Year in review: 2014
A new year brings new beginnings and new adventures, but let’s take a look at the recent past in terms of happenings and adventures.
In the second part of a two-part overlook of 2014, it is time to reminisce about the people, places and things of the year’s past 12 months.
Last week, the camera was the focus. This week, it is about the stories that spoke volumes in 2014.
It’s time to look back before we gaze ahead to the new year and what it has to offer.
The following is a month-by-month breakdown of some of the more important stories that were featured in the Fort Myers Beach Observer during the course of 2014.
JANUARY
Beach Deacon “Scoop” passes
One of the most prominent and caring figures on Fort Myers Beach passed away on Christmas evening.
Deacon Charles “Scoop” Kiesel, Sr., a founding member of the Church of the Ascension Catholic Church, died peacefully at the age of 93 with family by his side at Hope Hospice on the religious holiday between 7 and 8 p.m. He is survived by his wife, Lenora, and children, Lenora Kiesel Smith (Tom) Of New Jersey, Charles “Scoop” Kiesel Jr. (Lisa) of Fort Myers, and Robert Kiesel (Colette) of Fort Myers as well as grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Town officials move on after manager dismissal
It has been a week since legislative action related to the removal of Town Manager Terry Stewart from office was taken at Town Hall, yet the buzz of the action or the issue has not yet subsided.
Last Wednesday, the Fort Myers Beach Town Council immediately discharged Stewart by citing Town Charter Section 6.02 entitled “Removal” during a special meeting on the one agenda item listed as a “personnel matter.”
FEBRUARY
Big Carlos Pass gets dredge approval
Help should be on the way for the boating public and environmentalists regarding a key navigational passageway south of our barrier island.
Last week, the Lee County Board of County Commissioners approved adding “channel depth improvements” to Big Carlos Pass by creating a separate capital improvement plan for channel dredging there. County staff will now define a scope of work for that project including probable costs and potential funding and cost share opportunities for future BoCC approval.
Big Carlos Pass, a popular boating access from Estero Bay to the Gulf at the end of Estero Island, has been in need of a dredging operation for some time. In 30 years time, concerns have been expressed about the narrowing of the pass where depths have gone from as high as 20 feet deep to as low as 2.2 feet at low tide in some parts.
Elevated pools issue receives action steps
Steps have been taken to resolve a much-heated issue involving elevated swimming pools, accessory structures and related language in a Town code.
Last week, the Fort Myers Beach Town Council held an executive session with its interim town manager and attorneys from Fort Myers-based law firm Knott Ebelini Hart to go over strategy and expenses to defend litigation from developer Joe Orlandini. Attorney Beverly Grady of Roetzel & Andress has filed legal action after Council denied an appeal regarding the continued construction of five accessory elevated swimming pool structures within the property of new single-family homes on Palermo Circle on Fort Myers Beach back in mid-January.drainage, improved road conditions), but gave their approval with reluctance if a well-grounded traffic mitigation plan is not instituted.
MARCH
Three women voted in to serve on Beach Council
History was made on Fort Myers Beach Tuesday evening when three women -a former Beach mayor and two relatively unknowns within Town government- were voted onto the Fort Myers Beach Town Council.
Anita Cereceda, Summer Stockton and Rexann Hosafros amassed the most votes among the five hopefuls on the ballot to become the newly elected town officials in the unofficial municipal election race. They knocked out Vice Mayor Joe Kosinski, the incumbent who was not re-elected for a second term, and experienced planner Chuck Bodenhafer, whose path through the LPA (like former mayor and current Lee County Commissioner Larry Kiker, Beach Mayor Alan Mandel, outgoing Councilman Bob Raymond and Kosinski) did not pan out this time.
The plurality election featured the top three vote getters being elected without the need of a runoff. The election will be certified on Friday when provisional ballots come in from the three precincts. At those voting sites, 1,386 out of 5,136 registered voters cast ballots for a disgraceful 26.99 percent turnout.
