HOLMES BEACH – The race to fill two commission seats and the mayoral seat on the dais is underway in Anna Maria Island’s largest city. Though the election is still months away on Nov. 5, candidates are already raising money for their campaigns.
COMMISSION CANDIDATES
In the race to fill the two city commission seats up for grabs, former Holmes Beach commissioner and mayor and former Manatee County commissioner Carol Whitmore is leading the pack in fundraising with a total of $3,355.80 raised as of press time for The Sun. Some of her notable backers include former Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Michael Bennett, former Manatee County Administrator Cheri Coryea, Manatee County District 3 Commission candidate Tal Siddique, Island Realtor Darcie Duncan, and long-time Anna Maria former resident and philanthropist Bob Carter. Whitmore is her own largest contributor, loaning $1,200 to her campaign fund with $823.86 in expenditures, the bulk of that for signs.
Holmes Beach Planning Commissioner and city commission candidate Steve Oelfke comes in second in fundraising with $725 in financial contributions and $3 in-kind contributions. In addition to the $600 he loaned his campaign, Oelfke has received the financial support of Holmes Beach Commissioners Terry Schaefer and Carol Soustek. His $83.80 in expenses went to qualifying and bank fees.
Incumbent candidate Commissioner Dan Diggins has raised $400 with support from Schaefer and resident Richard Motzer, along with a $200 loan from himself. His $80.80 expenditures all went to the qualifying fee to run for office.
Candidate Bill Romberger’s $300 in contributions come solely from a loan to his campaign with the only expenditure being the $80.80 qualifying fee.
MAYORAL CANDIDATES
Incumbent Mayor Judy Titsworth has raised $6,150 for her campaign with $1,598.33 in expenditures. Her campaign financial reports show significant support from Holmes Beach Commissioner Greg Kerchner, Commissioner Pat Morton and local veterinarian William Bystrom, as well as a $1,000 loan to her campaign.
Her strongest supporters with a combined $3,000 in donations are Island businesses Island Bazaar, Fish Hole and Bridge Street Bazaar, all owned by former Bradenton Beach Commissioner Jake Spooner and his family. In a talk with The Sun, Titsworth said that while Spooner hasn’t financially supported her campaigns in the past, she’s grateful for the monetary support to help further her campaign on the platforms of fighting against overdevelopment and government overreach on the Island. Her primary expenditures have been for a campaign website and signs.
Her opponent, political newcomer Mike Roth, has raised $2,958.50 in campaign contributions with $377.06 in expenditures, primarily for website services and door tags. His primary contributors are Holmes Beach resident and consultant John Reed, Tampa marketing business owner James Hug and Holmes Beach resident Thomas Rushmore.
BRADENTON BEACH – A city-threatened shutdown of the paid parking lot at 101 Bridge St. prompted its management to begin to fix one long-standing issue, but due to non-compliance with other city requirements, a temporary closure of the lot may still be imminent, according to the city’s building official.
The property, owned by developer Shawn Kaleta, has been operational since earning commission approval in February for temporary use as a paid parking lot. That approval by the commission was conditional on stipulations, including the submission of a site plan, that have not been fulfilled, according to city officials.
“I gave them until last Friday, July 12 to get things tightened up, or we would barricade off the lot and not allow it to be used for parking until there was progress being made to rectify these issues,” Bradenton Beach Building Official Darin Cushing wrote in a July 15 email to The Sun. “The representative immediately responded and began working toward resolution and has been in daily contact with myself and the code enforcement officer, therefore we did not shut them down.”
On July 8, Cushing sent Kaleta’s representative, Sam Negrin, the following email:
“The Temporary Use Parking Lot is getting out of hand, yet again. If several issues are not addressed ASAP, we will be forced to barricade and close off the parking lot until they are addressed.
“First and foremost, the artesian well onsite is once again leaking and spreading water all over the lot, and down the street toward the Bay. It needs to be PERMANENTLY capped off immediately, not just temporarily.
“Electronic pay station kiosks have recently been added without any permitting. We were supposed to have been provided with a final site plan for the entire lot months ago as a condition of the temporary use that was approved in February.
“Again, we need a true site plan, prepared by a civil engineer, showing all of the dimensions, number and location of parking spaces, location of the added slabs, location of the pay kiosks and other signage, ingress and egress (traffic circulation), the post and rope that was installed, and anything else that has been added or modified since the lot(s) were vacant. A hand or computer-generated ‘sketch’ won’t cut it, we need a site plan.
“This parking lot has been in operation for five months now, during which time we have had to continually address the well issue. We’ve also asked multiple times for a site plan to be prepared and turned in for the temporary use permit file.
“Please make these things happen. If they have not, by close of business on Friday (7/12/24) of this week, the lot will be shut down, and the area barricaded permanently, and the temporary use permit revoked. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.”
“After I sent them the email, they did contract with someone to cap the artesian well. It’s been leaking for a long time,” Cushing said on July 16. “I still don’t have a site plan and there are other issues that haven’t been taken care of. I still may be shutting it down temporarily in the next few days until these things are done.”
Cushing said the artesian well is next to Florida Power and Light equipment and the repairs to the well need to be coordinated with the power company.
“That well needs to be dug deep,” he said.
