MANATEE COUNTY – The Manatee County School Board will continue discussing its school reopening plan today.
The discussion will take place during the school board workshop that begins at 1 p.m. The school reopening plan discussion is the fourth and final item listed on Thursday’s meeting agenda:
According to the school board website, “Executive Summary Superintendent Cynthia Saunders presented plans for the reopening of schools for the 2020-2021 school year during a workshop held on June 25. The board will hold discussion regarding the finalization of the plan in preparation for approval of the plan at the July 14 special meeting.”
The Manatee County School Board will meet at 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 9. – School District of Manatee County | Submitted
The school district’s reopening plan can be viewed here.
School board meetings are broadcast live on both MSTV and METV for your convenience. MSTV is Brighthouse channel 646 and Verizon channel 39; METV is Brighthouse channel 645, Verizon channel 31 and Comcast channel 19.
Thursday’s meeting will be archived within 24-48 hours here.
If you wish to contact the board members, you can do so via email, via phone at 941-708-8770 ext. 2155 or via fax at 941-708-8653.
On Tuesday, Florida Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran issued 2020-Emergency Order-06 regarding the mandatory reopening of Florida schools:
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – A sea turtle trapped in a hole on the beach is lucky that Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring volunteers are so diligent at their jobs.
Director Suzi Fox and volunteer Skip Coyne found turtle tracks along the shore last week with footprints next to the tracks stretching for a quarter-mile, indicating that someone had followed the turtle, keeping her from going back into the water.
Holes dug on the beach can entrap nesting and hatching sea turtles. – Mark Taylor | Sun
At the end of the trail was a hole someone had dug on the beach – with the turtle four feet down at the bottom of it.
Her breathing was labored, according to Fox, who has asked beachgoers for years to fill in holes they make in the sand, remove furniture from the beach at sunset and avoid flash photography of turtles.
Coyne began digging a ramp in the sand, and a visiting beachgoer, Kevin Breheny, of Decatur, Illinois, stopped to help him.
“That turtle was totally unphased by them doing it. She was understanding that this was her way out,” Fox said in a video produced for Turtle Watch by local musician Mike Sales.
“She turned towards us and she could sense that or see it,” Coyne said.
“This turtle looked up and looked at us like – there’s hope,” Breheny said.
The 300-pound turtle began to climb the ramp as they dug it, getting some help from the men to pull her out.
“It took a leap forward on its two front fins,” Breheny said. “I couldn’t believe the strength this turtle had… The next thing we know, off to the ocean it was going.”
The story could have taken a darker turn had any of the season’s first hatchlings fallen into the hole after emerging from their nests last week.
https://amisun.com/2020/07/05/nesting-news-2/
Fox has an urgent message for beachgoers.
“Do not walk with a turtle on the beach at night. She’s tender. She’s pregnant. She needs to do her business and get back out to sea,” she said. “And when you dig a hole, fill the hole back in.”
Because the turtle was disturbed by whoever followed her, she did not nest before falling into the hole, according to Fox, who added that the holes are not only dangerous to turtles, but to Turtle Watch volunteers and beachgoers.
“Even if it wasn’t your hole, fill the hole back in,” Fox said.
Have you ever driven down the Gulf beach and seen flags flying on the lifeguard stands? We’ve worked out a system to alert people who use the local beaches of potential hazards. A green flag signifies that all is well, whereas a double red or purple flag alerts people that the water is not safe to swim in.
Unfortunately, there’s no such system to alert people of dangers in our bays. If there were, purple flags would be flying! In just the last two months there’s been a multi-thousand-gallon sewage spill in Manatee County, a potentially multi-million-gallon discharge from a broken sewer line from Longboat Key to the mainland and a persistent lyngbya bloom (a potentially toxic algae) that is becoming explosive in Anna Maria Sound and surrounding waters.
Worst of all, these are just the major insults that are but a part of the larger problem. I’m concerned about these issues because I am a fisherman and have seen the effects of declining water quality on fishing. Sure, water quality is a concern for everyone who lives here, fishes here or visits here. What’s less well understood is the fact that the quality of local waters is directly related to the economic health of the region.
What seems to be missing is an understanding of what we’re leaving for our children and grandchildren, as well as future generations that will follow. While this has been a theme of my columns, it really hit home when I received this letter from 12-year-old Brice Claypoole:
Who wants to swim in sewage water?
By Brice Claypoole
This week we had a sewage leak into Sarasota Bay. Millions of gallons of sewage water leaked out of a pipe going from Longboat Key to the mainland. This isn’t the first time a sewage spill like this has happened and if we don’t change things, it won’t be the last.
So why is this such a big deal? Well, for starters, who wants to swim in sewage water? Personally, I don’t. But that’s not the only reason this is so concerning. The nutrients from sewage spills can fuel harmful algal blooms, like red tide. In 2017 and 2018, hundreds of marine animals died and millions of dollars were lost in areas like tourism and fishing because of red tide. So, the problem is that millions of gallons of sewage is a lot of red tide and bacteria fuel.
