Public Safety Committee. Today is March 17th. Happy St. Patrick's Day. Um, we'll stand up and do the Pledge of Allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Okay. Um, we'll do a roll call. We have a new member today as well as one who is calling in.
So, I'll let um I'll introduce our first me new member, >> Fred Canal. >> Oh, turn your microphone on. Push your little button. >> Just push it and it'll turn green. >> Uh Fred Canal, tell us a little bit about yourself and
I'm originally from Lockport, New York, which is about 18 miles east of Niagara Falls, New York. um retired in '05, became a snowbird in '06, and I bought a condo here in 2014
and became a permanent resident. >> Great. >> Welcome. >> Um, our second person is Karen. I'm gonna put her on here. Karen dem Michelle. and she can't talk right now. She's not having good
service. So, Karen, welcome. I'm I think you're a retired police chief and uh which is Oh, she didn't talk. >> I heard something. >> Yeah, I did hear something. Anyway, um so she's listening in and she'll be uh
texting me some of her commentary, which is great. And then, do we have anybody else who called in? I don't think so. All right. Next, >> uh, Kieran Ferrell, >> Don Thomas, >> Ron Benock, Todd Capella.
>> All right. Um, Don, I believe Mr. Williams is also on the Zoom call. >> Okay. >> Hello. >> Wonderful. New member. >> Introduce yourself, please. >> Sure. My name is Luke Williams. I was actually born on French Beach. My folks
lived on San Carlos Island. Um, uh, left for Chicago. Uh, was gone 40 years. Uh, moved back on my permanent residence as of October of last year. Um, yeah, I'm interested to see what I
can do to help my community. >> Wonderful. Well, thank you for calling in and um, we welcome you. >> Thank you. >> So, approval of the minute minutes. Um, I don't think we got the last minutes because they were so long ago, so we're
going to skip that. Um, public comment, there's nobody here today, so this might be a very short meeting. Um, we're going to discuss a little bit, but for those of you who didn't make it to the M&P meeting last month or earlier
this month, uh, Karen and I showed up. Um, I know a lot of them people did not get the email. Um, so that's one thing we need do need to make sure checking your spam and stuff, but um, for our next meeting. But basically what we did is we met with the town council and with
town manager and other representatives to say really what is our direction of the safety committee. we feel like, you know, a lot of the things that we come up with, maybe the town is already working on it and so it's redundant or it's something that we have no
jurisdiction over such as um lighting on the bridge, that's F DOT. Then you've got, you know, if there's something with a something with the street, that's Lee County. Sidewalks are Lee County. So, we were basically
beating our head a little bit against the wall trying to figure out what is our role and how and how can we be a benefit to the town and if there is is there really something we can do to make a difference because you know the definition of insanity is just keep repeating the same thing over and over
again with with no results. Um some of the ideas that came out of that meeting I'm going to read them um were and and we've got some we've got people here who have been on the island for a while and we're going to interject on a few things but the first one was
the de development of a community emergency response team assert volunteer program which I'm going to read them all and then we can go into discussion if that sounds good everyone >> um improveing number two was improving visitor information and getting the right safety information to the hands of
visitors by utilizing hotels, businesses, and um STR operators. So, I'm guessing that's the beach operators or the any type of um >> rentals, >> short-term rentals. >> Short-term rentals. Um number three, re
enacting the process of getting the emergency call boxes in Times Square area and looking at potential funding options. Number four was a seasonal traffic plan with volunteer assistance for pedestrian uh crossing.
Number five was high-rise fire awareness campaign. Number six was an AED program for condominium buildings through fire department discount program. The next one was lightning strike detection systems.
