The January Edition


BEACH NEWS TODAY !

New Members sign up, offer help by Lee Melsek

New memberships to the Civic Association are arriving in the mail every week. Our organization is growing, and many of our new members remind us to put them on the Tidelines mailing list. They come here from all over the map - North Carolina, Missouri, Vermont, Illinois, South Carolina, Washington, D.C. and even other parts of The Sunshine State. We're also getting memberships from folks who have lived on the island a long time but are only now deciding to become more active in the community - and in town government. Some are staying put here on the island, others return to their home states in the spring. They send their checks, tell us to send them Tidelines and some even tell us they want to help the association. "I will help out and contact you when I return in April," wrote Donna Fagan from Spring Hill, Florida. She even shared her opinion with us on a current local issue. "I am not for renourishment of the beach," she said on her membership application. Jane Hyatt Upsal grew up on Fort Myers Beach in the fifties and lives here nine months a year when she's not in North Carolina. She saw Tidelines during a stay here and immediately joined the Civic Association.She wants Tidelines sent to both of her homes. Johanna and James Farley of the beach and Washington D.C. joined last month. "We were there in August and saw Tidelines and intended to join. We like what it has to say. You are talking for the people of the beach and not just the business interests," Johanna told us. Judy Hanson and her husband joined in November after living here since 1976. They're retired, live on the south end of the island and wanted to make sure they got Tidelines. They joined the Civic Association because they don't like some of the things the town is doing and decided to get more active. "There are a lot of things about the city that bother us, like the Mound House and Newton properties," Judy said. "We decided we needed to be more active. We read Tidelines and enjoy it. It's very informative." Welcome aboard, folks. And call us when you need us, or just want to sound off.

Call for an end to county renouishment plan by Lee Melsek

Despite promises by Mayor Larry Kiker earlier this year to put an end to the renourishment plan by the end of December if easements were still not obtained, this fiasco has apparently gained renewed life amid private meetings between town and county staffs and some of the reluctant property owners. And once again, the issue is on a town council agenda, this time at the meeting of Jan. 4 at 9 a.m. All of those who have opposed this failed plan and are tired of the continuing slights-of -hand tactics to keep it alive are urged to attend that meeting. Joanne Shamp, one of the leading opponents of the county's $11 million renourishment plan also is asking folks to e-mail council members and ask them to please put an end to this issue that has divided our island for years. Here's Joanne's plea and the individual council e-mail addresses. The Town Council stated that they want to hear from people regarding beach renourishment for the Monday, January 4th meeting at 9 AM at Town Hall . This is yet more delaying, when the lack of easements have already spoken and they promised the decision at year end.

 

Renourishment plan is dead by Lee Melsek

Thursday, Dec. 8 - Lee County's elaborate beach renourishment plan is dead. The plan that included controversial dunes and vegetation was set aside by the county commission this week after commissioners gave up on trying to persuade beachfront property owners to grant the necessary easements to do the 4.6 mile job. Fewer than 50 percent of the needed easements have been granted over the 10 years the county has sought them. Instead of the $11.5 million plan, the county is planning a scaled down renourishment only from Bowditch Point to the county pier at Lynn Hall Park and groin at Matanzas Pass. It isn't know yet if the county will ask the town to share in the cost of that plan, which will amount to about $4 million.

 

Attempt to make the mayor town manager by Lee Melsek

Thursday, Dec. 3 - An attempt by at least one councilman to determine if Larry Kiker could become the new town manager has run into a road block - the town's charter. Public records show Town Attorney Anne Dalton on Nov. 24 responded to a question from Councilman Bob Raymond, who works in Kiker's real estate business. Raymond wanted to know if Kiker could resign from the council and become the town's next manager. In a written opinion obtained by Tidelines, Dalton said the answer is no. She said the charter prohibits council members from going to work for the town for one year after their term ends. Last month Kiker said during a council meeting he didn't think the town should hire anyone to find candidates for the town manager position, which Jack Green is retiring from in February. He didn't say if he planned to seek the position. Raymond said Thursday he asked Dalton for the opinion on his own and didn't talk to Kiker about it. He said he did so because he thinks Kiker would make a good manager.

