HOLMES BEACH – Meet this year’s mayoral and commission candidates at The Anna Maria Island Sun’s Holmes Beach Candidate Forum and get your questions answered.
The Sun is hosting an in-person candidate forum on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 6 p.m. at Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive.
City commission candidates including former Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore, Planning Commissioner Steve Oelfke, incumbent Commissioner Dan Diggins and newcomer Bill Romberger are scheduled to attend to answer questions from the community in a public forum. Questions begin at 6 p.m. with a mayoral candidate forum beginning immediately afterwards.
Holmes Beach mayoral candidates Mike Roth and incumbent Mayor Judy Titsworth will discuss their plans for the future and the current issues facing the city.
While The Sun has some questions for the candidates, we also want to ask the candidates your questions. Please submit your questions to The Sun at news@amisun.com and specify if they should be asked during the commission or mayoral forum. All questions submitted for the candidate forum will be asked anonymously during the forum and candidates will not have access to the questions beforehand. Candidate questions must be submitted no later than Monday, Aug. 26 to be included in the forum.
If you can’t make it in person, the forum will also be streamed live on The Sun’s Facebook page with on-demand replay available after the event concludes.
BRADENTON – During and after what was then Tropical Storm Debby, the city’s water reclamation facility discharged an estimated 25 million gallons of raw and partially treated sewage into the Manatee River, according to department officials.
The neighboring city of Sarasota discharged nearly 18 million gallons of raw and partially treated sewage into that city’s stormwater system, which connects to Sarasota Bay, according to department officials.
In total, the Bradenton and Sarasota water reclamation facilities discharged nearly 43 million gallons of sewage into local waterways.
The rain associated with Tropical Storm Debby exceeded the Bradenton water reclamation facility’s storage capacities. – City of Bradenton | Submitted
Despite the influx of sewage into waters surrounding Anna Maria Island, the enterococcus bacteria levels in most areas were deemed “good” when last tested by the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) on Aug. 13.
The Bradenton water reclamation facility is located across the street from the Red Barn Flea Market. – Google Maps | Submitted
According to the city’s report, “It’s estimated that the total volume bypassed from 08/04 – 08/07 was 25MG (million gallons).”
When contacted by The Sun on Aug. 12, Suncoast Waterkeeper board member and attorney Justin Bloom said, “According to the city’s own records, in which they’re reporting sewage spills to FDEP (the Florida Department of Environmental Protection), they discharged, directly to the Manatee River 25 million gallons of sewage between August 4th and August 7th. Suncoast Waterkeeper is concerned about the impact this significant amount of sewage will have on the Manatee River.”
The Bradenton water reclamation facility was overwhelmed by rain associated with Tropical Storm Debby. – City of Bradenton | Submitted
The mouth of the Manatee River empties into Tampa Bay near the northern tip of Anna Maria Island.
The city’s report states, “The event was caused by the heavy rain and high flow associated with Hurricane Debby and was unavoidable. As with utilities state-wide, the WRF staff did everything possible to not have to bypass, but with between 17-19 inches of rain during the storm it was unavoidable.”
The city’s report also includes the following information:
“On 08/04, the aerators were taken offline at 2 p.m. in anticipation of high flow.
On 08/04, the WRF experienced extremely high flow into the plant beginning around 17:00. By 18:30, the aerators, headworks, clarifiers, and filters began overflowing and bypass began.
On 08/05, the WRF bypassed the filters and wet well due to continual heavy rain and high flow.
Manatee River spill sample collection began on 08/06.
On 08/06, the plant experienced random high flow events causing the outfall and clear well to overflow.
On 08/08, two aerators were turned back online.”
In addition, report notes: “Sample collection is ongoing, preliminary results from 08/06 have been received but no official laboratory report has been. The city will continue to update FDEP as data is received and upon the conclusion of sampling.”
Bradenton’s water reclamation facility features numerous wastewater treatment and storage components. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
In an email exchange with Bradenton resident and concerned citizen Ernie Vanderwalt, FDEP Southwest District Office Director Kelley Boatwright acknowledged the sewage discharge.
“Department staff confirmed that the city of Bradenton had sanitary sewer overflows that total approximately 25,000,000 gallons due to Hurricane Debby. Staff are tracking the reports, evaluating the data, and will determine next steps,” Boatwright stated in his Aug. 12 email to Vanderwalt.
Sarasota overflow
According to the incident description report provided by the city of Sarasota, “During the event, approximately 6.243 million gallons of raw wastewater was discharged to Sarasota Bay. In addition, approximately 11.483 million gallons of partially treated effluent was discharged to Sarasota Bay. Samples will be collected.”
According to the incident description, “The city of Sarasota’s advanced wastewater treatment plant was severely impacted by excessive flow from Hurricane Debby. Operations staff did everything in their power to control the flow coming into the facility. Due to the incredible flow volume coming to the plant, up to 44.29 MGD (million gallons daily) in a single day, plant staff were unable to prevent spills from the headworks at the treatment plant. Staff made every effort to contain and control the spill, but the volume was too significant to avoid the mixture of rainwater and untreated sewage entering the stormwater collection system.”
Water quality tests
According to the FDOH website, “Enterococci are enteric bacteria that normally inhabit the intestinal tract of humans and animals. The presence of enteric bacteria can be an indication of fecal pollution, which may come from stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife and human sewage. If they are present in high concentrations in recreational waters and are ingested while swimming, or enter the skin through a cut or sore, they may cause human disease, infections or rashes.”
FDOH analyzes water samples for total bacteria counts and rates the results as good, moderate or poor.
Good: 0–35.4 enterococci per 100 milliliters of marine water
Moderate: 35.5–70.4 enterococci per 100 milliliters of marine water
Poor: 70.5 or more enterococci per 100 milliliters of marine water
If the results indicate poor water quality, FDOH issues public notices and may post warning signs at impacted beaches that state swimming or other water activities are not recommended.