Being a kid, I have another reason to be concerned: I love this island and I love the bay. They’re my home. In 40 years, I want to be able to take my kids out into the bay and have dolphins jump by and find giant whelks and watch roseate spoonbills on mangrove islands. There’s nothing we can do about this sewage spill now. All we can do is hope nothing happens, but I fear this will not be the case; I fear fish will die and people in the area will not be able to swim for a while. We can and must stop sewage spills from happening in the future. More spills will certainly happen if we do nothing.
The pipe that leaked was 50 years old; it should have been replaced years ago, before this happened. We need to tell town and state officials that we want old pipes upgraded. We need to tell them that we are upset about this and disappointed that they did not take steps to stop this from happening. And those of you who can vote need to vote for people that will protect our environment. We need to do all these things to protect our amazing bay and all its beautiful inhabitants (spoonbills, dolphins, herons and more) forever.
HOLMES BEACH – The Fourth of July holiday was celebrated a little differently on Anna Maria Island this year due to COVID-19.
Without an official fireworks display and without a parade led by the Anna Maria Island Privateers, the holiday celebrations on the Island were a little quieter, a little calmer and observed differently, even by beachgoers.
Early crowds at Manatee Beach over the July 4 holiday weekend maintained social distancing while soaking in the sun on the sand. – Kristin Swain | Sun
At Manatee Beach, the crowds were smaller over the holiday weekend, with those choosing to come out practicing social distancing on the sand, many wearing masks or other face coverings. A staff member from the Anna Maria Island Beach Café was stationed in the breezeway at the door to the gift shop and restaurant making sure that anyone entering the business was wearing a mask or face covering. Members of the Manatee County Code Enforcement team were stationed along the beach and throughout the parking area to encourage social distancing and safe practices.
Out on the beach, groups largely kept their distance from each other, even when in the water.
And while some fireworks still lit the night sky, next year’s official July 4 celebrations promise to be bigger and better.
I was at lunch recently with friends and we talked about new vocabulary words that may come out of the pandemic, like covid brain, covid dining and covid social distancing. Real estate has always had its own set of buzz words, so it’s likely that covid will add several more. How about covid-renovated homes, covid-sized, covid-ready furniture, covid home office, covid learning labs – well, you get the picture.
Unfortunately, about a week ago the Miami Herald published an extensive article about what may be Florida’s newest covid word: “covid wind insurance.”
The Herald didn’t actually call the increase in wind insurance in our state “covid,” but we might as well blame it on the virus since I’m sure there has to be a connection, like the high unemployment rate. According to the Miami Herald, home insurance is getting a lot more expensive in the state, which already has the highest property insurance rates in the country.
The reason for this is the increased premiums in reinsurance. Reinsurance is insurance for insurers or stop-loss insurance. It acts as a buffer for insurers to transfer portions of their risk to other parties. The object is to keep the insurance companies afloat and guarantee there is enough cash to pay claims in the event of a devasting storm with multiple losses.
This year, reinsurance premiums rose by an estimated 26%, the highest since 2005 when Florida experienced back-to-back hurricanes. It frequently takes years to determine the real cost of claims after a storm. For example, Hurricane Irma’s initial estimate of damage in 2017 was around $9 billion, a figure that experts predicted was manageable. However, that initial dollar amount has risen to $17 billion in just three years. Reinsurers also point to the increase in lawsuits and the resulting legal bills for insurance companies pushing up the premiums.
One of the major worries here, in addition to the financial aspect, is homeowners with no mortgages on their property dropping coverage. Lenders require adequate insurance coverage on any properties they hold the mortgage on as a condition of granting the mortgage, but homeowners without mortgages frequently assume the risk of not insuring.
Insurers are already dropping South Florida clients, stating the cost is prohibitive for them to do business. This will increase the number of properties being insured by Citizens, the state-owned insurer of last resort. Obviously, this is bad news for the entire state since all Florida residents will be on the hook to make up any shortfall in funds as a result of a major storm. Florida does have a large pot of money known as the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund to fall back on, but adding private insurers is the better way.
There is one way to help mitigate hurricane damage to your residence – build a round home. Round home construction is aerodynamic and in theory prevents wind from building up enough pressure on any one side, avoiding a structural failure. The roof is also constructed with an optimal pitch, deflecting winds and reducing lift. If you’re interested, check out Deltec Homes, an Asheville, NC company that is building these homes along the Atlantic coast.
So, let’s see, we have a pandemic, soaring infection rates in Florida, a busier-than-average hurricane season and now, of course, insurance rates are going up. Part of this is the price we pay for living in paradise and part of it is our covid cross to bear. Stay safe.
HOLMES BEACH – After years of volunteering with the city and local organizations, long-time resident Jayne Christenson is ready to take the plunge and is running for a city commission seat in November.
