Dear Naples Resident:
So much has happened in our country in the past 60 days as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting public health and economic emergency. We are in a time of great change and worry that is affecting all of us as we care for loved ones and adjust our daily lives.
That is the backdrop to any discussion of local issues and concerns and it understandably overshadows virtually any other topic. Yet the important business of local government here in Naples must go on. In this newsletter, I want to provide a snapshot of recent key events and upcoming issues of importance to you.
Election of New City Council
The March 17 local election resulted in the election of a new mayor and three new City Council members. I want to congratulate and welcome as colleagues our mayor, Teresa Heitmann, as well as the three City Council members: Ted Blankenship, Mike McCabe, and Paul Perry.
All four individuals bring strong and relevant experience from their careers in business, law, and finance. They also each have demonstrated commitment to this community through their past public service and volunteer civic activities. The new Mayor and Council members were sworn in on April 1, joining me and the other current members, Terry Hutchison and Gary Price.
Early Actions by Mayor Heitmann and Council
At the April 1 meeting, Council took action — as required after every election – to appoint members to various boards and committees. Terry Hutchison was elected Vice Mayor, and I was elected Chairman of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) board, with Mike McCabe elected as Vice Chair.
I am grateful for the opportunity to chair the CRA board. The geographic CRA area will continue to be the focus for most major development and redevelopment proposals that occur in our City.
We need to invest available CRA dollars wisely and equitably, focusing both on neglected parts of the CRA geography east of Rt 41 as well as on areas of past focus, like our Fifth Avenue business district. In this regard, I was a strong supporter of the decision by City Council on April 24 to proceed with the second phase of the 8th Street Corridor Project, which was originally approved by the CRA board and City Council in early 2019.
I will chair my first CRA meeting on Monday, May 4, at which time we will begin a review of the annual CRA Capital Improvement Plan, for eventual inclusion in the FY 2021 City budget.
In other actions, Mayor Heitmann asked Vice Mayor Hutchison to take the lead in developing an Economic Advisory Committee, and asked me to do the same regarding formation of an Environmental Advisory Committee. It is expected that initial ideas regarding these committees will be discussed with Council at its May 6 regular meeting.
Ethics Naples Referendum Referred to August Primary Ballot
At Council’s April 15 meeting we took the long awaited, important step of forwarding the Ethics Naples charter amendment to the Collier County Supervisor of Elections for placement on the August 18 primary ballot. This means that after two years of delay and unnecessary legal actions and expense, residents will have the opportunity to vote on this referendum to create a new and better ethics code for the City of Naples.
I encourage you to vote in this election and in particular vote “yes” on the Ethics Naples ballot issue. You can request now absentee/mail ballots by contacting the Supervisor of Elections office at www.colliervotes.com.
City Council Continues to Meet/Future Meeting Schedule Expanded
Our new City Council agreed that during this current health crisis it was important for local government to continue to meet and provide opportunity for public access and input, while at the same time prudently following guidelines regarding size of public gatherings and social distancing.
I believe that local elected officials have a responsibility to our residents to continue to conduct the public’s business and to do so in an open and transparent way.
Consistent with this, the City Manager, Charles Chapman, and his staff were able to organize our April 17 and 24 meetings in a “hybrid” fashion, allowing some members of Council and staff to attend the meeting in person and others to participate virtually via Zoom technology.
In addition, the public could access the meeting in real time via live streaming on the City of Naples website and Comcast Channel 98/Summit Broadband Channel 95. Public comment was accepted via email at PublicComment@naplesgov.com.
These arrangements are expected to continue for future meetings until the pandemic subsides to the point that normal operations can resume.
Council also took action at its April 15 meeting to significantly expand the number of meetings and workshops it will be holding in May and June prior to an abbreviated summer recess. This is being done in recognition of the many time sensitive and important issues before Council that need attention and action in the near term. The revised meeting schedule can be viewed at www.naplesgov.com.
Preview of Key Items to Come Before Council
Beginning in May and continuing to the end of the current fiscal year on September 30, Council will be dealing with a number of important issues, many of which have been simmering on the back burner for some time. These include:
- Action on the proposed Beach Restoration and Water Quality Improvement Project on Gulf Shore Boulevard
- Update and action on the Lake Maintenance Plan
- Discussion of the Naples Climate Vulnerability Assessment Final Report
- Review and consideration of amendments to City’s land use code and regulations
- Consideration of regulation of gasoline powered leaf blowers
- Adoption of new City vision statement, goals and strategies
- New development petitions at Naples Square, Bayfront, and potentially other locations
And, of course, we will need to adopt a new Capital Improvement Program (both for CRA and City projects) as well as a new city operating budget. This task will become much more difficult this year due to the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, including likely decreases in tax revenues for government at all levels.
A Final Word on COVID-19 and its Impact on Naples
As I said at the beginning of this newsletter, everything that Council is reviewing and discussing is in the context of the COVID-19 emergency. The chart below provides you with a quick picture of the number of COVID-19 cases, deaths and testing in Florida compared to other major states. I have also provided this same data for Collier County.
Your Council, City Manager Charles Chapman, and City Emergency Manager Pete DiMaria have taken a number of actions over the last six weeks under the City’s Emergency Declaration to protect the health and safety of Naples residents. These include the closure of our beaches, parks, public buildings, and community centers. In addition, other actions have been ordered by Governor DeSantis, such as the closing of all restaurants (except for take-out orders).
None of these actions have been without controversy and discussions will continue here and elsewhere regarding when it is appropriate to loosen or remove these restrictions. As this is being written, the Governor has convened a Re-Open Florida Task Force and the staff leadership in Collier County, Naples, Marco Island and Lee County have been meeting to discuss possible ways to begin to re-open beaches, parks, and other public facilities in a safe manner. Council will meet in a special meeting on Wednesday, April 29, at 1:00 pm, to discuss this further. My own decision making on these matters will be particularly influenced by two key points:
- Listen first and foremost to the public health and medical experts. Avoid taking actions that would unduly risk accelerating the spread of the virus.
- Carry out actions based on regional cooperation and coordination. Actions by the City of Naples should be consistent, if at all possible, with those of Collier County, Marco Island, and Lee County in order to achieve consistency and minimize confusion among residents and visitors regarding rules and guidelines.
Patience, discipline, and a willingness to stay the course will be required to get us through this pandemic. And also the daily courage shown by our front-line workers in hospitals, grocery stores, and a host of other businesses that are dealing with essential public services.
I will continue to try to find ways to talk with residents in as many ways as possible. I want to communicate with you about what Council is doing but even more importantly I want to hear your thoughts and views. Please give me your feedback on the issues discussed in this newsletter – and other matters of importance. My contact information is below.
And most importantly, stay safe!!
Ray Christman
Naples City Council
735 8th Street North
Naples, Florida 34102
239-213-1035
rchristman@naplesgov.com