According to FDOH water quality testing results, the enterococcus levels in the water at Bayfront Park in Anna Maria were listed as good for Aug. 7, 11 and 13. Before Tropical Storm Debby, the enterococcus levels at Bayfront Park tested poor on July 22, July 29 and July 31. FDOH issued a water quality notice for Bayfront Park on July 31 but has not issued any additional Bayfront Park notices.
On Aug. 7, 11 and 13, the enterococcus levels at Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach were listed as good. When tested on Aug. 7, 11 and 13, the enterococcus levels at Coquina Beach North, Coquina Beach South and Cortez Beach (all in Bradenton Beach) were all listed as good.
When tested on Aug. 7, 11 and 13, the enterococcus levels at the Broadway Beach Access in Longboat Key were listed as good.
When tested on Aug. 7, 11 and 13, the enterococcus levels at Palma Sola Causeway South were listed as poor on each of those days, and also on July 29 and July 31. FDOH advisories were issued on July 31 and Aug. 7, 11, and 13.
According to FDOH, several locations in Sarasota were tested on Aug. 12 and the enterococcus levels at those locations were listed as good.
On Facebook, some Island residents and visitors reported strong odors and possible human waste discovered in the waters along some Anna Maria Island beaches.
On Aug. 12, the Suncoast Waterkeeper organization issued a “No Swimming” warning for Sarasota Bay that was to remain in effect until further notice.
On Aug. 12, The Suncoast Waterkeeper organization issued a no-swim advisory for Sarasota Bay. – Suncoast Waterkeeper | Submitted
On Aug. 16, Suncoast Waterkeeper posted a Facebook message that said, “On August 14th, the enterococci survey was conducted during a falling tide. Salinity levels ranged from 18-29 ppt. The impact from Debby was still evident in the water quality on Wednesday and will likely continue throughout the weekend.”
Suncoast Waterkeeper released this water quality test results map on Aug. 16. – Suncoast Waterkeeper | Submitted
The Aug. 16 Facebook post was accompanied by a water quality test result graphic that indicated 10 locations in Bradenton, Anna Maria Island and Sarasota that Suncoast Waterkeeper considered to be “Don’t Swim” areas, including the Bradenton Beach City Pier on Bridge Street, Palma Sola Causeway North, Robinson Preserve and the Longboat Key boat ramp.
As of Aug. 19, The Sun was unable to obtain any additional water quality testing results from FDEP.
ANNA MARIA – The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has authorized Mayor Dan Murphy to meet with a representative of Eason Builders regarding the installation of brick paver sidewalks along Pine Avenue.
The first phase of the multi-phase Reimagining Pine Avenue project calls for new brick paver sidewalks to be installed between Gulf Drive and North Shore Drive where concrete sidewalks or hard-surfaced paved pedestrian paths do not currently exist. New crosswalks will also be installed in the same area. The existing concrete sidewalks will remain in place for now and be replaced later.
For the phase one project only, Eason Builders bid $233,704, Mali Construction bid $272,796 and C-Squared bid $665,290. On July 25, the city commission authorized the mayor to meet with a representative from Eason Builders, with Eason being the city’s first choice to install the sidewalks.
On Aug. 8, Murphy told city commissioners he planned to meet with an Eason representative on Aug. 12. The purpose of that meeting is to engage in additional fact-finding and the development of a proposed contract.
If a satisfactory contract is reached with Eason and then approved by the city commission, the contract must then be reviewed and approved by FDOT before the work can begin. FDOT review and approval are required because the sidewalk installation project is being funded with a previously approved state appropriation.
If a contract can’t be reached with Eason Builders, the mayor would then seek commission authorization to meet with a Mali Construction representative, as the city’s second choice.
The mayor was unable to estimate when the phase one work will commence.
The city is also currently accepting bid proposals for the second phase of the Reimagining Pine Avenue project, which will include similar safety improvements to be made between North Shore Drive and Crescent Drive.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Following Hurricane Debby, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring volunteers have been assessing the damage to turtle nests on local beaches.
Of the 479 nests that were incubating at the time of the storm, volunteers reported 227 remain staked and are likely still viable, 44 have been restaked and are likely still viable, 169 have been confirmed as complete washouts and 39 nests are yet to be assessed.
Due to Debby, which was a tropical storm while passing AMI, Turtle Watch volunteers were unable to patrol the beaches on Aug. 4-5 but were back on the beaches on Aug. 6.
“We knew we were going to lose some nests, but we were happy to report that we documented many hatched nests on Sunday morning before the storm, and a couple more hatches were reported by the public on the days we were unable to survey,” according to an Aug. 9 press release from Turtle Watch Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella. “There may be even more hatches that we don’t know about, so we are glad that hatchlings got out!”
Volunteers have collected more than 1,000 loose nest stakes, which will be repainted and reused next year.
Mazzarella expressed gratitude to those who placed stakes in piles at the dunes.
“We hope to complete our assessment and restake all viable nests by early next week,” she wrote.
Volunteers are continuing to conduct daily patrols looking for new nesting crawls, documenting new hatches and nest disturbances and conducting an inventory of nests that have hatched or reached an overdue date.
“While we are saddened by the loss of so many nests, we are encouraged by the number of nests still left on the beach,” Mazzarella wrote. “As high as our nesting numbers were this season, we still may have a record number of successful nests before the season is over.”
So far this year, a record number of nests were laid on the Island – 683 – which broke the 2019 record of 543.
If you see a sea turtle or hatchling in distress, please call the Turtle Watch 24/7 hotline at 941-301-8434.
BRADENTON BEACH – The strong winds, high tides and storm surge of then-Tropical Storm Debby were too much for the Island’s least tern colony on Aug. 4-5. A visit by Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring volunteers on Aug. 5 indicated all birds had left the area to seek shelter elsewhere.
“The Bradenton Beach colony flourished for 88 days and produced 16 chicks,” according to an Aug. 9 press release from Turtle Watch Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella. “Nine of those chicks fledged, which means they could fly but their parents still provided food. In contrast, the 2021 least tern colony produced only two fledged birds.”
The colony produced 29 nests, 18 of which were either abandoned or predated by birds or animals. There were 16 chicks produced in the remaining 11 nests. Four of the birds were banded and numbered.
