volume 20, number 20 beach hibernation eases restaurants, … · 2020-05-14 · volume 20, number...

Volume 20, Number 20 “By Islanders, For Islanders” May 15, 2020

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FortMyersBeach.news

Council Hears Capital UpdateClarifies Rental Confusion

The Fort Myers Beach Town Council held its Management & Planning

Session virtually on Thursday morning, May 7. Council discussed prospective Capital Project finances and clarified confusion over whether Town Vacation Rentals can indeed begin to accept reservations and lodgers on May 15, among other matters.

Capital Projects Update“Council member Jim Atterholt

brought up this topic at a previous meeting,” explained Town Manager Roger Hernstadt. “We are just now beginning the Fiscal Year 2021 budget process, including receiving information from department heads on personnel changes and clarifications, equipment and operating expenses. We then typically provide to Council a preliminary budget based on the level of current services from the previous year, and then we discuss an ‘Add-On List,’ though that could theoretically be reductions, and you vote on those individually. Previously, we did this based on a 0.87 millage (tax rate) but Council last year increased that by 0.08 mills to begin to save money to fund renovations to what we call ‘The Big Three’ – Bayside Park, Times Square and

the Bay Oaks Recreational Center. Our initial projection for those in total is $10 million, with the assumption we will get some financial help from the Tourist Development Council (TDC) for Times Square.”

Atterholt asked Hernstadt to “break down that $10 million.” “Off the back of an envelope,” Hernstadt replied,

By Gary [email protected]

COUNCIL cont PG 3

At its May 4 meeting, the Fort Myers Beach Town Council announced the

2020 John Mulholland Environmental Stewardship Awards honoring four Fort Myers Beach citizens: Anita Cereceda, Dawn & Joe Fleming and Shannon Mapes. Council plans to make personal presentations to the honorees when in-person meetings resume and will add their names to the mangrove tree plaque in Council Chambers.

Anita Cereceda“Everything!” That was the reaction

of what receiving a 2020 Mulholland

Stewardship Award meant to former three-time Fort Myers Beach Mayor Anita Cereceda. “John was a good friend of mine, and in addition to being Fort Myers Beach Mayor at the time of his passing, he was an environmental ambassador for this Town and a true example of topnotch leadership, so I am really touched by this!”

Anita emphasized, “For those of us who live on an island, we especially know that the environment directly impacts every day of our life. All you need do is stand on the beach for five minutes, and you recognize that every single wave that comes onshore changes our island a little bit. The Town has done a good job in preserving and protecting the back bay and beachfront since Day One in 1995, and that is more important than ever, due to the environment’s importance to our health, economy and everything else. Without it, what do we have and why would anybody visit – we would just be another spot on the map, so it impacts every aspect of our lives!”

“Up until recently there was no human interaction on our beach for seven weeks due to the coronavirus,” she noted. “It is amazing how it refreshed

Environmental ChampionsCitizens Win Mulholland Awards

MULHOLLAND cont PG 4


Council member Jim Atterholt was appointed town liaison for

future 5G discussions with utility companies. Photo provided.

The Island Sand Paper is back with a print issue after a two month absence

and the biggest news in our community remains the COVID-19 pandemic. Lee County announced its first three positive cases on March 7, but the first effect felt on Fort Myers Beach was when the Fort Myers Beach Town Council voted on March 13 to cancel the Shrimp Festival on March 14 & 15 and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 16. Those two actions sent shock waves through the community and focused everyone’s attention on the pandemic. Within a couple of weeks, Fort Myers Beach would see precautions taken that closed beaches, hotels and restaurants right in the heart of season, actions that were inconceivable just days before.

Less than a week after cancelling Shrimp Festival, Town Council would close the beaches and all public beach access parking on March 19, with Lee County following suit the same day. About six weeks later, on April 28, the town would open their beaches to town residents for limited hours for exercise purposes only. The next day, April 29, the county would throw open their beach parks and parking areas. By Saturday, May

2, the town would reopen their beaches. All openings came with cautions that social distancing guidelines were to be followed at all times.

Lodging ConfusionGovernor Ron DeSantis issued a

“Safer-at-Home” order on April 1 limiting non-essential activities and businesses

through April 30. Before that, on March 27, he banned all short-term vacation

Beach Hibernation Eases Restaurants, Hotels Open

By Missy [email protected]

OPEN cont PG 6

The beach is open on Fort Myers Beach.

Anita Cereceda

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COUNCIL from PG 1“Bayside Park is roughly $1.1 to $1.2 million, Times Square is $3.2 million and the remainder to Bay Oaks, though we are not sure of that number yet, as we remain in discussions with the Lee County School District to finalize the four corners of that property footprint. The amount of money from the millage increase is roughly $235,000 annually, so the question is how does Council want to pay for those projects. If you agree the Town will benefit from them generationally, then you can pay for them generationally through a 25 to 30-year low-interest tax-free loan at approximately 3%, just like you would a 30-year mortgage. In terms like that, assuming $10 million, that would be roughly $550,000-a-year. The previous Council authorized the Bayside Park design to 30% review and to move forward the Times Square design.”

“Is there any chance of TDC funding for Bayside Park?” asked Atterholt. “There is always that chance,” replied Hernstadt, “but the Lee County Attorney takes a very conservative view of that law.” Vice Mayor Rexann Hosafros, who recently joined the TDC Board, noted, “The TDC is funded by the Bed Tax, and right now, due to the coronavirus, that is down now around 80%. That is huge and will take some time to build back up!”

