Day Two of FEMA code compliance hearings in Cape Coral

“Stop Work Immediately” signs have been plastered on Cape Coral homes for unpermitted work.

About 50 people gathered in city council chambers Tuesday for code compliance hearings.

Eighteen of those people didn’t have work done on their homes after Hurricane Ian and were found not guilty.

Another 50 people were summoned Wednesday for the second day of hearings before the special magistrate.

One of those was John Meihle, standing in for friends who own a home in Cape Coral but permanently live in Tennessee.

“It’s not the city’s fault, necessarily,” said Meihle. “This is something that was dumped on them by FEMA.”

Meihle waited for his turn for five hours before taking the stand.

He learned the FEMA paperwork he submitted for his friends wasn’t filled out correctly and asked for help after the hearing.

“Expecting homeowners to know about this FEMA form when you say you advertised it?” he asked. “Well, I can tell you on my street, Pelican, nobody knew about it.”

FEMA told the city that 207 homes allegedly had unpermitted work, but that’s all the city knows.

“We don’t have a lot more information from them, although we have requested that. Specifically, what made them come to that conclusion,” said Melissa Mickey, Communications Manager for the City of Cape Coral.

Mickey said the city had to follow FEMA’s requirements, no matter what.

“We had to take enforcement action on all 207 addresses, whether or not there was evidence of unpermitted work at the address,” she said.

Even when these hearings finish on Friday, the city might not keep the flood insurance discount.

“There hasn’t been a real clear indication from FEMA that if we do some specific items, that we will definitively keep the rating,” Mickey said.

The city’s goal is to have the determinations from the hearing and additional paperwork to FEMA by May 9, so if necessary, they can make any changes before the June 10 deadline.