Sanibel City Manager Dana Souza looked out at the crowd and repeated a question he’s heard hundreds of times since Sept. 28, 2022: “How are you doing? How are you really doing?”
That’s what the 232 people staring back at him at Marriott Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa had come to learn.
Organized by Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber Of Commerce in partnership with the Community Foundation of the Islands, the first state of the islands summit served as the big reveal of an economic outlook report since Hurricane Ian shredded Southwest Florida’s barrier islands.
With research by Florida Gulf Coast University’s Regional Economic Research Institute’s Director Amir Neto, the report was compiled by surveys of area businesses, nonprofits and the city’s government over the past three months, said John Lai, chamber president and chief executive officer.
The motivation for the report: Answer when businesses and services on the islands can be expected to return.
Given the involvement of myriad insurance companies and government agencies, it’s complicated. But as Sanibel Mayor Richard Johnson said, paraphrasing the band Timbuk 3 and donning a pair of dark glasses, the future’s so bright, islanders are going to need shades.