Skip to main content

Tag: Anna Maria Island

Holmes Beach logo OLD

Commission approves first budget reading

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

HOLMES BEACH – It took a little while to work out, but commissioners and city staff finally have a budget and a millage rate that they can agree on.

Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the proposed millage rate and the proposed budget, both of which underwent some changes since they were last discussed during budget workshops.

One major change is that instead of increasing the millage rate, it will remain the same at 2.25 mills for the upcoming 2020-21 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. The millage rate is the amount charged in ad valorem property taxes per $1,000 of the taxable value of the property. Though the millage rate remains the same, due to property value increases it represents a 4.61% increase in rates over the previous year. The rollback rate is 2.1641 mills. The rollback rate is the millage rate that would bring in the same amount of tax revenue for the city as the previous fiscal year.

The proposed budget for the city is $17,879,270 including $8,492,673 in carryovers and reserves. City treasurer Lori Hill plans for a break-even budget. During the Sept. 10 meeting, Hill told commissioners that some expenses, such as new computers and phones for commissioners, had been removed from the budget and pushed to future fiscal years.

She added that some revenue sources, including the fifth cent gas tax, half-cent discretionary tax and FEMA monies expected by the city, had increased since the previous hearing. Total funds from the fifth cent gas tax are estimated at $70,225 with the half-cent discretionary tax coming in at $614,171. The increases amounted to about $85,000 over the previously anticipated amount of state funding, giving the city a planned $803,160.

Local revenues, Hill said, are planned to bring in about $27,000 less than previously estimated, bringing that number to $8,583,437, including the property taxes paid by Holmes Beach property owners.

While it sounds primarily like good news, Hill said that year over year, last fiscal year as compared to the coming one, the city is poised to lose about $125,000 in state revenue and about $145,000 from local revenue sources. She did note that there is an approximately $100,000 increase in estimated stormwater revenue due to FEMA funding. Locally, the city-assessed stormwater fee is estimated to bring in $423,132 in additional funding over the previous year, a total of $1,391,554. Hill said that the city also is poised to receive $500,000 in grant funding for stormwater improvement projects.

She estimates the city will have $4.7 mil in rollover cash at the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year. This will leave the city with an unrestricted reserve amount of 24.69% of the city’s total budget, meeting the Florida League of Cities’ suggested cash reserve amount to fund ongoing operational costs.

“In the eight years I’ve been here, this is the lowest year-over-year increase in expenses we have had,” Hill said. She estimates the city’s expenditures have increased by about 3% from the 2019-20 fiscal year.

The budget for mayor and commission was reduced to $200,403. Commissioner Jim Kihm, who had previously offered to give up his stipend if it put the city in a better financial position, said he had requested that Hill reinstate his salary since the city’s financial needs were able to be met without increasing the millage rate. Commissioner Kim Rash had also made the offer to forgo his salary in the best interests of the city but since he is up for re-election in November, only Kihm’s salary had been removed from the budget.

The general government budget topped out at $1,783,926 with no major changes from the previously proposed budget.

The code compliance budget came in at $590,666 including increases in the budget for special magistrate hearings and $12,000 for special magistrate hearing engineering if needed.

The budget for the Holmes Beach Police Department topped out at $3,616,206, an increase of about $45,000 due to previously unanticipated increases in insurance costs and $35,000 for the purchase of body cameras for officers.

Public works showed increases in that department’s budget, which comes in at $1,971,893, due to funding for some projects being moved into that department, including the reserve funding from the Hagen Foundation for lighting the shuffleboard and bocce ball courts, Hill said.

The building department’s budget came in at $866,406, including an increase for additional staff training to reduce outsourcing.

Commissioners thanked Hill and the city staff for working to find a way to meet the city’s needs without increasing the millage rate.

“I think it’s a very fair budget,” Commissioner Terry Schaefer said.

“This is a very difficult budget year for the city,” Commissioner Jim Kihm said. “I think it’s a good budget and one that I can support.”

Commissioners will host a second public hearing and final vote for the millage rate and budget on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 6 p.m.

Related coverage

 

Holmes Beach takes home six Bert Harris wins

 

Commissioners seek additional spending cuts

Commissioners extend mask ordinance into 2021

Holmes Beach extends mask ordinance into 2021

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

HOLMES BEACH – After being extended by Mayor Judy Titsworth on a weekly basis three times, commissioners have voted unanimously to extend the mandatory face mask ordinance for a little longer – until their first meeting in January 2021.

The city’s initial ordinance requiring anyone in a Holmes Beach business or public building to wear a face mask, unless exempt by a health condition or age, was adopted by commissioners June 25 and expired on Aug. 25. Since the expiration, Mayor Titsworth has been extending the ordinance for seven days at a time under a mayoral directive allowed by the city- and state-declared states of emergency. Currently, the Florida state of emergency, extended by Gov. Ron DeSantis, is set to expire in early November, though city attorney Patricia Petruff said she expects the state of emergency to be extended again due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commissioners agreed to take the burden of extending the mask mandate off the mayor’s shoulders and extend it for a period longer than seven days. After discussing several different end date options, they settled on the end of the year, amending the end date to their first meeting in January. The decision was made to extend it into 2021 to avoid any potential lapses in the mask regulations in case the mask mandate needs to be extended again due to the threat of the coronavirus.