FAA findings are not mandatory compliance
A recent requested meeting with officials from the local Federal Aviation Administration and Lee County Port Authority may have been deemed fruitful by Town officials and members of a local citizen faction deeply involved in efforts to improve flight issues over Fort Myers Beach, but mandatory action is not guaranteed even if national FAA officials approve proposed requests.
Beach Mayor Alan Mandel and Town Manager Don Stilwell, who were joined by Annie and Tom Babcock, Tom Merrill and John Pohland of the Fort Myers Beach Air Intrusion Relief group, reported to be “cautiously optimistic” after the March 7 meeting that was called “extremely informative.”
It has been 13 months since Federal Aviation Regulation Part 150 Noise Study recommendations at Southwest International Airport were approved by Lee County Board of Port Commissioners and forwarded to FAA for comment and approval. The findings are expected some time between now and May.
APRIL
Beach Manager Stilwell sheds interim title
Less than 2-1/2 months after a temporary employee agreement was accepted and ratified, the ninth Beach manager to take the reigns of chief administrative officer since the Town of Fort Myers Beach incorporated on Dec. 31, 1995 has shed his interim title to become official.
The Fort Myers Beach Town Council unanimously approved an employee agreement with Manager Don Stilwell. The contract includes similar terms and conditions similar of his predecessor, Terry Stewart. It includes an annual base salary of $120,000 for a term of one year with automatic renewals for successive terms unless a 90 days written notice is provided by either party to the other. There are amendments related to termination and deferred compensation.
FAA overflight decision grounds residents
The Lee County Port Authority recently received what some residents of Fort Myers Beach would call an unfavorable ruling regarding the Record of Approval from the Federal Aviation Administration involving the Southwest Florida International Airport Federal Aviation Regulations Part 150 Noise Compatibility Study.
Earlier this month, the FAA declined 11 of the 16 program measures proposed in the noise study. The synopsis of the ruling stated, “federal agencies do not consider the aircraft noise levels for surrounding communities associated with RSW operations as ‘significant’ according to noise standards.” The analysis in the noise compatibility program center on the Day-Night Sound Level 65 contour (the required standardized measurement of airport noise).
Basically, from a federal perspective, RSW or FMB does not have a noise problem.
MAY
Caretaker charged in video voyeurism case
A man officials say was the caretaker of a Fort Myers Beach vacation rental property that was linked to video voyeurism back in late March has been arrested.
Fort Myers resident Robert McDuffie Moore, 53, was located by the U.S. Marshal’s Task Force in Orange County and taken into custody without incident last Friday. He was apparently traveling out of county at the time of the arrest.
Moore, who was reported as the caretaker at 1910 Bayview Dr. after being the general contractor of the building, was expected to be expedited to Lee County sometime Tuesday to face seven counts of second degree felony video voyeurism (juvenile victims), one count of third degree felony video voyeurism (adult victim) and one count of third degree felony child pornography.
Boulevard construction should begin in early 2015
Final design plans for the initial section of the Estero Boulevard Improvements Project are being digested and finalized by officials and should be completed and viewable to the public by year’s end.
That part of the overall multi-year project should be followed by actual construction on the first of six segments on Fort Myers Beach’s main road in early 2015. Preliminary design plans (30 percent) encompass Crescent Street to Big Carlos Pass.
Town Charter Review Committee appointed
Ten years have passed since the Town of Fort Myers Beach conducted its most recent charter review, a process that has been stated to be extremely important for the island. The purpose of the Town charter is “to promote the general welfare and common good of the community by providing the framework for a municipal corporation to exercise municipal home rule powers under the Constitution and laws of the State of Florida.”
On Monday evening, Beach Council selected five community residents for the 2014 Charter Review Committee out of the 10 qualified individuals who submitted their names for consideration.
