News-Press from Fort Myers, Florida • Page 9

News-press Eleip SEC. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 1973 PAGE ONE, City Votes To Annex Windmill Village By BOB SCHOFIELD News-Press Bureau PUNTA GORDA By a 4-1 vote Punta Gorda City Council has approved, on first reading, an ordinance that would annex the Windmill Village mobile home subdivision to this city. The motion to pass the ordinance on its first of three mandatory readings, was made by Councilman Philip Laishley. Laishley noted that although further study of the proposal is needed, it can be done prior to final approval of the annexation. Laishley's motion was seconded by Councilman Robert Helphenstine, who amended the motion to stipulate that the second and third readings must be at different meetings.

Laishley accepted the amendment. The lone dissenting vote was cast by Councilman J. Alvin Waits. "This is putting the cart before the horse," he said. Waits had made an earlier motion referring the annexation proposal back to the city's zoning board.

Mayor Joyce Hindman asked three times for a second to the Waits motion, and there economics, if I had to vote tonight I would vote for annexation," he said. He noted that the zoning board did not consider the economic aspect when it discussed Windmill -Village. One of the reasons for passage of the ordinance on first reading was to avoid increasing the construction costs of the development. A representative of the developing company claimed that construction delays caused by the community's lack of water hook-ups had already cost a loss of $22,000. Officials of Windmill Vil- crease was passed 5-0, Laishley noted that he had received no pay increase, and he remembered that the council had, last year, approved a pay increase for members.

He was told that an ordinance was necessary to raise the pay of council-men, and the councifcnen had not backed up their intended pay raise with the required ordinance. City Attorney Frank Wotitzky informed him that now the raise could not officially take affect until 1974. was none. It died for lack of a second. In the discussion that preceded the vote, Councilman Laishley noted the $53,000 estimated cost of services to the Windmill Village subdivision, and the estimated $59,000 in new tax revenue that would be produced.

"This is an 11 per cent profit," said Laishley. "I don't make that much profit in my business." His remark d-ew laughter, but ex-mayor Laishley assured the gallery he was quite serious. "Speaking as a businessman, and considering only 1 a and their attorney Frank Smoak, readily admitted that the only reason they wanted to be annexed to Punta Gorda was to get water. Moratorium now in effect in the city prohibits new hook-ups for anyone living outside the city limits. The solution for the mobile home owners was to be included within the city limits.

Smoak and other officials of the trailer park claimed that residents are overwhelmingly in favor of annexation. Councilman Waits claimed he had heard many who live in the area are op- posed to annexation. He called for a city commissioned poll to determine the true feelings of the trailer park residents. In other actions, the city council approved a pay raise for municipal court Judge Edward L. Gerson.

It was based on the fact that new laws necessitate a hearing for suspects within 24 hours after being arrested. A $50 per week increase was passed to compensate for the extra work being demanded of the judge. After the judge's pay in Placida Residents Afraid Of Losing Post Office gone to the Postmaster General to get the changes. Although Skeggs told the group that population trends are moving away from Placida, the residents served by the office did not want to lose their post office because the large development was drawing more people. Skeggs said a possible change would be to move into a new building either on Rotonda property, or between Cape Haze and Rotonda.

He said as the community grew, another larger post office would be built in the center of Rotonda with one other satellite office on the east side of the development. He said the Placida post office could become a contract station, with improved service, because Sunday pick-ups could be added. No Sunday service is offered to the area now. The people at the meeting said they did not want rural delivery or house-to-house delivery, but wished to keep the boxes at the present office. Skeggs said if the office is moved, he suggested cluster boxes for the mobile home residents, but they also turned that suggestion down.

The postmaster said that his small post office does not have room to add post office boxes. The cluster boxes could be stationed at the mobile home park and not only save residents a trip to the post office, but eliminate some of the problem with finding space for new post office boxes. Each cluster contains 18 locked post office boxes. There are about 50 homes, 150 mobile homes and six bu-s i in the Placida area, with 104 homes in Cape Haze, and 150 homes at Rotonda. Skeggs said the population trend figures indicate that Rotonda will have 20,000 people in 10 years, showing that the majority of the population will be in the northern end of the post office's present service area.

Skeggs said he does not know what changes will be made in relocating the post office, or when if ever they will be made. He said the final decision will come from the headquarters in Tampa when the population survey has been analyzed. By MIKE FUERY News-Press Bureau PLACIDA When the Postmaster General of the United States moves in, does he go to the post office or does the post office come to him? That question and others have been raised by residents of Placida who are afraid they will lose their postal facility to the fast growing Rotonda West development a few miles to the north, now that U.S. Postmaster E. T.