Bay Oaks meeting by Lee Melsek

Mark you calendar - Tuesday, December 8th, 2009 Bay Oaks Gym Details of what islanders and others can expect at Bay Oaks Recreation Center and swimming pool will the be the topic of discussion at the Civic Association's  Tuesday, December 8th meeting at the Bay Oaks Recreation Center gym. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. Food will be provided, compliments of The Beached Whale. The town's Director of Parks and Recreation, Nicole Olsen, will  provide details of what folks can expect to pay in new fees and what programs they can join. The meeting is free and open to the public. Come early and meet and chat with Nicole and Civic Association members.

 

Mound House Pier maybe Sunk by Lee Melsek

Thursday, Nov. 19 - A majority of the town council is leaning toward making the Mound House a lower intensity attraction and vetoing a 2,770 foot pier planned for the property but opposed by neighbors. In the second workshop in a week to look at the property's neighborhood concerns, council members Larry Kiker, Jo List and Bob Raymond appeared to be siding with the neighbors, who fear the pier will attract fishermen and others at all hours of the day and night, making their neighborhood noisy and perhaps even unsafe. The council did decide to pursue rezoning a town owned lot down the street from the Mound House for a parking lot that would serve the historic homes museums and other amenities. But neighbors at that end of the street have said they will oppose such a move. After seeing projections of 52,000 visitors a year to the 106 year old historic property in five years, the council and the neighbors appeared stunned by such intensity at the end of a single family neighborhood. Neighbors asked for, and Kiker, List and Raymond supported, reducing attempts to attract such numbers. Raymond said he would not vote to spend any money advertising the place and said he wouldn't want the facility at the end of his own street. Town Manager Jack Green and Mound House Director Theresa Schober are to come up with a plan for lowering the intensity of the property and get it to council by the end of the year.

Bigger fines for code violators? by Lee Melsek

Nov. 18 - The town council is considering getting serious about enforcing town laws. During a workshop Wednesday to find new revenue sources, Mayor Larry Kiker said it's time to step up code enforcement. Councilwoman Jo List saId it may be the town also needs to increase the amount of fines for violators of town codes and ordinances, a Move that could increase badly needed revenues for an expanding government. The council put the proposal on a list of possible new revenue sources. Other ideas include a storm water utility tax, increasing various fees for residents and businesses and looking at what town services could be outsourced to save money.

 

Town Manager Resigns by Lee Melsek

Tuesday, Nov. 17 - Interim town Manager Jack Green resigned Tuesday citing "personal reasons." Green was appointed to the post in July when then-Town Manager Scott Janke was fired. He was previously the town's public works director. Green will stay on until February. Green was the town's seventh town manager in it's 14 year history. Green resigned twice before while serving as the town's public works director but later changed his mind and remained on the job.

Water bills increasing 23 percent by Lee Melsek

Monday, Nov. 16 - Your water bills are going up in January. The beach council voted Monday night to raise water rates 23 percent across the board for homes, condos and businesses. The reason: The town needs money, lots of it, to get itself out of default on its 2000 loan to buy the water system and needs $11 million to fix the system and replace old piped. In some cases, water lines to homes at he end of streets are too small and many of the pipes are ancient galvanized pipes. The new rate system will also begin charging each condominium unit a base monthly fee, which single family homes have been paying for the past eight years but not condominium units. Some condominium residents protested the higher rates but council members said the hikes are absolutely necessary to get the water system and its debt under control. They must still decide where to get the millions of dollars to rebuild the system. A bank loan may be possible but at higher interest rates because of the town's default on the current loan.

