Keeper of the current

In Bonita Springs, the man behind the curtain is wearing three layers of clothes and munching on a pretzel.

He's James Steiner, 24, and he handles all the mass communication for the city government, running its Web site and operating the Channel 12 television station. Every time the camera switches angles during a City Council meeting, it is the hand of Steiner that makes the change.

"He's more than proven his value," City Manager Gary Price said. "He's a smart kid, and half the time I don't know what he is talking about, which is a good thing."

As the information-technology specialist for Bonita Springs, Steiner is the go-to guy for the city's electronics, including phones, computers, alarms, firewalls and servers. He even pitches in on building maintenance every now and again.

"If something breaks, I'll fix it," Steiner said. "I'm a busy guy."

Steiner's career with the city started after he graduated high school in Cape Coral in 2001. He went to work for the consulting company, Austinash Computers, which had a contract with the city for all its electronic maintenance.

"It got to be that he was in our office down here all the time," Price said. "It seemed like a wise move to talk with him about bringing him on board."

Photo by MICHEL FORTIER, Daily News

With an ear to the phone and fingers typing on a keypad, multitasking tech-head is an apt description for James Steiner, the catch-all electronics handyman at Bonita Springs City Hall. From computer servers to copy machines, Steiner has a hand in keeping the equipment functional and City Hall running smoothly.

The move to end the contract with Austinash and create a one-man IT department saved Bonita Springs money and got Steiner a pay increase.

"It is a lot cheaper to have him here than to work with the contractor," Price said.

Steiner often can be seen popping out of his office next to the City Council chambers to help with PowerPoint presentations and other electronic challenges.

The office — which houses all the television, Web site and computer equipment for the city — used to get up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit before the council approved an air conditioner for the room. Now it is kept at a cool 69 degrees.

"Now I'm wearing a sweater," Steiner said.

Because the telecasts of city meetings are manual, Steiner has to man the cameras and sound for the duration, even when night meetings run past 10 p.m. He has a bucket of pretzel twists for when he misses meals.

"I sit in here and munch on these things during the meetings," he said. "It is tedious."

On Tuesdays and Thursdays when there are no late meetings, he heads out to Edison College, where he is earning his computer science bachelor's degree. On top of that, he has his own computer consulting business — Snookin Computers — that he started in 2000 before he graduated high school.

When he's not working or studying, Steiner rides ATVs, but he especially enjoys boating and fishing. The biggest fish he ever caught was a 142-pound carp out of Boca Grande Pass.

"I don't sit still too often; even when I'm fishing, I'm moving," he said. "I've got to keep my mind going, keep moving."