Commissioner Terry Schaefer said if the threat of the virus has receded prior to the expiration of the ordinance, commissioners can vote to rescind the mask mandate.

Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said the mask mandate has been working well and that enforcement also has gone well with the city’s business owners supporting the measure. He added that his officers are doing spot checks at local businesses to ensure compliance and that only one issue has arisen where a business manager called the department because a patron refused to wear a mask while inside. Tokajer said the individual was cited for trespassing and removed from the property.

Commissioner Pat Morton said he felt the ordinance was working well to help protect both visitors and residents from the virus’ spread. Commission candidate Jayne Christenson agreed, adding that she thinks it’s a good ordinance.

Because the ordinance was enacted to address a declared emergency it does not have to have a second reading or vote, which is normally required for ordinance approval in Holmes Beach.

Related coverage

 

Face masks/coverings required in Holmes Beach

 

Mask requirements on Anna Maria Island

 

County Commission adopts mandatory mask resolution

Castles in the Sand

Real estate sales reaching lofty heights

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

The above-the-fold headline in a national newspaper a couple of weeks ago said this: “Home sales reach lofty heights.” My real estate heart started fluttering even before I read the first sentence, and by the time I was done, I was swooning.

As it turned out, my flutter was well-deserved and somewhat understated. According to the National Associations of Realtors, existing home sales rose 24.7% in July from a month before; just to be clear, that’s one month. The annual increase in sales from July of last year increased 8.7%. The last time sales activity was this high was in December of 2006.

These are spectacular numbers nationally, leading Lawrence Yun, the National Association of Realtor’s (NAR) chief economist, to say, “the housing market is actually past the recovery phase and is now in a booming stage.” A strong housing market is always a positive sign for the economy; home purchases lead to increased spending across the board on furniture, appliances, renovations and landscaping.

How is all this possible? We’re still in the middle of a pandemic. Millions of people are out of work, it’s summer and it’s an active hurricane season. The answer in part appears to be that Americans are totally rethinking where and how they live and they are not wasting any time looking for a change in lifestyle. According to a survey by realtor.com, about 40% of home buyers are looking to buy soon and are not waiting for the virus to slow down.

Everyone wants a reboot after being stuck at home for five months watching the walls closing in. Condominium owners want single-family homes and single-family homeowners want larger and more spread out property. City dwellers want the suburbs or country living and everyone wants to change the negative features in their homes that they may have just noticed. This activity is not only affecting the resale market but the new home market, which represents about 10% of the real estate market, is also roaring back.

And speaking of spectacular, Manatee County’s sales numbers for July are right up there with the national numbers.

There was a 26.7% increase in the sale of single-family homes from July of last year to this year. The median (half above, half below) price of single-family homes was $358,963, a 10.5% increase from last year. It should be noted that the national median home price for July was $304,100 – a record high.

The single-family average sale price was $476,011, an increase of 21.7%, with a median time to contract of only 37 days. Pending inventory was up 25.7%, and we’re still suffering from a serious lack of inventory down to only 2.3 months available properties.

Condos closed 16.5% more units in July over last year and the median sales price was $220,000, up 15.2%. The average condo sale price was $270,527 up 24.9% from last year and the median time to contract was 64 days. Pending inventory is up 42% and the month’s supply of available properties is 3.6%.

Another interesting turn is that nationally, first-time buyers accounted for 34% of sales in July per the NAR. Many of these first-time buyers are millennials who are being motivated by the virus to get off the sidelines, start families and adjust their lifestyles. This is a surprise to me but it’s true, a lot of young people are working remotely, still getting paid and for some reason don’t want to let the virus dictate their future. Good for them.

Well, now that my heart’s rhythm is back to normal, I can stop worrying about the real estate market for a while and concentrate on COVID and hurricanes; there is always something. Stay safe.

City leaders, resort owner face off in court

City leaders, resort owner face off in court

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

MANATEE COUNTY – A disagreement between Holmes Beach city leaders and the ownership at the Bali Hai Beach Resort has escalated, resulting in two hearings held the week of Aug. 17.

On Aug. 19, two issues involving the Bali Hai were brought before city special magistrate and attorney Michael Connelly for review. The first was construction work done without a permit and in violation of a stop-work order. The second was alcohol sales on the premises without an approved site plan. Arguments on those same issues came before Manatee County Judge Charles Sniffen during a hearing Aug. 21 on the city’s complaint for injunctive relief and motion to compel the defendant, Bali Hai JV LLC, to respond to the city’s complaint.

In the Aug. 21 court hearing, Sniffen ruled that the hotel’s ownership has five business days, until Aug. 28, to respond to the city’s complaint. The city’s motion for an injunction, to stop occupancy of and business in a small two-story accessory building on the property, was continued to a future date as the questioning of witnesses and presentation of evidence went over the time limit allowed.

Attorney Erica Aguello, speaking on behalf of the city, said that city leaders are seeking an injunction to stop alcohol sales on the property without an approved site plan and stop occupancy of the building until permits can be secured and work completed on the second floor of the building.

The Bali Hai is currently owned by Bali Hai JV LLC, a Florida limited liability company that lists law firm Najmy Thompson P. L. as the registered agent and local developer Shawn Kaleta as the manager of the LLC. During the hearing, attorneys for the defense acknowledged Kaleta as the owner of the hotel.