Least terns are a threatened species in Florida.
Mazzarella wrote that the success of the 2024 colony can be attributed to partnerships with the City of Bradenton Beach and Manatee County officials and law enforcement, the Florida Audubon Society, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, residents of the Anna Maria Island Club and volunteers from the Manatee County Audubon Society and Turtle Watch.
“Our thanks to Shorebird Coordinator Kathy Doddridge who managed these partnerships, took actions to mitigate predation and educated beachgoers on a daily basis. We look forward to applying the knowledge gained to next year’s least tern colony,” she wrote.
ANNA MARIA – On Friday, Aug. 9, Mayor Dan Murphy issued a press release disputing a Foxweather.com news report alleging that a Tropical Storm Debby-related sewage spill in Bradenton was significantly impacting the water quality in and around Anna Maria.
In part, the press release said, “On Tuesday, Aug. 6, an online weather reporter Foxweather.com, not local Fox 13 news, ran a story captioned ‘Conditions worsen after Debby as contaminated water floods Florida community.’ The story featured video footage of the city of Anna Maria during and after the storm peak, along with an interview of ‘Anna Maria Island resident Ernie Vanderwalt.’ The overall impression left by this false story was that the waters surrounding our city were not safe due to toxic levels from the sewerage spill in Bradenton. As a result, Anna Maria City Hall and other agencies were inundated with phone calls concerning our water quality and the safety threats alleged by this story.”
The city’s press release noted that the news story did not indicate that Vanderwalt had any qualifications in the field of environmental science or health.
The city of Anna Maria included this image with the press release. – City of Anna Maria | Submitted
“At the time and date the story ran, the waters on Anna Maria Island had not been tested by governmental agencies for toxins. Subsequent testing of our waters by the health department on Aug. 7 revealed satisfactory water quality results,” according to the city’s press release. “Our objection to this story was escalated by local Fox affiliate Fox 13 news to Fox corporate headquarters in New York. On Aug. 8, Foxweather.com Vice-President of Broadcasting Tony DeBerry contacted this office and stated that the report had been ‘pulled down’ and offered an opportunity for our city to rebut the story. We have declined that offer, not wishing to draw further attention to what we deem to be an example of ‘fake news’ by Foxweather.com. As of this writing, the waters of the city of Anna Maria continue to be safe for swimming and other recreational activities.”
When contacted by The Sun later that day, Vanderwalt said he’s not an Anna Maria resident but he owns a home in Bradenton and splits his time between there and his other home in North Carolina.
After learning of the mayor’s press release and receiving a copy, Vanderwalt emailed the mayor his response.
“I have no desire to be adversarial, as not only do we love Anna Maria Island, but as taxpayers in Manatee County desire to see this area grow responsibly. I find your press release misleading to say the least,” he wrote.
Among other things, Vanderwalt suggested the city could have utilized social media platforms to inform residents of any potential water contamination and other storm-related issues.
He also sent his email response to several other Island, county and state officials.
When speaking to The Sun, Vanderwalt referenced reportable event notifications posted at the city of Bradenton’s website.
According to the Aug. 4 report, a water reclamation facility on First Street West in Bradenton experienced extremely high water flow that caused aerators, headworks, clarifiers and filters to overflow and water bypass began. According to the Aug. 4 report, 3.5 million gallons of partially treated or raw wastewater was discharged and not contained.
According to the Aug. 5 report, an additional 250,000 gallons of wastewater was also discharged.
Additional discharge
Later the city of Bradenton’s Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) reported discharging an estimated 25 million gallons of reclaimed water.
According to the city of Bradenton’s “5-Day Written Reporting for Noncompliance which endangers health or environment” report on the discharge from Bradenton’s Water Reclamation Facility, “It’s estimated that the total volume by-passed from 08/04 – 08/07 was 25MG.”
When contacted by The Sun on Aug. 12, Suncoast Waterkeeper board member and attorney Justin Bloom said, “According to the city’s own records, in which they’re reporting sewage spills to FDEP (the Florida Department of Environmental Protection), they discharged, directly to the Manatee River, 25 million gallons of sewage between Aug. 4th and Aug. 7th. Suncoast Waterkeeper is concerned about the impact this significant amount of sewage will have on the Manatee River.”
The mouth of the Manatee River flows into Tampa Bay at Anna Maria Island’s north end.
The city of Bradenton’s five-day report also contains the following information:
“On 08/04 the aerators were taken offline at 2 p.m. in anticipation of high flow.
On 08/04 the WRF experienced extremely high flow into the plant beginning around 17:00, by 18:30 the aerators, headworks, clarifiers and filters began overflowing and by-pass began.
For the safety of the operators no permit samples were collected on 08/05, samples will be collected on 08/10.
On 08/05, due to continual heavy rain a sludge hauling truck began leaking onto the plant driveway, eventually getting to the storm drain. Plant staff sandbagged around and at 13:00, cleaned up the sludge.
On 08/05, the WRF by-passed the filters and wet well due to continual heavy rain and high flow.
Manatee River spill sample collection began on 08/06.
On 08/06, the plant experienced random high flow events causing the outfall and clear well to overflow.
Operators were unable to set the compositor on 08/05 due to continual heavy rain; no composite samples were collected on 08/06. A set of composite samples will be collected on 08/11.
On 08/08 two aerators were turned back online.”
The five-day report notes: “Due to the aerators being taken offline the micro population died causing the mixed liquor to not settle and the filters to clog. It is anticipated there will be unusual analytical results as a result of the hurricane. Sample collection is ongoing, preliminary results from 08/06 have been received but no official laboratory report has been. The city will continue to update FDEP as data is received and upon the conclusion of sampling.”
In conclusion, the report says, “The event was caused by the heavy rain and high flow associated with Hurricane Debby and was unavoidable. As with utilities state-wide the WRF staff did everything possible to not have to by-pass but with between 17-19 inches of rain during the storm it was unavoidable.”
MANATEE COUNTY – The access code to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections’ tabulation and ballot storage room will be changed to prevent Interim Supervisor James Satcher from entering that room because he is a candidate in the primary election.
