Insurance Villages planned next week in Fort Myers &  Punta Gorda for policyholders to resolve claims on the spot 

The Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) Division of Consumer Services will be hosting Insurance Villages in our area next week for property owners to meet with representatives of their insurance companies to resolve claims. 

Tuesday, June 27

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Florida Southwestern State College
 8099 College Parkway, AA177
 Ft. Myers, Florida, 33919

 Wednesday, June 28

Thursday, June 29

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Charlotte County Event Center
 75 Taylor Street
 Punta Gorda, Florida 33950

The villages will be an opportunity for policyholders to meet with their property insurer in-person and work together to resolve outstanding claims. Representatives from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and more than a dozen insurers are expected to be on hand to assist insurance consumers. 

Policyholders should bring as much documentation as they can, including:

• A driver’s license or other form of identification (Passport/State issued ID)

• Insurance cards and insurance policy information/documentation

•  Picture or documentation of the property being claimed as a loss resulting from Hurricane Ian

• Repair estimates

• Any additional insurance-related information that is readily accessible.

Laundry facilities to close at Beach Baptist Church Wednesday, June 28, 10 a.m.

Anyone who is experiencing homelessness and in need of permanent housing is asked to call Lee County Human & Veteran Services at 239-533-7996.

The restroom and shower facilities that had been in existence since just after Hurricane Ian closed a few weeks ago.

The Town’s emergency berm

project is continuing to restore sand to the beach that was displaced by Hurricane Ian in September 2022.

Visit  www.fmbgov.com/beach to learn more.

Residents are encouraged to sign easements ASAP as the beach renourishment project will be starting soon.  Forms can be found on the Town's website at the link above. 

It’s time now to remind all property owners about the lighting that is required to help protect turtles and hatchlings during nesting season. Conventional lighting scares females from nesting and disorients hatchlings away from the Gulf, leading to exhaustion, dehydration, and death from falling into storm drains, passing cars, and predators.  

Long wavelength amber bulbs in downward directed fixtures that shield the bulb from the beach are encouraged everywhere on the island, not just beachfront, because so many structures and vegetation that previously shielded light from the beach are gone due to Hurricane Ian. Besides lighting, it is also just as important to draw curtains closed at night. 

When it comes to windows and glass slider doors, the Town adopted new rules in 2022 for Sea Turtle Conservation. Windows and doors/sliders are required to have a light transmittance of 45% or less AND have a window cover installed. Read the Sea Turtle Conservation Ordinance. 

Need professional help with bulbs and fixtures? The Sea Turtle Conservancy recommends Frontier Lighting and Synergy Lighting. Long wavelength amber bulbs can also be found online. Search for “sea turtle amber LED” and the bulb type that you need.  It’s important to verify that the spectrum specifications of the bulb indicate 560 nm or greater.  

One of the cheapest FWC certified wildlife lighting options that staff have found online is the FEIT A19 Red Bulb that screws into classic Edison fixtures. Please note, filter wraps, gels, and colored party bulbs are not compliant because sea turtles are sensitive to their light.

The Town will monitor lights on the beach during season. Efforts will focus on educating property owners on solutions. Property owners are encouraged to walk on the beach to see if their property’s lighting is visible from the beach and install wildlife friendly lighting. The Town’s Environmental Projects Manager Chadd Chustz is available for questions and light inspections. Contact him by email at chadd@fmbgov.com.

For more information about lights and keeping turtles and hatchlings safe during nesting season, visit https://www.fortmyersbeachfl.gov/963/Sea-Turtle-Information. Learn more about turtles and nesting season at www.turtletime.org  

Actions that result in IBNBs flushing within or from Active Breeding Sites (i.e., adults or juveniles flying into the air or flightless young moving away from the source of disturbance, or adults displaying defensive behaviors cause take by significantly disrupting or impairing normal breeding behaviors.

Examples of this type of take include, but are not limited to:

• A person enters an Active Breeding Site and subsequently flushes IBNBs.
• A vehicle operator flushes IBNBs that are in an Active Breeding Site.
• A dog owner fails to keep their dog from flushing IBNBs that are in an Active Breeding Site.
• A person or organization uses fireworks that cause IBNBs to flush within or from Active Breeding Sites.”

PROTECTING SHOREBIRDS

is our duty

LEASH DOGS ALL OF THE TIME

• Birds see dogs as predators, no matter how small the dog.
• Leash dogs on the beach at all times. You are responsible for your dog’s actions.
• No Dogs Allowed in the Critical Wildlife Area (CWA) on the beach from the Wyndham to Carlos Point Beach

GIVE BIRDS THEIR SPACE

• Do not flush birds, they need the energy to fly 100’s of miles away
• Walk around resting birds on the beach, giving them 50+ feet.
• Stop children from running through birds.
• When birds are aggravated, you are too close.
• Never enter areas posted with shorebird/seabird signs.
• Properly dispose of trash to keep predators away.
• Do not fly kites near areas where birds may be nesting

Kayak tours on Saturdays at Mound House

Explore the winding mangrove creeks and hidden backwaters of the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve with Mound House. This unique tour offers a rare opportunity to experience the abundant life within an estuary. 

Mound House kayak tours are conducted in accordance with Florida Society for Ethical Ecotourism guidelines. 

All paddling and safety equipment provided. Ages 12 and up. Weather permitting. COST: $50 per person (MH Members $20) Museum admission included. Maximum of 12 paddlers per tour. Shoes required. 

Book your kayak tour on www.moundhouse.org

The Pickleball courts at Bay Oaks will be unavailable over the next few months as the gym and grounds are under reconstruction due to damage caused by Hurricane Ian.