Fort Myers Beach council kicks off two-year strategic planning process; focus groups set for late May

Fort Myers Beach Town Council members gathered Feb. 6, 2025, to begin a strategic planning workshop led by the University of South Florida Florida Institute of Government and Collaborative Labs at St. Petersburg College. The project team presented a three‑phase schedule that begins with data collection, moves to drafting goals and objectives, and dedicates a second year to implementation and quarterly check‑ins.

The project plan presented to the council calls for stakeholder interviews in March, a resident survey in April and a community focus‑group forum on May 28, 2025. Angela Crist, project lead with the USF Florida Institute of Government, described the method as a “participatory” and building process in which each step’s findings inform the next phase.

Why it matters: Council members said the plan is meant to tie strategic goals to other local plans—most notably the town’s comprehensive plan and a capital improvement plan that will be used to calibrate impact fees—and to provide a framework for budgeting, permitting and post‑storm recovery work.

Project timeline and public engagement USF/Collaborative Labs outlined three phases: Phase 1 (data gathering and stakeholder engagement), Phase 2 (design of vision, goals and measurable objectives) and Phase 3 (implementation with quarterly check‑ins). The consultants said Phase 1 and Phase 2 typically take about 9–12 months; the full program as presented spans roughly two years because the final year focuses on implementation and embedding the plan into operations.

Angela Crist told the council that the consulting team will interview all council members and then seek roughly 20 additional key‑stakeholder interviews. She also said the process will produce a “real‑time record” (a Word document summarizing comments) that will be posted to the town’s strategic plan webpage within three to five business days of each engagement.

Council roles and public‑comment design Town Manager Andy (first name only in the transcript) and consulting staff emphasized that community focus groups are intended for residents and stakeholders to speak freely. The consultants requested that elected officials attend as observers but not participate in the focus‑group discussions so residents feel comfortable sharing candid feedback. Tina Fisher, director of Collaborative Labs at St. Petersburg College, said the team will explicitly announce that expectation at the start of each forum.

Council concerns and priorities Councilmembers pressed the consultants to coordinate the strategic plan outreach with the town’s ongoing comprehensive‑plan update and recent FEMA and county recovery sessions so residents are not asked to attend duplicative meetings. Councilmember Scott Stafford summarized the council’s priority as maintaining a balance among residents, seasonal residents, businesses and tourists: “Without one, that tripod tips over,” he said.

Other themes raised by councilmembers and residents during the workshop included maintaining a sustainable future that combines tourism and community needs, improving permitting to speed rebuilding, preserving the island’s “beach vibe” through design choices, and protecting quality of life amid repeated storms and other regional events (red tide, COVID and supply‑chain impacts).

Next steps and deliverables The consulting team asked council members to stay engaged with posted materials on the strategic plan page of fortmyersbeachfl.gov, to review the real‑time records, and to champion resident participation (surveys and focus groups). The project team will coordinate with town staff to finalize the list of approximately 20 stakeholder interviewees and to publicize the May 28 community forum.

No formal votes were taken at the Feb. 6 workshop. The session produced directions and scheduling decisions for the consulting team and staff to implement; formal adoption of the strategic plan will occur later in the process.

Quotes “This is a building process,” Angela Crist said, describing how stakeholder interviews, surveys and focus groups will feed each subsequent phase.

“We want as many voices as possible,” Tina Fisher said, describing the team’s use of Poll Everywhere and other tools to capture real‑time input.

Ending The council and consultants agreed to proceed with the participatory schedule and public outreach described at the Feb. 6 management and planning session. The project team will post all materials and real‑time records on the town’s strategic plan webpage and return to the council during Phase 2 to design goals, objectives and implementation steps.