The access removal occurred during the Aug. 6 Manatee County canvassing board meeting at the request of congressional candidate Eddie Speir and other meeting attendees. During the meeting, the canvassing board determined the Clear Ballot auditing system Satcher recently purchased will not be used in the primary election, which concludes on Aug. 20 with early voting and mail voting already underway.
ACCESS REMOVED
Speir is running against Vern Buchanan in the 16th congressional district Republican primary. Speir attended the Tuesday morning canvassing board meeting and recapped the meeting in a Facebook reel he posted later that day. In his Facebook reel, Speir expressed concerns about Satcher’s connections to political consultant Anthony Pedicini and a political action committee chaired by Pedicini.
Congressional candidate Eddie Speir requested Satcher’s ballot room access be removed. – EddieSpeirForCongress.com | Submitted
“James Satcher is connected and receiving money from Anthony Pedicini and the developers. Because of that, I’m immediately concerned about access to ballots. James Satcher has already broken rules and protocols that are put in place to ensure the integrity of the election. The tabulation and the ballot storage room are critically important. Nobody’s allowed in there alone, but Satcher said he is allowed to do this.”
While addressing the canvassing board, Speir said, “I request that James Satcher have his access removed from the room. I think that would go a long way to building voter confidence – the same way Mike Bennett did.”
After a brief discussion, Satcher agreed to abide by the same non-access protocols former Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett practiced when he was seeking reelection.
“They’re changing the code so he does not have access to the tabulation room and the ballot storage room and vote by mail. This is huge, thank you very much,” Speir told the board.
CLEAR BALLOT DELAYED
Bennett retired on March 1 with nine months remaining in his four-year term. In April, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Satcher – a sitting county commissioner with no experience supervising an election – to serve the remainder of Bennett’s term. DeSantis chose Satcher over Bennett’s longtime chief of staff, Scott Farrington.
Farrington resigned after Satcher’s appointment but had already launched his election campaign to serve as Bennett’s elected successor. Farrington and Satcher now face each other in the Republican primary that will determine who serves as Supervisor of Elections for the next four years.
On July 25, Satcher issued a press release announcing the purchase of the Clear Ballot audit system.
According to the press release, “A third-party, independent audit of 100% of our election results is going to help secure our elections and increase voter confidence and trust in the election process. The system utilizes high-speed scanners to rescan and tabulate ballots for a comprehensive verification of results, completely independent of the primary voting system.”
The system cost $179,615, plus an additional $25,000 for software.
The Supervisor of Elections office purchased the Clear Ballot audit system in July. – Manatee County | Submitted
The canvassing board consists of County Court Judge Melissa Gould, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office General Counsel Eric Werbeck and Bradenton City Councilwoman Lisa Gonzalez Moore. According to the public notice issued in advance of the meeting, the board was to conduct a logic and accuracy test of the tabulating equipment and reporting software to be used during the election, including early voting. Speir videotaped the board meeting and shared some of his footage in a Facebook reel he posted later that day. Speir’s footage included public input given by Farrington.
Former Chief of Staff Scott Farrington stressed the need to follow established election regulations and protocols. – VoteScottFarrington.com | Submitted
When addressing the board, Farrington said he hadn’t heard them reference administrative rule 1S-5.026. The rule includes the procedures manual for a post-election certification voting systems audit. It also establishes the requirements and procedures that canvassing board members are to ensure are followed and gives the board the responsibility and authority to decide whether the Clear Ballot system is used.
“I have not heard a motion on whether or not you’d be using this audit system,” Farrington said.
Farrington expressed concerns about the meeting notice not referencing the Clear Ballot system.
“The rule requires the canvassing board to conduct a test of the automated system. I’m unaware that the canvassing board has done so,” Farrington said.
He also said, “I am concerned about the security procedures and whether or not they’ve been updated to accommodate early voting ballots. My understanding is that early voting ballots will be processed on an ongoing process before the end of the election. I believe the security procedures must be changed to accommodate the security of those ballots as they are coming back and the seals are broken and they are processed through the system,” Farrington said.
Speir’s video footage didn’t include the board’s actual vote. When contacted later in the week, Farrington confirmed the board voted 3-0 to not use the Clear Ballot system for the primary election because the public notice for the board meeting didn’t reference it.
“They didn’t look at any of the other things that I mentioned because the notice wasn’t proper for the audit system,” Farrington said.
He also noted the Supervisor of Elections is required to maintain security measures that include the security of early voting ballots as they’re transported, tabulated and stored.
“I could not see where those had been adjusted to accommodate the movement of the ballots that was going to be required for the audit,” Farrington said. “What normally happens is they seal the early voting ballot at the early voting site, transport it back to the elections office and then they’re stored. For the audit, they’re going to have to break that seal, process them through the audit equipment, reseal them and store them. Those are extra steps. I’m not saying it’s impossible to do, I’m just saying the security procedures are supposed to be written so everybody knows what security measures are in place.”
He said he later obtained a copy of the security procedures that had not been adjusted accordingly.
Farrington expects the Clear Ballot system to be used for the general election in November.
“There’s plenty of time for them to do everything properly and use it in the general election. I was not objecting to the use of the Clear Ballot. I was just asking the canvassing board to make sure all the requirements had been met if they were going to use it,” Farrington said.
HOLMES BEACH – Debby passed by Anna Maria Island as a tropical storm, leaving Holmes Beach soaked, but not severely damaged.
As the storm passed by on the west coast of Florida, it dropped several inches of rain and delivered gusty winds to the Island, leaving some streets with flooding and some residents without power. Though most power was restored within a day, some residents reported losing power for several days before police and code compliance officers stepped in to get electricity restored by FP&L.
On Aug. 5, Mayor Judy Titsworth said that there was some flooding in Holmes Beach but the stormwater infrastructure helped to move water away from the surface to dry out roads and lawns faster. A tree fell in the middle of the Marina/Palm Drive thoroughfare, though police were able to remove it and reopen the road quickly.
