HOLMES BEACH – If you’ve ever pictured yourself on the dais at Holmes Beach City Hall, your chance is coming up to qualify as a candidate, only, of course, if you’re a Holmes Beach resident.
This year’s election will see two positions coming available on the city commission, the seats held by Commissioners Pat Morton and Kim Rash. Also up for grabs is the mayoral office, currently held by Mayor Judy Titsworth.
All three positions hold two-year terms. Titsworth and Rash are completing their first terms on the dais as mayor and commissioner respectively. For Morton, November marks the end of his 17th year on the city commission.
Qualifying for all three elected positions begins at noon on June 8 and ends at noon on June 12. All candidate paperwork must be submitted to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections office prior to the deadline to be considered as a candidate.
To qualify, prospective candidates must have been a resident of Holmes Beach for at least two years prior to the qualifying date and be a registered Manatee County voter. Candidates must appoint a campaign treasurer, open a campaign bank account and file the corresponding paperwork as well as a statement of candidate, candidate oath, residency affidavit and statement of financial interests. Candidates also are required to pay an election assessment fee equal to 1% of the annual salary of the office sought, $60 for commission candidates and $240 for mayoral candidates, and collect 15 petition signatures of voters also residing in the city.
Candidates also have the option to file an undue burden oath to eliminate the election assessment fee but must still collect 15 signatures from city voters.
Candidates may not accept campaign contributions until after a campaign treasurer is appointed and a campaign account is established.
All candidate information can be found online under the candidate information tab. Forms can be found online or picked up at the Supervisor of Elections Office. Candidates must submit all forms to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office at 600 301 Blvd W., Suite 108 in Bradenton prior to the deadline. No candidate forms will be accepted at Holmes Beach City Hall.
This year’s general election will be held on Nov. 3.
BRADENTON – If you live in the West Manatee Fire Rescue District and have ever thought about running for fire commissioner, now may be your chance.
In the Nov. 3 general election two seats on the fire commission – those now held by Commissioners Larry Jennis and Randy Cooper – will be up for grabs. Cooper has already stated that he will not be running for re-election.
WMFR’s commissioners serve four-year terms on the dais.
To qualify as a candidate, the person must be a registered Manatee County voter and reside in the WMFR district, which stretches across unincorporated Manatee County on the west, encompassing the cities of Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach, along with Cortez, Palma Sola and much of northwest Bradenton.
Though pre-qualifying papers already can be submitted to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office, candidate qualifying officially begins at noon on June 8 and ends at noon on June 12. All paperwork must be submitted prior to the deadline.
Before the end of the qualifying period, all potential candidates must appoint a campaign treasurer, open a campaign bank account and file the required paperwork as well as collect the signatures of 25 registered voters who reside in the district. A fee of $0.10 is required per signature as a verification fee. If a candidate cannot pay the fee, an oath of undue burden must be filed to have the fee waived. Candidates also must file a statement of candidate, candidate oath, a statement of financial interests and either a $25 qualifying fee or certificate of petition verification.
All candidates are required to designate a campaign treasurer and open a campaign account before accepting any campaign contributions. For fire district candidates, any candidate who does not collect campaign contributions and whose only expense is the filing or signature verification fee is not required to appoint a campaign treasurer or open a campaign account. Filing fees are not required to be drawn from a campaign account.
All candidate information can be found on the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections website under the candidate information tab. Forms can also be found on the website or picked up from the Supervisor of Elections Office. All paperwork must be submitted for verification to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office at 600301 Blvd W. in Bradenton prior to the qualifying deadline.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Anna Maria Island’s short-term vacation rentals were allowed to reopen in time for Memorial Day weekend, with some restrictions.
On Thursday afternoon, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) approved the Manatee County short-term vacation rental reopening plan submitted by County Administrator Cheri Coryea. The state approval took effect immediately.
While local municipalities can still ban vacation rentals, all three Anna Maria Island cities are allowing rentals to reopen.
“Vacation rental check-ins are now allowed in Anna Maria,” Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said Thursday afternoon after reading the approved plan.
Murphy then issued a local emergency order rescinding a previously issued order that prohibited new vacation rental reservations in that city.
The city of Holmes Beach recently allowed its local emergency orders banning short-term vacation rentals to lapse.
“I do not plan on a Holmes Beach directive extending the rental ban at this time,” Mayor Judy Titsworth said Thursday afternoon.
The city of Bradenton Beach never issued any COVID-19-related local emergency orders that further restricted vacation rental activity beyond the prohibitions set forth in DeSantis’ executive orders.
“Under the plan, vacation rental agencies may now accept bookings from residents of U.S. states with an overall COVID-19 case rate within the state of less than 700 cases per 100,000 residents as of May 15. Reservations from COVID-19 hot spots identified by the governor are to be avoided for the next 30-45 days. Reservations from international travelers will not be accepted,” according to the press release Manatee County issued Thursday afternoon. “Other guidelines spell out protocols vacation rental owners must follow to implement social distancing and still others that address the cleanliness standards of the property.”
