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Year: 2024

Editorial: Fresh air

Written by Sun staff on . Posted in Editorial, Opinion.

The red stripes on the American flag are intended to remind us of the sacrifices made by members of the armed forces who died to enable us to – among other things – get a good education and vote.

A lot of people don’t think their vote counts, and some of them don’t vote as a result- only about a third of Anna Maria Island voters did.

But last week, a whole new group of elected officials started on their way either to an elected office or to the November election, thanks to voters who believed their vote counts and who bothered to vote.

Those who were elected are not the old guard or the good ol’ boys, which comes as a bit of a surprise, fresh air-wise.

If you’re of the opinion that your vote doesn’t count, think about that before the November election.

Come to The Sun’s candidate forums on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at Holmes Beach City Hall at 6 p.m. and on Wednesday, Sept. 4 at Anna Maria City Hall at 6 p.m. and get educated.

Then vote.

You might be surprised.

Reel Time: On the road

Reel Time: On the road

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

When my wife, Christine, and I got an invitation to fish a part of Colorado we had never visited, we jumped at the chance. Our good friend, Jimmy Harris, owner of Unicoi Outfitters in Helen, Georgia, invited us and three other couples to join him and his wife, Kathy, at his daughter and son-in-law’s newly-constructed Sanctuary on The Mesa in Placerville, Colorado. Located just a short distance between Ridgeway and Telluride, the home sits on a mesa with stunning views of the Uncompahgre Mountains in the distance.

Since we were making the long trip from Florida, we decided to travel two weeks early and visit Durango, Colorado. Located on the south side of the scenic San Juan Mountain Range and accessible by the famous “Million Dollar Highway,” SR 550, Durango had been recommended by several fishing friends from Florida and we were not disappointed.

Eager to explore the fishing in the Durango area, I started searching YouTube for suggestions when I had the idea to see if there might be another casting instructor in the area. A quick search of the Fly Fishers International website put me in touch with Berris Samples, an instructor in Durango. When I contacted Samples, he graciously invited me to float the San Juan River just over the border in New Mexico. We met in the outskirts of Durango where I parked my car and joined Samples for the drive south.

We started the day wading a section of the river where we caught and released several rainbow trout from 12-16 inches. There was no question that there were bigger fish in the section of river as they would swim almost to our wading boots as we stirred up nymphs from the bottom. Catching them was another story, but I did hook a rainbow that I estimated to be over 20 inches. The big fish took the small nymph pattern I was fishing along the bottom, but the hook pulled on the first run.

In the afternoon, we floated a section of the river, stopping at a couple of spots to wade. Once again, we saw large fish working the riffles and runs but they weren’t in a feeding mode. Of the several drift boats we saw that afternoon, we only saw two fish landed. Still, the float was totally enjoyable with scenic vistas at every turn. The two weeks we spent in Durango were memorable, with side trips to historic Mesa Verde National Park and a train trip on the vintage Durango to Silverton Train. Durango is highly recommended, surrounded by stunning wilderness areas, soaring mountains and spectacular canyons.

The day has arrived

Written by Louise Bolger on . Posted in Business, Castles in the Sand.

Starting this month, the rules have changed for governing real estate commissions. We’ve been talking about this since the National Association of Realtors (NAR) voted on this change to the commission structure in March, a structure that has been in place for over 30 years.

By now, most real estate professionals have positioned their real estate wheels to work within the new regulations. They have likely also developed a dialogue to have with both buyers and sellers in this market. So, let’s go over some of the significant points.

Typically, sellers paid the agents on both sides of a transaction, selling and buying. This was a percentage stated at the time the property was listed. Sellers will still agree on a listing commission with their agent, however, now have more flexibility to decide whether to offer a commission to a buyer’s agent and what that commission will be. There is no commitment on the seller’s part to automatically offer a commission to the buyer’s agent and the buyer’s agent is free to request a commission fee at the time they present an offer. Like everything in a real estate transaction, it becomes a negotiable point.

The sticking point here is your listing agent may tell you that if you don’t offer a selling commission, selling agents won’t bring buyers to the property. There is of course some truth to that, however, if the buyer’s agent’s commission becomes part of the negotiation, then the agent has no reason not to bring buyers. Also, on popular properties, a buyer may even step up and pay their agent directly if a buyer’s commission cannot be satisfactorily negotiated.

