Compare the value of the land to the value received (the lights). I think the City got a pretty darn good deal. A hand shake with Rony Joel is just a hand shake and has no value unless both parties agree it occurred. The first time I saw the signs was the meeting following a City Council Meeting that had been scheduled at 3:00 pm. The early City Council meeting did not make arrangements for alternative parking. The signs appeared at the following meeting. Dr. Guidry and his tenants utilize this parking lot for business purposes and for their patients. Expecting the lot to be available for the City, during business hours is unreasonable and inexcusable. I think the City owes Dr. Guidry an apology. I also think Rony Joel should be fired for not getting his "deal" in writing as would any prudent Public Works Officer. Furthermore, public officials wishing to get something for nothing should not be contributing to a story meant to demean the very person they want something from. After reading the quotes from the various City Officials in this story, I feel sorry for officials that may want Dr. Guidry's remaining property for future expansion. If our city ever wishes to make an offer for the remaining property Dr. Guidry owns, the City should be prepared to start negotiationas from a disadvantaged position or initiate eminent domain proceedings. This story paints the city in a poor light. It doesn't sound very appreciative of Dr. Guidry's good will. The City should have initiated immediate dialog with Dr. Guidry when the signs first occured. Instead it decided to send out the Police Chief. Now Forcht is kicking his heels and making matters worse. Let this story be remembered by those who may be considing donating property to our City in the future.

lolala, you are wrong, a handshake with honorable person has more value then a written agreement with a dishonorable person and it is quite obvious to me that the doctor is not an honorable person. Sounds like it may be sour grapes over the election. Let us be thankful the voters had the wisdom to not elect this person.

I'm with Ted, when does the city take the lights down

I agree with you veridicus. That was an unprofessional decision made by Dr. Guidry. A sign saying no public parking until after 5:00pm would have been a much more appropriate means of communication. Dr. Guidry is the one who owes the apology, to us, the taxpayers who apparently paid for the fixtures. Take the lights down now!!! I recall him using this in his campaign and thought what a nice citizen....boy was I wrong. I am embarrassed to be a FORMER PATIENT.

What an immature idiot!!!!

I agree, take the lights down. We don't need Guidry's parking spaces. Maybe more people will walk or ride their bike to the meetings. Think of all the money we will save in electric bills too.

TAKE THE LIGHTS DOWN NOW!!!!!!

Talk about being a sore loser. He got the least amount of votes and is acting like a complete baby. This is the way NOT to act when you lose.

I LOVE THIS ISLAND !!! IT JUST NEVER ENDS WITH YOU PEOPLE. WHY DONT WE TAR AND FEATHER THE DR.? HAS ANYONE CONSIDERED BURNING JOEL IN EFFIGY ?

Here we go again ! This issue should have nothing to do with the election. First of all, Joel had no right to negotiate any agreement unless authorized by the City Council. This shows that some city staff members may have been allowed to proceed with actions without Council authorization because of the strong power our City Charter gives to our Manager. Dr. Guidry apparently gave property to the City of Marco Island to make it possible to build the fine new Police Building. This was a great gift and he should not be condemmed because he ran for election and lost.Perhaps he should have contacted the new city Council to tell them that day meetings at the Police Center was causing hardship to his patients [ especially the handicapped ones ]who could not get a parking space in the Doctor,s lot near the Doctor,s office. Someone from the City should be authorized by the Council to resolve this matter and bring it back to the Council for approval. We should all treat each other respectfully and leave personal feelings out of it. As I recall, the City did previously express their appreciation for Dr. Guidry,s contribution of the land before he was a candidate for election. Let us continue to appreciate his kindness.

No Smokeyjoe, it shouldn't have anything to do with the election but its kind of funny that the charging started only AFTER HE LOST. Dont' think he would have done it if he had won. It was a very immature way for a professional doctor to act.

happyonmarco......The attempt to charge started after a number of his handicapped patients complained that they either had to park far away from his office or had to keep driving around until a space became available. I know this from personal knowledge that a number of his patients were very upset and it was extremely difficult and painful for them to walk the long distance. Perhaps a sign at the two entrances to the Doctors lot saying "DAY PARKING for DOCTORS PATIENTS ONLY"would help.

SmokeyJoe, sounds like a crock of BS to me. The first time Dr. Guidry blocked the lot there were just a few vehicles in the lot and from my vantage point standing outside it looked like the Doctor thought it was a big joke.

As to your tale about handicapped patients parking; The good Doctor has only three (3) handicap parking places and they are at the entrance to his building, a good distance away from the entrance to the Police Station. I really don't think a handicapped person would want to walk that far and if they were illegally parked their, I'm sure he could have had them removed by the Police. If the Doctor was truly concerned for his patients perhaps the Doctor should designate more handicapped parking.

