If you go
Marco Island City Council's meeting is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the Community Room, 51 Bald Eagle Drive.
MARCO ISLAND — Customers are plastering dollar bills on a restaurant’s entrance to help the family-owned business survive an expansion that came with an unexpected $64,000 fee from Marco Island officials.
The plight of Chefs' Express was first heard when co-owner Anne Feinman pleaded with Marco Island City Council members in October to make utility impact fees reasonable. Defining reasonable seems to be the challenge and the answer depends on who you ask.
Several other Marco Island restaurant owners and business leaders are standing behind the Feinmans in hopes the council will choose next week to implement at least a temporary reprieve from utility impact fees at a meeting scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Monday.
Fairness is at the crux of the issue, according to city leaders.
Photo by KELLY FARRELL, Staff
Lauren Feinman stands at the entrance of the family restaurant, Chefs' Express, where patrons leave dollar bills to show support for the owners struggling to pay a utility impact fee bill as large as $64,000 from the city of Marco Island.
Joe Oliverio, president of the Marco Island Restaurant Association and owner of Joey’s Pizza, is just as heated about impact fees as the Feinmans. He expanded his restaurant earlier this year and, after initially paying $25,000, he said he received another shocking bill of nearly $20,000 from the city.
He’s making payments, but he wants a retroactive reduction and refund because he said his water usage has decreased — not increased — since five years ago, because of green practices and upgraded appliances.
“If you can prove you’re not making an impact above and beyond what you’ve paid into it, you should get your money back,” Oliverio said.
It’s only fair, he argued.
Photo by KELLY FARRELL, Staff
In this June 2010 file photo, minutes after Marco City Council discusses finding an outside firm to manage the city-owned utility, its current director, Rony Joel, accepts a 1st place award among utilities in the state for allowing the least amount of pollutants from the wastewater plant into the waterways.
Rony Joel, general manager of Marco Island’s water and sewer department, shared a different perspective.
Marco can set up payment plans for Chefs' Express as it has other restaurants, Joel said.
“There appears to be one restaurant that thinks it should be handled separately, to have a competitive advantage over other restaurants on the island,” Joel said.
Utility impact fees are paid to cover the cost of growth and expanding the water and sewer service capacity. Marco Island’s utility is suffering financially and all customers are looking at three consecutive years of an approximate 10 percent average increase each October.
If restaurants don’t pay for the expansion requirements for use of the system, then other customers will pay through even larger rate hikes, Joel said.
“In everything we do, we work on a fairness doctrine. One group should not be working on an advantage over another group,” he said.
Chefs' Express owners Rick and Anne Feinman, along with their daughter Lauren, argue that they aren’t the same as all the other restaurants on the island. Nonetheless, all deserve a reduction in impact fees to stimulate growth, they said.
Photo by MICHEL FORTIER
Lauren Feinman, owner of The Chef's Express, hands over one of her artful creations Sunday at the Taste of Marco event at the Esplanade. The Marco Island YMCA again holds its Taste of Marco on Sunday, as does Estero.
Marco Island attorney Craig Woodward, who also is affiliated with North Marco Utility, agrees with the Feinmans.
They have cited the following as reasons for their deserved reprieve from the fees, including:
■ The restaurant’s utility service is provided by North Marco Utility, not the city.
■ The restaurant won’t be increasing its demand for service.
■ The shopping plaza has hosted a restaurant since the late 1960s, thus there is no change in use.
■ The city is just now attempting to charge for outside seats that were added four years ago.
“If they think we’re paying $65,000, I’m closing the doors and going out of business,” Anne Feinman said. “We’ll be going to Naples or somewhere else. We’re not going to make that kind of money serving a few eggs.”
Cool Cruisers Car Club Cruise-In
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 21
newsyoucanuse writes:
A $64,000 unexpected utility bill is no big deal right? Besides, a place like Chefs Express probably uses more water than Niagara Falls. Well deserved impact fee. I'm sure customers tacking dollar bills on the wall will cover that small expense anyways.
These Marco Island "officials" sure know how to promote (extort) business on the island. Just tax them till they move or go out of business! Thank goodness Rony Joel is getting fired.
Marco Island City Council = The Black Hand
"Tell your friends I don't want a lot. Just enough to wet my beak." - Don Fanucci, Godfather part II.
falldowngoboom writes:
Retuned to paradise to find my utility bills are through the roof!!!(a roof which costs us $60k a few years ago!!)
As a condo owner I feel lied to by the ones who sold us this STRP project, we were told our utility rates would probably GO DOWN!!!
Now restaurants, businesses along with the condos are getting billed for what should have been only billed to those properties in which the STRP was newly installed??!!
