CORTEZ – What started out as a casual pastime for Cortez resident and backyard farmer Tim Caniff has turned into a serious statewide agriculture record.
At 1,039 pounds, Caniff’s great pumpkin – grown in his backyard – has blown the previous state record out of the water by more than 400 pounds.
Cortez resident Tim Caniff stands behind his record-breaking pumpkin. – Leslie Lake | Sun
“This started off as a fun beer-drinking hobby,” Caniff said. “This pumpkin was golf ball-size a little over two months ago.”
It was a nearly two-hour long process on Saturday morning to get the pumpkin out of the garden and into the back of Caniff’s truck to get it weighed.
Fellow fisherman Tim Murphy, who helped with the pumpkin’s move, told Caniff, “Two kings are going to be crowned today. One in England and one in Cortez.”
Prior to Saturday morning’s weigh-in, Caniff, a commercial fisherman for Cortez Bait and Seafood, had fashioned a hoist from a bait net scoop, with rope and chains to lift the oversized fruit (a pumpkin is a fruit, not a vegetable).
Once lifted, a wooden pallet was pushed under the pumpkin and then dragged by truck to a waiting forklift. It was then lifted into the truck bed and Caniff drove it slowly to the fish house. It was once again removed by a forklift and placed carefully onto a scale.
When the scale registered 1,039 pounds, after the removal of the pallet and metal lifting frame, he received handshakes and congratulations from his friends and fellow fishermen.
“I’m blown away,” he said. “Four digits. You just never know if it will take off.”
A representative from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension Service was present at the weigh-in to verify and certify the results and send those results to the Florida Department of Agriculture.
“This is a Florida state record for sure,” said Christine Russo, commercial horticulture agent at UF/IFAS. “Last year’s record was a 622-pound pumpkin grown in Santa Rosa County.”
The statewide record comes with bragging rights, and Caniff said he’s going to try to grow a pumpkin next year to exceed this one.
Caniff has grown a pumpkin every year for about the past 20 years. The last couple of years, the fruit was up to about 100 pounds.
“I had one about 8 or 9 years ago that was 675 pounds,” he said. “At 600 pounds, I would have 10 guys come over and give them some beers and we could lift it. This one is too big for that.”
Caniff started the seed indoors last December. Since Florida sun is not the most hospitable environment for pumpkin-growing, Caniff fashioned a sun shade to protect the fruit.
He said the debris left by Hurricane Ian proved to be great compost for his backyard garden.
“I took the leaves that came down after the hurricane and put them into the soil,” he said. “Between that and fertilizing the soil with cow manure, the pumpkin just took off.”
He credited the genetics of the seed as contributing to the pumpkin’s size.
“I’ve met growers over the years,” he said. “I was introduced to the 1885 Werner seed. People have grown 2,000-pound pumpkins with that seed.”
Once the weighing is done, Caniff will return the pumpkin back to nature.
“It’s the circle of life,” he said. “I’m going to give it back to the farm where the manure came from so it can be fed to the cows there.”
TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Legislature has failed in its efforts to preempt the regulation of short-term vacation rentals to the state.
During the 60-day legislative session that concluded on May 5, the Florida Senate and House of Representatives both proposed preempting the regulation of short-term vacation rentals (also known as transient public lodging establishments) to the Florida Department of Professional and Business Regulation (DBPR).
Doing so would have severely limited city and county governments’ ability to regulate and inspect short-term vacation rentals at the local level. The proposed legislation would have prohibited city and county governments from imposing and enforcing occupancy limits and would have also ended their ability to regulate and enforce short-term vacation rental advertising by online platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo.
Florida law defines a transient public lodging establishment as any unit, group of units, dwelling, building or group of buildings rented to guests more than three times in a calendar year for periods of less than 30 days or one calendar month, whichever is less; or which is advertised or held out to the public as a place regularly rented to guests.
On April 27, the Senate adopted SB 714 on third and final reading by a 28-10 margin. Sen. Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton) and Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota) voted in favor of the proposed legislation.
On May 3, the House voted 73-39 in favor of adopting on third reading an amended version of House Bill 833. Rep. Will Robinson Jr. (R-Bradenton) voted in favor of the proposed legislation.
According to Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy, a last-minute amendment made to the House bill would have prohibited local governments from suspending for any reason a locally issued vacation rental registration or license.
Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy led the city’s opposition efforts. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
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The House amendment resulted in HB 833 no longer being an identical companion bill to SB 714, which in turn resulted in the non-matching House and Senate vacation rental bills both dying. If matching House and Senate bills had passed through their respective governing bodies, the legislation would have been sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis for him to veto or sign into new state law.
Using the city’s contracted lobbyist and the city-owned Home Rule Florida website, Murphy, the Anna Maria City Commission and City Clerk LeAnne Addy led the statewide opposition to the proposed vacation rental legislation. According to Addy, the Home Rule Florida website generated and resulted in approximately 40,000 opposition emails being sent to state legislators during the past two months.
