ANNA MARIA ISLAND – 2023 was a busy year for the Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Turtle Stranding and Salvage Team.
From January 2023 through January 2024, the team responded to 20 calls for stranded sea turtles. Those responses included nine loggerheads, 10 green turtles and one unidentified species due to distance from the shoreline.
Two of the turtles were rescued alive and one of them was released back into Island waters in good health, according to a press release from Turtle Watch Stranding Coordinator Karen Anderson.
The turtle nesting season begins on May 1 and ends Oct. 31, but Turtle Watch volunteers are working to protect sea turtles all year long through its stranding and salvage team.
Strandings are often reported by boaters and beachgoers, and the Turtle Watch team is trained to respond to calls on or near Anna Maria Island and its surrounding waters.
“The AMITW Stranding and Salvage Team holds a Marine Turtle Permit issued by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) which requires special training to work with endangered species,” according to Anderson.
A stranding occurs when a sick, injured or dead sea turtle floats on the surface of the water and tidal currents may push it on or near the shoreline.
Anderson wrote that there are a variety of reasons that sea turtles strand, including plastic ingestion, boat strikes, entanglement in fishing gear (fishing line, nets and hooks), shark bites, viral or parasitic infection, diseases, red tide and cold water temperatures.
Some of these threats are natural, but many are caused by humans and are preventable if we follow a few simple guidelines:
ANNA MARIA – Despite the rain and chill, the Island area youth had fun playing flag football at The Center of Anna Maria Island on Friday. Kicking off the night’s action, team Sato Real Estate took the Solid Rock Construction squad to task, winning 30-6.
Solid Rock’s loss was not without effort by the skilled squad, but the plays just were not going the team’s way.
Sato Real Estate’s quarterback, Brandon Sato, smartly led his team down the football field to score 24 offensive points. Sato threw for three touchdowns to Grayson Cohen and had a rushing TD of his own.
Undoubtedly the game’s standout player, Sato also made his mark on the other side of the football with nine flag pulls. Teammate Grayson Cohen had three flag pulls on the Solid Rock offense.
Defensively, Silas Whitehead and Will Breslin each had a stop. Whitehead added to his game stats with a pick-six, taking his interception into the Solid Rock endzone.
Team Solid Rock Construction scored their six points on a rushing touchdown by Matthew Darak. To add to his TD, Darak had one reception and a single flag pull.
Jedi “JJ” Smith had the hot hands for Solid Rock with seven catches. He helped on defense with a critical stop.
Teammate Elijah Roadman had a flag pull and reception against the tough Sato Real Estate team.
Rounding out the 8- to 10-year-old flag football action, team Adrian Griffin Interiors defeated Beach House Waterfront Restaurant 39-6. In closer match-ups, the Moss Builders squad earned their seven-point touchdown against Cheesecake Cuties winning 19-12.
Closing out last Monday night’s action, team AMI Coconuts’ 7-6 win kept the Chick-fil-A team looking for their first victory. Moss Builders remained undefeated, with three teams chasing them with a 3-1 record.
Heading toward the playoffs, the top seed is still up for grabs.
Super Bowl LVIII last Sunday marks the close of another National Football League season, a big day for professional football fans everywhere. For Anna Maria Island resident Tom Curtin, the season checked the final boxes on his journey to professional football stadiums everywhere.
On Jan. 7, Curtin achieved his goal of attending a home team game for each of the 32 teams in the NFL. Bank of America Stadium was the setting of the Carolina Panthers-Tampa Bay Buccaneers game where Curtin completed his daunting mission.
As an avid traveler and Bucs fan, the January game in Charlotte, accompanied by his girlfriend, Laura Fri, was the 13th stadium for Curtin in the 2023-2024 season.
Growing up in Boston, Curtin’s first NFL game was a New England Patriots game played at Harvard Stadium in 1970.
Attending the 13th and final game in the Bank of America Stadium, Curtin accomplished his bucket list goal accompanied by Laura Fri on Jan. 7, when the Tampa Bay Bucs defeated the Carolina Panthers. – Submitted
Curtin’s destiny was set in 2007 when he started visiting different NFL stadiums, attending several games a year.
Owning his Island condo since the mid-80s, retirement allowed Curtin to become a full-time resident this past June. His April 2023 retirement was a game changer for him, allowing him to map out his plan to accomplish his goal at the Bucs-Panthers match-up.