The city’s issues with the Bali Hai began in late January, according to evidence submitted by the city. During the evidentiary hearing, Building Official Neal Schwartz said that he was called out to the site Jan. 24 by code compliance Officer James Thomas to investigate work being done on the accessory building without a permit.

A photo taken in January shows the partially demolished state of the upstairs section of a two-story accessory building at the Bali Hai. – Submitted

Schwartz said the first issue he noted was that railings were being replaced on the second floor of the accessory building without a permit or city approval of the railing material to make sure it meets Florida Building Code standards.

Upon further inspection, Schwartz said that part of the upstairs of the building had been gutted down to the studs without permits and that office workers were occupying another area while work was going on, also in violation of building codes. Since it was now a life safety concern, he said that West Manatee Fire Rescue Fire Marshal Rodney Kwiatkowski was called out to the scene and ordered the second-floor egress onto the balcony to be boarded up and the office workers to evacuate the building.

Meanwhile, Schwartz issued a stop-work order on the accessory building until permits could be granted for the work being done. He said that at the time, the bottom floor of the building was being used as a storage room. Schwartz said he did later give property management permission to paint the walls and the floors of the downstairs room since that type of work would not require a permit.

This photo, submitted into evidence during an Aug. 21 hearing, shows the state of the lower floor of the accessory building, seemingly being used for storage in late January. – Submitted

When Schwartz and Thomas returned to the property in March, Schwartz said that there was a significant change in the downstairs area, primarily that it appeared to have been renovated and was in use as a bar and lounge area with an adjacent storage area in the back.

While having an onsite bar, restaurant or lounge is an approved accessory use in Holmes Beach for a hotel, it is required that the hotel’s owners submit a new site plan for approval by the city before any alcohol sales take place on the property.

While Schwartz admitted that some of the work done on the bottom floor of the accessory building, such as painting and installing shelves, didn’t require a permit under cross-examination from attorney Jason Miller, speaking on behalf of the owner, he said some of the work, such as remodeling bathrooms, did require a permit and was done in violation of a stop-work order.

Miller argued that the work done in the accessory building didn’t require permits and that the issues between the resort owner and the city were the result of several miscommunications on behalf of the city’s representatives.

When code compliance officers revisited the property in March, they noticed a large change in the bottom floor of the accessory building, primarily that work had been done without consulting the city and that it was now open as a bar and lounge. – Submitted

When the court hearing continues, Sniffen will hear more from Schwartz along with testimony from City Planner Bill Brisson as well as witnesses for the defense. As of press time for The Sun, the continuation of the hearing had not yet been scheduled.

Many of the same points were put before Connelly during the Aug. 19 special magistrate hearing. Connelly ruled that the property owner had 30 days from the hearing date to obtain permits and start renovations on the top floor of the building as well as 30 days to obtain a site plan approval from the city. He did not address whether or not service in the bar/lounge area was required to stop until compliance with city and Florida building codes was achieved.

Related coverage

 

Special magistrate rules on seven code issues

 

County judge leaves Holmes Beach case

 

Lawsuit filed against fire department

Holmes Beach logo OLD

Special magistrate rules on seven code issues

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

HOLMES BEACH – Attorney Michael Connelly had his hands full on Aug. 19 when he reprised his role as the city’s special magistrate, hearing seven code compliance hearings in one day.

The first case involved cabanas, wood decking and electrical work at the recently renovated Anna Maria Beach Resort, 6306 Gulf Drive, formerly known as the Blue Water Resort. Code Compliance Supervisor James Thomas presented evidence, along with Building Official Neal Schwartz, that there were no permits filed or issued for the poolside cabanas, the electrical work or the wood decking by the pool. Speaking on behalf of the owner, attorney Aaron Thomas said that his client was attempting to work with the city to correct the issues. Connelly ruled that there was a violation on the wood decking and electrical work and gave the owners 21 business days to provide requested supplementary data. The city has 10 days after that to review the data and determine the next steps, if permits can be issued or if a full site plan review needs to take place. Joseph Varner, of Anna Maria Vacations in Holmes Beach, is listed as the Blue Water Resort AMI LLC’s manager by the Florida Division of Corporations.

The second case involved a home owned by 305 73rd LLC at 305 73rd St. that had been tagged as a dilapidated and unsafe structure. Developer Shawn Kaleta is listed as manager. Thomas said the first notice of violation was posted at the home, which was then open to the elements in a state of construction with an overgrown yard and building materials scattered across the property.

Thomas said it took until Aug. 3 for the structure to be boarded up against intrusion and it was the city that hired the contractor to complete the work. Schwartz said that before the property was seemingly abandoned, there was an active permit to replace the roof, but that construction had clearly gone beyond the scope of work with the entire building gutted. He issued a stop-work order on the property and has been working with the contractor on the project, whom Schwartz said has neglected to turn in proper paperwork to have the stop-work order removed.

Special magistrate rules on seven code issues
Attorney Michael Connelly serves as the Holmes Beach special magistrate during a series of code compliance hearings Aug. 19. – Submitted | Sun

Connelly ruled that the property owner has 30 days from the date of the hearing to obtain a permit and begin either rehabilitation or demolition of the structure. He also ordered a fine of $250 per day beginning on Aug. 19 and that the owner pay $127.24 in administrative costs.