You also need to set guidelines with your listing agent relative to their commission should they find the buyer for your property. Traditionally, when a buyer didn’t have an agent, the seller’s representative often kept the commission offered to the buyer’s agent. Again, this should be agreed upon at the beginning of the listing agreement.

So while you’re thinking about this new round of chaos, let’s go over the July sales for Manatee County published by the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee.

Single-family homes closed 9.9% more properties compared to last July. The median sale price was $499,000, lower by 3.1%, and the average sale price was $661,104, up 3.0%. The median time to contract was 52 days this year compared to 29 last year. There are 10% more listings this July, making the month’s supply of available properties 3.9 months compared to 2.7 last year.

Condos closed 9.6% fewer properties this year. The median sale price was $329,000, down 6% and the average sale price was $354,404 down 8.8%. The median time to contract was 77 days this year compared to 47 last year. New listings were up 0.4% and the month’s supply of available properties was 5.6 months compared to 3.2 months last year.

Per the Realtor Association, both Sarasota and Manatee counties experienced a shift in the market in July. Median prices declined and we are experiencing longer times to sell. Basically, they feel the market is balancing out and buyers have more purchasing power.

The National Association of Realtors says it’s too soon to speculate on how the market will change and I certainly agree. Some of the early feedback around the country where agents have already started with the new regulations is that total commissions appear to have come down. Some of the commissions could be reflective of the value of the property and the level of marketing required.

It’s hard to say at this point, but we do live in a very high real estate price point environment and agent commissions could reflect that.

Whitmore seeks return to city commission

Whitmore seeks return to city commission

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – After working in the private sector for 18 months, former Manatee County commissioner Carol Whitmore is ready to step back into the local political spotlight, this time on familiar ground.

Whitmore is racing against three other candidates in the hopes of landing one of two available seats on the Holmes Beach city commission, the place where she started her political career before being elected as mayor and later elected to the county commission.

If elected, she plans to bring her ability to cultivate good relationships with other elected officials to the table.

“You need people who are willing to be open,” Whitmore said, noting that she has good contacts within Manatee County and with state leaders.

“I can act like a buffer,” she said. “They (other elected officials) want to hear from an elected official who has credibility.”

Whitmore said she’d like to help city leaders let the past go and move forward to build new, better relationships with Manatee County and Florida state elected officials. One of her greatest strengths as an elected official, she said, is building and maintaining relationships while also working in the city’s best interests to benefit the residents and visitors.

“I want to be there to support Judy (Mayor Judy Titsworth) and the commission but try to get us back on track,” Whitmore said.

Over the years, she said she’s seen three attempts to consolidate services across Anna Maria Island. Whitmore said she’s in favor of giving that a try if all three city governments can agree and they’re willing to move slowly to see what works and what may adversely affect the residents and visitors to the Island. She’s not, however, in favor of consolidating the city governments.

“I don’t support consolidating the cities at all. I believe in home rule,” Whitmore said. “I’ve lived here 55 years. I believe in home rule 100%.”

Removing all the existing structures at Manatee Beach to build a three-story parking garage is not a viable solution to traffic issues, she said. Whitmore added that she thinks funding for the project would be difficult to obtain, particularly when there is a county-owned parking garage in downtown Bradenton that needs immediate replacement. She said she thinks there are other solutions available to add public parking spaces, if needed.

Tourist development tax funds, Whitmore said, have a very narrow application under state regulations, though she thinks those monies could potentially be used to advertise or subsidize additional parking options at local churches.

Whitmore also said she hopes to use her public relations skills to help keep residents informed and work to help the three Island cities present a unified front on issues that affect all the municipalities. She said she thinks the strongest skill she can bring to the city is her ability to develop and maintain interpersonal relationships along with her ability to listen to the residents and help find solutions to problems.

“I’m honest,” she said. “And I think if you’re honest, you’ll never get in trouble.”

Romberger throws hat in commission ring

Romberger throws hat in commission ring

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Bill Romberger, owner and agent at the Anna Maria Island Real Estate Corp., is hoping voters will consider him for the city commission when going to the polls in November.

“I didn’t want it to turn into an Anna Maria situation,” he said, stating that he wanted to make sure that voters have a choice when it comes to choosing Holmes Beach city commissioners in November.

