Island Living

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SPD releases weekly blotter

As Sanibel continues to recover from Hurricane Ian, the Sanibel Police Department is committed to keeping the community safe and secure. To support that effort, a weekly police blotter will be issued on Tuesday that will include real time information about law enforcement response to criminal activity. Last week, the SPD provided the following updates:

Arrest reports

∫ Kamyar Eric Sadegi, 29, of 13227 Heather Ridge Loop, Fort Myers, was charged on Dec. 13 with one count each of DUI unlawful blood alcohol DUI influence of alcohol or drugs, flee elude police law enforcement officer with lights siren active, reckless driving, resist officer obstruct without violence and driving while license suspended revoked revocation equivalent status. ∫ Michael Ernest Smetana, 37, of 1473 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, was charged on Dec. 13 with two counts of drugs possess controlled substance without prescription and one count of DUI unlawful blood alcohol DUI influence of alcohol or drugs.

Enforcement actions

∫ On Dec. 15, officers responded to a 911 medical call in reference to a man bit by an alligator. The victim was treated by Lee County EMS and transported to the hospital. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission alligator trappers responded for capture and removal of the alligator. ∫ On Dec. 19, two men were observed picking through bagged items in front of a business that was not their job site. Their hurricane pass was confiscated due to misuse and they were escorted off island without incident. ∫ Multiple Violation of City Ordinance (VCO) citations were issued for dewatering of a pool and illegal dumping. ∫ Residential and contractor hurricane passes continue to be confiscated due to misuse.

Enforcement operations statistics

Week to date for Dec. 13-19: ∫ Alarm calls (business and residential): 1 ∫ Non-emergency calls: 16 ∫ Traffic crashes: 0 ∫ Traffic stops: 43 ∫ Residential area checks: 1,015 ∫ Business area checks: 236 ∫ Field interviews: 18 ∫ Total CAD calls: 1,639 Month to date: ∫ Alarm calls (business and residential): 12 ∫ Non-emergency calls: 52 ∫ Traffic crashes: 2 ∫ Traffic stops: 102 ∫ Residential area checks: 2,241 ∫ Business area checks: 813 ∫ Field interviews: 42 ∫ Total CAD calls: 4,189

Reminders from the SPD

∫ All beaches, beach parking and the Sanibel Lighthouse fishing pier are currently closed. Anyone found in these areas may be subject to trespassing charges. Dewatering of a pool or spa directly into a water-

SANIBEL PUBLIC LIBRARY

Sanibel library continues to provide some services

The Sanibel Public Library Foundation is offering limited services following the recent storm. Patrons can browse the bookshelves, check out materials and use the public computers. The drive-up book drop located in the parking garage on the west side of the library is also accepting returns. Currently, overdue fines are not being assessed for materials returned late. In addition, it is offering curbside assistance on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. from now through December. To use the service, place items on hold online or make requests by calling the library at 239-472-2483. Patrons will then be notified when their items are ready for pick up. The library’s eShelf and all online services are available 24/7. Library cardholders can stream or download eBooks, movies, music, newspapers, magazines and more. For assistance with the services or a library card, contact notices@sanlib.org. If you have photos taken during Ian or of post-storm damage or recovery in Southwest Florida, consider allowing the library to archive the images. It is also looking for photos of the islands before the causeway, during the land boom of the early 1920s, and of notable locals. Images, videos and stories can be emailed to sanibelpubliclibrary@gmail.com. The Sanibel Public Library is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will be closed on Jan. 2 for New Year’s. For more information, call 239-472-2483 or visit www.sanlib.org. The Sanibel Public Library is at 770 Dunlop Road, Sanibel.

The Sanibel School

The Sanibel School, at 3840 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel, reported the following:

Enrollment waivers to open

The Sanibel School reported that student enrollment waivers will open in January. Off-island families who have a child in kindergarten through eighth grade and would like their child to attend the island school can contact the School District of Lee County's Student Assignment Office. The school noted that it cannot give tours of the campus yet, but will provide an update when that is an option. For more information, call 239-472-1617 or visit sbl.leeschools.net.

Over the past three years, members of the America’s Boating Club of Sanibel-Captiva have sewn more than 1,000 pillowcases for patients at the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. They recently donated another collection, which were holiday-themed sets. The club reported that each of the pillowcases is given to a child who has to spend time in the hospital undergoing lengthy treatments. Called Ryan’s Cases for Smiles Project, the national program came about because of a boy named Ryan who was ill and hospital-bound for several weeks. At one point, he mentioned to his mother that everything in his room was all white and boring. His mother designed a couple of pillowcases for him, and he loved them. After Ryan passed, his mother and her friends went on to establish a program donating pillowcases to children's hospitals, ultimately, across the country. Ryan's Cases for Smiles Project has grown over the years. Now, hospitals also use the pillowcases for their infusion patients, as well as for mothers who spend time in the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit. The club reported that three times a year, it hosts a sewing session where six to 18 members gather to sew and contribute their skills, such as pinning, ironing, folding, washing and preparing the pillows. During the pandemic, members took pillowcase kits home and made them up. Despite Hurricane Ian, a special effort was made to get several dozen pillowcases made up and delivered to the local hospital. The fabric for the cases is funded by cash and fabric donations from members. For more information about the project, contact Commander@scsps.org.