“We fared well,” Police Chief Bill Tokajer said, noting that there was still standing water in some places the day after Debby passed. He took to social media to encourage drivers to move carefully through the Island city and avoid driving through standing water when possible.
Due to street flooding, Holmes Beach City Hall remained closed on Aug. 5 but reopened with regular hours on Aug. 6.
BRADENTON BEACH – City officials reported minor damage and flooding from Tropical Storm Debby on Aug. 4-5 before it became a hurricane, but said that the city fared well overall.
Several of the coconut palms on Bridge Street toppled over during the tropical storm force winds and rain from Debby and were removed by the city.
“We took out five, they were the ones that just could not hold,” Police Chief and Interim Public Works Director John Cosby said. “This was the last straw for them. We made the decision that if they went down again because of the wind, they have to go. We’re going to put some kind of plant in there, but the five won’t be going back.”
Mayor John Chappie said the trees will be planted elsewhere in the city.
“Thankfully we didn’t have a lot of wind,” Cosby said. “We just got a ton of rain.”
Ingrid McClellan, coordinator of the Scenic Manatee Advisory Committee, reported that several palm trees fell on the Gulf Drive medians near the Coquina Beach entrance.
She noted that is an evacuation route for Longboat Key going north.
“We just received a report from Manatee County that crews are onsite taking care of this item,” FDOT Landscape Architect Daryl Richard wrote in an Aug. 6 email, adding that the Alexander palms were restaked.
Two of the city’s finger docks were damaged in the storm and were repaired quickly.
“One came completely loose; the weld snapped,” Cosby said. “We had Duncan (Seawall Dock-Boat Lift) check it and they are being repaired.”
Cosby said there will be no interruption to the Gulf Island Ferry service to Bradenton Beach.
Cosby said five structures had water inundation and one in the Sandpiper Trailer Park had some damage.
BEACH EROSION
Charlie Hunsicker, Manatee County Natural Resources director, characterized beach erosion from the storm as “measurable but marginal.” On a scale of 1-10, he rated Anna Maria Island’s shoreline between 3-5.
“We were fortunate that the timing of the storm and tides was not as critical as it could have been. The beaches did a great job protecting our parks, infrastructure and private property,” Manatee County Information Outreach Manager Bill Logan wrote in an email to The Sun on behalf of Hunsicker.
The next beach renourishment project will take place at least a year from now and that will be based on damage from Hurricane Idalia with FEMA assistance, according to Logan.
ANNA MARIA – Flooding and drainage were the primary issues in Anna Maria during and after Tropical Storm Debby. There was also some minor damage to the City Pier.
On Aug. 8, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy and General Manager Dean Jones provided the city commission with a recap of the tropical storm’s impact. Murphy said most of the storm recovery work was finished, but there were still some pockets of flood waters and still some street sweeping to do.
Jones gave a presentation that included photos of the floodwaters, the pier damage and some key takeaways that included Tropical Storm Debby producing 12-16 inches of rain in a two-day period, most city roads being at flood stage at some point and most of the flood water being gone in less than 36 hours.
Jones said storm surge and flooding occurred along portions of North Shore Drive and some flooding also occurred along Jacaranda Road, Poinsettia Road, Alamanda Road, Fern Street and Rose Street.
Jones said five 3-inch pumps and three 2-inch pumps were deployed in various locations as needed and the pumps helped reduce the standing water.
“We were able to move a lot of water out of the city in a quick amount of time,” Jones said.
Jones displayed a photo taken on the City Pier on Wednesday morning that showed damage done to some of the pier planks near the public boat landing used by the Gulf Island Ferry service. Jones said the damaged planks were replaced the following day and the ferry landing was reopened.
During public input, pier tenant and mayoral candidate Brian Seymour addressed the pier damage and said, “I don’t think it’s coincidence that the damage happened where it happened. That’s where the ferry is. We’re a big proponent of the ferry as a business out there but we need to look at improving the bumpers.”
Seymour said his staff members at the City Pier Grill have seen the ferry boats hit the pier pretty hard when docking.
“I don’t think what we had should have caused that sort of damage,” Seymour said.
Murphy agreed. Jones said the softer bumpers get torn up and the city had already been looking at installing hard bumpers at the ferry landing area. Jones said this would require some water installation and the city has already contacted two companies that do that work.
Murphy and Jones said the WaStop valves that help reduce the inward flow of tidal waters often become clogged by yard mulch and that contributes to the flooding.
“The mulch gets into the one-way WaStops and it clogs them. What we need to do during a storm, in some cases, is unclog the WaStops. It can be dangerous to do that. You literally have to get into the water to do it, so we generally wait until the tides go down to clear the WaStops,” Murphy said.
Murphy praised the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Anna Maria Unit for establishing a post-storm barricade at the entrance to the city that prevented curiosity seekers from entering the city and driving through the flooded areas.
“They did an outstanding job,” he said.
Murphy thanked Sen. Jim Boyd for escalating the mayor’s ongoing Pine Avenue power outage concerns that included the business district and the Sheriff’s Office being without power. Approximately two hours after Boyd was contacted, two FP&L trucks arrived on scene.
“We were fortunate to have the support of Senator Boyd,” Murphy said.
Murphy and Jones praised code enforcement officer Betsy Brown for her work at the Bayfront Park sandbag filling station from which approximately 1,200 self-filled sandbags were taken.
“She’s a hard worker and she really should be commended,” Murphy said.
Jones noted Brown remained at the sandbag area for 10-12 hours one day.
Commissioner Mark Short asked how many homes were inundated with water. Murphy and Jones said they did not have that information. Murphy said the city sent an email to city subscribers asking them to report any water intrusion in their homes but the email blast generated no responses.
During public input, Brenda Twist said her home has flooded twice in the past year and that didn’t happen in the past.
“We had 16 inches of rain in less than 24 hours and then we had a king tide,” Murphy said. “We had a lot thrown at us at one time. I think overall we did a good job and we need to improve in a couple areas. We can sit here and congratulate ourselves all day but we need to zero in on what we can do better.”
