Residents say city vendors were warned after a caller questioned an invoice; council enforces decorum rules during heated public input

Public comment at the Oct. 8 Cape Coral City Council meeting included allegations that the city issued a cease-and-desist letter and a vendor fraud-alert after a resident called a vendor to ask about a redacted invoice.

Anne Berchtold and other residents who spoke during citizen input said the caller, identified in public comment as Julia Atari, did not identify herself as a city employee when she contacted a fencing supplier to question why portions of an invoice had been redacted. "She identified herself as Julia Atari. Apparently, claims have been made that she identified herself as a city employee. And I'm here to state that that is an absolute miss — it's a lie," Berchtold said, asking that Atari receive a public apology.

Multiple speakers, including Christian Pinnate and David Kalish, said they were present for the phone call and supported Atari's account. "I was there when Julia made that phone call... At no point did she state or imply she was a city employee," Atari said at the podium. Atari also requested a public records list of vendors who received the city's fraud-alert notification and asked for the cost of sending the notice.

A city communication referenced in the meeting — distributed to local vendors — described a fraud alert and cautioned recipients about calls from people identifying themselves as city employees. Speakers said the text of that vendor notification implied wrongdoing by the caller and that the city should have contacted Atari to seek her side before sending the notice. "She deserves an apology, a public one," Berchtold said. Another critic said the vendor never asked whether Atari was a city employee and that the vendor's account apparently led the city to take action without interviewing Atari.

Mayor Gunther reminded the audience that council rules prohibit disruptive conduct during meetings and asked attendees to refrain from interrupting speakers. He read excerpts of the council’s decorum rules and warned that people disrupting the meeting could be asked to leave.

Separately, several speakers made other requests during citizens input, including an environmental restoration group that asked for temporary space at boat ramps for staging protective devices used in eelgrass restoration projects. The city manager said staff will work with the group to prepare a permissive-use license for council consideration.

The council did not take any formal action regarding the cease-and-desist matter during the meeting; speakers requested staff follow-up and a public apology for the resident who received the notice.