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Year: 2024

Hundreds rally against consolidation, garage

Hundreds rally against consolidation, garage

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Featured.

HOLMES BEACH – The Florida heat didn’t stop a crowd from gathering at City Field on Saturday to express their opposition to the Manatee County Commission and Florida Legislature consolidating or eliminating the three Anna Maria Island cities and building a parking garage at Manatee Beach.

The rally, held on May 4 by the Save Florida Home Rule grassroots activist group, brought hundreds of people to the pavilion, including residents, visitors, property owners and other interested community members. The rallying cry for the group was “save home rule.” It was a sentiment echoed by all in attendance as Island elected officials, residents, city staff and a county commission candidate took the stage to share facts with the community on both issues and speak out against the ongoing state-mandated Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) study and a planned parking garage at the public beach.

Save Florida Home Rule organizer Barbara Ehren was first to take the stage, telling onlookers about the grassroots effort to stop government overreach at the state and county levels to bypass municipal land development codes and ordinances regarding development on the Island. The rally was the second official event for the group following a Hands Across the Sand event held in April that was attended by more than 300 people.

Stepping in for Mayor Judy Titsworth was Holmes Beach Commissioner Terry Schaefer, who said he believes that the push to dissolve the cities is to get rid of land use regulations to allow for increased development on the Island. He said that city leaders are working to mount a “strong defense” against government overreach and that he’s happy to see so many community members getting involved in the effort with the hopes that the battle to hang on to the cities won’t get that far.

Hundreds rally against consolidation, garage
Commissioner Terry Schaefer stepped in for Mayor Judy Titsworth to speak on behalf of the city of Holmes Beach. – Kristin Swain | Sun

Schaefer discussed the ongoing unfounded rhetoric largely being voiced by county commissioners, primarily that the city does not have enough parking and that city leaders refuse to work with the county. He said the parking garage and OPPAGA study efforts began at a January 2023 Manatee County state legislative delegation meeting. The parking garage effort was moved through the state House and Senate in an effort to allow the county to circumvent Holmes Beach regulations that do not allow for multi-level parking garages as a land use or paid parking in the city. He said that no county staff or commissioners approached the city to seek a potential exemption for a parking garage at Manatee Beach.

City leaders are required to provide just over 500 parking spaces at beach access points, including the county-owned Manatee Beach under an interlocal agreement governing beach renourishment. Schaefer said the city provides 752 parking spaces at the beach and beach access points throughout the city with hundreds more marked spaces available within a quarter mile of the beach. Police Chief Bill Tokajer regularly counts parking spaces during high-traffic events, such as holiday weekends, and noted that even during spring break there were regularly 70-100 or more spaces available to the public.

“The turnout at a recent Hands Across the Sand and today is certainly encouraging and inspirational to all of us,” Schaefer said. He thanked the assembled community members, stating that he believes it will take not only the Island’s elected officials fighting back but also the residents and property owners to maintain their current way of life.

Holmes Beach Commissioner Dan Diggins also spoke, as well as Anna Maria residents stepping in with short statements from their city leaders, all stating they are against the consolidation of the cities.

One name that came up multiple times during the rally was that of County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge.

Speakers stated that Van Ostenbridge was largely the catalyst behind the effort for the parking garage, an effort that he previously told The Sun he was putting forth to make the beach accessible for all. If the parking garage is built, Van Ostenbridge said it would be paid parking. It would also make Manatee Beach and the restroom, food and beverage, and retail facilities there, along with parking, inaccessible during three or more years of construction on the parking garage. The existing facilities would be destroyed and new ones would be built in the three-story garage with additional parking on the roof. Previously, Titsworth said that she’s fighting to keep parking in Holmes Beach free for everyone, but that if a paid parking garage was constructed at Manatee Beach city leaders would have to rethink their stance on that. Holmes Beach is the only Island city that does not allow paid parking. Currently, there is no funding to build the parking garage.

County commission candidate Diana Shoemaker spoke, sending a few shots at Van Ostenbridge, whose seat on the dais she’s seeking to fill. Shoemaker will face off against either Van Ostenbridge or Tal Siddique on the November election ballot, depending on which one wins the August Republican primary.

If elected, Shoemaker vowed to work with Island residents to make sure that their voices are heard at the county level and to work to stop government overreach in the municipalities.

While Van Ostenbridge has not been directly linked to the ongoing OPPAGA study looking at options to consolidate the cities into one, dissolve the municipalities and consolidate them into either unincorporated Manatee County or the city of Bradenton, or leave them as-is, his strained relationship with the elected officials of the cities, particularly Holmes Beach, has been well-vocalized by the commissioner both on and off the dais. After a recent OPPAGA visit, Holmes Beach leaders were left with the distinct impression that the option being most strongly considered is the elimination of the three municipalities, folding them into unincorporated Manatee County and directly under the authority of the county commission.

Ending the rally, Ehren restated the motto of the Save Florida Home Rule group, “Keep your hands off our cities.”

Hunters Point prevails in dock permitting appeal

Hunters Point prevails in dock permitting appeal

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Featured.

CORTEZ – Hunters Point developer Marshall Gobuty and his Cortez Road Investments and Finance Inc. (CRIF) ownership group have prevailed in a dock permit-related appeal filed last year by the Cortez Village Marina ownership group, MHC Cortez Village LLC.

The appeal pertained to the environmental resource permit the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) initially issued to Gobuty and CRIF in 2021.

MHC Cortez Village LLC promptly appealed the water management district’s permit­ting decision and claimed the Hunters Point docks would impede marina clients’ navigation of the canal.

Hunters Point prevails in dock permitting appeal
The Hunters Point development is located at 12404 Cortez Rd. W. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

The environmental resource permit allows CRIF to construct 32 new docks and replace 17 existing docks along the CRIF-owned constructed canal that surrounds the Hunters Point property on three sides. The yet-to-be-built docks are part of the ongoing Hunters Point development that features 86 LEED-certified solar-powered homes.