The uh next one was a potential public safety fundraising event, informational event, like a light the night type thing. The next one was improvements to the crosswalk near Margaritavville with the possibility of renting temporary
barriers during season. The next one, pothole program. Thank you, uh, Vice Mayor Safford. And uh the next one was addressing wrong direction travel in bike lanes and possible
pavement markings. And the last one was a community beach cleanup program. So I know I think we emailed most of these to everybody. And if you don't, I can forward it to you, but let's just go one by one. I think some of them have to
come off our plate because it's something that we don't have the jurisdiction to do. And I'll let Ron speak on behalf of the CERT and Karen if you have some comments you can text me. >> Yeah, I know that um um back when we first got here on the island um the Fort
Myers Beach Fire did have a SER program. Um some neighbors of mine belonged to it and uh I went to a few of the meetings. Um it was a it's a deal where I don't see how any way that we can do anything with it. I mean, we could bring it up to the
fire department to see it's a deal that the fire department's going to have to um look into to see if they want to resurrect that program. Um it's a there's it's a lot involved uh for the fire department to, you know, come up with things and the training and stuff
for the for the C members. Um and then once you do have an emergency, you know, using them. Um when you have an emergency, there's things that fire department does stuff that law enforcement already is doing. And so it, you know, um there would be things maybe
um when there's when we have the the shrimp parade or when we have, you know, activities on the island to be able to use certain members, but that again um that's totally the the training and all that type of stuff would be would be with the fire department. So I don't um
I don't see handing that off to us works at all. >> I wish the fire department was here. It's something to bring up. Um Karen, do you have any comments? I'm looking at my phone. No, she didn't say anything. She said
the same thing after she left um at that meeting. She said that that's something that fire has to handle. >> Correct. >> Because they're the ones who are going to have to train. They're the ones who are going to have to disseminate. And at what point does it cause a or police
department? She said fired or police has to handle it because basically they have to train them and then they have to dictate where they can really fit in. >> Correct. When an emergency happens um that's who's going to be there is law enforcement and fire and um so that's
with with the fire department. who's going to be handling them and telling them using the SER members at an emergency situation or like I said, they could use them at one of the activities where there's lots of people and um
so yeah, it's it's again it's something that the fire, you know, I could I could go to the fire department and talk to them and let them know that that's been brought up, see if they want to do that. >> That'd be great. >> Yeah. So, I'll take that on and I'll contact the fire department, see if they want to resurrect the C program. All right.
>> Kind of maybe have a feeling what they'll say, but I don't know. >> I have a question about the SER program. >> Yeah, go ahead. >> Um, I believe FEMA has a cert program that uh anybody can take to get to get certified. Um, can't we piggy back with
that or maybe do that first before fire gets involved? >> Um, I can I'll Okay, I'll take this one on. I'll take this shirt on. I'll look into the FEMA to see. I have no idea. Um just my experience um I I'm retired from Omaha fire and uh my experience we had C
and um you know with the tornadoes and stuff that we have um other other agencies were already taking care of certain things and so we just had be quite honest with you we had a hard time finding things to have them do at emergency situations and so it kind of
we kind of ended up disbanding uh the C program that we had in Omaha back in the day. So, um, but I will I will look into that. I have no idea about if FEMA has that program or not. So, I'll look into that and if not, I'll also talk to the fire department and see what their
thoughts are on the dirt. >> Great. You can bring bring it back next month. Karen, I also wanted to add there's so much more training than you would expect. Plus, if you don't use the volunteers enough, then they don't feel that they're needed or wanted and then it falls apart. It's it's basically,
>> you know. Anyway, we Ron, you can look into it. That's great. And we'll go from there. >> Okay. Um, visitor information is our next one. Improving visitor information, getting the right safety information to the hands of visitors. >> Um, before I say anything, does anybody
have any comment on that, >> Brad? >> Yes. It's something my wife and I discussed. She worked um in San Hin Plaza, the the bathing suit store there several years ago. And they get frustrated with the tourists. So
they would and maybe it's not the right word, but they would call these people to a tourist. It's actually like a Got it. >> And anyway, I mean that's not something you want to say publicly to to tourists.
But the fact of the matter is um on two occasions we were on the sidewalk. She was walking to work right around the corner from where we live and um parents and a couple kids ride their bikes. The little one comes by and then
he bumps into her. Second one bumps into her. Parents come along, don't say a word, don't apologize and they just keep riding. I had a bike rider on a sidewalk. We were my wife and I were walking side by side. the bike rider is
walking. It's coming our way and and um he he he moved a little bit but he ends up banging my shoulder as he goes by. There was a on Facebook a woman who had
an ebike and Emily she got bumped in the bike lane. So she says we ought to be able to have ebikes on the sidewalks. And I commented, well now you're you're you're transferring a hazard that you feel to the sidewalks because you're
putting ebikes where there where people are walking. So, um, another thing the tourist, uh, without stopping to look both ways will just walk off the sidewalk right in front of right in front of you as you're as
you're driving along. I've experienced that a couple times. So, I think as far as the safety, if we if we compiled a bunch of these items and and for the tourists to come down, you you talked about information going to the hotels,
motel, um maybe compile a list of these things. Um they're coming on an island. We always say it's island life. It's a little bit different. It's slower. It's whatever. Um but get them to understand uh yes, you do need to stop at
crosswalks when people want to walk across. I was going off the island last week. I stopped three times to let people cross. There was a guy behind me, a big big SUV, and I look in the mirror, and he he's shaking his hands at me because I'm stopping to let these people
walk across. Um, these are just some of the things that it's basically um mobility, politeness. I'm not sure what the term to use, but I'm not sure other other how many other
u situations or or recommendations could be used, but that's something to consider. I I think we should consider especially if you're going to send something out to the hotels, >> right? >> Hotels are the bed and breakfastes.