The road to accomplishing his goal this year was not without its scheduling challenges. Attending a game in San Francisco on Sept. 21 followed by the Seattle Seahawks game on Sept. 24, only to fly home for the Monday night Bucs game on Sept. 25 was Curtin’s biggest logistical challenge.
A similar itinerary put him in Buffalo, New York on Oct. 26, traveling to watch the Colts on Oct. 29, then to Detroit for the Lions game the following night.
A schedule not for the faint of heart, crazy travel planning made Curtin’s bucket list accomplishment possible.
When asked which of the 30 stadiums is his favorite, other than Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and Raymond James Stadium, home of the Bucs, Tom said, “Allegiant Stadium in Vegas… a first-class stadium all-around.”
With fond memories, Lambeau Field, home to the Green Bay Packers, is also one of his favorite stadiums because of its rich history and memories of a stadium tour with his oldest son.
Among his other travel and sports event experiences, Curtin completed his goal of attending a professional baseball game in every Major League Baseball stadium in 2015 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.
Despite attending big sporting events around the world, attending the NBA All-Stars game is one of the few things still left on his list of things to do.
North Carolina may have been where Curtin watched the Bucs defeat the Panthers 9-0 and put a cap on this mission, but it certainly will not be his last big travel plan or goal.
This article originally appeared in Reel Time in 2018. It’s republished here, (with revisions) because I think the message it imparts has never been more relevant. Respect and action to protect this amazing marine biosphere that surrounds us have never been more necessary or compelling. This formative work of history made me see this land where I have lived for over four decades with new eyes. I wanted to share it again.
“The real voyage of discovery consists not of seeking new lands but of seeing with new eyes.” – Marcel Proust
As I read Jack Davis’s new novel, “Gulf, The Making of An American Sea,” the quote by the seminal French novelist Marcel Proust came to mind.
Having lived on Florida’s Gulf Coast for close to 40 years and been privileged to explore its rivers, bays and enigmatic estuaries, I have been captivated by its beauty and the fish that swim in its waters. Being immersed in this wonderland had to some extent clouded my sensibilities by a familiarity of place. Reading “Gulf” shined a clearer light on what we have, what we’ve lost and the importance of protecting its treasures for future generations.
Davis’s novel begins 150 million years ago when the geological forces of an evolving earth began shaping the Gulf we know today.In part one, he introduces us to the Calusa in Florida and the Karankawa who inhabited present-day Texas, original natives of “one of the largest estuarine regions in the world, encompassing more than 200 estuaries and occupying nearly 8 million acres.”
The book then traces the impact of the early Spanish explorers who led the way for the French and British. The descriptions of the vast schools of fish and flocks of birds that would “blacken the sky” hint at the incredible diversity and density of marine life and wildlife that once inhabited the Gulf and its estuaries.
In a chapter entitled, “The Wild Fish That Tamed the Coast,” Davis recounts how the tarpon, not warm weather and white sand beaches, brought the first tourists to Florida. The records are unclear about who took the first tarpon with a rod and reel. Some say it was New York Architect William Halsey Wood fishing in Pine Island Sound in 1885. Others claim it was Anthony Weston Dimock with a fish he caught at the mouth of the Homosassa River.
Whoever the angler, that first tarpon was the impetus that introduced wealthy adventurers, artists and, indirectly, a wave of tourists to the Gulf Coast.
In subsequent chapters, the influx of humans into the Gulf region begins a period of intense exploitation in the 1800s that continues to this day. Davis recounts records of armed tourist passengers on the Ocklawaha River that shot birds and wildlife indiscriminately for sport. At the same time, the plume trade was responsible for the killing of huge numbers of birds Gulf-wide. In 1902, one trade house reported an inventory of 50,000 ounces of feathers. At about that time, ornithologist Frank Chapman spent two afternoons walking Manhattan’s retail district counting 542 feathered hats representing 174 species of birds. During this same period, the harvesting of eggs from seabird nests exacerbated the decline of the once vast flocks of birds. Davis paints a picture with words that make it hard to overstate the effects of this dark period. Fortunately, this gloomy picture was illuminated by the outcry from conservationists and birders. As a result, bird sanctuaries were set aside by an executive order from President Theodore Roosevelt for the protection of birds and chapters of the National Audubon Society were born, including the Florida chapter in 1900. During that period, TR fostered the creation of 51 bird reservations, including Passage Key at the mouth of Tampa Bay.