UNMET STIPULATIONS
On Feb. 15, the city commission voted unanimously to approve the one-year temporary use permit for paid parking at the lot which encompasses 101 Bridge St., 105 Bridge St., 219 Gulf Drive S., and 106 Third St. S. with the following conditions:
• No ingress or egress from Bridge Street;
• Parking layout in accordance with the city’s land development code for parking drive aisle, parking bumpers and directional arrows;
• Turtle-friendly lighting at the lot management’s discretion;
• Landscaping buffering around the perimeter;
• Installation of a sidewalk on the north side of Third Street to Gulf Drive and Bridge Street at the corner of Gulf Drive to the boundaries of the Daiquiri Deck property;
• Installation of a concrete slab for trolley benches;
• CRA black and white signage; and
• ADA requirements by state and federal law for any parking spaces with a detailed site plan to the satisfaction of the building official.
In addition to the site plan not having been produced to the city, there currently exists ingress and egress from the lot to and from Bridge Street, landscape buffering has not been installed, no directional arrows are in place and the required sidewalks and concrete slab have not been installed.
Despite a statement made by Negrin at the February meeting that there would be no overnight parking at the lot, a food truck has been parked there for at least the past week.
Neither Negrin nor Kaleta responded to The Sun’s request for comment.
CHANGE IN MANAGEMENT
The parking lot was, up until the past week, managed by Easy Parking Group of Sarasota before the contract was terminated by Kaleta and new kiosks were put in place.
The new kiosks, which now say “Island Parking” show a parking rate of $15 per hour.
Josh LaRose, owner of Easy Parking Group, declined to comment on details of the termination.
“We did not do anything to default the contract with Shawn,” LaRose wrote in a July 16 email to The Sun.
LaRose wrote he was not responsible for the maintenance of the parking lot.
“My contract states that I’m only responsible for parking management, collecting payment and enforcement, which is what my company does,” he wrote.
During the February commission meeting, Negrin had stated that LaRose would hold the insurance on the property. With LaRose no longer affiliated with the management of the parking lot, it’s unclear who, if anyone, is carrying insurance.
CANCELED TAX SALE
A tax deed sale for past due property taxes on 101 Bridge St. was scheduled for Sept. 19 and according to the www.manatee.realforeclose.com website, the sale was canceled and the property was redeemed.
The assessed value of the property was listed at $1,086,406 and the opening bid for the tax sale was listed as $67,512.85 with 205 Sycamore LLC as the listed property owner. The manager of that LLC is Shawn Kaleta and the registered agent is Najmy Thompson, a Bradenton-based law firm.
ANNA MARIA – The summer heat was matched by the heat on The Center’s indoor soccer floor as Island area youth finished the fifth week of play this week. In the six-game regular season, last week’s action brought the teams in the two age group leagues closer to the playoffs and the championship game.
On top for the 8- to 10-year-old league is team Positive Ways, remaining undefeated after week 4. With one win each, Gulf Drive Café, Shady Lady Horticultural Services and Solid Rock Construction continue to vie for the big win and title at the end of the season. Team Progressive Cabinetry is still seeking its first win of the season.
In last Wednesday night’s games, Sebastian Cordova had the hot foot with four goals and an assist for the Positive Waves team. Teammate Ryan Greenberg added two points to the scoreboard for his team. Defensively, Silas Whitehead made seven critical stops to help with the win.
Shady Lady’s solo goal was scored by Harbor Smoljanovich.
Scoring by Leo Burns and Joseph Caballero completed the nine total goals for Gulf Drive Café, each player with an assist. Goalkeeper Titus Moss had six saves in the game for his team.
Rafa Price got four shots past Moss, while Everly Chaplinsky and Ellison Maynard added another three points to the stat sheet for Progressive Cabinetry. Protecting his team’s goal, Easton Freeman is credited with 14 saves against the Gulf Drive offense.
In the 11- to 14-year-old league, team AMI Outfitters entered week five play with a 3-0-1 record, topping the ranks for the older age group. Jiffy Lube is short one win over the leader with Solid Rock Construction hot on their heels.
The Cloud Pest Control team continues to work hard on the indoor soccer pitch to earn their first win of the season.
Ending the game in a 4-4 tie, Solid Rock Construction and Cloud Pest Control met up on the indoor pitch in the first match-up of the week in the older age group. Team AMI Outfitters won against Jiffy Lube by a single goal, closing out the scoring at 7-6.
With playoffs one week away, the summer heat pales to fast-paced action at The Center in the youth indoor soccer leagues.
Are you hot yet? Are you always saying, “Next summer I’m going to a cooler climate?” Are you starting to feel like you’ll never see 60 degrees again? Well, maybe it’s time to log on to a house-swapping website.
House swapping has been around for a long, long time, even before it actually had a name. Friends and relatives frequently swapped their homes with other friends and family members without getting involved in a structured arrangement. With people you know well, leaving your pet, car, plants and a stocked refrigerator is easy. It’s when you’re swapping with perfect strangers that the anxiety level is elevated.
If your cousin, Sally, is offering you her 600-square-foot cottage in the woods in Vermont in exchange for your Gulf-front 1500-square-foot condo in Florida, it may not be exactly what you’re looking for. You do, however, have other options as long as you’re flexible and willing to take a chance.
The home-swapping platforms People Like Us and HomeExchange are just two of many other programs you can review. They boast a combined membership of almost 200,000 members and growing annually since the cost of travel has gone up during the past four years. These platforms charge annual fees starting at about $100.