The press release noted the short-term rental guidelines would be mostly self-policed and enforcement would be complaint-driven.
“We’re asking that vacation rental managers take extra precautions to make sure their renters have access to and follow the guidelines in the approved plan. Owners should ensure that their renters are aware and abide by the approved plan, but also any municipal restrictions in the city where the rental is located,” Coryea said in the press release.
When discussing the plan on Tuesday, May 19, county commissioners initially proposed a 24-hour turnaround time for cleaning and sanitizing vacation rentals between guest departures and new guest arrivals.
During public comment, several vacation rental owners said a minimum 24-hour turnaround time would prohibit back-to-back seven-day rentals and result in numerous cancellations.
The commission then decided to simply require “ample time” for cleaning and sanitizing and the approved five-page plan includes an entire page of cleaning and sanitation guidelines.
“Extra time must be allowed for enhanced cleaning procedures to take place between stays based upon the use of appropriate cleaning and sanitation according to CDC procedures and in accordance with this plan,” the plan says.
Local reaction
On Friday, Sato Real Estate co-owner Barbara Sato said via email, “We are very relieved that vacation rentals are open. It has been so frustrating answering the numerous daily phone calls asking when the governor will open rentals again – and why hotels, motels, and resorts are open and not being able to give them a reasonable answer. Needless to say, the word is out and our phone has been ringing non-stop. We think the approved plan is very good. I personally emailed Elliott Falcione, from the Visitors Bureau, and County Administrator Cheri Coryea to thank them for their teams’ hard work in getting it approved so quickly.”
The phones were ringing off the hook at Sato Real Estate on Friday. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
When contacted Friday via email, Murphy said, “It is too soon to tell the impact this policy might have on the city, but we are grateful that the county has incorporated a bi-weekly review process to make adjustments to the plan. Our two areas of concern are:
Enforcement: Some of the requirements would appear to require an extensive enforcement effort. If these turn out to be an issue, we are not equipped to enforce some aspects of the order.
Remote check-in: Although seemingly in everyone’s best health interests, this policy presents serious issues of potential fraud and possibly criminal activity. The policy needs to be revisited,” Murphy wrote.
“We look forward to partnering with the county to improve the plan going forward,” he added.
The folks at Duncan Real Estate are happy to be back in the short-term vacation rental business again. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
On Saturday afternoon, Duncan Real Estate owner Darcie Duncan said via text message, “We opened Friday morning to the sound of phones ringing off the hook with guests ready to book for the summer. We have all our compliance requirements in place and we were ready for guest check-ins Saturday morning. We are thrilled and looking forward to increased bookings due to pent-up demand.”
BRADENTON – The majority of West Manatee Fire Rescue’s commissioners agreed to continue moving forward with the construction of their own administration building rather than purchase suites in a shell building near Blake Medical Center.
Commissioner Al Robinson brought the idea back to the table during a May 19 meeting, asking realtor J. Daniel Douglass to provide information on a shell building on 21st Avenue West in Bradenton.
Out of the four units in the building, Douglass said there are three units available with a total of 6,140 square feet. The building, designed to serve as medical offices, currently holds one medical office and is a shell building with sprinklers, a ceiling and air conditioning already installed. Located across the street from the Bishop Animal Shelter, the property features a total of 29 parking spaces and does not meet the hardened hurricane-force wind load that commissioners previously said is wanted for the district’s new administration building.
Robinson urged his fellow commissioners to carefully consider purchasing all three units and selling one if the district finds it doesn’t need that much space for administrative staff.
Douglass said that the three units could be purchased for $549,000 and would cost about $614,000 to build out as office space, ending with a total purchase price of $1.2 million, not including condominium fees associated with the property. He added that the building is an as-is purchase.
Commissioner Randy Cooper said he was concerned with the lack of ability to store or stage equipment at the site as it has much less space for parking than the currently planned administration building.
Commissioners Larry Jennis and George Harris both said they have concerns about the building. Some of those concerns voiced by Jennis include that the building isn’t hardened and doesn’t have adequate parking space. Harris added that the location also is problematic, being well outside of WMFR’s district.
Chief Ben Rigney said he’s been working with representatives from Hall Darling Design Studio and expects to have a not-to-exceed price for construction of the district’s new administration building for commissioner consideration in August.
In April, Rigney presented a potential design for the new administration building that features office space, storage and a hardened conference room that could be used as a westside emergency operations center in the event of a hurricane. The building is currently planned for construction on a lot purchased by the district in 2019 and located off Manatee Avenue behind the Fountain Court Shopping Center.