Klassen has purchased a home in that community. Donald Skeggs, Postmaster of Placida called a public meeting last week to explain the possible moves to over 100 people who live in the mobile home park and homes around the small fishing industry town. Skeggs said his office is the main postal facility in the Placida, Cape Haze, and Rotonda area now, although there is a contract substation at Rotonda West. Both are behind population growth, and neither can provide enough post office boxes for their residents. As a result, Skeggs has contacted the regional office in Tampa and asked for a survey to determine if the mail post office in Placida should be moved to Rotonda to best serve the most people.

Skeggs asked for more and expanded postal facilities in September of last year. Since then, United States Postmaster General Klassen has purchased a home at Rotonda West. He is not a fulltime resident but occasionally uses the house on weekends. When Placida and Cape Haze residents learned of the possible loss of their one-room post office, they raised strong objections to any move that would possibly eliminate that office. Skeggs said Tuesday that if people get the impression that the postmaster and his main office could move to Rotonda because Klassen now resides there, then there were misunderstandings on the reasons for the move.

He said he has "gone strictly through channels" asking for a new post office building. He said he had not fS''w Vm! i4ferTL i ftvHr ft i KjJ-m -XM ii ti Iff i -rj i Fnm i tsfWt Jjpiitl News-Press Photo by MIKE FUERY PLACIDA POST OFFICE OCCUPIES SMALL NOOK BEHIND STORE residents fear it will be moved to Rotonda in future Development Authority Refuses To 'Reprimand Baker that this was serious business and someone could get fired." Bapst said only a tiny amount of the Kennedy bill was for the labor. "I did not want to recommend that Mr. Baker be fired," Bapst added. "This morning Mr.

Drown offered to pay off the $472 owed for equipment without filling in the amount of the purchase. Baker was represented by Attorney Jack Schoonover. The attorney noted that electrical services are similar to hiring a man, which Baker is authorized to do as airport manager under his contract. The authority had leased the hangar to Don Drown for a paint shop. But is had no pile of checks to be signed by the authority March 15.

Baker said intneded to mention it but Bapst saw the check first. The votes to clarify portions of Baker's contract about his powers to act on certain "vague parts," such as signing year-long leases, and to seek further discussions with Kennedy about their bill were unanimously passed. have to be contacted to clarify the estimate they made. Bapst said he had talked at least four times with Kennedy since the authority members learned of the bill March 15, and Kennedy said no figure was ever quoted as an estimate, Bapst said. Morphew asked why Baker had not called the board's attention to the unusual check made out to Kennedy in the within two weeks, and he proposed to pay $900 toward the electric service bill in $30 a month installments." Nuzum asked why Drown was willing to pay if the bill was owed by the authority.

"I've had three weeks of hassle from Mr. Bapst and Mr. Morphew coming in about this," Drown replied. Nuzum said Kennedy had handled many local gov-e contracts and should have known the job would go beyond the $800 non-bid limit. "But if we refuse to pay this bill no one will ever work for us in the future," said Marion Reager.

Reager made a motion to pay the bill, seconded by Warner. But the other six members voted against making a direct payment. "How could Kennedy Electric, experts in the field, be 150 per cent off in their estimate," asked Ralph Frederick. Shedd said Kennedy would electric power, so his lease was being breached by the authority. Baker acted to provide service for him.

"Such a thing as an emer-g situation exists," Schoonover said. "Action under these conditions has been done before, for instance when the authority authorized a $1,200 deal for Gulf-Shamrock when $500 was your bid limit. You hired Mr. Baker as a person with keen discretion" to manage this situation. He thought the electric service bill would' be only $600 or $700.

His only mistake was not pinning Kennedy down on the estimate "or getting it in writing." Drown said that Morphew had told him Bapst was out to fire Baker and if he cooperated, things would go easier but if he (Drown, did not cooperate things could go hard for him. "I did not make that statement to Mr. Drown," Morphew replied, "in front of Mr. Bapst I told Mr. Drown tinue negotiations with Kennedy about the bill.

B. C. Nuzum- seconded the motion which passed 7 to 1. Howard Warner cast the dissenting vote, saying, "if we had good executive staff leadership we wouldn't be spinning our wheels on this authority." The special meeting featured a report from Chairman Vern Bapst and Harold secretary-treasurer, discussing their investigation of a bill for electrical work to install three-phase electrical power in a paint shop occupying three hangars. The bills totaled $1,892 while the monthly rent paid by the shop to the authority amounted to only $120.

Further study showed the authority had helped provide funds for equipment costing $980 in the shop for which the tenant was repaying the authority in $20 monthly installments. Bapst also said Baker had been signing purchase orders By JACK HILLHOUSE News-Press Eiruii Chief PUNTA GORDA The Charlotte County Development Authority voted to "drop the matter" about reprimanding Richard Baker, its executive director, regarding $1,892 in bills fom Kennedy Electric for work in an airport hangar. But a second vote called for a rewriting of his contract to clarify "vague part" and a third vote was to ask Kennedy to justify its large bill. Baker said he thought it would only run to about $600, which is within the $800 non-bid procedure authorized by his contract. "I believe Mr.

