Council names new members to P&Z
The Cape Coral City council made some moves Monday at its regular meeting at city hall that will shore up a badly depleted Planning & Zoning commission.
The council named alternates Joseph Kibitlewski and Glenn Hewitt as full-fledged members to fill two of three seats open.
Former members Frank Triscari and Max Forgey resigned; Paul Carlson passed away.
Kubitlewski and Hewitt will hold their seats until 2015. The third seat expires in 2014.
Councilmember Chris Chulakes-Leetz fought hard to make new applicant Amy Blackwood a member as well, which would have filled the last seat, but the vote to install was defeated 5-3.
“I have a problem moving a third body in because she’s a third body,” Councilmember Rana Erbrick said. “These are important positions. We need to advertise and look for more alternates. We can’t just put a body in there.”
“To turn down a volunteer would be failing ourselves,” Chulakes-Leetz answered. “To say someone needs to be well-versed, I concur. But to not put her in that position would be an injustice.”
Chulakes-Leetz then motioned to have Blackwood be an alternate, which passed 7-1, with Erbrick casting the lone dissent.
The P&Z meetings in recent months have had just five committee members out of eight, just barely a quorum.
The council then appointed P&Z member Dan Read to a position on the Burnt Store Road Right-of-Way committee, with Paul Tee being named the alternate.
The committee hasn’t met in 2013 because of ongoing litigtation.
In other business, the city council passed a resolution to call for a primary election on Sept. 10 for the offices of mayor and councilmember in District 1 because they have more than two candidates running for office.
Seven candidates are running for mayor, with four running in District 1. The top two vote-getters will advance to the general election in November. Districts 4 and 6 have just two candidates.
The city council also made a pair of personnel actions, reclassifying the positions of two administrative secretaries to Administrative Specialist II, and III, respectively, at as cost of $7,300.
Also, the Rotary Club presented Parks & Recreation Director Steve Pohlman with a check for $13,000.