The game of chicken has started between the Town of Fort Myers Beach and FEMA. Despite a July letter that demanded the town make sure all trailers and containers are off the beach by November 18th, the town is now moving forward with its code violation process.
Businesses like La Ola and The Goodz and the Beach Baptist Church all received Notice of Violation letters from the town last month and now have two choices; either get off the island or go before a Special Magistrate and plead their case.
The problem with the town’s process is it’s unclear if FEMA cares and will eventually penalize residents that are in the National Flood Insurance Programs. FEMA wants the trailers and containers off the island to prevent the possibility of future property damage from severe weather. The town has tried to argue for an extension now that hurricane season is coming to an end and these businesses need a strong spending season to help recoup some of their financial losses from recent storms. FEMA has made it clear that the ecomonic situation of Fort Myers Businesses is none of their concern.
The town has contracted with a 3rd party Special Magistrate who will hear the cases and rule whether the trailers and containers can stay. The town has also issued itself a notice of violation for the trailers town hall operates out of. One of the additional goals of setting a Special Magistrate process was to buy businesses more time to get into this upcoming season. It’s unclear when the first hearing will be. Trailers that cannot be hooked up to a light pickup truck and moved off the island quickly were given until November 18th to be removed completely.
The town previously told businesses as long as they had a plan in permitting to rebuild a brick-and-mortar they could remain in their trailers or containers until September of 2025. That plan was upended when FEMA notified the town of the November 18th deadline back in July.
Vice Mayor Jim Atterholt is hopeful that an administration change will alter the way FEMA acts toward Fort Myers Beach especially with Senator Rick Scott on the committee that oversees the beleaguered organization. We have not heard of any changes as a result of the upcoming change in the administration as of yet. All of the national changes officially take place in January.
The temp business trailers need to go along with people still living in RVs. It’s time to start rebuilding and stop making excuses. Either you can afford to build on your lot, if not sell it or leave it empty and cleaned up. If you didn’t have insurance and still do not it’s time to move on from the island and live where you can afford to live. Sell your lot and buy a nice home inland. Businesses renting space for a good trailer to sit is ridiculous. Force these land owners to rebuild for space to be leased or sell the lots to someone who will actually develope it. The trailers everywhere make it look like a huge redneck tourist trap.
Maybe we could rename Ft Myers Beach as Ukraine West and apply for aid….bet it would be rushed before the new administration takes office…What a terrible response from FEMA not caring….no income equals no taxes and worse…time to email Senator Scott and make our positions clear.
How about the feds give the FEMA money to states and let them handle it? More responsive to local needs. Maybe some better brains than mine could figure out a fair distribution to states. Also, desist from putting up illegals in hotels and give that money to catastrophic events!
Hang Trump flags on the north and south entrances to FMB and San Carlos Island. Then Fema will not help anyone and leave you alone
Be like Key West, they seem to be doing just fine without FEMA and NFIP.
Huh??
Key West has a 25% discount due to their community rating, same as FMB.
Fema..WHO ARE YOU APPEASING? Your decision is NOT helping these businesses that have been hit so hard…give them a fighting chance…🌴
“I’m from the government and I’m here to help you!” NOT!!!
In my opinion, businesses that were here pre-Ian and still own property for their business to be rebuilt should get an extension instead of just booting them off island, by not doing that it’s hurting the community and the future of that business.
Many of these trailers have been on site since after Ian. If FEMA could just allow the trailers to stay put until end of season that would help tourism but once season is done, they should all be gone because they’ve had plenty of time to start with approved plans of building permanent structures. The Beach Bar is a perfect example of that.
I agree, we have to get this rebuilding going, but at the same time, we have to remember not all the businesses owned the buildings they were in.
I think it is time to revolt against the FEMA one size fits all approach, that needs to be able to adjust to different conditions. We are not dealing here with a stupid computer that can’t make a different decision depending on each situation.
FEMA doesn’t care about people that are struggling with small business & their livelihood, also businesses generate TAXES to pay Police, Fire Rescue, and the Town expenses, apparently the town doesn’t need our revenue or any business generated taxes.
I’M SO TIRED OF DEALING WITH BIG GOVERNMENT THST DOESN’T CARE ABOUT SMALL PEOPLE.
Our problem with issues like these is the same as it’s been all along, What is at stake is the security of the residents with homes here. Why should we always get stuck for the bill? I would say most of us don’t leave the house to run down to a food truck or a temporary beer bar; we eat at the house and walk down to the beach for a look see. The temporary stuff also short changes the bricks and mortar establishments that have rebuilt and refashioned their businesses. So much for opportunists and snigglers.
FEMA is just a Democratic tool.Time for someone to reach out to the governor and the Trump administration. To stop this from happening
Do you remember the first Trump term with his denial for aid for North Carolina (denied 99% of requested aid) or its response to Puerto Rico? How about the response in New Orleans when Bush was the president? Be careful what you wish for so the leopards don’t eat your face.
For those of us still battling FEMA for payments from Hurricane Ian, Senator Scott cannot take a larger oversight role soon enough. This bias did not start with Milton, as we cannot get paid over 1.5 million dollars. They continue to move the goalposts to delay payments after 2+ years.
I thought the FEMA-Trump supporter revelation was just an outlier until the guilty party ratted on her superiors. Considering DC went 92.4% for VP Harris, it’s clear there is bias against FMB. Regualting from 1048 miles away doesn’t work.
Yes la ola is a prime example of satisfying the visitor and safety of the island. Even if you want to build a building it’s going to take years for the process everybody suffers in the mean time. Not everybody wants margaritaville like places everywhere us locals want choices
This disconnect between FEMA and the lives of ordinary people illustrates why faith in federal agencies is eroding like a beach on a barrier island. FEMA was created with good intentions but implements a one-size fits all approach to complex problems. The result: crippling of enterprising local individuals.