Two cases were heard in one hearing, both of them involving the Bali Hai Beach Resort, 6900 Gulf Drive. The first case involved work being done on a small building on the property without a permit and the second for alcohol sales on the premises without an approved site plan. Connelly ruled that there was a change in use on the property without an approved site plan and that work was done without a permit and construction work was done with an outstanding stop-work order issued.

Connelly gave Shawn Kaleta, listed as manager of Bali Hai JV LLC, 30 days to obtain permits and start construction on the property and 30 days to obtain the necessary site plan approvals. He ordered Kaleta to pay $127.24 in administrative fees for both cases and said he would schedule a hearing to impose fines once the structure is brought into compliance.

Kaleta came under fire again in the final three hearings, which were combined into a single hearing. The property in question this time was The Anna Maria Island Inn, previously known as the Pirate’s Den, at 3501 Gulf Drive. The code issues Thomas said he found with the business include renting vacation rental units without vacation rental certificates (VRC), work done without permits and a zoning violation for renting units daily in an R-4 zone, where rentals must be seven days or more.

Part of the case presented by the city involved two bottom floor units that Schwartz said were constructed in a previous storage area without permits and below allowable elevation for the area under the Florida Building Code for the time when the building was first erected.

The attorney for the owner, Louis Najmy, argued that the property was purchased during the COVID-19 pandemic and that the two bottom floor units were already in place and that the property has a history of renting units for a single night. He added that the rentals are taking place with VRCs in place, but that the VRCs aren’t in the current owner’s name. He said that the bottom two units have ceased to be rented until an agreement could be reached with the city but that the remaining units have guests and future reservations.

Connelly ruled that there were multiple violations on the property and ordered that the signage and advertising be changed to remove the daily rental option. He also gave 30 days for the owner to obtain permits, complete work for A/C units that were installed incorrectly, and remediate the bottom units, returning the area to storage space. He ordered the owner to pay $127.24 per case but no fines unless the property isn’t brought into compliance within the specified amount of time. He also ordered that the remaining units cannot be rented until new VRCs can be obtained in the current owner’s name. The VRCs cannot be issued by the city until the property is brought into compliance and the stop-work order issued for the A/C units and plumbing work done without a permit is removed through proper permitting.

Related coverage

 

County judge leaves Holmes Beach case

 

Special magistrate hears code cases

 

Lawsuit filed against fire department

Reef project helps filter local waters

City creates adopt-a-reef program

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

HOLMES BEACH – Commissioners support The Center of Anna Maria Island’s mini reef project, however, budgetary concerns have them hoping that residents will donate to purchase a reef instead of the city spending tax dollars.

Commissioners Kim Rash, Terry Schaefer and Carol Soustek voted to institute an adopt-a-reef program to help further the request of The Center’s Director of Development, Jim McDaniel, for 20 mini reefs.

The project would place the reefs in the waters around Anna Maria Island, primarily underneath city-owned docks, at a cost of $7,300. After hearing from McDaniel, commissioners discussed the prospect of buying the requested reefs. While they said they consider the project a worthwhile endeavor to help clean the waters around the Island, with the budget constraints the city is already facing in the coming fiscal year, they didn’t feel that the added expense was one they could bear.

After consulting with City Treasurer Lori Hill, commissioners discovered that they couldn’t use funds donated by the estate of Billie Martini for the purchase, and decided that they also couldn’t in good conscience use taxpayer ad valorem funds, which are forecast to be less than what the city needs in the coming fiscal year. The adopt-a-reef program was a compromise, putting the approval of Holmes Beach city leaders behind the project without committing any city funds.

Under the adopt-a-reef program, Holmes Beach residents, business owners and other community members are encouraged to adopt one of the reefs, to be placed in approved spots underneath city-owned docks. The reefs are $365 each to purchase, which includes the reef and installation by Ocean Habitats as well as a donation to The Center.

Mayor Judy Titsworth said that while she appreciates what The Center is trying to do for the community and its waters with the mini reef project, she’s more in favor of seeding clams or scallops which leaves no unnatural products in the water and also works to clear the water of contaminants. She also expressed concern that installing the reefs underneath the city-owned T-end docks might dissuade people from wanting to rent the docks for their boats. She also worried that the floating mini reefs might rub up against boats.

Commissioner Pat Morton agreed that he would prefer a natural solution to local water issues instead of supporting the reef project. Commissioner Kim Rash said that while he supports a natural approach, he also supports what The Center is doing and that they have a solution being implemented now. Commissioner Jim Kihm said that he shared some of the mayor’s reservations, particularly when there are other options available.

To donate to The Center’s reef project, visit the website or contact the nonprofit at 941-778-1908.

Related coverage

 

Reef project helps filter local waters

 

Mini reefs installed at Mar Vista

Repairs on tap for local boat ramps

Repairs on tap for local boat ramps

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News.

MANATEE COUNTY – Members of the Palma Sola Scenic Highway Corridor Management Entity (CME) met Aug. 12 and discussed what’s going on with the two boat ramps on Manatee Avenue West.

Liza Click with the Manatee County Parks and Recreation Department said that the anticipated changes and repairs at Kingfish boat ramp in Holmes Beach are still in the planning phases.

“Nothing is moving forward until we see a concept drawing,” Click told her fellow CME members. While some trees have been marked at the boat ramp, she said the marking was only done for a survey and it doesn’t indicate that those trees will ultimately be removed.

Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth told her city’s commissioners during a July meeting that she had been given an overview of the planned changes to Kingfish which include the addition of pervious pavement in the parking area, an expansion of the parking area for vehicles with boat trailers, resurfacing of the boat ramps and removal of the Australian pine trees that provide shade to boaters and picnickers who use the park.

Currently, Manatee County has nearly $5 million budgeted for the work at Kingfish with $450,000 in the 2019-20 fiscal year and $4.5 million in the 2020-21 fiscal year.

At the Palma Sola boat ramp, the small craft boat launch area on the southwest side of the Palma Sola Causeway on Manatee Avenue, Click said work is ongoing. The boat ramp, which has been closed since Manatee County took responsibility for it from the city of Bradenton in 2019, has recently undergone dredging and workers have been resurfacing the ramp and are performing repairs to the dock.

Repairs at the Palma Sola ramp are expected to be completed by the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year.

Related coverage

 

Boaters return to reopened boat ramps

 

Paid parking may be coming to county boat ramps

 

Palma Sola Boat Ramp remains closed

Holmes Beach takes home six Bert Harris wins

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

MANATEE COUNTY – Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth is celebrating after receiving six judgments from Manatee County Circuit Court Judge Charles Sniffen ruling in favor of the city in the Bert Harris Jr. Act cases.

The six cases all involve occupancy arguments with property owners arguing that the city’s limitation on vacation rental occupancy – two per bedroom or six people total – devalue their property. In all six cases, Sniffen ruled against the property owners, stating in the rulings that the first application requirement of the Bert Harris Jr. Act was not met.

The Bert Harris Jr. Private Property Act was enacted in 1995 by the State of Florida to provide a way for private property owners to resolve disputes between themselves and a government entity they believe has inordinately burdened the use of their property. In these cases, Sniffen ruled that the property owners were not inordinately burdened by the city’s occupancy restrictions.

The property owners are Shawn Kaleta at 204 72nd St., Shawn Kaleta d/b/a 302 55th LLC at 302 55th St., Brian Wien at 111 81st St., Shawn Kaleta d/b/a 307 66th LLC at 307 66th St., R. Carlile Roberts at 6422 Gulf Drive, Unit 5 and Robert and Michele Carl at 118 50th St., Unit A.

Without property owners applying to the city for a variance or some other relief from the occupancy limitation and receiving a formal denial of a written request, the first application requirement was not met.

The rulings bring all six cases to a close unless there is an appeal filed by attorneys on behalf of the property owners.

Titsworth said that she is very happy with the rulings and hopes to soon see an end to the Bert Harris cases which have cast a shadow over city hall since 2017.

While the six cases mark a win for the city, Holmes Beach city leaders are not out of the woods yet.

Cases brought against the city by property owners Mojito Splash LLC, Coral Escapes of Holmes Beach LLC and AMI Breeze LLC have been filed with the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida for an appeal of the Manatee County ruling against their cases earlier in 2020 by Judge Edward Nicholas. No hearings have yet been set for these appeals.

More than a dozen Bert Harris cases are still pending in Manatee County Circuit Court with several having motions for more time to provide answers to the city’s discovery queries heard during an Aug. 31 hearing. Several other cases were given a similar extension in July with an Aug. 10 deadline. No further hearings have yet been set in those cases.

Related coverage

 

Commissioners seek additional spending cuts

 

City takes home three wins in court

 

Bert Harris cases go back to court

Scenic Highway CME talks horses on the causeway

Scenic Highway CME talks horses on the causeway

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Health.

MANATEE COUNTY – The horses being ridden for profit along the causeway are again causing a stir, this time with members of the Palma Sola Scenic Highway Corridor Management Entity (CME) and some nearby residents who live along Palma Sola Bay.

The subject of horseback riding in the bay came up during an Aug. 12 meeting of the CME. The group discussed the matter themselves and heard from two residents who live on the bay.

Robert Lombardo and Clif Gaus, two long-time bay residents, both spoke during public comment, asking for help from CME members in seeking regulation for the horse riding businesses.

Lombardo, who has lived for nearly 40 years on the bay, said that he initially became concerned about the businesses when he saw the horseback riding take off in 2016. After speaking with local elected officials and not garnering any interest in the issue, he said he backed off, only to renew his efforts in October 2019.

“I can’t ignore it anymore,” he said, noting that he’s seen a steady increase in the horse riding excursions and the number of companies operating on the causeway. Lombardo’s concerns include water quality and the destruction of seagrasses where the horses are ridden in the water off the beach. He said that he sees horse excrement float by his dock regularly which leads to concerns for him about fishing and swimming in the water.

Lombardo said that he spoke about his concerns with Julie Espy, Program Administrator of the Water Quality Assessment Program with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. While he said Espy agreed that there is cause for concern with both environmental and water quality impacts, she said the issue needs to be handled at a local level.

While Lombardo said he doesn’t want to put anyone out of business, he wants a structure in place that helps protect the area’s natural resources, including seagrasses, from destruction.

Gaus said that having so many businesses operate along the causeway corridor takes away from the beauty of the scenic highway and also reduces the number of people who can enjoy the causeway beaches. In addition to excrement and broken seagrasses, he said he’s also seen a horse break loose and run close to children playing on the beach. With so many horses, he said it discourages people from using the causeway and it creates issues with swimming in the water and using the beaches with excrement floating through the water and washing up on beaches.

