July 20, 2022 / Issue #2022-29

Hatchling tracks in the sand

It's sea turtle nesting season

Eleven nests on FMB have hatched!

Turtle hatchlings are starting to emerge from their nests! PLEASE do your part to keep the beach dark so they make it safely across the sand to the Gulf - close curtains at dusk, turn off outside lights that are not turtle-safe, do not use flashlights or phone lights on the beach, fill in holes on the beach and remove items from the beach.

WE ALL - residents, visitors, property owners, business owners - have responsibilities in this season to keep the beach safe for nesting turtles and their hatchlings.

FILL IN HOLES ON THE BEACH!

It's fun to dig holes in the sand at the beach, but please fill them in before you leave.

Holes are a hazard for turtles as they journey from the water to a spot on the beach to lay their eggs, and as the hatchlings go to the water after they leave the nest.

Holes are also a safety hazard for people who are walking on the beach.

Read the entire list of responsibilities we all have during sea turtle nesting season.

Learn more: www.turtletime.org
Visit the sea turtle section on the Town's website

PLEASE DO NOT USE FLASHLIGHTS OR PHONE LIGHTS ON THE BEACH

During the nightly patrols that Town staff have been conducting to monitor sea turtle nesting regulations, dozens of white flashlights and phone lights have been observed. These lights disorient nesting sea turtles and their hatchlings.

Town staff have been distributing long wavelength flashlights to beachgoers provided by the Marine and Environmental Resources Task Force (MERTF) to educate about the lights that are permissible.

Fort Myers Beach

Distance: 7 miles

Nests: 105
NNE*: 146
Nests Hatched: 11

*NNE stands for Non Nesting Emergence which means that the turtle crawled ashore but did not nest.
Bonita Beach (2 miles long) 275 nests; 36 Hatched

Have you lost something on the beach or in one of the public areas of the Town?

We might have it! Town Hall has a lost and found bin that you can check during business hours, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Address is 2525 Estero Boulevard.

The bin had some unique things in it.
Like this Army retirement certificate dated 1989 found a year or so ago.

Hurricane season has started

Stay prepared

Hurricane Season is June 1 to November 30 - Be READY!

Donate blood at Diamondhead July 28

Receive a limited-edition tote bag along with a wellness check up

Donated blood goes to help save the lives of patients at these facilities:

Lee Memorial Hospital
HealthPark Medical Center
Golisano Children's Hospital of SW Flonida
Gulf Coast Medical Center
Cape Coral HospitaI
Level II Trauma Center at Lee Memorial Hospital
Regional Cancer Center at the Sanctuary

To donate blood you must:

Weigh at least 115 lbs.
Be at least 17 years old or 16 years old with parental consent
Be in generaI good health - no colds, flu, sore throat, etc.
Have photo ID with date of birth if new donor

You will receive these vital health checks at no cost:

Pulse Rate
Blood Pressure
Body Temperature
Hemoglobin (iron level)
Blood Type
Cholesterol level

Just one single pint of blood can help save the lives of several people.
Your donation can be separated into its different components: the
platelets may go to a child with leukemia, the plasma to a patient with a clotting problem, and the red blood cells to an accident victim.

Questions about donating blood?
Call 239-343-2333

Florida Power & Light will be trimming trees and vegetation in the areas marked in red on the below map in the coming weeks.

This work will be performed by Lewis Tree Service, a qualified line-clearing contractor.

For neighborhood trimming, residents will be notified in advance of any associated work occurring on their properties.

Trees and vegetation are a leading cause of outages, especially during hurricanes and severe weather.

Visit fpl.com/trees to learn more about power line safety and the line-clearing program.

Thanks for recycling FMB!

Lee County Solid Waste has announced that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) has named Lee County Solid Waste Florida’s top recycling county for 2021.

The amount of material Lee County residents recycled in 2021 would be enough to fill 168 football fields with material 70 feet high – as high as the highest point on the Sanibel Causeway.

Lee County received credit for recycling 1.6 million tons of the total 2.61 million tons of waste generated locally, according to numbers that FDEP recently released. This brings the county’s recycling rate to 81%.