Council member Bill Veach said, due to the coronavirus, “there may be government stimulus money available to help fund shovel-ready projects. If you do not have these ready, you may wait for financial help for a long time.” Atterholt asked Hernstadt if he can speculate how much the TDC could financially help the Times Square project. “Our thinking,” Hernstadt replied, “is it is the biggest beach access in Lee County, so the surface and lighting to get people to the beach could qualify.” Hosafros reminded,

however, “The TDC does not currently consider Times Square a beach access.” Hernstadt added, “That is correct, and it will be a heck of a conversation when

we have it! In all the places I’ve worked, the philosophy is to continue to invest in yourself, as why would other people want to invest in you if you do not

believe in yourself, and those who do that in an economic downturn tend to be the first ones to bounce back.”

Atterholt noted that Lee County recently received $135 million from the federal government “Even they were surprised to get that! Will the Town receive any of that?” Mayor Ray Murphy responded, “That came up in our recent call with the local mayors and the Board of County Commissioners representative, so we will see how that comes out, but we hope so, in the spirit of cooperation and good will.” Veach reiterated, “The more shovel-ready we are, the better position to get funds we would not ordinarily get.” Hernstadt opined, “The thing that kills a project more than anything else is when you lose your momentum,” with Murphy adding, “I totally agree!”

Vacation Rental DatesIn a discussion on the State of Local

Emergency: Vacation Rental Dates & Occupancy, Town Attorney John Herin, Jr., explained, “There continues to be uncertainly at the public level regarding what the town and state have done in regard to vacation rentals, as several State Executive Orders seem to contradict themselves. Executive Order 20-112 states that there is a ban on all statewide (vacation rental) reservations and stays with no end date in sight, and that remains in effect until Governor Ron DeSantis lifts that. The town in its Emergency Declaration #6 says Fort Myers Beach hotels and short term rentals can begin taking reservations and accepting tenants on Friday, May 15, but that is under the assumption the State lifts its restrictions by then.”

Council member Dan Allers asked for clarification that the State Executive

Times Square renovation is on the Town’s Capital Projects list at an estimated cost of $3.2 million. Photo by M. Layfield.

COUNCIL cont PG 10


Dodonaea viscosa or Varnish Leaf, a woody evergreen shrub in the Sapindaceae , (Soapberr y) Family. It grows into a small, bushy tree 3’ to 9’ tall, rarely reaching 30’. Dark green leathery leaves, 4” to 6” long and ½” to 1” wide are simple and alternate on the branches. The upper surface of the leaves appear to be varnished. Leaf margins are slightly toothed. Viscosa is a dioecious species with imperfect 10 mm male and female flowers without petals on separate trees. The female flower has a dozen elongated reddish sepals surrounding a greenish style with a sticky stigma awaiting pollen. Fruit is a 3-winged capsule. The male flower has large sepals with reddish stamens and anthers with pollen. The inflorescence is a panicle occurring at the tips of branches. Habitats are coastal pinelands and hammocks in southern and central counties. The photo is of female flowers found in Bonita Springs.

Beach Botany

Varnish Leaf

SAFE INDOOR & OUTDOOR

SEATING

By Jim Rodwell

itself without us, with cleaner water and a record-setting start to the sea turtle nesting season, so it just goes to show that if we give Mother Nature a little breathing room, she quickly rebounds. Thank you to Town Council and to Jane Plummer for nominating me, as knowing that my name will now grace that beautiful mangrove tree in Town Hall with the names of the previous recipients who I love and admire is an honor I will not soon forget!”

Dawn & Joe Fleming“We are extremely humbled to re-

ceive a 2020 Mulholland Stewardship Award,” said Joe Fleming, with wife Dawn. “It means a lot to get this rec-ognition, and not just to us but our entire Fairview Isles Neighborhood Association, as all our neighbors are good stewards of the environment.”

Joe stated that he and Dawn first purchased their Fairview Isles home in 2001 and moved here fulltime in 2004. “It is a beautiful neighborhood, and its environmental efforts are all volunteer, with no mandatory dues, to take care of the plants and bushes, so all those funds to do these things properly come from donations by our neighbors, so this is truly a community honor. In addition to that, it is amazing how large a percentage of our neighbors took part in initiatives like the filter reef and “Save the Manatee” programs.” “It is wonderful how the association comes together,” echoed Dawn. “We have 189 homeowners and roughly 85% contribute to the voluntary environmental aspects of what we do, so we commend them all.”

“Fairview Isles recently installed ‘Ocean Habitat’ mini-reefs,” added Joe. “I happened to be at Fish-Tale

Marina when they went in and was amazed by them, as just one filters 30,000 gallons of water daily, so I got the information, then spread the word here, saying if we got 50 commitments, we would receive a discount. By the time we placed our order, 70 homeowners were on board! I am not a mathematician, but 30,000 gallons-a-day times 70 mini-reefs is a lot of clean water!”

Dawn and Joe are environmental advocates for several reasons. “First is financial,” Joe stated. “During our lives, we’ve lived around the nation, where the Cuyahoga River caught on fire in Cleveland and the Chicago River leaves a lot to be desired, so if the environment can go bad there, it can be bad here too, and if we do not have a clean environment here, nothing else matters. The federal government sadly does not make a

clean environment the priority we wish it would, so it is up to each of us to take on that responsibility ourselves.”

“What each of us does truly makes a difference,” stressed Dawn. “Even though we only recently installed the mini-reefs, I already see more fish in our canal. Then there is the domino effect: when the folks on Bay Beach Lane heard what we did, they contacted Joe for mini-reef information and are now installing them too, and that is a much bigger community. Everyone wants to be part of a success story!”

Shannon Mapes“Being a 2020 Mulholland Steward-

ship Award winner is very humbling, actually,” Shannon said. “It was a major surprise, and it feels good to know the community appreciates my efforts to

MULHOLLAND from PG 1

MULHOLLAND cont PG 13

Joe and Dawn Fleming


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“Job of a Lifetime”Wessel Retiring from SCCF

The Southwest Florida environmental and water quality community is

losing a superstar, as Rae Ann Wessel, the Natural Resource Policy Director for the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) will retire on Friday, May 15!