To me it still sounds like sour grapes. Honor the handshake or the city should take the lights down, block the driveway to city property and pickup three parking places, end of story.

veridicus, as usual you failed to consider what actually happened in this story. You obviously either didn't accept the explanation i gave or it didn't fit your view of the world. As I wrote above, the first day the good doctor blocked parking in his lot was NOT the day the city inconvenienced his patients and tennants. The infringment of property rights occured at the PRIOR early called City Council meeting which was conducted during WORK HOURS. That is the day that the handicapped were unable to utilize the spaces designated for them. The day you first observed his message (given quite effectively considering your interest), was during the FOLLOWING City Council Meeting. As for the handshake, we still do not know that it ever occurred. Only Rony Joel has made that claim and we have heard Rony bend the truth or attempt to place his actions in a better light before. One need only review past City Council video tapes to verify that behavior. Read the article again and you will see that even the City acknowledges that the City never intended to use the doctor's spaces during work hours. If the city is going to have City Council meetings during work hours, the City should have the courtesy to place signs up protecting the doctor's property rights during work hours. Take the city lights down if you like. The City benefits from their use or they would not have placed them there in the first place. I'm sure under this atmosphere, the doctor wouldn't care if the city closed up access to City property. That works both ways. Why am I even bothering with this? You never read these posts to completion anyway. Bottem line, never own property adjoining government owned property. The doctor's first mistake was donating the property to the city in the first place. Our City has proven to be a very bad neighbor in this case and also in the case of a water treatment plant elswhere on the island.

I agree with verdicus! If Guidry won in the election he certainly wouldn't be charging for parking. What amazes me is how some of you continually get beaten down with loss after loss after nauseating loss still continue to defend losers like Hall, Guidry, Foster, Neylon, Davies and the rest of the losers that you, for some unknown reason, faithfully follow.

How many times must you lose before you realize that the MAJORITY of citizens voted against Guidry, Hall, Neylon and Batte and their agenda to ruin our city. The MAJORITY of citizens on Marco Island voted for a positive future and supported our previous council’s direction. Hall, Neylon, Davies, Foster, Erickson and Putnam should show they have some, any integrity and class, and publicly apologize to councilors Minozzi, Popoff, Trotter and Tucker. These councilors had the guts to put up with a tremendous amount of pressure and did the right thing in spite of recall attempts and public harassment.

Smokey Joe, you must be Guidry, the Howard Stern Diaper Boy, why else would you try and defend such childish behavior? Take a deep breath of reality and understand that negativity, bullying and threats lost in the last election while honesty, integrity and civility won!

I have no idea what this article has to do with the prior election. Please Leroy, explain it to us.

Lolala, I think I can answer that. I'd say that Dr. Skippy's timing had something to do with it. If it wasn't sour grapes why did the Doctor not inform the city of his parking concerns. Why? Because they didn't exist. It was just a childish act of a very immature person.

I give up!

veridicus and Leroy....When will you understand that the election is over and we will not have another for two years. there are 3 handicap spaces close to the front of the medical building but there are more than one Doctors office in the building and more that three handicapped patients are almost always present. In particular, a foot doctor has quite a few disabled patients that have to walk a long painfull distance from the back of the lot. The City of Marco has no parking rights during the daytime Doctors hours. How would you like your neighbors to park in your driveway or parking space. Would you have donated such valuable land to the city ? I doubt it ! Calling Dr. Guidry nasty names shows what kind of person you are. As for me, no, I am not Dr. Guidry. I am a resident and taxpayer who truly loves our Island Paradise and intends to work to help bring our Island residents back together and to heal the wounds that people like you are still causing. Please can you drop the nastyness.

SmokeyJoe, I fail to see your logic. As agreed there are only three handicapped parking spaces and as you say there are more then three handicapped patients, why then are there only three handicapped parking spaces. If I were the doctor and concerned about my patients I would certainly provide more then three handicapped parking spaces as close to the building as possible. The ADAAG requires a minimum amount of handicapped parking spaces (which is all the doctor provided for) and there is no maximum, so why only three.

I have parked in the doctor’s lot many times but never in a handicapped space for many reasons, it’s unfair to our handicapped citizens, it’s against the law and it carries a hefty $250 fine. To create a controversy over one isolated incident with a neighbor that has the power to enforce these regulations escapes all logic.

Nope, still sounds like sour grapes to me. I was however delighted to see the good doctor came to his senses and removed the toll signs and parking attendant at last nights meeting.