Gaus presented members with two aerial photographs, one of the north side of the causeway from 2016 and another from 2019. While he assumes that the difference in coloring is due to sand being exposed rather than seagrasses being present, he said that the 2019 map clearly shows a difference where the horses commonly walk.

Shawn Duytschaver, a CME member and owner/operator of Surfer Bus, said that he’d previously proposed the idea of an equestrian trail along the side of the causeway that would keep the horses in one section that is clearly marked. He said that the issue is the way that the horses walk in the water digs up not only seagrass but also sand and would eventually create a channel, requiring the trail to be moved to another area.

Co-chair Ingrid McClellan said that before the CME group approaches any elected officials, they need to have concrete data to show the damage to the area. She suggested going to the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program to get seagrass data from the past several years.

Member Mike Meehan suggested that all of the trailers parked on the side of the causeway, some on sidewalks, with horses blocking or constantly crossing the sidewalk could create a safety hazard that would need to be addressed.

Nancy Simpson with the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization said that there potentially are several issues for her organization to address, including beach erosion caused by damage to seagrasses that could potentially damage the roadway, travel time concerns along Manatee Avenue with the trailers backing in and out, and drivers slowing down to look at the horses and horses breaking free of their handlers.

Simpson also said that getting the Manatee County Department of Health in on the conversation could shed some light on how the horse excrement affects E. coli, or fecal bacteria, in the bay.

She offered to work with Lombardo and Gaus as a private citizen on presentations for the city of Bradenton’s planning and city commissioners.

Regulation, she said, is a “no-brainer,” adding that it’s wrong for businesses to profit from taxpayer-funded property without paying anything toward the maintenance of the property or remediation necessary because of the business use.

Previously, a representative from Beach Horses, one of the 10 companies that advertise horseback riding on the causeway, spoke to the CME group, suggesting that the businesses be regulated through a registration process similar to taxis. Each horse would be assigned a medallion and only a certain number of horses would be allowed at one time. While the plan was well-received by the group, it didn’t make it any further toward becoming a reality.

Currently, the horses are considered a method of transportation and are therefore allowed on the causeway. The companies that conduct the horseback riding trips along the beach and through the water are not required to have any special permits to operate but are not allowed to take cash onsite for services due to a prohibition against conducting business in a Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) right of way.

The boundaries between what is a Manatee County park, what is owned by the city of Bradenton and what is an FDOT right of way are blurred and result in an enforcement issue for the area. CME co-chair Craig Keys said he would look into who has authority over the area and report back to the group.

After conversations ended, Gaus said he was happy with how discussions with the CME group had gone.

“I was pleased with their willingness to explore solutions with the city of Bradenton,” Gaus said. “The designated “Scenic Highway” at the entrance to Anna Maria Island is not a scenic highway in reality. Given the state environmental people will have nothing to do with preventing the seagrass destruction, I think we are left with the city as a remedy. I just can’t believe our state government would not want to even try to regulate a massive destruction of seagrass, the very thing they are charged with doing. It sets a horrible precedent for protecting our bays anywhere in the state. If this is their response, we might as well eliminate the entire Florida Department of Environmental Protection.”

Related coverage

 

Scenic Highway group seeks to solve horse problems

 

County moves to regulate horses in bay

 

Pinellas County bans water horses

Waterline resort units on sale now

Waterline resort units on sale now

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Business, Real estate | Development.

HOLMES BEACH – If you’ve ever dreamed of owning a piece of the Waterline Marina Resort and Beach Club, now is your chance.

The 37 two-bedroom, fully furnished units went on the market at 10:08 a.m. on Aug. 8. Pricing for the units starts in the low $500,000s. Interested buyers can contact the sales office at 727-379-4656, email waterline@cbrealty.com, go to the realty website or visit the onsite sales office at 5325 Marina Drive in Holmes Beach. The sales of the units are a collaboration between hotel developer Mainsail Lodging & Development and Georgia Salaverri of Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate.

Each of the units, or villas, features two bedrooms, a gourmet kitchen with full-size appliances, living area and balcony. All units are provided to the owners fully furnished. With Waterline remaining a full-service resort, onsite amenities include a meeting room, fitness room, pool, marina access and a full-service restaurant, Eliza Ann’s. Due to COVID-19 precautions, Eliza Ann’s and the hotel’s bar are currently closed.

Owners of the units will be able to stay in the units whenever they’re in town and also put them in a program to be rented as hotel rooms when vacant. All current reservations at the hotel will be honored despite the unit sales. Guests will still be able to make reservations at the hotel through the resort’s website.

The Waterline Marina Resort and Beach Club was developed by Mainsail and opened in December 2017 as the first full-service hotel on Anna Maria Island, located in the downtown commercial district within walking distance to salons, restaurants, shops, art galleries and more. It is part of the Marriott Autograph Collection of boutique hotels.

Related coverage

Waterline hosts Kings for Kids Fishing Tournament

Eliza Ann’s opens at Waterline

Waterline Marina Resort opens

Remembering Priscilla Seewald

Remembering Priscilla Seewald

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Priscilla Seewald may be gone but she’s left behind the positive impact she made on not only her community but also the people in it.

Seewald passed away on July 22 and was honored with a memorial service Aug. 8 at Roser Memorial Community Church where she was a long-time member. Due to COVID-19 precautions, the service was limited to 50 people with priority given to Seewald’s family, however, they did give permission to the church to live stream the service on the Roser YouTube channel for all of her friends and family who couldn’t be present.