The local resident and Realtor said he’s been living on the Island with his family since 1995 and has seen a lot of changes over the years. He said he thinks the current elected officials in Holmes Beach are doing a good job and, if elected, he hopes to support continued efforts to improve water quality, protect the environment and oppose consolidation of the three Island cities and a proposed parking garage at Manatee Beach.

Currently a member of the Clean Water Ad-hoc Committee in Holmes Beach and the Surfrider Foundation, Romberger said that keeping local waters clean and Island stewardship is paramount on his list of priorities, if elected to one of the two open seats on the city commission.

“I’m an environmentalist,” he said, adding that he wants to protect the Island’s natural resources. “We need to look at things that can be done to, if nothing else, we don’t hurt the Island anymore, that it’s going to be hurt with the amount of tourists and development that it encounters.”

Romberger said he’d like to be a liaison to the clean water committee if elected so that he could work closely with those members to bring some of their projects to fruition.

“I think that would be my top priority,” he said.

Another priority, he said, would be to encourage native landscaping and minimalist landscaping to reduce water usage and stormwater runoff.

Romberger also said that he is a large supporter of the efforts to maintain home rule and is against consolidation and efforts to build a three-story parking garage at Manatee Beach. If it was fiscally responsible to consolidate services among the three Island cities, he said that would be worth serious consideration.

“I spent my whole life in island beach communities and always thought it was important that the small communities keep their local government,” he said.

If elected, he said he’d like to work with property owners and local businesses to develop affordable housing for workers. Romberger said he feels there’s a way to incentivize business owners to create or provide affordable housing on the Island for some of their workers or to encourage property owners to turn short-term rentals into reasonably priced annual rentals.

He said that if the city’s budget allowed, he could see giving financial incentives to property owners or helping to subsidize the rent for workers at brick-and-mortar locations on the Island.

Romberger is answering questions from the community at The Sun’s Holmes Beach Candidate Forum on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 6 p.m. at Holmes Beach City Hall.

Oelfke shares commission hopes

Oelfke shares commission hopes

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

Commissioner Steve Oelfke has a lot of ideas and he’s hoping that voters will put him in one of two available seats on the city commission in November.

“I knew that there was a need for people to step up and I felt that was the direction I would move in at some point,” he said of throwing his hat in the ring to make the transition. “The reason why I’m doing any of this is because we, my wife and my family, love where we live.”

Oelfke said it’s important to him to serve the community in some way, crediting Commissioner Terry Schaffer with “planting the seed” that encouraged him to apply for the planning commission, which now has led to him to seek elected office in the city.

In his professional life, Oelfke is a nursing home administrator, a job that lets him do what he loves – helping people. It’s that attitude that he wants to bring to the city commission by working as a team with the other commissioners to best serve the community and solve problems.

“The biggest problem is handling the amount of people who want to come to the Island, the strain that puts on the people who live on the Island,” he said. “I think the biggest problem is how to handle that.”

Some of the effects of that strain, Oelfke said, are traffic, accidents, noise and strain on infrastructure. While he said he doesn’t believe that the parking garage at Manatee Beach proposed by county commissioners would be an answer, he does feel that the Gulf Island Ferry service is a nod in the right direction to helping reduce traffic.

To really reduce traffic, he said, mass transit has to become a more viable option for commuters and beachgoers. For that to happen, he said the Anna Maria Island Bridge on Manatee Avenue would need a third lane, one that would be dedicated to bus and trolley service along with first responder vehicles in an emergency. To take the idea a step further, Oelfke said the third lane could also be utilized as an extra traffic lane to move heavy traffic off the Island, though he did acknowledge the third lane would really need to extend to the mainland in Bradenton to truly be effective.

He also sees the county effort to put another ferry stop on Anna Maria Island as a positive move in the right direction to build up mass transit from the mainland.

Two county-led efforts that Oelfke said he’s not in favor of are consolidation of the three Island cities and a parking garage at the county-owned Manatee Beach.

He said part of the charm of the Island is in its quaintness and diversity among the three cities along with the small-town feel. Building high rises on the beach and taking away local government would ruin the character that makes the Island special.

“The Island, I feel, is a paradise,” Oelfke said. “We feel lucky to live here.”

Hear Oelfke answer questions from the community live at The Sun’s candidate forum on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 6 p.m. at Holmes Beach City Hall.

