CAPE CORAL, Fla. — We still have about three months until the start of hurricane season.
But on Wednesday, Cape Coral city leaders will consider new rules that impact how and when you prepare your home for a storm.
The plan on the table gives residents five days before the arrival of a tropical storm or hurricane to put up storm shutters.
“I’ve sold all these people shutters and most of them are snowbirds so they live up north and they want to be able to keep their homes safe when they’re not here - and now this ordinance is going to prevent that," says Steve Powers with Allin’s Blinds, Verticals & Hurricane Shutters.
According to the agenda for Wednesday's meeting, the Cape Coral Fire Department says leaving shutters up year-round can be a fire hazard.
The ordinance also argues that similar rules exist in other Florida cities like Bonita Springs, Palm Beach and Miami.
Powers says that residents like the customers he deals with every day should be able to provide their input.
“I just feel it’s tromping on residents rights," he says.
“It’s just not right to be able to mandate to everyone a rule that should be voted on. So if the people vote that’s the way they want, that’s the way it is but there definitely needs to be a vote.”
That meeting will happen Wednesday at 9am.
