Council shifts responsibility for large case mailings to applicants, requires applicant‑posted signs and plain‑language notices

The Fort Myers Beach Town Council directed staff March 13 to pursue amendments to the land development code to transfer responsibility for public notice mailings and site signage to applicants for larger land‑use cases, while staff would continue to handle notifications for variances and special exceptions.

Sarah, planning staff, said the change is intended to reduce staff time spent preparing and mailing large notification lists for major cases. “The fee basically covers the printing and, the actual, postage for the mailers,” she said, and noted applicants commonly obtain GIS lists from Lee County to generate labels. Councilmembers asked operational questions about the process and reliability of the U.S. Postal Service.

The council set several policy points by direction:

• Applicants should handle mailings and signage for major cases such as CPDs, rezonings, RPDs, development agreements and DRIs; applicants would provide an affidavit and labels showing the mailings and a photo of on‑site signage.

• Staff will continue to provide mailings for variances and special exceptions; the council allowed that the town can handle mailings for applicants who are out of town or lack resources.

• Signage will use town‑provided signs; the ordinance will require the signage to use “layman’s language” so notices read more clearly than dense code citations.

• The council agreed to increase the minimum notice period staff seeks from 7 days to 10 days to address postal delays; the council discussed and did not adopt a certified‑mail requirement because of cost and limited practical benefit.

Staff will draft the ordinance language incorporating these points and return to the Local Planning Agency and council for further consideration; if approved, the changes will be implemented as the code is updated.