Local News in Review – May 2018

Here’s this month’s review of news about our elected local officials and governing bodies.

Managing growth and development

• • County commission approves zoning for proposed East Naples towers. Change allows up to 377 residential units, 228 hotel rooms and up to 200,000 square feet for various commercial uses. Naples Daily News, 5/8/18
    • Editorial: Intense density approval deserved explanation. Naples Daily News, 5/9/18
  • Editorial: New development typically draws objections, but let’s listen first. A long-expected new town between Golden Gate Estates and Ave Maria will soon begin to come into focus. Naples Daily News, 5/5/18
  • Editorial: Beach parking solution will take Collier commission resolve. Two of the five commissioners expressed reservations about a $200,000 feasibility study for a parking garage at Clam Pass Park. Naples Daily News, 5/24/18
  • Brent Batten: To address affordable housing, let’s define affordable housing. County commissioners recently approved a new definition of affordable housing, one that attempts to frame the issue in terms of cost and income. Naples Daily News, 5/1/18
  • Collier to turn Gore sanctuary into permanent preserve. Commissioners voted to buy the property and 28 acres of mangroves for about $920,000 with funds from a $32 million Conservation Collier trust fund. Naples Daily News, 4/30/18

Other County news

• • Collier stalls on medical marijuana again. The motion failed in a 2–3 vote with Commissioners Bill McDaniel and Andy Solis supporting. Naples Herald, 5/23/18
  • County wants swamp buggies in Picayune Strand. “We want to maximize public utilization of a forest that was bought with public funds,” Commissioner McDaniel said. Naples Daily News, 5/9/18
  • Editorial: Hurricane response quietly being improved. Emergency management head Dan Summers and County emergency management leaders are addressing shortcomings that surfaced during Hurricane Irma. Naples Daily News, 5/15/18
  • Brent Batten: It takes a (Bentley) village to derail new North Collier fire funding plan. Residents turned out to protest, and Fire District Commissioners postponed a decision for 30 days to consider their options. Naples Daily News, 5/12/18
  • Florida agency accuses Collier Mosquito Control District of spraying violations after the violations had been addressed, but the District plans to recheck compliance at an unspecified date. Naples Daily News, 5/12/18
  • Aquatics center opening soon in East Naples. It joins the (Commissioner) Donna Fiala Community Center and nearby fitness center that opened three years ago. Naples Daily News, 5/7/18
  • Editorial: Limit imposition of local term limits, let voters decide. Why arbitrarily oust someone serving our community successfully to replace them with someone less effective, essentially usurping home rule? Naples Daily News, 5/1/18

City of Naples

• • City Council votes to have judge decide ethics referendum’s legality. The City Attorney said parts of the referendum might be illegal, and therefore Council can refuse to submit the question to the county to be placed on the ballot. The motion by Councilwoman Ellen Siegel passed 4–3, with Councilwoman Linda Penniman, Vice Mayor Gary Price and Councilman Terry Hutchison dissenting. Naples Daily News, 5/2/18
    • Commentary: Let Naples residents vote on ethics reform. By Margie Stein, Represent Southwest Florida, via Naples Daily News, 5/13/18
    • LTE: Better referendum or ordinance needed. By Sam J. Saad III, former Naples City Council member, via Naples Daily News, 5/11/18
    • Ethics PAC fights City Council to get referendum on August ballot. Naples Daily News, 05/18/18
  • Naples Pier repairs to start after Fourth of July; reopening planned by Sept. 30. City Council will consider bids and staff recommendations at its June 6 meeting. Naples Daily News, 5/15/18
  • City Council approves Old Naples Hotel project 4–3 after marathon meeting. Councilwomen Siegel and Penniman and Councilman Hutchison dissented, citing concerns about requested zoning deviations and negative community response. Naples Daily News, 5/16/18
  • Commentary: Third Street South growth must also preserve. Neapolitan Enterprises fully supports a hotel on the abandoned site of The Plaza on Broad, but pretty pictures aren’t everything. By Joan Fleischmann Tobin, Neapolitan Enterprises, via Naples Daily News, 5/8/18

City of Marco Island

• • Collier delays approval for Marco Island ambulances. Commissioners McDaniel, Solis, and Penny Taylor sought time for county staff to work out an inter-local agreement with the City. Naples Herald, 5/22/18
    • Editorial: Many questions to answer before Marco ambulance vote. Naples Daily News, 5/26/18

Collier County Public Schools

• • Editorial: Tale of two county sales tax proposals, schools and no schools. Collier taxpayers should be thankful to its school administration that the district’s budget is where it’s at. Naples Daily News, 5/17/18
  • Collier School Board to appeal HB 7069 lawsuit ruling. It will focus on the Schools of Hope program because it “eviscerates the local school board’s authority to operate, control and supervise public schools.” Naples Daily News, 5/9/18
  • Debate over science textbook purchasing begins in Collier County. The School Board voted unanimously to approve work groups’ first choices, starting a 30-day clock for opponents of the books and other instructional materials to file an official objection with the district. Naples Daily News, 5/11/18
    • Florida group challenges Collier schools over unbalanced science books. abc–7.com, 5/11/18
    • Florida Citizens Alliance: Why are Florida school boards violating Florida law?” Florida Citizens Alliance, 5/18/18
    • Opinion: Balancing evolution and creationism in schools unconstitutional. By Brandon Haught, Florida Citizens for Science, 5/13/18
  • Middle School students to participate in mock county commission meeting. The program began as a collaborative effort with Commissioner Taylor reaching out to Superintendent Dr. Kamela Patton. Immokalee Bulletin, 5/21/18
  • Brent Batten: Data produces conflicting interpretations of safety in Collier schools. Exhaustive data on discipline and school safety compiled by the state shows what appears to be an alarming trend in Collier County schools. Naples Daily News, 5/7/18
  • Editorial kudo: CCPS.  It’s not just athletes who deserve community recognition, but also students achieving academic success and now also — with Career Signing Day at Lorenzo Walker — those who have mastered skills to go directly into the workforce. Naples Daily News, 5/19/18

August 2018 local elections

• • School Board candidates discuss charters, school safety, teacher pay at first forum. Board candidates were asked how they felt about the school district sharing resources with charter schools, and more. Naples Daily News, 5/8/18
  • Recap: Second School Board candidate forum. Results of a straw poll following the forum in the contested races: District 3 – Jen Mitchell: 64%; District 5 – Roy Terry: 58%.; Video recording of the forum here. Florida Citizens Alliance
  • Campaign update: Click here for the latest on candidates running for local office and their campaign finance reports.

That’s it for May’s local news. Stay tuned in the coming days for my review of state government news!