04.23.18 Meeting Minutes
04.23.18 Meeting Minutes
Brief highlights from Monday’s Town Council meetings
Pier provisions: Hercules and Coconut Drive’s piers are one step closer to re-establishment. The council approved a contract award to J&M Boatlift & Repair for $95,795, which includes both docks.
Connecticut cut-off: Council agreed 3-2 to ask that the Connecticut sidewalk, being built and funded by the Metropolitan Planning Organization, run from Estero Boulevard to Shell Mound only. Residents at a community meeting expressed displeasure at the sidewalk extending the full length of the street. Council Member Anita Cereceda and Bruce Butcher dissented. “There are bigger goals and bigger visions. What we talk about in the comp plan aren’t specific people,” she said. “To scale back the sidewalk is a long term mistake for a short term goal of satisfying short term residents.”
No name game: during the April planning and management session, the council discussed overall ideas of town branding efforts, what the town’s main symbol is, and possibly renaming the town by a referendum if there was support to do so. Many people confuse Fort Myers Beach as being a part of Fort Myers. At Monday’s meeting, Council Member Dennis Boback brought up the name referendum again. Council members agreed that it was too soon for a referendum, and was a much larger discussion, but some were supportive of starting a discussion as some of the advisory boards will be taking on some “branding” brainstorming. “I’m for exploring the idea,” Butcher said.