Page 13 - August 2016 Life In Naples Magazine

next Council meeting when she got up to speak I got up as well PRIVATE PERSONAL TRAINING
and went into the back room behind Council chambers. There IN PERSONAL TRAINING SUITES
was a speaker back there so I heard everything that was being
said and after she finished speaking I would come back out and GET MOTIVATED...GET BALANCED
sit down. Well after a few meetings I got up one day when she
got up to speak and no sooner had I entered the back room I Let’s get together!
heard her say to the Mayor: “I’m not speaking until Mr. Barnett
comes back out here.” PERSONAL TRAINING GETS RESULTS

Well Mayor Putzell said to her “Ms. Smith, the time clock is • Lose Weight
running, it’s your choice.” She spoke and I came back out when • Build Your Strength and Core
she was finished. • Tone Up and Firm your Body
• Gain Balance for Safety
I have to tell you that at that time I had only been married • Improve Your Posture
a short time to my wife Chris and for those of you that know • Metabolic Testing/Nutritional Counseling
Chris she was and still is as nice a person as you would ever
want to meet. So I get home that night and she very calmly Health.. Wellness.. Success
and in her own way said to me that Sue Smith had a sincere
passion for everything she said and that I needed to understand At FT you will get experienced trainers and a Dr. of
that and stop being rude and disrespectful to Ms. Smith. She Physical Therapy who can advise you specifically to
also said I was a better person than that and I needed to realize
that I was an elected official and what I was doing would not go meet your needs!
over well with the people that supported me. Well, I heeded her
prudent advice although candidly it was difficult for me, because Call Us Today!
I was absolutely full of myself.The years went by and Sue Smith 239.263.9348
and I were never best friends but we had a mutual respect for
each other. During my prior Mayoral years I tried my best to 335 14th Avenue South, Naples, FL 34102
accommodate her and if she had questions that needed to be fitnesstogether.com/naples
answered I saw to it that she received answers. She remained
steadfast with her passion about what she believed in her was
in the City’s best interests and although I probably disagreed
with her more than I agreed but I never forgot what Chris
had said to me. Sue Smith would come to my office frequently
during my term from 2008-12 and my administrative assistant
at the time Michael had built a friendship with her and found
out quite by accident that she liked M&Ms, so we always kept
some in a bowl for her visits. I guess it’s true about the saying of
time has a way of healing old wounds because she and I actually
developed a cordial relationship these last few years.

At a recent Council meeting there was a presentation from
the Naples Historical Society talking about preservation of
Historical Homes in Old Naples where she had lived for the
last 45 plus years and Sue Smith got up and vehemently stated
they could do what they liked, but in no way was she going to
sign up for what they were offering. She called me at my office
the next day and made me promise her that I would keep her
in the loop with regard to the above and to please call her if I
received any further information. I promised her I would.

Sue B. Smith passed away on June 18th. I wish I could take
back my rudeness that I displayed in 1986, but I hope that as
time passed on that behavior passed on as well. I will truly miss
her; she certainly had a passion that was inspiring.

My next article will be in November and I will bring you
up to date on City issues. Remember to check out the City’s
website at Naplesgov.com it is really an informative site with
plenty of information about our City.

I do respond to e-mail at mayorbill@naplesgov.com.

Life in Naples | August • September • October 2016 13