Because of the advanced internet, Zoom and the worldwide availability of Facetime, you can actually get to know the people you’re swapping with. After all, if you can get a medical diagnosis on Zoom and find a date for your friend’s wedding why not meet new people and tour their home?
Most swappers entering into this arrangement are not casual travelers. They are sophisticated and frequently worldly, making them flexible when something goes wrong. And this process can be a long-range commitment, giving both parties time to get to know each other and get comfortable with the property and firm up a date.
Most of the properties available for swapping are either primary homes or second homes, therefore, there will likely be personal items, family photos and collections left by the owners. Owners frequently will lock up valuables or more personal things including clothes for their return in a separate storage area.
If you’re thinking of swapping your home and it includes your vehicle, boat, skimobile or other items not within the home you need to be alert that your current vacation rental insurance may not cover these extras. It is possible to get supplemental insurance that either you or the person coming in pays for, but it is essential to research this and make sure both sides of the transaction are adequately covered.
Finally, as we who live in Florida know, condominium rules strictly govern rental of units. These restrictions can be anything from the number of days you can rent, adequate insurance coverage and completion of an application with names of all individuals using the unit for a specific period of time in addition to a rental fee.
All of this may sound complicated, but once you do it, it’s the same process every time. Most swappers love it, but it does require a fair amount of faith and flexibility. Starting slow and local before you venture around the world is probably the best advice I read in my research.
Humans are nothing if not creative, especially Americans who have been infused with entrepreneurial ideas and an independent spirit since this country began. Use your creativity to cool off during the long, hot summer and explore other countries. It’s the American way.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Ed Chiles, the owner of Chiles Hospitality, is selling the Sandbar Seafood & Spirits restaurant in Anna Maria, the Beach House Waterfront Restaurant in Bradenton Beach and the Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub in Longboat Key to the Pinellas County-based Beachside Hospitality group.
Beachside Hospitality is also buying the Anna Maria Bake House and Chiles Hospitality’s events department. No sales price was disclosed.
Beachside Hospitality owns and operates Crabby’s Bar & Grill, Crabby’s Hideaway, Crabby’s On The Pass, Crabby’s Dockside, The Salty Crab Bar & Grill and Salty’s Island Bar & Grille in Pinellas County. The group also owns and operates similarly-themed restaurants in Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach, St. Cloud, St. Augustine, Fort Pierce and Fort Myers Beach.
Chiles Hospitality announced the pending sale in a July 17 press release. The sale is scheduled to close on July 29, with Colliers International representing Chiles Hospitality in the sale.
“This has been a difficult decision, but I know it’s time for me to move on. I am passing the torch to new owners who understand the value of our employees and who will carry on the legacy that our team has built together,” Chiles said in the press release. “I leave knowing that the work our team has done together is one of the greatest experiences of my life and we have made a measurable and positive impact in our community.”
Chiles founded Chiles Hospitality in 1979 when he, his father – former Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles – and two partners bought the Sandbar restaurant in Anna Maria. Chiles Hospitality acquired and later renovated the Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant in Longboat Key in 1989 and the Beach House Waterfront Restaurant in Bradenton Beach in 1993. Chiles Hospitality established the Anna Maria Bake House scratch-artisan bakery within the Beach House in 2018.
The Sandbar Restaurant in Anna Maria. – Cindy Lane | Sun
The press release notes the majority of Chiles Hospitality’s 350 restaurant employees have been asked to continue in their current roles.
The Beach House Waterfront Restaurant in Bradenton Beach. – Cindy Lane | Sun
Chiles Hospitality itself is not being sold and the press release notes Chiles Hospitality will continue to operate the 26-acre Gamble Creek Farms organic farming operations in Parrish.
Beachside Hospitality’s plans
This map shows where the Beachside Hospitality Group’s restaurants are located. – Beachside Hospitality Group | Submitted
The press release notes that Beachside Hospitality has over 20 years of experience in the restaurant business and currently oversees 13 restaurants in eight Florida cities. This is the group’s first business venture in Manatee County.
Julia Cassino serves as the Beachside Hospitality’s director of marketing and events. When contacted by The Sun today, she said Beachside Hospitality has not yet issued a press release or an official statement regarding the pending purchase and plans to do so after the sale is finalized on July 29.
“We are excited about this amazing new venture and coming into Manatee County, Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key,” she said.
“We do not have any current plans to change anything regarding the names or the styles of the restaurants. They are each established entities and each have their own feel. We have no plans to change that. Ed has done a fantastic job building these businesses into what they are today and we have no plans to change any of that. We want to continue the legacy he’s created,” Cassino said.
“We’re keeping the staffs and we have two long-tenured members of our team who are currently overseeing locations in Pinellas and Volusia counties who are moving to the area to oversee the transition,” she added.
“We’re looking forward to seeing what we can continue on with Ed’s brand and how we can possibly elevate it into something even better. We do not plan to make any drastic changes. The guests will not notice the changes and it should be a smooth transition,” Cassino said.
Chiles speaks
Ed Chiles has spent 45 years operating waterfront restaurants on Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key. – Chiles Hospitality | Submitted
Chiles was 25 when he, his dad and two partners bought the Sandbar. Forty-five years later, he’s moving on.
During a phone interview with The Sun today, Chiles addressed his decision to sell and his future plans.