>> Um well, I just pulled it up as of yesterday. Was it yesterday? >> Yeah. They just passed a new law with Florida implementing the new electric bike ebike regulations through SB 382. It's basically focusing on pedestrian safety. The key changes include a 10
mile speed limit when passing within 50 feet of pedestrians. So, so you are allowed to ride on the sidewalk. Um, so there's these are the things that they're saying. must uh reduce speed to 10 miles an hour or less when within 50 ft of a pedestrian, which is basically
everywhere around here most of the time. Audible signal required. Widers must have an audible signal, a bell or a voice before overtaking. Um, prior to Ian, we had launched a giving bells out to people. We did a campaign to say,
"Pick up your bell at town hall." We tried to get them into every one of the short-term rental properties who have bikes and also literature to say this is the rules when you're biking on Fort Myers Beach because a lot of our areas
are a little congested to have both walkers and bikers. The next thing the new law has, they're creating a um a new micro mobility device safety task force that they're going to start reporting any ebike crashes.
Um basically those are the this is a new thing. So, that being said, I would be more than happy to work with our um public information officer and see what campaign that she's getting
ready to if she's going to be launching this. This is the perfect thing where we need to announce it. We need to get it out. Um I think I guess the way I look at it, you know, they talked about having this event on the island. It's not really for
the people who live here. We hear a lot of this stuff. It's for the people who are visiting in mass amounts. So, how can we effectively tell people when you're coming to Fort Myers Beach, this is the best way to ride a bike. So, you know, again, getting into the short-term
rentals hands, um getting into their booklets, getting uh little signage even on rental bikes that says this, maybe resurrecting the bell program that we can see if it's in the town budget to give bells out. But I can meet with her and I'll take that on. Which could
>> If I could add something, I downhill skied for a lot of years. And proper etiquette when you're skiing, if you're coming up on somebody, you got to go around, you yell it on on your left or on your right, right? >> That's the side you're passing that person on. That's that's also something
pretty simple, >> right? >> Bicyclists or or ebikes could do is just out what side you're coming around. >> Well, and that's what they're supposed to be doing. Um it's just and if you're by a biker on the beach and you were going to work, most of those people know what to do. It's the people who are
coming on who are just picking up a bike and they have no idea and they're going, you know, against traffic and we want you to go with traffic. >> Um the other thing, and I've brought this up numerous times, I don't think we should, we did never allowed bikes in Times Square. I think we should not
allow bikes on the sidewalk starting from really around >> Craig Plaza on the way down. >> It's not too it's it's it gets a little okay there, but even a little farther down like um where Leaky Tiki was and where that's where it starts getting
congested, especially around um Lani Kai and there's no room for people on the bikes on the sidewalk and the mass amount of walkers. There just isn't. and they we need to have we keep talking about getting markings to say bikes in the street and they have a few things
but most people don't want to be in the traffic so we've got to figure out a way to get that heard especially if you have little kids are not going to put those kids on a bike in traffic so it's going to be get off your bike and walk >> yeah and and that's that was going to be
my question is okay so you know you get as far as Diamond Head or you know someplace up in there where there starts to be more pedestrian traffic. If you've come all the way from the south end of the island, you've already got five miles in by the time you get that point.