Holmes Beach commissioner seeks re-election

Holmes Beach commissioner seeks re-election

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Commissioner Dan Diggins is seeking another term on the dais with the goal of establishing a better relationship with Manatee County and Florida state leaders.

“My number one goal is to have a better relationship with the county and the state because whatever we’ve been doing, it’s not working,” Diggins said. He added that he has talked with Rep. Will Robinson Jr., who suggested the city give a little on some county initiatives. One of those initiatives that Diggins is in favor of pursuing is a water taxi landing area. He said he feels that he might be the only elected official in the city who is willing to say he supports the concept of a water taxi landing.

“If you support the concept, then the plan will come,” Diggins said.

One county project that he’s not willing to bend on is a proposed multi-level parking garage at Manatee Beach. Diggins said the addition of a parking garage wouldn’t alleviate traffic to the beach. He also noted that the project is currently unfunded by the county.

“There’s plenty of parking,” he said. “We don’t really restrict parking like they do in Bradenton Beach and Anna Maria. We don’t charge for parking. We mark our parking spaces. We welcome visitors to come in and enjoy the beaches. We really do welcome the people.”

He also said he doesn’t support consolidating the three Anna Maria Island cities into one. Diggins said he thinks consolidation could have been done several decades ago, but now it wouldn’t be beneficial to the cities or fiscally responsible. He said now it would be more expensive to consolidate the cities than it would be to maintain the three city governments, though he could see some benefits in consolidating some services among the cities. One thing that concerns him about the consolidation talks, he said, is that any cost savings would come at the expense of people’s jobs.

One change he would like to see is a lower millage rate.

Diggins noted that the city has done a lot to build up reserves but he feels those funds are in good shape and the taxpayers deserve a break, along with a lowered city budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year.

If re-elected by voters in November, Diggins said he plans to continue bringing an open mind and willingness to hear both sides of an issue to the city government.

“One thing I can do when I’m up there on the dais is I can argue both sides of most of the issues. I’ve done that several times, I’ve argued both sides and I think that’s the sign of an open mind. I see this at the county level when I attend their meetings. Their minds are already made up, it doesn’t matter what people say,” Diggins said. “I actually listen to what the people say. I listen to all the facts and then I make a decision. My decision’s not made ahead of time and I purposely argue two sides of most issues before I make up my mind.”

Former employee alleges discrimination, hostile work environment

Former employee alleges discrimination, hostile work environment

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Community News, Featured.

ANNA MARIA – Former public works department employee Benzard Holland alleges he was subjected to a hostile work environment and discriminatory behavior at the city.

During the Aug. 22 city commission meeting, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy addressed the allegations and the ensuing investigation.

“On July the 25th, I received a copy of a complaint regarding discrimination from an ex-employee. The ex-employee has alleged that he was discriminated against. I took that very seriously. I think each one of you commissioners was given this complaint. I wasn’t, but you were. A copy was sent to me by Commissioner (Mark) Short,” Murphy told the commission.

On July 25, Holland, a Black man, sent an email to all five city commissioners that said in part, “Dear city commissioners, I am writing to formally report the hostile work environment and discriminatory behavior I experienced during my employment with city of Anna Maria, which led to my resignation on 7/16/2024.

“My supervisor, Dean Jones, consistently subjected me and other employees to verbal abuse, including racial slurs and aggressive behavior. This created a toxic work environment that made it impossible for me to continue in my role,” Holland stated in his email.

Jones, who recently returned to the city staff after a two-year stint with the city of Bradenton, serves as the city’s general manager and oversees the building department and the public works department.

Former employee alleges discrimination, hostile work environment
Mayor Dan Murphy requested an independent
investigation of the workplace allegations. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

In his email, Holland stated he informed Public Works Manager Roosevelt Jones of a verbal altercation that allegedly occurred between himself and Dean Jones, but did not notify City Clerk LeAnne Addy, who also serves as the city’s human resources director.

“I loved my job and the task that I was performing at the city of Anna Maria; unfortunately, due to a toxic environment, I could not withstand anymore,” Holland stated in his email.

Holland asked the city to take the following immediate actions:

• “Investigate these allegations and take appropriate disciplinary measures;

• “Provide training on diversity, equity and inclusion to prevent future incidents; and

• “Ensure a safe and respectful work environment for all employees.”