Hunters Point prevails in dock permitting appeal
The Hunters Point development is to include 49 dock slips and 86 homes. – Hunters Point | Submitted

Built in the 1950s, the canal provides Cortez Village Marina clients and others with their only direct water access to the nearby Intra­coastal Waterway. Gobuty purchased the majority of the long-established canal when he bought the Hunters Point property from the Cipriani Family Trust in 2016.

Hunters Point prevails in dock permitting appeal
Earlier this year, Marshall Gobuty’s CRIF ownership group bought the canal area in front of Cortez Village Marina (highlighted with blue lines). – Manatee County Property Appraiser | Submitted

Earlier this year, CRIF purchased from the Cipriani Family Trust an additional portion of the canal located directly in front of the marina. CRIF now owns the portion of the canal that extends from the eastern edge of the marina property to the humpback bridge on 127th Street West near the Seafood Shack. Holiday Cove RV Resort owns the remaining portion of the canal that dead-ends at the east end of the Holiday Cove property. MHC Cortez Village does not own any portion of the canal.

After conducting a multi-day hearing in late 2022, Administrative Law Judge Bruce Culpepper issued a recommended order in March 2023 that concluded: “Based on the foregoing findings of fact and conclusions of law, it is recommended that the Southwest Florida Water Management District enter a final order granting Cortez Road’s (CRIF) application for the permit to build a dock in the canal and issue ERP Individual Construction Major Modification permit 43032468.003.”

In May 2023, the SWFWMD governing board entered the final order recommended by Culpepper. MHC Cortez Village then appealed the governing board’s final order with the Second District Court of Appeal in Lakeland.

During the administrative hearing conducted by Culpep­per, there was testimony and discussion about limiting boat traffic on the Hunters Point-owned portion of the canal to alternating one-way travel at specifically timed intervals. It was also noted there are existing pullout areas where one boat can pull over and allow another to pass by. Gobuty and others testified that one-way travel would eliminate the need for two boats to pass each other side-by-side in a narrow portion of the canal, or for one boat to pull to the side to make room for another.

Hunters Point prevails in dock permitting appeal
Signs placed near the Cortez Village Marina in early 2023 inform boaters they are entering a private canal and also reference one-way travel, marine radio monitoring and no wake zones. – Hunters Point | Submitted

In early 2023, CRIF voluntarily posted signs in the canal that reference one-way travel at 15-minute intervals for inbound or outbound boat traffic, installed mirrors to increase visibility at the dog-legged corners of the canal and installed signs instructing boaters to monitor VHF marine radio channel 9. CRIF also redesigned its docks to meander closer to the shoreline where possible.

When issuing its final order, the SWFWMD governing board did not mandate the dock design modifications or safety enhancements be included as additional permitting conditions.

ORAL ARGUMENTS

On April 23, the attorneys rep­resenting MHC Cortez Village and CRIF presented their oral arguments to the three-member panel of Second District Court of Appeal judges that consisted of Judge Stevan Northcutt, Judge Nelly Khouzam and Judge Robert Morris.

Hunters Point prevails in dock permitting appeal
Judges Nelly Khouzam, Stevan Northcutt and Judge Robert Morris and attorneys Thomasina Moore, Susan Martin and Daniel Nordby participated in the oral argument hearing. – Second DCA/YouTube | Submitted

Attorneys Susan Roeder Martin and Thomasina Moore represented CRIF and attorney David Nordby represented MHC Cortez Village during the virtual oral argument session conducted via Zoom, with each side given 20 minutes to address the judges, including rebuttal time.

When addressing the appellate judges, Nordby said, “I’d like to focus on two errors that indepen­dently require this court to reverse the order on appeal. The first is the district’s conclusion that the proposed new dock will not sig­nificantly impede navigability. The second is the district’s failure to amend the permit after the hear­ing to reflect the design changes and other concessions made by the applicant during the course of the administrative hearing.”

Judge Morris noted Judge Culpepper was presented with testimony and evidence that led him to recommend the permit be issued without any additional stipulations or concessions.

“The judge is certainly in the position to analyze this navigabil­ity issue. It would be difficult for us to supplant ourselves in his role and say we don’t see it that way. You’ve got an expert administra­tive law judge, you’ve got Swift­mud, who’s certainly an expert on this, and they all agreed based on the evidence they had before them that this was a navigable canal. It would be sufficient to sustain these docks as built. Why should we even make any effort to chal­lenge that?” Morris said.

Morris also noted that CRIF owns the majority of the canal.

Judge Khouzam noted SWFWMD Lead Environmental Scientist Lau­ren Greenawalt previously testified about the canal’s already-existing pinch points and her belief that CRIF provided reasonable assur­ances that the dock project was not contrary to SWFWMD permit­ting standards.

“We have to be careful not to be sitting as the seventh juror in this case,” Khouzam said of the appel­late judges’ duty to review the case without retrying it.

“The standard is not that you must be able to pass during all portions of the canal,” Martin told the judges. “The standard is there cannot be a significant impediment to navigation. There are currently areas where boats can pull out and there will be areas after the docks are built where boats can pull out.”

Moore noted Greenawalt also testified that the portion of the canal located under the bridge at 127th Street West is only wide enough for one boat to enter or exit the western end of the canal at a time; the height of the bridge further limits vessel size.

Hunters Point prevails in dock permitting appeal
The 127th Street West bridge limits most canal traffic to one boat at a time. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

“They (SWFWMD) look at this as an existing impediment. Using this as a baseline, will this dock be more of an impediment than what’s already existing? There’s already this impediment in the form of the bridge and there are areas already existing where the boaters have to go one boat at the time,” Moore argued.