And then you're there's no place for you to be on the street. >> Yeah. >> The lane's simply not that wide. And if you're not going to be on the on the sidewalk, then you're only option to grow wings and fly
over. I mean, you you you've got to keep in mind that the whole point of the bike lanes the whole rest of the island is to get people to bring their to ride their bikes up here, not >> right >> not drive. Well, and and then make a
half a mile walk because you and it's almost as hard to fight through a lot of pedestrian traffic walking your bike as it is riding your bike. For one thing, you're now beside it. So you're actually taking up even more space, more width because now you're beside your bike and
you've still got your >> two foot wide bike beside you. Now you're taking up three and a half, four feet instead of two. Uh and even the bell program, I mean, stop and watch pedestrians now and unfortunately
even bikes. And I mentioned this at the M&P meeting, I think. Uh, everybody has two earbuds in >> with their music blaring. You can you need a fog horn. You need a a train
whistle to get through most people's sound. They're absolutely oblivious to what's going on around them. No situational awareness. I know in Pennsylvania and Texas both, uh, as far as bicyclists were concerned, it it's
illegal to have noise, headphones, earbuds, anything like that in both ears if you're riding a bike on the street. I don't know if the same is true in Florida, but you know, I did some organized riding in Texas. >> The suggestion for to put some print
out, >> right? But you can you can yell until you're blue in the blue in the face and ding your bell and people with the earpods, which is six or seven out of every 10 people nowadays, um is just not going to hear it. Well, the other thing is is to encourage them
to to to bike ride in early morning or in the evenings. I mean, I used to when I first got down there was a snowbird. I'd ride my bike all the other end of the island and back with a bottle of water at 8:00 in the morning. Stop at
Hammerhead, work out, and then continue on. >> Right. >> But but yeah, if they want to bike, if they want to ride their bikes between 11:00 and 4 in the afternoon, car traffic But during season, >> that's exactly when the residents at
this end of the island >> need the bikes. >> Need the bikes because we don't for 3 months of the year, we don't even try to leave the island after 1:30, 2:00 in the afternoon, >> right? >> So, we we can't go up and and patronize
the local businesses up there. We can't go up for dinner. We can't go out for a drink >> because you can't get through traffic until 7 o'clock at night. Another thing too is with with what you're saying is I don't know if you can if we can have something that uh is more
restrictive than what the state allows now especially with the state just coming out with that yesterday saying that you can write on this thing but you have to do this and do this and do this and then we make it more restrictive or you have to stop. I don't I have to look into that. Yeah. I I mean the solution
would be we keep talking about and I mean my god I I wanted a wider or less a space we've been talking about we never made room after the hurricane for the bike lane or for anything and it it is it hinders us and you know I've always
said I want a boardwalk or a a moi mat that people could ride on >> seven mile beach. >> Yeah. and get them off get them off the street and get them you know that you could roll up that MOI mat at the end of you know at the end of season but it give them something to take up up
>> and get them off >> and I assume it's far too late already but they're going to go they're going through and redoing a stero showed us pictures a year ago >> y >> of what could be done to actually change
a stereo especally especially in the downtown section to actually add a bike lane >> and I think it was take a a certain amount out of the sidewalk but and and then railings and everything and with
the ex with the existing rightway there was room to do it with the bike lane down in the on the road surface level. Um, I'm I know they're starting at the south end and I'm sure that they've already completely determined the
project, but I know we don't have any exactly what they're going to do with a stero. I mean, I haven't read one article where it's spelled out exactly what they're going to correct. They they >> they are there there there's markings on the street if coming up down or coming
to here today. Um, they were already pulling pavers out of the center and redoing stuff. So, they're fixing concrete, fixing curbs, >> doing the pavers in the drain. So, >> broken. >> What about the storm? The storm frame the covers that stick up. >> Yeah.
>> And they're too high, too low. >> What are they doing with those? >> So, >> I don't know. >> I kind of assume that that's what they were mostly fixing is Yeah. A lot of the storm drains are either three inches up or three inches down from >> from the driving surface. Maybe we can
find out from town. Uh they could so that we're not, you know, guessing here exactly what they're fig what they're doing for the road. Are they, you know, they talked about last year that whole path. They talked about a way to go from south to north
>> like some kind of path throughout the island that people could bike to again get them off a stereo. And I don't know where they're at with that. They had a um company come in and do a presentation on it. And I don't know where they're at. >> They fused up part of my neck in December and my wife drove down through
there. I'm going to tell you something. I had to sit on the edge of the seat and get myself in a position to bounce up and down because of those those >> rough >> wastewater or whatever covers were terrible. >> Terrible. Even if I didn't have
something like that, but >> sadly they weren't that. >> I'll go talk with the PIO and see what's going on on their shims. If they're low, visitor information sheet is something that we can put up or take a welding torch and you cut whatever metal's there. >> Bike etiquette, sidewalk etiquette, pedestrian awareness.
>> They they weren't actually that good before, Ian. And >> no, they didn't right from the get-go from red doing it sterile, right? >> Yeah. Wasn't necessarily all that well done to begin with. >> Okay. Um we're going to keep moving, guys. Uh emergency call boxes in Times
Square potential areas. Okay. So before the storm we had just put in the emergency call box by the library. Um this is something I need this I can't answer this question. We need to ask
town are they planning to bring it back? They were going you know the one we already had are they going to fix it and put it back because then the next step was to add a second one at Times Square. Um, so I gota we have I'll have we'll have to ask Tom or whoever when they
come in or if you can find that out for us that would be great. I mean I don't want to speculate. So we'll see where they're at on that. Um because a we're not grant writers. We're just just find out. >> Did they remove it for this storm?
>> No, it got nuked. It got nuked. So uh and then they never put it back. It was a like a shade to wait for the tram. There was a shade like a like a bus stop it looked like and then you could have a call center on that.
