Town Hall demolished

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

owner make changes to the form easement agreement?

Answer – There is a form easement agreement that can be viewed and downloaded on the Town’s website at www fmbgov com/beach read more

Que s ti o n: W h e n m u s t s i g n e d easements be delivered to the Town to participate in the beach renourishment program?

The Town of Fort Myers Beach Town Hall was reduced to a massive pile of rubble Friday after it was demolished by the town, more than 10 months after Hurricane Ian tore it to pieces

The future of a new town hall is still not precisely clear as the town awaits funding

The town has applied to the state for partial funding for a new town hall though this year's state budget did not include specific line-item funding for a town hall replacement. The town has applied to the state Division of Emergency Management for partial funding through either grants or loans to help pay for a portion of the town hall replacement

State legislators sent over a request for $25 million for a new town hall, but it was not included in the budget passed by the state legislature

The town could still acquire funding for the town hall as part of $350 million in Hurricane Ian recovery funds that are available statewide as part of the state budget

Answer – No

The placement of publicly funded sand does not make the privately owned portion of the beach a public beach In addition, the public does not have the right to traverse private property to reach the p u b l i c b e a c h s e a w a r d o f t h e ECL/MHWL read more

Answer – No A beachfront property is not required to sign an easement, but without an easement, the Town will not place sand and take appropriate actions to maintain the beach in front of properties when the owners of the properties decline to sign an easement read more

Question: Is there a form easement agreement that must be signed to get publicly funded beach renouri s h m e n t , a n d c a n e a c h p r o p e r t y

Answer – There is a deadline of Friday, August 18, 2023 at 4:00 p m The deadline has been extended into August as the Town waits on the US Army Corps (USACE) to issue the permit Once the USACE permit is issued, staff will move quickly to issue the invitation to bid Staff will make every effort to include late easements into the project, but waiting to sign may jeopardize the properties inclusion into the project

More information regarding the easements is on the town’s website at www fmbgov com/beach

Questions can be sent by email to C h a d d C h u s t z , t h e T o w n ’ s Environmental Projects Manager, at chadd@fmbgov com