APPELLATE RULING

On May 3, the appellate judges collectively issued a two-page per curium affirmed document that listed the parties and attorneys involved in the case and stated, “Per Curium Affirmed. Northcutt, Khouzam and Morris concur” with no additional legal opinions expressed.

After learning of the ruling, Martin provided The Sun with her comments and additional insights.

“Today, the 2nd DCA ‘per curium affirmed’ the decision of the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the administrative law judge in favor of CRIF. When a case is per curium affirmed, it means the case was so clearly correct that it was not necessary for the court to write a longer opinion,” she said.

Martin noted that Cortez Village Marina is part of the Loggerhead Marinas company whose website lists 25 Loggerhead Marinas throughout Florida, South Caro­lina, North Carolina and Ohio. The Chicago-based MHC Cortez Village LLC lists Chicago-based MHC Aquamarina Ultimate Holdings LLC as a title member.

“CRIF is successful in another step of the continuing saga of the goliath MHC marina, a Log­gerhead Marina, against Cortez Road (CRIF) over the use of the canal owned by CRIF. MHC and its patrons utilize the canal without authorization from CRIF. Despite the fact that MHC and its patrons are trespassers on the canal, MHC sued CRIF in 2021 to prevent CRIF from building 32 new docks as amenities to the Hunter Point residences. This appeal action no longer prevents the docks from being built. Of course, we do not know if MHC will attempt to appeal further,” Martin said.

Hunters Point prevails in dock permitting appeal
Cortez Village Marina clients use the Hunters Point canal to access the nearby Intracoastal Waterway. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

When asked which court MHC Cortez Village could appeal to next, she said, “The Florida Supreme Court, but the court would need to have a reason to accept jurisdiction such as a matter of great public importance or a conflict between the rulings of different district courts of appeal.”

When commenting on the Second DCA ruling, Gobuty said, “I am still hesitant to build the docks at this time due to the fact that MHC and its customers may appeal again. They have no standing yet they continue to waste the court’s time as well as restrict our abili­ties to build our homes.”

CIVIL LAWSUIT PENDING

In response to MHC Cortez Village’s initial permit challenge, CRIF, in 2022, filed a still-pending civil lawsuit with the 12th Judicial Circuit Court in Manatee County.

“The saga between MHC and CRIF continues in the circuit court where CRIF has filed a complaint to prevent MHC and its lessors and patrons from trespassing on CRIF’s privately owned canal,” Martin said.

A preliminary hearing is sched­uled for Thursday, June 27 before Circuit Court Judge Ryan Felix.

Pool America, Diamond Turf tie

Pool America, Diamond Turf tie

Written by Monica Simpson on . Posted in Soccer, Sports.

ANNA MARIA – With warmer weather in the air, the adult soccer league took the pitch last Thursday night for the fifth week of regular season play.

The Pool America team played without their captain, Chris Klotz, and other key players.

Also playing without a full roster, team Diamond Turf narrowly escaped a loss, tying the game against Pool America 3-3.

Samuel Romero started the game in goal for Diamond Turf. Romero made four big saves to help his team in the first half of action.

Sharing the keeper’s responsibility, team captain Yuri Pereira managed the Diamond defense. The position change allowed Romero to score one of the three team goals.

The Diamond Turf offense scored off the foot of Curtis Bickler and Gerardo Urbiola Bolanos. Teammate Stephen Adair was credited with an assist.

Nate Welch and Hakan Toka put the points on the scoreboard for Pool America. Welch added to his scoring total with two goals to help his team earn a point going into week six.

Pool America sits in second place, while Diamond Turf is ranked eighth. With four weeks of the regular season left to be played, there is ample time for the standings to shift.

Third-ranked Salty Printing shut out the Beach House Waterfront Restaurant squad. Team captain Kevin Roman scored two goals with an additional point scored by Tyler “Bean” Brewer.

Brewer had two assists in the game, adding to teammate Erica Nielsen’s single assist and solo goal.

The strong Salty defense, including Charles “Tuna” McCracken in goal, stopped the Beach House offense. McCracken had seven saves in the 4-0 victory.

The Beach House team, playing without all of their players, worked hard, staying in the game at any given time. Ultimately, the lack of time on the clock and the inability to score made the loss inevitable for the team captained by Jake Parsons.

Parsons started in goal for his team, making five saves. Aaron Frech relieved him and saved four goals during his time at the net.

In the third game of the night, team captain Ryan Moss had 10 stops in two halves of soccer action for Moss Builders. On the other side of the field, playing for team Progressive Cabinetry, The Center’s Operations Director Tyler Bekkerus saved nine shots.

Moss Builders’ goals by Kali Richardson and Karri Stephens, along with an assist by Ed Moss, just were not enough to pull out the win against the number-one-ranked team in the league.

Progressive Cabinetry’s scoring came from team captain Keith Mahoney, with two goals, and Junior Martines. Martines had a single goal and assist in the match.

Team Ross Built Custom Homes won by three goals against Sato Real Estate. Ross kept Paul Jennison busy in the goal for Sato recording 14 saves. Dean Hinterstoisser had eight saves letting one by off the boot of Matthew Darak.

Scoring a hat trick, Helio Gomez ensured his team’s win. Ted Hurst added a point toward the 4-1 final score.

Ending in a tie, the final game of the night once again denied the Solid Rock Construction team a W. The team is going into the final games of the regular season on the cusp of its first victory, with three tied games.

Solid Rock’s opponent was team Language Service Associates, a team right in the middle of the pack. The team’s three goals were scored by Murat Akay, Selana Gonzalez-Salinas and Austin Nutting.

Ethan Hampton added to his statistics with an assist in the final week five game.

Holding down the goalkeeper position, Steve Oelfke solidly stopped 10 shots by Solid Rock. Mark Long commanded his post as keeper for Solid Rock with seven saves.

Long’s teammates Timo Vecchio and Jana Whitehead did the scoring for Solid Rock. Vecchio’s single assist added to his two-game goals.

