City council met April 1 and received our standard monthly reports from the Sheriff’s Department, Greater Naples Fire, Finance Administrator, Utility Department, and Planning, Zoning & Code Enforcement. Niki Audia from Physicians Regional Healthcare spoke to us encouraging lung cancer screening and thanking us for passing a proclamation supporting her efforts. We also passed a proclamation for Water Conservation Month.

With her fellow FLSCA Board members Kelly Kirk and Carrie Doxsee on Zoom, Holly Levingston Dudley gave us the final numbers from this year’s Seafood Festival, asked about Council’s feelings about problems that arose with free admission for local area residents and thanked us for our support. We learned that next year’s festival is scheduled for the Presidents’ Day and Valentine’s Day weekend and we voted to confirm the dates based on receiving the required contract and thanked the ladies for all their hard work!

Following the presentations we discussed and passed the first reading of Ordinance 2025-1 establishing the position of Code Enforcement Magistrate as Mayor Grimm appointed Harry Henkel to what may be the shortest term on Code Enforcement when the new Magistrate is hired.

A discussion of the Airport followed, with the participation of Commissioner McDaniel, the Mayor explained that he had met with the gentleman who was performing the survey and shared his ideas about hangars. Several local residents are working to make sure this item stays high on the Commissioners agendas and Councilmember Valdes encouraged Mr. McDaniel to find ways to make the airport profitable as it was very important to our residents.