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Captiva Current
CEPD gives green light to remove beach sand
By TIFFANY REPECKI
trepecki@breezenewspapers.com At a special State of Emergency meeting, the Captiva Erosion Prevention District's commission approved letting Lee County remove the beach sand washed up on the roadways by Hurricane Ian. On Oct. 24, the commissioners voted unanimously 5-0 to allow the county to remove the sand lining the roads — under an existing contract and at no cost to the CEPD — and treat it like hurricane debris. Prior to the vote, Executive Director Daniel Munt explained that the county has the ability to remove the sand under an agreement with its contractor and transport it to a landfill as if it is storm debris. “There's a large amount of sand that lines Captiva Drive, ” he said. Munt reported that the sand cannot simply be collected and put back on the beach. While that is an option, the sand would first have to be treated through sifting to remove any contaminants, like glass. It would also require an acceptable staging area to process the sand and more, which the CEPD lacks. “We could definitely sort the sand, ” he said of treating it. In preparation for the discussion, Munt obtained quotes for the work. He shared that it would cost about $9 per cubic yard for the sifting, plus just over $63 per cubic yard to haul away any bad unusable sand. Munt noted that it cost $16 per cubic yard to place the sand during the renourishment project.
The Lee County Library System, which includes the Captiva Memorial Library, is offering the following free virtual programming:
Adult programs
∫ Nov. 3: Online Alternative Records and Hidden Genealogical Sources at 10 a.m. Alternative records are one of the best ways to overcome research roadblocks in genealogy. They often provide information that is contained in missing primary records. The seminar will discuss the most useful records to assist researchers. Advance registration required. For more information or to register, visit leelibrary.librarymarket.com. Questions can also be directed to 239-479-INFO (4636). Download books, stream video and other online content at www.leelibrary.net. The Captiva Memorial Library is currently closed due to Hurricane Ian. The Captiva library is at 11560 Chapin Lane, Captiva.
See CEPD, page 7 Board appoints new member to fire commission
By TIFFANY REPECKI
trepecki@breezenewspapers.com The Captiva Island Fire Control District's commission filled the vacant seat on its board during its recent meeting, as well as were updated on housing a Lee County EMS ambulance at the fire station. On Oct. 28, Commissioners John Bates and Sherrill Sims voted unanimously 2-0 to approve a resolution appointing Carole Campbell to Seat 2, which was vacated by former Commissioner Jeffrey Brown. Brown had resigned as of Sept. 30 because he would no longer be residing on Captiva. Prior to the vote, Fire Chief Jeff Pawul explained that Campbell would serve the rest of that term.
Fire Chief Jeff Pawul
See BOARD, page 7
CCP provides more updates on recovery effort
The Captiva Community Panel released the following updates on Oct. 27:
Island Water Association
The Island Water Association reported that it is concentrating efforts on the process to rescind the boil water notice. The process requires system-wide flushing, disinfectant residual confirmation and two successive lab samples confirming the absence of bacteria. It takes time
See CCP, page 7
CEPD From page 6 He recommended that the board accept the county's offer and have the sand removed. Treasurer Dick Pyle voiced his agreement with Munt's suggestion. Commissioner Linda Laird reported that she spoke to Nicole Sharp, with APTIM Coastal Planning & Engineering, in the hopes of figuring out how to save the sand. Sharp also agreed with removing it. Vice Chair and Secretary Rene Miville felt that they needed to move quickly on either choice. Commissioner Bob Walter noted that he passed along the county's offer after meeting with officials. Also during the meeting, Munt provided an update on the state of the CEPD's office building. “The office building is very much intact, ” he said, adding that there may be a few small leaks forming, but all of the office equipment is intact. “However, the beach vehicle appears to have been flooded. ” Munt is working with the CEPD's insurance adjuster in terms of filing a claim for it.
In other news
On Oct. 27, the CEPD shared on social media that it is a beach and shore preservation district as legislated under state law. It is the only entity with the authority to place sand on Captiva's beaches. “Please, do not attempt to handle any over washed sand. Over wash sand is being classified as contaminated storm debris to be removed by Lee County, ” it reported. “Over wash sand placed on the beach would be unauthorized and considered a contaminate, which may require remediation. ” The public is asked to contact the CEPD at 239-4722472 or www.mycepd.com, or other local authorities, if they see or suspect any unauthorized sand placement on the island's beaches.
Captiva Public Meetings
The following public meetings/hearings are scheduled: ∫ Nov. 7: Captiva Erosion Prevention District monthly meeting at 1 p.m. via Zoom. For more information or the agenda, visit mycepd.com. ∫ Nov. 8: Captiva Community Panel monthly meeting at 9 a.m. via Zoom. For more information or the agenda, visit captivacommunitypanel.com. ∫ Nov. 8: Captiva Island Fire Control District meeting at 4 p.m. at the fire station, at 14981 Captiva Drive, Captiva. For more information or the agenda, visit captivafire.com.
