June 15, 2022 / Issue #2022-24

Hurricane season has started

The time is NOW to get prepared

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

Reminder
It's sea turtle nesting season

Make sure blinds are closed at dusk and lights are not visible from the beach. Light can disorient turtles from nesting on the beach and hatchlings from travelling the correct direction toward the water.

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

Fort Myers Beach

Distance: 7 miles

Nests: 59
NNE*: 91
Nests Hatched:

*NNE stands for Non Nesting Emergence which means that the turtle crawled ashore but did not nest.
Bonita Beach (2 miles long) has 146 nests

New plants along Estero Boulevard are starting to grow

A few months ago, these plants – Perennial Peanut and Mimosa – were put in along Estero Boulevard from the Red Coconut to Publix. These plantings followed the completion of the long-term improvement project for the road, sidewalks, water and stormwater structures.

Perennial Peanut

Please help us keep them growing by not putting trash cans on top of them, or fertilizing them, or using something to kill weeds. Sometimes the plants themselves might look like weeds, but they are not.

Mimosa

The Public Works Department tends to these areas.

Inappropriate fertilization of your property greatly affects surrounding areas. There are noticeable damages to plants neighboring with
plant free properties.

IMPORTANT information from Lee County Utilities

(The Town’s water comes from Lee County)

Lee County Utilities will be temporarily converting its disinfectant process from chloramines to free chlorine residual from July 1 through July 21, 2022.

This is a routine measure that is typical for water utilities using chloramines as its primary disinfectant.

Anyone who uses a kidney dialysis machine at home should contact his or her equipment supplier so the proper filtering equipment may be installed.

Tropical fish or aquatic animal owners should contact a local tropical fish store for appropriate pretreatment of water before adding water to tanks.

Customers may notice a temporary change in the taste, odor, and color of the water, which is not harmful.

This is a routine measure to ensure customers have clean, safe, potable water.

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

Mantanzas Pass Mooring Field is "Boaters' Choice"

Marinas.com has designated the Town's Mooring Field with “Elite Fleet Tier Status” through its Boaters’ Choice recognition program.

According to Marinas.com, the facilities that make this list “represent the marinas that went above and beyond to delight boaters in 2021, maintaining an average star rating of at least 4.7 and receiving at least 10 reviews.”

Be in the July 4th parade!

Apply

What to know about the Town's July 4th celebrations

We are planning two events on Monday, July 4, 2022, to celebrate Independence Day

PARADE - 10 a.m.

The route starts at the intersection of Bay Oaks and Estero Boulevard and travels along Estero Boulevard through the Downtown District and back.
The streets and the Matanzas Pass Bridge will be closed from about 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Public parking at Bay Oaks and the Library is not permitted from 7:30 a.m. until noon due to those areas being used for staging.

FIREWORKS - 9 p.m.

Planned to last for 20 minutes with the fireworks launching from the pier at Times Square.
Matanzas Pass Bridge will be closed to oncoming traffic around 9 p.m. until 11:30 p.m.
Traffic and the demand for parking is expected to be heavy for both events, especially in the downtown/Times Square/Pier areas.
Several hundred public parking spaces are operated by the Town and there are some paid commercial parking lots.
Parking in the right of way or on private property (unless it is a designated parking area) is not permitted.

IMPORTANT
Personal displays of fireworks are not permitted anywhere in the Town, including the beach.

General tips:

Pay for parking in Town spaces with the Passport parking app or at www.ppprk.com.
Visit the Town’s website to see the percentage of available Town-operated spaces, which is updated three times a day by the Beach and Street Enforcement (BASE) team.
Park at the Lee County Park and Ride lot on Pine Ridge Road and ride the Trolley from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Watch the fireworks from one of the Town's 29 beach accesses that are spread along Estero Boulevard toward the South end of the Island, many of which have parking.
Town parking is available at Newton Beach Park at 4562 Strandview Avenue (mid Island) and the park has great beach access with restrooms, showers, Tiki Huts, picnic tables, and an accessible ramp for wheelchair use.
Reserve a spot at Matanzas Pass Mooring Field and enjoy the show from your vessel in Estero Bay.
Big Carlos Pass Bridge on the south end of Estero Island will remain open.
Stay tuned to the Town’s Facebook and Twitter for updates.
To keep everyone and property safe as well as to protect the natural beach environment, PERSONAL FIREWORKS ARE NOT PERMITTED ANYWHERE IN THE TOWN, INCLUDING THE BEACH.
GLASS AND BOTTLES ARE NOT PERMITTED ON THE BEACH.
PLEASE USE TRASH CANS TO DISPOSE OF TRASH.

Weekly Events June 16 through June 25

June Events July Events

June 2022 Calendar

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.

July 12
Reservations due by July 11
Adam Knight, Mound House Museum Educator
Rancho Reality: Latino History at the Mound House

August 9
Reservations due by August 8
Bobby Feldman, Mound House Curator of Education
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

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Did you know? If you are fishing for sharks from the shore or keeping sharks caught from the shore, which includes jetties, bridges, and piers, you are required to pass an online educational course.

Once completed, you will be prompted to go to FWC’s online licensing system, where you will need to get the no-cost, Shore-Based Shark Fishing Permit (must be renewed annually). You are not required to have this permit if you are fishing for sharks from a vessel.

The permit is required for all shore-based shark anglers age 16 and older, including those 65 and older who are normally exempt from needing a fishing license.

The permit is also required if you are 16 and older and plan to fish from shore for any species of fish and will be:

Fishing with a metal leader more than 4 feet long
Using a fighting belt/harness
Deploying bait by any means other than casting (kayaking for example) while using a hook that is 1 ½ inches or larger at the widest inside distance.

Anglers younger than 16 are not required to obtain the permit but are required to take the online educational course unless they are fishing with someone else who holds a Shore-based Shark Fishing Permit.

More information

REGISTER NOW for these fun and unique summer camps coming to Mound House in July

Operated by Super Science and Amazing Art from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, three camp days each week will be at Mound House and two camp days will be at Newton Beach Park.

Campers will enjoy kayaking on the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve from the Mound House launch and swimming in the Gulf at Newton Beach Park. They will also enjoy theme-oriented organized camp activities, outside games, and nature, history and museum exploration.

Early drop off and late pickup may be possible based on instructor availability. Campers will need to bring snacks, lunches and water bottles each day in addition to towels and changes of clothes. Each camp week has room for a minimum of six and a maximum of 15 participants.

To register:

Visit www.SuperScienceFL.com

Call 239-682-2780

Email tori@SuperScienceFL.com

SCHOLARSHIPS are available!

Email tori@SuperScienceFL.com
Thanks to the generosity of the
Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation
and the
Fort Myers Beach Kiwanis Club

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 (1)
Local Planning Agency (1)
Public Safety Committee (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

Monday, June 20 - Town Hall CLOSED in Observance of Juneteenth Independence Day

Friday, June 24 / 11:45 a.m.
Joint CELCAB and BORCAB Meeting

Tuesday, June 30 / 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.

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:

There are no open bid opportunities currently open.

Currently under review:

There are no bid opportunities currently under review.