“I am originally from Nice, France,” said Rae Ann, “so I have a dual citizenship. My parents traveled all around the world, and of course I went with them, so I ended up graduating high school in Paris, but they really wanted me to get my advanced education back in the United States, so – sight unseen – they sent me to Wittenberg University in Ohio, as they knew all about it, then I attained another degree from Duke University.”

Following her graduation, Rae Ann was to head to the West Coast to pursue a professional career, “but my parents had a friend in Fort Myers, and they needed to buy some United States property for tax purposes, so we came down for a visit and I ended up applying for some jobs and I got a position at the Marco Applied Marine Ecology Station, so rather than going out to the West Coast, I ended up on the West Coast of Florida, and I am still here 42 years later!” Rae Ann became affiliated with the SCCF sixteen years ago, spending the first two years on the Board of Directors before joining the staff, “though I had my first interaction with the SCCF in 1979 – in fact, the first SCCF Director, Dick Workman, was a good friend of mine, so I knew first-hand that it was a topnotch organization.”

So Many Other Things While Rae Ann still loves working at

the SCCF, “after 42 years, there are so many other things I want to do on my life list, and I want to do them while I am young and healthy enough! On top of that, this is just a good time to leave, because the SCCF has so many great things happening right now, with outstanding leadership, momentum, funding and projects. This however has been the job of a lifetime, and it never seemed like I worked one single day, I love it so much – sometimes I look out the window and notice it is getting dark and I see the clock and it is almost 8 and I can’t believe the day went by that fast, so it is wonderful to feel that passionate about what I do!”

As for retirement, Rae Ann has “no definite plans, except that I will do some traveling. I am not ruling anything out, but I am promising myself that I am not going to schedule anything for the first three months, as I have always been a very schedule-oriented person, and I want to take that time to not do anything specific and just let life happen for a change! I am so used to being task and goal-driven, and working under pressure, with so much on my plate that I have to move at 150-miles-per-hour with whatever is the current challenge that I want to see what the other side of that coin feels like. I do not have any plans to leave Southwest Florida, other than for traveling, as I have been here for so long now, but I will just have to see, as there are adventures yet

to live. I don’t know what will be around that next corner, but I will know it when I discover it.”

When contemplating what changed the most concerning the Southwest Florida environment over the course of her career, “Everything,” Rae Ann concluded with a huge laugh! “That includes the good and bad categories. When I first moved down to Lee County, there were about 150,000 people; today there are over 750,000 and that does not count seasonals and tourists. One of the great things good was the Caloosahatchee River Watch, as that was the voice that this community needed,


WESSEL cont PG 8

Rae Ann Wessel, Natural Resource Policy Director for the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, has been a key figure in water quality advocacy for

decades in Southwest Florida. Photo by Gary Mooney.


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OPEN from PG 1

rentals, originally for 2 weeks, then extending it indefinitely. The Town of Fort Myers Beach would meet March 30 and ban all lodging rentals for 90 days, later changing it to June 26, and then May 15.

Confusion would reign as short term (30 days or less) vacation rental managers attempted to sort out the town’s ban vs. the state ban. The town’s ban included a provision that there be no cancellation or change fees charged.

On May 15, motels, hotels, resorts and time-shares within the Town of Fort Myers Beach can begin accepting reservations and guests as the town’s ban expires. Vacation rentals of condos and homes of a month or less, may not, unless the Governor releases his statewide ban on all vacation rentals.

Counties and municipalities can be more restrictive than statewide rules, but can’t be less restrictive, hence the

OPEN cont PG 8

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Publisher ......................................... Bob LayfieldEditor ................................................ Missy LayfieldLead Writer ..................................... Gary MooneyAdvertising .................................... Sandy SandnessProduction ..................................... OPS PreMedia

Phone ................................................ 239-463-4461Fax ...................................................... 855-886-3568Email ................................................. [email protected] .................................................... 450 Old Sand Carlos Blvd; #108 Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931

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The Island Sand PaperFortMyersBeach.newsAn independently owned island newspaper

The deadline for Classified ads and Letters is Noon Wednesday

Letter PolicyThe Island Sand Paper welcomes original letters of up to 300words on local issues. All letters must include the name and cityof residence of the author, plus a phone number for verification.We reserve the right to edit for clarity, length, accuracy and toprevent libel. No poetry. Letters are printed at the discretion of theEditor. Repetitive letters from the same individual on the samesubject will not be printed. There is a publication limit of two lettersevery 4 weeks. Submissions over 300 words may be consideredfor publication as a Guest Commentator based on available space,relevance and the quality of the submission.

The Island Sand Paper welcomes original photos for publicationbased of available space, relevence and quality.

If you thought the coronavirus presented difficult policy questions,

don’t worry -- we have science.California Gov. Gavin Newsom

tweeted the other day, “The West Coast is -- and will continue to be -- guided by SCIENCE.”

Joe Biden has urged President Trump, “Follow the science, listen to the experts, do what they tell you.”

Neil DeGrasse Tyson calls the crisis “a giant experiment in whether the world will listen to scientists, now and going forward.”

The invocation of science as the ultimate authority capable of settling questions of how we should govern ourselves is a persistent feature of modern Western life going back several centuries, and has always been a mistake. It is especially so in this crisis, when so much is still unknown about the coronavirus and immensely complicated and consequential public policy questions are in play.

M odern sc ience is obviously one of the wonders of our age. We owe it an unimaginable debt -- for technological advancements in medicine, transportation, industry, communication, computing and more. All honor to Newton, Turing, Curie and Einstein.

