Mary Rose Spalletta has resigned from the Fort Myers Beach Maine and Environmental Resources Task Force claming the committee has become an arm for special interests, although in her letter she does not specify which special interests or how they have infiltrated MERTF.
There are four seats up in October on the MERTF committee. They are made by appointment by the Fort Myers Beach Town Council. Spalletta’s seat did not expire until next year so there will now be 5 seats to fill. There are six residents who’ve applied for the four seats that were open, an unheard of amount of interest in a volunteer committee.
Being that Spalletta’s resignation is immediate, the Town Council can decide to fill it right away or wait until the other 4 appointments are made later this year.
MERTF will be a completely changed committee this October when new members are appointed. None of the current members, whose terms are expiring, have yet applied to be reappointed.
Here is Spalletta’s full resignation letter to the Town Council which was submitted on Friday, August 9th.
Dear Mayor Allers, Vice-Mayor Atterholt, Council Members King, Safford, and Woodson:
During the past 9 years during which I have been a member of the Marine and Environmental Resource Task Force I have understood its  focus to be the conservation of the Ft Myers Beach environment.
I believe this is the reason MERTF was established.
In 2015 I  volunteered to serve on MERTF because I believed  the health of our living beach to be vital to its existence.  I still believe that. I know that commercial ventures are also vital to Ft Myers Beach.
I believe that by encouraging best practices and enforcing existing laws we can both encourage business and sustain nature. Indeed, during all the years  in which I have served on MERTF this has been an understanding.
Unfortunately, MERTF has become a focus for  special interests.  These special interests are not  aligned with mine. Their goals are not mine.
They have distorted MERTF’s intentions. They have twisted our comments.  They have labeled MERTF the enemy of the very property owners who stand to benefit from our science-backed environmental efforts and recommendations.
Even the  atmosphere at MERTF monthly meetings has changed from positive discussion to something toxic.
As a result, I no longer want to be a part of the Marine &Environmental Task Force of Ft. Myers Beach.
Please accept my resignation from the Marine & Environmental Task Force Committee and my resignation as Vice-Chair of this committee effective immediately.
Thank you for affording me the honor of having served on this vital beach committee.
Yours truly,
Mary Rose Spalletta
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