Mound house pier may be revised by Lee Melsek

Friday, Nov 13 - A majority of the town council appears to be backing off plans for a 2,770 square foot pier at The Mound House. or perhaps build a smaller model. Facing about 20 upset neighbors of The Mound House during a workshop Thursday night, council members agreed to take another look at the pier. Mayor Larry Kiker said he thinks the Lee County Tourist Development Council, which plans to pay for the $400,000 pier, may be willing to forgo the pier and divert the money instead to fixing up the interior of the historic home, built in 1906. Although the town has owned the property since 2000 the home remains closed to the public because it's interior is a mess and unsafe for public entrance. Council also learned that it will cost $746,000 to complete all that needs to be done to the property, home and mound exhibit in order to open everything to the public. So far, the town has no idea where it will get that much money but Kiker pushed to find it and open the home as soon as possible. A number of the residents challenged council members to cancel plans for the pier because they fear it will attract too many people at all hours of the day and night. They also want the town to back off plans to bring hundreds of people a day to the home, which sits in the middle of a single family neighborhood at the end of a dead end street. A committee projection for the property found as many as 52,000 people a year could be coming down the two-lane street to visit the property five years from now.

Beach Civic Association's famous yard/bake sale returns by Lee Melsek

Mark your calendar - Saturday, Nov.. 21. It's the return of the Civic Association's popular Yard and bake sale, back again at the Beach movie theater. The big event will begin at 8 a.m. and stay open until 1 p.m. Everyone can participate by cleaning out those closets, attics and garages and donating them to this community event. Clothes, dinner ware, tools, appliances, bedding, cookware, cookies, breads and just about anything you care to donate will go on sale. Proceeds will be used by the Civic Association for other community events, like our annual fourth of July parade, the Semmer family fireworks show and sponsorships of our local youth programs. You can start donating your goods to us by taking them to Cherie and Dave Smith's home at 180 Egret Street on the south end of the island. Or, you can call Cherie at 463-0345 or Betty Simpson at 463-2772. Let's make this the biggest yard and bake sale the island's ever seen.

Bay Oaks users will pay more. by Lee Melsek

Tuesday,  Oct. 27 -  It's going to cost more to use the Bay Oaks Recreation Center and swimming pool. The council on Tuesday also agreed to charge membership fees and program fees for people using the center and create some serious marketing to draw both residents and non-residents there. The tentative fee schedule now is $25 per year for individual residents, $4 for a resident's day pass and $2 for children under 12. Family memberships for residents will cost $50 a year and $8 for a family day pass. Non residents of the island will pay $35 a year for individuals, and $4 a day for adults and $2 for children. Non-resident family fees will cost $70 year for individuals and $8 for a day pass. The swimming pool will cost $50 a year for both residents and non-resident individuals who belong to the recreation center and $100 a year for families. A day pass to the pool will cost $3 for individuals and $1for children under 12 and infants. People who don't buy memberships to the recreation center will pay $75 a year for an individual to use the pool and $125 for an annual family pass. Town officials soon will begin recruiting organizations on the island to hold their meetings at Bay Oaks Recreation Center and help fund the center's functions, including fees for kids whose families can't afford to pay. Ad Hoc Committee member Pete Yeatman told the council Tuesday the recreation center will never pay for itself or even break even. That's why the town needs to attract as many organizations and members as possible to help offset the town's costs to operate the center. "You have a tough row to hoe. You have virtually zero people utilizing it now. If you assume it will be a zero investment for the town you may as well close the doors today," Yeatman said. "It will never be a zero investment for the town. You better reach outside the community, otherwise you can't support this facility." The town council is scheduled to adopt the new fees at it's Nov. 2 meeting.

Mound House to get increased sheriff's patrols by Lee Melsek

Saturday, Oct. 17 - The town has asked for increased sheriff's patrols around the Mound House after a dog knocked down a neighbor. Interim Town Manager Jack Green told Tidelines he has asked the sheriff's department for more patrols after a complaint from neighbor Paul Abraham. Abraham was knocked to the ground by a dog on the Mound House grounds and cut his elbow. The dog belongs to a boat dweller in the bay near the Mound House. Boaters there have been using the Mound House dock to dock their dinghies and let their dogs run loose on the grounds. Green said he is putting a stop to that. Dogs are required to be on leashes. He also said he is prohibiting the boat dwellers from using the Mound House dock for mainland business.