City Clerk LeAnne Addy manages the city’s Home Rule Florida website. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
When contacted Friday, Murphy shared his thoughts on the failed legislation.
“We are pleased that the vacation rental legislation died a natural death. It was poorly thought out and would have been unenforceable by the state,” he said.
“At the same time, we realize this issue will come back again even stronger next year. So, we’re preparing for that fight now. HomeRuleFl.com served a vital role in getting the word out, not just locally, but across the state as well. We plan to expand our coverage over the next few months so as to have greater coverage and an even more diverse universe of users interacting with our website,” Murphy said.
CORTEZ – Cortez restauranteur Bob Slicker, owner of Slicker’s Eatery, is once again gathering members of the Anna Maria Island Rotary Club and the community to raise money with a Concert for Peace. The second annual event is being held to help the people of Ukraine whose lives have been upended by the ongoing war with Russia.
Slicker, who became passionate about helping the people of Ukraine after watching the war begin to unfold in 2022, vowed to do whatever he could to help get supplies to the people who needed them desperately. His first Concert for Peace, held in June of 2022, raised more than $50,000, 100% of which went to supplies such as medical needs and refrigerators.
The second annual Concert for Peace will take place Saturday, June 10 at The Center of Anna Maria Island. The concert will be free and open to the public and feature musical acts the Eric Von Band and Trevor Bystrom, with money being raised through sales of food, drinks, raffle items, t-shirts and sponsorships. The AMI Rotary Club will take the proceeds and work with their Rotary partner in Poland to purchase supplies and get them into the areas of Ukraine where they are most needed.
“I went over there and saw first-hand how difficult these people have it due to the war,” Slicker said. These are just normal people who get up and go to work just like you and I, then one day their lives are upended. I went to apartment buildings where not only are multiple people sharing community refrigerators, but often multiple families have to share one shelf of a fridge.”
“The Rotary can be trusted to get the job done,” AMI Rotary President Jim McDaniel said. “There are only two seats in the United Nations that don’t belong to individual countries. One is the Red Cross and the other is Rotary.”
Sponsors are still signing on, so there is no complete list yet, but in addition to Slicker’s and the Rotary, Painting with a Twist will hold another “Painting with a Purpose” event at Slickers on June 4. More fundraising events are anticipated to be announced on Facebook in the coming weeks.
For information on becoming a sponsor, making a financial donation or the Concert for Peace, visit the Campaign for Ukraine Facebook page or email campaignforukraineami@gmail.com.
BRADENTON – Among the many agenda items up for discussion at the April 24 Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) meeting, the soon-to-be operational water taxi service was an issue all TDC members were enthusiastic about.
The water taxi service, planned to begin operation in July, will link Anna Maria Island and Bradenton in an effort to alleviate some traffic congestion and parking issues.
Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB)Executive Director Elliott Falcione told TDC members last week that everything was going well with the construction of the boats, the three cities that will be on the ferry route and all other aspects of the project.
“The boats are coming along very well and should be complete by mid-to-late June and there will be some branding on them as well,” Falcione said. “We are about 90% there on an operation agreement between Manatee County and the water ferry operator. We hope to bring that to the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) in mid-to-late May.”
Falcione said the three cities that will be on the route will be Bradenton, Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach. He said that all three cities have drafted interlocal agreements and the TDC will bring those to the BCC at the same time as the operations agreement.
“If the stars align, and I hope they will, it’s been a long time coming, we’re hoping to start a Friday, Saturday and Sunday service in the month of July,” Falcione said. “Would July Fourth be the perfect scenario, absolutely, and we’re going to try to get there.”
The main focus of the TDC’s discussion was a subsidy to fund the water taxi service for the first year of operation. Falcione said earlier ideas to subsidize the service included the Coquina Beach Market and beach concessions, but those options were no longer on the table. He said the only option for year one would be to use tourism tax proceeds.
Falcione asked the TDC for a recommendation of $400,000 to carry the service for the first year, as well as $25,000 for marketing efforts. After the first year, he said they would look into grant opportunities and other funding sources so the program could ween off of the tourism tax funding. The $400,000 is to fill the gap between projected first-year total operating costs and first-year income from paid water taxi rider fares, which will be in the $8 to $10 range per rider, depending on whether it is a one-way trip or a hopper pass that would be good for the day. Plans are still in place for Island workers to use the service for free to get to and from work, which could help with parking issues.
Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown moved to recommend the $425,000 subsidy as discussed, and Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover-Bryant seconded. The motion was passed unanimously and will be presented to the BCC later this month.
ANNA MARIA – The Mote Marine Science, Education & Outreach Center on the City Pier is now open free of charge from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
The long-awaited Mote facility opened Friday, May 5 after a grand opening ceremony at City Pier Park and a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the City Pier entrance.
In early 2021, the Anna Maria City Commission voted 4-1 in favor of the Sarasota-based Mote Marine Laboratory occupying the vacant city-owned pier building rather than a full-service restaurant. The outreach center was initially supposed to open in 2022 but delays resulted in the facility opening a year later than originally expected.
