As we reported last week, the Town of Fort Myers Beach is taking steps to follow through with its plan to remove all structures property owners and business owners were living in or operating a business out of with an Emergency Temporary Use Permit granted after Hurricane Ian. All of those permits expire on September 23rd.
If a property owner can prove to Town Manager Will McKannay they are experiencing a hardship he may extend those permits. A special application must be filled out before the deadline in order for a property owner or business to be considered. the 4-page application can be viewed HERE.
No new permits are being issued.
Here’s the full letter being sent to permit holders.
Dear Property Owner:
We hope this letter finds you and your family well, and that your journey to recover from the devastating impacts from Hurricane Ian continues to move forward in a positive direction. The Town of Fort Myers Beach sincerely appreciates your strength, patience, and partnership as we continue working together to rebuild and restore our community.
We are writing to provide you with a courtesy reminder that your Temporary Placement Permit expires on September 23, 2025. On August 18, 2025, the Town Council adopted Resolution 25-251, which allows you to apply for an extension of the permit in certain “hardship” situations and subject to certain conditions. Once passed by the Town Council, you may request a copy of Resolution 25-251.
Attached for your convenience is a copy of the Emergency Temporary Placement Permit Extension Application – Hurricane Ian. You may also visit the Town’s website to obtain an electronic copy of the application.
The Town’s goal is to support and work with you proactively in advance of the date your permit expires. Please be aware that in the event no action is taken by you after the expiration of your permit, the matter will be referred to the Town’s Code Enforcement Department, and you may be subject to code enforcement action, potentially resulting in daily fines and other penalties.
Thank you again for your continued cooperation and for being an essential part of our recovery. Together, we will keep moving forward and building a stronger Fort Myers Beach for years to come.
Sincerely,
Thomas Yozzo
Emergency Services Director
Town of Fort Myers Beach
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There are trailers that are empty and the owners have gone back up north. There are trailers that are being rented out to NON owners. We had one living in a class C RV dealing weed from his “office”. The owners of the land claimed the man was helping them out with projects around the land. He’s gone from behind us but I am sure he is still lurking around the island.
Keep note, we can all be cancelled at any time. This is what is happening and may happen if it is not already in the works from FEMA:
If a town does not comply with FEMA floodplain rules, it faces suspension from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). This means residents can no longer purchase federal flood insurance, potentially losing federally backed mortgages and disaster relief. The local government also loses eligibility for federal grants for infrastructure in flood hazard zones.
Consequences for the town
Suspension from the NFIP: The town’s eligibility for the NFIP is suspended, ending its participation in the program.
Loss of federal grants and loans: The town becomes ineligible for federal grants and loans for development and infrastructure projects in mapped flood hazard areas.
Consequences for residents and businesses
Inability to get flood insurance: NFIP flood insurance is no longer available to residents and businesses in the community. Existing policies are not renewed upon expiration. While private flood insurance may be an option, it can be more expensive.
Difficulty obtaining mortgages: Federally regulated and insured lending institutions (like FDIC-insured banks) are prohibited from making loans for properties in flood hazard areas without flood insurance. This makes it difficult to buy or sell property in these areas.
Denial of federal disaster aid: After a flood event, residents in flood hazard areas are not eligible for federal disaster assistance to repair insurable buildings.
Increased costs for flood-damaged properties: If a property is substantially damaged, compliance with the NFIP’s “50% rule” is required during rebuilding. A suspended community can see higher insurance premiums and lower property values because of these factors.
The path to suspension
Before suspension, FEMA first places a non-compliant community on probation.
Notice: FEMA provides multiple notices to the community, including 180-, 90-, and 30-day warnings.
Probation: The community is placed on probation, and a $50 annual surcharge is added to all NFIP flood insurance policies.
Suspension: If the community fails to address its deficiencies by the deadline, FEMA suspends it.
The path to reinstatement
To be reinstated to the NFIP, a community must take specific actions:
Adopt new regulations: The community must submit evidence that it has adopted and implemented adequate, up-to-date floodplain management regulations.
Correct violations: The community must prove that all program deficiencies and violations have been corrected to the maximum extent possible.
Probationary period: The community may be put on a probationary status for a time after being reinstated, during which the $50 surcharge remains.
I remember a story about an older man who was gifted a used trailer so he would have a home. Will someone be assisting him to make sure he doesn’t lose his new home?
Clearly, since the town refuses to actually acknowledge that it has given permits out to those not affected by Ian as well as allowing new trailers on property every week to current day, nothing is going to change unless we make them change it. Not a single notice on a single trailer. Good luck getting FEMA to help now. It’s a shame that we have to pay extra in FEMA insurance (we may all even lose FEMA if this continues) to have empty trailers everywhere and we get to pay for it. It’s insane. Very dangerous and very irresponsible. Any good class action lawyers out there that want to help us out?
About time. Now, lets hope the town doesn’t do another wishy-washy and change this ruling too.
The town keeps changing the rules. Maybe if we stuck to the comp plan and followed FEMA rules the island would have recovered quicker. Keep playing games and see what happens.
Was this approved by FEMA? If not, and we permanently lose our insurance discount, then the town should reimburse that loss to homeowners every year from this point forward.
Eric, where do you think the town would get the money to reimburse every property owner?
I’m being sarcastic. Everyone knows that would never happen. They’re the ones that caused the loss in the first place
What if someone never filed for a permit, but is living in a trailer on their property?
They will go directly to code enforcement.