>> Uh I have a question about that. >> Um do the call boxes have AEDs with them? >> No, they um >> they should. >> That one was It went right to
um 911 when you picked it up. >> Okay. >> But I don't remember. I don't think it had an AD with it. But that's something we can find out. >> Yeah. I mean, we should have a AED boxes that um once once they're broken or once
they're access, it should call 911 automatically. I don't even know if we need an actual call box. Everybody has phones now. >> That's true. >> Yeah, I was kind of wondering that same thing. >> Um I'll find out. We'll find out on that. I'll I'll email Tom and give everybody
an update on that. >> Okay. Okay. Uh, lightning strike detection systems. I don't I don't know what that is. I mean, it's above my call, above my pay grade. any anybody anybody
>> what I believe is is like on a on a golf course when uh the golf course will have a system set up to where when there's lightning within so so many miles of the golf course uh an alarm like a tornado siren a siren goes off and it alerts
everybody that you know when you hear that siren you know there's lightning close by to clear the beach clear the area get to shelter so um I think that's a great idea especially here. >> Okay. Um
>> Karen thinks this is one of the best programs that they did bring up for us. So, >> does anybody want to take it on to do a little research in it into what we can do? >> Anybody? Anybody? >> Buer. >> Um I will um I'll check in on that.
>> Thank you. All right. >> Yeah. >> Okay. I'm putting your name down. Um, >> they may require you to go golf a couple different places to see what they have. >> And and Karen even said she'd help. She'd be looking into it as well. Um,
>> okay. >> Okay. She sent me this. We'll do this later. Okay. Um, she also said back to the biking putting out good information where advertise a bike fixing station like where you can pump your tires or something. have if we have information like, you know, bike
pump and air, you know, bike repair and air pump located at blah blah blah blah blah little signage. So, I'll I'll talk to the POI on that and go from there and see where we're at. Okay. >> The uh the new
area by the traffic circle uh at Margaritavville >> about >> Yeah. Um, there was Margaritavville is actually going to
do that inner area, right? And I believe I remember hearing about golf cart parking and bike parking there. >> I'll find out. I can't remember what they're doing. I know they're doing, >> but if if there's first of all, bike parking
anywhere near downtown is we want everybody to go up there on a bikes instead of a car. and then there's no place to put your bike, especially if you're riding a $2,000 ebike. You're not just going to leave it sit. >> So, something like that is a heck of a
public benefit for any developers that are developing right in the downtown area. Um, but uh anywhere that that if there's going to be a lot of a big central bike parking area, that's a great place to put up a big sign with
the the bike rules, you know, riding on the right side of the road and uh you know, some kind of of notification, ring your bell on your left, you just some things like that which is right there
assigned for people to read where they're expecting. to park their bikes for the day anyways. >> Okay. All right. I'll look into that when I'm doing other stuff. Okay. The a potential public safety, they said fundraising event.
Um basically that for information. We used to do something in conjunction with the school. Well, since that's defunct, we don't really do that. Um, I don't Anybody have any ideas or or
thoughts on this before I >> What's the money to be raised for? To >> what end? >> I don't know. Reason to raise the money. >> I don't know. I don't know. And um I have no idea what that's what they threw that out and I'm like I'm not really
sure what you mean by that. And um I I get if you had a whole event where you invited the you know fire safety and a bunch of things, but would it be attended? Would it be attended? Let me put it that way. Would it be attended by
people who live here? >> We we we could possibly roll this into a cert program. So uh it could be a cert program that has a fundraising component to it. What are we raising money for though?
