnitz requested that City Fleet & Facilities Manager Miguel Carballo explain how the monthly lease rates were calculated for the proposed office spaces, and he questioned the termination provision in the related agreements. Public Comment Mr. Ed Issler (S. Joy Cir.) requested clarification on how the proposed County services at City Hall might overlap with the County services currently available to residents at the 1040 Winterberry Drive location. City Manager McNees responded that there would be no overlap, and that the services at the Winterberry Drive location would be unaffected. MOTION by Councilor Folley, seconded by Councilor Irwin, that the City Manager be Authorized to Execute a Lease Agreement Providing Space Within City Hall to the Collier County Board of County Commissioners for the Purposes of Operating Clerk of Courts Services, Supervisor of Elections Services, and a Collier County City of Marco Island Florida Page 3 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final March 21, 2022 Commissioner (District One) Satellite Office, be Approved. MOTION CARRIED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE: Yes: 7- Councilor Babrowski, Councilor Blonna, Councilor Folley, Vice-Chair Grifoni, Councilor Irwin, Councilor Rola and Chair Brechnitz 14. Council Communications & Future Agenda Councilor Blonna requested that the Council be open to reexamining the Olde Marco Parking Plan during its 2023 fiscal year budget process to identify opportunities to fund improvements that would address the area's parking, traffic movement and pedestrian safety issues that were recently raised by local citizens and business owners. He also requested that his fellow Councilors consider directing the City Staff to bring forward an ordinance that would ban any type of motorized vehicle (e.g. electric bicycle, segway, skateboard, moped) from being used on sidewalks and shared use paths on the Island. Councilor Folley showed photos of, and reported on, his eight hour 'ride-along' with Police Lt. Matt Gallup on St. Patrick's Day/Evening, as well as his experience on the City's Fire Rescue Department boat on a recent afternoon. He indicated his appreciation and sincere admiration for the efforts of the City's first responders, and he noted the esteem in which the members of both departments are held by business owners and members of the public. Councilor Irwin thanked Ms. Marilyn Nervig for bringing forward the pedestrian safety concern that she expressed during the evening's 'Public Comments', and she indicated her strong support for the need for flashing red (rather than yellow) pedestrian crossing signals at the various designated crossing lanes along Collier Boulevard. Councilor Babrowski noted the existence of items on the City's Future Agenda that are one year old or older, and she asked that a procedural process be implemented that re-evaluates the relevance of those items and proposes that they be deleted from, or retained on, the Council's Future Agenda with the Council's concurrence after some defined period of time. ID 21-1910 Future Agenda Items Councilor Blonna advised the Council that he submitted a white paper to the City Manager outlining the navigational condition and his recommendations for action at Big Marco Pass. He requested that it be placed on a near-term Future Agenda for the Council's review and consideration. Councilor Folley requested that a City Staff report on streamlining the City's Code of Ordinances be placed on a Future Agenda. Councilor Babrowski requested that the discussion of the Council's quorum requirements during periods of declared emergencies that is currently on the Council's Future Agenda be given priority for Council review and discussion at an upcoming meeting of the Council. 15. Council Reports ID 22-2164 Rapid Infiltration Basins (RIBS) Property: Application for Consideration by Conservation Collier - Councilor Rich Blonna Councilor Blonna presented several Google Earth photos and discussed the area addressed in his white paper entitled: "Rapid Infiltration Basins (RIBS) Property : Application for Consideration by Conservation Collier". Recommending that the City offer the property to Conservation Collier for purchase under its Land Acquisition Program later this year, he requested that the Council entertain a Motion to proceed with the City of Marco Island Florida Page 4 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final March 21, 2022 offer. No members of the public came forward to offer comment. MOTION by Councilor Irwin, seconded by Councilor Rola, that the City Manager be directed to submit the City's Rapid Infiltration Basins (RIBS) property into Conservation Collier's 11th Acquisition Cycle process for purchase and preservation, be Approved. MOTION CARRIED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE: Yes: 7- Councilor Babrowski, Councilor Blonna, Councilor Folley, Vice-Chair Grifoni, Councilor Irwin, Councilor Rola and Chair Brechnitz 16. City Manager's Report City Manager McNees advised the Council of the progress to date in receiving applications and initiating interviews for the City Clerk vacancy resulting from the upcoming retirement of Ms. Laura Litzan. 17. City Attorney's Report ID 21-1911 City Attorney’s Report City Attorney Gabriel directed the Council's attention to his written report attached to the evening's Agenda. No questions were raised by members of the Council. 18. Departmental Reports ID 21-1912 Monthly Departmental Reports Councilor Blonna requested an update from Community Affairs Director Smith on the ability of his department to handle the workload with two fewer Planners on Staff than budgeted for, and he asked for the status of the County's application to re-zone Caxambas Park. Community Affairs Director Smith responded to both of Councilor Blonna's requests. 19. Citizens' Comments No members of the public came forward to offer comment during this portion of the Agenda. 20. Adjournment There being no further business before the Council, the meeting adjourned at 6:32 P.M. ___________________________ Erik Brechnitz, Council Chair ATTEST: ____________________________________ Laura Litzan, City Clerk PREPARED BY: ___________________________ Jim Kornas, Recording Specialist City of Marco Island Florida Page 5