Someone has to be held responsible for the outright lies we were told.
falldowngoboom writes:
KLABBERMAN: you are whats wrong with MARCO!!mean sprited bullies who think they can do or say whatever they feel, I hope you are pulled over and arrested, and they throw away the key!!!!!
Merry Christmas and God Bless Marco Island!!!
RayPray writes:
Who forced you to open these joints to foist overpriced mediocre food on unsuspecting tourists and locals afflicted by senile taste buds?
Why then should uninvolved residents have to pay for the water service you gobble down?
RayPray writes:
"Did you read the above story?...Or are you just throwing more meaness out?"
Restaurants are businesses out to make a $. Not charities. OK with me. But you rake in the $$$, you should pay the expenses yourself.
Impact fees don't relate to gallons used, just cost of doing business, like a liquor license.
Since I am neither a patron nor an owner of eatery, why should I, as home owner, have to subsidize your costs?
How is this different than uninvolved home owners getting gouged to subsidize Jaxson Lab$ or Marco Apartheid Academy?
RayPray writes:
"would you also explain how you as a home owner are subsidizing them?"
Business refuses to pay the cost of water services. Does the city forget these costs? No, they shift them to somebody else. Namely, me.
"You really have a big problem with the American enterprise system."
Do you mean the Free Enterprise System or the Jax$son Lab$ or Marco Apartheid Academy system, where "profits" or benefits -- however measures -- are private but costs and losses are socialized to the rest of us?
"Are you from a Communist country by any chance? You seem to despise anyone who goes into business to make a profit."
Could be. See here:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/...
"Even your adored Socialist...."
His name is Ron Paul....
newsyoucanuse writes:
Let's not forget the real issue... This small restaurant having to pay a $64,000 impact fee is INSANE!!!!
They're in a shopping center that has already paid the impact fee, and they don't even use the city sewer service. There is no new "impact" going on here to demand an such an enormous impact fee. This is either extortion, or just a complete lack of common sense.
Chefs Express added 30 seats (which adds up to around 7-8 tables probably), then got slapped with a $64,000 dollar impact fee because of it. Could they just get rid of the tables and not have to pay the fee?
Could restaurants save money by going table-free? Asking customers to stand while eating? Or lay down blankets and have picnics on the floor? The future of the Marco Island restaurant industry is here.
RayPray writes:
If you choose to go into the eatery business anywhere, you have to accept the challenges. That goes with the profits.
"The future of the Marco Island restaurant industry is here."
Seriously, there are twice as many luncheonettes on the island as are needed. Most with stunted culinary imagination.
If either of these places should throw in the towel, how tough hard it be to find someplace else to give you a sandwich or a pizza?
blogsmog writes:
I find so much irony in your post, it makes me giddy. You condodwellers bought hook line and sinker into the promises of Aceri et al,..fools!. You've made your bed, now lay in it.
newsyoucanuse writes:
This issue is more than just a normal challenge a restaurant should have to accept. This is an insane tax forcing them out of business. What's going on here is wrong.
Yes, there are plenty of places to eat, but let supply and demand decide which restaurants survive... not some ridiculous impact fee.
newsyoucanuse writes:
Yea, maybe that STRP stuff was a scam, but that doesn't mean that this restaurant deserves to be scammed also.
I doubt these owners are trying to become filthy rich off this restaurant, or take advantage of the towns utilities. They're just trying to own a small restaurant... but they're being bullied by the city.
Business on Marco should be encouraged. Why would anyone want to start a business around here in this type of environment? There's no incentive. Homeowners around here have to make up for the lack of business/tax revenue.
The city should work with local businesses and want them to succeed. They shouldn't tax them to death, and then collect nothing at all when the place goes out of business.
RayPray writes:
"Forget Ron Paul for now and lay some facts on us!"
Business has revenue.
Business has costs.
Profit = Revenue - Cost.
Luncheonette wants Revenue.
Luncheonette doesn't wants Costs.
Luncheonette gets bright idea!!!
Bloviate a lot about: "Business on Marco should be encouraged."
Shift costs to homeowners!!!
"Why would anyone want to start a business around here in this type of environment?"
Why indeed?
Since I neither patronize now own a stake in this luncheonette, why should I welcome their socializing their costs to me.
Hey, shut down.
Plenty of other lunch joints around for those who forgot how to make a sandwich or open a bag of chips.
cmonmanreally writes:
O'kay. Enough is enough on this uber-gay topic. What about all of the other restaurants who have gone through something similar!?! Who's taping money to their doors? 1st, Chef's food is mediocre. 2nd, their location sucks. 3rd, Craig Woodward is as crooked and sleezy as they come. He is the reason why the City is faced with negative, unwarranted press. But, oh that's right, Mr. Woodward is a stereotypical, slimy, conniving, egocentric, d-bag lawyer. Thanks for your part in ruining a part of the paradise in this great community, Craig. Chef's, change your menu so its worth becoming a patron.
happy6 writes:
it's simple....you open/expand you pay the fee....period....they knew this all along....no way they added on to the establishment and did not know wht the fees were...they should whine to the owner they rent from...the city is right....charge 'em/.
