FORT MYERS — Wednesday was the last day in business for a company that serves thousands of disabled adults in our community.
Good Wheels is shutting down, and that came as a bit of a shock to Lee County officials. When we arrived at Good Wheels headquarters in Fort Myers, we talked to employees wondering about their paychecks, and vendors saying they hadn’t been paid in months, but when we finally spoke with CEO Alan Mandel, he was adamant that this isn’t his fault, it’s the government's.
“If that money was here right now, we’d be in operation," said Mandel.
Mandel said, if people are worried about the loss of Good Wheels, they have the state and federal government to blame.
“We had promises from certain government agencies that total over a million dollars, and those funds are not here as of this time... The SBA, Small Business Disaster Loan Fund, put a lien on our property for the loan amount, but the loan isn’t here. $257,000. The state legislature last July cut funding to 51 counties in Florida, and the governor didn’t replace that funding until the end of December, so we haven’t even seen the start of that money coming back into the company, and that’s $150,000. And then the Florida Department of Transportation recommended grants to us for the 2019 year, and that’s over $600,000 and we don’t have any of that yet," said Mandel.
Mandel said, last week, Good Wheels hit a crisis and couldn’t wait for that money any longer. He went to Lee County, asking for $400,000 by Friday. Deputy County Manager Dave Harner said, it doesn’t work like that.
“We need to understand, if we give the 400 thousand dollars, or whatever that ask may be, that that’s a viable option, that that’s going to be sustainable for that entity," said Harner.
But without that money, Good Wheels employees are losing their jobs, and vendors aren’t getting paid. We told Mandel that one vendor said he hadn't been paid in three months.
"That’s very possible. We’ve been waiting for some of that money since August," said Mandel.
Mandel said another company in town has reached out to say it could hire some of the 85 displaced workers. Meanwhile, the county has arranged emergency help through Lee Trans for 150 people who need transportation for medical reasons. Harner said, in the future, Lee County may hire another contractor to transport people, or just do it themselves.
“The long term, we’re looking at those two different options to see what’s in the best interest for the community, as well as tax payer dollars," said Harner.
If you are one of the people affected by the shutdown of Good Wheels, this is the message the county is sharing:
Disadvantaged and disabled individuals – or their caregivers – who are seeking information about Good Wheels discontinuing service may be able to receive assistance from Lee County Transit (LeeTran). The Lee Board of County Commissioners has directed staff to use available transit resources to ensure riders who are considered “medical critical” are prioritized for service. For more information, call 239-533-0300, email VWalters@leegov.com or visit https://www.leegov.com/leetran [leegov.com].