>> Public awareness campaigns. >> Could we not fund raise for the lightning strike detectors or the call boxes, something like that, and donate it to the town? I don't know how it works like with community or committees, but >> well, fundraising, I I'll speak
candidly. I'm fundraising right now. I do for my nonprofit that we work is a lot of work. It's you know it it's a huge undertaking and it we have to be clear and precise and
candidly a lot of these things should be able to be got picked up with grant money without us having to fundra. I think that's kind of I don't know. I I just don't see people giving us money to fund raise for a lightning program when they'd say this
is something benefits the town that they would say let's try to get a grant written or use some of the the town budgeting if it's worth it that way and I don't even know how much a lightning protection program is if is it hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars or
I just I I mean I don't have the time to do a second fundraiser >> from what I was like preliminarily looking at it's around like 8 to 10k for one sensor and siren. So, I don't know if we would want to do it down the whole
island or just down towards the more populated area, but that was what I was seeing. That's not installation and everything. So, I think we need to do research on what exactly is needed for the lightning, which we talked about, and and and go
from there. That's the first step to see what it entails. I mean to have one lightning strike box is kind of we need to have more on a seven mile island. We need to spread them around. Yeah. >> They can be mounted on top of the fire hall buildings whatever. But your
question is yeah the sensor what's >> Yeah. >> What's the expense for for all that technology? But you also start with your highest need first, which means somewhere in the Lonnie Kai Margaritavville is 80% of the people on the beach of the entire island is
in that half mile, 3/4 mile stretch from Diamond Head to Pink Shell. So, I mean, you're if you're if you're in business, you do your biggest bang for the buck first. So, if you can only do one detector, it's probably right there at
Times Square and you get as much >> You probably have one detector, but you can have all the sirens. >> Here's what um here's what Karen said. She she goes, "I believe the fundraising shouldn't be with the town. The PE I think that's what people say that's what our taxes are for. But what we could do is see if the resorts are willing to
partner with the town to do something to do um like any of the resorts or the new hotels would do lightning detection, you know, as they come in or some of these new buildings that are coming in um as a public benefit. >> You've got London Bay coming in with a
big announcement. Why not ask them? We this that's a public benefit. You've got um all these all these new businesses are coming in to build. This is the kind of thing that we want a lightning detection program. There's something that is a true public benefit
that I think we should ask. >> That's a good idea. >> You know, to me that is a public benefit that's tangible instead of saying I'm giving you a view corridor. Okay. But you know, is it a good view corridor or
whatever? Anyway, all right. So, back to this fundraising event. I want to scrap the fundraising event, but we do have to see if we want some kind of public safety event. And again, this is with the town. I think we need to work with their information officer.
>> Well, also too, um, with fire and police, um, in in, um, it's usually like the first Tuesday in August. First Tuesday October, National Night Out. Yes. Um, I know October is is u national it's it's for the fire. It's national
fire month, you know, where you do do your smoke detectors and do all that stuff with fire. Um, so that's something that we could look at when national night out is that we join up with um the fire department or the or the sheriff's department and see what we can do to
help bring awareness and get people out. Um that would kind of that I can see that being in our real >> house. >> Yeah. >> The only problem with that is October is the slowest month on the island. If you're I mean to me you you have
something in season >> because the residents already know the it's a lot easier to get information out to the residents who are here year round. It's the 30,000 people that show up on January 1st that are the ones we
really need to get safety information, >> but they have to get them from the people who live here. So, if they're renting, they're getting it from the owners of the short-term rentals. That's where they're getting because you can't just, you know, that's a blip in time if
you're trying to get the tourists and they're not going to come anyway. They're not here to go to a public safety thing. They're going to here to lay by the beach. But who we need to educate are the people who are renting their homes, uh the, you know, vacation
rental businesses, the um hotels that have tons of bikes out already, the um you know, h okay, lightning detection. Let's say we do get a public benefit from one of the new um developers and we
get that on there. We have to educate every visitor over the whole 12 months. Well, that's not going to be from one night out. That's going to be from us getting out to the renters and the people who own the houses, the people
that own the short-term rentals, the rental companies, and the hotels. This is what you do. If you hear a siren going off and the lightning's coming, that means blah blah blah. Do this. Um, >> so a safety >> bulletin, a safety, a a safety notice
page or two that goes to all of the short-term if you if you apply for the permit or whatever to do a short-term rental. and the big uh vacation rental companies that have hundreds and
hundreds of of uh units on the island that those that page or two of you know the broad brushstroke things that could go into the packet that goes that's sits in a in a binder in every
one of those units all year round. >> Right. That's what we need to do that. And also going back to the fire department, maybe what we do is we come up with we work with the fire department and maybe there is a I don't know um a bonus if you're a
renter or if you're you know one of those people. If you go to this event, you're going to get they're going to offer something. I don't know what it would be. It's was it um the latest and greatest uh new alarms and we've got them at a discount, you know, or something like that. We we bought the
new fire and carbon monoxide alarms and they're normally $500 and you can get them on that night or for the next week or the month of October for $100 and get your, you know, do something that entices people who have these things to get there to go take advantage of it and
listen to see what's new. Maybe we can come maybe we can talk to the fire department or police and see what's going on. >> Well, that's the reason I brought up national night out was because that's already something that's been established and and it happens year after year after year. would just piggy back on to that.
>> Well, we can get we can plus we got the beautiful new fire department here. Be something that would be really actually we could really do something fun in October with it. >> Um does anybody want to take that on >> to talk to them? >> Yeah, since I'm doing the thing, I'll do that as well.
>> Okay. Thanks, Ron. Improvements to the crosswalk near Margaretville and renting temporary barriers during season. >> Your pin. >> Okay. Karen had something on this.
