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CAPE CORAL BREEZE Cape Coral’s Community Newspaper Since 1961
Vol. 62, No. 5
Wednesday, January 18, 2023
50 Cents
Surge in post-storm roofing repairs causing delays in inspection process City continues efforts to provide timely service By CJ HADDAD
cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com
With damage from Hurricane Ian seeing countless homes in Cape Coral needing repairs, many are experiencing long waits for inspections. Inspection delays, of course, while frustrating, are to be expected to an extent, as the city as of last week was actively processing and reviewing roughly 4,600 permits. Since Ian, city officials said they have
seen “unprecedented” permitting activity with thousands in need of repairs. The city said since the storm, they have received approximately 21,693 permit applications and have issued more than 22,000. There have been few delays with the permitting aspect of recovery, as the vast majority of permits being issued immediately through the city's “push-button permit” via their Self-Service portal. The city also waived permitting fees related to storm damage (until Jan. 16).
These “push-button” permits, which include roof repairs, emergency electrical work, garage door replacements, plumbing re-piping, shutters, and awnings, among others, constitute over 50% of all permits applications received by the city after Hurricane Ian, said Cape Coral Special Projects Coordinator Matt Grambow, adding that, “Contractors who apply for these push-button permits are able to immediately print their permits and begin work.” While permits are being churned out, inspections times have taken a hit with the
high volume of requests. A local roofing company, Lloyd Roofing, told The Breeze that inspection times in the Cape are running 30 days out. So, how does the process work and where are the biggest hang-ups? Before a contractor can repair or replace a roof, they need a permit from the municipal or county government, and it’s normal for that to take a couple days or even weeks. Once the permit is issued, a roofing crew can tear off the damaged roof and install roof decking
See INSPECTION PROCESS, page 4
Update on first quarter tops council agenda
AT A GLANCE
By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers.com
Inside today’s Breeze Ribbon-cutting held to open the new United Way House in North Fort Myers.
— INSIDE
NEWS OF NOTE County Commission votes to acquire parcels through Conservation 20/20
Record crowd turns out for Cape Coral Art Festival & Marketplace
The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to acquire 5 acres By CJ HADDAD in southern Lee County cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com through the Conservation There was a record turnout over the week20/20 program. The land is end in Cape Coral for one of the county's surrounded entirely by conlargest events each year. servation land in the The 2023 Cape Coral Art Festival & Corkscrew Regional EcoMarketplace saw more than 150,000 attendees system Watershed, owned over two days, taking in and taking home some by the South Florida Water of the most creative works from artists near Management District. and far. The property includes The 38th installation of the free event put pine flatwoods, hydric flaton each year by the Rotary Club of Cape Coral woods, cypress strand and saw Cape Coral Parkway transformed into a wetlands. The purchase vendor city and an arts paradise for two days, price is $5,250 plus closing with selections for every eye. More than 250 costs. exhibitors with the creative touch showed off Efforts to preserve land their style and chatted with attendees about in the Corkscrew Regional their process and the meaning behind their Ecosystem Watershed works. began in 1989 and now “The Cape Coral Art Festival & include more than 60,000 Marketplace ended as a success,” said festival acres in both Lee and Co-Chair Christina Redman. “We attribute that Collier counties. The land success to the thousands of hours spent by dedprovides natural flood proicated Rotary members to make the event a tection, water purification success.” and critical aquifer Preliminary attendance estimates put recharge. The watershed together by the festival is that 150,000 people also serves as important turned out, which surpasses the previous habitat for animal species record of 120,000 set in January 2020. such as the endangered So, what makes the festival such a unique Florida panther, snail kite and can't-miss opportunity? and wood stork. “Attendees commented that the diversity In another vote Tuesday, and quality of the art presented for sale by the artists and crafters was exceptional this year,” Commissioners voted to Redman said. “Many artists also commented acquire 10 acres in Alva as on how smoothly the show was run. They realpart of Conservation 20/20. ly appreciated that the Rotarians were all The parcel is heavily wooded and adjoins the 1,175acre Alva Scrub Preserve. . The purchase price is $100,000 plus closing costs. By NATHAN MAYBERG For more information, nmayberg@breezenewspapers.com please visit www.ConserFor several days this month, the House of vation2020.org. Representatives was in a state of paralysis, the Congress unable to function without a Speaker of the House. NDEX Congressman Byron Donalds (R-Naples), who represents Fort Myers Beach, most of Lee Legal Notices . . . . 5-8 County and Collier County, was part of it all, running for the speakership for two days before Local Tides . . . . . . . 3 pulling out. “For me personally, it was pretty surreal to be nominated,” Donalds said. Sports . . . . . . . . . . . 3 With the ascension of the Republicans to the majority of the House and the stepping down of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was the presumed Speaker in waiting. He even moved his office 7 48445 46010 1 into the Speaker’s office before being elected to
friendly and extremely helpful to them. Many artists also commented that their sales at our festival were better than they had been in a long time. Many told us that they will be back if we accept them, which is the biggest compliment of all.”