A Holmes Beach resident for many years, Seewald leaves behind her husband, Bruce, daughter, Lisa Turner, and son-in-law, Wayne Turner, along with two grandchildren, Rutger and Angelica Hope Turner, as well as a sister, Judith Stermer and her family. Seewald also leaves behind a legacy of many years of service on Anna Maria Island.

Many Island residents will know Seewald from her volunteerism. She could be found helping stamp booklets at the entrance of homes on The Center of Anna Maria Island’s Tour of Homes, ringing bells during the holidays to help raise money for the Salvation Army and serving as a volunteer at Anna Maria Elementary School.

Seewald also was a former president for and award-winning lifetime member of the Anna Maria Island Garden Club. When not volunteering elsewhere, her friend Beth Bernet recalled Seewald delivering flowers to friends, neighbors, church members who were homebound and others that were on her mind.

Bernet said she recently received a message from Seewald offering to deliver flowers to her, not because of an illness but because she said she wanted to give them to someone that wouldn’t ordinarily receive flowers.

At Roser, Seewald was an active member, deacon, mission committee member, music committee member, Sunday school teacher, Roser Women’s Guild member, food pantry volunteer, thrift shop volunteer and a favorite teacher of the children at Roser’s annual Vacation Bible School.

“I got to take pictures at Vacation Bible School as co-director. I got to run around to all the stations, and I loved going to Priscilla’s station because you could hear a pin drop,” Bernet said in a July 26 tribute to Seewald during Roser’s church service. “She commanded attention as she taught those children those Bible stories. And she also always got to be the one to give out M&Ms to the children, so it was a favorite station and not only because of Priscilla. All of those little hands stretched out waiting for those M&Ms, it was just, I’ll always think of Priscilla when I eat M&Ms.”

Seewald also worked with All Island Denominations and the Roser Food Pantry to ensure that the less fortunate children attending Anna Maria Elementary School would have enough food over summer break.

“Priscilla is an example of how we want to be a saint,” Bernet said.

“Priscilla Seewald was a very special Christian friend to many of us who are a part of Roser Church and the Guild,” friend Peggy Nash said. “We will always remember her friendly smile, laugh and willingness to help many of us. She was fun to be with. Priscilla was always happy to help and will be greatly missed by many of us.”

“Heaven gained a great new angel and we lost a great lady,” Peggy Anthony said of Seewald.

In addition to remembrances by her friends, Nancian Hall wrote several poems dedicated to Seewald, all of which can be viewed online. In lieu of flowers, Seewald’s family asks that memorial donations be made in her honor to the Roser Food Pantry.

County judge leaves Holmes Beach case

County judge leaves Holmes Beach case

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

MANATEE COUNTY – Manatee County Circuit Court Judge Edward Nicholas has recused himself from taking any action in a lawsuit involving both the city of Holmes Beach and the owners of the Bali Hai Beach Resort.

The order of recusal was completed by Nicholas on Aug. 3 and filed with the Manatee County Clerk of Court on Aug. 4. No reason was given for the recusal.

The recusal came after a July 31 order from Judge Charles Sniffen on the city’s emergency motion for ex-parte relief in the matter. The order states that Sniffen reviewed the emergency motion because Nicholas was not available and that he denied the city’s motion. Sniffen additionally ordered that the entirety of the motion and all requests for relief should be heard by Nicholas or another assigned judge on or after Aug. 3.

At press time for The Sun, the case had not yet been reassigned to another judge and a hearing date had not been set.

The case revolves around the city’s assertion that work was done at the Bali Hai without a permit and in violation of a stop-work order issued by Holmes Beach Building Official Neal Schwartz.

According to the lawsuit filed on May 22, Schwartz and Code Enforcement Supervisor James Thomas visited the property on Jan. 24 and observed extensive work being done on the property without a permit. Schwartz issued a stop-work order and notified West Manatee Fire Rescue Fire Marshal Rodney Kwiatkowski that the structure under construction also was being occupied. Kwiatkowski verbally ordered the occupants to cease, desist and vacate the premises.

Schwartz and Thomas returned to the property on March 2 and noted that additional work had been started in violation of the stop-work order. Due to the scope of the work observed, the lawsuit states that the work would require a major site plan review before it could be approved and permitted by the city.

As of the filing of the lawsuit, the city asserts that the resort is still in use and that no permits have been applied for, no site plan has been submitted for review and no certificate of completion, allowing for occupancy of the building, has been issued. As a result of the allegedly unpermitted work, a multi-purpose room was transformed into a bar/lounge area which also is a change of use.

Through the lawsuit, the city seeks an injunction to either comply with the city’s ordinances and codes or to cease use of the building where the work took place until it’s fully compliant with all building codes.

The Bali Hai is a beachfront resort with 43 rooms, a private pool and a private lounge for guests of the resort. The hotel is located at 6900 Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach.

Related coverage

Permit parking approved in Holmes Beach

Face masks/coverings required in Holmes Beach

Holmes Beach election takes shape

Center reports positive end of year results

Center reports positive end of year results

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Center of Anna Maria Island, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – It was a rough fiscal year for The Center of Anna Maria Island but the nonprofit managed to close the year June 30 with $8,761 in net income, only $945 short of the budgeted $9,706.

