June 29, 2022 / Issue #2022-26

IMPORTANT REMINDER 

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

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

The Town is planning two events on Monday, July 4, to celebrate Independence Day

The first event will be a PARADE that starts at 10 a.m.

• The route starts at Bay Road and Estero Boulevard and follows Estero Boulevard to Times Square.
• Estero Boulevard will be closed for the duration of the parade
• Matanzas Pass Bridge will be closed from about 9:30 a.m. to noon.
• Public parking at Bay Oaks and the Library is not permitted from 7:30 a.m. until noon due to the streets being used for parade staging.

1. FMB Fire Department
2. Town of FMB
3. Bill Weber and Mayor Ray Murphy
4. Freedom Roofing
5. King For Council
6. Margaritaville
7. Krewe of Sloth
8. Gulf Shore Mustang Club
9. Team First Responders
10. US Coast Guard
11. KMJ Auto Detailing
12. Ralph Novella
13. Lee County Sheriff’s Office

The second event will be a FIREWORKS display scheduled to start at 9 p.m.

• The show is planned to last for 20 minutes with the fireworks launching from the pier at Times Square.
• The 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. The Town has several hundred public parking spaces 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.  
  
  

 General tips

• Pay for parking in Town spaces with the Passport parking app or at www.ppprk.com.
• Visit the parking page on 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 FREE Lee County Park and Ride lot on Pine Ridge Road and ride the Trolley to Times Square - .
• 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.
• Big Carlos Pass Bridge on the south end of Estero Island will remain open.
• Stay tuned to the Town’s Facebook and Twitter for information and 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.

Looking for a parking space in the Town?

Text PARKING to 239-FMBeach

This will lead you to information about available Town-operated spaces. Availability is updated three times a day by the Beach and Street Enforcement (BASE) team. 

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. 

FDEP review of the beach renourishment project

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) has designated much of Estero Island as critically eroding beach. The Town is in the planning and permitting stages of a renourishment project to address the erosion, which is about 5.8 miles of shoreline.
 
This designation means that the erosion is threatening development, infrastructure, wildlife habitats and recreational interests. Shoreline that is technically not eroding, but is between two segments that are, can also be designated as critically eroding.
 
The Town is partnering with FDEP and the Lee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) for project funding. Field work on this project is anticipated to start in late summer of 2023. Sand placement is expected to take eight months. Long-term maintenance and nourishment will also be provided.
 
Recently, some property owners on the south end of Estero Island requested changes to this project. Specifically, some do not want the project to include their section of the beach as critically eroding. They do not want the protective dunes that would be created. Others want their section of the beach to be declared as critically eroding because a pond has developed that they want removed.

To address the homeowner’s wishes, the Town requested that FDEP review these areas and provide guidance. FDEP has done so and decided not to change its original designations of Estero Island’s critically eroding areas.

The Town’s original request to FDEP included the shoreline area between 6230 and 7150 Estero Boulevard to be designated as critically eroded. Recently, FDEP has denied this request. As a result, the ponding segment along this shoreline will not be eligible for state or TDC funding. (State and TDC funding are expected to cover about 85 percent of the eligible cost of the renourishment project.)
 
The balance of the renourishment project’s scope remains unchanged.

To learn more about the renourishment project, visit  Projects Around Town  and scroll to Estero Island Shoreline Protection Project. 

Hurricane season has started

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

PLEASE DO NOT USE FLASHLIGHTS OR PHONE LIGHTS ON THE BEACH

During the nightly patrols that Town officials 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 longwave flashlights to beachgoers provided by the Marine and Environmental Resources Task Force (MERTF) to educate about the lights that are permissible. 

Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL)
Post Storm Emergency Permitting for
Southwest Florida

WARNING

Have you seen a toad that looks like this?
Keep your pets away!

Please be aware that cane toads are invasive to our area and poisonous. They can be deadly if your pet bites or ingests them.

Euthanizing the toad humanely is permitted.

Learn more: https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/amphibians/cane-toad

New plants along Estero Boulevard are starting to grow and bloom 

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.

IMPORTANT information from Lee County Utilities

(The Town’s water comes from Lee County)

Weekly Events June 30, through July 9

 July Events

June - July Program Descriptions

July 2022 Calendar

Summer lecture series to feature
Latino history, 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.

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

Did you know that beyond the tourist resorts of Mexico awaits a fascinating world of history, archaeology, culture, and natural wonders? Our trip to Mexico starts in Merida, the Capital of the Yucatan, which is a city culturally rich with both Mayan and colonial heritage. While in the Yucatan we will visit the Mayan sites of Uxmal, a UNESCO Heritage Site, and Mayapan, an important city during the final centuries of the Maya civilization.

The geology of the Yucatan is unique and a visit to the Geohydrologic 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 Yucatan, and on our itinerary, is visiting the Celestun 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 Merida, we will fly to Mexico City and spend a couple of days visiting the Aztec sites of Teotihuacan and Tenochtitlan, National Museum of Anthropology, and UNAM Botanical Garden while staying in the popular district of Zocalo.

Traveling west into the central highlands of Michoacan, 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...

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

New boat for pumpout services at Mooring Field

The Town's previous pumpout boat was starting to cost a lot to maintain and it has been replaced.  

Pumpouts can be requested by filling out this online form. 

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.

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:

ATTENTION BUILDING CONTRACTORS

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

View the meeting calendar on the Town's website

Upcoming meetings

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