Christenson and her husband, Joe, have been making Holmes Beach their full-time home for more than a decade, though the couple’s roots in the community go back to 1989. She’s served as a planning commission member and vice-chair, chaired the Island Congestion Committee, been an active participant at Holmes Beach commission meetings, volunteered at Anna Maria Elementary School, The Center of Anna Maria Island, the Salvation Army, Christ Church and Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School.
Along with the three other candidates for the two spots available on the Holmes Beach city commission – Rick Hurst, Pat Morton and Kim Rash – Christenson was asked to respond to four questions. Each candidate’s answers will be published in The Sun, beginning with Christenson.
What do voters need to know about your involvement in the community?
I have served for three years on the Holmes Beach Planning Commission, the last year as the Vice-Chair. I actively participate at Holmes Beach City Commission meetings and chaired the city committee on Parking and Congestion which was organized by the Mayor to study and develop suggestions and identify possible solutions. You can find my family and me at The Center of Anna Maria Island where we attend events and volunteer. I strongly believe in the mission of the Salvation Army of Bradenton where my family and I volunteer as servers during their annual Thanksgiving and Christmas Day dinners.
Why are you running for Holmes Beach City Commission?
When I moved to Holmes Beach with my family in 1989, I knew this was the community where we belonged. In 2007, my husband and I became permanent residents of Holmes Beach. It has been a wonderful community to raise our son, who attended AME and is now a teenager working at the island Publix. My goal is to continue making our island city an enjoyable place to live, work and visit.
If elected, what would be your priority to work on with your fellow commissioners?
As a commissioner, I will encourage Holmes Beach City Hall to be more proactive at positive engagement with residents and businesses. They are the eyes and ears of the city. The number of permanent residents has declined over the years which is detrimental to the viability of the city. We need to find ways to grow our resident base. Aligning our priorities of balance between residential properties and vacation rentals in our neighborhoods is critical. The entire island could benefit from better collaboration and partnership between the three island cities. We need to work as one voice when interacting with state and county officials. This is especially important when it comes to the excessive advertising by the Tourism Development Council (TDC), a limited return of the tax dollars that we generate, and maintaining our right to Home Rule versus the state dictating.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the city today?
Many are concerned that Holmes Beach continues to face pressures from increased tourism and population growth from on and off the island. Other concerns involve financial challenges and key environment issues facing our island city. Holmes Beach requires innovative, forward-thinking commissioners who are prepared to work towards consensus on the challenging issues facing our city today and into the future.
BRADENTON BEACH – Folks flocked to Bradenton Beach and the south end of Anna Maria Island to celebrate the Fourth of July.
At 9:30 a.m., a short line of vehicles towing personal watercraft and boats waited to put in at the Coquina South boat ramp. The recently fire-damaged dock along the north side of the ramp was closed but the ramp itself remains open. In orderly fashion, boats, personal watercraft and kayaks entered and exited the water as a sunny Saturday morning unfolded.
Several personal watercraft entered the water at the Coquina South boat ramp. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
At the south end of the Coquina South boat ramp property, families and friends set up tents along the Sarasota Bay/Intracoastal Waterway shoreline, while others enjoyed the solitude of fishing from the seawall near the Longboat Pass Bridge.
By 10 a.m., the South Coquina boat ramp parking lot was nearly full, as was the North Coquina boat ramp just up the street.
These Coquina Beach beachgoers kept closer company than others. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Across the street at Coquina Gulfside Beach, beachgoers were setting up tents and settling in for a day at the beach. Social distancing was practiced to varying degrees. Some groups and individuals maintained greater distances and others preferred to be in closer proximity to one another.
Social distancing was possible at Coquina Beach and practiced by many. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Just offshore, a pair of parasailers took to the sky and a Coast Guard plane flew along the Gulf of Mexico shoreline. Under the shade of the Australian pines, several groups gathered with family and friends for Fourth of July picnics.
Parasails and personal watercraft dotted the Coquina Beach shoreline. – Joe Hendricks | SunThis trio found solace in the shallow water at Coquina Beach. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
To the east, several boats gathered offshore of Jewfish Key, with several boats flying American flags in honor of Independence Day. Other boaters preferred to beach their boats at nearby Beer Can Island.
The sandbar off Jewfish Key was a popular Independence Day destination for boaters. – Joe Hendricks | SunSome boaters spent the day at Beer Can Island. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
To the north, the scene was similar on a smaller scale at Cortez Beach. Beachgoers and beach accessories lined the beach and sightseers and fishermen stood upon the nearby groin the extends out into the Gulf of Mexico.
Holiday beachgoers lined the Cortez Beach shoreline. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
A little further north, more beachgoers gathered near the Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge and the BeachHouse restaurant.
On Bridge Street, restaurant patrons enjoyed lunch and adult beverages, pedestrians walked the sidewalks, some wearing masks and some not, shoppers perused the retail shops and the Drift In bar was open for takeout and package service only in accordance with the governor’s current restrictions.