As the history of the Gulf unfolded, the exploitation moved from birds to oil and then chemicals that devastated the coastal estuaries of Louisiana and Mississippi. Davis then recounts the effects of pulp mills, oil spills and hurricanes before the rush of development that resulted in massive dredge and fill operations. This rush to the Gulf’s coastal areas scoured seagrasses from bay bottoms and leveled thousands of acres of marshes and mangroves to create the islands and communities we know today as Marco Island, Cape Coral, Bird Key and Tierra Verde.
While much of the book centers on the degradation of the Gulf and its bays, estuaries and barrier islands, it also points out its resilience and serves as a cautionary tale of the importance of protecting, preserving and enhancing it today. “Gulf, The Making of an American Sea” opened my eyes to a paradise that still surrounds us, a paradise that’s beckoning us to see it with new eyes.
Happy Valentine’s Day! Every year this day is put aside for the lovers of the world and the greeting card companies. But this year, deep-pocket lovers have even more to be in love with, since luxury real estate has a new benchmark of an outrageous $100 million.
Granted, this number isn’t for everyone. In fact, only 5% of the overall housing market is defined as luxury, but we can all dream, can’t we? Based on how quickly Anna Maria properties have increased in value over the past three years, why shouldn’t $100 million be the new norm for a narrow percentage of the population?
According to The Wall Street Journal, since 2020, at least 24 homes nationwide have traded for $100 million and up. Florida has had a dramatic increase in nine-figure transactions in recent years. Since 2020, three homes over $100 million have changed hands in New York City compared with six in and around Palm Beach. Tampa is also benefiting from the ultrarich due to the lack of available luxury properties in the Miami area. Tampa’s sales have been boosted by 35.8% in the luxury market during the third quarter of 2023 compared with the same period last year, bringing in buyers who were disappointed with the availability of high-end homes on the east coast of Florida.
In 2023, there was a record set for a sale in Florida of $170 million. A broker selling high-end properties in Palm Beach said there are more billionaires than there are oceanfront estates to sell them. Don’t get too comfortable with the $100 million benchmark, $200 million is waiting in the wings as the number of billionaires around the world grows. There were 3,194 billionaires in 2023, up from 2,170 in 2013, according to the wealth research firm Wealth X.
The ultra-rich aren’t much different from any buyer. Not comfortable with the higher interest rates, especially for jumbo loans, they’re using cash to buy their estates. These cash buyers are propping up the overall real estate market, shifting from a downturn in late 2021. According to Redfin, the median luxury sale price during the third quarter of 2023 rose 9% year-over-year to $1.1 million, almost three times the annual jump for nonluxury homes, which rose only 3.3% during the same period. The median price is the mid-point of sale prices; half of the sales are above and half are below.
Redfin also reports that 42.5% of luxury buyers paid cash during the third quarter of 2023 compared to 34.6% during the same period the previous year. In the third quarter of 2023, only 28% of nonluxury homes sold for cash. In addition, inventory of luxury homes rose 2.9% during the third quarter of 2023 compared to a decline of 20.8% for nonluxury homes nationwide.
If there’s a lesson to be learned here, it’s that wealthy people watch their money the same as the rest of us and use cash if the numbers make sense. It also means that it’s far better to be rich and have the option of an all-cash offer on a property.
Be careful, the ultrarich will be coming for your home when the inventory of appropriate billionaire estates runs out, and Anna Maria Island is prime for their next stop. Nevertheless, the Gulf of Mexico that we all love is the same whether your home is a cottage for $1 million or a sprawling estate for $100 million. Luxury is in the eye of the beholder.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Tourism in the city of Anna Maria was up in all 12 months of 2023 over 2022, according to tourist tax collection statistics from the Manatee County Tax Collector’s Office.
The Island’s other two cities did not experience the same boon.
Bradenton Beach tourist tax collections were down in every month but August, which showed approximately a 3% increase from August 2022.
In Holmes Beach, tourist tax collections were down in every month but September, which showed no change, and October, which showed approximately an 8% increase from October 2022.
Anna Maria brought in $3,070,039 in tourist tax collections in 2023, up 20.3% from $2,552,183 in 2022.
Bradenton Beach tourist tax collections totaled $1,620,837 in 2023, down 6% from $1,724,637 in 2022.
Holmes Beach brought in the lion’s share at $7,816,520 last year, down 13.6% from $9,045,714 in 2022.
The tourist tax is one of the most accurate indicators of whether tourism has increased, decreased, or remained steady from year to year.
Each month, Manatee County’s 5% tourist tax is collected from owners of accommodations rented for six months or less who charge the tax to their renters, in most cases, tourists.