Beach Civic Association's famous yard/bake sale returns by Lee Melsek

Mark you calendar - Saturday, Nov.. 21. It's the return of the Civic Association's popular Yard and bake sale, back again at the Beach movie theater. The big event will begin at 8 a.m. and stay open until 1 p.m. Everyone can participate by cleaning out those closets, attics and garages and donating them to this community event. Clothes, dinner ware, tools, appliances, bedding, cookware, cookies, breads and just about anything you care to donate will go on sale. Proceeds will be used by the Civic Association for other community events, like our annual fourth of July parade, the Semmer family fireworks show and sponsorships of our local youth programs. You can start donating your goods to us by taking them to Cherie and Dave Smith's home at 180 Egret Street on the south end of the island. Or, you can call Cherie at 463-0345 or Betty Simpson at 463-2772. Let's make this the biggest yard and bake sale the island's ever seen.

Warning - Buckle Up! by Lee Melsek

Thursday, Oct. 8 - Sheriff's deputies are on our island  full force this week ticketing drivers who aren't wearing their seat belts.  Remember to buckle up before driving  off or the next ticket may be yours.

Mound House Blues by Lee Melsek

Tuesday, Oct. 6 - Mayor Larry Kiker and Councilman Bob Raymond sound as if they are finally realizing what past council's were faced with - The Mound House exists in the Twilight Zone, always expanding but never opening. More than 10 years after its purchase, the promise of this historic site as a vibrant public attraction remains unfulfilled. The state paid $1 million of public funds to buy the property in 1998 and give it to the town. While some programs are offered on the grounds, the house has been unsafe for years and remains closed to the public that owns it. Only the director and some connected.islanders have had access into it. Every time Kiker asks when it will be open, he gets non-answers, just as his predecessors got. Kiker said early this month he thought the council had an agreement with Mound House Director Teresa Schober to have the mound exhibit and the 1906 home open by the end of this year. No, he was told. Won't happen. Not finished yet. There's no money for fixing the interior of the home, he was told. An obviously frustrated Raymond made a prediction: "I don't expect to see it open this year and maybe next year. It seems to be under constant changes, one thing after another." Kiker reiterated his earlier pledge not to vote to spend a nickel more on the place until he has a clear understanding of where the property and its plan are going. The council agreed to discuss the property in more detail later this month. But money is scarce and the poor condition of the home's interior may remain that way until times get better.

Petition opposes take over of Estero Blvd. by Lee Melsek

Friday, Oct. 2 - Beach resident Paul Abraham was so upset to learn that Mayor Larry Kiker wants the town to take ownership of Estero Boulevard from Lee County that he decided to do something about it. Abraham, who lives on Connecticut Avenue across from the Mound House, is strongly opposed to taking over that road with its expensive repair and maintenance needs. So, he wanted to see what his neighbors thought. Abraham circulated a petition opposing any such takeover, walking it around his street. Virtually everyone he talked to signed it. There are 19 names on it. Mayor Larry Kiker said last summer he planned to appoint a committee to look into taking over the road but town officials say no such committee has yet been created.

Sandsculpture contest will cost you by Lee Melsek

Tuesday, Sept. 29 - If you want a close up look at the detail in our island's professional sandsculpturing at this year's contest it will cost you, The local Chamber of Commerce has decided. This year's annual event is scheduled for the first week in November. To get a good look beginning this year it will cost you $3 for children and senior citizens, $5 for adults and $10 for a family package. The contest in the past has been free. This year, the event will be held again at the Holiday Inn and will extend north to Gull Wing/Point Estero instead of to the Outrigger.

