August 10, 2022 / Issue #2022-32

PROJECTS AROUND TOWN

First new "Welcome to Fort Myers Beach" sign is up at the base of the Matanzas Pass Bridge.

It is part of the "refresh our logo identity plan" approved in 2020.

Second sign is scheduled to replace the old sign by Big Carlos Pass Bridge on the South end of the island in the near future.

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.

Thanks to Lee County's Solid Waste Department
for sponsoring this event.

List of acceptable items

Estero Boulevard between Crescent Street and Fifth Street to close overnight on August 18

Deangelis Diamond Construction, the contractor for Margaritaville, will be installing a pedestrian bridge spanning Estero Boulevard on the night of Thursday, August 18, 2022.

This operation will require full closure of Estero Boulevard between Crescent Street and Fifth Street for six hours starting at midnight and ending by 6 a.m. on Friday, August 19, 2022.

Overnight traffic will be detoured along Crescent and under the bridge. Traffic will be able to come on and off the island during installation.

Find this information at Lee County DOT’s Road Watch.

Visit Bay Oaks and the FMB Community Pool during these new hours

Enjoy the pool's new obstacle course

Fun for all ages and the entire family!

Swimmers can play and exercise on the inflatable obstacle course and even race one another. Visitors must be able to swim on their own to use the course. The course has a tunnel for swimmers to either go through or climb, a trampoline, and a slide to cool off afterwards.

The course will be set up in the pool on these dates:
August 29^-September 5
September 26 - October 2
October 24 - October 30
November 21 - November 27
December 26 - January 2

NEW! Obstacle course at the FMB Community Pool on select dates

PLEASE NOTE: The FMB Pool will be CLOSED for required maintenance on Tuesday, Aug. 16 and Wednesday, Aug. 17. It will reopen on Thursday, Aug. 18, at 9 a.m.

It's sea turtle nesting season

50 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.

Several turtle hatchling disorientations have happened recently on FMB. Please do your part to save the sea turtles!

1) Draw your curtains after sunset
2) Turn off unnecessary lights
3) Use the proper long wavelength lights that are downward directed and shielded from the beach.

Sea Turtle Nests are hatching on Fort Myers Beach. Unfortunately, some of them are going the wrong way due to lights from houses, condos, and resorts.

The hatchling in this picture and others were found under condos and houses after being disoriented by the property's lights. Some were rescued but many likely perished due to predators, exhaustion, and dehydration.

It is so important that visitors and owners draw their curtains at sunset to shield interior lights that can cause disorientations of sea turtle hatchlings. Cooling sand after the sun goes down cues the hatchlings to emerge.

The Town also requests property owners and managers on the beach to turn off unnecessary lights and/or convert exterior lights to long wavelength bulbs in downward directed fixtures that shield the bulbs from the beach. Long wavelength light is on the ROY side of Rainbow’s ROYGBIV, whereas white light contains the entire spectrum.

Loggerhead Turtles are protected by the Endangered Species Act, Florida’s Marine Turtle Protection Act, and The Town of Fort Myers Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Code. The Town considers disorientation of sea turtle hatchlings from man-made lights as an irreparable and irreversible violation with a fine of up to $5,000.

Fort Myers Beach

Distance: 7 miles

Nests: 108
NNE*: 156
Nests Hatched: 50

*NNE stands for Non Nesting Emergence which means that the turtle crawled ashore but did not nest.
Bonita Beach (2 miles long) 283 nests; 130 Hatched

It's hurricane season

Stay prepared

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

August is water professionals month

Please take a moment to show our Utilities Department staff your appreciation next time you see them!

First row from left to right: Utility Technician, Kory Keel;
Customer Service Clerk, Roxanne Frank; Utilities Director, Christy Cory; Customer Service Clerk, Deborah Hite and Technician, Warren Rood.
Second row: Utilities Manager, Sarah Lisenko; Technicians, Chris Rowe
and Vince Marchese.

Plants along Estero Boulevard keep growing and blooming

THANK YOU

for all your help in keeping trash cans away from plants and for not using fertilizers.
Inappropriate
fertilization of your property greatly affects neighboring areas.

lost and found at Town Hall M-F 8:30-4:30

Weekly Events August 11, through August 20

August 2022 Calendar

Summer lecture series continues in September

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.

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

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".

The Utilities Department proudly presents the Town's annual drinking water report for 2021, covering all drinking water testing performed between January 1 and December 31.

We are dedicated to providing drinking water that meets all state and federal standards and to adopting new methods of delivering the best quality drinking water to your homes and businesses.

Please call us if you have any questions about your drinking water.
239-463-9914 (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

Read the report online or visit Town Hall at 2525 Estero Boulevard
to pick up a copy.

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)

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 of Fort Myers Beach YouTube channel. Live meetings can be watched on Comcast Channel 98

View the meeting calendar on the Town's website

Upcoming meetings

Monday, August 15 / 9:00 a.m.

Town Council Meeting

Tuesday, August 16 / 9:00 a.m.

Public Safety Committee (PSC) Meeting

Wednesday, August 17 / 9:00 a.m.

Anchorage Advisory Committee (AAC) Meeting

Thursday, August 18 / 11:00 a.m.

Special Magistrate Hearings

*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.

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.

ITB-22-26-UT Tier 1 Side Streets Water and Stormwater Improvements
The scope of the project includes but is not limited to: the installation of potable water, stormwater improvements and potentially wastewater infrastructure improvements as well as road and right-of-way restoration along Town owned streets

Currently under review:

There are no bid opportunities currently under review.