The world was slow to react to the coronavirus, and yet the genetic code of the virus was publicly posted by China on Jan. 20, and South Korea had deployed a test kit by early February. It’s possible we’ll have a vaccine by the end of the year.

Science has a limited competency, though. Once you are outside a lab setting and dealing with matters of public policy, questions of values and how to strike a balance between competing priorities come into play, and they simply can’t be settled by people in white lab coats.

Science can make the atom bomb; it doesn’t tell us whether we should

drop it. Science can tell us how to get to the moon; it doesn’t tell us whether we should go. Science can build nuclear reactors; it doesn’t tell us whether we should deploy them.

If we are going to unquestioningly accept expert opinion, we’d better prepare for whiplash. At first, the elite consensus was that wearing masks was unnecessary. Now, we are told it’s an essential piece of getting out of this mess.

We worried about running out of ventilators, but in recent weeks some doctors have been wondering whether they have been overused.

Then, there are the big questions. Science can’t tell us how we should think about the trade-off between e c o n o m i c m i s e r y c a u s e d b y shutdowns and the public health risks of reopenings. It can’t determine the balance between shutting down a hospital’s elective surgeries so it can prepare for a COVID-19 surge, and tanking its business.

The people in our political debate who most volubly insist that they are simply following “the science” tend also to be most resistant to nuance and prone to unscientific fervency. They are using “science” as a bludgeon and conversation stopper.

Obviously, science already has made an enormous contribution to our fight against the coronavirus, and may -- through therapies or a vaccine -- go a long way to solving this crisis. But life is not an equation, and neither is politics or policy.

We as a free people will have to decide the important questions raised by this crisis, not the doctors on TV or the researchers in the labs.

Rich Lowry is editor of the National Review.(c) 2020 by King Features Synd., Inc.

GuEST COMMENTARY

The Science Cop-OutEDITORIAL

Who Knew?By Rich LowryWh o k n e w t h a t p h r a s e s l i k e

“unprecedented times,” “flattening the curve” and “we are in this together” would become so commonplace? Everyone from airlines to banks to the dry cleaner you used 10 years ago, has sent reassurance that they are there for you. At the risk of getting lost in all that noise, we felt it worth mentioning our recent absence and our return.

Our last print edition of the Island Sand Paper was March 20. This is “u n p re ce d e nte d ” i n several ways: #1 it’s the first missed publication since 2001. COVID-19 has done what Hurricane Charley, Irma, the Deep Horizon oil spill, Estero Blvd redevelopment and several coastal water quality disasters could not do. #2 The decision to not print came immediately after we published the largest issue of 2020 on March 13, representing a lightning fast negative turnaround. That paper hit the street on March 13 and by March 16, we knew we were done publishing for a while.

Our decision to suspend the print edition and focus 100% on providing current news and information on fortmyersbeach.news was made for several simple reasons. #1. We knew most local businesses were closed or barely open. Without advertising revenue, we had to quickly reduce our costs. The cost to design, print and deliver the Print Edition is significant. We have said that without our advertisers, the Sand Paper would not exist. And that’s what happened. No advertising, no print edition Sand Paper.

#2. We were sensitive to our advertisers and felt we could help our customers by not holding them to Advertising Agreements when we knew their business was closed.

#3. We are an independent, locally-owned business, like most of our

customers, with no parent company or rich uncle to fund us through bad times. We are self-reliant, period.

Loyal Sand Paper readers (God Bless Them!) responded by finding us online at fortmyersbeach.news and on social media. Website visits and Facebook reach numbers went through the roof, breaking records set during Hurricane Irma. It is satisfying to know that readers continue to depend on us for news and information, as they have since 2001.

Also interesting is that our weekly website traffic now exceeds our normal print count for this time of year. So readers have been reading the Island Sand Paper – just in a different format.

It is painful to watch our community suffer through this pandemic. We know that each

closed business represents a dozen or more employees, plus the owners, who all depend on that business to feed their families. The financial, social and emotional strain is enormous.

As a family that knows well the challenges of a depressed immune system and life-threatening infection exposure, we are cautious about re-opening plans. If social distancing and the other CDC recommendations are not observed, COVID-19 will exact a toll on us all - people will get sick and some will die. And not just senior citizens. Returning to anything close to “normal” will be pushed even further out in the future.

So please, continue maintaining your 6’ distance from anyone not living in your household. Continue wearing a mask when around other people, and continue washing your hands immediately after touching anything while out in public.

Be careful out there; you are important to our community!

Bob & Missy Layfield

Be careful out there; you are important to

our community!


not only in terms of the river but for the western area of the Everglades and our ecosystem. All that population growth, however, not only here but statewide, led to the intensity of land use changes and that became a leading cause of what would ultimately become our water quality crisis.”

Rae Ann is cautiously optimistic that water quality is now finally turning the corner toward much-needed necessary improvements. “In the past few years, citizens locally and statewide finally stepped up with a strong voice to right the ship, but it will take a long time yet to do that, and in the meantime, our population will continue to grow, as more and more people are finding their own slice of Paradise, and when they first arrive here, they do not understand the threats to our ecological system. I can always tell a new citizen, because when someone from the media asks them who is to blame for our poor water, they say ‘Big Sugar!’ If it were that simple, we would have solved water a long time ago! You need to be here a little while before you realize that we are all part of the problem and we all need to be part of the solution. New residents always start

from behind the curve so it is a constant mission to get them up to speed.”

Vote, Vote, Vote!The aspect of the SCCF that Rae Ann

will miss the most “are the great group of people I work with every day! They are dedicated, passionate, talented, feel just as strongly as I about the Southwest Florida environment, and we are truly a family. The Policy Directorship of the SCCF allowed me to be a voice in the Lee County c o m m u n i t y f o r t h e environment through engagement, to help explain the issues so that people understand them in the proper context, and to highlight the steps that we can all do to be a part of that solution, and that is the thing, other than the people, that I will miss the most.”