AMERICA'S BOATING CLUB OF SANIBEL-CAPTIVA DeSantis signs disaster relief, property insurance bills’

The Office of the Governor reported that Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two bills on Fort Myers Beach on Dec. 16, one providing disaster relief and the other intended to address the property insurance crisis. The first was Senate Bill 4-A, which provides $750 million for additional disaster relief to Floridians following Hurricanes Ian and Nicole. The second was SB 2-A, which proponents describe as “the most significant property insurance reform bill in recent history which helps to stabilize our property insurance market, increase competition, and strengthen consumer protections. ” “We have taken an all-hands-on-deck approach to cut through bureaucracy to help our communities recover from Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, ” DeSantis said. “I want to thank the Legislature for bringing additional disaster relief to communities across the state as we continue our historic recovery. “The issues in Florida’s property insurance market did not occur overnight, and they will not be solved overnight, ” he added.

“The historic reforms signed today create an environment which realigns Florida to best practices across the nation, adding much-needed stability to Florida’s market, promoting competition, and increasing consumer choice. ” SB 4-A — Disaster Relief — provides property tax relief for homes rendered uninhabitable due to the storms. Additionally, it provides $750 million for the communities impacted by them, including: ∫ $350 million to support the portion of local government match for FEMA Public Assistance, freeing up local funds to undertake additional hurricane recovery and mitigation projects. The matching money may provide up to $7 billion in reconstruction and recovery projects undertaken by local governments depending on the applicable federal cost share. ∫ $150 million to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to support local beach renourishment projects and a new Hurricane Restoration Reimbursement Grant Program to assist homeowners with coastal hardening and fortification to protect their property against the severe coastal erosion from Ian and Nicole. The bill also authorizes the FDEP to waive local match requirements for beaches in the impacted areas. ∫ $100 million to the FDEP to repair and reconstruct community stormwater and wastewater infrastructure that was damaged by Ian or Nicole. ∫ $150 million to continue efforts to support homeowners and renters impacted by the storms through the Hurricane Housing Program and Rental Recovery Loan Program. According to the Office of the Governor, the property insurance legislation is intended to strengthen Florida’s property insurance market by “eliminating one-way attorney fees for property insurance claims, which will disincentivize frivolous lawsuits, and realigning Florida’s market to best practices that will promote more market competition in the private insurance industry. ” “This bill reins in the incentive to litigate, ” DeSantis said. He cited one example of a $50,000 claim which resulted in $1 million in attorney fees, fees the governor said get passed on to policy holders in the way of higher premiums. “Now we’re more in line with what the rest of the county is doing, ” he added. According to the Office of the Governor, SB 2-A also will: ∫ Reduce the burden of excessive and predatory litigation will help bring down costs for homeowners. ∫ Enhance the Office of Insurance Regulation’s ability to complete market conduct examinations of property insurers following a hurricane to hold insurance companies accountable and prevent abuse of the property appraisal process. ∫ Reduce timelines for insurers to get payments out the door and back into the hands of policyholders as they rebuild their lives. ∫ Build on reforms passed earlier this year by committing additional funding to provide temporary reinsurance support to help stabilize the state’s market.

Blotter From page 14 body, into the city’s stormwater system or onto any third-party’s property without the third party’s consent is expressly prohibited. Sanibel Residential Hurricane Passes are not transferrable. In addition, Sanibel Commercial Reentry Passes are not transferrable; unauthorized use of passes by individuals other than the contractor to whom a pass was issued will result in immediate revocation of the commercial entry pass. Contractors from whom passes have been revoked will be ineligible to receive new passes. Multiple search warrants have been issued and executed as part of post-hurricane investigations, resulting in the discovery of items that may be missing property. Residents, property owners and business owners are encouraged to review photos at http://www.mysanibel.us/police /property/. Solicitation is not allowed on Sanibel. Please share any photos of solicitation hang tags to police@mysanibel.com or use Tip411.

Reporting suspicious activity

Anonymous tips regarding crimes or suspicious activity can be submitted via Tip411: ∫ Text the keyword SANIBEL then your tip to 847411. ∫ Web tips can be submitted at https://www.tip411.com/tips/new?alert _g roup_ id=22450. ∫ Use the free “Sanibel PD” app for your Android or iOS device. The SPD's non-emergency line is 239472-3111. Find the SPD on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SanibelPolice