Interim Town Manager Report by Lee Melsek

Friday, Sept. 25. - Tidlelines asked Interim Town Manager Jack Green for the latest update on the town's enforcements of its signage and garbage laws. Here are Jack's responses: I'll admit neither of these issues has made it onto my radar. You may or may not know we've been without a code enforcement officer for several months due to illness. Approximately two weeks ago we hired a full time temporary, experienced code enforcement officer from Collier County. His efforts are already visible. Many of the banner signs that started showing up around town have been taken down voluntarily and he continues to pursue that issue. I can tell you we have about 65 permanent signs that are still out of compliance. The Community Development Department is working this issue as well. One good note as far as the dumpster enclosures is that the Town is now in compliance with its own dumpsters. Some of the suggestions brought fourth by the ad hoc committee such as higher enclosure fences have been provided to the LPA for action. As soon as other higher priority issues are resolved this issue will bubble to the top. I have spoken to our new code enforcement officer about the trash cans out on the streets in excess of 24 hours before pickup and he is aware of the simmering problem and will take action as is appropriate. We are working on these issues and the dozens of others that seem to be of equal priority.

Fire Board gets the Message by Lee Melsek

Wednesday, Sept. 16. - Fort Myers Beach Fire District commissioners apparently got the message delivered to them by angry islanders earlier this month. The commission voted Tuesday to set their property tax rate at 2.3 mills, which is the rollback rate that will collect the same amount as last year. Despite that, some property owners could still see a slight increase in their fire taxes. A room full of locals protested any tax hike for the fire department at a Sept. 4 public hearing. And despite Commissioner Ted Reckwerdt's criticism of those folks, calling them "negative" in their views of the department, he backed off his earlier desire to raise taxes and voted with the rest of the commission to keep the tax rate at the rollback rate. Meanwhile, some of the department's union firefighters are continuing their attack on Chief Mike Becker for laying off six firemen in a cost-saving mood. And Reckwerdt, whose son works for the department, appears to be backing them. He has also criticized Becker for laying off the six people, all of whom were apparently the newest employees.

Civic Association News:
Newton Cottage demolition approved
Miss Florida a big hit here


Town Fire Dept. News:
Protests thwarting higher taxes
Tax Payers Protest Higher Fire Taxes


Renourishment News:
Feds argued over sand placement
Our town was suckered by county government
Renourishment is a wash out
Renourishment Appears Dead
Renourishment's last stand
Renourishment pitch set for July 16
Another slick sales pitch
More renourishment woes


Janke's Firing:
For the Record
Ulterior Motive?
Skirting the Sunshine Law


Bay Oakes:
County appoves Bay Oakes Transfer
County throws another Monkey Wrench
For the Record


Town Water News:
Town water rates going up


Town Budget News:
Raising Taxes and Doubling Parking Fees
Higher taxes coming?
Pruning the budget

Council Clips:
Where's the Mound House?
Garbage cleanup takes another step

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Civic Association meetings will resume in November.
The time, place and speakers will be announced in Tidelines in the fall.

About Us

The Fort Myers Beach Civic Association is dedicated to informing citizens about key local issues. Increasing growth, development, and environmental issues already affecting and potentially affecting further our quality of life provide major incentives for residents to visit Civic Association meetings, to join our organization, and to stay informed. Our meetings are always open to the public and all islanders are cordially invited to attend.


Civic website has been updated
The Civic Association Website is updated a few times a each week. Each month the latest Tidelines will be on our web page along with our meeting dates and featured speakers, alerts on developing community issues, important actions by our town council and advisory committees and the latest in Civic Association news.

We're also a link on the town's website. Check us out.

For those who haven't joined us yet, fill out the membership form and send it in together with your $25 annual membership fee. In the future, more information and services will added to our website. If you have ideas for us, a column, a letter to the editor or would like to run an ad call Lee Melsek at 470-3407.

Thanks for all your support and please keep in touch with us. We're the island's oldest home-based non-profit organization and now boast of a member ship of well over 600 islanders.

If you'd like Tidelines mailed to your home or business each month call Lee at 470-3407 and let him know. It's free.