HOLMES BEACH – As the Manatee County Tourist Development Council applauded a report of record tourism on Monday and approved adding $500,000 to the county’s $2.6 million tourism marketing budget, Holmes Beach Commission Chair David Zaccagnino added an Island perspective seldom voiced.
“You’ve done too good of a job,” he told the advisory board to the Manatee County Commission, inviting them to attend a Tuesday, Dec. 13 Holmes Beach Commission meeting at 7 p.m. at city hall that will address problems caused by vacation rentals. “If this keeps going the way it’s going, you’re going to ruin this little Island community.”
Third Place
Local Government Reporting
2011
Residents have blamed tourists, rental agents and developers – but not the county’s tourism marketing agency – for noise, trash and parking problems destroying residential neighborhoods that have been partially redeveloped with large, multi-bedroom “resort” houses.
“Residents are showing up with pitchforks and torches,” Zaccagnino said about recent city meetings. “You’re inviting everybody… but you don’t want to clean up when you’re done.”
The city has responded to complaints with increased code enforcement and police action, but has limited staff and funds to tackle the growing problem, according to city officials.
“There’s a great deal of pressure being put on code enforcement, police and maintenance,” he said, asking the TDC and the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) for help at Tuesday’s meeting and beyond.
“People living here shouldn’t be driven out of their homes,” said TDC member David Teitelbaum, a Bradenton Beach resort owner and Island Chamber of Commerce director, saying the issue is not whether to promote tourism, but abuses of the right to quiet enjoyment of property.
The solution is not to cut tourism marketing, he said, rather, it should be handled by revoking business licenses (rental agents allowing occupancy violations in rentals), calling the county health department (residential pools being used as commercial pools) and other enforcement methods.
“A few bad apples are spoiling it,” he said.
“We can’t get off the pedal” and cut back marketing efforts, said CVB Director Elliott Falcione, or it would take four to five times more money to get the “heads in beds” back again.
Still, visitors want the low-rise, low key, “detox” environment of the Island, he said, adding that tourism efforts need to be “tweaked.”
“There’s a balance,” TDC Chair and former Holmes Beach Mayor Carol Whitmore said, adding that she would not complain about visitors unless they break the rules.
Whitmore said she is concerned with maintaining the character of the Island, even to the extent of wanting the new county beach sign toned down.
“This is a very unique Island,” Zaccagnino agreed. “We don’t want it to change.”