About 50% of the tax proceeds are allocated to Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau tourism marketing efforts, with 20% allocated to beach renourishment. The tax also partially funds tourism-related attractions such as the Bradenton Beach and Anna Maria piers.
2023 Manatee County tourist tax collections compared to 2022
MANATEE COUNTY – County commissioners left the county’s eight libraries without an advisory board when they voted 6-1 to table seven appointments to the nine-seat board in January, despite having 13 candidates step up to volunteer.
Two of those candidates were seeking reappointment to the board.
The move was initiated by Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge, who said that he didn’t feel any of the candidates, including the two seeking reappointment, shared the same viewpoint as the county commissioners.
Commissioner George Kruse was the lone dissenting vote.
In April 2023, commissioners voted to expand the library board from five to nine seats. With the four new seats vacant and three of the five existing seats expired as of Jan. 31, that leaves only two members sitting on the board.
The 2023 county ordinance governing the Library Advisory Board, ordinance 23-105, which replaced a previous ordinance from 1984, states that the board must be ruled by a simple majority. Without a majority, the board can’t meet. The county’s webpage dedicated to the advisory board notes that meetings, usually held once a month, are now to be determined. As of press time for The Sun, no county commission agendas had been released listing the appointments to the advisory board as an agenda item.
According to the ordinance, board members are tasked with several responsibilities, among them, working with the library services manager to review and purchase new books and other materials, making recommendations on available and new resources and providing recommendations on the Manatee County Collection Development Policy.
They are also in charge of receiving grants, payments and other monies designated for the library and turning them over to county commissioners; advising the library services manager on public needs that can be served by the library and giving input on programs and services; reviewing and recommending library policies to the county board of commissioners; reviewing and recommending a long-range plan for library services to the county commission; ensuring that the library collection meets the needs of the public; and annually presenting a report to Manatee County commissioners on the state of the library system.
Speaking during the Jan. 23 county commission meeting, Manatee County Library Services Manager Tammy Parrott said that she was pleased with the candidates who had put their names forth for consideration to the Library Advisory Board and said it was “the most robust” pool of candidates she’d seen in her time with the county.
All nine seats on the Library Advisory Board are appointed by Manatee County commissioners. Each person appointed to the board serves a four-year term unless filling an unexpired term vacancy on the board.
BRADENTON BEACH – In what was described as a potential public/private partnership to protect the city’s dinghy docks and control derelict vessels, City Attorney Ricinda Perry presented an offer to city commissioners from a local marina.
“I was approached today by the marina, the former Bazzy marina, who said, ‘Why don’t you throw mooring balls out there?’ ” Perry said at the Feb. 1 city commission meeting.
A harbormaster and a pump-out comes at an extreme cost, which is why the city had dropped the idea in the past, Perry said.
“So today the marina said, ‘Would you be interested in us helping you with the mooring balls? And what we can do is basically act as your harbormaster, provide the pump-out service and deal with the people that are paying?’ “ Perry said, adding, “And something else to think about is the amount you charge people, which they would enforce for us. Which would make it so a particular clientele would be able to afford that mooring ball.”
Perry said the city doesn’t have the resources or staff, but with the help of the marina, the mooring field could be a revenue source for the city and the marina, and would potentially clean up the area.
She told commissioners if they were not opposed to the idea, she would put the item on a work meeting agenda.
Commissioner Ralph Cole said, “There’s a lot of pros and cons to this. When we talked about it before, we talked about the cost and how the city was going to maintain it. That would have been really difficult for the city to maintain it.”
Cole said he would like to know the details and the cost involved.
Derelict boats have been an issue in the harbor, and a priority for Bradenton Beach police.
“The police have done a very good job,” Cole said. “We had 47 derelict boats out there at one time, and it takes time to clean all this stuff up.”
“To remove a derelict vessel is extremely expensive,” Perry said. “We can regulate those people who are living on them. Do we want people there who have slammed into our floating dock so many times? I love the private partnership that targets those who are living out there.”
A discussion of the mooring field offer as well as the potential expansion of the city’s boundary jurisdiction on the water, which is currently at 500 feet from shore, will be considered by the city commission in the future, according to Mayor John Chappie.
ANNA MARIA – The Anna Maria Planning and Zoning Board recommends city commission approval of a request to vacate an existing utilities easement at 117 Peppertree Lane.
The board-supported request to vacate the easement is included on the City Commission’s Thursday, Feb. 8 meeting agenda.