“Forty-five years of being in this business feels about right. I started thinking about this seriously about a year and a half ago and I came to the realization that I shouldn’t try for 50. I have my health. I’m really proud of what we’ve done. I’ve got a new grandson who’s 2 1/2 years old that I want to spend more time with. It’s just time,” Chiles said.
“I know it’s the right thing to do. I will miss it terribly. I will miss the people, the staff, our teams and I will miss the guests and the generations of families we’ve served and formed friendships with. I’ll miss being there on the beach ‘conducting the orchestra,’ getting in the chef’s way, working with the food and developing recipes. There’s so many different aspects of this,” Chiles said.
“The Post-COVID era has made a tough business even tougher, but during the last six months our company has never run better, our leadership teams have never been stronger, our numbers have never been better and it feels great to go out on top.
“I’d love to be around to open the retail operation at the Sandbar, where we’re tripling the size, and the take-out section and the renovation we’re doing on the southside is going to be so exciting with the empanadas, the menu, and the drinks we’ll serve there, but it’s time. I love the idea of going out on top. It feels right, even though there’s a whole lot of emotions,” he said.
“I’m really going to miss the people, but a door shuts and another one opens. I want my last lap to be about building soil. I want to be working at the farm. I want to be working on the environment, coastal resiliency, the bivalves (oysters and clams), seagrass and promoting sustainable seafood and I’ve got some new things I’m taking on in those regards.
“I don’t want to fret about the next hurricane, red tide or pandemic or election. It’ll be nice to have that weight off my shoulders. I don’t know what that will feel like because I’ve been so used to it. My step will be a little lighter. We’re on the edge of the world where we are and that comes with things that can bite you. I won’t have to worry about that anymore,” Chiles said.
Varied plans
Chiles remains involved with multiple cannabis businesses in Tennessee and with a group opening a restaurant in Nashville this week. He remains a partner in the Poppo’s Taqueria businesses originally founded in Anna Maria, he’s a partner in a mushroom business and he’s exploring other sustainability-related business endeavors.
Chiles Hospitality will still own and operate the paid parking lot along Gulf Drive in Anna Maria. Chiles will continue to own and lease out the old post office plaza on Gulf Drive and he also has two commercial properties on Pine Avenue.
“There’s 17 properties that I’ll still own, not including the farm. There’s plenty of stuff to still look after,” he said. They’re not buying Chiles Hospitality. They’re buying the assets, the restaurants and the land. Chiles Hospitality will keep going with the farm and the other things we work on.”
Longtime Chiles Hospitality group CEO Chuck Wolfe will continue serving in that role.
“Chuck’s my CEO and he will stay with me. Chuck’s the guy that navigated all this (the sale). The new owners are taking virtually everybody else and I’m delighted. I think our folks can learn some things from the new owners and I hope they can learn some things from our team about our culture, our work with sustainable seafood and our work in the community. I’m optimistic about that.”
Chiles and his wife, Tina, will remain Anna Maria residents.
“I don’t have any plans to leave Anna Maria Island. I love it here. I don’t remember ever not being in Anna Maria. I was here in utero. We came here every summer from Lakeland. I’ll spend parts of the summer in Montana, in August and September when it’s not fit to be in Florida. I’ll be hip-deep in a trout stream. I’ll be traveling, spending more time with my grandson and ‘Ms. Tina’ and pursuing the sustainable initiatives with bivalves, seagrass and with the farm, building soil,” Chiles said.
In closing, Chiles said, “I’m a lucky guy who got out of school with a political science degree and had to find a way to make a living. My dad approached me about putting a group together to buy a restaurant in Anna Maria, where we had always spent our summers.
“Before buying the Sandbar, I spent a season working in the kitchen at the legendary Joe’s Stone Crab restaurant in Miami Beach in 1978. A month later, we bought the Sandbar. I worked under a manager for six months and then I took over. Since then, I’ve been in paradise doing what I love: serving people.”
BRADENTON BEACH – At a colony of 45 least terns, eight chicks vary in ages from one to four weeks and the oldest chicks are gaining their flight feathers and practicing flying.
On July 8, shorebird monitor Kathy Doddridge witnessed the first chick taking several solo flights over the Gulf of Mexico.
According to a release from Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, the remaining chicks are extremely mobile and can be seen using the “Chick Crossing” signs as shade.
“Their tiny footprints indicate they are moving outside the enclosure and even down to the water line,” according to the release. “Beachgoers are asked to watch for chicks that may decide to explore outside the posted area. Do not pick them up and move them. Allow the least tern adults to call the chicks back into the enclosure.”
The colony has 22 nests and three birds are sitting on eggs. Those eggs are expected to hatch by the end of July.
Chicks are using both washed-up seaweed and chick huts as shelter. The chick huts also protect the chicks from predators such as fish crows and laughing gulls. With assistance from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), fish crow effigies were installed inside the enclosure to deter crows from stealing eggs from the remaining nests.
Members of Turtle Watch and the Manatee County Audubon Society volunteered as beach stewards over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. They educated hundreds of visitors and residents about the importance of protecting these threatened shorebirds.
BRADENTON BEACH – Upon seeing a group of six people digging around a marked turtle nest at the south end of Coquina Beach on Saturday, two early morning walkers did exactly what they were supposed to do – contact authorities.
“We saw a group of people digging with their hands into the nest. They were laughing and taking selfies and when we told them that it was illegal they became really rude,” one of the observers said.