Um, she brought it up, but I don't there was something with the barriers. I don't know. We need to find out what the town is doing for barriers. I know that Tom Yazo said they're looking into it. Um, we do have a problem with people just walking across the street and they don't
wait for the crosswalks, which means do we have enough crosswalks? We've got, you know, with, I'll give a good example, the whale. You've got people that don't want to then cross where the crosswalk was by the new 7-Eleven. They want to cross right when they leave the
whale and and it holds everything up. So, you've is something that we need to look at as to direct people. This is where you need to cross. You can't just that really the pedestrian traffic really slows everything down this time
of year. And you know, they're finally listening to the uh don't walk sign at Margaritavville. That took honestly a good year for them. When you know, if the thing says don't walk, they're waiting. But now we have the same
problem at the oval about those lights are not working and people just walk. It doesn't say stop. That you've got cars who freak out as they're coming over, slam their brake on because there's someone wanting to cross the street. They push that button and it's
immediate. They can walk right then. I think those are the kinds of things we need to have changed on this island. And that is I don't know if that's FDOT or if it's the town, but I guarantee if FOT lived here, they would fix it immediately and had to deal with it because it is not safe, especially when
you have the mount of people coming in and you've got one person pushing it and then everybody stops and that traffic stops and and I don't know what the solution is on that. And that's why I'd love to see what the town is. Obviously the town has got has to be addressing it. There's I mean it's common sense.
>> Yeah. And I discovered quite by accident recently that if you are heading northbound there at the traffic oval and you go to turn left in at Time Square >> Mhm.
>> When you get up to the the line, the light is behind you. Yeah, I >> I couldn't even see it in my sunroof. >> That's another That's another issue. If you get up to the line, you can't see if the line turn light. >> No, you have no idea if the light's still green or >> It was bad. >> It's It's dangerous. And And honestly,
the town needs to send a strongly worded notice to to the FDOT or or the county or whoever. I mean, that's just flat out unacceptably dangerous. We really do need an update like when if
if we can get an update from Tom and those guys to see what they're doing because they they have to how to address this. I mean >> um can I uh can I interject something with this? >> Yeah. >> Um all right. So Tom was talking about putting concrete barriers. Um the generic term is a jery barrier. Um I
don't think we should do concrete because it's going to be um it's harder to place. It's harder to pull up. Um you need a forklift. Um, I think we should do waterfilled jersey barriers. In addition, um, most of them have an
ability to add a privacy screen on top of them. Um, I believe a big problem, um, that we have downtown is neighbors. Um, people coming, people cars, looking at people on the sidewalks. If we can
block the view of the pedestrians from the cars, I think that'll speed things up greatly. In addition, those privacy fences above the barriers is going to prevent people from
hopping the barriers to uh to get over and cross the street wherever they want to. >> You guys follow me? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I'm just looking to see if they said anything. >> We need to find out from the town what they're going to do.
>> Town has been discussing it and I just don't know where they're at. >> Right. And it's it's county controls the boulevard. So I don't know who's got jurisdiction there. >> Lee County, I'm guessing. >> Yeah. >> Would Lee County allow us to put put
barriers? >> We don't. M >> but the but the town town manager or town council has got to be able to to have some kind of input with Lee County. >> Well Tom brought it up >> especially when we talk about a major
safety issue. >> Tom brought it up at the M&P. Tom's our for those of you knew he's our new he's our liaison like with the town. He kind of manages all that stuff. He brought it up that they were looking at it, but I don't know where they're at. And so he
hasn't um we'd have to wait to find out what they're doing because I know they're addressing it. They thought they're seeing that same issue, especially down in the highly congested areas with the mount some amount of people's just going into the road and just walking whenever they want. I think
on the south end, I I I do see people using the crosswalks pretty well. I mean, you live down for those who live down here, I think it's it's really up north when they're just trying to go from bar to bar to bar >> or the park a park parking and then they just run across the street. >> Yeah.
