Fort Myers Beach to be taken off FEMA probation

Town of Fort Myers Beach Manager Will McKannay announced that FEMA has informed the town that it will be taken off probation involving the National Flood Insurance Program this week.

The declaration will allow the town to re-apply to get the National Flood Insurance Program discounts for property owners that the town enjoyed before Hurricane Ian.

FEMA had identified issues in the documentation of permits and floodplain regulation management after the hurricane and identified non-compliant structures in the special flood hazard area, in its decision to put the town on probation.

In a recent letter to the town, FEMA declared the town had addressed all outstanding issues relating to a July community assistance visit that was part of the requirement for the town to be taken off probation.

During that visit, FEMA had put the town on notice that 252 properties were out of compliance.

Jacky Bell, Mitigation Division Director for FEMA Region 4, informed the town on Monday that the community assistance visit case from July has been closed.

“The CAV is closed, following successful updates to the town’s administrative processes, permitting Standard Operating Procedures, and Substantial Damage administrative procedures. These improvements will strengthen compliance and help prevent future violations as the town continues to resolve the outstanding compliance issues,” Bell wrote in a letter released by the town. “Continued effective administration and enforcement of the town’s adopted floodplain management regulations remain essential, both for reducing future flood loss and remaining a participating community in the National Flood Insurance

Program.”

Following the visit in July, the town developed a policy to address temporary trailers, providing waivers for those who have trailers if they can show they are working to rebuild their homes or businesses, and have a plan to do so, or have mitigating issues they are dealing with. The town took enforcement action against some properties out of compliance with floodplain code regulations.

McKannay said the development was “a huge milestone” for town staff.

McKannay said the town staff has “been working tirelessly for several months now.” McKannay also credited the community and businesses working with town staff to address the FEMA issues.

“We will now continue to move forward. It doesn’t close the door completely because it’s an ongoing process,” McKannay said. “There are still properties that need to come into compliance and businesses that need to come into compliance.”

McKannay said “we don’t want to go back to where we were.”

McKannay said the town has begun applying to FEMA to be put back into the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System, in order for residents to get back into the flood insurance discount program.

“What that discount may be, we don’t know,” Deputy Manager Dr. Traci Kohler said. Kohler said the town might not necessarily get a discount right away but getting back into the Community Rating System program and off FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program probation was an accomplishment within itself.

FEMA had initially informed the town it would be taken off probation this week back in April, though the site visit in July raised new issues from the agency.

Kohler said the town was found by FEMA in its recent determination to be 81% compliant out of the 252 properties that FEMA had identified with issues back in July.

Town property owners lost their 25% flood insurance discount for policies that renewed or began April 1 as a result of the probation which was instituted last year. The lifting of the town’s probationary status will also end the $50 surcharge to flood insurance policies within the town’s limits.