Anna Maria Oyster Bar shuttle driver Harry Miller and his dog Tully enjoyed a day off on Bridge Street. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
At 12:30 p.m., a trio of tow trucks passed by Cortez headed south, possibly awaiting calls for their services as legal parking spaces became more difficult to find.
BRADENTON BEACH – Bradenton resident and registered nurse Cindy Zembrzuski recently helped revive a fallen patron at Island Time Bar & Grill in Bradenton Beach. Now she’s caring for COVID-19 patients at a skilled nursing facility in Clearwater.
On Monday, June 15, Zembrzuski, her son Ethan Michael Brown, Brown’s girlfriend, Lauren Usher, Zembrzuski’s friend and dance partner, Walter Lortz, and others were seated at a table in front of the Island Time stage when the medical emergency unfolded.
“We were dining at Island Time when Cindy noticed Ethan’s eyes had a look of disbelief. As she turned to see what he was looking at, she saw a woman falling to the floor. Luckily, another patron saw the same thing and was able to get to the woman and cushion her fall,” Lortz said.
“The woman was not breathing and did not appear to have a heartbeat. Cindy began CPR as a call went out to EMS. While Cindy did CPR, the woman sputtered and started to breathe again. All indications are that Cindy saved the woman’s life,” Lortz said.
“I was facing the stage. Ethan was facing the opposite way and could see all the tables behind us. His eyes kept getting bigger and bigger and I said, “Ethan, what’s going on?’ ” Zembrzuski said.
“As I turned around, a big, burly guy helped lower this lady to the ground. She was out. There was no pulse and no respiration. He was trying to do mouth-to-mouth, which isn’t very safe these days. I asked him to step aside and I did 8 to 10 chest compressions before she got her respiration and pulse back and opened her eyes,” she explained.
“Everybody came together for a positive outcome. The staff, my son, the man who gave mouth-to-mouth and me sitting on top of her administering CPR. COVID or no COVID, we were going to help this lady. It was a really rewarding experience and everyone that helped should be recognized. None of us had masks on, but nobody cared. It was about saving somebody’s life and collectively we did. Kudos to the Island Time staff for being so prompt, and Ethan was instrumental in saying, ‘Mom, you’re a nurse, get over there,’ ” Zembrzuski said.
Island Time General Manager Michael Davis was also there that night.
“I was on the floor when it occurred. I called 911 and stayed on the phone until help arrived. In this case, it turned out fine. The EMTs were on scene for 10-15 minutes. I think she was treated on the scene and had friends and family who could take her home. Cindy and the other gentleman were in the right place at the right time. They gave proper and timely assistance and that was extremely helpful,” Davis said.
The Island Time staff responded quickly to a recent emergency situation. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
A new challenge
Zembrzuski has worked as a nurse in Georgia and in Florida. She previously spent two years working in the emergency room at Manatee Memorial Hospital in Bradenton.
She currently works for Genesis HealthCare. When the Island Time incident occurred, she was serving as a clinical consultant, assisting with discharge planning, post-acute care and securing skilled nursing facility services. On Monday, June 29, Zembrzuski began working as a nurse again in a COVID-19-positive environment.
The day before her new assignment began, Zembrzuski said, “My boss called and said I’ve been reassigned to work at a skilled nursing facility in Clearwater. I’ll be in a COVID unit taking care of COVID patients. I’m a very healthy person, so I’m not worried. If something happens and I get it, I get it. After the experience at Island Time, I really felt I contributed to helping that person and now I want to do what I can do to help these COVID patients. I became a nurse to do this kind of thing. It’s my calling,” she said.
After four days in her new position, Zembrzuski provided an update.
“It’s very taxing. We’re getting more and more cases. We are doing the best we can as nurses, clinicians and caregivers, but with the no-visitation rule, patients and family members remain anxious. We encourage patients and their families to visit through the patient room windows, through FaceTime and we help facilitate Zoom calls. We are all very dedicated and compassionate and trying to give the best clinical care we can while reducing anxiety. This continues to be a work in progress,” she said.
Updated July 3, 2020 – ANNA MARIA – Mayor Dan Murphy and the Anna Maria City Commission have extended the city’s mandatory mask order for another seven days.
The emergency mask order originally enacted on June 25 as City Order #33 was amended during a special commission meeting Thursday morning. The amended order, City Order #36, is now posted at the city website.
Similar to the original mask order, the amended and extended order only applies to certain indoor places. But City Order #36 also includes new recommendations regarding outdoor waiting areas and vacation rentals.
“Every person working, living, visiting or doing business in the city of Anna Maria shall wear a face covering in any indoor location, other than their home or residence, when not maintaining social distancing from other persons, excluding family members or companions,” the amended order says.
The order lists the following exceptions:
Children under the age of two years;
People for whom a face covering would cause impairment due to an existing health condition;
People working in a business or profession who do not have interactions with other people;
People working in an office when all interactions with others are done with social distancing as recommended by the CDC;
People eating and/or drinking at a restaurant; provided, however, that face coverings must otherwise be worn in restaurants.