My name is Brice Claypoole. I’m 16 years old. I have a deep love for our nature and a passion for protecting it. I’ve been following Manatee County politics – and their impact on our community and environment – for several years. I get involved where I think I can make a difference, like advocating for mangroves and wetland buffers. It’s been a frustrating experience, with a Board of County Commissioners (BCC) that consistently serves special interests at the expense of their own constituents. If you follow local politics, you probably know the routine – lots of people speak out against a detrimental project only to have their comments fall on deaf ears. How did our BCC come to abandon fair representation?
It began in 2020, when Commissioner Vanessa Baugh introduced a major sponsor of local political campaigns, developer Carlos Beruff, to political consultant Anthony Pedicini. Beruff has long been involved in Manatee politics where he is frequently accused of using campaign donations to effectively “bribe” commissioners to make decisions friendly to his development business.
Beruff and Pedicini formed a plan to take control of the county commission, Beruff funding several candidates while Pedicini acted as their consultant. They funneled tens of thousands of dollars into misleading attack ads smearing opponents. Their strategy paid off when Baugh was elected, along with developer-funded candidates George Kruse, Kevin Van Ostenbridge and James Satcher.
The new board majority hit the ground running. Likely under the direction of Beruff, they immediately fired our highly qualified county administrator and began the unprecedented move of completely reshaping county government. This new BCC’s goals were to consolidate power and eliminate all barriers to development, which became even easier when developers took the entire board in 2022.
The takeover was marred by scandals, mismanagement and corruption. Commissioners were investigated for theft, ethics violations and Sunshine Law violations. Baugh admitted to corruptly abusing her power to obtain COVID-19 vaccines and resigned shortly after to be replaced by former developer lobbyist Raymond Turner.
A FORK IN THE ROAD
The most prominent developer-controlled commissioner is Kevin Van Ostenbridge (aka KVO) who won a seat in 2020 and soon became board chair. Van Ostenbridge has unwaveringly served special interests who bankroll his campaigns. He has faced ethics complaints and potential Sunshine Law violations. In 2023, he served 90 days probation for theft of a bougainvillea plant. One of his biggest controversies is his attack on home rule in Holmes Beach and threats to build a parking garage against the community’s will.
Van Ostenbridge continuously shows contempt for those who oppose his actions, such as during the 2022 scandal where he called former Commissioner Besty Benac an obscene name. He provoked outrage again in a 2023 hearing when he called me a “political pawn” of “communists” due to my support of wetland protections. It was a stunning moment for me to realize that Van Ostenbridge did not care about his constituents, apparently viewing children as an obstacle to his agenda.
Another commissioner elected in 2020 was George Kruse. Then a political ally of Van Ostenbridge, Kruse often voted with the pro-developer block. He faced several high-profile controversies culminating in a car crash and accusations of driving under the influence in April 2022. Kruse denied the allegations and was never charged with DUI.
Since the incident, Kruse’s votes began to diverge from the board majority. “I heard the perception of me,” Kruse wrote in a recent Substack. “I saw the outrage against me. I spoke with people in our community and outside of it who were impacted by drunk driving. I took these to heart. I reevaluated my life with sincerity. I made a renewed vow to focus on doing the right things for the right reasons… I know I’m a substantially better person today as a result of April 2022. I can’t change the past. But I’ve made every effort to change the future.” Kruse has shown intelligence, humility and a willingness to learn. Despite mistakes, he has grown as a commissioner and become the voice of the public on an otherwise unhearing board.
Now Van Ostenbridge and Kruse are up for reelection, facing off in an unprecedented race between incumbent commissioners. Van Ostenbridge and Commissioner Raymond Turner are joined by Beruff and Pedicini’s two other candidates, Steven Metallo and April Culbreath, in running expensive developer-funded campaigns. Rather than engaging with the community ahead of the election, these candidates are relying on their unlimited funding and mass attack ads against their opponents.
Kruse joins Republican challengers Talha Siddique, Robert McCann and Carol Felts in contending against the status quo. Instead of taking developer money and churning out negative mailers, these candidates are running grassroots campaigns, talking with community members and promising a return to representation and responsible policy making.
THE TIPPING POINT
The impacts of bad governance are real and tragic. We have suffered from increasing traffic, irreversible loss of green space and degrading water quality. I have seen the collapse of seagrass meadows and the destruction of mangrove forests. Lyngbya algae choke waterways each spring, and red tides kill wildlife. One of the most awful things I’ve ever seen is dead sea turtles lying on the beach during red tide. It astounds and saddens me that our commissioners continue to let this happen.
If Van Ostenbridge and allies win this election, it will show that local politicians have to sell their souls to developers and turn a blind eye to the community’s suffering. Developers will maintain control of the BCC, and the public will continue to have little say in policymaking. The impacts on our community – the failing infrastructure, the traffic, water pollution and lost resources – will be irreversible. What will be left when my generation assumes responsibility for this land?
If, on the other hand, people wake up to the influence of developers and look past Pedicini’s misleading mailers, then we can turn things around. If Kruse and other community advocates win, it will prove that you can successfully run a clean, grassroots campaign. We can elect the candidates who promise to rebuild Manatee County’s government, restore integrity, and immediately work to save our county’s natural wonders.
I don’t have a vote, but as someone who will inherit the legacy of today’s decisions, I feel a responsibility to speak out. Now, it’s up to you to take back Manatee County from developers. How can you help? First, share this article. Everyone has to be informed about the state of Manatee politics if we are to turn things around. And make sure you vote on Aug. 20!
Here are the candidates I recommend.
DISTRICT 1: CAROL FELTS
Carol Felts is an eighth-generation Floridian who promises to fight over-development and conservatively steward tax dollars. Felts has been active in local politics for years, often speaking at commission hearings and advocating for community-friendly policies.
DISTRICT 3: TAHLA “TAL” SIDDIQUE
Tal Siddique served with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and has a record as a Republican community leader. He brings a focus on accountability, public safety and environmental protection.
