KELLY FARRELL / Staff

Serving as Interim City Manager through mid-May, Parks and Recreation Director Dana Souza packed to move from his office in City Hall back to his trailer in Mackle Park. Souza has since formally resigned from the position as of Thursday morning and plans to have to pack a box once again as his last day will be in one month.

KELLY FARRELL / Staff

Dana Souza will return to his former title of Director of Parks and Recreation Monday as Steve Thompson of Virginia Beach comes in as the newest Marco Island City Manager. Souza often worked 14-hour days filling the positions of Interim City Manager and Director of Parks and Recreation.

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Often people hope a temp job becomes permanent. That isn’t the case for Interim City Manager Dana Souza.

Souza said he’s ready to return to his job as director of Parks and Recreation and leave his other temporary title, interim city manager, behind. Partially because that “temp” job as interim city manager was a full-time job in addition to his full-time, long-term position as director of Marco Island Parks and Recreation.

“I always had a lot of respect for (former city manager) Bill Moss, but after sitting in this chair for a few weeks, I have even more respect,” Souza said while completing one of his final days as interim city manager.

Even these final days have been longs ones, so long, Souza didn’t want to say exactly how late he would work.

Lisa Douglass, the city’s public information officer, chimed in on the interview from her neighboring office: “He comes in at 8 o’clock in the morning and stays as late as 10 o’clock at night,” she exclaimed.

“Actually I start earlier than that,” Souza said, adding that he winds his way to work visiting the parks before gets to the office. “It’s refreshing for me,” he said.

Souza said he enjoyed “having a higher level of involvement in what goes on in our little town government” but also missed his days in his Parks and Recreation trailer.

“I actually had an office instead of the trailer to come to every day,” he said.

Souza began to smile as he spoke. “I loved having Parks and Rec meetings here. We’re the loud people ... We laugh and have a good time. That’s my closer knit family,” he said.

As for the trailer in Mackle Park, it’s actually not so bad.

“We have a feral cat the lives underneath it. The woodpecker that knocks on the window. When I walk outside, Spray Park is full of kids having fun and laughing ... I look forward to when you have a stressful day and you take a walk around the lake, watch an eagle land,” he said.

Souza says the Parks and Recreation Department is his home. “I’ve been doing this for 25 years. It’s second nature. It’s like breathing,” he explained.

When asked if he would have liked to become the city manager, Souza said “I don’t think I’m the right person at this point in time.”

Although Souza is eager to get back to the Parks and Recreation department, he expressed no regrets in taking on the position as interim city manager. He said he learned a lot, particularly about what citizens’ expectations of local government, finances and other city departments’ issues.

“I’ve had interaction with a greater percentage of our staff (than I did in Parks and Recreation). After seeing things from this perspective, I’m impressed with the skill level and dedication of the people here. We’re not heavily staffed. It requires people really make a diligent effort,” he said.

Souza said he believes he and new city manager Steve Thompson will have a smooth transition.

“At the outset, in the first week, (Thompson) will have a few questions, but he’s a very experienced city manager. It’s not going to take him long to understand the Marco landscape and where we are with various projects,” Souza said.

Thompson’s city management experience comes most recently from Deltona, Fla., which was developed by the Mackle brothers, as was Marco Island, and was incorporated close to the same time as Marco Island.

Souza and Thompson have been communicating with each other on a regular basis since Thompson was chosen for the position. Thompson has been staying in his home in Virginia Beach until Saturday, when he will move into a rental home here on Marco Island.

“I had a brief conversation when we first closed off Mr. Guidry’s parking lot just to keep (Thompson) informed as things were happening,” Souza said.

Dr. Andrew Guidry, the physician who owns the parking lot adjacent to the police station donated a portion of his land to the city during the rerouting of Bald Eagle Drive. Since then, Guidry sent letters saying any parking and land negotiations between himself and the city were null and void because they should have been negotiated with half-owner Mitchell Shaw, a partnering physician. Shaw was not owner at the time of any formal agreements between Guidry and the city. Access between the city’s parking lot and Guidry’s parking lot was barricaded after signs warning the public that they would be towed were posted on the physician’s lot. Then Guidry made a request that his parking lot be barricaded during meetings. The barricades were erected by the city and they remain in place. Thompson will likely need to readdress the issue when he comes in as city manager.

“Nobody wants to come into any controversy,” Souza said, adding that there has been no further correspondence between Guidry and the city since shortly after the barricades were erected.

Souza has a file labeled “Guidry” that has every piece of written correspondence between the city and Guidry. He has a complete log of telephone calls with time and subject. He has all e-mail correspondence and he says he has done his best to compile anything that occurred before his time as interim city manager.

As former City Manager Bill Moss said: “(Souza) is thorough.”

Moss also said that Souza is a “very bright individual who will do whatever it takes to do both jobs and do everything right. Dana (Souza) has great concern for the citizens of Marco Island.”

Souza said that his work ethic is what keeps his hours so long.

“It’s my own fault. I just have to understand everything. I spend a lot of time studying the background, the history of each project, the change orders and why. The amounts coming across my desk were bigger than my check, so I wanted to review them just as anyone would,” Souza said.

The number one thing Souza said eats up his time: “I completely underestimated how much time to spend on e-mails,” he exclaimed, adding that he leaves his desk for a brief time and comes back to 30 new messages.

“Of course the more you respond the more you get ... I want to read every one because I think it’s important to know what people are expecting of me and their government. It’s not a bad thing ... I feel that’s my job,” he explained.

Souza has at least one idea of what to do with the extra time he will have when he goes back to working just one city job.

“I have a Hunter 25 sailboat up in St. Pete and for the longest time I’ve wanted to sail it down the coast,” Souza said.

The trip should take about three to four days.

“Hopefully Mr. Thompson will give me the days off.”

Souza’s philosophy in life may carry over to his recent work experiences.

“I can’t always point the boat and go in a straight line ... Things may take longer than expected. In this way, I think sailing is like life. The things you can’t control, you just have to roll with,” he says.