City Order #36 includes new language that says, “Businesses are requested to strongly encourage face coverings and social distancing for customers and persons waiting in line outdoors for service. Also, vacation rental owners and management companies are requested to give out informational material, such as a copy of this order, to each of their vacation rental customers upon check-in.”
A violation of the mask order is punishable by a code enforcement citation that carries a $50 fine per violation. During Thursday’s meeting, Murphy said no citations had been issued for mask violations to date and the city had not received any complaints about non-compliance.
When Thursday’s discussion began, Murphy addressed expanding the order to include outdoor public spaces.
“It’s very difficult for me to tell you that you have to stay 6 feet away from your husband or your wife or your child while you’re on vacation outdoors in the state of Florida. I think it would be nice if everybody wore face masks, but I don’t think we can infringe upon people’s personal rights that much. And I know we can’t enforce it. I think it’s going too far,” Murphy said.
Outdoor waiting areas
The new language regarding outdoor waiting areas arose from concerns raised by commissioners Jon Crane and Mark Short, based on what they’ve seen outside some restaurants and other food establishments, including ice cream shops.
Crane suggested expanding the mask order to include outdoor waiting areas, but the commission did not go that far.
Commissioner Jon Crane expressed concerns about outdoor waiting areas at restaurants. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Commissioner Joe Muscatello asked if the city was going to encourage that masks be worn on the City Pier. The commission did not address the pier in its amended mask order, but Murphy said free masks are available at the pier entryway when the pier is open.
Commissioner Amy Tripp agreed with Crane and Short, but said enforcement of the outdoor waiting areas would be challenging. She recommended calling on business owners and patrons to use common sense instead.
Muscatello shared feedback he received from business owners.
“They don’t want to see a shutdown and they would go along with anything we came up with that was helpful,” he said.
Muscatello also provided personal perspective as a city resident.
“We seem to be so focused on the tourists. I think our first priority ought to be the residents. I pay a hell of a lot of property taxes to live here and I’m afraid to go to my own beach. We are here to serve the 1,500 people who live here and not the 40,000 people who come here to visit. I feel like a prisoner in my own home,” he said.
Commissioner Joe Muscatello said residents need to be the city’s first priority. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Commission Chair Carol Carter suggested the non-binding language regarding outdoor waiting areas. She said face coverings in waiting areas not only protect patrons, but they protect the employees too.
“When we heard about places that closed, it’s been because an employee has shown signs of being infected with COVID,” Short added.
Regarding outdoor waiting areas, Murphy said, “The message should be we don’t want to legislate something – and that we will if we have to. The onus is at the point of contact at the restaurant itself to make sure this is done, not city hall.”
Under the local state of emergency, Murphy has the authority to extend the mask order every seven days without calling a special commission meeting to do so.
Murphy said the updated mask order would be emailed to business owners and vacation rental owners and agents.
To assist businesses, the city is offering free signs that reference the mask order. To request those signs email depclerk@cityofannamaria.com.
These signs now appear at the Waterfront Restaurant & Craft Bar and other restaurants and businesses in Anna Maria. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
BRADENTON BEACH – The Bradenton Beach City Commission is not mandating that masks and face coverings be worn and there are no plans to close the county beaches during the Fourth of July weekend.
During this morning’s weekly emergency city commission meeting, Mayor John Chappie said County Administrator Cheri Coryea informed him that the county has no meetings scheduled this week to consider closing the beaches before or during the Fourth of July weekend. Manatee County commissioners are currently on their annual summer break.
The only reference to masks and face coverings made at today’s meeting came in the form of a letter the city received from Lynn Selander.
“As a very concerned citizen of Bradenton Beach, of a certain age with underlying medical conditions, I am asking that you take decisive action to join with our neighbors in Holmes Beach to protect the health and safety of our community members by requiring face masks/coverings to be worn in public,” Selander’s letter said.
“Recommending is not enough. Since Manatee County opened the beaches, Publix, Walgreens, CVS and other stores serving Island residents have been overwhelmed by visitors taking a ‘vacation’ from the COVID pandemic, not wearing masks and not maintaining social distancing.
“The preponderance of our resident population falls into the at risk category. The CDC and responsible medical experts are clear that wearing face coverings significantly reduces the spread of the COVID virus. This is a very small thing we can all do that can mean the difference between life and death for ourselves and the vulnerable among us as our infection numbers in continue to spike.
“This is not a political issue. It is a human issue. Please step up and mandate the wearing of face coverings in public as part of the Bradenton Beach response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Selander wrote.
The commission did not discuss the letter after City Clerk Terri Sanclemente read it into the public record. The commission did extend the city’s local state of emergency for another seven days.
ANNA MARIA – Smoking is now prohibited on the new Anna Maria City Pier.
Dogs, bicycles and alcohol were already prohibited on the pier, and these new and existing prohibitions are being addressed with new signage.
The Anna Maria City Commission initiated the smoking ban on Thursday, June 25 after Mayor Dan Murphy noted smoking was not currently prohibited on the new City Pier.