RayPray writes:
"Craig Woodward is as...sleezy as they come...."
Danz with the Starz Craig is also one of the brains behind the vacant Marco Museum with no exhibits, no visitors, and no actual reason to exist.
This was supposed to be self-funding waste of parking space -- but Craig got our clueless City Council to dumping out tax $$$ into.
Fossil writes:
The first thing that comes out of a libratarian when he hears taxes or fees being imposed is that a Communist or Socialist must be behind it somewhere (even though the last communists on the planet likely number only 3, we've turned the Chinese (rabid capitalists) and Russians (Organized criminal enterprises), the Cubans are wheeling and dealing with Canada and everyone but us and the N. Koreans are simply crazy and hungry, not true Communists). Unfortunately, most resturants are started up by people who are chasing a dream with little knowledge about running a business. Restaurants come and go on Marco Island all the time. As for the costs charged by the City to a small business starting up, these costs should not be prohibitive. Perhaps the City should hire an outside consultant to determine what these impact fees should be. After all the City appears to be found of outsourcing the decision making process as to the fees being charged residents. Why not for our small business community too? The City Council must be reflective and consider the impact of a new enterprise or expansion but also on the City as a whole or their position and cityhood itself will be undermined by the lack of new business and growth. What is the point of killing the golden goose? Small business should be encouraged to develop and grow but not at the expense of the rest of the population, they should only be charged actual impact costs their operations cause, not some arbitrary costs that Rony Joel has established. Delay imposition of impact fees and record utility usage and infrastructure costs resulting during one year of operations for that business. Then charge a fee that is appropriate. As for the condo owner lamenting his projected increases, I can only laugh. Did he vote for the pro STRP candidates? Was this because he believed only the new customers would have to pay to maintain the STRP? You were sold a bill of goods by Mike Minnozzi, Glen Tucker, John Asceri and M. Lazerus et al. Your condo manager held meetings and told you how to vote. Fire your condo manager if you are angry, don't blame the home owners. They didn't want the STRP, they voted against it. Too bad we didn't wait for the stimulas money, Obama could have paid for the STRP along with our new bridge. Better the snow birds pay for our infrastructure who use it more then we do. Nice bridge by the way.
marcosandflea writes:
I wonder how many of the "condo folks" realise how big a mistake they made by supporting the pro-STRP candidates.
In fact, as candidates for city council all they had was that they wanted to finish the screwing of the residents by Arceri and Moss and Joel.
It's sad, now that the true facts are emerging that Butch Neylon, who gave us the truth didn't get elected instead of the mental giants Waldack and Gibson.
marcosandflea writes:
Perhaps the "lemmings" that live in the condos will be more careful with their votes in the future.
But then again, that stupidity is coming back to bite them on the butt.
blogsmog writes:
is it fair to say - the uninformed condodweller voter really did screw this island over with voting for the Aceri 'slate' candidates?
marcosandflea writes:
The condo voters were informed by their condo managers, who were informed by the Arceri gang..enough said?
It is history and it is over, but still very sad for Marco and most of it's residents.
ajm3s writes:
What we are witnessing are the consequences of having the most inept financial management of STRP (I will refrain from listing all the names) coupled with the past Council determination that all the existing septic systems were contaminating the bay and had to be condemned. Which in my opinion was not substantiated with higher COD and TSS readings attributable to Marco Island. Remember the flow of all contaminants that start upstream eventually work their way to the rookeries from distant lands. Marco Island is the last stop before meeting the tidal influences.
Now we have a site of concentrated waste, hopefully it is being professionally managed.
Moving forward, the folks that were forced to connect were smarter than the city financial planners of revenue; with the options made available, it was a no-brainer to pay your sewer impact fee only when you sell your property. See time is money, except the city forgot that time was money not in their hands. Opps, imagine citizens smarter than the City Financial Officer.
And this done under the "professional" management of a City Manager with "credentials". From my limited perspective, the city manager with the most limited education resume (interim city manager Mr. Souza) was on the right track and perhaps had a grasp on the ailments but alas was not deemed capable when compared to the likes of a Mr. Thompson pedigree.
See history matters. Let us not forget the lessons learned going forward for all other major expenditures on this island.
So the Charter School costs matter, the development of Veterans Park matters, lawsuits matter, hiring incompetence matters, expanding safety budgets matters. I guess everything matters when you are where we are now. So how about we just cut across the board. This way we can all complain together.
Now that is what I call bringing a city together.
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.