The top team at the end of the regular season is anyone’s to predict. With full rosters on the field and sidelines, all 10 teams in the league are capable of championship game-level play.

 

SUN SCOREBOARD

 

 

APRIL 23

 

YOUTH SOCCER – WEEK 4

8- TO 10-YEAR-OLD LEAGUE

 

 

The Intuitive Foundation (3-1-0) 2

Emily Moss Design (1-2-1) 1

 

 

AMI Coconuts (1-2-1) 2

Shady Lady Horticultural Services (0-4-0) 0

 

 

Isola Bella Italian Eatery (1-0-3) 0

Solid Rock Construction (3-0-1) 0

 

 

11- TO 14-YEAR-OLD LEAGUE – WEEK 3

 

 

Solid Rock Construction (1-1-1) 1

Westfall’s Lawn Care & Pest Control (0-2-0) 0

 

 

The Gitt Team (1-0-1) 3

HSH Design (1-2-0) 0

 

 

APRIL 25

ADULT CO-ED SOCCER – WEEK 51

 

 

Pool America (3-0-2) 3

Diamond Turf (1-3-1) 3

 

 

Salty Printing (3-2-0) 4

Beach House Waterfront Restaurant (1-4-0) 0

 

 

Progressive Cabinetry (4-1-0) 3

Moss Builders (2-2-1) 2

 

 

Ross Built Custom Homes (2-1-2) 4

Sato Real Estate (2-3-0) 1

 

 

Solid Rock Construction (0-2-3) 3

Language Services Association (2-2-1) 3

Residents consider initiating consolidation referendum

Residents consider initiating consolidation referendum

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

HOLMES BEACH – Anna Maria Island residents are working to find ways to fight back against a loss of home rule and the potential consolidation or elimination of the three Island cities, and are considering whether or not initiating a voter referendum is the best way to go.

At an April 23 Holmes Beach Commission meeting, resident Debra Hall said that she’s spoken with the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office and is looking at the possibility of putting a referendum on the ballot to get voters’ opinions on whether or not to consolidate, eliminate or leave the three Island cities as they are. While she said she’s received the steps needed to get a referendum on the November general election ballot, she added that she’s not sure it’s the right thing to do.

According to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections and Florida Division of Elections websites, to have a referendum on the ballot, 10% of registered voters – in this case, 10% of voters from each Island city – would need to sign a petition in favor of the referendum. Those petitions would be presented to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office where each signature would need to be verified at a cost of 50 cents each. The wording on the petition would have to match the wording of the referendum as it would appear on the ballot. If the referendum reaches the required number of signatures, it’s placed on the ballot for the next general election. The deadline for the November ballot is Aug. 18.

While Commissioner Terry Schaefer said he appreciates the efforts of the residents, the city cannot be involved in a resident-initiated ballot referendum.

“Politics is such an ugly thing,” Commissioner Greg Kerchner said. “We really have to be on our best behavior and cannot get involved.”

Resident Daria Gramento said that she wants to get the information out to the general public about the threat to the Island cities to alert other coastal cities that the same government overreach could happen to them.

Barbara Ehren, one of the Save Florida Home Rule organizers, said that a goal of the group is to get the results of the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability study currently being conducted by the state released to the public. She said her group is currently debating whether or not initiating a ballot referendum is the best strategic move to make at this point.

“These are the biggest challenges we’ve faced as a community and it’s a significant affront to home rule,” Schaefer said. “Everyone in our city government is very resolute in our mission – to tell the truth. It’s difficult to offset the misinformation being disseminated. We’re trying very hard to not do that with anger but with research and facts. I believe that the facts will ultimately prevail.”

He said he hopes to have good dialogue with state representatives in the future and that the combined efforts of the cities and the residents will turn back the threats against the cities.

“Don’t lose faith, folks. This is far from over,” he said, reassuring the public that if the worst happens and state leaders decide to dissolve the cities, that Holmes Beach leaders are ready to fight back, though city leaders declined to say what their efforts would entail at this time.

Eighty new coconut palms line Bridge Street

Eighty new coconut palms line Bridge Street

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

BRADENTON BEACH – Eighty new coconut palms have been delivered and are being planted along Bridge Street.

“This will be a big improvement,” Mayor John Chappie said on April 25. “Many of the existing trees needed to be replaced.”

At an April 3 Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) meeting, the board approved a city partnership with developer Shawn Kaleta in which he will accept responsibility for the maintenance of the trees and donate $10,000 toward the $50,000 cost of the palms and white river rock. The balance will be paid from CRA funds.

Eighty new coconut palms line Bridge Street
With a newly-planted palm in the foreground, workers continued planting in the roundabout. – Leslie Lake | Sun

The 50 large and 30 small coconut palms were harvested in Miami and were delivered to Bradenton Beach on April 23. Planting along Bridge Street and the roundabout intersection on Gulf Drive began shortly after.

At the April 3 meeting, concerns had been raised among CRA members about damage from falling coconuts.

“Liability does concern me,” Chappie said. “But I think it would enhance the Key West-old Island feel on Anna Maria Island.”

Those concerns were alleviated by City Attorney Ricinda Perry, who assured CRA members that Kaleta, through one of his business entities, would sign a contract ensuring the responsibility of tree maintenance and indemnifying the city against liability for damage caused by falling fruit.

“There would be no cost to the city for maintenance of the trees as Mr. Kaleta wants the coconuts, likely for his restaurants,” Chappie said.

According to the University of Florida/IFAS Extension Service website, “Coconuts can grow up to 15 inches long and 12 inches wide, composed of a thick fibrous husk surrounding a spherical nut with a hard, brittle, hairy shell… The coconut palm starts fruiting 6-10 years after the seed germinates and reaches full production at 15-20 years of age. The tree continues to fruit until it is about 80 years old, with an annual production of 50-200 fruits per tree, depending on cultivar and climate. The fruits require about a year to develop and are generally produced regularly throughout the year.”