Holland’s letter did not mention any potential legal action.

Upon receiving the complaint, Murphy contacted the Tampa-based Allen, Norton & Blue law firm seeking an independent labor attorney to investigate the allegations. Murphy said he asked the firm, which the city has used before, to conduct an independent investigation to determine if discriminatory or hostile workplace behavior occurred, the basis of the discriminatory or hostile behavior if such behavior occurred and what could be done about it.

Between Aug. 8-13, labor attorney and independent investigator Matt Stefany conducted interviews with former and current city employees at a neutral location not on city property.

Stefany hoped to provide Murphy and Short with his findings, final analysis and, if needed, corrective recommendations on Aug. 20, but he requested more time to conduct additional follow-up interviews. That meeting was rescheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 27.

“We’ll see where it goes from there,” Murphy said, noting the allegations may or may not be substantiated and disciplinary action may or may not be required.

Murphy said the city is also open to recommendations as to how curtail any workplace environment problems if such problems exist.

Short he was impressed with Stefany’s investigative approach and he noted Stefany was unencumbered by the city and allowed to conduct his investigation without any direct input from the mayor or anyone else associated with the city.

“This was a very independent process that was followed and continues to be followed,” Short said.

Loggerhead killed by car leaves behind 84 hatchlings

Loggerhead killed by car leaves behind 84 hatchlings

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Outdoors, Sea turtles.

BRADENTON BEACH – The nest laid by a loggerhead sea turtle that was struck and killed by a car on Gulf Drive in June hatched earlier this week, producing 84 hatchlings.

“When we conducted the nest excavation, we found one live hatchling in the nest, which was released immediately,” Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella wrote in an Aug. 23 email.

Mazzarella said it was a great hatch success and is hopeful that the turtle’s legacy will continue.

“At this nest, which was situated in the picnic area of Coquina Beach near lifeguard tower 6, we placed a dedication plaque to let people know how, thanks to the awareness this turtle brought about lighting issues, many more turtles were saved from her fate,” she wrote.

After her death, the streetlights that led the turtle into the road were turned off until a turtle-safe solution could be put in their place.

MANY NEST EXCAVATIONS

There have been no new crawls this week, but Mazzarella said they are possible at this time of year.

“What we have been doing a lot of is nest excavations on nests that should’ve hatched around the time of Tropical Storm Debby,” she wrote. “When nests reach 70 days, they are considered overdue and we try our best to do an inventory on them. This is sometimes a difficult task because we don’t know exactly where the nest is without the benefit of a depression from a hatch.”

Volunteers must dig the area within the nest stakes to find the nest chamber. Sometimes, Turtle Watch volunteers may find unhatched eggs that have stopped developing or hatched shells indicating that a hatch occurred but went unnoticed due to inundation from the storm.

“The good news is that we are finding that many of these nests did indeed hatch,” she wrote. “This is reflected in the increase in hatched nest numbers over last week.”

HATCHLING RESCUE

Turtle Watch volunteer Kathy Noonan found and rescued two loggerhead hatchlings that had fallen into a hole left on the beach.

“One of the many hazards we educate the public about is holes dug in the sand,” Mazzarella wrote. “These holes can entrap hatchlings on their way to the water and, unless they are found by someone, they may perish in the hole from dehydration or be picked up by a predator.”

With the loss of more than 180 nests to Tropical Storm Debby, it is even more important to make sure the remaining hatchlings make it to the Gulf, she said, reminding beachgoers to fill in holes in the sand before leaving the beach for the day.

Cortez bridgetender booth on preservation list

Cortez bridgetender booth on preservation list

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Community News, Cortez.

CORTEZ – When the new 65-foot-high Cortez Bridge is constructed, it won’t be a drawbridge, so a bridgetender will no longer be needed, and a Cortez group wants to save the bridgetender’s booth at the top of the bridge.

The Cortez Village Historical Society (CVHS) has opened discussions with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) about obtaining and preserving parts of the structure.

“I don’t have a specific idea in mind of what this is going to be,” CVHS President Cindy Rodgers said. “I’m hoping that we can brainstorm some ideas.”

On Aug. 16, representatives from FDOT, including Cortez Bridge Project Manager Ryan Weeks, visited the Cortez Cultural Center.

