Fort Myers street preachers push city to allow amplifiers downtown

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK) — Street preachers want Fort Myers to give them a way to use amplifiers again.

Some people who work and spend time downtown say things have been better without them. 

For Kevin Farrer, preaching on the streets of downtown Fort Myers is nothing new. But how loud he can do it is.

"I can go downtown preach with my voice, but just like the ambient noise right here, I am only going to be heard maybe 10 feet right now," Farrer said.

In 2024, Fort Myers passed a noise ordinance targeting excessively loud amplified sound. Farrer said before that, he used an amplifier during events like Art Walk and Music Walk.

Now, he wants a way to get permission to use one again. He's not alone.

"We've asked for a solution. A couple of our guys even said we pay for the permit that doesn't exist," Jo Scott said.

That frustration brought several street preachers to City Hall Monday. They used public comment to ask city leaders for a solution.

The preachers say this is about finding a way to get their message out. But walk just a few blocks through downtown, and you'll find people who say the current rules are working.

"Prior to the ordinance, there was a lot of loud noises meant to aggravate, meant to get everybody riled up and upset," Cheryl Schaal said.

Schaal, owner of Spirit of the Earth, said since the amplifiers went away, she's seen the interactions change. She doesn't want the loud noise to return.

"When they couldn't amplify, they actually had to speak one on one with people, which was much more significant on their case because they were able to talk with people, and people would start agreeing with them because it wasn't coming out of anger and yelling," said Schaal.

She's not the only one. Pat McGinnis, a Fort Myers resident, said there's enough noise already.

"I think if a preacher wants to preach, you need to go to the house of worship to hear it. And I'm all for that," McGinnis said.

The city tells WINK News there is no administrative permit for someone wanting relief from the noise limits.

Instead, they would have to ask city council for a waiver. The city says it's now taking a closer look at that process following Monday's public comment.