“We made a punch list of about 16 items that need to be corrected. I think the first thing that came to mind was the fact that we have allowed smoking on the pier. What we’ve noticed is there were cigarette butts put out on the IPE wood (the pier decking), cigarette butts put out on the benches and on the picnic tables and butts thrown in the bay,” Murphy told the commission.
“Not many venues allow smoking anymore. It’s kind of a thing of the past. Do we want to allow smoking on the pier or make it a non-smoking pier? I’m recommending that we make it non-smoking,” Murphy said.
Commission Chair Carol Carter said the pier restaurant and the T-end deck area outside the restaurant and bait shop should be non-smoking areas.
Commissioner Amy Tripp asked if people would still be allowed to smoke under the covered entrance to the pier.
The commission considered allowing smoking at the pier entryway, but Commissioner Joe Muscatello noted families often gather there. He proposed the entry area also be designated as a no-smoking zone.
Murphy said people can still smoke in the parking area or along the boardwalk that leads to the pier entrance.
The commission reached unanimous consensus to make the entire pier area a non-smoking zone.
Murphy also addressed some of the other items on the new pier punch list. He said cleats and bumpers need to be installed at the boat landing area on the southeast side of the pier.
“There should be no dogs and no bicycles,” Murphy said.
He said dogs and bikes were already prohibited in the pier ordinance, but those prohibitions need to be clarified with some additional signage placed at the entry to the pier. There are also two sheriff’s deputies stationed on and near the pier each day the pier is open.
Murphy said the public restrooms at the end of the pier need some additional signage.
He said fish cutting stations need to be installed and the existing fish cleaning station will be expanded and improved.
Murphy said that with the assistance of the Anna Maria Island Historical Society, a bulletin board will be placed in the breezeway between the new pier buildings. The bulletin board will contain photographs of the old historic pier that was replaced by the new pier. Murphy said the Historical Society also offered to share photographs to place in the restrooms.
Commissioner Tripp expressed hope that the future pier tenant will continue the historic pier theme when completing the inside of the new restaurant building.
Murphy said the wooden pier decking still needs to be oiled and that will be done in 300-foot sections.
He said City Clerk LeAnne Addy is researching shade sails to install above the picnic tables at the T-end of the pier.
The new City Pier opened with a soft, non-ceremonial opening on Friday, June 19. A more ceremonial grand opening ceremony will be conducted at a future date.
The new pier is currently open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The pier is currently closed Mondays through Thursdays. The weekday closures provide time for the punch list items to be addressed.
Murphy said he wants to maintain the current pier hours at least through the Fourth of July weekend, but he would like to open the pier for sunsets in the near future.
A makeshift sign posted on the podium at the foot of the pier notes face masks are optional.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – According to the Florida Department of Health (FDOH), the first positive COVID-19 case in Anna Maria became known on Friday, June 26.
The case appeared on the Saturday, June 27 Daily COVID-19 Data Report. FDOH distributes the daily data reports via email and they are also archived at the Florida Division of Emergency Management website, www.floridadisaster.org.
According to Monday’s daily data report, no additional positive cases had been reported in Anna Maria. As of early Monday afternoon, eight positive COVID-19 cases have been reported in Bradenton Beach and seven positive cases have been reported in Holmes Beach since the pandemic began.
As of Monday, 1,954 positive cases had been reported in the city of Bradenton and 2,792 Manatee County residents and 18-non-residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began.
According to the online FDOH COVID-19 Data and Surveillance Dashboard that uses much of the same data, there had been a total of 262 COVID-19 hospitalizations in Manatee County and 130 COVID-19 deaths in Manatee County since the pandemic began. Of those deaths, 88 (67.6%) have been attributed to residents or employees at nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other long-term care facilities.
As of Monday, 39,610 people in Manatee County had been tested since the pandemic began. Of those tests, 36,783 came back negative and 2,810 came back positive for COVID-19. A positive test result is then attributed to the zip code shown on the tested person’s driver’s license or ID.
As of Monday, 7.1% of all those tested in Manatee County tested positive. The percent positive rate increased by 1% since Tuesday, June 23, when Public Safety Director Jake Sauer reported a 6.1% positive rate to county commissioners.
Sauer told county commissioners the 35208 zip code in Manatee County had the highest number of COVID-19-positive cases in the entire Tampa Bay region. As of Monday, there had been 571 positive cases reported to date in the 35208 zip code that includes Samoset. There had been 343 reported cases to date in the adjacent 35203 zip code that includes Oneco.
County and state increases
Last week saw significant increases in COVID-19 cases in Manatee County and Florida.
The FDOH Dashboard reported 39 new cases in Manatee on Monday, June 22; 114 new cases on Tuesday; 67 new cases on Wednesday; 168 new cases on Thursday; 270 new cases on Friday; 95 new cases on Saturday and 76 new cases on Sunday. During that seven-day period, 829 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Manatee County.