Tom Babcock, Miffie Greer, Dan Hughes, Jay Light and Dan Parker will man the advisory board. Al Durrett, who was tied with Parker in the voting process conducted by the FMB Council and was in attendance, told Council he would yield and serve as an alternative, thus allowing Parker, who was not in attendance, to be the fifth member of the board.
SCI marina suffers shooting fatalities
Two marina live-aboards who were to be married last weekend were shot dead and a relative of one was transported to a local hospital after a disturbance occurred at Salty Sam’s Marina on San Carlos Island last Thursday morning.
Marilyn Spiegel, age 70, and Harry Carlip, age 71, were reported to be married in Fort Myers on May 18. They were aboard a boat docked at the San Carlos Island marina when Michael Stephen Spiegel, age 71, approached them and reportedly shot both of them dead. Marilyn’s sister was injured in the incident and transported to a local hospital.
The suspect was apprehended immediately after police arrived on the scene
JUNE
Beach settles pool dispute
Fort Myers Beach Mayor Anita Cereceda considered it a lesson learned on how the dynamics of their young town has changed, and how its rules and regulations are going to have to be addressed.
At a special meeting on Friday, the Fort Myers Beach Town Council voted 4-1 to approve a settlement agreement in a dispute with developer Joe Orlandini over his bid to build an elevated pool at 301 Palermo Circle which neighbors said restricted views of the water.
It’s a costly one for the town, as it will now pay the plaintiffs $250,000 and remove the “stop work” order in effect to allow the completion of the home under construction, including all variations.
Hughes receives Humanitarian Award
Former Beach Mayor Dan Hughes is a big reason why the Town of Fort Myers Beach and history on Estero Island has prospered throughout the years.
The former Beach mayor is known for having a heavy hand in the Town Comprehensive Plan and the Land Development Code as well as a recent sizable pledged donation to restoring the oldest structure on the island to its original state of historic value, but it is relatively unknown of his charitable contributions via Council salary to many of the Beach churches.
For all he has done over the years, Hughes was selected as Humanitarian of the Year for 2013 and was honored at the Fort Myers Beach Observer/Beach Bulletin “Best of the Beach” ceremony at the Island View Restaurant atop Lani Kai Beach Resort Tuesday.
JULY
New channel for pass dredge gets nod
A new design for a long-awaited dredging project at a much-needed and never-dredged navigational passageway beyond the south end of Estero Island received a consensual agreement at a stakeholders meeting at Fish-Tale Marina last Wednesday.
Big Carlos Pass now has a rough schedule for a process that will deepen the boating access under the bridge and into the channel that reaches out into the Gulf. Concerned participating residents gave a thumbs up to a recommendation for a new channel design – a plan that will straighten out the current hooked passageway and allow users better access.
While there is no concrete timeline, Lee County officials are encouraged that a new permit process should be expedited within an eight-month timeline following a stated 120 days it will take to assemble the permit, do soil sampling and modeling work and bring forth the presentation to the Board of County Commissioners for approval. That package will be sent to the Army Corps of Engineers.
Palermo settlement case comes to a close
A building dispute relating to permitted building development setbacks and heights at five properties on Palermo Circle has reached closure.
The Fort Myers Beach Town Council approved 3-2 the second draft settlement document in a case between developer Joe Orlandini and the Town of Fort Myers Beach. The final action, which includes proper signatures and clarifications/modifications, took place during a second special meeting Thursday evening.
AUGUST
Hurricane Charley recalled on anniversary date
Ten years ago today, one of the most catastrophic storm events to hit Southwest Florida impacted Fort Myers Beach and those who lived or worked on it.
On Aug. 13, 2004, Hurricane Charley passed by Fort Myers Beach and made landfall at Cayo Costa. According to Lee County records, the coastline endured wind speeds of 145 mph and storm surge measured at eight feet. In all, the County lost an average of 16 shoreline feet, 48 percent of sea turtle nests and $14 million tourism. Estero Island’s shoreline losses averaged 28 feet. The more significant impacts were experienced at the north end of the island.
