by SC Reporter Emilie Alfino
City of Sanibel Recreation Department Receives the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau (VCB) Certified Guest Property Designation. A Certified Guest Service Property is a designation awarded by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute to organizations where 100 percent of frontline employees are trained and certified as Certified Guest Service Professionals. It reflects a strong commitment to consistent, high-quality service.
Every frontline employee has completed professional guest service training focused on creating positive experiences for visitors and residents alike. Recreation Director Andrea Miller thanked the following Recreation Department team members for dedicating their time to completing their Certified Guest Services Professional certification:
Deputy Director Charlotte Durand, Recreation Services Supervisor Gabrielle Cooper-Angeles, Marketing & Events Coordinator Denise Dillon, Lead Recreation Services Assistant Nathan Kastle, Recreation Support Services Assistant Heike Gosselin, Recreation Services Assistant Ella Defonzo, Recreation Services Assistant Lilian Burke.
Miller also thanked Crystal Wanke, Lee County VCB Customer Service Hospitality Training Specialist, for joining her team at the Council meeting to provide the award to the City of Sanibel Recreation Department.
Flood Awareness Week. The Florida Floodplain Managers Association has designated the week of March 9-15, 2026, as Flood Awareness Week to promote understanding of flood risks, insurance options, and emergency preparedness.
City Council issued a proclamation recognizing the week and encouraging all residents to learn more about flood risks and take steps to protect themselves, their families, and their property.
Building Director Craig Mole said, “This is a good time for residents to get an emergency plan together for our next hurricane season, which is coming up soon.”
Committee Appointments. Council voted unanimously to appoint the following people to committees for one-year terms beginning March 4, 2026, and expiring March 15, 2027.
Vice Mayor Holly Smith suggested the terms should be two or three years, and City Manager Dana Souza said the City is looking into that, as well as possibly changing the committee structure in its entirety and determining whether some committees should be discontinued or added.
• Historical Preservation Committee: Emilie Alfino, Mary Bondurant, Deborah Gleason, Mary Jurgens, and Patricia Norton
• Vegetation Committee: Barbara Boyce, Barbara Horvath, Pamela Miller, David Muench, Vincent Simonelli, Barb Wyskowski, and Ruth Brooks (adjunct)
Milestone Inspections. There was a first reading of a draft ordinance requiring inspections of aging condominium and cooperative buildings. It was scheduled for a second reading and public hearing at the Council’s March 17 meeting.
The Legislature of the State of Florida, in response to the Surfside Condominium building collapse in June 2021, adopted Senate Bill 4-D, which requires milestone inspections for condominium and cooperative buildings three stories and above that are 30 years of age, or 25 years of age if located within three miles of the coastline. Senate Bill 4-D was signed into Law by Governor Ron DeSantis on May 26, 2022.
Florida Municipal Insurance Trust. Council appointed member Richard Johnson as trustee of the Florida Municipal Insurance Trust. Johnson has served in that position for three years, and his term expires on March 31, 2026. Trustees may serve two three-year terms, and Johnson requested to continue serving on the board.
Lighthouse Beach Park Bricks. Following Hurricane Ian, bricks recovered from the Lighthouse Beach Park site were stored inside the ballfield garage on Sanibel-Captiva Road while the ballfields were being rebuilt.
In April 2024, as preparations to reopen the ballfields began and the garage was needed for equipment storage, a mobile mini unit was brought to the site, and the bricks were relocated into that unit. Since then, the bricks have remained stored inside the mobile mini unit behind the pavilion, incurring an approximate cost of $4,400 to date.
Tracey Tenney, President of the Sanibel Historical Museum & Village Board, confirmed that the museum already has sufficient lighthouse brick artifacts onsite. Recreation Director Andrea Miller proposed selling the bricks as a fundraiser.
Council member John Henshaw suggested people buy them, put their names on them, and then use them for something; for example, to line a walkway at the Historical Village. Council agreed the bricks should stay on the island. Vice Mayor Smith suggested they would be best placed near the lighthouse.
Council directed Miller to hold onto the bricks until a better plan is devised.
Council Comments. Items that came up for future agendas include resurrecting the Town Center concept, a coyote study, and reviewing committees. Also, Vice Mayor Holly Smith said there’s a possibility of a miniature golf course going in at the Island Cow location.