April 24, 2023 / Issue #2023-1

The Town's weekly digital newsletter is BACK!

#FMBStrong #FMBRebuild

#WeAreFMB #WeAreFMBResilient

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

WELCOME OUR NEW TOWN MANAGER

At the April 17 Town Council meeting, Councilors approved a contract with Andrew Hyatt to become the new Town Manager of Fort Myers Beach starting Monday, May 1, 2023.

The terms of this initial contract are for two years with options for extensions later based on performance.

Hyatt has more than 26 years of management and leadership experience in both the private and public sectors, with 18 of those years in municipal government and 13 years as a Town or City manager. His experience has been gained in municipalities throughout Florida and Tennessee. Most recently, he was the Town Manager for the Town of Surfside, Florida, guiding it through the aftermath of the Champlain Towers South Building collapse in 2021.

His experience also includes administrator roles in Jacksonville, Deerfield Beach, and Neptune Beach in Florida, and East Ridge, Fairview, and Etowah in Tennessee. He was also the Texas State Director for K9s for Warriors in San Antonio, Texas.

Hyatt has an Associate’s degree in general business from Cleveland State Community College in Cleveland, Tennessee. From the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, he has a Bachelor’s degree in political science and a Master’s degree in public administration. He earned credentials in city management through the International City Manager Association (ICMA) in January of 2019, and is certified in the National Incident Management System (NIMS).

“We are excited to welcome Andy to Fort Myers Beach and are looking forward to benefitting from his leadership and expertise as we continue to recover and rebuild from Hurricane Ian,” said Mayor Dan Allers.

NEW FINANCE DIRECTOR

Joe Onzick began as the Financial Director for the Town of Fort Myers Beach on March 13, 2023.

Just prior to joining the Town, he served for 10 years as the Executive Director of Finance for Kane County, Illinois. In addition to that experience, he has a wealth of financial experience as a licensed CPA, controller, chief financial officer, software consultant, and analyst. He gained this experience at organizations in Illinois, including Nexgen Software Technologies, Friendship Village, and Aurora University.

Onzick has an MBA in Accounting from Aurora University and Bachelor’s of Science degree in mathematics from Wheaton College.

“We are pleased to welcome Joe to the Finance Director position that has been open since prior to Hurricane Ian,” said Interim Town Manager Keith Wilkins. “His experience, education and skills are impressive, and will guide us through the coming months and years as we continue to recover and rebuild.”

Onzick will be directing the other four members of the Town’s Finance Department through budgeting, assets management, reporting, accounting, and procurement. He will be the Town’s staff liaison to the Audit Committee.

“I have appreciated the welcome that the staff and residents of Fort Myers Beach have given to me, and I am excited for the work that we have to do together to restore the Town,” Onzick said.

BURN BAN STILL IN PLACE

FOR ALL OF LEE COUNTY

The county’s ordinance bans “outdoor burning ignition sources,” including campfires, bonfires and trash burning. Grills for food and backyard fire rings are not included. Officials ask all county residents to be mindful of dry conditions and to use good judgment to mitigate potential for significant wildfires.

Extended weather forecasts are for continuing dry conditions, and there is an elevated risk of wildfires from fallen trees in undeveloped lands due to Hurricane Ian.

The Florida Forest Service offers resident information

• Be Wildfire Ready

• Ready, Set, Go! Resources

Curbside debris removal service extended

for the Town's side streets until further notice

Although applications for private property debris removal are no longer accepted, the right of way debris removal service for hurricane-related debris has been extended until further notice.

This service has been provided by the State of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management (FDEM). This means that property owners who live on the Town’s side streets (not Estero Boulevard) can continue to place heavy storm-related debris curbside in the right of way for free pick up until notice is given otherwise.

Contractors with FDEM will continue to collect this debris. Lee County was responsible for debris pick up on Estero Boulevard and that service ended on March 1.

FDEM is no longer accepting applications from private and commercial property owners to remove eligible debris, vehicles, vessels, and other title property.

For information about an application submitted prior to the March 29 deadline, please call 850-961-2002, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Waterways debris removal contractors vetted by the Florida Division of Emergency Management have been cleaning Hurricane Ian debris from public waterways for several months. No deadline has yet been set for this work to end. Patience is appreciated as the waterway contractors move from canal to canal in different areas of Estero Island on different days.