This is the sixth time Lee County has led the state in recycling since Florida began tracking in 2000. Strong participation by both residents and businesses has enabled Lee County to meet and exceed the state’s 75% recycling goal every year since 2017.

FDEP recycling credits are acquired for items such as curbside recycling by residents as well as business recycling of materials such as cardboard, yard waste, scrap metal and construction and demolition debris.

Lee County also receives recycling credit for energy produced from garbage processed at the Waste-to-Energy plant in Buckingham.

Visit www.leegov.com/solidwaste for more information.

FREE Hazardous Waste Collection event

Wednesday, August 17
8 a.m. to Noon
Bay Oaks Recreational Campus, 2731 Oak Street

This drive through and drop off event is FREE and open to Fort Myers Beach residents.

List of acceptable items

IMPORTANT information from Lee County Utilities

(The Town’s water comes from Lee County)

Chlorine flush will end on Thursday, July 21

The free chlorine flush, which began July 1, is a routine measure common among water utilities that use chloramines as a primary disinfectant.

The end of the free chlorine flush will involve converting the disinfection process from a free chlorine residual back to chloramines as the primary disinfectant. Although the conversion of disinfection begins on July 21, it will take about one week for the service area to be converted from a free chlorine residual to chloramines.

Questions?
Contact the Lee County Utilities Office during regular business hours
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
239-533-8845

Mound House garden recognized as
Certified Wildlife Habitat

The National Wildlife Federation recently recognized the garden at Mound House as a Certified Wildlife Habitat for providing sustainable practices, food, water, and places to raise young. Stop by for a visit to the Mound House and enjoy our garden. Learn more about the impacts of wildlife gardens.

Weekly Events July 21, through July 30

July Events

July 2022 Calendar

Summer lecture series continues in August and September featuring birds, bugs and butterflies

The iconic Mound House, one of Southwest Florida’s most-beloved historic attractions that traces its roots to the ancient Calusa of over 2,000 years ago, is inaugurating a new Summer Lecture Series.

The series is for adults only with a wine and refreshments reception at 5:30 p.m. and the lectures from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Due to limited seating, advance registrations are necessary by the Monday before each lecture. Make reservations by calling 239-765-0865. Cost is $7 for Mound House members and $12 for non-members.

August 9
Reservations due by August 8
Adam Knight, Museum Educator
The Creatures of the Mound House: From Birds to Bugs

September 13
Reservations due by September 12
Yvette Carrasco, Environmental Educator
Butterflies by the Bay

www.moundhouse.org

Summer lecture series at Mound House Adam Knight speaking rancho reality july 13 2022

Adam Knight, Museum Educator, presented the first lecture in the summer series on July 13 to a full house. The topic was "Rancho Reality: US Latino Settlement in SWFL".

Exploring Mexico's Archaeology, Birds, and Butterflies

Tuesday, July 26, 5:30pm
Mound House
451 Connecticut Street

Penny Jarrett, Education Coordinator, will talk about her recent travels to Mexico and an amazing trip Mound House is offering in conjunction with Holbrook Travel.

Reservations are required
Cost is $7 for members and $12 for non-members

Make reservations by calling 239-765-0865.

Mexico Trip Summary
Beyond the tourist resorts of Mexico, awaits a fascinating world of history, archaeology, culture, and natural wonders. Our trip to Mexico starts in Mérida, the Capital of the Yucatán, a city culturally rich with both Maya and colonial heritage. While in the Yucatán, we will visit the Maya sites of Uxmal, a UNESCO Heritage Site, and Mayapán, an important city during the final centuries of the Maya civilization. The geology of the Yucatán is unique and a visit to the Geohidrológica Anillo de Cenotes will provide an opportunity to see sinkholes created from a meteor impact 65 million years ago and take a refreshing swim.

A must-do while in the Yucatán, and on our itinerary, is visiting the Celestún Biosphere Reserve, which encompasses 146,000 acres, and is home to 304 bird species including thousands of flamingos. Boat rides and walking trails will offer splendid views at various times of the day.