“This is my first time here and I really would like for us to look at some of the alternative items and walk the bridge, talk about some different things, things that would be easy to remove and display here,” Weeks said.

Rather than transport the entire building, which is a costly endeavor, discussions centered around preserving parts of the building.

“We’re interested in the stuff that’s in there,” Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH) member Alan Garner said.

Some of the potential items for preservation discussed by CVHS and FISH members are the controls, lights and swing arms.

“Our discussions at FISH were what does that have to do with the actual village?” FISH Treasurer Jane von Hahmann said. “The more we thought about it, we thought Florida Maritime Museum might be a better fit, but we continue to discuss it.”

“As the link between Cortez and the Gulf Islands, the Cortez Bridge is part of our history. How many times have we traversed that bridge, getting that first glimpse of the sparkling Gulf on the other side, watching the pelicans dive for their dinner and people fishing for theirs,” Rodgers said. “It’s a part of Cortez history and we’d like to preserve what we can of that story for future generations. On the new bridge, there will be no bridgetender building or bridgetender. Eventually, drawbridges will probably become a thing of the past.”

Following tours of the center and the FISH Preserve, representatives from FDOT, CVHS, FISH and the Florida Maritime Museum headed to the bridge for a tour of the bridgetender house.

“I think we had a very good (and full) day – meeting at the Center, Alan and Jane gave a narrated tour of the preserve, lunch at Star Fish, then a trek to the bridge,” Rodgers wrote in an Aug. 16 email to The Sun. “We were able to go inside and to the downstairs area as well, and talk to the bridgetender. Which made me realize we really need to do oral histories with these guys; one of them has done this job for about 30 years – what stories he must have!”

Rodgers said CVHS will compile a wish list of what they would like to have and FDOT will let them know what is possible.

The drawbridge was constructed in 1956 with an estimated 50-year service life and multiple bridge repair and maintenance projects have occurred within the past 20 years.

The design phase of the new bridge began in October 2019 and is anticipated to be completed in spring 2025. The construction project will be awarded to the chosen contractor in summer 2025 with construction slated to begin in late 2025 or early 2026, according to the Cortez Bridge Project website, www.cortezbridge.com.

High-speed chase ends on tennis court

High-speed chase ends on tennis court

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – A high-speed chase ended with a suspect being trapped in chain link fencing on a Gulf Drive tennis court, resulting in six criminal charges.

Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said the Aug. 21 incident began when suspect Dominic Garcia, 24, allegedly stole a vehicle in Palmetto before going to a Bradenton residence where he is suspected of beating a woman before leaving and making a wrong turn on Manatee Avenue that took him to Anna Maria Island.

“He was trying to go to Melbourne,” Tokajer said.

High-speed chase ends on tennis court
Garcia

In Holmes Beach, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Brett Getman spotted the stolen black Ford Expedition and got behind Garcia. That’s when Tokajer said Garcia hit the gas, getting up to an estimated 80 mph before missing a curve on Gulf Drive that sent the vehicle straight into a picket fence and two chain link fences, one of which wrapped around the front end of the vehicle, stopping it on a tennis court at the Martinique condominium complex.

Tokajer said no injuries were reported.

Garcia is charged with domestic battery, battery on a person 65 years of age or older, operation of a motor vehicle without a valid license, two counts of leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage and grand theft of a motor vehicle. He was placed in custody at the Manatee County Jail.

Tourism visitation flat, room rates up

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Business, Taxes, Tourism.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Visitor numbers are down slightly in the Bradenton area from last year, but higher room rates are pointing to confidence in the market, Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Elliott Falcione told the Manatee County Tourist Development Council on Aug. 19.

“Confident short-term rental owners are not wanting to compromise those rates because visitation is off a little bit,” he said in his report on tourism. “The overall economic impact is up. Those are great numbers.”

In fiscal year 2023, there were 821,900 visitors to the Bradenton area, and in 2024, that number was 814,100, a decrease of .9%. The total economic impact, however, rose 2.3% from $1,382,734,200 to $1,414,380,000.

“That .9% of less visitors is basically flat,” Falcione said. “We don’t need to be breaking tourism records, this is a nice sustainable 12 months a year without major peaks and lulls.”

