by SC Associate Publisher Chuck Larsen
The Sanibel Planning Commission welcomed returning commissioner Paul Nichols and two new commissioners Ty Symroski and Laura DeBruce at its Jan. 26 meeting. They were appointed Jan. 19 by Sanibel City Council from among eight applicants.
Nichols was reappointed for a three-year term, after serving two years on the commission. With an economics degree from Brunel University in London, he has experience as Chief Executive Officers of a public company and provides consulting and coaching services to a variety of individuals and companies.
Nichols says his goal is to “help the city retain its great feel and quality of life experienced by its residents.”
Symroski was appointed to a three-year term. He earned degrees from the University of Michigan and University of North Carolina in land use and regional planning. He also served as a planner with Sanibel during the early formative years of the city. He says he is “ready to offer my unique historic, professional and contemporary prospective to the Planning Commission.”
DeBruce was appointed to a two-year term to fill the remainder of the seat held by Chuck Kettteman. An attorney, she has a law degree from Boston University and a communications degree from the University of Florida. She works with DeBruce Blackman, an international business consulting firm with a focus on intellectual property and media rights.
She has worked with Sanibel Carts, a street-legal cart rental company and Hunt Avenue Productions, a film production company. DeBruce says she is “pasionate about preserving Sanibel as a sanctuary island and maintaining the small-town charm and quality that makes our city a unique place to live and work.”
The planning commission unanimously reelected Roger Grogman as chairman and Eric Pfeifer as vice chairman for this year. The commission also voted on members to lead four subcommittees:
• Pfeifer will serve as chairman of the Below Market Rate Housing Review Subcommittee.
• Commissioner Karen Storjohann will serve as chairman of the Capital Improvements Review Subcommittee.
• Nichols will be chairman of the Land Development Code Review Subcomittee with Symroski serving as vice chairman.
• Commissioner Matt Kirchner will be the chairman of the Permitting Process Review Subcommittee.
An informative comment would be ,nothing like stacking the deck on the planning committee. Seems like a conflict of interest on some of the appointees.