Getting a permit is the number one issue on the minds of Fort Myers Beach residents. As of this week you have fewer hours to receive those permits. Here’s why…
The town announced on Wednesday that its permitting department has returned to regular hours (Monday through Friday, 7:30A to 4:30P). The hours were extended to Monday-Friday, 7:30A to 6:30P and Saturday, 7:30A to 5:30P back in early January.
The town says the change is being made because the additional personnel provided for permitting services through the Florida Department of Emergency Management ended March 28.
Six months after the date of the storm is the regulatory limit for state and federal programs to provide additional support. The Town requested an extension up to and including from the White House and was denied.
The town says, as the budget allows, more staff will be hired. One position has been filled with three more to be discussed at a future Town Council meeting for the budget approval to hire.
Two positions that are currently outsourced – plans examiner and building code inspector – are in process to be hired directly by the Town.
Nine compliance personnel that were provided by the State to inspect properties will not be replaced.
Code Compliance staff are back to the pre-storm positions of two full time and one part time.
10,000 permits have been issued to property owners in various stages of rebuilding in the past six months. A typical year’s worth of permits equals about 2,000.
It’s time to unincorporate FMB and throw out all these self-serving council members that said they were going to help everyone on the island not just TPI and their buddies. The council is corrupt and is wasting our tax dollars on unnecessary pet projects like Beach renourishment, an unnecessary and illegal environmental disaster for which they tried to steal the property rights of the beachfront property owners under the guise that it was for their benefit what liars. This unnecessary environmentally destructive berm system which is going to ruin our island by preventing the free-flowing storm waters from draining naturally, will now backup onto the private property owner’s property creating marsh light conditions between the berm and the upland owners property with further growth of invasive plants taking away the aesthetic beauty of what the island has always been just because we have idiots being hired in an environmental department that shouldn’t even be there on an island that’s only 6 miles long. These town jokers who own nothing on the island want to dictate to all of us property tax paying owners what they think is best for all of us. let the island be the resort island it is. Demand from our council that they put unincorporation on the ballot or they should get off Town council they don’t represent the majority on this island just their self-serving interest.
Close down the local Govt – it has been a complete FAILURE –
Adding layers of Govt helps Govt not the people –
Wake up and stop looking for answers or Directions from people with no expertise or ownership . Govt is NOT your Friend and they are NOT here to help- GOVT exist to CONTROL and Grow both at citizens expense .
Everyone please e-mail or call your Govenor Ron DeSantis, Byron Donalds, Matt Gaetz, etc. The news goes away and were left to be eaten by the sharks. These permit fees are criminal. WE did’nt ask to remodel or change out our fences. If you had the money to help yourself before January 17 2023 you were in luck! NO permit fees. Wow imagine that. Were all in this together, there is power in numbers, LET BE VOLCAL NOT JUST LOCAL
Governor DeSantis shows again and again, why Florida is such a great state. There is a reason why he won with a 20% margin.
Even with the extra help getting a permit was a NIGHTMARE. The Town is in worse shape now, town employees are going around and harassing property owners with stop work orders and fines but can’t keep up with the application process. It’s going to get even worse with the Feds and State ignoring us. When your story disappears from the news cycle the Rotten politicians go away!
Where is Ron? Why wouldn’t we contact the state? Why aren’t they helping with the insurance companies that aren’t paying their insured for their losses?
That’s because we’re not immigrants
Don’t be stupid. Call DeSantis office. The solution starts with him but he’s not interested in helping his constituents in Fort Myers.