With retirement right around the corner, Rae Ann offers parting advice! “Just like you cannot purchase hurricane insurance in the middle of a hurricane,

you can’t fix water quality only when we have Red Tide or Blue-Green Algae, so be just as proactive when conditions are good as you are when they go bad. To do that, however, you have to be very careful from where you get your information, as there are so many outlets these days, and not all of them are reliable, so cultivate

your environmental r e l a t i o n s h i p s a n d engage with the right people, so that you can be sure you are getting the proper answers. Then Vote, Vote, Vote! That is your ultimate power, and unless you live in many other parts of the world, you don’t know how precious that right and power is, so use that freedom and oppor tunit y wise ly. Don’t ever say that it is

too inconvenient to vote, because there are more ways to do so today than ever before, so don’t give up that right. Know your sources, study the candidates and measures, don’t surrender your voice, and be an informed voter!”

WESSEL from PG 5 OPEN from PG 6

I don’t know what will be

around that next corner, but I will know it when I

discover it

town’s ban on all accommodations from March 30 – May 15. Their more restrictive ban expires May 15, but the statewide ban on vacation rentals will still be in effect, unless the Governor removes it. As of press time, there was no sign of the Governor doing that. The town has provided several statements on their website regarding the town’s lodging ban.

Restaurants & Salons OpenThe Governor began his efforts to

reopen Florida on May 4, when he allowed restaurants to open indoor dining spaces at 25% capacity and allowed outdoor dining so long as tables remain six feet apart. Retail businesses could reopen with 25% capacity. A week later, on May 11, he would allow barbershops, hair and nail salons to open drawing cheers from the shaggy population. The two hardest hit counties, Miami-Dade and Broward, have been excluded from the Governor’s Phase 1 reopening plans.

Each step of reopening the state has come with the, by now, well-known physical distancing guidelines of 6 feet separation, masks if you’ll be in a situation where maintaining 6 feet separation is impossible and cautions that those most vulnerable to infection (over 65 or with underlying medical conditions) remain at home and limit their interactions.

Most restaurants on Fort Myers Beach opened the week of May 4, with others planning to open in the next few weeks. Most of them continue to offer carryout for those who are not ready to dine in. With the beaches open, weekends have been seen beach crowds, full parking lots and plenty of boaters taking to the water.

Testing DeSantis opened the first no-referral,

no symptoms needed, drive-through, free COVID-19 test site in Lee County at CenturyLink Sports Complex on May 4. Inundated with county residents looking for a test the first few days, the state increased the capacity and it is now able to test 750 people per day. On Wednesday, May 13, it reached that number and closed early. The test site is open form 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. when the gates close, each day. Testing is for those over age 18 only. A photo I.D. is required, as is a face mask. Participants are asked not to line up their cars outside the complex gate.

With beaches, hotels and restaurants open now on Fort Myers Beach, local businesses are hoping to see an increase in customers after weeks of closed doors and empty streets. Their message: the beach is open!

Walking the beach. Photos by M. Layfield.


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In their first meeting since March 3, the Fort Myers Beach Fire District Board

of Commissioners worked through a lengthy agenda over more than three hours on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. The annual evaluation of Fire Chief Matthew Love and consideration of a salary adjustment were both addressed, with the Fire Chief earning a solid 5 out of 5 rating from each commissioner, but declining any salary increase.

Using the Zoom virtual meeting platform, all four commissioners were present: Chair Larry Wood, Vice-Chair Ron Fleming, Secretary/ Treasurer John Bennett and Commissioner Jacki Liszak. Seat One remains vacant following the resignation of Bob Raymond in late February. Due to COVID-19 concerns, the Fire Board cancelled their March 25 and April 15 meetings.

Chief Love provided a summary of the department’s COVID-19 related actions. A departmental Declaration of Emergency allowed the flexibility to meet changing needs within the department. All stations and the administration offices have been closed to the public. Most inspections have been rescheduled and a regular cleaning schedule adopted for stations, ambulances and vehicles. Informational videos have been made available via the department’s social media outlets and they now have a YouTube channel with those videos. Love explained that

about $28,000 in additional costs to the district have been incurred with several possibilities of recovering those costs via FEMA, grants or one of the stimulus packages.

Despite receiving two applications from candidates, the board decided to re-issue their call for candidates to fill Seat One until the November election. The initial two candidates will not need to reapply. The board unanimously agreed to repost the position for another 30 days. Details will be available on

the Fire Department’s website fmbfire.org The Fire Board hopes to be able to interview candidates at their next meeting on June 24.

Perfect ScoreAs the board began discussing their

evaluation scores for Chief Love in the seven different job responsibility areas, it quickly became apparent that they were all quite pleased with his job performance over the past year, as they each gave him scores of 5 out of 5 for every area. “He leads by example,” said Liszak, “providing the tools and resources his team needs to do the job.” “He not only has updated the district’s Strategic Plan,” said Wood,” he uses the plan.”

“We plan for a hurricane,” said Fleming. “This (COVID-19) is worse, but because of his disaster preparedness leadership, the department was able to adapt.” “He’s

done an excellent job of keeping the public informed,” added Bennett.

Love gave credit to department staff, “I have a team that is just phenomenal!”

B e fo re t h e b o a rd m ove d i nto discussions about a salary increase or cost-of-living adjustment, Wood read a letter from Love asking them to take no action on any sort of salary increase.

“R ight now our communit y i s experiencing unprecedented change,” he wrote. “Many community members are hurting, whether from the loss of employment, the loss of their business, or the many contributing factors of the Coronavirus Pandemic. I feel that this is the time to honor our community by refraining from salary adjustments for my position.”