Grand opening
Before the grand opening ceremony started, Anna Maria Commissioner Jon Crane said, “I’m thrilled. I’ve been a big proponent and I think it’s going to be a focal point of the cultural interests here in the city.”
Anna Maria Commissioner Robert Kingan said, “This is the culmination of years of work. We are finally getting to the last piece of renewing and rebuilding the pier. We’re delighted Mote is part of that. I’ve already seen the exhibits and they’re absolutely fabulous.”
The new outreach center includes a grass flats exhibit. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Former Mote Marine board chair and Anna Maria resident Bob Carter was the first to suggest a Mote facility on the City Pier.
“This is going to be a real benefit to the community. The tourists will learn more about the environment they’re in when they come here. They’ll understand more about the ecology and the fragile nature of this Island. It’s going to be a wonderful educational experience,” Carter said.
One exhibit encourages visitors to be turtle friendly. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Holmes Beach resident and charter fishing Capt. Scott Moore said, “We have so many people visit this Island from all over the world and they’re always asking about our waters and our wildlife. Educating people is much needed.”
A jazz combo consisting of Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus and Orchestra members played before the ceremony and performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the ceremony.
Mayor Dan Murphy addressed a large grand opening ceremony crowd at City Pier Park. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
During his opening remarks, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said, “I can’t tell you the thrill it gives me to see what we’ve done out on that pier. It’s our way of saying the environment is important to us.”
Murphy thanked city staff for making the grand opening possible. He thanked the present and past Anna Maria city commissioners who supported the project and Bob Carter for suggesting it.
He also thanked Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Elliott Falcione, the Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) and the Manatee County commission for providing $500,000 in county funds that covered most of Mote Marine’s interior buildout and installation costs.
County Commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge spoke during the grand opening ceremony. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Speaking next, County Commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge referenced coaching high school football and said, “We used to always say, ‘Begin with the end in mind.’ It didn’t matter how hard it was or how long it took to get there. This is a good example of that. The City Pier is the most-visited amenity in Manatee County. It’s an integral part of our community. The mayor and the city council and Mote Marine have helped us make something great that much better.”
Dr. Michael Crosby expressed his thanks and shared his thoughts on the new Mote Marine facility. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Speaking last, Mote Marine President and CEO Dr. Michael Crosby said, “Mote is built on three foundational pillars: passion, partnership and philanthropy. This entire effort was a partnership from the very beginning.”
He thanked Murphy, the city commission, the county commission and the community for their support. He also noted some of the Mote volunteers in attendance would now volunteer at the new outreach center.
“Mr. Mote grew up fishing here. He had a home here on Anna Maria Island,” Crosby said.
Crosby thanked the Mote Marine staff for exceeding his expectations and architect Barron Schimberg and Willis Smith Construction for their efforts.
He touted the live exhibits, which include a Florida mangroves exhibit, a Florida grass flats exhibit, a live invertebrate touch tank and the “Under the Pier” exhibit that utilizes an underwater camera and a hydrophone under the pier.
The Under the Pier exhibit features the underwater sights and sounds below the pier. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“Everything you see and hear and learn about out there is connected back to the research Mote does,” Crosby said.
He mentioned the interactive and virtual exhibits, which include a fish identification exhibit and the Draw Alive exhibit that allows youngsters to color an image of a marine creature, which is then scanned and displayed on the digital screen in an animated underwater environment.
Colored images can be scanned into the Draw Alive exhibit. – Joe Hendricks | SunThe Draw Alive exhibit features an animated underwater environment. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Crosby said Mote Marine’s science education team will host environmental classes on the pier and along the local beaches.
As the crowd headed to the pier entrance for the ribbon cutting, city staff handed out commemorative coins.
First impressions
Inside the outreach center, children were immediately drawn to the invertebrate touch tank. Accompanied by her grandfather, Benjamin Webb, Harper Chastain was among the first to visit the exhibit. When asked what she touched, she said, “A starfish.”
Harper Chastain touched a live starfish.
“This is amazing. This is probably the best thing that could come out here, especially with the environment in the state it’s in,” Webb said.
“The number of exhibits is more than I expected. It’s fabulous,” Carol Carter said.
The outreach center includes fish identification exhibit. – Joe Hendricks | SunTDC member, businessman and conservationist Ed Chiles said, “We sit here on the edge of the largest gulf in the world and we know we’ve got challenges. We’ve got to educate our visitors, our locals and, most of all, our kids. They’re the ones that are going to be dealing with this for the next 60-70 years and feeling more of the impacts we’re feeling right now. We need them to make sure the people in the policy positions understand that we’ve got to protect our environment and our marine resources. This is a great place to get that message across.”
The mangroves exhibit illustrates the importance of mangroves. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
City Commissioner Charlie Salem said, “It’s great for our tourists and residents to get educated about keeping our water clean and keeping vibrant the habitat that supports so many jobs and so much recreation in this area.”
Resident Mary Bacon said, “It’s fantastic. It’s just what we needed out here.”