See RECORD CROWDS, page 4 The Cape Coral Art Festival & Marketplace was held over the weekend along Cape Coral Parkway, top, attracting record crowds despite some cooler temperatures, above. PHOTOS PROVIDED
It may be January 2023, but it might as well be April for the government of Cape Coral as its fiscal year began on Oct. 1. When the City Council meets for its non-voting Committee of the Whole meeting today at 9 a.m., council members will get an update on what has happened through the first three months of FY2023. The council will get a quarterly grants management report, capital improvements update, a report on the Economic & Business Development Office and on the Parks GO Bond. The latter is expected to be the most interesting, seeing as the parks were battered during Hurricane Ian and the numbers have been rising since Cape Coral residents voted in a 2018 referendum on a $60 million GO Bond for the construction of new parks and the renovation of the old ones. As of now, five parks (Gator, Cultural, Guiffrida, Del Prado Linear and Sands) are either completed or close to it, with all of them either under budget or on budget. It is the remaining parks, in particular the Yacht Club, that have set the city back on the Go Bond. In a presentation to council, the report will say that Joe Coviello, Yellow Fever Creek and the Lake Kennedy Racquet Center are also on budget, though the former two are the only ones under construction. As for the Yacht Club, it is still waiting for the permits to be approved (along with Tropicana) and because of all the damage done, it is right now closed. There will be further discussions on the club when council meets for the winter retreat later in the month. When all is said and done, the parks plan could cost the city as much as $100 million or more, with the Yacht Club being the main culprit since it will be completely renovated, resulting in its closure for up to two years from the time the permits are approved. In other business, City Council will also get an overview on the conceptual façade improvement program. The purpose of the program is to encourage private investment towards renovating the façade of buildings/ businesses and properties; improve its physical characteristics of targeted areas, enhance its attractiveness and improve property values of targeted areas. The program would offer 50 percent reimbursement up to $50,000, provide up to $5,000 design assistance, with the forgivable loan to convert to a grant after five years unless the property is demolished, transferred, refinanced or incurs a code enforcement lien during the deferment period. Council will also get an overview and follow-up on the utilities expansion project North 1 West, where it will be, what the bill is expected to be for the project, what it will cost residents and the ways that residents can pay for it. City Hall is at 1015 Cultural Park Blvd.
Donalds reflects on run for House Speaker
I
the speakership. Yet there were loud rumblings that right-wing members of the Republican Party Freedom Caucus did not want him to lead the chamber. It would take McCarthy 15 ballots over the course of a week to win the election for House Speaker. After voting for Rep. Byron McCarthy on the first two Donalds ballots, Donalds switched to Jim Jordan before being nominated by Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado) for House Speaker on the fourth ballot. Donalds would give his support back to McCarthy on the 12th ballot two days later. Reflecting this past week on the high scale
drama, Donalds said he was “happy to help my colleagues so we could finally get back to work.” Donalds said an agreement was finally brokered that ended the standoff over McCarthy. “We sat at the table and negotiated out some critical things to make everybody comfortable,” he said. “We had a situation where we were kind of deadlocked. Members came up to me about my willingness (to run for Speaker). It was about trying to find ways to make things work,” Donalds said. Donalds said the critical piece of the agreement was restoring the ability of a single member to initiate a vote to remove the House Speaker. Donalds criticized Pelosi for removing
DONALDS, page 4