Board From page 6 “Basically (it) is for two years, ” he said of the appointment. The commission seats are fouryear terms. The Seat 2 term expires in 2024. Also at the meeting, Pawul provided an update on the negotiations with county officials to house the ambulance to service the island. Prior to the hurricane, they were finalizing lease agreement terms. “The county does still want to do it, ” he said. “They want to move forward with it. ” “They already had it approved in next year's budget, ” Pawul added. He explained that county officials reached out to him and acknowledged the lease terms have not been finalized yet, but they would like to get the ambulance out on Captiva and deal with the details later. “I'm OK with that, ” Pawul said. “I don't have an issue with that. ” The commissioners agreed and directed him to work with the county to set up the ambulance. Also during the meeting, Pawul gave the commission a post-hurricane update. He reported that the agencies recently assisting the district's crew would be leaving the next week. “So those resources are leaving, ” Pawul said, adding that operations are nearly back to normal. The crew drives the island each day to ensure fire hydrants and accesses are clear. He reported that he also spoke with officials from the Island Water Association. IWA is continuing to decrease its water pressure during the night because too many people are using water for irrigation.
CCP From page 6
In other news
∫ The district responded to 40 calls in September, with about another five unaccounted for. “The good thing for us during the hurricane, when we could not respond, was we did not get a lot of calls, ” Pawul said, noting that the Sanibel Fire and Rescue District fielded a number of calls from those who had stayed and their residences were flooding, but the crews could not respond until it was safe.
TIFFANY REPECKI
and, ultimately, requires the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to review the results and approve rescinding the boil notice. The IWA has an internal goal to have the advisory lifted during early November.
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency reported that if the cost of repairing a structure to its condition before Hurricane Ian is 50 percent or more of its pre-disaster market value — 50% rule — the structure is considered “substantially damaged. ” The value of the land is not a consideration; the determination is based strictly on the market value of the structure before the damage occurred. FEMA does not make substantial damage determinations; the determination is made by a community’s building official or floodplain manager. Repairing a structure in a floodplain requires a permit. In addition, the “substantially damaged” structure must be brought into compliance with the Florida Building Code and the community’s floodplain management regulations. Options include: ∫ Flood-proofing a non-residential structure ∫ Relocating the structure outside the floodplain ∫ Elevating the structure to a height determined by local community officials ∫ Demolishing the structure Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) coverage is a paid coverage under the insured’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) flood policy. Policyholders of structures substantially damaged by flood, located in the Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA), can receive up to $30,000 through ICC to help meet the cost of complying with building codes and ordinances. For more information on general flood insurance questions, contact the NFIP at 800-427-4661 or your insurance agent. People can also email FloodSmart@dhs.gov to request information in a language other than English. Information also is available at FEMA.gov and FloodSmart.gov. The CCP noted that the city of Sanibel's Facebook Live update on Oct. 26 included a session with NFIP Insurance Specialist Jeffrey Parker and Florida NFIP State Coordinator Conn Cole, who provided floodplain technical assistance and answered questions about the NFIP and 50% rule. To watch the video, visit https://www.mysanibel.com /news-announcements/news.
South Seas Island Resort
The South Seas Island Resort reported that most areas had power as of Oct. 26, and the power is hot to the meter outside of your home. If your power is not on, it is either: ∫ Something is damaged leading to the unit. ∫ Your HOA is systematically working through all units checking for problems; once confirmed there are no issues, panels will be turned on. ∫ If you have a private home in the SSIR program, the resort is working through those homes with an electric company and turning on panels. If you are not in the program and have a private home, contact LCEC. If you are having difficulty, email SSIR Regional Managing Director Bob Walter at bwalter@southseas.com and he will do his best to assist; the challenge is LCEC will probably require someone present at the home.
Water The SSIR reported that water was on in all areas as of Oct. 26; your main valve may be turned off leading to your home. If you are part of an HOA, they are systematically turning on areas and checking for leaks inside and outside.
Wastewater The SSIR reported that the FGUA plant was on full power with 12 of the 18 lift stations running on full power as of Oct. 26. Repairs are still being done on six stations control panels. Crews are on site.
Debris pick up The SSIR reported that debris is being picked up by CrowderGulf; it had four large trucks working as of Oct. 26. Debris was scheduled to be picked up in the next day or two. The state and county were awaiting FEMA approval to pick up debris on private property and commercial property.