Mote Marine is now referenced on the City Pier sign. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
BRADENTON BEACH – The city is moving forward with its plan to implement a paid parking program as the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) plans to issue an RFP seeking bids from interested paid parking program equipment providers and operators.
On May 3, CRA members directed City Attorney Ricinda Perry to draft the paid parking RFP based in part on input previously provided by Mayor John Chappie, Public Works Director Tom Woodard, Police Chief John Cosby and the city commission.
The city-owned portion of the parking lot behind the BridgeWalk resort will be included in the paid parking RFP. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Paid parking is expected to include the city-owned portion of the public parking lot off First Street North (behind the BridgeWalk resort), the public parking spaces near the cell tower, the police department headquarters and Lou Barolo park and the city hall parking lot after regular city business hours.
Paid parking is not expected to include the city-owned parking spaces alongside Bridge Street, the privately owned parking spaces along Bridge Street or the city-owned parking spaces near the Bradenton Beach Historic Pier.
The city-owned parking spaces along Bridge Street are not expected to be included in the RFP. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
CRA member Jake Spooner expressed his concern that not including the Bridge Street parking spaces in the initial paid parking program would result in Bridge Street-area employees monopolizing the remaining free parking spaces. As he’s done during past discussions, Spooner said paid parking in the city-owned Bridge Street parking would result in more of those parking spaces being available for customers who visit the Bridge Street businesses.
In response, Cosby expressed support for not including the Bridge Street spaces in the initial RFP. He encouraged the CRA members to pursue the other parking locations first and then evaluate the success of those locations before potentially including Bridge Street in the paid parking program.
During past discussions, Cosby expressed support for paid parking in part because it would create a new and additional revenue source for the city, with those revenues generated primarily by tourists and visitors rather than the city’s remaining permanent residents and taxpayers.
The Chiles Hospitality group has a privately owned paid parking lot in Bradenton Beach, near the BeachHouse restaurant.- Joe Hendricks | SunEasy Parking Group owner Joshua LaRose provides the CRA-funded Old Town Tram Parking shuttles. He also already provides paid parking equipment and oversight for the Chiles Hospitality group’s privately-owned paid public parking lot near the BeachHouse restaurant in Bradenton Beach, and Chiles Hospitality’s privately-owned paid public parking lot near the Sandbar restaurant in Anna Maria. Both of those paid parking lots are open to the public, including beachgoers, and are not restricted to restaurant patrons.
ANNA MARIA – Week six of youth recreational soccer ended the regular season Monday and Tuesday night, with the fifth-week play helping to set the stage for the playoffs.
Cheesecake Cuties finished the fifth week undefeated in the 8- to 10-year-old league with a one-goal win against Sato Real Estate. The two goals by Gunnar Maize helped the Cuties stay on top, along with the five saves by goalkeeper Sawyer Leibfried.
For Sato Real Estate, currently ranked just under Cheesecake Cuties, Vincent Gollamudi made four nice stops, but his saves and the single goal by Brandon Sato just was not enough for the talented team in purple.
Team Solid Rock Construction, with the same record as the Sato team going into the final week before playoffs, won their game against Island Real Estate with a final score of 4-1. Matthew Darak made all four goals for the Solid Rock team with assists by Luke Willing and Obi Roadman.
Isaac Roadman made two big stops in goal, while Island Real Estate’s Owen Mahoney and Miles Moss had two and six saves respectively. Preston LaPensee scored the single goal for his team.
Nolyn Fetzer, for team AMI Coconuts, fights for possession on the pitch against Westfall Lawn Care & Pest Control’s Maggie Niedzwick last Tuesday night at The Center. – Monica Simpson | Sun
Island Real Estate finished week five under Westfall Lawn Care & Pest Control. The Westfall squad played hard against the AMI Coconuts team, only to finish the game in a 2-2 tie. Wesley Bekkerus scored an early goal for Westfall with a second goal scored by Callin Westfall.
Westfall is also credited with an assist in the first game last Tuesday night. Goalies Kason Price and Jordan Steele made saves that gave their team points for the tie.
On the other side of the soccer ball, TJ Hagey scored team AMI Coconuts both of its points. The Westfall shooters kept Andre Harwood busy protecting his goal, making 15 stops.
In the 11- to 13-year-old league, two games were played with HSH Designs easily defeating Shady Lady Horticultural Services by four goals. Sterling Holiday crashed the Shady Lady defense to score five goals in the game.
Teammate Chase Castagna made seven nice saves against shots by the Shady Lady team. Aubrielle Clarke managed to get one by Castagna for her team’s only goal. Jack Zaccagnino kept his composure despite the arsenal of shots by the HSH offense, keeping four out of the goal.
Number one ranked Gulf Drive Café took their first loss of the season last week against Moss Builders, currently ranked second. Moss Builders goal scorers Colin Bankert, Mason Moss and Callin Westfall helped make the win possible, along with 20 saves by Austin Guess.
Guess’ work came from the Gulf Drive offense shooting every chance the team got. Luke Dellenger is the only Gulf Drive shooter who was able to get one past Guess. In the net for Gulf Drive Café, Cyrus Ryan was put to work by the Moss Builders’ offense, saving 10 shots.
