Lee County Government offices, some sites reopen post-Hurricane Ian
Lee County offices and operations will reopen for business Wednesday morning, Oct. 12, although some locations remain unavailable for typical operation due to storm damage or use as a recovery site.
Most county business offices will be open at their regular locations. However, the Department of Community Development continues to operate its permitting office 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at the Lee County Administration Building, 2115 Second St., Fort Myers, which is about two blocks from the regular location.
Libraries
The following libraries will open at 9 a.m. Wednesday and be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday:
• Bonita Springs Public Library, 10560 Reynolds St., Bonita Springs
• Cape Coral Public Library, 921 SW 39th Terrace, Cape Coral
• East County Regional Library, 881 Gunnery Road N., Lehigh Acres
• North Fort Myers Public Library, 2001 N Tamiami Trail, North Fort Myers
• South County Regional Library, 21100 Three Oaks Parkway, Estero
• Talking Books Library, 1651 Lee St., Fort Myers
Also resuming service will be the Telephone and Virtual Reference department which can be reached at 479-4636 or via live chat, email, and text service. Visit Leelibrary.net/help for contact information.
Services include wi-fi, computer access, mobile printing and curbside holds pickup. Due dates have been extended until Nov. 15. Exterior book drops will be available at open locations only.
These libraries remain closed at this time: the Johann Fuest Community Library in Boca Grande, Captiva Memorial Library, Dunbar Jupiter Hammon Library, Fort Myers Regional Library, Lakes Regional Library, Northwest Regional Library and the Pine Island Public Library.
Parks & Recreation
Lee County Parks & Recreation staff have completed initial assessments of locations and are now beginning to remediate and repair damage. Park opening and closings may be intermittent and some areas within the parks may open while other areas may remain closed. Please use caution and avoid any areas marked off with tape.
Recreation centers remain closed.
Beaches
The Florida Department of Health in Lee County (DOH-Lee) has issued a county-wide precautionary swim advisory for all public beaches and swimming pools and advising the public not to enter the water due to the possible increase of waterborne illnesses.
The water quality has been affected by Hurricane Ian and at this time, swimming is not recommended.
A significant amount of debris remains on area beaches, including debris buried under shallow sand and not immediately visible. It may be extremely dangerous. Recreational visits to area beaches are not recommended.
Boat ramps
All Lee County Parks & Recreation boat ramps remain closed until further notice as the facilities and surrounding waterways are assessed. Recreational boaters are strongly advised to avoid this area due to potentially unsafe conditions.
The U.S. Coast Guard offers the following information for boaters:
• Boaters are asked to stay off the water unless you are playing a critical role in the response. This is not a time for disaster sightseeing. Responders are actively engaged in restoring our waterways and maritime infrastructure. You can help by steering clear.
• Normal transit routes may be hazardous. Buoys, dayboards and other aids to navigation may be out of place and shifted by the hurricane. Water depths may be shallower than charted due to shifting sands and shoals. If you encounter a buoy or navigational marker missing or out of place, report it to Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg at 727-824-7506, or utilize the Coast Guard app, available for download for iOS or Android users.
• The Coast Guard is working diligently to assess pollution threats in the maritime environment including oil spills and hazardous material releases that resulted from Hurricane Ian. We ask the public report observations of oil spills and hazardous material releases to the National Response Center (NRC) at 1-800-424-8802. Residents are asked to not make duplicate reports to the NRC.
Additional Lee County Government post-Hurricane Ian information is available at www.leegov.com/storm.
Follow @Lee County Government on Facebook, www.facebook.com/leecountyflbocc.