DISTRICT 5: ROBERT “BOB” MCCANN
Dr. Bob McCann is a physician and veteran of the U.S. Navy. The most important issues for him are protecting our environment and improving the quality of life for residents. He is focused on protecting parkland, reducing overdevelopment and traffic and supporting local veterans.
DISTRICT 7: GEORGE KRUSE
Commissioner Kruse is the only incumbent commissioner with a history of fighting for the community rather than pandering to developer interests. He has successfully raised impact fees, supported veteran housing projects, and worked to rein in reckless development. Kruse’s record shows a responsible public servant deserving of a second term.
SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS: SCOTT FARRINGTON
Along with BCC races, the Supervisor of Elections is an essential race this year. Developer-controlled incumbent James Satcher has showed that he’s dangerously anti-democratic, making it imperative to vote for highly qualified challenger Scott Farrington. Farrington has over two decades of experience running elections. As a Certified Elections Administrator and Master Florida Certified Election Professional, he promises to bring integrity and security to the office.
ANNA MARIA – With indoor soccer cancelled for the kids last week, the gridiron was the only stage for local sports on Thursday night.
With the grass still damp from then-Tropical Storm Debby, six teams battled it out as the humidity and football matchups heated up the field. Team Prosper Bradenton forfeited their game against Fishing with Salty.
The Salty Printing squad won their fourth game of the season against Solid Rock Air Conditioning 27-25.
Christian Hampton was the main target of the Salty passers with five receptions, three for touchdowns. On defense, he finished the game with four flag pulls and an interception.
Also, with five catches for Salty Printing, Charles “Tuna” McCracken paired up with team captain Matt Manger to gain positive yardage. He threw for three TDs, while Manger had one scoring pass.
Salty’s Blake Balais was hit for a touchdown catch and four receptions, including an all-important one-point conversion. Hampton was the QB’s target for a successful two-point conversion.
The Salty point after plays made the difference between the win and a tie against Solid Rock Air Conditioning.
On the other side of the football, Balais had three stops and an interception. Teammates Cody Allen and Raul Loera made critical flag pulls, keeping the Solid Rock squad from advancing.
Loera’s extra point catch in week five and his continued defensive pressure exemplify his solid transition from a soccer threat to a soon-to-be flag football veteran.
Keeping the pressure on the Salty Printing passers, Travis Bates was credited with two sacks for Solid Rock. Veteran player Karri Stephens made five stops, while his teammates collectively had nine additional flag pulls.
Solid Rock’s defense kept them in the game with interceptions by Angelie Callazo and Zaon Williams. Callazo’s snagging of the Salty pass was taken to the end zone for six points.
Callazo and Williams each had one-point conversions for their team. Callazo’s came after a score by Stephens, and Williams found the endzone to complete the scoring series capped by Callazo’s touchdown.
Solid Rock’s touchdown passes came off the hands of Dominick Otteni and Williams.
After their loss in week five, Floridian Mortgage came back to dominate the second game of the night against Slim’s Place.
Quarterback Chase Richardson threw for five touchdowns. Tim Holly and Rex Kesten each had two TD catches, while teammate Zach Wyrick had one. Kesten and Wyrick added to their scoring stats with points after conversions.
Adding two points to the scoreboard with one-point conversions, Cory Banks and Jasmine Muldoon were Richardson’s intended receivers.
On defense, Holly sacked the Slim’s Place quarterback. Derrick Carey and Wyrick had an interception each.
With the 21-point mercy rule in place, the Floridian Mortgage defense was prohibited from rushing the Slim’s Place quarterback, Cruz Rodriguez, for most of the game.
Rodriguez threw one touchdown to Jaden Grant. Failing to convert after the TD, the final score was 34-6, with the Slim’s Place record going to 1-5-0.
One of the things I love about writing this column is that while I’m doing my research, I frequently stumble on things I never heard of and likely never would in my day-to-day life. This month I learned a new word, “brat.” Brat, of course, is not a new word; it generally refers to someone spoiled or childish. However, this version of it started with an English singer who I had never heard of either.
So, what does this have to do with real estate? If you don’t know, just ask any real estate professional who has worked with fussy buyers who have champagne taste on a beer budget. Dare I say, “brats.”
Part of the reason these buyers feel entitled is because the cost of starter homes has soared in many areas of the country to $1 million. There are more than 200 U.S. cities where buyers will find a price tag of $1 million or more on the typical starter home. The housing shortage that worsened over the pandemic has helped drive the cost of all homes to new heights.
Starter homes are generally defined as being those properties in the lowest third of home values in a given region. Currently, 237 cities in the country fall into this category with starter homes starting at $1 million. This is the most ever; five years ago, there were only 84 such cities.
Nationwide, the typical starter home is worth approximately $196,611, which is comfortably affordable for a median-income home. However, starter home values have grown 54.1% over the past five years, even more than the typical U.S. home in the same time frame, which shows 49.1% growth. This increase in value has delayed the first home purchase for many with the median age of a first-time buyer last year at 35, a year older than in 2019.
This research is from Zillow, which also gave us the names of the top five states with cities where you can find all these $1 million stater homes. The top of the list is California with 117 such cities; New York has 31 cities; New Jersey has 21 cities; and Florida and Massachusetts both have 11 cities each in this category.
Even though our property values are starting to level off, Manatee County, according to the June statistics, had single-family homes averaging $736,322. We’re definitely getting into brat territory. In general, homebuyers could have some good news after years of too much competition with an emerging balanced market. Interest rates for the first time are starting to get below 7% and builders are busy all over, adding to available properties.
If you just want to enjoy living your life and you don’t care what anyone else thinks, you’re a brat. If you’re carefree, messy and bold, you’re a brat. If you know what “brat coded” means, you are so a brat. And if you don’t get the “brat” thing, you are so out of it. Let’s hope our buyers aren’t brats and understand the value of our area where there are still a lot of carefree people living their lives on the beach who never heard of “brat.”
BRADENTON BEACH – Less than 24 hours after the Aug. 9 city closure of Shawn Kaleta’s four paid parking lots, the lots were reopened following the intervention of Kaleta’s attorney, Louis Najmy.
