Forging a future for Bay Oaks
Like so many other communities across the country, the Town of Fort Myers Beach has had to make some tough fiscal decisions this year. To start, the town council and staff spent about an hour or so one morning a few weeks ago knocking about $700,000 off this year’s budget. We all felt pretty good about that. That is, until it was confirmed that Lee County intends to turn the ownership and management of Bay Oaks over to the Town this fall.
You see, a few months ago, Town Manager Scott Janke went downtown to meet with various county staffers to discuss different topics of mutual interest, when Barbara Manzo of the Lee County Parks and Recreation Department dropped an unexpected piece of news into the conversation:
“The County’s going to give you Bay Oaks. If you don’t take it, it’s going to close because of the budget situation,” she said.
Janke’s response to that news, although it had yet to be confirmed, was to form an ad hoc committee to determine exactly what that might mean for the town, both statistically and financially. Our town manager should be commended for this proactive approach.
The committee was manned by some of our residents and town staff, and headed by local business guru Denny Weimer. Those of you unfamiliar with Mr. Weimer should know that -along with his role as chairman of the Local Planning Agency- he volunteers as a mentor and teacher in the SCORE program by helping people improve their business acumen. After a thorough and exhaustive study, the Bay Oaks Ad Hoc Committee submitted its 40-odd page evaluation of the various nuts, bolts and the bottom line as far as the town taking over the ownership and operation of the facility.
The report, which can be viewed on the Town of Fort Myers Beach Web site, www.fortmyersbeachfl.gov, is an impressive work product, and offers several different scenarios for seeing this transition through. What’s very important for islanders to see are the dollars and cents in this report. Based on our current economy, these numbers are a bit daunting, and certainly, it’s going to take a big dose of “Can-Do” to figure out how to keep all the balls up in the air, so to speak.
Bay Oaks has been partially funded by taxes collected in unincorporated Lee County, along with about half the tab having been picked up by the town through Interlocal agreements. Statistically, nearly half (45%) of the people served by the rec center on Estero Island come from out of town, primarily the San Carlos Island area, which is just one of the many reasons the county should help pay for the continuation of services at the facility, even as it changes hands and fully comes under the aegis of the town.
We are also Lee County residents, and we pay our taxes to the county, as do our guests. We feel confident that the Board of County Commissioners do recognize the importance of maintaining a true connection to us and contributing to the quality of life here on the Island. Our community helps fuel the economic engine of the area, and the BOCC know our value in the big picture. There is no reason to believe that the BOCC would just let this and their constituents on Fort Myers Beach – fall through the cracks.
Just this week, the town received official word from the county that they definitely intend to turn the facility over on October 1st, and that it will close if the town doesn’t take it over on that date. Now would be an excellent time -for those of you on and off the island who count on the after-school program, or the countless other programs that have been offered over the years- to call the commissioners or send them each an e-mail or to let them know just how important Bay Oaks is to you.
As negotiations with county officials proceed, let’s keep in mind what a potentially wonderful opportunity this presents to us. Already the Bay Oaks Social Seniors have taken the initiative to ensure their program does not fall by the wayside, and with the many incredible folks and resources we have living, working and volunteering here (whom Mayor Kiker often refers to as our “brain trust”), we surely could forge a positive future for Bay Oaks.
Hey Jo-