Storm Recovery Information And Resources

Monday, November 28, 2022

Stay Connected

- Visit www.fmbgov.com

- Follow the Town of Fort Myers Beach, FL on Facebook, Twitter, Instgram, LinkedIn, YouTube

- Email [email protected]

- Sign up for text or email alerts: http://fmbgov.com/list.aspx, enter your email and cell phone number, then select News Flash/Advisories

- Frequently Asked Questions, click here  

Beach Clean Up With "Keep Lee County Beautiful" This Wednesday - Volunteer

Register: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805094aaaaa2ca4f49-fort

Details: Wednesday, Nov. 30, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Parking will be at Norm's Beach Parking, 1397 Estero Boulevard. We can have as many volunteers as possible, but there is only room for 40-45 cars.  During the registration, please let us know if you are coming by car and how many volunteers will be with you. FMB residents are welcome to join us and come by bicycle or foot.  

Community Resource Centers

The Community Resource Centers at Beach Baptist Church (130 Connecticut Street) and Santini Plaza (7205 Estero Boulevard) have restrooms, laundry and showers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as well as ice and water. At Santini, staff are available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to hand out food or supplies, or give information seven days a week. Staff are available at Beach Baptist Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., to hand out food, supplies, or give information.

Fema Disaster Recovery Center 

Beach Baptist Church houses the Disaster Recovery Center and is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Representatives are on site.   

Curfew

Curfew hours for Matanzas Pass Bridge on the north end of Estero Island have been changed to 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.  For the Big Carlos Pass Bridge on the south end, residents can use the new 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew, but contractors need to adhere to the 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew. Residents should be prepared to show proof of residency if they are traveling on and off the Island during the curfew hours.   

Debris Removal And Housing Assistance

APPLY for debris removal services on your property at iandebriscleanup.com

- Gov. DeSantis has developed the “Unite Florida Portal” for state sheltering and housing assistance. People must be registered with FEMA for individual assistance at https://www.disasterassistance.gov/. The deadline was just extended to January 12 but this new portal is a way to connect residents with additional resources. The portal is at: https://ianrecovery.fl.gov/ and the news release about the portal can be found here: https://www.flgov.com/2022/11/21/governor-ron-desantis-announces-unite-florida-portal-for-state-sheltering-and-housing-assistance/

- The state launched awhile ago https://iandebriscleanup.com/ to help with property cleanup, be it a vessel or mobile home, or commercial or private property. View the fact sheet: https://iandebriscleanup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/FDEM_Info-Sheet_11.15.22.pdf

- Lee County has launched a new Hurricane Ian Debris website to better provide information to residents. Visit www.leegov.com/debris

- Public drop-off sites for storm debris are open through December 21 at the San Carlos Utility Site, 18078 Cypress Point Road, Fort Myers and the Shell Factory, 2805 N. Tamiami Trail, North Fort Myers 

Hurricane Recovery Resources On Town Website – www.fmbgov.com 

For a complete list of recovery resources, go to the light blue sand dollar, “Hurricane Recovery Resources” on the homepage of the Town’s website at www.fmbgov.com.   

Building Services

If you have questions about the inspection, permitting, and rebuilding processes, FEMA’s 50% rule, or other building and permitting topics, please visit the Building Services page at www.fmbgov.com. 

Steve Poposki

Building Official | Assistant 

Community Development Director

[email protected]

Andrew Garry

Permit Supervisor

[email protected]

Kristin Schumacher

Floodplain Coordinator

[email protected]

Permit Fees Waived For 90 Days

Town Council voted last week to waive permit fees relating to work necessitated by Hurricane Ian. This will be allowed for those who have received approval for building permits up to 90 days since Hurricane Ian, which will run through December 27. 

Precautionary Swim Advisory

The Florida Department of Health in Lee County (DOH-Lee) has issued a county wide swim advisory for all public beaches and swimming pools due to the possible increase of waterborne illnesses. At this time, swimming is not recommended, nor is any contact with standing water.  

Temporary Use Permit

To expedite the rebuilding process for property and business owners, registration is available for  recreational vehicles, mobile homes, trailers, retail stores, or food trucks to be used on your property. Fill out the form: https://fortmyersbeachfl.gov/1253/Temporary-Use-Permit  

Town Manager - Interim

Town Council voted to approve H2 Solutions represented by Chris Holley and his counterpart Keith Wilkins as Interim Town Managers after the resignation of Roger Hernstadt.  

Household Waste Pickup

The landfills designated for Hurricane Ian debris cannot accept household waste. Place household waste in a trash can. Bagged material will be picked up if separated from debris. Put bagged household waste in a separate pile at the end of your driveway away from storm debris. Household waste is picked up every Thursday morning (weather dependent). Recycling began Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022.

Fema Paperwork Assistance And Disaster Recovery CENTER (DRC)

If you need help filling out paperwork, please call 1-800-621-3362 or visit DisasterAssistance.gov. An on-site DRC is at Beach Baptist Church and will be open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday. 

Sand Removal

Sand is considered debris. However, it is a resource that the Town wants to conserve to restore beaches. Keep sand debris separate from other types of debris as you stage it. For more information visit https://www.fortmyersbeachfl.gov/1250/Hurricane-Ian-Resources. 

Power Restoration

Residents must have an inspection from a Florida-licensed structural engineer and a Florida-licensed electrician for power to be turned on. Email inspection reports along with the property address and the contractor’s Florida license number to [email protected].  

Water Restoration

There are no issues with the sewer system. To have water service restored to your home, contact Utilities at [email protected]. You MUST be present when water is restored should any issues arise. Please do not turn off any sewer pumps on the Island. Lee County Utilities is running sewer on bypass pumps. If these are shut off, there could be a sewer backup into your home. 

We had an incident last week where someone turned off all the pumps running sewer on Estero Blvd which caused a backup.