The final adult soccer regular season games were played last Thursday night. Going into the first week of playoffs, Duncan Real Estate finished on top and is slated to play against eighth-ranked Moss Builders on Thursday at 6 p.m.
In the last game to be played at 9 p.m., Sato Real Estate, finishing the regular season play in second position, will face off against seventh-seed Vintage Beach. Ending the regular season in third, the Sandbar team matches up against Solid Rock Construction, sixth seed, at 8 p.m.
The 7 p.m. game has fourth place Gulfview Windows & Doors looking for the win against the fifth-ranked Pool America in order to advance to the semifinals, to be played on May 18.
Pity the poor governors of some of the large metropolitan areas in the Northeast, West and Mid-west. Specifically, New York and Illinois, where their mostly wealthy and upper-middle-class residents are packing their bags and their money and heading to other states where they think they will be more appreciated.
The IRS’s adjusted gross income statistics show a startling pattern of migration within the United States; two of the most astounding states are Illinois and New York. The IRS data shows a net 105,000 people left Illinois in 2021, costing the state approximately $10.9 billion in adjusted gross income. That’s up from $8.5 billion in 2020 and $6 billion in 2019. New York’s income loss increased to $24.5 billion in 2021 from $19.5 billion in 2020, and $9 billion in 2019. In addition, California lost $29.1 billion in 2021, more than triple what it did in 2019.
By comparison, the lowest tax states kept adding income even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Florida, a state with zero income tax, gained $39.2 billion, up from $23.7 billion in 2020, and $17.1 billion in 2019. The states that contributed the most to Florida’s billion-dollar bonuses were New York, Illinois, New Jersey and California. Florida certainly isn’t alone – many other low-tax states like Texas, Arizona and Nevada have also benefited from this wealth migration. In addition, Florida and other low-tax states led the country in job growth. Florida’s employment grew 4.5% over the past year and Illinois’ gain was 2.2%.
As great as Florida’s wealth gain is, we have dropped out of the Emerging Housing Markets Index compiled by Realtor.com. Although Florida regions have typically been in the top 10, in some of our smaller and growing areas they are not within the top 10 on this most recent index. This is the good and the bad of being a very popular state. Everything becomes more expensive and housing costs, as we all know, are not nearly as affordable in Florida as they once were.
The first quarter index indicates that buyers demand affordable homes and most of these are in the small Midwest cities. The top-ranking area is Lafayette, Indiana and the 10th ranking is the Manchester-Nashua, New Hampshire region. The index ranks the 300 biggest metro areas in the United States. In addition to housing market indicators, the index incorporates economic and lifestyle data. Real estate taxes, unemployment, wages, commute time and small business loans are all factored in.
Finally, I would be remiss not to point out that as of May 1, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the quasi-government agency that controls and insures most of the residential mortgage financing in the country, has changed some of the agency’s mortgage pricing.
The new rules add fees for many borrowers with high credit ratings and large down payments and use them to reduce the cost of borrowing for those with lesser credit ratings and smaller down payments. There is a formula that factors in the borrower’s credit rating and the down payment, but the spirit of the change is to support lower-income homebuyers who, in the opinion of the Federal Housing Finance Agency that regulates Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, have the “financial capacity to sustain a mortgage.” Congress is naturally taking a look at this new fee schedule and comparing it to the subprime debacle prior to the 2006-07 financial meltdown.
Next time one of the high-tax states evacuees move in next door, greet them and their bags of money. Florida has indisputably changed from when my parents moved here in the 70s and I’m pretty sure they would think it’s a good thing. My father always said Florida has the best roads in the country. He should see the traffic now.
The treehouse saga has gone on for 10 years. The Trans certainly are deserving of a perseverance award for what many consider their insane struggle against the government. Personally, I thought the treehouse added to the Holmes Beach landscape and Old Florida charm that used to exist on Anna Maria Island, and why my wife and I moved here in 1991.
While I’m on the topic of perseverance, I would be remiss if I didn’t give a personal award. That would have to go to Kim Rash and his dedicated group who have fought a tireless fight to improve Holmes Beach residents’ quality of life. It was a continuous struggle, but they persevered, with Kim ultimately getting elected to the Holmes Beach commission in landslide elections. Along the way they were constantly subjected to deep undeserved (I might add) antagonism, scorn and even ridicule. Yet, they persevered at great expense to their family life and well-being. Keep up the good fight, Kim.
SARASOTA – The Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau’s (BACVB) Love it Like a Local campaign, launched in 2022, has helped visitors to Anna Maria Island and other area destinations understand the importance of protecting nature, waterways, wildlife, local businesses and beaches so future generations can enjoy unspoiled beauty for years to come. The latest evolution to this effort is a recently formed partnership with Leave No Trace, making Manatee County and the BACVB the first in Florida to partner with this organization.
According to the BACVB, Leave No Trace is an international non-profit organization that uses the powers of science, education and stewardship to ensure a sustainable future for the outdoors and the planet.