The paid parking lots at 101 Bridge St., 206 Bay Drive N., 207 Church Ave. and 102 Third St. N. were granted temporary use permits by the city commission subject to multiple stipulations, including the submission of a professionally drawn site plan to the city building official for approval.
Building Official Darin Cushing said most of those stipulations had not been fulfilled, and on Aug. 1, he sent Kaleta a letter that stated his intent to barricade the parking lots on Aug. 9 with a permanent closure deadline of Sept. 6 and revocation of the temporary use permit, if all the stipulations for city approval had not been satisfied by that time.
On Aug. 9, with police vehicles onsite, barriers were placed at the parking lot entrances, and the payment kiosks and signs were covered, but by Aug. 10 the parking lots were back in business.
Mayor John Chappie told The Sun on Aug. 10 that the barriers were not removed by city staff and that the process is currently in abatement, meaning temporarily suspended.
After a meeting on Monday morning among city officials to discuss how to proceed, Chappie said the issue remains “under review” by the city.
BUILDING OFFICIAL WEIGHS IN
“The applicants sent me some site plans via email earlier this week, but they are not satisfactory to meet the after-the-fact stipulations and requirements that were set forth by the commission,” Cushing wrote in an Aug. 9 email to The Sun. “They started to put in some of the landscaping around the Bridge Street lot, but again, they need to submit a site plan showing the landscaping and other items that were stipulated, get it approved and then do the work, in order to get final approval of the temporary use permits.
“I gave them until today to get that done. Though they keep assuring me that they are scrambling to get this done, it’s too little, too late at this point,” Cushing wrote in the email. “So yes, I will be shutting the lots down by close of business today. In the letter that was sent to the property owner, I also gave them until Friday, Sept. 6 to have everything completed and approved or we will then revoke the temporary use permits, and the signs, parking stops and everything related to the parking lots will have to be removed.”
“Darin (Cushing) is doing a great job and he has my support,” Chappie said.
KALETA’S ATTORNEY RESPONDS
“This was much ado about nothing. It was resolved in less than five hours,” Najmy wrote in an Aug. 10 text to The Sun, blaming the issue on “a miscommunication between departments at the city.”
Najmy said the process of closing the parking lots requires due process through the city’s code enforcement department.
“Actions to block access and possession and business operations require due process,” Najmy wrote. “We all want this. Totalitarian regimes outside of the U.S. don’t require due process but the U.S. and State of Florida do.”
Chappie said the city commission does have the right to revoke the temporary use permits. They were granted on Feb. 15 for 101 Bridge St. and on March 21 for the other three lots.
“Maybe the city had a different property than my client’s properties to close off, but the city certainly had no ability, nor as they told me any desire, to do this and after talking with the city leaders they confirmed the goal to continue working together to get these much-needed improvements and operations in place that Mr. Kaleta is generously investing for the entire city’s benefit,” Najmy wrote. “Although Mr. Kaleta suffered some financial loss from this error yesterday, he is contemplating working it out with the city, once again to the city’s benefit. He appreciated their cooperation so far on this matter.”
Kaleta’s parking lots have been up and running with parking rates of $15 an hour since February, illegally, according to the city.
“The actual permits have never been approved and are currently sitting in an under-review status,” Cushing wrote in the Aug. 1 letter to Kaleta. “Furthermore, the parking lots have all been in operation since February of this year, technically illegally, as they have never been approved by the Planning and Zoning Department.”
Cushing wrote that the applications for the temporary use permits were submitted after the fact, as the paid parking lots were all created and put into operation prior to any application being made to the department.
Najmy wrote that Kaleta plans to satisfy the outstanding stipulations as soon as possible.
“They respect the city’s desire and need for this. It will be done ASAP now that we have control back. It will be done right this time,” he wrote. “These stipulations require the outlay of money and, once again, Shawn is the only one willing to do that for the benefit of the improvement to the city but yet he gets attacked for doing so. It’s the classic case of the negative spirits biting the hand that feeds them.”
Easy Parking Group’s Josh LaRose contracted with Kaleta in January to run the parking enforcement and operations of the lots. On July 12, Kaleta terminated the contract with LaRose and on July 18, LaRose filed a lawsuit against Kaleta and Beach to Bay Investments Inc. claiming fraudulent misrepresentation, unjust enrichment and breach of agreement.
Hurricane Debby passed over Anna Maria Island on Sunday as a tropical storm, strengthening to a Category 1 hurricane by late evening and making landfall on Monday morning in north Florida, while still whipping AMI with its tail.
The Island was not placed under a mandatory evacuation order, although evacuation was encouraged by Manatee County Emergency Operations staff. Power to the Island was not intentionally turned off to encourage people to voluntarily evacuate, but power outages, false fire alarms and flooded roads affected the Island.
No serious injuries were reported as of press time.
Bradenton Beach Police Chief John Cosby reported that roads were flooded and trees were down on Monday morning, and that Debby damaged the floating dock and the police boat at the Bradenton Beach Pier.
Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy reported flooding on the north end of the city, with saltwater from Tampa Bay breaching seawalls. Pine Avenue was without power Monday morning, as well as other parts of the city, and Sen. Jim Boyd escalated power outage response. Murphy also said that sightseers caused problems driving through flooded streets, which can push water into homes.
Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth said the city weathered the storm well despite some flooding. A tree fell on Marina Drive on Monday and police were able to move it and reopen the road; another tree tell on Sunday in the 6800 block of Palm Drive and police used chainsaws to remove the tree and reopen the road. Police Chief Bill Tokajer said the city fared well, but still had roads with standing water on Monday morning.
FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance is available to Florida residents resulting from Debby.
Nearly 12 inches of rain was reported at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport on Sunday, a record daily rainfall.
While the surf stood up on its hind legs off Anna Maria Island, Hurricane Debby dumped band after band of rain, flooding area roads - and sea turtle nests. - Cindy Lane | Sun
Hurricane Debby approaches Anna Maria Island with clouds over Coquina Beach. - Submitted | Let's Go Mega Waterslides and Obstacle Courses
