City council elects officers and receives annual reports
The Sanibel City Council elected its mayor and vice mayor for the year at its recent meeting, as well as provided direction on recreational amenities and heard about water quality and the Shared Use Path.
On April 21, Mike Miller was nominated and elected unanimously 5-0 to serve as mayor again.
“I’m honored to be elected as mayor,” he said. “As we all know, it’s a privilege to serve the citizens of this wonderful community.”
For vice mayor, Councilmembers Laura DeBruce and John Henshaw each received a nomination.
In the first voice vote, the council voted 2-3 for DeBruce, with Vice Mayor Holly Smith and DeBruce voting in support and Miller, Henshaw and Councilmember Richard Johnson voting in opposition.
In the second voice vote, the council voted 5-0 for Henshaw.
Also during the meeting, the council considered a request to add “miniature golf” to the Land Development Code (LDC) as an allowable conditional use.
City staff reported that the request was made on behalf of Island Cow owner Brian Polasek, who is interested in developing a miniature golf course to serve residents and visitors as part of rebuilding the restaurant. The idea is proposed as a community amenity that would provide a recreational activity. The current LDC limits conditional uses for recreation facilities to “country clubs, private swim clubs, racquetball courts, tennis courts, or golf courses, or any combination thereof.”
The proposal was to add a new conditional use specific to miniature golf within the General Commercial zoning district.
Polasek and Island Cow attorney Raychel Thomas presented to the council. A project outline, conceptual renderings of the proposed miniature golf course and restaurant enhancements and draft site plan was included for illustrative purposes only as city staff have not formally reviewed it yet.
Staff noted that the Island Cow property includes residential and commercial zoning and the proposed miniature golf development would be located entirely within the commercially zoned portion of it.
During council discussion, Johnson suggested expanding the term for the possible added use from miniature golf to outdoor recreational amenities to provide a broader category for the future.
Others voiced support for sticking with the term miniature golf.
City Manager Dana Souza suggested that council provide two separate directives: advance the idea of miniature golf as a conditional use and look into considering other outdoor recreational amenities.
A motion to direct the Sanibel Planning Commission to change the LDC to create a conditional use for a miniature golf recreational amenity was approved 5-0.
In a second motion, it voted 5-0 to direct staff to engage the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee to look at other opportunities for outdoor recreational amenities and provide it with recommendations.
Also at the meeting, Natural Resources Department environmental biologist Dana Dettmar and Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Marine Laboratory Research Associate Mark Thompson presented the “2025 Lakes Water Quality and Groundwater Monitoring” report for the Sanibel Communities for Clean Water Project and the 2025 “Year Five Monitoring Report” for the Clean Canals Program.
In summary, they reported that:
– Lakes water quality seems to be improving from post-Hurricane Ian lows, but it is still poor.
– Canal water quality is about the same and very similar to the estuary water quality.
– Average lake salinity came down post-Hurricane Milton. It is still salty, but the rainy season will help.
– Sanibel Slough salinity is low enough to support cichlids again.
– Groundwater levels are very low and salty; below mean sea level most of dry season. There is potential for saltwater intrusion.
– Sanibel Slough and groundwater are closely related. When the slough is below sea level, the groundwater is also below sea level.
Also during the meeting, Recreation Director Andrea Miller presented the “2026 Shared Use Path (SUP) Survey” results.
In summary, she reported that:
– Total overall users of all types at the SUP locations have increased to over 7,000 participants (7,091 in 2026). The second closest total was in 2012 with a total of 4,506 (up 64%).
– Total users on the SUP have increased by 42% since the original study in 2006 and almost doubled since the study from 2025 (3,982 to 7,091).
– Over one-half of the total pedestrian traffic (840 of 1,621 — 52%) on the SUP was observed at the West Gulf Drive and Tarpon Bay Road intersection. The location also had the highest usage of all locations at 1,700 users (six total intersections were considered).
– Electric bicycles represented 16% of the total bicycle riders on the SUP, with 868 e-bikes observed. All intersections recorded equal distribution of e-bike activity, whereas a large majority (42%) of them were observed at only two intersections studied on Sanibel-Captiva Road in 2025. E-bike class was not recorded.
– Bicycle usage on the road has trended up and is at an all-time high, up by 40% from 2025 and over double since 2006 (68 to 151). Various locations have led each year that the study has been conducted, with Periwinkle Way and East Gulf Drive leading the charge in 2026.
– The number of bike riders wearing helmets has decreased slightly over the past year (down 2% from 2025), representing 41% of all bicyclists. In 2006, 37% of bicyclists were using a helmet, which remained consistent in the 2012 study, where 38% of bike riders wore helmets.
– Rental bike users have increased by 64% since 2006 and over 105% since 2025.
IN OTHER NEWS
– The council voted 4-0 on an agreement with the Zambelli Fireworks Manufacturing Company for the city’s Independence Day fireworks display in the amount of $33,000.
– The council voted 4-1 to uphold the planning commission’s decision on a permit subdivision plat application that allows for the revision of an approved preliminary plat to amend the allocated impermeable coverage for lots 1-6 at a unified residential (cluster) housing development — the Coastal Creek subdivision — owned by Buckingham 225 Development at 5325 and 5301 Sanibel-Captiva Road. DeBruce cast the dissenting vote.
– The council held the first reading for an ordinance to amend the Code related to gasoline-powered leaf blowers by deleting it to comply with state statutes. The second reading will be held on May 5.
– The council held the first reading for an ordinance to amend the Code related to limitations on principal buildings by deleting an obsolete restriction pertaining to flat roofs, as recommended by the planning commission. Prior to the reading, it discussed the draft legislation. The second reading will be held on May 5.
– The council held the first reading for an ordinance to amend the Code related to vegetation by revising the vegetation buffer standards for commercial and institutional uses. Prior to the reading, it discussed the draft legislation and amendments were made. The second reading will be held on May 5.
– As part of his city manager’s report, Souza recommended that staff and the Sanibel Police Department (SPD) meet with the homeowners associations for and residents of The Sanctuary, The Dunes and Beachview to discuss traffic safety concerns and possible options to address them.
He cited enforcement of roadside parking for landscaping and service vehicles and the creation of sidewalks or shared use paths — and what it would entail in terms of right-of-way — as topics.
Staff would collect the feedback and bring it back before council for discussion.
The council directed Souza to proceed with his recommendation.
– The council recognized SPD Senior Administrative Assistant Linda Garcia as the Employee of the Second Quarter for the fiscal year.