The residential property is owned by 117 Peppertree LLC. According to the property owner’s attorney, Taylor Faulkner, the property was platted in 1925 and the current home was built in 1967. In 1971, a garage and concrete driveway were built atop an existing utility easement previously granted to the city. In 2003, the city commission approved a request to vacate the easement, but there’s no record of that request ever being finalized and recorded.
City Planner Ashely Austin said the existing 10-foot-wide easement would be exchanged for a new 7-foot-wide easement located closer to Gulf Drive. Austin said the city currently has no plans to use the new easement area, but it will be there if ever needed.
The board voted 4-0 in support of recommending city commission approval of the request.
Board configuration
Anna Maria resident Janis Ian was recently appointed to the planning board but prior to the board’s Jan. 31 meeting, she informed the city clerk’s office that she would not be joining the board due to other obligations.
Recently appointed planning board member Jeff Rodencal did not attend the Jan. 31 meeting but is expected to participate in the board’s next meeting on Wednesday, March 13.
The addition of Ian and Rodencal would have created a six-member board, which would have then resulted in longtime board member David Haddox becoming an alternate board member rather than a regular board member due to the anticipated sale of his Anna Maria home. With Ian’s withdrawal, Haddox will continue to serve as a regular board member until his house sells and he forgoes his city residency.
Form 6 email
During Wednesday’s meeting, board member Lisa Bagwell said she received an email from the Florida Commission on Ethics informing her that she would be required to file a Form 6 financial disclosure form later this year. None of the other planning board members received a similar email.
Participating by phone, City Attorney Becky Vose said city commission-appointed Planning and Zoning Board members are not subject to the Form 6 financial disclosure requirements that now apply to elected and appointed mayors and city commissioners. Vose surmised the email must have been mistakenly sent to Bagwell.
BRADENTON BEACH – The first reading of a proposed ordinance outlining the details of a Land Development Code (LDC) revision of ward boundaries was approved by the city commission last Thursday night.
The ward redistricting was based on March 31, 2023 recommendations by Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett. Commissioners had reached a consensus to approve the boundary changes at a Jan. 18 commission meeting.
City attorney Ricinda Perry had asked the commission for direction on Jan. 18 in preparing a resolution to modify the boundaries of Wards 1 and 2 and flip the numbers for 3 and 4, so sequentially the south end of the city begins at Ward 4 with Ward 1 at the north end of the city. She had given commissioners boundary maps drawn up by the supervisor of elections to review showing the recommended boundary shifts.
The city charter requires each of the four wards of the city to be established by ordinance, and that each ward contain approximately the same number of residents.
“Manatee County Supervisor of Elections presented the City of Bradenton Beach City Commission with evidence that the 2024 active voter population for the City’s Ward Boundaries could be more proportionate between the four wards (Ward 1-152, Ward 2-151, Ward 3-153, and Ward 4-155) by revising the boundaries,” the resolution states in part.
“This seems to make logical sense,” Perry said.
Wards 3 and 4 did not need redistricting and an additional area from Ward 1 was added to Ward 2, Perry said at the Feb. 1 meeting.
During the public comment section of the meeting, Bradenton Beach resident Chris Johnson said, “When the wards were developed and why they were developed we had a lot more people living in Bradenton Beach. Our voting population is so down with registered voters, can you explain to me why we’re still having wards when we need to have more commissioners challenged?”
“Back when the city first started, the wards were put in there and they’ve been here ever since, no matter what the voting population is,” Commissioner Ralph Cole said. “The beauty of the wards is it keeps from getting three or four commissioners from one little neighborhood to have neighbors run the whole city.”
Commissioner Jan Vosburgh said the ward system has worked out well and people are well-represented.
“Ralph explained it beautifully, and Jan,” Mayor John Chappie said. “The wards to me are what government is really about. It’s about having someone right in your neighborhood that you can go to and talk to about things.”
A motion to approve the second reading of the resolution on Thursday, Feb. 15 at noon was approved unanimously by the commission. Following the second reading, the commission will declare open the vacant seat left by former Commissioner Jake Spooner’s resignation.
Commissioner Marilyn Maro phoned into the meeting.
The commission meets at the Katie Pierola Commission Chambers, 107 Gulf Drive North.
ANNA MARIA – The city’s Charter Review Committee has begun its review of the city charter.
Recommended by Mayor Dan Murphy and approved by the city commission, the charter review committee consists of Chris Arendt, Stevie Coppin, Scott Isherwood, Pat Olesen and Chuck Wolfe. The committee members met for the first time on Feb. 2.