“With our Love it Like a Local campaign, we set out to educate visitors to the Bradenton area of simple actions they can take to leave less of a footprint. Through partnering with Leave No Trace, it gives us the opportunity to take our commitment to sustainable travel from a campaign to an integral part of who we are as a travel destination,” said Elliott Falcione, the executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. “I urge our community to join us in working together to showcase this incredibly important message that will ultimately enhance the quality of life for our residents.”
On May 4, the BACVB invited local business owners and managers, conservationists, media and the public to join community leaders at a luncheon at the historic Powel Crosley estate in Sarasota in celebration of National Travel and Tourism Week. At this luncheon, the BACVB introduced a promotional five-minute video showcasing the Leave No Trace approach to sustainability and conservation. The video features commercial fishermen, business owners, members of the BACVB and others sharing a message about not only the history of the Manatee County coastal community but ways to ensure its future.
The video is available on the BACVB’s YouTube page or by searching “Leave No Trace guide to the Bradenton area” on YouTube. To learn more about the Love it Like a Local campaign.
Someone once said, “Life doesn’t come with a manual, it comes with a mother.” In recognition of all mothers, for all they’ve given and sacrificed for us, West Manatee Fire Rescue District offers three ways you can honor your mother this coming Mother’s Day, 2023.
Make sure Mom has working smoke alarms. Did you know the shelf life of a smoke alarm is ten years? If the date of manufacturing cannot be read or there is discoloration or yellowing of her current smoke alarms, those are good indications they need to be replaced. Also, it is recommended batteries be changed twice a year; many people choose to do this at the same time they change their clocks in the spring and fall. Additionally, if your mother or someone in her household has a hearing impairment, there are specialized smoke alarms that compensate by creating a strobe and vibrating the bed.
Help prevent Mom from falling. Did you know each year 3 million older people are treated in emergency departments for fall injuries? Here are some ways you can help prevent mom from falling: remove electrical cords, shoes, and other items that may be in the way of foot traffic. Use non-slip mats in the bathtub and on shower floors and have grab bars installed on the wall next to the bathtub, shower, and toilet. Finally, ensure that stairways and paths of travel, inside and out, have proper lighting.
Make sure Mom has a working fire extinguisher. Did you know fire extinguishers are an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires during an emergency? It is important to have the proper size and type of extinguisher when fighting a fire and to know your limits. WMFR recommends a 2A-10BC fire extinguisher in every home. Also, fire extinguishers should be placed in a conspicuous, accessible location, generally in a normal path of travel. WMFR recommends you not store your fire extinguisher underneath the kitchen sink. Most home fires start in the kitchen, as a result of unattended cooking. We do not want residents to go into a kitchen, during a fire, to retrieve an extinguisher.
West Manatee Fire Rescue offers fire extinguisher training every third Thursday of the month. For more lifesaving information, and to sign up for our next fire extinguisher class, please visit our Fire & Life Safety Bureau tab at www.wmfr.org
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – As turtle nesting season begins, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring (AMITW) declared May 1 as Suzi Fox Day to honor the legacy of its former executive director.
May 1 is the official start of sea turtle nesting season on Anna Maria Island, although the first turtle nest was laid in April this year. The season ends on Oct. 31.
“Suzi’s passion for protecting sea turtles enriched the community conservation efforts of AMITW for over 30 years and we dedicate this sea turtle nesting season to her,” Turtle Watch Director Kristen Mazzarella said.
“As part of our efforts to honor Suzi, we are renaming our Adopt-a-Nest Program in her memory,” Mazzarella said.
The “Suzi L. Fox Adopt-a-Nest” program allows donors to symbolically adopt a sea turtle nest laid on Island beaches. Proceeds from the program help Turtle Watch protect sea turtles and provide education and outreach.
Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring dedicated this plaque in memory of late executive director Suzi Fox. – Submitted | Turtle Watch
A plaque intended to be placed on a nest laid on May 1 says in part, “In Loving Memory of Suzi L. Fox. Her legacy continues as the Sea Turtles and Shorebirds return to AMI.”
“Only the turtles know which nest it will be,” Mazzarella said.
For the safety of the nest and hatchlings, AMITW does not disclose the nesting dates or locations of nests, Mazzarella said.
May 1 was also proclaimed “Suzi Fox Day” in the city of Bradenton Beach.
The Bradenton Beach City Commission issued the proclamation in January to honor Fox, who served as Turtle Watch director until her death on Sept. 30, 2022.
Under Fox’s directorship, the organization grew.
“In three decades, we monitored 7,339 turtle activities, protected 4,454 nests, 301,694 turtle eggs, and watched 271,680 hatchlings depart to become a future generation of loggerheads that will return to the region as they reach maturity,” according to the Turtle Watch website.
Sea turtles on the Island broke both nesting and hatchling records in 2022.
ANNA MARIA – Local governments, including those on Anna Maria Island, are in danger of losing their ability to regulate short-term vacation rentals at the local level.