Anna Maria Island Historical Society

Pat Copeland Scholarships awarded

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – Three students were awarded the 2024 Pat Copeland Scholarships at the Anna Maria Island Historical Society during the April 25 AMI Chamber of Commerce Business Card Exchange.

The scholarships named for Copeland, one of the founders of the Historical Society and a former reporter and copy editor for The Sun, are $2,000 each and are provided through fundraising activities.

Bryanna Sparks, who is graduating from Manatee High School, excels in the Medical Academy and serves in leadership roles as president of both Future Health Professionals and the National Honor Society. She also serves as webmaster for Key Club. Sparks has been active in Girl Scouts since 2011, which includes the Gold Award for her project on maternal mental health. She also has served over 300 hours of community service, including at Downtown Ministries, HCA Florida Blake Hospital and with the homeless. Sparks plans to earn her bachelor’s degree in biology, then work toward her goal of becoming a pediatrician attending LECOM for her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree. She plans to open a practice in Bradenton. Sparks was unable to attend the event.

Anna Wright, graduating from Manatee High School, is an active member of her community and school, including the drama club and environmental club, where she worked closely with Keep Manatee Beautiful. Outside of school, she has worked for Cove on Bridge Street for three years, which she says has taught her a good work ethic that will be valuable in the future. She also currently participates in the Youth Advisory Council program at De Soto National Memorial. Wright says she would like to pursue a career with the National Park Service and become a park ranger. She plans to study environmental science at Florida State University.

Nicholas Yatros, graduating from Manatee High School, scored a 1500 on the SAT while maintaining a 4.32 GPA. He has completed four AP courses and is currently taking four more before graduating. Despite his heavy course load, he was selected MVP of the basketball team, is a member of the National Honor and Spanish Honor societies, and co-founder of the school’s argument club, which is a spin-off of the debate club. Yatros has also volunteered at Anna Maria Elementary and The Center of Anna Maria Island, accumulating over 100 hours of community service. Yatros plans to pursue a degree in computer science from the University of Florida.

In addition to the Copeland scholarships, a Chamber scholarship was also awarded to a student who couldn’t be present at its March 28 ceremony. Nathan Rupprecht is graduating from Southeast High School having completed the rigorous International Baccalaureate Program in the top 3% of his class. Excelling in engineering design, Rupprecht won first place in the United States Technology Students Association over 7,000 other students, as well as the national title in Architectural Design. He also works at Publix part-time. Rupprecht will seek an advanced degree in mechanical engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology.

Holmes Beach logo

City leaders talk mangrove regulations

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

HOLMES BEACH – City leaders are considering taking on the responsibility for local mangrove regulation from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).

Development Services Director Chad Minor said the process to get that permission may be simpler than previously thought.

Minor gave commissioners and Mayor Judy Titsworth an update on the process during an April 23 work session. He said that while leaders in the three Anna Maria Island cities and Longboat Key want to consolidate efforts to enforce mangrove regulations locally, each city will need to apply separately. Once FDEP approves all four cities, they can consolidate enforcement efforts. However, each city will still need to maintain its own agreement with the department.

Commissioner Dan Diggins noted that if all of the Island cities are approved by FDEP, it would be a first effort toward the consolidation of services desired by members of the Manatee County state legislative delegation.

City Attorney Erica Augello said that the process for application is outlined by state statute. The city has to send a written request to the department. Once received, FDEP representatives have 45 days to act. Augello said that if the department approves or doesn’t respond within 45 days, the city gets to act locally in FDEP’s stead.

If the city receives approval, any existing local mangrove regulations disappear after 180 days and cannot be regained. The city of Holmes Beach currently does not have any regulations related to mangroves.

While city leaders can make stricter procedures for permitting outside of the riparian mangrove fringe and have stricter substantive standards than the state allows, they cannot create stricter processes or regulations for mangrove trimming and removal. Minor said that city leaders would be unable to alter FDEP mangrove exemptions.

Discussion is expected to continue at a future meeting.

Dock floats missing after storm

Dock floats missing after storm

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

BRADENTON BEACH – Due to strong winds and waves on April 11, several floats on the city’s finger docks went missing and replacement was discussed at a city Pier Team meeting on April 24.

“I spoke with Duncan (Steve Porter of Duncan Seawall) this morning and asked him the status of the floats,” Public Works Director Tom Woodard said. “I made a complaint to Duncan that it was hardly even a storm and floats are disappearing so I asked for a couple of spares.”

Woodard reported that the floats had to be ordered at a cost of about $5,000 to replace them.

“He said the dock is not unsafe,” Woodard said. “He asked me to let you know.”

Mayor John Chappie said the issue will be brought up at the next city commission meeting on May 2.

“It’s something that needs to be addressed pretty quickly,” Chappie said.

In addition to Woodard and Chappie, City Commissioner Deborah Scaccianoce and Bradenton Beach Police Chief John Cosby attended the meeting.

Woodard also reported that new signs will be arriving which will keep a spot open on the dock for the Gulf Islands Ferry next to the city’s police department boat.

“The ferry signs designate where the ferry docks are, that’s all the sign says,” Chappie said.

“The sign says ferry dock and has two arrows pointing in and has the city’s logo and Manatee County’s logo,” Woodard said.

Chappie spoke about pier concessionaire Anna Maria Oyster Bar (AMOB).

“I believe AMOB has completed all the planting of the palm trees, they’re real nice. There’s nice gravel around the palm trees. Most of the decorative stuff is on the fence area, which looks great. They’re on top of the enclosure for the dumpster,” he said.

Representatives from AMOB, John or Trey Horne, have attended previous Pier Team meetings, but were not at the April 24 meeting.

Chappie noted that the ferry service appears to be running smoothly.