Household trash pickup is operating on a regular schedule. For questions about pickups, contact Waste Management at 239-334-1224.

BEACH RECOVERY

The Town Is bringing sand to the Beach

The emergency berm project had previously been scheduled to begin in early March. However, delays in approvals from FEMA and consulting agencies have pushed the project timeline into the critical nesting season for turtles and shorebirds. It began a few weeks ago

To make sure that the project does not impact nesting turtles and shorebirds as well as the environment in general, the Town is committed to continuing to stay in close consultation with Turtle Time, Inc., the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) shorebird biologist, and the Audubon Society.

To learn more about this project, visit the Town’s website at www.fmbgov.com/beach.

Gary Grubbs - Berm Contractor; Amanda Stewart - Sand Mine Owner;

Jason Clarke - Berm Subcontractor; Chadd Chustz - Environmental Project Manager

Turtle season starts May 1

To help these protected species survive, please remember to:

Turn off unnecessary lights
Make outside lights turtle friendly:
- Long wavelength, wildlife friendly bulbs
- Downward directed fixtures
- Low to the ground
- Fully shielded from beach view
Block interior lights from beach view
- Use black out curtains
- Set an alarm to close the curtains at 9 p.m.
- Move interior lights away from windows
- Install windows with Light Transmittance rating of 30% or less
Clear the Path
- Remove beach furniture & other obstructions
- Fill in holes on the beach before leaving for the day

If you see a turtle on the beach, do not disturb it with lights or photos or noise. It is best to quietly back away and let her lay eggs and return to the ocean.

2022 Sea Turtle Conservation Flyer

For local sea turtle news and more info on how you can help, visit the Turtle Time website.

HURRICANE SEASON IS ONE MONTH AWAY

Start preparing now

Click on these links

Hurricane Season is Flood Season

HOW TO PREPARE

RESILIENT LEE COUNTY WANTS YOUR INPUT ABOUT REBUILDING EFFORTS

A Town Hall Meeting for Fort Myers Beach is set for Thursday, May 4, 2023, from 6 to 8 p.m.,

at DiamondHead Resort, 2000 Estero Boulevard.

Learn about Resilient Lee

In response to the massive and widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Ian, the Lee Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to form the Lee County Recovery Task Force (RTF) based on the FEMA National Disaster Recovery Framework.

This task force will help guide Lee County's use of the $1.1 billion in aid that the Department of Housing and Urban Development is providing for recovery from Hurricane Ian.

To educate the public and get input, the RTF is hosting a series of 16 town hall meetings through May 11.

This will be an opportunity to inform the public about the work of the Recovery Task Force and for the public to provide input on what is needed to repair and rebuild the communities in Lee County that were hit by Hurricane Ian.

Members of the public are welcome to attend any Town Hall meeting in any location.

Please attend to voice your opinions about what is needed to repair and rebuild Lee County after Hurricane Ian.

MOUND HOUSE IS OPEN

Grounds are open Monday through Saturday from 7:30am to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 7:30am to 3 p.m.

Museum and Museum Store are open Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Pickleball courts at Bay Oaks will be unavailable over the next few months as the gym and grounds are under reconstruction due to damage caused by Hurricane Ian. Exact dates will be posted when the construction timeline is finalized.

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

All meetings are now at DiamondHead Resort
2000 Estero Boulevard

Live and recorded meetings can also be viewed on the
Town of Fort Myers Beach YouTube channel.

View the meeting calendar on the Town's website

Upcoming meetings

Thursday, April 27 / 3 p.m.
Cultural and Environmental Learning Center Advisory Board (CELCAB) Meeting

Monday, May 1 / 9 a.m.
Town Council Meeting

Tuesday, May 2 / 9 a.m.
Bay Oaks Recreational Campus Advisory Board (BORCAB) Meeting

Thursday, May 4 / 9 a.m.
Town Council Management & Planning Session

*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 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:

ITB-23-12-PW Town Maintained Road and Sidewalk Repair

RFP-23-13-CR Partial Re Roofing of Mound House

RFP-23-14-PW Disaster Debris Monitoring

RFP-23-15-PW Disaster Debris Services

RFQ- 23-16-TC General Legal Representation

Under Review:

RFQ-23-11- TC General Legal Representation

ITB-22-26-UT Tier 1 Side Streets Water and Stormwater Improvements