>> So, I'll I can ask Tom on that. >> I I know Tom wears many hats, but is there any chance that he could just come to every one of these meetings? >> He's supposed to and he just got pulled away today because that's half the problem. This is one of the issues that
we brought up in MMP. If Dan, the mayor, isn't here, he had a meeting today, um, and Tom's not here, then we have no idea and we're just spinning our wheels and and we don't want to say, "Hey, let's do this." And then they say, "Hey, we're already working on it." Or we we were
working on it and we came up with this issue, so we have to pivot or whatever it is or we're not in charge of that. That's one of the biggest frustrations. >> So, we sit in here and, you know, we can address some of these ones that are easier to do. We used to have fire and and LCSO
>> used to show up too. And that's what I'm wondering is are is everybody getting these emails cuz fire and LCSO usually show up but it is spring break and they're probably pretty busy this this month. >> The crosswalks the one by Bay Beach Lane had lights and
that has not been re >> it's in the works. They they brought that up that yes, it's in the works to get fixed, but I don't remember I don't know when the timeline is it, but they did address that and say yes. >> Yeah, because because of the curve there because Beach >> Yeah. >> Beach Beach Bay lane comes out. That's
where I live. >> But that crosswalk, the reason why that light was put in was because there was a elderly couple in a van driving west. >> Yeah. and an elderly couple crossing and the elder people the elderly van ran the
two over and they died. That that's when that got put up and it hasn't been put up since and you've got people coming off that bridge and then they'll want to speed race past cars in the center lane. It it really is a dangerous area. We'll
get an update on that one because I I they did say at our meeting at M& didn't they >> Karen that that was it it is >> it's in the list to get done. So I just don't know that I can't give you >> the beach lane literally has 1,200 and 1,285
condo doors on that street. There's that many >> right >> associations. Yeah. >> But yeah, they did say they're doing that. So >> good good glad to hear that. >> Um all right. So we're going to move on. I'm not even going to talk about the pothole program. I'm just going to say that right now.
That is off the list for those. I'm not even say what it was. We're not filling potholes. I'm just going to tell you that right now. >> No. >> Okay. Next. We already addressed the next one, which is bike lanes. Community beach cleanup. There are multiple groups
on the island that do community beach cleanups. You've got Keley County. Beautiful >> tuna skin. Tuna Skin does quite a few. Um I know that um other nonprofit organizations do them. I think maybe
this is just something we could um I don't know if there's a master calendar that everybody knows about that we could say, you know, these are the beach cleanups that are coming up for the year. And if there's a poll, we can see if other people want to jump on and that's it. we could ask with the public information to put it on the website and
then every time there's a beach cleanup at certain areas, they could put it on there and it just becomes one of those communityformational things um to get people involved and I I when I talk to her about the other stuff I can ask her.
Okay, that was it on the list. So, we've got some action plans which we can go with. Is there any other ideas or suggestions from this group that were not addressed or brought up? Anyone? Anyone? Karen, I'm looking at my text. She must got
into a meeting. >> No, I like um I like some of the stuff that you guys came up with at the MMP. I mean, there's there's there's there's a few of them in here that are really good. >> Gives us something to do here. >> All right. Well, what we can do is
>> I personally don't have any now, but when I'm there in person, it'll be different. So, >> that's okay. We all have stuff. Um, I have a question, Riley. Are you going to be am I typing these not notes up or will somebody from
the staff be typing things up? >> Whatever you prefer. Um, well, that what they used to do in the past is they would type up everything. So, we had the minutes and then to do the next agenda, I want to make sure I would proofread the agenda because
sometimes um they would forget some of the new things that were going or stuff that needs to come off. It was the same agenda every week. So, or every month. So, I want to make it real. So, if we could get the minutes for this meeting would be great. And then if you could type up what we've I don't know if Well, once you do the minutes, we'll see what
who's doing the action plans on that. and uh that way we can send it out to everybody so that everybody can read over so we don't forget and then when we have our next meeting which we're going to figure out here's two dates um we can go from there. The other question is Karen wanted to know do we always have
to meet in the morning? Do we always have to meet in the morning? Traffic's kind of a pain if you're going north this time of year, but >> um I'll have to check with Lette about the scheduling. >> Okay, find that out. As far as I'm as far as I know, I think as long as the
chambers are open, um because some of them do them at like 11 or in the afternoons and stuff. So, I think as long as the chamber is open, we're fine to schedule it whenever. >> Okay. >> Okay. She's good. Okay. Um so, the next
two dates that they proposed is April 22nd or April 28th. >> 28th is better for me. Same. >> I'm good for anything. >> I'm good for anything. >> All right. >> Yeah, I'm wide open. >> Okay. So, we're going to do the next meeting is April 28th. Currently, it'll
be at 9:00 a.m. Um and we'll go from there and and um safety and we should be good. Hopefully, we can get some answers and maybe uh Tom can read over the agenda and give us some of these that we could email
everybody. So, and and go from there. Um, anything else? Any other thing? Anybody else wants to say anything? >> I'm good. >> All right. >> Thank you. >> Thank you very much. We'll adjourn the meeting. >> Uh, we're Oh, wait. Do I have a motion? I motion. Anybody a motion to adjourn?
>> I'll second that. >> Okay, we're