“I was there and the boat was full. The unloading went smoothly,” he said. “They had the stairs there, they had someone at the stairs making sure everyone could exit the boat safely. It appeared to me there’s no issues whatsoever with safety regulations, they’re on top of it. We’re very happy with that.”

Cosby said the security cameras on the pier should be installed soon.

“Those will be monitored,” he said.

The Pier Team meets monthly in advance of commission meetings to discuss progress and any issues with the City Pier.

Island Players present ‘The Woman in Black’

Island Players present ‘The Woman in Black’

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Entertainment, Theater.

ANNA MARIA – The Island Players conclude their historic 75th season with “The Woman in Black,” directed by Kelly Wynn Woodland and stage managed by Kristin Mazzitelli.

According to Woodland, this play is a bit different from the comedies that Island Players’ audiences are accustomed to. The play begins with a lighthearted story that soon turns dark, and even scary, as this ghost story progresses. The plot centers around Arthur Kipps, who feels the only way he can find peace is to air the horror that has haunted him for decades. Not being a great storyteller, Kipps hires an actor to tell the story from his point of view, while Kipps plays several other characters.

“The Woman in Black” features only three actors: Tom Horton (Arthur Kipps), Mark Lennox (Actor) and Tahlia Chinault (The Woman).

“The Woman in Black” runs May 2-12 at 7:30 p.m. with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. There are no shows on Mondays. Both online and box office ticket sales are available for the entire run. Visit www.theislandplayers.org or call 941-778-5755. Box office hours are 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday through Saturday and one hour before curtain on Sundays for will call tickets only.

Diorama depicts mullet netting methods

Diorama depicts mullet netting methods

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Fishing, Outdoors.

CORTEZ – A refurbished diorama depicting now-defunct mullet netting techniques used by early Cortez fishermen was unveiled at the Cortez Cultural Center’s environmental learning event on April 20.

“Cortez is all about fishing. It is mission critical for Cortez,” Cortez Village Historical Society (CVHS) President Cindy Rodgers said as the diorama was introduced.

Gill net fishing, seine fishing and stop fishing have all been outlawed in Florida, but for many years those were the standard techniques for catching mullet and all are represented in the diorama.

The diorama was built by John McDonald and Dr. Bill Baum and had been displayed at the Florida Maritime Museum before it was gifted to CVHS, where it sat covered on the center’s back porch. Over the years, the miniature boats had cracked and the diorama was in need of overall repair.

Its refurbishment was made possible by a monetary award in January from the Anna Maria Chamber of Commerce.

“It did sit here for a while and we thought we have to do something with it, and we weren’t able to do it,” Rodgers said. “So with that award, I contacted the Anna Maria Artists’ Guild and Judy Vazquez happened to answer the phone and the next day Judy and Luann Widergren were here and said they wanted to do it.”

Rodgers said the artists lovingly worked on the project day and night.

“Judy is a mosaic artist, so she had this idea to jazz it up. She had this idea for broken glass, and added paint and sparkle,” Widergren said. “It needed some sprucing up and I tried to restore the boats and added some vintage colors. For the fish camp, this is architecturally what you would have seen.”

Susynne McElrone, a volunteer at CVHS, and a former commercial fisher in Alaska, discussed the three mullet fishing methods represented on the diorama.

“I would invite everyone to come up close and see the details here and see what strikes you, the shore, the nets, the fishermen, the stories behind this and the love that went into it,” she said.

The Cortez Cultural Center is located at 1655 Cortez Road W. and is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tarpon Primer: Part two

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

Although tarpon can be one of the most exciting gamefish to engage, they are also one of the most demanding and exhausting. It’s not uncommon to hear stories of epic two-hour-plus battles, which are not good for the angler or the tarpon.

After experiencing the thrill of the catch, many anglers, not concerned with landing a tarpon again, prefer the hunt, the hook-up and the jumps that usually follow a hook set. They use light bite tippets which allow the tarpon to work through the leader with their abrasive mouths. The key to landing tarpon, especially on fly, is accuracy. While there are exceptions to every rule, the fly must be placed perfectly, move in a precise direction relative to the fish and be at the proper (fish’s) depth. Even when all these factors come together, there’s still about a 50% chance that the tarpon will reject the fly.

The go-to bait for spin anglers is a live crab. Small blue crabs can be purchased at bait shops and pass crabs can be dipped from the local passes on a falling tide. Other effective baits include pinfish, threadfin herring and pilchards. Artificial lures like the DOA Bait Buster and the 4- to 6-inch shrimp, jigs and even topwater plugs can be effective. Patience is a critical factor when fishing for tarpon, especially when fly fishing. One strategy used by fly anglers is to find the edge of a sand bar or other underwater feature that tarpon track, anchor in casting range and wait. Sometimes tarpon come at a steady rate, but just as often there are long periods of time when the only thing to look at is the water and the bottom. This really separates the great anglers from the good anglers. Others use their push pole to intercept their target. There are times when you need to move to a different area altogether, but knowing when and where is a skill that is developed, if never mastered.

Once set up, the angler must be able to make a 40- to 50-foot cast to a location the size of a dinner plate. The placement of the fly cannot be overemphasized because tarpon will seldom vary a foot or two from their path to eat a fly. Although there is always a rare exception, a fly must never travel in a path towards the intended target. A tarpon’s prey species wouldn’t survive long if it moved toward its aggressor and tarpon know it. If all this wasn’t demanding enough, once a tarpon decides to eat the fly, an angler’s mettle is really tested.