The observers, Charlotte and Teri, contacted the Bradenton Beach Police Department non-emergency line.
“If they would have said, ‘Sorry, we didn’t know,’ I would have walked away, but instead they continued on to disturb two more nests,” Teri said.
An officer came out and contacted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
“There were four women and two men,” Charlotte said. “One of the women was put in handcuffs.”
After about an hour, FWC officers arrived, the women said.
“FWC showed up and I showed them the nests and he said he wanted me to sign the report,” Teri said. “When the other FWC gentlemen came over, they had a conference and said I didn’t need to sign a report, because there was no wet sand, even though you can clearly see the nest they disturbed.”
Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella was notified of the incident and sent a volunteer out to check the nests.
“What that tells me about the wet sand is that they didn’t dig too deeply because the sand below the surface is wet,” she said. “But you should never put your hands inside a turtle nest enclosure.”
Sea turtles are protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act and Florida’s Marine Turtle Protection Act. According to Florida law, no one may harass, disturb, take, move, sell, damage, destroy, injure or kill any marine turtle, hatchling, egg or nest.
In an email request by The Sun for comment on the incident, FWC Public Information Officer Bradley Johnson wrote the following:
“On July 13, 2024, The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Bradenton Beach Police Department, and an FWC biologist responded to a report of a sea turtle nest disturbance on Coquina Beach. Once on scene FWC officers and biologists surveyed the nests and did not locate any evidence of the nests having been disturbed. FWC officers also spoke to the individuals who were near the nests and educated them on sea turtle nests and their protections.”
Mazzarella said the two women did the right thing by contacting authorities.
“Each of the three cities has a non-emergency telephone line,” she said. “The number for FWC is posted at each nest.”
If you see people disturbing turtles, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922), or call:
• City of Anna Maria code enforcement — 941-708-6130, ext. 111.
• City of Bradenton Beach code enforcement — 941-778-1005, ext. 227.
• City of Holmes Beach code enforcement — 941-778-0331, ext. 260.
On July 14, I had the pleasure of working with Damon Moore from Oyster River Ecology (ORE) and a film crew from the Ringling College digital filmmaking program to document and install 1,050 vertical oyster garden anchors (VOGAs) on ORE’s restoration aquaculture lease site known as the Eileen Reef in the upper Manatee River. This 10-acre site is the beginning of an effort to bring bivalve restoration to a scale that can noticeably clean local waters. The following is the schedule that Moore set up for the day’s effort.
• 7 a.m. – ORE boat only; tow VOGAs on work floats over to Eileen Reef from Colony Cove staging area (staged the day before).
• 8:30 a.m. – Make final go or no go call on the weather. (The weather was perfect!)
• 9:30 a.m. – Everyone:
– Arrive at Fort Hamer Boat Ramp;
– Confirm participants have signed waivers;
– Safety meeting/questions/etc.
• 10 a.m. – All boats depart Fort Hamer Boat Ramp for Eileen Reef
• 10:30 a.m.
– Arrive at Eileen Reef and anchor boats at the staked-out area.
– Provide task instructions
• 11 a.m. – Work as a team to install 1,050 VOGAs within the marked area.
• 12:30 p.m. – Complete installation and enjoy snacks/drinks/lunch. Please bring your own.
• 1 p.m. – Depart Eileen Reef for Fort Hamer Boat Ramp. ORE boat to return work floats and empty bins to Colony Cove staging area then return to Fort Hamer Boat Ramp.
• 1:30 p.m. – Arrive at Fort Hamer Boat Ramp and group dismiss.
• 3-4 p.m. – Damon to retrieve the cargo trailer and floats from the Colony Cove staging area.
Vessels used in the project included ORE’s 18.4 coastal skiff, which was used to tow the work floats with VOGAs to the site, the Suncoast Waterkeeper (SCWK) patrol boat with board members Rob Brown and Orion Morton, which carried the camera crew, their equipment and several volunteers, and Mike Elswick, who brought a boat with SCUBAnauts volunteers.
The planting was a huge success, and everyone was impressed with the speed with which volunteers worked.
The last time I did a column about property appraisals was almost four years ago in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic when the real estate market was all over the place and a fair appraisal was difficult to achieve. Fast forward to 2024 and things haven’t changed that much. An accurate appraisal is still difficult for some of the same reasons.
In 2020, property values were soaring as a result of people relocating to Florida during COVID and inventory was scarce. We still have some of that going on with values up and inventory low, although the inventory aspect is beginning to level off.
Whether you are buying a new home, refinancing your existing home loan, or selling your home, it’s important to assess the value of the property. A buyer’s lender uses an appraisal not only to assess the value of the property but also to determine such things as your interest rate and required down payment.
The property appraiser is only looking at the value of the property. Whether or not a buyer personally qualifies for the mortgage being applied for is secondary to the value of the property. However, the appraiser’s final value determination has a very profound effect on the mortgage being approved. For example, if the appraisal comes in short it will dictate the amount of mortgage the buyer will be approved for. In this case, the lender may ask for additional funds as a down payment from the buyer or ask the buyer to renegotiate the sale price, lowering the amount of the required mortgage. This is why the job of an independent appraiser is so important.
The appraisal fee is billed to the buyer and becomes part of their closing costs. The buyer is also entitled to a copy of the appraisal, which should be reviewed by the buyer for accuracy. Although appraisers are professionals who generally stand by their final analysis, they can make mistakes in square footage, lot size, updates, omissions and other provable details that could influence the property’s value.