In comparing June 2023 to June 2024, the number of visitors to the Bradenton area rose 11.4%, going from 98,200 to 109,400; room nights were up 18.4% from 197,000 to 233,300 and the total economic impact increased 14.9% from $138,837,200 to $159,554,600. Tourist tax collections rose 15.2% from $2,923,352 to $3,367,633.

Those numbers are higher on Anna Maria Island.

In a year-to-year comparison from June 2023 to June 2024, occupancy on the Island increased 2.4% compared to 1.5% on the mainland and 1.7% in Longboat Key. Room rates during that period increased 4.5% on Anna Maria Island from an average $255.25 to $266.86 per night. Mainland rates decreased 1.8% from $148.58 to $145.94 per night and Longboat Key showed a 1.5% increase going from $253.83 to $257.70 per night.

would be catastrophic to the small businesses.”

Falcione said the tourist tax is capped at 6% by state statute.

“There’s no seven penny in the future,” he said. “Six penny is the max that anyone in the state of Florida can levy. I’m not anticipating any of that changing.”

Falcione said other counties – Sarasota, Hillsborough, Orange and Pinellas – currently impose a 6% tourist tax.

“We’re one of the last west coast communities that doesn’t collect six pennies on the dollar,” he said.

TDC Chair Ray Turner said the biggest misnomer is that it’s going on the ballot as a tax.

“People should understand it’s not a tax to them, it’s a tax to short-term rentals,” Turner said.

“When we go to vote, if we go in person, we pretty much know who we’re going to vote for, we want to get in and get out and just the human nature of optics is when you see a tax you may be likely just to say no, and really not read the details of what that tax means,” Falcione said. “But it is a tax that’s not assessed to a resident unless a resident stays in a short-term rental in Manatee County. 99% of the tax collecting would be out of town visitors.”

“We’re not for additional taxes for our local people,” Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown said. “This is not an additional tax for our local people, this is an additional tax for the people coming here. When you drill down, you see what it really is.”

“The way I explain it to the average taxpayer is the tourists are going to be providing things year-round for all of us to take benefit of,” Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant said. “It’s improving our community year-round. There are things that don’t go away when the tourists go away that help us to have a nicer, more vibrant community.”

TDC members explain benefits of tourist tax increase

TDC members explain benefits of tourist tax increase

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Business, Taxes, Tourism.

ANNA MARIA – A referendum to raise the Manatee County tourist tax from 5% to 6% will be on the November ballot, and the county’s chief tourism official spoke about the benefits and misperceptions of the potential increase at an Aug. 19 Tourist Development Council (TDC) meeting.

“We’re all set to be on the ballot in November,” Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Elliott Falcione said. “The Board of County Commissioners approved it on July 30 so just for the public consumption, I’d like to reiterate why we’re trying to do what we’re doing.”

“One penny on the dollar – if the residents decided to say yes – will generate about $8 million a year,” Falcione said. “We are trending to be north of $30 million in tourism tax generated; again that equates to about $80 million of sales tax generation that really helps provide services for our local community that ultimately enhances our quality of life.”

He said the tourist tax funds go toward renourishment and maintenance of beaches, restoration of the Anna Maria City Pier and the Bradenton Beach pier and arts and culture, including the Bishop Museum, ArtCenter Manatee, Manatee Performing Arts Center and Mote Marine Aquarium.

He said the new Bradenton Area Convention Center hotel, the Palmetto Marriott Resort & Spa, will have a minimum $30 million annual return.

“When you can use taxes that are paid by the tourists to create an asset that not only appeals to a tourist, but also enhances the quality of life for the residents at no cost to the residents, that’s a great situation to be in,” Falcione said. “That’s where the tax is the most valuable. Obviously that tax brings in visitors that feed the economy – the number one industry in Florida. If you took tourism away from a community like this it would be catastrophic to the small businesses.”

Falcione said the tourist tax is capped at 6% by state statute.

“There’s no seven penny in the future,” he said. “Six penny is the max that anyone in the state of Florida can levy. I’m not anticipating any of that changing.”

Falcione said other counties – Sarasota, Hillsborough, Orange and Pinellas – currently impose a 6% tourist tax.

“We’re one of the last west coast communities that doesn’t collect six pennies on the dollar,” he said.

TDC Chair Ray Turner said the biggest misnomer is that it’s going on the ballot as a tax.