SEPTEMBER
Officials agree on lightning alert methods
Alerting beach goers about lightning may not require detection systems on area beachfronts, according to results of a recent meeting involving municipality officials. However, systems may still be placed at designated places in respective county communities.
Lee County mayors attended a closed meeting at the Lee County Administration building involving lightning detection and other hot topics last Wednesday.
Kiker stated the primary topic centered on the viability of lightning alert systems to the point of what other measures could be taken to aid in the safety of beach goers when storms are present and an investigation of where such systems may be applicable. The same officials will reconvene sometime in October to see what proposals community representatives come up with.
Beach Fire unveils permanent 9-11 memorial
An artifact from the World Trade Center was unveiled within a constructed showcase memorial display during a 9-11 remembrance ceremony at Fort Myers Beach Fire Station #33 last Thursday.
Many local officials from both the FMB Fire Control District and Lee County Sheriff’s Office combined forces with first responders from New York City and other locations in the touching tribute commemorating the 13th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on American soil by honoring all the lives that were lost -the fallen victims and heroes- on that infamous Sept. 11, 2001 day.
The event featured several speakers, an invocation, a memorial blessing, patriotic songs, color guards, a 21-gun salute, a bugler, bagpipes, drums and strong, emotional feelings. The 30″-16″-16″ I-beam monument creates a lasting memorial for all to see and reflect.
OCTOBER
Ad-hoc group to form for downtown district
The yet-to-be-developed “strategically important” property at the foot of Fort Myers Beach that has been in a holding pattern since Lee County purchased it 4-1/2 years ago is back on the radar for Town officials.
Leaning on the advice of one of its committee leaders, the Fort Myers Beach Town Council agreed to appoint a five-person ad-hoc board to discuss issues relative to the downtown zoning district, including re-development and possible traffic solutions linked to any prior site reconstruction at Seafarer’s Mall property at 1113 Estero Blvd. The group was proposed to be comprised of one Council member, one Town Public Safety Committee member for traffic and safety aspects, an LPA member for planning and zoning issues, a Times Square business person for local area impact decisions and a resident in the downtown zoning district.
NOVEMBER
CRA agreement questionable for downtown
The question related to the feasibility of setting up a dependent special district within the downtown region of Estero Island to see if any future increases in property values can be set aside to support economic development projects within that district is still being discussed.
The downtown ad hoc committee, which has been tasked by the Fort Myers Beach Town Council to recommend findings for a community redevelopment area, is finding difficulty in the multiple tier solution. Other mechanisms are being explored.
Under state law, local governments are able to designate areas as CRA when certain conditions exist, such as areas described as ‘blighted.’ But when county properties and private property are involved, as in the case of the targeted area known as Seafarer’s and Helmerich plazas and Crescent Family Beach Park, it may be difficult to apply the financing tool for redevelopment.
DECEMBER
Beach fireworks to need spark from community
Financial assistance will be needed to celebrate two important American holidays on Fort Myers Beach in 2015 and beyond.
Town of Fort Myers Beach officials have announced that after New Years Eve, the financial burden of setting off traditional fireworks on the Beach Pier will no longer fall solely on taxpayer money. Instead, they are beginning a sponsorship program to offset costs that totals close to $120,000 for fireworks, insurance and other related costs on Independence Day and New Year’s Eve collectively. The 2013 Fourth of July cost breakdown ($57,906) included $30,000 for fireworks and its producer and $15,240 for police services alone.
Bay Oaks: status quo for lightning detection
There will not be any elaborate lightning warning devices, including sirens and lights, set up at the popular public recreational property on Estero Island at this time.
On Monday evening, the Fort Myers Beach Town Council decided not to implement a proposed lightning detection system at Bay Oaks Recreational Campus. Instead, Town employees will continue to utilize the nearby community pool radar system, extend its usage to the playing fields, train more staff members in its application and persist in other alert measures when storms are nearby.