In addition, one of the biggest disagreements on property appraisals is the comparable properties the appraiser has used to support the value. Since appraisers rarely go into a property for sale or one that has just closed, they can only decide by driving by and reading listing information. If you feel the value is incorrect and the appraiser will not make an adjustment, there are government resources where a complaint can be filed, especially if this is preventing the mortgage from being approved.
According to the National Association of Realtors, a critical issue impacting appraisals is appraiser shortages, similar to so many other job-related shortages businesses are experiencing. There are stringent educational requirements and regulations that add to the ability to recruit more appraisers. However, I recently read that appraisers are among the highest-paying trade jobs this year with a median income of over $64,000. I have met many appraisers and, in my opinion, it is a very nice career, especially if you have an interest in the real estate market, have a friendly personality and are computer savvy.
Appraisers are mandated to develop a report that is impartial, objective and represents an independent opinion of the value of the property. This is why home appraisals have always been more of an art than a science, now more than ever.
To err is human, the old axiom goes, and we Republicans proved ourselves all too human in 2020 when we put Kevin Van Ostenbridge (KVO) on the Manatee County Board of Commissioners (commission). Now, in 2024, we have the opportunity to prove ourselves insane, as well, by doing it all over again.
Van Ostenbridge currently holds the commission’s District 3 (Dist-3) seat, meaning it was Dist-3 residents, me included, who voted him onto the commission in 2020. Dist-3 covers Cortez, the three Anna Maria Island cities, the Palma Sola area, and the northwest part of Bradenton.
When Van Ostenbridge filed his election papers early this year, they were for his Dist-3 seat.
Then, in late May, KVO announced he had terminated his Dist-3 campaign and was now running for the commission District 7 (Dist-7) seat. Dist-7 covers all of Manatee County. What happened was, KVO and April Culbreath, a friend and ally of his, had swapped election campaigns. So he is the Dist-7 candidate now, and she is running for his Dist-3 seat. Culbreath, you may have read, carries some interesting baggage herself.
The reason for the KVO-Culbreath switcheroo is Van Ostenbridge knows his chances of rewinning the Dist-3 seat are nil. He misrepresented himself to Dist-3 voters in 2020, and his conduct these past four years has so angered Dist-3 communities and residents that most Dist-3 voters – people of all political stripes – can hardly wait to throw the bum out.
Because commission Dist-7 has approximately five times more residents than Dist-3, Van Ostenbridge figures its commission seat is one he can win. The disdain he has earned for his Dist-3 blunders and plunders will be diluted considerably in Dist-7’s much larger voter base. Also, KVO will have the financial and other support of his posse (those he controls) and those who control him. Money is no object for many of them, and money yields votes (and, as we painfully know, pays for scurrilous campaign ads).
Van Ostenbridge also figures that, should he win the Aug. 20 commission Dist-7 Republican primary election, the November general election is his to lose. Unfortunately, I have to agree with him on this, and many others do as well.
In fact, I am hearing that a sizable number of you Democrats and No Party Affiliations have changed your voter registrations to Republican so you, too, can vote on Aug. 20 to end KVO’s reign.
Hopefully, more of you will do the same – enough more to ensure George Kruse, KVO’s Republican opponent and the current Dist-7 seat holder, wins the Dist-7 Republican primary election.
If you too wish to vote in the Aug. 20 Republican Dist-7 primary, the deadline for changing voter registrations to Republican is this July 22. You can change yours easily online, and then back again after Aug. 20 (as you know, in the November general election you can vote for any candidate on the general election ballot you like, regardless of your and his or her party affiliation).The Election Office web address is: https://www.votemanatee.com/. Its helpline number is: 941-741-3823.
Also, if you wish to vote by mail in the Aug. 20 Republican primary, the deadline for enrolling in the Election Office’s VBM directory is Aug. 8. This can be done online or by telephone (to remain active in the VBM directory, you must reenroll every two years).
Back in 2020, when Van Ostenbridge was running for his commission Dist-3 seat, his campaign rhetoric was similar to what it is now. In short, KVO said he was a principled, free-market conservative, detests government waste, wants Manatee County to run more businesslike, and will work with fellow commissioners to find common-sense solutions to residents’ problems. This sounded good, but what a crock of brown gumbo algae it turned out to be!
Upon joining the commission, Van Ostenbridge essentially declared himself the new sheriff in town and bullied his way into the powerful chairman position. Then, poof, Campaign KVO, the would-be principled conservative, became Commission Chair KVO, an unabashed, spend-happy, crony-capitalist. And the constituents whose problems he said he would work to solve? Well, they obviously are not us ordinary and regular tax-paying residents.
Thus, it comes as no surprise Van Ostenbridge’s developer/builder cronies and other real estate-industry benefactors have amassed for him a huge 2024 campaign fund. Per June 25 Election Office records, it is $234,300 so far, a staggering sum for county-level elections. It is four times more than what the other two Dist-7 candidates have received, combined.
Ergo, one cannot help wondering if some of Van Ostenbridge’s various misfeasances and malfeasances can be explained by the generosity of his big-money campaign benefactors.
Especially things KVO has done or promoted that otherwise make no sense at all, such as the notorious Manatee Beach parking garage.