“People should understand it’s not a tax to them, it’s a tax to short-term rentals,” Turner said.

“When we go to vote, if we go in person, we pretty much know who we’re going to vote for, we want to get in and get out and just the human nature of optics is when you see a tax you may be likely just to say no, and really not read the details of what that tax means,” Falcione said. “But it is a tax that’s not assessed to a resident unless a resident stays in a short-term rental in Manatee County. 99% of the tax collecting would be out of town visitors.”

“We’re not for additional taxes for our local people,” Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown said. “This is not an additional tax for our local people, this is an additional tax for the people coming here. When you drill down, you see what it really is.”

“The way I explain it to the average taxpayer is the tourists are going to be providing things year-round for all of us to take benefit of,” Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant said. “It’s improving our community year-round. There are things that don’t go away when the tourists go away that help us to have a nicer, more vibrant community.”

Kaleta gets three extra days to fix parking lots

Kaleta gets three extra days to fix parking lots

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News, Featured.

BRADENTON BEACH – City building official Darin Cushing has given an extension of time to developer Shawn Kaleta to complete all city commission-required stipulations for temporary use permits for four paid parking lots.

The city has received and approved the site plans for the temporary use permits and has given Kaleta until Monday, Sept. 9 to complete the rest of the items stipulated by the commission, according to Cushing.

A professionally-designed site plan was a key component for the multiple conditions that had been put in place by the city commission before granting temporary use permits for the paid parking lots; 101 Bridge St. was approved on Feb. 15 and 206 Bay Drive N., 207 Church Ave. and 102 Third St. N. gained approval on March 21.

The extension of the deadline was granted in part due to a leaking artesian well at the Bridge Street site that is in the process of being capped.

“The well capping is still ongoing. I’m not sure how much more they have to do, but I do know the well turned out to be over 300 feet deep, and the entire length has to be filled with concrete, which cannot all be done in one day,” Cushing wrote The Sun. “We are monitoring the progress, as are SWFWMD and Manatee County.”

In an Aug. 1 letter to Kaleta, Cushing had written he intended to barricade the lots on Aug. 9 with a permanent closure deadline of Sept. 6 if all the stipulations had not been met.

“To date, very few, if any of these stipulations have been met, first and foremost, the presentation of professionally designed site plans in order to demonstrate that all of the other stipulations are being adhered to,” he wrote.

The parking lots were barricaded by the city on Aug. 9, but reopened the following day after intervention by Kaleta’s attorney, Louis Najmy.

The parking lot stipulations for commission approval at 101 Bridge St. include no entrance or exit from Bridge Street, installation of directional arrows, installation of landscaping less than 3 feet high, sidewalk installation north of Third Street South to hook into the corner sidewalk on Gulf Drive, installation of trolley benches and slab, installation of black and white signage and review of the site plan by the building official. The one-year temporary use permit runs through Feb. 15, 2025.

Some of the stipulations for 206 Bay Drive N., 102 Third St. N. and 207 Church Ave. included the building owner submitting a building permit application or land development approval request within eight months of the temporary use permit approval and limiting the parking of cars, with the number of parking spaces to be approved by the building official on a site plan.

Lighting strikes two Holmes Beach businesses

Lighting strikes two Holmes Beach businesses

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Business, Featured.

HOLMES BEACH – A lightning strike started a fire on Aug. 22 that damaged two local businesses – West Coast Air Conditioning and Heating and Fun and More Rentals.

A press release from West Manatee Fire Rescue Fire Marshal Rodney Kwiatkowski states that the fire began at 10:18 a.m. at the Holmes Beach Business Center, 5347 Gulf Drive.

Lighting strikes two Holmes Beach businesses
Resident Tom Curtin captured the scene as the fire burned through two units at the Holmes Beach Business Center. – Submitted | Tom Curtin

The lightning caused a two-alarm fire, bringing crews from WMFR, Bradenton Fire Rescue, Cedar Hammock Fire Rescue and Southern Manatee Fire Rescue to the Anna Maria Island city. Kwiatkowski said the fire was extinguished quickly and no injuries were reported.

Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth, whose family owns the business center, said all of the units were evacuated quickly, including the Island Animal Clinic and The Paw Spa, whose four-legged clients were safely moved to 5350 The Pourhouse across the street in the S&S Plaza.

None of the other units in the business center were damaged by the fire.