The state requires cities to review their city charters at least every five years and Anna Maria’s 20-page charter was last reviewed in 2019. Any charter amendments proposed by the committee and supported by the city commission would then be placed on a general election ballot for the city’s registered voters to approve or reject.
Anna Maria’s charter dates back to 1923 when Anna Maria officially became a Florida city. Similar to a state constitution, a city charter sets forth how a city government is structured and establishes the duties and powers of the mayor and commissioners. Anna Maria’s charter establishes the city’s strong mayor form of government that consists of a non-voting mayor and five voting commissioners.
The charter establishes which city actions require the adoption of a city ordinance.
It also establishes how citizen-initiated voter referendums are enacted, including citizen-initiated charter amendments.
Anna Maria’s city charter sets forth the duties of the city clerk, city treasurer and city attorney. It also includes a detailed written description of the city’s physical boundaries and corporate limits.
Height limits
The Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach city charters limit building heights to three stories, with some minor height differences. Those height limits can only be changed or eliminated with the approval of those cities’ registered voters.
The Anna Maria charter does not establish building height limits, but the city’s land development code and comprehensive plan limit residential and commercial building heights to “three useable floors.”
Unlike the charter, the land development use and the comp plan can be amended by the city commission.
According to Section 3.08 of the Anna Maria charter, a future land use-related comp plan amendment requires an affirmative vote of four more of the city commissioners. A comp plan amendment does not require the approval of city voters.
Without the protection of a charter provision, any sitting city commissioners could move to abolish or increase Anna Maria’s existing height limits without the approval of the city’s registered voters.
Making a start
After being sworn in by Deputy Clerk Fran Berrios, the committee members selected Arendt to serve as the committee chair and Olesen to serve as vice chair.
Chris Arendt is chairing the charter review committee. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
City Attorney Becky Vose provided the committee with an overview of the charter review process and told the committee members not to feel disappointed if their review produces no proposed charter amendments.
With city commission chair and former charter review committee member Mark Short providing additional guidance, the committee began its review of the charter. Heeding Short’s advice, the committee agreed to review the charter one page at a time, from beginning to end – a process that will entail multiple meetings.
Chuck Wolfe is concerned about the number of commission appointments in recent years. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
When discussing the government structure established in Section 1.06, Wolfe noted that in recent years many commissioners have been appointed by the commission rather than elected by the public. He questioned whether reducing the commission to three members instead of five would produce more elected commissioners.
Short noted a three-member commission would only require the support of two commissioners to enact a new city ordinance or initiate other city actions. Vose said the appointment process in Anna Maria has resulted in many highly qualified individuals joining the commission.
Scott Isherwood fears the Form 6 financial disclosure requirements will further shrink the pool of potential mayoral and commission candidates. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Isherwood mentioned the Form 6 financial disclosure requirements that now apply to all elected and appointed city commissioners and mayors in Florida. He’s concerned the expanded disclosure requirements will further reduce the number of people willing to serve as mayors and commissioners. He, too, questioned whether reducing the number of commission members might be advantageous.
Olsen mentioned the possibility of hiring a city manager or a city administrator who would provide continuity as mayors and commission members come and go. She said Anna Maria currently has a “great mayor” but that hasn’t always been the case.
Coppin questioned whether the city could afford a city manager’s salary and whether the city manager could afford to live in Anna Maria due to the high cost of housing.
The committee discussed extending the current two-year terms for commissioners and mayors to four years to eliminate the need to run for office every two years. Wolfe suggested increasing the mayor’s term to four years and leaving the commission terms at two.
Isherwood said it’s important to create a larger pool of candidates for the long-term benefit of the city, especially at a time when the potential consolidation of the three Island cities is the current subject of a consolidation study requested by the local members of the Florida Legislature.
Reaching no initial conclusions, the committee agreed to engage in additional future discussion about the potential need for a city manager and adjusting the number of commission members and the length of the terms served. The committee will meet next at city hall on Friday, Feb. 23 at 1 p.m. The meetings are open to the public.
TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Legislature’s efforts to preempt vacation rental regulation to the state took a significant step forward when the Florida Senate passed Senate Bill 280 on Feb. 1.
After previously passing through two Senate committees, the bill passed the full Senate 27-13.
If enacted as state law, the proposed legislation would further limit the ability of Florida cities, towns and counties to regulate vacation rentals and vacation rental advertising at the local level.
