by SC Reporter Ariadna Ampudia
A revised governing resolution for the Recreation Financial Assistance Committee was unanimously approved April 5 by Sanibel City Council. It was a similar, but scaled-down version, of a resolution presented in February by Councilman Mike Miller, liaison to the RFAC.
“That resolution proposed a number of changes, some of which dealt with attendance policy and residency of members, in order to resolve some confusion,” said Miller. “Those revisions are not in this resolution mostly because that is a subject the city manager will be discussing with (council) in May.”
Resolution 22-012 supersedes Resolution 20-065 with three changes: quorum requirements, elimination of a program and establishing a new sliding fee scale. In the midst of the pandemic two years ago, a more generous sliding fee scale had been implemented with the approval of council.
“The way the approval for the more generous sliding fee scale was articulated the authority to use that generous sliding scale expired when the state of emergency expired,” explained Miller. “None of us realized that and we have continued to use that more generous sliding scale.”
Miller said the committee recommended the COVID-related sliding scale continue to be used. Under it, applicants earning up to $40,000 per year qualify for 85 percent of aid. Applicants earning $40,001 to $50,000 and $50,001 to $60,000 annually qualify for 80 and 75 percent reduced fees respectively.
This latest resolution requires a simple majority instead of four members being present to establish a quorum. It also eliminates the Zuni camp, which is no longer offered at the Sanibel Recreation Center.
A broad discussion about boards and committees was originally on the council’s agenda, but continued at the request of city staff and expected to be on the May agenda.
Vegetation Committee Members Appointed
Eleven applicants were unanimously appointed to the Vegetation Committee last week by council.
Pamela Miller, Edward Holden, Phyllis Gresham, Barbara Horvath, Barbara Boyce, Claudia Hoffman, Jennifer Maughan, Ruth Brooks and Jonathan Dean were reappointed. Mariana Pardo is the new member to the committee.
Dr. Phillip Marks, who has been serving as a member of the committee, was approved as a new adjunct member. Marks, a master gardener, moved off-island which disqualified him to serve as a full member with voting rights under the city’s ordinance.
City Attorney John Agnew said allowing Marks to serve as an off-island resident was an error and one which should not be perpetuated. The residency requirement can be changed with an amended ordinance, though.
Adjunct members are allowed to fully participate in meetings seated in the audience, as well as give guided plant walks. It was relayed to council Marks indicated he was not interested in an adjunct position. But Councilman Scott Crater, who serves as liaison to the committee, said the adjunct position should be approved and offered to him.
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