Tarpon Primer: Part two
Tarpon phenom Andy Mill demonstrates the technique of “bowing to the king.” – Rusty Chinnis | Sun

Conventional anglers usually look for rolling fish in the nearshore Gulf and motor well ahead of them to intercept their path. Trolling motors can be effective for following a school in deep water but will spook them in the shallows. One thing that all tarpon anglers should practice is courtesy. Often a boat has been working long and hard to get properly set up for a shot at an approaching school and a boat running up on the fish will spoil the day for everyone. Tarpon are not trout and attempting to raise the rod to set the hook is a cardinal mistake. Fortunately, once a tarpon decides to eat the fly there’s no need to make a lightning-fast hook set. The right set is called a “strip strike” which involves letting the line come tight and immediately setting the hook with a combination of the line hand and the rod. Conventional anglers should also have the patience to let the line come tight before attempting to hook the fish. After the initial hook set fly, the angler’s attention must go immediately to clearing the line. In most cases, the angler has been stripping in line when the fish bites and the hook is set. That line can easily foul on the angler, the rod or the reel. Once the line is on the reel, it’s time to set the hook with several more strip strikes, using the rod.

Conventional anglers often use circle hooks which don’t require a hook set. They just need to let the line come tight and enjoy the action. In any case, the tarpon cannot be aware of the angler on the other end until the hook is set. While it’s important to exert maximum pressure on the tarpon during the fight, anglers must yield on jumps. On the jump, the standard maneuver is to thrust the rod forward to relieve pressure on the line. This prevents the tarpon from breaking off if it lands on a taut line. This maneuver is known as “bowing to the king.”

If you’re looking for a good jump shot, here’s a great tip. When a tarpon makes any long run, motor close to it, applying only enough pressure to make sure the hook doesn’t dislodge. As soon as you are in place, frame the shot you want and then have the angler apply maximum pressure. Most times the tarpon will make a jump that’s close enough to the boat to get the angler and the fish in the shot. It’s not a sure thing, but when it works it can present an awesome photographic opportunity. Finally, don’t try and rush the tarpon when it gets near the end of the fight. Keep the pressure on but don’t clamp down and try to force the fish to the boat.

Good action can be found right through July for fly anglers, while the best month for conventional anglers is generally June. Tarpon fishing is a challenging endeavor, but it’s well worth the effort when you finally get that first-scale rattling jump. If you’re looking for fly tackle for tarpon, a local guide or timely advice seek out AMI Outfitters on Pine Street in Anna Maria. There’s no substitute for local knowledge!

Stone crab season closes

Stone crab season closes

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Fishing, Outdoors.

Fresh stone crabs will be available just a little while longer as the harvesting season is about to end.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), stone crab season closes on May 2 with the last day of harvest being May 1 for the state’s recreational and commercial stone crab seasons in state and federal waters.

The annual season closure is intended to increase the stone crab population and build resiliency in the fishery, according to the FWC.

The only part of the crab that is harvested is the claw.

“Stone crabs are known for their powerful claws, which account for more than half of the crab’s total weight. These crabs use their two claws – a crushing claw and a tearing claw – to eat and defend themselves,” according to the University of Florida IFAS Extension Service. “Unlike other fisheries, the claws are also the only parts of the crab harvested – live stone crabs must be returned to the water where they can regenerate new claws.”

Commercially harvested stone crab claws may be possessed and sold during the closed season but only if they have been placed in inventory prior to May 2 by a licensed wholesale or retail dealer.

Stone crab traps must be removed from the water within five days after the close of the stone crab season. Stone crab claws may not be harvested from traps pulled after the season closes.

The harvesting season will begin again on Oct. 15.

For more information on harvesting stone crab traps for recreation, commercial stone crab regulations, trap specifications and licensing information, go online to MYFWC.com/Marine.

Florida insurance ground zero

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

We are on the brink of hurricane season and this year promises to be an active one, so what goes hand in hand with hurricanes? Insurance.

We’re talking here about homeowners’ insurance, although flood insurance is also slated to have increases over the next few years. FEMA is changing the way they calculate flood insurance and revising the factors used to determine their premiums.

High insurance premiums aren’t anything new to Florida. During the 2004 hurricane season, there were five named storms, bringing billions of dollars in damage to the state within a six-week period. After that, many private insurance companies left the state, leaving Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the state-sponsored insurer, as one of the few options.

Homeowners with mortgages, which is about 60% of all owners, are required to purchase property insurance. There are homeowners who have opted to go without insurance if they own their home free and clear or to self-insure. The average annual home insurance cost rose about 20% between 2021 and 2023 according to an insurance shopping site called Insurify, and they are projecting another 6% increase this year.

Why is this happening? Obviously, storms and the higher number of storms that appear in the Atlantic basin are increasing. However, the primary cause is the amount of fraud that has been going on in the state in recent years. In April of 2022, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called a special session of the Florida Legislature to address the issue of insurance fraud. At that time according to the Office of Insurance Regulation, Florida accounted for 79% of the nation’s homeowner’s insurance lawsuits.

Insurance companies reported $1 billion in underwriting losses in Florida in each of the last two years, much of it due to lawsuits that resulted when homeowners transferred their rights through the “Assignment of Benefits” form. Homeowners would sign a form transferring the full rights of the policy from the policyholder to the contractor, who was working with an attorney.

Once the rights are transferred, the attorneys pay the contractors, usually for roof replacements or repairs, then file a lawsuit against the insurance company, adding up to three times their standard rate. This type of fraud resulted in insurance companies reporting $1 billion in underwriting losses in Florida for the past two years.

The other generator of increased homeowners’ insurance costs is the increase in reinsurance. Insurance companies require their own insurance in order to write policies assuming some of the risk. Reinsurance has increased rates in recent years because of COVID-19, inflation and climate change.

On the positive side, Florida Senate Bill 2022-D has reined in the litigation of this fraud by 20%. This opened the door for private insurers to come back into the state and start stabilizing rates through competition and lower future premiums. In addition, Citizens Insurance has started the process of “depopulation” of their customers, who are starting to go over to private insurers.

