The city of Sanibel released the following information on Oct. 20:
From now through Oct. 30, the city’s following re-entry procedures are in place for residents, businesses, private contractors and property owners to access Sanibel and Captiva:
– Inbound access open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
– There are two inbound lanes: The left lane is for residents, businesses, property owners and private contractors, and the right lane is for emergency vehicles and emergency government contractors
– A valid 2021 or 2022 city-issued Hurricane Re-Entry Pass must be prominently displayed or a Florida driver’s license with a Sanibel or Captiva address readily available when approaching checkpoints.
– Outbound access open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
– There is one outbound lane from the causeway and two outbound lanes on McGregor Boulevard.
– A curfew is in effect on Sanibel and Captiva from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. No vehicle, bicycle or pedestrian movement is permitted, except for essential response personnel. The curfew is being strictly enforced.
Beginning on Oct. 31 and until further notice, vehicular traffic will be allowed as follows:
MONDAY AND TUESDAY: ESSENTIAL RESPONSE PERSONNEL
– Emergency vehicles
– Debris management
– Electric providers
– Water and sewer utility providers
No resident, business owner, property owner nor private contractor will have access.
WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY: RESIDENTS, BUSINESS OWNERS, PROPERTY OWNERS AND PRIVATE CONTRACTORS
– Inbound access open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
– There are two inbound lanes: The left lane is for residents, businesses, property owners and private contractors, and the right lane is for emergency vehicles and emergency government contractors
– A valid 2021 or 2022 city-issued Hurricane Re-Entry Pass must be prominently displayed or a Florida driver’s license with a Sanibel or Captiva address readily available when approaching checkpoints.
– Outbound access open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
– There is one outbound lane from the causeway and two outbound lanes on McGregor Boulevard.
– A curfew is in effect on Sanibel and Captiva from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. No vehicle, bicycle or pedestrian movement is permitted, except for essential response personnel. The curfew is being strictly enforced.
HURRICANE RE-ENTRY PASSES
– Resident: Residential Hurricane Reentry Pass or valid ID with island address
– Property owner: Residential Hurricane Reentry Pass with valid ID
For a Residential Hurricane Reentry Pass, visit https://www.mysanibel.com/content/download/30505/file/Residential%20Pass%20Application%202022.pdf
– Contractor: Commercial Hurricane Reentry Pass with valid ID
For a Commercial Hurricane Reentry Pass, visit https://www.mysanibel.com/content/download/30506/file/Commercial%20Pass%20Application%20-%202019%20-%20MASTER.pdf
– Insurance adjuster: Insurance Adjuster Reentry Pass with valid ID
For an Insurance Adjuster Hurricane Reentry Pass, visit https://www.mysanibel.com/news-announcements/news/hurricane-ian-recovery-insurance-adjuster-access-to-sanibel
Passes are issued Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 5 p.m. at the city of Sanibel’s Temporary City Hall, which located in the Captiva Room at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, at 13051 Bell Tower Drive, Fort Myers. For more information, visit https://www.mysanibel.com/.
CONDITIONS ON SANIBEL
Sanibel continues to be a challenging environment. As of Oct. 19, there was no electricity to any structures, and no potable water available for drinking, bathing or flushing toilets. There is no ground transportation and no operating gas stations. Debris is present throughout the island and is actively being collected by the city’s debris management contractor. The speed limit on the entire island is 20 mph or lower, based on conditions. ATVs, UTVs, side-by-sides and golf carts not legally registered to operate on city streets are prohibited. Please be aware of displaced wildlife throughout the island.
LEETRAN SHUTTLE SERVICE
Beginning today, Oct. 21, LeeTran will operate two shuttle bus routes to help residents move through the islands. The hours of operation are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the service is free. The Sanibel route begins at the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce parking lot, with additional stops at: Jerry’s Plaza, Bailey’s Shopping Center, J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge overflow lot, Bowman’s Beach Road, and the South Seas Island Resort. The Captiva route begins at South Seas and follows the reverse route to the chamber. For a map of the Sanibel shuttle route with stops, visit https://cc-mysanibel-storage.s3.amazonaws.com/main/images/9/8/5/1/201589-1-eng-US/ian%20transit%20map%20v2PAL-1.PNG. For a map of the Captiva shuttle route with stops, visit https://cc-mysanibel-storage.s3.amazonaws.com/main/images/3/9/5/1/201593-1-eng-US/ian%20transit%20map%20v2PAL-2.PNG.
CURFEW
A curfew is in effect on Sanibel from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. No vehicle, bicycle or pedestrian movement is permitted, except for essential response personnel. The curfew is being strictly enforced.
POWER RESTORATION
LCEC has provided estimated timelines for power restoration on both islands that can be viewed at https://www.mysanibel.com/content/download/30739/file/SanibelCaptivaRestorationTimeline%20%28002%29.pdf. The timeframe for power restoration on Sanibel is generally Oct. 31. However, there is currently not a detailed timeline for power restoration at each house and structure. There may be unique situations where power restoration may be delayed.
REASSESSMENTS OF PROPERTIES
Property owners who sustained hurricane damage may advise the Lee County Property Appraiser about the damage by emailing hurricaneupdate@leepa.org. They can also directly upload photos and other information at https://www.leepa.org/Membership/LoginForm.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2FMembership%2FActions%2FAddPhotos%2FAddPhotoForm.aspx.
TRASH COLLECTION
The city has placed containers at the City Recycling Center to collect residential refrigerator and kitchen rubbish. No commercial rubbish, debris or vegetation will be accepted. Commercial property owners must contact their waste hauler for pick up, as needed.
PORTABLE TOILETS
Portable toilets have been placed around the island. On the map, they are marked with the gold and dark green arrows. Additional portable toilets will be placed near The Sanibel School and at Blind Pass Beach Park. To view the map, visit https://www.mysanibel.com/news-announcements/news/hurricane-ian-daily-update-tuesday-october-19-2022.
RECREATIONAL VEHICLES (RVs)
The Sanibel Municipal Code provides that recreation vehicles may be used for residential purposes or on a temporary basis only in a mobile home park.
STORAGE PODS
Storage pods are allowed at single-family homes, but only temporarily and for no more than 30 days.
MAIL PICKUP
Island mail may be picked up at the JetPort Loop Mail Station, at 14080 JetPort Loop, Fort Myers. Hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon.
TEMPORARY CITY HALL
– Main City Hall phone number is 239-472-3700
– Temporary Hurricane Ian phone number is 239-603-7261
– Call Center is open Monday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
– Information Desk is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The city will continue to provide information at https://www.mysanibel.com/ and on Facebook at “The City of Sanibel, Florida,” as well as email those who have signed up for city announcements. To sign up, visit https://www.mysanibel.com//government/city-manager-s-office/useful-links/sign-up-for-city-announcements.