As of Monday, FDOH reported 146,341 positive COVID-19 cases in Florida, with 143,805 of those being Florida residents. There were 3,447 COVID-19 deaths and 14,354 hospitalizations reported since the pandemic began. In Florida, 1,819 (52.7%) of the reported COVID-19 deaths have been attributed to residents and employees at nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other long-term care facilities.
FDOH reported 3,823 new Florida resident cases on Monday, June 22; 5,452 new cases on Tuesday; 4,965 new cases on Wednesday; 8,813 new cases on Thursday; 9,557 new cases on Friday; 8,424 new cases on Saturday and 5,409 new cases on Sunday. During that seven-day period, 46,443 Florida residents tested positive for COVID-19.
Since the pandemic began, 1,914,151 people have been tested in Florida. Of those, 1,766,402 tests have come came back negative and 146,341 tests have come back positive. As of Monday, the percent positive rate had increased to 7.6% statewide.
HOLMES BEACH – Commissioners are considering a change to the current prohibition against street-side parking on the west side of the city. That change may come in the form of permit parking for residents.
City staff and the mayor’s office have resurrected an ordinance allowing for permit-only parking on certain streets near the beach, put together in 2016 after the Island Congestion Committee’s members met and conducted research for several months. When the ordinance was originally considered, it passed a three-to-two commission vote but was vetoed by then-Mayor Bob Johnson.
Now, staff is working on updates to the ordinance to help address the city’s current parking concerns, primarily introducing permit-only parking and golf cart parking on some streets that are currently closed to all street side and right-of-way parking.
Out of the 1,100 spaces removed on city streets for parking by the city’s last decision, the plan would return 619 spaces for permit parking.
During the June 23 commission work session, a map was presented to commissioners marking some streets on the west side of the city as possible sites for permit-only and golf cart parking.
If the permit system is introduced, Police Chief Bill Tokajer said that the permits would be given to city residents, one for each vehicle registered to a Holmes Beach address within the permit parking area. For residents who live outside of the permit area, such as Key Royale, there would be a maximum of two permits for each property for use by the owners.
He noted that if residents have children whose vehicles are not registered to the address, those cars would not be eligible for the permit. Holmes Beach property owners who live elsewhere could be eligible for up to two permits that would be reserved for the owners’ vehicles only, not to be shared with renters.
Under the parking permit plan presented, a full-time resident would be defined as any property owner in Holmes Beach who does not rent out their property. Low-speed vehicles, including golf carts that are required to have license plates and be registered with the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles, would be required to have a permit to be parked on the street in the permit parking area. Golf carts that are not street legal (with no license plate or registration) will be allowed to park in the permit area without a permit.
Tokajer said the plan currently is to charge a nominal fee for the permits to cover the cost of printing and paperwork, with permits to be renewed annually. To prevent old permits from being used, Tokajer said he plans to change the color of the permits each year so that it’s easier for officers to know which ones are valid.
Permits also would not be transferrable between vehicles. When applying for a permit, the property owner will be required to show that the vehicle is registered to a Holmes Beach address and provide the license plate number and description of the vehicle, which will be attached to the permit for identification and enforcement purposes.
Any resident with a permit would be able to park in the permit-only area, giving residents on the east side of the city easy access to the beach, allowing residents to use street-side parking and not confining residents to parking in front of their properties.
The proposed permit parking area would encompass a large part of the area where parking is not allowed on the west side of the city. The area would stretch from the city’s southern border with Bradenton Beach to its northern border with Anna Maria with the bulk of the permit parking located north of Manatee Avenue and west of Gulf and Marina drives. The plan also leaves some street-side parking open on a first-come, first-served basis.
Mayor Judy Titsworth said that what commissioners have is a good starting point and that more discussion and tweaking to the plan will need to happen before anything is finalized. She expressed concern about allowing open parking in the area around St. Bernard Catholic Church, which could cause issues with beachgoers crossing busy Gulf Drive and churchgoers left with few parking options during Christmas and Easter seasons and during the winter when the city’s part-time residents return.
The discussion on permit parking is planned to continue at a future commission meeting.
BRADENTON BEACH – Devon Straight is the Bradenton Beach Police Department’s Officer of the Year.
“I’ve prepared for my law enforcement career for as long as I can remember and I’m more than honored to receive this award. I thank my department for the opportunity and my family for their support. I’m proud to serve with devotion the community I grew up in,” Straight said of the award.
Straight was 19 when he was hired by the Bradenton Beach Police Department in November 2018, making him the youngest officer ever hired by the department.
The award nomination letter written by Police Chief Sam Speciale details why Straight won the award.
“On 07/29/2019, Officer Devon Straight was on patrol. Officer Straight was given information referencing a known burglar seen in the city walking around and possibly prowling to do more vehicle burglaries. Officer Straight was patrolling one of the condos in the city and immediately recognized the known burglar walking in the parking garage which the known burglar did not live at or have any reason to be on the premises,” the nomination letter says.