The preemption of vacation rental regulation to the state would impact all three Anna Maria Island cities to varying degrees.
Sen. Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton) and Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota) were among the 27 senators who supported the bill, originally introduced by Sen. Nick DiCeglie (R-St. Petersburg). Ten Democrats opposed SB 280, joined by three Republicans.
Sen. Nick DiCeglie introduced SB 280. – www.FlSenate.gov | Submitted
Originally introduced by State Rep. Philip Griffitts Jr. (R-St. Petersburg), the House companion bill, HB 1537, successfully passed through the House Regulatory Reform & Economic Development Subcommittee on Feb. 1 by a 10-4 vote. State Rep. Will Robinson Jr. (R-Bradenton) supported the bill.
State Rep. Philip Griffitts Jr. introduced HB 1537. – www.MyFloridaHouse.gov | Submitted
If HB 1537 successfully passes through the Ways & Means Committee and the Commerce Committee, it will then be brought to the House floor for a vote by the entire House before the 60-day legislative session ends on March 8.
In order to become state law, matching Senate and House bills must be adopted by the two governing bodies. If the final versions of the two bills are not identical, the legislation fails. If the identical bills are passed by their respective bodies, the legislation will be sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis to sign into law, to approve without signing or to veto.
As of Feb. 2, the Senate and House bills were not identical matching bills. The Senate-approved version of SB 280 contains two-plus-two occupancy limits not yet included in HB 1537.
The adopted Senate bill states the vacation rental owner or operator must “State and comply with the maximum overnight occupancy of the vacation rental which does not exceed either two persons per bedroom, plus an additional two persons in one common area; or more than two persons per bedroom if there is at least 50 square feet per person, plus an additional two persons in one common area, whichever is greater.”
As of Feb. 2, the House bill simply said the vacation rental owner/operator must “State the maximum occupancy of the vacation rental based on the number of sleeping accommodations for persons staying overnight in the vacation rental.”
Fees and taxes
The Legislature’s efforts to preempt vacation rental regulation to the state are partially driven by a stated desire to better address the collection of vacation rental registration and licensing fees and the collection of taxes levied on transient public lodging entities, including those on the Airbnb and VRBO advertising and rental platforms.
Several Florida counties levy tourist or resort taxes on short-term lodging stays. Manatee County levies a 5% tourist development tax on short-term lodging stays.
SB 280 and HB 1537 address at great length vacation rental advertising/rental platforms and the collection of fees and taxes.
In January, the independent, non-partisan Florida TaxWatch organization published a 16-page report titled, “The Impact of Unlicensed Vacation Rentals on Florida’s Economy.”
“In November 2023, an average day had an estimated minimum of 25,457 unlicensed vacation rentals with available listings, which is 19% of all available listings for that month,” the report says.
The report estimated Florida had an estimated minimum of 49,280 unlicensed vacation rental properties at that time.
“Tax evasion by unlicensed vacation rentals worsens the tax burden on dutiful, taxpaying residents and businesses,” the report says. “The loss of registration costs, required once per year, would be between $1.8 million and $6.9 million. If the unlicensed vacation rentals continued to operate in the years to follow, the state would see a loss of licensing fees between $1.2 million and $5.5 million. Collectively, local communities can lose up to $32,000 in local option transient taxes within a single day. If the unlicensed vacation rentals filed for a homestead exemption in the absence of permanent residency, up to $21.3 million in property taxes could be lost to fraud.”
Anna Maria concerns
During the Jan. 25 Anna Maria City Commission meeting, City Attorney Becky Vose voiced her concerns.
She said the Senate bill would still allow the city to inspect vacation rentals during the initial registration process but would not allow follow-up inspections in future years. She noted the annual inspections help identify violations and non-compliance issues that arise after the initial inspection takes place.
Regarding the city’s annual inspection fees, Vose said, “It would cap the initial application fee at $150 and cap all subsequent renewal fees at $50, which would transfer the bulk of the cost of regulation and registration of vacation rentals to the taxpayers of the city, which is totally unfair.”
Anna Maria imposes an occupancy-based annual registration fee established each year by a city-approved city resolution. The fee is based on the estimated cost of administering, regulating and enforcing the city’s vacation rental ordinance. The fee is $84.17 per allowed occupant, according to the city’s vacation rental ordinance. The fee for the owner of a two-bedroom vacation rental permitted to have two guests per bedroom plus two additional guests is $505. The annual fee for a 12-occupant vacation rental is $1,010 and the annual fee for a 16-occupant vacation rental is $1,346.
