Cape Coral mayor to attend council meetings virtually after surgery

Cape Coral Mayor John Gunter will attend council meetings virtually while recovering from surgery scheduled for Sept. 16, ensuring he remains an active voter during his recovery. “I will miss the 16th since that's the day of my surgery. But for about three to four weeks after that, I would ask that I could participate remotely in the meetings. If I happen to rehabilitate a little quicker than anticipated, then I'll be back sooner,” Gunter said. District 4 Councilmember Jennifer Nelson Lastra explained that Mayor Pro Tem Bill Steinke will take on Gunter’s responsibilities during council meetings and events. “So if there are any events that absolutely require that we have our mayor there, that's where our mayor pro tem would step in and attend those events and be the face of the city on behalf of the mayor,” Nelson Lastra said. This is not the first time Steinke has stepped in for Gunter. Last month, Steinke led a council meeting in the mayor’s absence. “Our council will continue to remain working as usual. We do have a mayor pro tem who will take the place of the mayor. He can lead the meetings. He can attend events on behalf of the mayor when the mayor's required. So for the public, as the public's concerned, we'll still conduct business,” Nelson Lastra said. While Gunter recovers, Steinke will run council meetings, but Gunter will still be able to vote on agenda items remotely. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.