“Upon the suspect seeing Officer Straight, the suspect quickly left the parking garage and walked across the street. Officer Straight acted as if he was leaving the area but kept an eye on the suspect through his rearview mirror. Officer Straight observed the suspect walk back into the parking garage. Officer Straight turned around and saw the suspect in the pool area. The owner of the condos told Officer Straight he spoke with a male earlier and felt the male was acting suspiciously. Apparently, when confronted by the owner, the suspect gave the owner false information,” Speciale’s letter says.
“The suspect was found in an employees’ only supply closet. The suspect was detained and after looking at surveillance video it showed the suspect walking into the parking garage, casing the parking area and walking between vehicles where the suspect had no reason to be.
“The suspect was arrested for burglary to a structure and several other charges. If it hadn’t been for Officer Straight paying attention to the information given to him about the suspect, and his initiative of patrolling the resorts, the city of Bradenton Beach would have possibly had several crimes committed by this suspect. Therefore, the Bradenton Beach Police Department is proud to announce Officer Devon Straight as the Officer of the Year,” Speciale’s letter says.
Family tradition
Straight has wanted to be a police officer for most of his life. He is the grandson of Bradenton Beach residents Ed and Gail Straight, the founders and curators of Wildlife Inc. Education and Rehabilitation Center, where Devon has long served as a volunteer.
Ed Straight served several terms as a Bradenton Beach City Commissioner. He spent nine years as a paramedic for Manatee County Emergency Medical Services, 13 years as EMS chief and seven years as the chief of the county’s Emergency Communications/911 center. He also served for more than two decades as a reserve deputy with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
“It’s always nice when you’re doing a job and your supervisors notice it. The best compliment of all is being able to use good judgment, and these days, not everybody is capable of doing that. People who use good judgment tend to eventually end up in leadership roles,” Ed Straight said.
“Devon’s work with us at Wildlife Inc. helped him stay on the right path. It’s really important when you’re doing rehabs and rescues that you pay close attention to detail. I think that carries over into Devon’s police work. We’re quite proud of him. He did well at school, he did well at the police academy and he knew all along that if he wanted to be in law enforcement, he had to keep a good, clean record,” Ed Straight said. “In these times we are in, we are of course concerned about law enforcement, but we know Devon will use good judgment in whatever situation he encounters.”
If it sounds too good to be true, watch out. The coronavirus has caused many homeowners to lose jobs or take substantial cuts in income as the economy of the country shrinks. Government programs have helped, but not without consequences for homeowners and banking institutions.
The federal government has mandated that lenders give a break to consumers on some of their outstanding loans including mortgage loans, auto loans, credit cards and private student loans. Federal student loan payments are automatically suspended under the laws passed in late March.
Part of the problem with these pauses in required payments is that it can still negatively impact your credit score even though the law was written with the intention that this doesn’t happen. But as we know, there is no simple black and white when it comes to laws written in Congress, especially during such a complicated time.
For instance, if your mortgage was current when you received payment relief, chances are your credit rating will not be dinged, however, if you were experiencing late payments or skipped payments prior to the pause you will probably see your credit rating go down. Same with other types of loans since credit reports reflect anything that is not consistent in your credit history no matter what was indicated in the law. Also, you can assume there will be plenty of errors made to credit reporting companies during this time so when the dust settles, review your credit report and advise the appropriate credit reporting company of discrepancies.
A recent piece of good news extended the moratorium on evictions and foreclosures to Aug. 31 from June 30 for single-family and condo mortgages backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. However, like everything else financially-related during this time, some of these homeowners may unfortunately be putting off the inevitable as well as creating a problem for financial institutions down the road.
Manatee County’s May sales transactions as reported by the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee are another mixed bag compared to last May, but here they are:
Single-family homes closed 38.7% fewer properties from last year. The median sale price was $325,000, up 1.6%, average selling price was $409,038, up 5.2%. The median time to sell was down 22% to 84 days, new pending sales were up 10.9% and new listings were down 11.7%. Month’s supply of available properties was down to 3 months, up 21.1%.
Condos closed 49.2% fewer properties compared to last May. The median sale price was $229,950, up 9.5%, average sale price was $261,466, up 6.1%. The median time to sell was down 10.3% to 96 days. New pending sales were down 8%, new listings were up 7.8% and month’s supply of available properties was up 4.8% to 4.4 months.
Overall better than I expected, but we’re still in an adjustment period with sales numbers lagging from before the shutdown. A lack of inventory continues to be the biggest problem for our market.
It’s hard to say what June is going to bring us, but Florida, in spite of higher infection rates, is starting to dig out of their financial hole at a good pace. The unemployment rate is down to 12.9%, slightly better than the national rate of 13.3%, and better than many other states.
However, the Federal Reserve reported that household net worth fell by 5.6% in the first quarter from the previous three months. Net worth includes home equity and investments, both of which have a direct impact on a buyer’s ability to purchase homes.
Have a happy July 4th, good luck in your search for fireworks, and as always, stay safe.