Florida may have the largest hurricane risk in the world but we’re not alone. Homeowner’s insurance has gone up along with everything else all over the country. California in particular has issues because of the wildfire threat, and Louisiana is also one of the major targets for hurricanes coming up the Gulf of Mexico.

Ground Zero and our insurance problems may be overstated, but we are certainly volatile and subject to the whims of the weather. Again, the price we all pay for living on a sub-tropical coast.

Holmes Beach logo

Mayor, state legislator discuss consolidation

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Featured.

HOLMES BEACH – Mayor Judy Titsworth met with Rep. Will Robinson Jr. recently to discuss the potential for consolidation or elimination of the three Anna Maria Island cities. She said that after the meeting, she feels he’s listening to city leaders’ concerns.

Robinson is one of the five-member Manatee County state legislative delegation that initiated the process for the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) study looking at consolidating the three Island cities into one, eliminating the cities and folding them into unincorporated Manatee County or the city of Bradenton, or leaving them as-is. The results of the state agency study will be sent to Robinson and Sen. Jim Boyd for review, but are not required to be released to city leaders or to the public.

During the April 23 conversation, Titsworth said that they discussed the report and Robinson said he’s looking forward to seeing the report and related numbers. One of the sticking points with state legislators and the Island cities has been a lack of consolidated services in an effort to save taxpayer money on the 7-mile Island. Titsworth said that’s something that Robinson asked about and wants to see some progress on.

While all three Island cities are looking to partner with the city of Longboat Key on enforcing mangrove protections as agents of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Titsworth said she and Police Chief Bill Tokajer are in preliminary talks with Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy about the Holmes Beach Police Department taking over law enforcement in the northern city. Currently, the city of Anna Maria is the only Island city without its own police force, contracting with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement. Titsworth said the two cities are looking at the numbers and a draft interlocal agreement to see what the options are.

In the meeting with Robinson, Titsworth said that if Island cities were given back the amount of tourist development tax they earn for the county and could use those monies for infrastructure that it would greatly reduce the burden on taxpayers. The city of Holmes Beach is one of the largest earners of tourist development tax monies, which come from a bed tax paid by visitors to the area. The funds are controlled by Manatee County commissioners and are earmarked for projects that benefit tourism. In recent years, county commissioners have withheld funding from Holmes Beach for projects due to disagreements between the two groups of elected officials. Titsworth said that Robinson agreed with her that the funds should not be “weaponized” by county leaders.

“He listened and I appreciate that,” she said.

Another discussion was about beach parking. Titsworth said that Robinson was happy with the strides made by the city to make public beach parking in residential areas easier to identify.

Robinson said he wants to meet with the Island city leaders again soon.

“I felt pretty good when I left,” Titsworth said.

Commissioner Terry Schaefer said that he feels the meeting with Robinson was a positive first step, but that he feels the battle is long from over. His goal, he said, is to meet with Boyd prior to organizing a town hall meeting with the community. He said that thus far his efforts to schedule that meeting with Boyd have been dismissed by the state representative, but he wants to give it another shot before scheduling the community meeting, which he hopes will be broadcast for any state or county leaders who want to view it but don’t want to attend.

Bed tax increase to be decided by voters

Voters to decide tourist tax increase

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Business, Featured, Taxes.

MANATEE COUNTY – County commissioners were set to vote on whether to increase the county’s tourist tax, also known as the bed tax, from 5% to 6% at their April 23 meeting, but the item was removed from the agenda due to a recent change in state law.

The Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) unanimously recommended that the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) increase the tax at its April 15 meeting, but neither body was aware of 2023 legislation that gave voters the power to levy an increase in the tax.

“So, what happened was we met the revenue criteria for calendar year 2023” to increase the tax, Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director (CVB) and TDC member Elliott Falcione said. “The short-term rental tax has to generate $30 million and we generated $30,091,000, making us eligible to increase the tax from 5% to 6%, which is the maximum allowed in Florida.”

Falcione said after meeting the criteria, a request was sent through the county’s Office of Financial Management to the Florida Department of Revenue, which issued a letter certifying that the county had met the required criteria. The county attorney’s office then drew up a new ordinance to reflect the increase to 6%.

“On the Friday before the Tuesday, April 23 BCC meeting, the Department of Revenue notified the county that the Florida statute on tourism changed in 2023,” Falcione said. “It now requires any additional bed tax levy to go through a referendum process and can no longer be voted on by the BCC. It took the vote out of the hands of the BCC and now requires the residents to make the decision by a vote.”

Once the county was made aware of this change, the vote was removed from the BCC’s April 23 agenda. Falcione said without being notified of the change, it would be difficult to find it without reading every section and subsection of Florida Statute 125.01.04, which is more than 8,000 words long.

“I really wish the state would have notified at least the tourism director, the BCC, or the county administrator when this law passed in 2023,” Falcione said. “Unless I missed an email, this was the first we were made aware of the change, so therefore the county administrator made a prudent move to remove the vote from the agenda until we sort things out.”

Falcione also said that Manatee County would be the first county in Florida to be subjected to the new law, as no other county has reached the required criteria to increase the tax since the change was made. He believes had another county hit this roadblock before Manatee, word would have reached his office and the TDC would not have moved forward with a recommendation to the BCC.

How and when the voter referendum will take place has not yet been decided.

“We’re still trying to sort through everything,” Falcione said. “The attorney’s office is gathering information and we’re going through our protocol. When we get with the county commissioners, we want to make sure we are 100% accurate with the steps required and the options they have to consider this.”

Currently, neighboring counties of Sarasota, Hillsborough and Pinellas are all at the 6% maximum tourist tax. Falcione stresses that none of this tax is paid by residents of the county, but residents benefit from the tax, which goes to maintaining, upgrading and marketing attractions such as city piers, the new water taxi, beach parking lots and Anna Maria Bayfront Park, with a large portion going to beach renourishment.

Falcione says the TDC will not spend tax proceeds to promote the area during the busy spring season.