Using a contracted lobbyist and the city-owned Home Rule Florida website,the city of Anna Maria is at the forefront of the statewide opposition to the Florida Legislature’s efforts to preempt short-term vacation rental regulations to the state; and specifically, to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) that already requires short-term vacation rentals to be registered with the state.
On April 27, the Florida Senate adopted by a 28-10 margin the final amended version of Senate Bill 714. Sen. Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton) and Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota) supported SB 714.
The matching and accompanying House bill, HB 833, is scheduled for a final vote of the House members this week. During a previous committee stop, State Rep. Will Robinson Jr. (R-Bradenton) supported the bill.
If the House joins the Senate in adopting the proposed legislation, the matching bills will be sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis to veto the legislation or sign it into new state law that would take effect July 1.
The state preemption of vacation rental regulation would apply to short-term vacation rentals, also known as transient public lodging establishments, rented for less than 30 days more than three times a year, or advertised as such.
Commission concerns
During the Anna Maria Commission’s April 27 meeting, Mayor Dan Murphy referenced a late amendment made to SB 714 before the Senate adopted it.
The amended Senate bill would allow a local government to suspend, terminate or refuse to issue or renew a locally-issued vacation rental registration if the vacation rental premises, owner or operator has been found by a local code enforcement board to have violated a registration requirement.
The registration could also be suspended if two more violations of a local law or regulation that does not apply solely to vacation rentals occur within a 90-day period. This would include noise ordinance violations. The local government would be required to first issue a written warning or notice and provide the rental owner or management company the opportunity to cure the violations before suspending or terminating the rental registration.
Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy has been at the forefront of the city’s vacation rental-related legislative battles this year and in years past. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“It’s a glimmer of hope. You could suspend a vacation rental registration for two violations of noise, two violations of our code over a 90-day period,” Murphy said.
A vacation rental registration could also be revoked if a city or county lien has been placed on a vacation rental property and the lien remains unpaid and unaddressed.
Murphy planned to meet with City Attorney Becky Vose the following day to get a better understanding of how these amendments would impact the city’s vacation rental enforcement efforts if the legislation is enacted as state law.
With the Senate bill already adopted, and the House bill scheduled for a final vote, Murphy said the city’s best hope may lie with DeSantis vetoing the legislation.
Commissioner Charlie Salem, a former congressional aide, suggested asking the city’s lobbyist to provide the city with a list of DeSantis’ top supporters so the city and its supporters can ask them to encourage the governor to veto the legislation.
Anna Maria Commissioner Charlie Salem suggested appealing to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ top supporters. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“I think the only way we get this vetoed is if the top supporters of his go to him physically and tell him this is a terrible idea,” Salem said.
Potential impacts
The legislation proposed by SB 714 and HB 833 would eliminate or reduce a city’s ability to regulate short-term vacation rental occupancy limits. It would also eliminate or reduce a city’s ability to monitor, enforce and eliminate fraudulent online advertising by advertising platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo and the city’s ability to annually inspect short-term vacation rentals.
The proposed legislation would also cap the annual registration fee imposed by local governments.
According to SB 714, “Local governments may charge a fee of no more than $150 for processing an individual registration application or $200 for processing a collective registration application for up to a total of 25 individual vacation rentals.”
The city of Anna Maria currently imposes occupancy-based registration fees that range from $336 per year for a vacation rental that allows four occupants, $1,010 for vacation rental that allows 12 occupants and $2,440 for a vacation rental that allows 29 occupants.
During the current fiscal year, Anna Maria’s registration fees are expected to produce approximately $415,000 in annual revenues for the city. Registration revenues are only supposed to be used to enforce the city’s vacation rental ordinance. Those revenues fund code enforcement officers and vehicles, annual inspections, monitoring of online advertising platforms and the administrative and legal costs associated with enforcing the city’s vacation rental ordinance.
Opposition efforts
On Saturday and Sunday, the Home Rule Florida website issued email calls to action to its subscribers. The emails and the website note HB 833 is headed to the House of Representatives for a final vote.
“Nobody wants to live next door to a ‘Party House’ and this bill allows Airbnb, Vrbo and any other vacation rental marketing platform to cram as many people into a house as they see fit! The bill waters down, and in many cases, strips away your local government’s ability to register, inspect, control occupancy or regulate false advertising in the burgeoning vacation rental industry. Please let the House of Representatives know how you feel by sending an email to them. Join your neighbors in opposing this bill,” the email says.
The email letter template posted at the Home Rule Florida website for immediate distribution to the House members echoes those sentiments.
The 2023 legislative session is scheduled to end on Friday, May 5.
HOLMES BEACH – City leaders are considering a proposal to allow property owners in Seaside Garden to raise their homes above the FEMA base flood elevation height to help save the homes from rising sea levels, and they want input from the neighborhood’s residents.
City Planner Chad Minor presented the proposition to commissioners during an April 25 work session. He said one property owner had approached the city about raising the level of one unit of a three-unit structure in Seaside Gardens. Minor said that raising the neighborhood’s 110 units above the base flood elevation would bring the structures into compliance with FEMA standards without needing to rezone all of the properties from their current R-4 zoning.