The Center’s end of year financials exclude an $84,215 Paycheck Protection Program loan which is planned to be accounted for as government/grant income in the 2020-21 fiscal year. As long as the loan funds are used solely for approved expenses, such as keeping employees on the payroll.

Program revenue and costs ended the year at $293,843, $54,287 better than the $239,556 budgeted, primarily due to $51,712 in direct cost savings.

General, indirect and administrative expenses came in at $514,865 for the year, $56,800 better than budget. After factoring in those expenses, operations ended the year at -$221,022, $111,088 better than budget.

Fundraising is where The Center took the hardest financial hit. After canceled concerts, special events and the Tour of Homes, the nonprofit brought in $447,516 in fundraising revenue, 22% below the budgeted $575,704 amount. Direct fundraising costs amounted to $244,372, $5,200 below budget. After costs, the fundraising cost center ended with $203,143, a loss of $137,988 compared to the budget.

The Center’s total revenue for the year came in at $1,065,914, $172,771 below budget. Total expenses for the year were $1,057,153, $186,826 below budget.

While Executive Director Chris Culhane said in an email to The Sun that a new budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year which began July 1 is almost complete, he added that he doesn’t know when the budget will be approved by the board. The Center’s board meetings have been on hold since early in the year due to COVID-19 shutdowns and precautions. Typically the board members meet once per month at The Center in executive session followed by a meeting open to the public.

Despite previous closures due to COVID-19, The Center remains open to the public with safety precautions in place, including a requirement to wear masks while inside the facility, along with practicing strict sanitization procedures and social distancing.

For more information on the programs currently being offered at The Center and what steps are being taken to ensure guest and member safety, visit the nonprofit online.

Related coverage

The Center receives financial help

Renourishment pipes on the move

Beach renourishment pipes on the move

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Pipes are being moved this week to set up for the next section of beach scheduled to get new sand in the renourishment project that began in July.

The $17.3 million project is designed to replace sand eroded by storms, protecting buildings and roads from future storms along 5.5 miles of beach in Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach.

The beach from 78th Street to 33rd Street is complete, according to David Ruderman, of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Jacksonville.

For the next section, the contractor, Marinex Construction, Inc., is scheduled to move the submerged pipeline landing location to 34th Street this week. It will take 7-10 days to complete the move, during which no beach work can be done.

The offshore dredge also has moved, and Marinex is reconnecting the dredge to the pipes.

Meanwhile, pipe is being stored on the beach between 34th and 37th streets with beach access available landward and seaward of the storage area. Portions of the beach will be closed during active construction, preventing the public from accessing that area of the shore.

The sand is dredged from offshore borrow areas by a hydraulic cutter suction dredge, then pumped through a pipeline to the beach as a water/sand slurry. The submerged pipeline comes ashore onto the beach at designated landing locations and connects to the pipeline, which runs laterally along the beach. The sand slurry is discharged from the pipeline and bulldozers push the sand into the water to enlarge the beach and pile it higher on dry land.

By Oct. 1, the project is anticipated to be at Fourth Street. Construction is estimated to end at Longboat Pass in mid-November.

AMI’s sewage pipe in good shape, county official says

AMI’s sewage pipe in good shape, county official says

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News, Featured.

Could Anna Maria Island find itself in the same situation as Longboat Key, with a sewer pipe leak in the Intracoastal Waterway?

The sole sewer line serving Longboat Key, which runs under Sarasota Bay, broke in mid-June, causing a sewage spill that collected in the mangroves on Long Bar Pointe.

A sole 20-inch sewer pipe leads from Anna Maria Island to the mainland under Sarasota Bay, part of the Intracoastal Waterway, according to Jeff Goodwin, deputy director of the Manatee County Utilities Department.

The pipe, called a “force main,” is between 40 and 70 feet deep, immediately north of the Cortez Bridge, and is made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) that was fused to create one long pipe, eliminating joints to minimize compromises in the integrity of the pipe, he said.

Installed in 2008, the force main has a life span of 70 years, but the county would replace it if routine evaluations determine that replacement is necessary before then, Goodwin said.

Manatee County, not the three island cities, is responsible for the pipe, according to the county Utilities Department Director Mike Gore.

The pipe requires minimal maintenance, but essential components are on regular preventive maintenance schedules ranging from bi-monthly to yearly, according to Goodwin. County force mains and associated valves are evaluated by staff and consulting engineers every five years to determine replacement schedules based on critical risk factors. Projects are then programmed into the utility department’s capital improvement plan, he said.

The Florida Department of Transportation plan to replace the Cortez Bridge could necessitate the replacement of the pipe, he added.

The force main could have been suspended from the Cortez Bridge, but that option could have affected the integrity of the pipe and made it difficult to maintain, according to Goodwin, adding that portions of the pipe would still have had to be underwater where the drawbridge raises.

Should a leak similar to the one that occurred in the Longboat Key pipe happen, Manatee County workers would respond to the leak as soon as it was identified, he said, procuring tanker trucks to maintain the lift stations on the Island and isolate the section of compromised pipe in order to stop the leak. Workers would then begin the repair or replacement of the pipe and possibly temporarily bypass the breached section of pipe.

The county maintains an inventory of emergency repair parts and essential equipment to expedite response times, Goodwin said, adding that staff receives requisite training on how to properly respond.