The garage is the $40-$45-million, multi-level, pay-to-park parking garage that Van Ostenbridge is clamoring to erect on the sands of beautiful Manatee Beach in the island City of Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island. KVO justifies this parking garage on the unsupported notion that this beach is underused due to a shortage of convenient, publicly-available parking spaces that prevents off-island County residents and visitors from using and enjoying the beach on weekend and other high-use beach days.
Van Ostenbridge knows this unsupported notion is false. Knowledgeable officials and KVO’s own eyes tell him the predominant impediment to off-islanders using Manatee Beach on high-use beach days is the terrible, bumper-to-bumper, snail-pace-or-worse traffic they face just getting over to Anna Maria Island. Moreover, this geographically small neighborhood beach is not underused. On high-use beach days, with “just” the 425 onsite parking spaces it currently has, the beach typically is packed shoulder-to-shoulder and umbrella-to-umbrella with beachgoers.
It is no wonder commission Dist-3 residents and others are so angry about the garage.
It will make a terrible traffic situation substantially worse, congestion-wise and public-safety-wise; it will sully the natural pristine beauty of this Gulf Coast beach; it will put the beach’s iconic, uberpopular beachfront establishments out of business; it will eliminate all 425 existing fee-free onsite parking spaces; and, during its projected two-year-plus construction phase, there will be no onsite parking opportunities at all.
Although the animosity created by the garage is reason enough for Van Ostenbridge to cancel his Dist-3 campaign and pursue George Kruse’s Dist-7 seat, KVO is also vindictive. Kruse has angered KVO by raising important questions that beg for answers before the county proceeds any further with the garage. Shame on Kruse to want the county to run itself businesslike.
In closing, I will leave you with another old axiom: Every vote counts. And in an election as close as the Aug. 20 commission Dist-7 Republican primary threatens to be, every vote is important. Van Ostenbridge has had his way with our county long enough, so let us work together to stop the hurt now.
And let us commission Dist-3 residents combine forces to see that Van Ostenbridge’s ally and proxy, April Culbreath, loses her Aug. 20 commission Dist-3 Republican primary election to her opponent, Tal Siddique.
The right to free speech is protected by the First Amendment. It’s a long-held Constitutional right cherished by Americans and is the foundation of a free press.
The vandals who took over the Capitol building in Washington D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021, said they were exercising that right. But they went beyond the boundaries of the law that protects free speech and peaceable demonstration, descending into the realms of anarchy and crime. One of them, from Bradenton, was sentenced last week to 18 months in prison.
The shooting of former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania political rally on Saturday descended even further into the criminal realm; had the gunman survived, he would likely have been charged with attempted murder.
Taking over government buildings and attempting assassinations used to be ideological horrors that happened in “other” countries whose names and boundaries were always changing and whose presidents were always fleeing.
The U.S. is not baseball, apple pie and ’57 Chevys anymore, if it ever was. King and the Kennedys changed everything. But all of us – Democrats, Republicans and everyone in between – can surely agree that extremist minorities on either side don’t speak for the majority, that a young man’s murderous decision does not define a party, or a nation, and that using free speech rights to incite hatred, fear and distrust will only ensure more of the same.
It’s time to reset and turn our ideological devices back on.
If we’re lucky, the Constitution – or, at least, common sense – will be the first thing that pops up on our search engines.
Interim Manatee County Supervisor of Elections James Satcher thinks voters who switch their party affili ation to participate in closed primary races are engaging in “election interference.”
Satcher, a hyper-partisan, far-right conservative, made these remarks during a recent Supervisor of Elections debate with moderate Republican candidate and former elections office Chief of Staff Scott Farrington.
Satcher complained about “left-wing journalists” reminding non-Republicans that they, too, can participate in the closed Republican primaries simply by switching their party affiliation to Republican.
In addition to determining who wins the Supervisor of Elections race, the Aug. 20 primary will determine which Republican countywide District 7 county commission candidate, George Kruse or Kevin Van Ostenbridge, faces Democrat Sari Lindroos Valimaki in the general election; and which Republican District 3 county commission candidate, Tal Siddique or April Culbreath, faces Democrat Diana Shoemaker in the general election.
“They want liberals to vote in my election to skew my election the other way. They’re encouraging election interference, telling Democrats to swap parties,” Satcher bemoaned. But he offered no criticism of Thomas Dell, the bogus write-in candidate who closed the supervisor’s race to Republicans only. Had Dell not “interfered,” all Manatee County voters could vote in the supervisor’s race.
Farrington said elections belong to all voters regardless of party affiliation and every voter should have a say in who serves as elections supervisor. Farrington comes off as a man of principle and experience who believes partisan elections should be conducted in the most non-partisan way possible. Satcher comes off as a divisive, party-first buffoon who wants to be the fox guarding the henhouse while collecting a hefty paycheck from county taxpayers.
Satcher and company can whine about “election interference,” but the ability to change party affiliation is a long-standing, perfectly legal political practice that provides concerned citizens the ability to combat the political trickery used to close primary races to one party only – a tactic Democrats also use when given the rare opportunity.
The party affiliation listed on a voter registration card doesn’t define the cardholder or their political beliefs. It’s simply a ticket into races that would otherwise be closed. Party affiliation doesn’t matter in the general election but it can be easily reversed before then.