To raise the buildings, Minor said the bottom floors would have to become non-habitable areas, such as a parking garage, and the upstairs would have to be built within the current building footprint. No additional bedrooms would be able to be added and the construction would not be allowed to affect neighboring units.
“I like the idea,” Commissioner Carol Soustek said. “People can improve the condition of or rebuild their homes without abandoning the neighborhood.” She said that further discussion on how to limit the impacts to neighbors was needed along with input from neighborhood residents.
Building Official Neal Schwartz said that a firewall will need to be maintained between adjoined units and that the new units constructed above the base flood elevation level wouldn’t be subject to FEMA’s 50% rule. The rule allows for a ground-level property to be renovated only up to 50% of the value of the property.
Commissioner Pat Morton, who lives in a triplex in the neighborhood, said he’s concerned about the impact to neighbors with all of the units attached.
“To me, this is a disaster for the area,” Morton said, adding that he doesn’t believe neighborhood residents would be in favor of allowing property owners to move their units up.
Mayor Judy Titsworth said the real issues for the neighborhood are king tides and saltwater intrusion.
“It’s good to get people off the ground because the ground’s getting soggy,” she said.
ANNA MARIA – The City Commission rejected the latest single bid received to install new sidewalks along both sides of Pine Avenue on April 27.
The mayor and commissioners now hope to use state funds to enlarge the scope of the project in hopes of making it more attractive to more potential bidders.
C-Squared was the only company that submitted a bid proposal in response to the city’s latest revised request for proposals (RFP) for the Reimagining Pine Avenue safety improvement project that at some point is also expected to include new and improved crosswalks and new street lighting.
During a special city commission meeting on April 24, Mayor Dan Murphy provided the commissioners with confidential copies of C-Squared’s latest bid. C-Squared was also the only firm to submit bid proposals in response to the city’s previous two Reimagining Pine Avenue-related RFPs.
The initial phase of the Reimagining Pine Avenue project is primarily funded by a $1.28 state appropriation the city secured last year. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is overseeing the city’s use of the state funds.
According to Murphy, FDOT considered C-Squared’s previous bid too high. The latest RFP incorporated additional FDOT suggestions and pertained only to the installation of the sidewalks. City officials hoped the revised RFP would attract more bidders but it didn’t.
Bid rejected
During Thursday’s meeting, Murphy said the commission could accept the C-Squared bid and direct him to enter into fact-finding discussions and subsequent contract negotiations with the lone bidder; or reject the bid and eventually issue another revised RFP.
The previous C-Squared bid proposal received last July proposed a $1.09 million price to install the new brick paver sidewalks. Murphy said C-Squared’s latest bid was approximately 30% and $418,000 higher than the previous bid. Murphy said the increase could be partially due to the latest RFP requesting that crushed granite, rather than crushed concrete, be used as fill material for the drainage trenches to be installed beneath the new sidewalks. Murphy also noted labor costs have increased since the previous bid was received last year. As of Friday afternoon, copies of the rejected bid proposal had not yet been made available to the media.
Murphy said the relatively small scope of the project may not be enough to attract bidders interested in larger, more lucrative projects.
Murphy said the city anticipates receiving an additional $1.4 million state appropriation this year. This would allow the scope of the project to be expanded to include additional safety improvements along Magnolia Avenue, Spring Avenue and a portion of Gulf Drive.
“We’re on the cusp of getting another $1.4 million. We could expand this project to make it more appealing to more bidders. But then again, we could move forward with the project so we can get started right away,” Murphy said.
Commissioner Robert Kingan noted FDOT considered C-Squared’s previous bid to be too high and their latest bid is even higher. Kingan said he doesn’t like choosing from a single bid and he agreed that the project’s smaller scope might make it less attractive to bidders.
Commissioners Jon Crane and Robert Kingan held differing views on accepting or rejecting the latest bid. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Commissioner Jon Crane expressed an opposing view.
“This is probably the most significant project we have on our books. The change of the look and feel and efficiency of Pine Avenue would be greatly improved. We’re not getting the interest and I don’t think we’re going to get any more interest. Now’s a good time to do this,” Crane said.
Commissioner Deanie Sebring said she doesn’t feel comfortable with just one bid or the increased cost proposed in C-Squared’s latest bid. She agreed that increasing the scope of the project might attract more bidders.
“It seems unbelievable that we could only get one local bidder on this project,” she said.
Commissioner Charlie Salem said he understood Crane’s position, but he thinks competition among multiple bidders would benefit the city. He also noted the labor market has recently cooled a bit.
During Monday’s meeting, Commission Chair Mark Short said the city still has plenty of time to complete the state-funded project.
During Thursday’s meeting, Short said, “We’re making progress but not we’re not where we thought we’d be when we started this two years ago. But the possibility of combining projects equals economy of scale. Certain things only have to be done once with a larger project versus twice for two projects.”
Kingan then made a motion to reject the RFP. The commission voted 4-1 in favor of doing so, with Crane voting in opposition.
