Council Talks About Noise, Electronic Signs, Staff Raises

Marco Island City Council chose to move forward with noise restrictions while supporting new electronic signs and staff raises during their meeting on Monday night.

City Staff Raises

Staff raises of four percent were approved by Council 6-1 with Chairman Erik Brechnitz opposing. 

“We would still be below the market in some areas,” Assistant City Manager Casey Lucius said. 

“We believe this is a fair recommendation,” she added.

The pay increases for City staff are to be followed by a request for another three percent raise for staff in October during ongoing budget discussions. 

So far, several Council members have expressed an interest in increasing the property tax rate for the first time in several years to account for increased expenses, capital improvement needs and staff pay increases. 

Lucius compared Marco Island staff pay in a tiered system to that of staff in nearby cities and counties, determining that Marco Island staff on average received about four percent less than others in their area. 

The raises will be retroactive to May 4 and the cost of the raises for five months, from May through to the fiscal year ending in October, is approximately $150,000, Lucius said. 

Those five months can be funded by current vacancies, she said. 

“I understand the theory of compound interest,” Brechnitz said prior to his vote against the raises.

“This is a wage adjustment to make sure we’re paying market wages,” Lucius said. “Going forward is to address inflation and cost of living,” she added, regarding the forthcoming October 1 request.

The collective bargaining for police and firefighters occurred without considering other staff pay, she said. 

"This isn’t four months early. It’s seven months late,” Lucius said. 

The last time staff received raises was in 2022 at a rate of 4.5 percent, she reported.

“They are willfully underpaid in some instances,” said Councilor Darrin Palumbo. “We can’t keep training people to go to other cities,” Palumbo added. 

Noise Ordinance Change 

Resident Robert Vetrano requested Council address noise issues, and Council agreed to do so.

For more than two years, the Vetrano family has been kept awake and disturbed by neighbors from midnight through 3:00 AM, he said. 

“We’ve left our home some evenings. It just doesn’t end,” Vetrano said.

The current ordinance is not effective, he added. “It lacks enforcement, to say the least,” Vetrano said to Council.

“Warnings are issued, at one, two, three in the morning,” he said. “It’s absurd.”

The violations need to go to owners of the home, Vetrano suggested. 

“I live in a city that is supposed to enforce rules to make me have quality of life. It’s not happening,” he said.

“It’s been 28 months now. I came here. I begged for relief. The fines need to go to the property owners. The fines should be increased, and if they’re not paid, put liens on the property,” Vetrano pleaded with Council. 

Short-term rentals are a homeowner's privilege, they’re not a right, he said. 

Just the way RVs, boats, and businesses can be governed in residential areas, so too can rentals, Vetrano said. 

“You have rules to keep everything as paradise. I‘m not saying all noise comes from short-term rentals, but a noise ordinance doesn’t target short-term rentals,” he said.

So, despite state mandates preventing regulations of rentals through October 2026, there are other ways to minimize negative effects, Vetrano suggested. 

“I understand the economy is driven on it. I get it, but you also have to understand you have to protect the quality of life of the people who live here. That’s your job,” he said to applause from the residents in the audience.

Councilor Stephen Gray said he is working with City Clerk Joan Taylor to modify the City’s noise ordinance so that it is similar to Collier County’s ordinance, but with a couple modifications to address ongoing noise complaints on the island. The noise ordinance will be on the future agenda. 

Lit Signs Approved with Shade Donation 

A request for electronic signs almost went unsupported until City staff revealed that the request comes with several hundred thousand dollars worth of shade donated by a resident.

Dan Smith, Director of Community Affairs, presented the first reading of an ordinance to allow for electronic message boards in parks, public beach areas, and City locations. Currently, there are bulletin boards, he said. 

“We think this is a great opportunity for our public use areas,” Smith said. 

Each sign’s area would not exceed 48 square feet. 

“It’s not only a better display, it gets rid of sign pollution,” Smith said.

There were a couple residents who spoke in opposition to allowing electronic signs with concerns that businesses would want the same opportunities. 

“I’d rather support a local newspaper if we need to provide more information to the community,” said Councilor Stephen Gray. 

He then asked about the City website for making notices.

Then, Lucius revealed that the donor of the Veteran’s Park bandshell gave $1 million and agreed the City could use the remaining $450,000 to $500,000 to purchase shade structures. 

The name of the donor was not immediately disclosed.

“His one request was that before we did that, we do a better job promoting the activities at the bandshell,” Lucius said. 

The ordinance had passed the Planning Board 6-1, with Brad Henson opposing. 

“I was the one ‘no' vote. I had no idea about the donor, the impact it would bring. I’m coming tonight to say I think it is a good idea,” said Henson. 

Several Council members expressed concern the ordinance would lead to more sign pollution or neon signs and a big city feel, they said. 

“Every time we open the door and the foot gets in there, it seems to drag us into some peculiar places,” Gray said. 

Palumbo advised changing the word “kiosk” to "governmental sign” and to limit the signs to only City parks. 

The terminology “shall be allowed” means future sign proposals won’t go to Planning Board, the Parks and Recreation Committee or Council, Henson said. He suggested that be changed so that a sign is a conditional use and allows oversight into size, lighting, location, amount of signs, and other matters. 

The ordinance passed unanimously, 7-0, on first reading following Council’s suggestions for changes. The sign ordinance will return for second reading and another vote at the next meeting. 

Marco Island Racquet Center 

Council discussed a desire for changes in Collier County deed restrictions at the Racquet Center. 

“I personally would want to find a way to give our Marco Island residents priority in a membership to that club. After all, their taxes are paying for it,” said Brechnitz. 

Councilor Deb Henry voiced concerns. “We’re opening up a can of worms,” she said.

Marco Island residents can go up to Naples and use all Collier County facilities and parks with the beach sticker applying to all County access areas, Henry said. 

City Manager Mike McNees will request Collier County officials consider removing their deed restrictions that came when the County deeded the Racquet Center to the City approximately 25 years ago, McNees said. 

Field of Dreams Gets $200,000

With no discussion or qualms, Council approved unanimously, 7-0, $200,000 toward the Tommie Barfield Elementary School Baseball Field following a request by McNees to add it to the agenda. Palumbo motioned to approve, and Councilor Bonita Schwan seconded. The Tyler Beck Memorial Field, named after the 11-year-old boy who was killed while riding his bicycle on Jan. 6, 1995, is at least $800,000 toward its $1.5 million reconstruction goal, reported Vincent Gentile, president of Marco Island Youth Baseball, Inc., which was established to save the field. Construction begins June 3, Gentile said. “Some say it takes a village, but I’ve always said it takes an island,” Gentile said. 

In Other Communications: 

- Councilor Rene Champagne requested participation and prayer for Memorial Day at Veterans Community Park, 11:00 AM, Monday, May 26.

- Schwan said there is consideration of combining Collier County MPO and Lee County MPO and that she didn’t think it was a good idea.