Bay Oaks staff to use park impact fees for security system, walking path and other improvements amid budget cuts

Fort Myers Beach — At its Oct. 22 meeting, the Bay Oaks Recreational Campus Advisory Board heard staff lay out near-term improvements for Bay Oaks Park funded largely with park impact fees after municipal budget cuts reduced staffing and operating hours.

Town staff described three immediate priorities: add controlled access for supervised extended-hours use of the fitness room using key fobs and off-site-monitored surveillance cameras, install a continuous 6-foot concrete walking path around the park, and complete landscaping and hydroseeding tied to a recent park grant. Jeff Haughey, staff liaison, told the board, “we did just get a quote... to put surveillance cameras and key fobs in” and that the plan is “still running it through legal” to resolve liability, egress and signage questions.

Why it matters: Fort Myers Beach officials said cuts to the town budget will reduce available staffing and could limit weekend or extended hours at Bay Oaks…