After a brief discussion over whether to defer the adjustment to late October,

Fire Chief a Perfect ‘5’Chief Love Declines Raise

By Missy [email protected]

CHIEF LOVE cont PG 13

Fire Chief Matthew Love.Photo provided


Turtle TallyLeeTRAn BUS SeRViCe

Lee County Transit (LeeTran) has reactivated bus service on Fort Myers Beach. Route 400 is now running, with service beginning at the Beach Park & Ride lot, located just south of Pine Ridge Rd and Summerlin Square Drive. The route travels to Bowditch Point Park and then to Lovers Key State Park and runs daily from 5am to about 10:30pm. Adult fare is $0.75, with an all-day pass $2 and a three-day pass $4. Exact fare required. To see the schedule visit bit.ly/ispBUS or leegov.com/leetran

COViD-19 TeSTingA virus testing site is now open at CenturyLink Stadium (Hammond Park), 14100 Six Mile Cypress Parkway, Fort Myers, seven days a week from 9am - 3pm(gates close). This site tests for active infection. It is NOT an antibody test site. Testing is free and only for ages 18 and up. Bring a photo ID and face covering. For more information see leegov.com under COVID-19 Information > Testing.

BeACh KiDS SChOLARShiPSThe Beach Kids Foundation is offering scholarships to students who will attend college, university or trade school in the fall. Applicants must reside on Fort Myers Beach or be the child of a parent who works on the beach. A completed appli-cation, essay and three references are re-quired. Application must be postmarked by 5pm, June 12, 2020. Applications are available by calling Tracey at 239-849-3603. Completed applications should be

mailed to Beach Kids Foundation, 2801 Estero Blvd, Suite B, Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931. Contact Linda at 239-980-0661 with any questions.

VOTeR RegiSTRATiOnVoters are reminded that a Vote-by-Mail ballot may be requested for a specific election or for all elections through the next two general election cycles. Any voter, their legal guardian or an immediate family member may request a vote-by-mail ballot online at lee.vote or by calling 239-LEE-VOTE. Voters can track their ballot online and see when it was mailed, received and counted.

VACATiOn RenTALSHotels, resorts, motels, time-shares and other lodging facilities other than short-term vacation rentals on Fort Myers Beach are allowed reservations and occupancy as of Friday, May 15 as the FMB Emergency Regulation expires. Vacation rentals of 30 days or less, in homes and condos, anywhere in the State of Florida are banned from taking reservations and occupancy under Governor DeSantis’ Executive Order 20-87, 20-111 and 20-112. Until the governor alters that ban, vacation rentals remain banned throughout the state, including on FMB.

STATe OF FLORiDAAll of Florida except Miami-Dade and Broward counties are now in Phase 1 of Reopen Florida. As of Monday, May 11, barbershops, hair and nail salons may open providing they follow guidelines

including distancing, masking and working on an appointment only basis.

TOwn ADViSORy COMMiTTeeSThe Town of Fort Myers Beach is seeking interested residents to serve as members of volunteer advisory boards that advise Town Council. There are current openings on the Local Planning Agency (LPA) and the Community Resource Advisory Board (CRAB). Visit bit.ly/isp25 to learn more about advisory committees or to apply.

FOOD ReSOURCeSBeach Baptist offers to-go hot meals on SU from 9 – 10am (upstairs); WE at 5:30pm (outside) and TH 9 – 11am. Lee Schools Grab & Go breakfast/lunch bags for kids up to age 18 are avail-able for pickup at Beach Baptist from 9 – 11am MO – FR. No registration or school enrollment required. The next drive-thru food distribution of food supplies from The Harry Chapin Mo-bile Food Bank will be at Beach Baptist TU May 19 from 10am – 12noon. On Thursday, from 10am - 3pm, the Choice Market food bank is open at Beach Baptist. Volunteers are needed to assist. Please call 239-247-1029 or email [email protected] if you can help.

COUnCiL MeeTingThe Fort Myers Beach Town Council will hold a meeting on Monday, May 18 at 9am. Check the meeting agenda at fmbgov.com for meeting location and participation instructions.

Around & About

Go with the flow!

Order is paramount over the Town’s Declaration #6, with Herin confirming, “The Governor’s Order supersedes anything else that anyone else has done.” Murphy asked what would happen to “anyone who jumps the gun on vacation rentals?” Hernstadt replied, “Code Enforcement would issue a Notice of Violation to show compliance. If they do not, we go from there, including the Lee County Sheriffs Office.”

In a press release on May 5, the town stated, “Hotels, motels, and timeshares may start accepting reservations on May 15, 2020, effective for occupancy dates as soon as May 15…One condition of opening to reservation and occupancy on May 15 is that deposits on reservations must be fully refundable and no change fees may be charged for reservation cancellations or modifications.” The release clarified that unless Governor DeSantis lifts his statewide ban on vacation rentals before May 15, they must remain closed until he lifts his ban.

5g infrastructureUnder a discussion on “The New World of

5G,” Hernstadt stated that a recent League of Cities article explored the impact of 5G infrastructure systems, including state versus local regulations, permitting, control and placement. Herin explained, “5G companies tend to place new connectivity poles into a community to enhance their service, to prevent dropped telephone calls and greater Internet connectivity, especially in our current situation where they is a significant demand increase.” He referred to the current Coral Gables legislation as “the gold standard” and suggested the town use that as a template.

Atterholt noted that he had experience with this when he was with the State of Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, noting, “These companies do not want us to complain about them, to get state legislation, so the major companies are happy to work with you over pole placement and things like that. Where a Town Ordinance may be helpful is over the smaller actors who may go rogue

and not be as responsive.” “With all due respect to your experience,” replied Hosafros, “the article points out they are not being responsible, and I found a lack of respect from my service provider, so I am concerned about where they will place this stuff, as we may modify Times Square or Bayside Park and all of a sudden find these poles right in the middle of those places without being in our plans.”

