Gov. DeSantis meets with business leaders in Cape Coral
Sitting in front of a group of business leaders from around Lee County at Mercola Market in Cape Coral, Gov. Ron DeSantis received frank and direct feedback on their top concerns and issues in dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
Chief concerns included the wellbeing of their employees out of work, finding housing for workers displaced by Hurricane Ian and those who have arrived in Lee County from around the country to aid in the cleanup and recovery.
“We already had a housing crisis here,” said Steve Rye, CEO of Mercola Health Resources and Mercola Market in Cape Coral. Rye said there is now “housing chaos” due to the displacement of workers from the hurricane and construction workers seeking homes.
DeSantis earned praise for the progress he has made thus far in getting bridges up across devastated Pine Island and Matlacha. Marty Harrity, a partner in the ownership of Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grille, and Dixie Fish Co., called the temporary bridge that went up on the Sanibel Causeway Tuesday “miraculous.” The temporary bridge will allow repair crews to cross the island. Harrity called the bridge the “umbilical cord” for Sanibel.
“Nobody thought we would be able to do that this soon,” DeSantis said.
While there have been successes, the bridges leading to the south side of Fort Myers Beach remain closed.
“We’re coming back. It’s going to take some time,” Harrity said. Four of the businesses he has on Fort Myers Beach, Captiva and Sanibel are closed.
DeSantis, flanked by Cape Coral native and Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Secretary Dane Eagle, acknowledged Wednesday that there was still a lot of turbulence ahead with many displaced from their homes.
“There are a lot of challenges we will have to deal with,” DeSantis said. “It’s a very disruptive time for everybody, particularly for businesses.”
The widespread loss of power that occurred during the hurricane, and which continues to be felt in places like Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel, was a “big interruption,” DeSantis said.
“Massive piles of debris” in Fort Myers Beach present difficulties in the recovery effort, he said.
Tommy Kolar, who operated the Lighthouse Inn and Suites on Fort Myers Beach, said the biggest challenge is replacing equipment.
“All our equipment was ruined,” he said.
DeSantis said there was a need for financing to help businesses repair damaged structures and reopen. Emergency bridge loans from the state were going out to businesses that had completed damage assessment surveys. DeSantis said millions were given out to 106 businesses to meet payroll and cover expenses. The governor said he was awaiting a $30 million federal government grant to aid workers dislocated from their homes in the state.
“I’m optimistic we are going to see a bigger bounce-back,” DeSantis said.
Greg Spencer, CEO of Timber Resorts and owner of South Seas Island Resort in Captiva, said he estimated it would take $800 million to $1 billion to rebuild. The tightening of the construction debt market and permitting were two of the obstacles they will need to overcome.
“We can’t take 10-12 months,” to get permitted for construction, he said. Spencer said the company would use its workers on the cleanup.
Jeff Miloff, partner and broker at Miloff Aubuchon Realty Group in Cape Coral, said there was a “big shortage of housing” in the region, particularly for rentals.
Cathy Eagle, charter boat captain and owner of Captain Cathy Eagle Boat Tours in Matlacha, said local waters faced troubles from debris in the water, including other boats, trees and refrigerators which have created new obstructions.
Matt Sinclair, president of Sinclair Custom Homes, Inc. in Matlacha, said the construction industry was already suffering from a shortage of labor and delays in construction materials before the hurricane. He said there is a need to speed up the issuance of permits for construction.
“It’s a very resilient area,” he said. “It’s going to be a long fight. We are going to get through it.”
DeSantis said he supports relaxing local codes to allow property owners to place trailers on their properties that they could live in while rehabbing their homes.
Among the other suggestions DeSantis heard from the business leaders was that tax notices be delayed this November.
Jason Moon, president of Elite DNA Therapy in Naples, said the challenges are also mental in nature. “There is a lot of anxiety and depression in the community,” he said. A lot of people are without cable, internet and phone service. A part of the community was “sick mentally,” he said. “We need to be there to help them.”
Jerron Hull, president and CEO of AIM Engineering & Surveying, Inc. in Fort Myers, said “folks are stretched really thin.” Traffic volumes have increased with the wave of construction and recovery workers in town. “Folks need a little space,” he said.
Eagle said he was encouraged by DeSantis to “stretch the boundaries of what we thought would possible, cutting red tape.” DeSantis said there is a job growth fund that he can tap into.
DeSantis said the success of the area had been part of the reason for the problems. The region was one of the top five places for building homes in the country.
“This is a challenging economic environment in terms of supply chain,” DeSantis said. “It costs a lot more to repair a roof.”
“It’s hard not to look up and see what a beautiful part of the world we are in,” DeSantis said.
Harrity said after the discussion with DeSantis that the Doc Ford’s in Captiva was in the best shape of the four restaurants he operates in terms of when it could reopen. The Doc Ford’s on Fort Myers Beach was the worst hit.
“It looks like somebody took a big washing machine and spun everything around,” Harrity said. “We will have to rebuild outdoor seating. The deck is gone and will have to be replaced.” Harrity said the supply chain issues that have been going on since COVID, will be critical.
Harrity said he liked what he heard from DeSantis, who he called a “take-charge guy.” Rebuilding the tourism sector should be a priority, he said. “Tourism is the lifeblood of the area,” Harrity said.
To reach NATHAN MAYBERG, please email nmayberg@breezenewspapers.com