by SC Reporter Emilie Alfino
Two employees were honored at the January 14, 2025, City Council meeting. Robbie Dowling, Utilities Maintenance Supervisor, was named Employee of the Year for fiscal year 2024; and Brian Dye, Software & GIS Manager in the IT Department, was named Employee of the First Quarter for fiscal year 2025.
Dowling was hired March 22, 2021. He was a key player in restoring wastewater services on the island following hurricanes Helene and Milton. He also assisted with the application and subsequent award of $22.5 million in FDEP grants for lift station control panel replacements, wastewater collection system repairs, Middle Gulf Drive force main replacement, reuse system repairs, and effluent disposal pond repairs.
Dye was hired April 25, 2022, as Software & GIS Systems Manager in the IT Department. (GIS stands for Geographic Information System.) He holds a bachelor’s degree in geology from Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA. Dye has more than a decade of public sector experience and nearly 30 years’ experience in the GIS field. His first and primary assignment as the Software & GIS Systems Manager was to develop a comprehensive GIS for the City and administer the main financial, planning, and building systems. As part of that, he developed several hurricane restoration GIS applications that were essential in helping with the recovery from Hurricane Ian and subsequent hurricanes. Since the development of the comprehensive GIS, Dye has also successfully completed several key projects and has recently passed the examination to recertify as a GIS professional.
In other presentations at the Council meeting was a proclamation declaring and celebrating January 17 as Florida Arbor Day. Each year, the City of Sanibel celebrates Arbor Day by planting a tree; this year’s tree is a mahogany tree. Mahogany is currently listed as a state threatened species in Florida, and due to its dense, strong wood and high salt tolerance, it is an ideal choice for planting.
Arbor Day celebrations on Sanibel began 36 years ago when the City of Sanibel’s Vegetation Committee, seeking to become recognized as a Tree City by the Arbor Day Foundation, recommended the City participate in an annual observance of Arbor Day. Since 1989, Sanibel has celebrated Arbor Day by planting a tree in honor of a historical figure, local individual or organization.
Council also issued a Lee Health “Partners in Wellness” Proclamation. As a partner in wellness with Lee Health, the City will continue to connect residents with valuable resources to improve quality of life. For example, on January 4, the City’s Recreation Department offered a community health fair at the Recreation Center with more than 25 vendors in partnership with Lee Health and the Sanibel Captiva Business Women’s Association.
In 2024, the City of Sanibel Recreation Department offered more than 15 health screenings and education sessions free to the community.
The City is currently interviewing candidates for the Ranger positions previously approved. City Manager Dana Souza said they have some good candidates. In the meantime, speed limit signs will be going up on the shared-use paths.
Finally, Council elected Jeffery Lemma to serve on the Sanibel Board of Trustees of the Municipal Police Officers’ Retirement Trust Fund. Lemma was elected on the second ballot, and Vice Mayor Mike Miller thanked all who applied and stated all would have been excellent candidates.
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