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New waterfront community group forms on Beach

By Staff | Mar 9, 2011

A new, private non-for-profit organization is forming in the 33931 zip code area. Its mission is “to educate and support best management and promotional practices for a healthy environmentally sustained waterfront community” and its purpose is “to promote a better quality of life using sustainable solutions to common issues” by using faith-based values such as honesty, truthfulness and neighborly qualities.

San Carlos & Estero Islands Waterfront Partnership is an informational group that is seeking membership by inviting those who are committed to its intent to sign up. The five board of directors, which admittedly met for the first time last week, would like to foster a better relationship between businesses and community residents and keep everyone informed of rules and regulations.

Directors Joanne Semmer, Tracey Gore, Al Durrett, Eric Tibbs and Jessie Titus are the resident board members. They envision a kinder, gentler way of living with the ‘help thy neighbor’ manner of the days of old. The voluntary group plans on having its open house event at the Fish Tale Marina Ship Store on April 12, from 6 to 8 p.m.

To be recognized federally, the group is designated as an Islands Board Of Trades. Some areas of concern for the IBOT directors involve economic development and tourism in the coastal community; education to the public about environmental issues; volunteerism and civic engagement; youth services and programs; and governmental affairs such as permitting, development, property taxes, channel maintenance and other coastal issues.

Semmer, who belongs to many groups such as Waterfronts Florida Program, Clean Marina Program, Green Lodging Program, Audubon International Green Communities and University of Florida Sustainable Coastal Communities Program, will be the focal point of the organization. The group will feed off her wealth of knowledge from her list of volunteer work and resources as well as seeking other knowledgeable people within the two islands’ community.

“There are so many good things in these programs that can benefit the community and make it a better place to live. This gives our community stakeholders a voice,” she said. “There are so many groups that I’ve worked with, and they have so much information. I think this will be an excellent vehicle in order to help people understand what is out there.”

Gore believes the children of Estero and San Carlos islands will play a big part in the organization. She called them “our greatest natural resources” that are directly involved in the community with events such as the Coastal Clean-ups and Relay for Life.

“There are a lot of these programs that the community doesn’t know about,” said Gore. “We want to make sure that (residents and businesses) know that they are out there. We are going to do the best to bring all these programs and knowledge up front, so that everybody knows it is out there.”

Durrett said the IBOT directors are open to working with all government, civic and individual causes.

“This is a new beginning of pulling the 33031 zip code population together as a community, both in business and residential,” he said. “I think the community will embrace this type of communication.”

Durrett used the beach restoration process on the north end of the Beach as an example of how the group hopes to help out.

“With our organization and working with the Town of Fort Myers Beach and Lee County, we hope to shorten these processes,” Durrett said. “It should help our overall economic value to Fort Myers Beach.”

The IBOT group will meet monthly for board brain sessions and will invite the public and its members for quarterly meetings. The meetings are to be announced at this stage.

Durrett did emphasize the group is not forming to take over the duties of the FMB Chamber of Commerce nor does it want to interrupt any governmental processes.

“This is a community effort to help each other whether you are a business or a resident within our community,” he said.

The IBOT directors are expected to select a board of advisors to help the organization’s path with recommendations. A website will be built in the near future to assemble the knowledge collected from the directors, programs and community input.

Charter membership to the IBOT group costs $100 for a business; $50 for a resident; $25 for non-profit groups (including condominium associations); and $1 per child, who will affectionately be called “IBOTS.” A commitment of time, energy and resources is a strong requirement to become a member.

“We want to show business owners that by interacting with other local businesses and the community, the use of green practices can actually generate more business,” said Tibbs, who is the only officer of the group (treasurer) assigned as of yet.

“We want to make a sustainable difference. We need to protect that blue-green water because that will bring us green,” added Titus. She has paid for the first 100 memberships for children.

So, if you are interested in becoming a member of promoting and supporting a healthy and environmentally sustainable waterfront community, contact Gore at 849-3603 or Semmer at 470-4993. A membership form can be obtained by emailing a request at t-gore@comcast.net or jj37a@yahoo.com.