Vose also expressed concerns about the state’s ability to enforce the vacation rental regulations as a whole.
Mayor Dan Murphy recently said capping registration fees would significantly impact the city’s ability to regulate vacation rentals. During past discussions, he said the city’s enforcement of online vacation rental advertising is the city’s only means to regulate vacation rental occupancy. The city doesn’t have the authority to enter vacation rentals to count occupants.
Commission Chair Mark Short encourages concerned citizens to visit the Home Rule Florida website, www.HomeRuleFl.com, to express their opinions to state legislators.
On Saturday night, Feb. 24, Sarasota Bay Watch (SBW) is holding its 14th Annual Scallopalooza: We’re Making Waves. The event is a major fundraiser for the organization. This year Sarasota Bay Watch is celebrating its multidimensional approach to water quality and healthy habitats. This approach includes a wide variety of programs headlined by its clam restoration program. Clams are a key focus of SBW because of their filtration properties (last year SBW obtained Florida’s first lease for restoration purposes). Another big focus of the group is the cleanup efforts of marine debris.
This past year, SBW volunteers actively cleaned local waters from Manatee County to the Myakka River in Charlotte County. In cooperation with local dive groups, over 39,900 pounds of debris were removed. This included rubble that entangles and entraps birds and marine animals, as well as damaging sensitive habitats. Island restoration at Jim Neville Marine Preserve is another focus of SBW. Their Youth Legacy Project (in partnership with Sarasota County) engages with students to remove invasive plants and install native flora to attract pollinators and birds, enriching the habitat value of the preserve while training and engaging the leaders of tomorrow. Their work also includes a youth leadership program for local high school students. This program provides leadership opportunities for the high school students who then work with SBW teaching marine science in an eight-week after-school program for fourth and fifth graders.
This year’s Scallopalooza will help support and fund the organization’s many worthwhile projects. Join other engaged community members for a happy hour, dinner, silent auction and entertainment.
If you would like to get involved with the work SBW is doing to protect Sarasota Bay and support its mission, visit www.sarasotabaywatch.org. Make sure you take note of the organizations that are major sponsors of this important fund-raising effort. As their motto says, “A healthy bay is everybody’s business,” literally and figuratively! I hope to see you there.
ANNA MARIA – The season of art shows on Anna Maria Island continues with the upcoming Feed the Island Art and Craft Show on Friday, Feb. 9 and Saturday, Feb. 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.
The show will be held along the water in back of Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave. Local and national artists will feature their work, including painters, woodworkers, jewelry makers, potters and more.
Event promoters at Blue Ribbon Events said this show is not just about finding the perfect Valentine’s Day gift, it’s a chance to help Roser Church stock its shelves for those with food insecurity on the Island. The food pantry at Roser Church is the one place on Anna Maria Island where people experiencing financial hardship can come to receive free groceries. A dedicated corps of volunteers and staff members distribute over 100 bags of groceries each month.
Everyone attending the show can help by bringing canned or nonperishable food items, donating cash at the church booth, or buying raffle tickets for a chance to win items donated by participating artists. Tickets are $1, 6 for $5 or 25 for $20, with all proceeds going to the food pantry.
The show is free with free parking. There will be a Nigerian food truck offering up regional dishes for purchase, and plenty of unique art and crafts in every price range. For more information, visit www.daniellsblueribbonevents.com.
BRADENTON BEACH – Following the demolition of the colorful Joe’s Eats N Sweets building to make way for a 106-room hotel/restaurant/retail project, the cleared site is being used as an interim paid parking lot – until construction begins.
The city commission approved the hotel project on the corner of Bridge Street and Gulf Drive South on Dec. 7. On Dec. 11, demolition began on Joe’s Eats N Sweets. The drawings for the hotel project show that the area of the paid parking lot will be replaced by the hotel loading dock.
Co-applicants for the hotel are local developer Shawn Kaleta and former Bradenton Beach city commissioner Jake Spooner.
The pay-by-plate parking lot at 219 Gulf Drive S. has 33 parking spaces with 24/7 rates of $15 per hour.
According to the sign at the pay station, “You are on a privately owned and managed parking lot that’s not associated with any municipality.”
The lot is managed by Easy Parking Group.
Violators will be booted or ticketed at the owner’s expense to a maximum boot fee of $200.
“Must pay, don’t run away,” according to the pay station sign.