“That is fair,” said Atterholt. “There are some bad actors out there but we do not want to create an adversarial relationship. We want these in Times Square for all the people there who use their phones, as 5G is a nice benefit, so we want to work in partnership with them as we create our ordinance.” Murphy said, “We can do both! I recommend the Town appoint Jim to be our liaison, to establish those relationships ahead of time.” “I am happy to do so,” responded Atterholt, “to protect our rights and enhance our opportunity to be a 5G community.” Veach suggested that Atterholt explore any chance to combine the 5G poles with potential future

streetlight enhancements, with Atterholt considering that an excellent suggestion.

Under a discussion over the Town Council Policies & Procedures Manual, Hosafros suggested adding a section on the annual evaluation process for the Town Manager and Town Attorney. Council appointed her to oversee that matter. During Agenda Management, Murphy asked that Town Staff provide a monthly Financial Report, “in the spirit of transparency,” with Atterholt adding, “that would be very helpful.”

Council adjourned the Management & Planning Session after 92 minutes, though all Council members except for the Mayor remained for an optional workshop conducted by the Town Attorney to address a “Sunshine Law & Ethics Overview” that ran just under two hours more.

The next Town Council Meeting is Monday, May 20, with Council to determine if it will be virtual or in Council Chambers, depending on the Phase Two Florida Reopening Order from Governor DeSantis.

COUNCIL from PG 3

Fort Myers BeachNests ................................... 12False Crawls ........................ 11Hatched ................................ 0

Bonita BeachNests ................................... 14False Crawls .......................... 9Hatched ................................ 0


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F 15 Low 2:26 AM 0.1 6:41 AM Rise 2:50 AM 48 15 High 10:39 AM 2.1 8:08 PM Set 2:13 PM 15 Low 2:45 PM 1.7 15 High 8:17 PM 2.1

Sa 16 Low 3:14 AM 0.2 6:40 AM Rise 3:24 AM 38 16 High 10:54 AM 2.2 8:08 PM Set 3:05 PM 16 Low 4:02 PM 1.3 16 9:52 PM 2.1

Su 17 Low 3:56 AM 0.5 6:40 AM Rise 3:56 AM 29 17 High 11:10 AM 2.3 8:09 PM Set 3:56 PM 17 Low 4:54 PM 1.0 17 High 11:05 PM 2.0

M 18 Low 4:30 AM 0.7 6:39 AM Rise 4:26 AM 21 18 High 11:25 AM 2.4 8:09 PM Set 4:47 PM 18 Low 5:37PM 0.6

Tu 19 High 12:07 AM 2.0 6:39 AM Rise 4:57 AM 14 19 Low 5:00 AM 0.9 8:10 PM Set 5:38 PM 19 High 11:40 AM 2.6 19 Low 6:14 PM 0.2

W 20 High 1:01 AM 2.0 6:38 AM Rise 5:28 AM 8 20 Low 5:24 AM 1.1 8:11 PM Set 6:30 PM 20 High 11:55 AM 2.8 20 Low 6:49 PM 0.0

Th 21 High 1:51 AM 1.8 6:38 AM Rise 6:01 AM 3 21 Low 5:44 AM 1.3 8:11 PM Set 7:23 PM 21 High 12:12 PM 2.9 21 Low 7:23 PM -0.1

Day HigH TiDe HeigHT SunriSe Moon TiMe % Moon /Low TiMe FeeT SunSeT ViSibLe

Matanzas Pass TiDeS Ft. Myers beach

For all tides go to www.saltwatertides.com

enhance our quality of life for all life.”Shannon reflected on her recently-

concluded service as Vice Chair of the Marine Resources Task Force (MRTF). “I am really proud of that! When I first joined, we began to seriously examine how we could improve our water quality, as that was right when the really bad Red Tide struck our area, and MRTF continues with that through today. We instituted the movement to provide glyphosate herbicide alternatives and tightened up the Town’s Fertilizer Ordinance, to match that of Naples and Collier County, that says you should never use fertilizer unless you can prove through testing that it is necessary. In my opinion, that should be the law everywhere, but especially on Fort Myers Beach, as it makes a big impact for us. We started the movement to get residents to use reusable bags rather than plastic ones, with the canvas bag program in partnership with the Town. Finally, Council passed the plastic straw ban, making us one of the first communities anywhere in the nation to do so.”

She advocated, “The environment should be at the top of everyone’s personal priority list! Here on our island, many residents relocated here because of our weather and environment, and that is why it is home to so many living things, like migrating shorebirds and nesting sea turtles, and if we don’t take care of it, there will be lasting health ramifications. That is why a major component of MRTF is communication and education, and why we have public meetings, environmental symposiums, booths at various events and provide information on things like rain gardens; to keep those at the forefront. When I hear that neighborhoods like Fairview Isles voluntarily installed 70 mini-reefs,

that is what it is all about! My parting advice is don’t use glyphosate like Roundup, and that is straight from my heart!”

Remembering John MulhollandWhen remembering the late John

Mulholland, Cereceda began with a long “Ahhhhh! John was a Vice President with Chase Manhattan Bank who literally brought himself up by his bootstraps. He put himself through Rutgers University and made his name in the banking industry until he retired and he and his wife Nancy moved here. I got to know John during the first campaign for the initial Town Council in 1995, and though he did not win a seat, he became a Local Planning Agency (LPA) member, and when Rusty Isler chose not to seek reelection, John ran again and won, eventually becoming Mayor until his death. He was a strategic thinker who looked at all pieces of the puzzle before making a decision.”

