CASI
The Condominium Associations of Sanibel
P.O. Box 1041
Sanibel 33957
239/334-2138
suitors@earthlink.net
May 2, 2007
Kevin Ruane won the election for City Council yesterday with 67.5% of the votes. One of the key issues in Kevin's campaign was removing red algae from the beaches. We have been told unofficially that there were a good number of absentee ballots cast.
At yesterday's Council meeting, Mayor Mick Denham announced that he has accepted staff's recommendation that red algae must be removed from the beaches to stop the cycle of algae development. Staff made that assessment after visiting Hawaii. They found that the algae situation in Maui was comparable to Sanibel. Both are among the worst infestations of algae of this kind in the world, according to Natural Resources Director Rob Loflin. Staff reported that in Hawaii they had an opportunity to talk to some of the world's leading experts on algae and those experts concurred with the Florida algae experts in the opinion that removing algae from the beaches is necessary to stop the cycle of algae formation. Mayor Denham and Kevin now join Jim Jennings who has been a persistent and sometimes lone voice on Council in favor of removing algae from the beaches.
City Manager Judie Zimomra reported that staff has begun talking to four of the vendors who submitted proposals for mechanical removal of the algae on the beaches and that staff is following up with vendors used in Hawaii. The Public Works Department will begin testing equipment on Sanibel after the snowy plover nesting season this summer. Bids for hand raking the beaches are due May 15. Hand raking will probably be used in the most environmentally-sensitive areas.
Staff found that Hawaii's method of removing algae offshore would not be of great use to Sanibel because our conditions are very different. However staff learned enough about the process to begin to formulate ideas about using the shrimp boat fleet based on Fort Myers Beach and Matlacha for this purpose. The Natural Resources Department will continue to explore methods of sea harvesting.
Evelyn Neill of the Sanibel Sea School informally chatted with some of the Fort Myers Beach shrimp boat staff about the capabilities and limitations of using their boats for sea harvesting. She reported her anecdotal findings to Council. It was Evelyn who first suggested exploring the Hawaii experiment. Dr. Bruce Neill, also of the Sanibel Sea School, addressed Council on some of the technical aspects suggested during the meeting.
Funding of the project is being explored. Grants will be pursued. Conversations will begin with the County, including the Tourist Development Bureau for funding through the bed tax.
We join our friends at PURRE who have already commended Dr. Rob Loflin for his evaluation of the facts and his detailed recommendations to Council.
Sonja Smith for CASI
* per Lee County Supervisor of Election Website with 100% of the precincts reporting 5/1/07