Voters have until July 22 to switch party affiliation at registertovoteflorida.gov, where they’ll be asked to provide their driver’s license number, the last four digits of their Social Security number and their current address for verification purposes. Voters should check their sample ballots to determine if changing party affiliation affects their ability to vote in other races they’re currently eligible to vote in.
Gov. Ron DeSantis erred in appointing Satcher to serve as interim Supervisor of Elections. Manatee County voters, including those who switch their party affiliation, can now right that wrong. Primary elections have consequences and there’s a lot at stake in Manatee County in 2024. Choose wisely.
HOLMES BEACH – Mike LaPensee’s life was joyously celebrated at the Key Royale Club in Holmes Beach on Sunday, July 14.
Mike passed away on June 22 at the age of 79. Standing near a table filled with Mike’s model boats, cars, trains, planes, photographs, awards, medals and other keepsakes, his wife of 47 years, Karen, personally greeted almost every guest that entered.
Mike LaPensee’s models, awards, medals, old photos and other keepsakes were displayed. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Attended by family members, friends, community members, business associates, elected leaders and more, Sunday afternoon’s celebration featured free rum and Cokes and a vast and impressive food spread that included shrimp, charcuterie boards, eggrolls, hush puppies and sandwiches. “Mike would be proud. This is a hell of a spread,” Holmes Beach resident John Clarke said.
The food spread included a well-stocked charcuterie board. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Around 6 p.m., shots of Ron Zacapa rum were distributed and Karen proposed a toast. “Mike LaPensee would be absolutely thrilled to have you all here tonight drinking his top-shelf Zacapa,” she said, noting he did not like limes in his rum and Cokes.
Mike LaPensee’s drink of choice was Zacapa rum and coke, with no lime. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“I can’t thank you enough for coming here tonight to celebrate this wonderful man with me. We all loved him. We’ll all miss him. Here’s to Mike.” Friends and family members then shared their Mike stories and memories.
Roser Memorial Community Church member Dale Powers noted Mike LaPensee was also an active church member. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Roser Church member Dale Powers noted that Mike was a dedicated church member.
Richard LaPensee said he’ll miss his brother, Mike. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Mike’s brother, Richard LaPensee, said, “He was a wonderful brother. I’ll miss him dearly.”
Trevor Bystrom peformed a lovely version of John Prine’s “I Remember Everything.” – Joe Hendricks | SunKaren LaPensee and Darcie Duncan spent a few minutes chatting. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
HOLMES BEACH – City leaders are working to keep property taxes as low as possible despite property values increasing an estimated 11.8%. To do that, they’re planning to keep the millage rate at 2.05 mills for the coming fiscal year and cut expenses from the proposed 2024-25 fiscal year budget.
City Treasurer Cindy Dunham-Tozer presented the proposed budget to commissioners and Mayor Judy Titsworth during a July 9 budget work session. The total budget is estimated to break even at $24,750,162 including $11,007,006 in reserves and carryover. The total represents a cut of $742,676 from the current year’s budget.
Outlining some of the larger expenses for the year, she said that all the city’s insurance rates were increased by providers by an average of 5% with a 40% increase in flood insurance. Dunham-Tozer added that $322,000 also was set aside to purchase an algae harvester boat. Another $100,000 is planned to be set aside for unplanned attorney fees and court costs. She also noted that business in the city’s building department, which is designed to be self-sustaining from permit and inspection fees, is expected to slow over the next fiscal year.
MAYOR AND COMMISSION
The total mayor and commission budget for 2024-25 is expected to top out at $261,779, an increase of $2,414 over the current year. The primary reason for the increase is an additional $2,214 in mayoral and commission pay and accompanying payroll taxes. A $200 increase in utility services is also expected.
GENERAL GOVERNMENT
The general government budget, including the city clerk’s office, treasurer and human resources department, shows a modest increase of $87,575 to a total of $2,032,900. Though minor increases are noted in line items including postage, software and employee recognitions, the largest increase is $31,659 in employee insurance.
POLICE DEPARTMENT
The Holmes Beach Police Department’s budget is anticipated to come in at $5,485,088 for the year, an increase of $829,631 over the current year, though $225,000 of that amount is scheduled to come from reserves to purchase three vehicles. In recent years, city leaders opted to switch from leasing vehicles for the police department to purchasing them, potentially allowing for a longer lifespan for the use of the vehicles. The city is eligible to purchase three of the remaining eight vehicles from the lease term, eliminating the need for brand-new vehicles. Another big-ticket item is employee insurance, which is anticipated to increase by $142,033. Employee compensation shows a $290,786 increase along with a $55,000 increase in required overtime.
BUILDING DEPARTMENT
The building department’s budget is expected to come to $1,568,496 total, a $375,183 increase over the current year. An estimated $235,805 of the increase is expected in employee compensation with a $73,058 increase in employee insurance and $5,000 for the purchase of a drone.
PUBLIC WORKS
Coming out at $4,072,583, the city’s public works department budget is showing a proposed increase of $656,981 for the 2024-25 fiscal year. Much of that increase is due to pulling $307,000 toward the purchase of an algae harvester boat, $120,000 for the purchase of two pickup trucks and increases in employee insurance and compensation.
CODE COMPLIANCE
Where the city really saw some cost savings is in the code compliance department, where the planned budget dropped by $281,551 to a total of $620,594. The largest decrease is in employee compensation, which dropped $199,365 due to 50% of the code compliance staff transferring to the building department.