When they first met, Anita was in her early 30’s and Mulholland already 70, “yet despite that, we became great friends and I learned so much from him, especially when it came to personal finances. Back then, if I made $100, I spent $100, but he more than anyone in my life showed me the value of protecting your assets, and that serves me well in my businesses to this day! He was funny, with a wry sense of humor, and when you got him together with Dan Hughes and Ray Murphy, who have big personalities as well, you laughed until you cried, and when he laughed, John’s whole body shook! He had an incredible handlebar mustache and I just loved him!”

Mulholland founded the Marine Resources Task Force, Anita recalled, “because he felt the Gulf and back bay were the Town’s two most important assets, and the MRTF, in my opinion is, next to the LPA, the most crucial citizen-volunteer committee in the Town’s history. When he passed away in 2000, that was a horrible day, but, oddly enough, just a day or so later, the Little Estero Island Critical Wildlife Area received its official designation, and that was so appropriate, as he loved that area. While he was a dollars & cents guy professionally, environmental preservation was his passion, and he would be so proud that the Town Environmental Stewardship Award carries his name!” Photos provided.

MULHOLLAND from PG 4

Shannon Mapes

or offer a cost-of-living adjustment, Wood suggested they honor his request and take no action and the board agreed.

Love then gave a mid-year budget update, explaining to the board where the district stands financially at the six-month mark, with the vast majority of annual revenue already received and less than half of the expenses paid out.

PromotionsChief Love recognized

three promotions: Lt. Cody Chilson to Captain II; Executive Assistant Fire Chief Scott Wirth to Assistant Chief; and

Vincent DiCristofalo from Assistant Chief of Training, Education & Safety to Execu-tive Assistant Fire Chief. Love explained that Assistant Chief Wirth would be serving as Project Manager for the Sta-tion 31 project, while maintaining some logistical responsibility for Operations and Chief DiCristofalo would continue to manage training responsibilities along

with Operations oversight. The donation of face masks for department

staff by Brian Pod-lasek and Sue Row-an, was noted by Love, “I can’t thank them enough!”

CHIEF LOVE from PG 9

The next Fire Board meeting will be held on June 24 at 6pm. The details and agenda of that meeting will be announced at fmbfire.org

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The Who’s Playing Where Page is a free service for current Island Sand Paper advertisers who regularly offer live music at least two days per week. ALL LISTINGS ARE SUPPLIED BY THE ADVERTISERS. Advertisers may send their music schedule to [email protected] by noon Wednesday.

Call Sandy at 239-463-4461 for advertising options.

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12-4pmScotty Bryan

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Who’s Playing WhereOn and Around the Beach

The week of May 15th - 21st, 2020

It is a proven FACT that wearing life jackets saves lives, however why aren’t they not more commonly worn? Let’s dig deeper on personal attitudes toward wearing a life jacket. Where do you fit in?

-I don’t like to be told what to do.-Life Jackets cramp my fashion statement.-They are too cumbersome.-I am a safe boater and don’t need to.-It’s too hot to wear one.-I know how to swim.-They are uncomfortable.-Life jackets can be expensive.Whatever your reason, it begins with your attitude

towards watersports. Watersports are indeed enjoyable activities from fishing to cruising, however we make certain assumptions. Assumptions such as we will be returning to the dock and will not be involved in a boating mishap. Note that I say mishap rather than “accident.” Things can go terribly wrong while on the water from a myriad of situations such as changes in weather, mechanical issues and operator error. There are many tips to practice safe boating that help reduce your risks while enjoying our local waterways. It must first begin with your attitude towards the sport. Hockey and football players use helmets and body pads to reduce risks from personal injury. They learned the basics and nuances

of their sport. Team members learned how to play and understand the risks. They embrace personal protective devices. So why do so many boaters simply don’t wear life jackets or learn the basics of boating?

You don’t need to be a boating expert or charter captain to embrace safe watersport practices. Start with a mindset for safe boating. Learn the sport by taking a basic safe boating class. Demonstrate to others the importance of wearing a life jacket at the very least while underway and always when boating by yourself. Set the example to others, especially for younger water enthusiasts. It’s your choice for safe and responsible boating. Take a selfie wearing a lifejacket and post it on Facebook @AUX91FMB.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is the lead agency protecting America’s seaward frontier in recreational boating safety. Our vessels and aircraft deploy across the U.S. and they aid or save countless boaters every year.

The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed civilian component of the U.S. Coast Guard and supports the Coast Guard in nearly all mission areas. The Auxiliary was created by Congress in 1939. For more information, please visit www.cgaux.org.

Provided by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 91, Fort Myers Beach, Florida

Safe BoatingNational Safe Boating Week

May 16 - 22As Florida heads into “Phase One” recovery let us not lose

sight of watersport safety. Much like many people forgot the uncomfortable feeling of driving for the first time on a snow-covered road. We learned the importance of snow tires, learned skid techniques and allowing ample time to stop. After taking time off and going back to boating you will need to get your sea legs back on.

Back to the basics of boating. Refresh yourself with the navigation rules, know your local area aids to navigation, changes in speed zones, be certain you have the proper equipment. Know how and when to call for help, check your boat for expired flares and the condition of life jackets and fire extinguishers. Most importantly do not become complacent to safe and responsible boating.

Boating Responsibly may sound like merely a buzzword, however it is your personal approach to boating safely. It is a combination of preparation, developing your personal knowledge of boating operations and navigating safely among other boaters. Boating Responsibility helps to protect yourself, your passengers and other boaters from possible harm.

Before turning that boat engine key, take the time and do the review. Don’t become the next search and rescue statistic. The choice is yours.

Life Jackets – What’s Your Excuse?

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volume 20, number 20 beach hibernation eases restaurants, … · 2020-05-14 · volume 20, number...

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