From Mérida, we will fly to Mexico City and spend two days visiting the archaeological sites of Teotihuacan and Tenochtitlan, National Museum of Anthropology, and UNAM Botanical Garden while staying in the popular district of Zócalo.

Traveling west into the central highlands of Michoacán, we will have the opportunity to witness one of nature’s amazing wonders – the wintering grounds of the monarch butterfly where millions of these butterflies arrive from across the eastern US and Canada.

Traveling back to Mexico City, it will be time to return home with abundant memories and photographs sure to last a lifetime.

butterflies in mexico taken by penny jarrett

Environmental education pop-up booth hosted by the Marine and Environmental Resources Task Force

Representatives from the Town's Marine and Environmental Resources Task Force (MERTF) are hosting a pop-up educational booth at various locations around Town throughout the month.

Visit the Marine and Environmental Resources Task Force page on the Town's website for the current schedule

Community members interested in serving as volunteers to advise and support the work of Town government are encouraged to apply for current openings on the Town's advisory boards and committees.

The Town’s boards and committees exist to advise Town Council about Bay Oaks Recreational Campus, the Matanzas Pass Mooring Field, Mound House, Newton Beach Park, finances, island preservation and history, marine resources, anchorage, nuisance abatement, and public safety.

Available openings:

Bay Oaks Recreational Campus Advisory Board (BORCAB) (1)
Historic Preservation Advisory Committee (HPAC) (1)
Local Planning Agency (LPA) (1)
Public Safety Committee (PSC) (2)

Find out more about each of these committees and apply.

walk in appointments for questions about simple permits are tuesdays 9 to noon

ATTENTION BUILDING CONTRACTORS

Effective June 21, 2022: All new application submittals must be done through the Request Portal. Any new applications sent to buildingpermits@fmbgov.com will be returned.

Effective June 21, 2022: All inspections will need to be requested through the Permit Portal. If you need your access code, please email inspections@fmbgov.com

Effective September 22, 2022, all contractors registered with the Town MUST be a licensed contractor through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). Contractors licensed through the Lee County Contractor Licensing Board will not be allowed to register with the Town or apply for building permits.

Department of Business & Professional Regulation

Keep up on the schedule of Town Council and advisory committee meetings

All meetings are at Town Hall, 2525 Estero Boulevard

Live and recorded meetings can also be viewed on the
Town's YouTube channel and live meetings can be watched on Comcast Channel 98

View the meeting calendar on the Town's website

Upcoming meetings

Thursday, July 28 / 3:00 p.m.
Cultural and Environmental Learning Center Advisory Board (CELCAB) Meeting

Monday, August 1 / 9:00 a.m.
Town Council Meeting

*Meetings are subject to change.
Please refer to the agendas posted on the Town's Website.

Town Hall is open for walk-in service from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Appointments are strongly encouraged to minimize wait times. Call 239-765-0202 to schedule an appointment with the appropriate department.

NOTE: All employees in Town Hall might not yet be fully vaccinated against COVID.

Status of bids and proposals

The Town of Fort Myers Beach has partnered with DemandStar which is open and accessible to all businesses and gives instant access to RFPs, RFQs, and ITBs

Read more about bids and proposals

Currently open for bid:

RFP-22-21- FN Financial Auditing Services
The Town of Fort Myers Beach invites proposal submissions from a Professional Certified Public Accounting firm to provide auditing of financial statements for the fiscal year ending September 20, 2022, and the auditing of its financial statements for each of the two (2) subsequent fiscal years for the Town of Fort Myers Beach.

ITB-22-22-PR Fireworks Displays

The scope of the project includes but is not limited to: choreographing, programming, storing, wiring, and firing the display for events which will be specified by the Town beginning with New Year’s Eve Fireworks on December 31, 2022, at midnight. Contractor shall provide all qualified personnel, transportation, storage, locating equipment, and any other required materials to perform the services as required in accordance with the applicable laws.

Currently under review:

There are no bid opportunities currently under review.