Beach Living

Farmers market returning

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

With a new home at Times Square, the farmers markets on Fort Myers Beach are set to return now that the fees have been sorted out

Linda Miller, who has been organizing farmers markets on Fort Myers Beach since 2015, recently gained approval from the town council and Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District Board of Fire Commissioners to hold a weekly farmers market at Times Square beginning in September As part of her agreement with the town, she would relocate to below the Matanzas Pass Bridge near the Matanzas Inn if construction begins on rebuilding Times Square

Before Hurricane Ian, Miller ran a farmers market at the Beach Baptist Church and Santini Plaza. With Santini Plaza still closed and with the demolition of the church, Miller had to find an alternative location for the market Times Square could be the perfect fit with all of the empty space Miller hopes to return the farmers market to Santini Plaza by November if it opens by then

For now, the plan is to run the farmers market at Times Square weekly on Fridays from 9 a m to 1 p m

Miller expects to have about 30 vendors at the market Some of her vendors lost as much as 90% of their busi-

Tur tle Time nest data

Non-nesting ness due to being closed out of Fort Myers Beach since Hurricane Ian

“Hopefully it will take off,” Miller said.

This year, getting the permits for the market was a fight as Miller objected to the original rates the fire department wanted to charge her After meetings with the new Chief Scott Wirth and a back-and-forth dialogue comparing rates from neighboring districts, the sides were able to reach a compromise in which the department will charge her $573 for the permit (including the initial inspection)

Originally, Miller was looking at a charge of $1,350 Last year, the farmer’s market only paid $200, which was a discount on the fee hikes from the previous rate of $50.

The Fort Myers Beach fire commissioners raised the fees on nearly all permits in 2021, some of them substantially

During a recent meeting of the fire commissioners, Chairman John Bennett spoke about the loss in property tax revenue the department is facing as a result of the homes lost in Hurricane Ian

Yet Miller said the district’s own budget documents call for not using permits to increase revenue, only to pay for the costs to the department and offset any burden on the taxpayers

“We have never been a burden,” Miller said “We have never had a call for a fire or ambulance for eight years ”

As part of the agreement, the fire department will only do an initial inspection unless issues are brought to its attention that require a follow-up

After checking with other nearby departments, Wirth said several neighboring districts do not inspect their farmers markets at all except for generators or fire lanes

Library accepting donations

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

The Fort Myers Beach Public Library, which lost approximately 9,500 books, DVD, CDs and other items in Hurricane Ian, is accepting donations

The library is accepting monetary donations as well as books and other materials

Monetary donations can be sent to the physical library address at:

Fort Myers Beach Public Library

2755 Estero Blvd , Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931

Donations of books and materials can be shipped to: Fort Myers Beach Public Library 1217 East Cape Coral Pkwy , Suite 503 Cape Coral, FL 33904