Baker made a number of ill-advised but not illegal actions" said Dr. Robert Shedd. "He attempted to deal with the authority board so we could handle this bill in several steps without the situation being blown up as it has been. He will be further admonished in the press. Therefore, I move we drop the matter" but con Tomafo Growers Set Meeting ORLANDO The Florida Tomato Committee will hold a meeting of growers of tomatoes on Wednesday, April 11, at 8 p.m.

in the branch courthouse, Immokalee, according to J. S. Peters, committee manager. Purpose of the meeting is to nominate members and alternates to serve on the committee during the coming season. This meeting is for District 3, comprised of Charlotte, Collier, Hendry, Lee and Monroe Counties.

All growers who produced tomatoes within the district during the 1972-73 season are urged to be present and vote. DR. ROBERT SHEDD not illegal B.C. NUZUM seconds motion Firemen Told Funds Would Have Strings Attached Commission Chairman Robert Shedd said he would like to see agreement on the council's report, "but that may be impossible." Ernest Blakely, chairman of the Charlotte Fire Departments Advisory Board, a group representing the seven fire departments in the county other than the Punta Gorda municipal department, said his group had been organized at Dr. Shedd's suggestion.

But before it could come up with some comprehensive plans for fire needs, the council was asked to handle the fire survey report. "We asked for federal revenue sharing funds, not a fire marshal," Blakely said. "If you have nothing to marshal, why create the office? The agenda says talk about a marshal, but we desperately need equipment now." Dr. Shedd said the commission was looking ahead and trying to devise "a grand plan" for county neds. 'There will be no money given to individual fire departments without strings attached," Shedd said.

"I'm sure your departments would like to come to us and walk away with a check. But we feel the county needs comprehensive fire protection. Therefore we must come up with a comprehensive plan, not a stopgap request for quick funds needed by the various departments to deplete the revenue sharing allotment." "If we can't get any money without committing ourselves to an amalgamated county-wide department, then we won't get any fire funds," Blakely responded. Reager suggested the workshop session be planned and Blakely said he would have each of the fire chiefs to come with their needs. "No, let's have it as a committee of your Fire Advisory Board," Reager said.

"I would rather not listen to the individual fire chiefs, but to the recommendations of the advisory board. Bring us an itemized list of needs and their estimated costs." Shedd said that none of the commissioners were aware of the county's fire needs as late as the November campaign. But once in office they were made aware of it, and the lack of fire fighting facilities has influenced their decisions in a number of rezon-ing requests. "Someone must be boss of the fire protection in this county," Shedd said. "Some a may be stronger, perhaps with a veto power or almost autonomy.

We don't have a dictator in mind as fire marshal. Do you reject the idea of a unified fire command?" Nolte replied that the closer to home fire protection can be, the better it will be. "If the individual fire departments are properly financed, we can do away with the fire marshal idea," Nolte concluded. Regional Planning Council, although it was prepared in consultation with a Florida Fire College official, does not adequately indicate the emergency need for funds felt by some of the smaller fire departments of the county. That council report recommends a county fire marshal and $540,000 worth of equipment needs for the eight fire departments around the county over the next five years.

The commission agenda specifically called for discussion about the fire mar-shall idea, but this was not the center of the visiting firemen's comments. Fred Nolte, Port Charlotte fire commissioner, said he had been chief of the Pekin, 111., fire department for eight years and president of the Illinois Fire Chiefs' Association. "I'd like to see the men responsible for leading fire fighting groups of this county get together with you and discuss our needs" rather than the Regional Planning Council handing us this report. Commissioner Marion Reager said that when the county was sparsely populated, "separate fire districts were needed. Now we are growing.

A fire in Harbour Heights could hurt Port Charlotte. I can't see sepa-rate districts for fires, sewers, water and so forth. We must anticipate 20 years in the future. The county should be one cohesive group, not a bunch of groups each grinding its own axe. "The day is coming when one, or at the most, two districts will be needed, not the many little policital groups scattered throughout the county as we have now." PUNTA GORDA The county's fire departments are going to have to yield to some amalgamation if they hope to get any county or federal funds for equipment.

A delegation of volunteer and fire control taxing district fire officials appeared at the Charlotte County Commission Tuesday to ask for a workshop session with the elected leaders. Such a session was granted, April 19, at 1:30 p.m. "We want a workshop session to kick around some ideas and let you discuss them with us," said Allen Levin of the Port Charlotte-Charlotte Harbor Fire Control District. "We have some men on our board who are experienced fire control ad-ministrators and fire fighters." The county's firemen feel the 27-page report from the News-Press News, Ads Circulation 639-2856.