“I think we’re making good progress,” Jennis said of the potential construction project.
BRADENTON – Property owners in the West Manatee Fire Rescue District will see an increase in their assessment rate when TRIM notices are mailed in the fall.
During a May 19 meeting, commissioners voted 3-1 with Commissioner Al Robinson dissenting, to raise the assessment rate 2.6% over the current year’s rates. Commissioner David Bishop was absent.
At the 2.6% increase, the district’s revenue will increase by $189,436, eliminating the need for district leaders to draw from reserves to meet anticipated needs including capital projects and projected increases in insurance, pension fund contributions and a potential increase in employee compensation. Commissioner Larry Jennis reminded his fellow board members that the coming year is a bargaining year with the firefighters’ union. For the 2020-21 fiscal year, WMFR’s staff projects bringing in $7,475,424 in revenue from assessments.
With the increase, the base rate for a residential property increases to $195.53 from $190.57 with the square foot rate increasing from $0.1124 to $0.1153. The total assessment rate for a 2,000 square foot residential building will increase from $302.97 to $310.85.
For commercial buildings, the base rate will increase from $473.62 to $485.94 with the square foot rate increasing from $0.2051 to $0.2104. The total assessment rate for a 2,000 square foot commercial building will increase from $678.72 to $696.37.
Before the vote was taken, Commissioner Al Robinson expressed concern about raising the assessment rate in a year that has produced financial hardship for many property owners.
“I’m not in favor of raising anything,” Robinson said. “We have plenty of money.”
Chief Ben Rigney said that the district’s staff typically spends about 95% of the funds budgeted each year. Any rollover amounts are put into savings for future capital expenses, equipment purchases or emergency savings in case of a natural disaster.
“I think it’s very evident that our staff has been frugal in spending taxpayer dollars,” Commissioner George Harris said, adding that he believes the board makes a sound decision each year concerning assessment rates.
Each year, the amount that commissioners can increase the assessment rate is based on a rolling five-year personal income growth number or PIG. This year, the maximum amount allowed for an increase is 5.46%. Because he expects the next year’s PIG to be much lower, Rigney asked commissioners to consider a 4% increase, which was rejected by board members.
“I know it was a tough decision but we have to do what’s best for the district,” Commissioner Randy Cooper said after the vote had been taken.
Just like the coronavirus predictions about numbers of infections and deaths have been off the mark, so too are the predictions about the future real estate market. There are a whole range of conflicting opinions out there, all from reputable sources saying exactly the opposite things; what’s a girl to do?
So far, in spite of the shrinking economy and evaporating jobs, in the housing market values are stabilized and, in some regions, even higher. This of course has to do with the classic supply and demand dynamic that we’ve been experiencing for a long time, only now supply is contracting even faster.
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that the March median home price nationally rose 8% from March of 2019. Manatee County’s March median sale price was also up by 2.4%. They also reported that buyer demand fell 8.5% nationally for March compared to last year but at the same time, supply is at a five-year low.
The NAR says homeowners are waiting to list their homes either because they have decided not to move, or they are worried about letting buyers into their homes during the pandemic. Many homeowners say that until the lockdowns are lifted, they will just take a “wait and see” attitude to selling. In addition, homes that are currently on the market are not cutting prices. According to Realtor.com, by the end of last month, only 4% of sellers cut their prices, indicating buyers haven’t viewed their homes in person. Nevertheless, buyers are out there still looking for a bargain and could possibly trip on a situation where homeowners absolutely need to sell because of coronavirus fallout.
Mortgage applications were also down by 20% at the end of April compared to a year earlier. The fear here is that down the road, values could drop when the forbearance period ends, and homeowners cannot keep up with the payments.
The way it stands now is some economists expect home sales to crash this year while some say prices and sales will climb slightly or hold flat. Fannie May said in April that it expects the median existing home price to tick up to $275,000 this year from $272,000 last year while CoreLogic calls for a nationwide home price increase of 0.5%. Zillow says home prices are likely to drop 2% to 3% compared to last year. The more you read about these predictions the more you realize no one really knows.
Let’s look at the April sales numbers in Manatee County reported by the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee comparing April of this year to April of last year.
Single-family closings for this April compared to last year were down 21.2%. Median sale price was $340,000, up 7.9%, and average sale price was $406,699, up 4.1%. New pending sales were down 36.7% and months supply of available properties was 3.3 months, down 17.5%.
Condo closings were down 30.9%. Median sale price was $212,000, up 7.9%, and average sale price was $236,764, up 0.3%. New pending sales were down 53.3% and months supply of available properties was 4.4 months, down 6.4%.
All of the negative figures are no surprise relative to what we have been living through. However, the average and median sale prices are up, much like the trend around the country. Keep in mind that sales statistics are a lagging number frequently based on negotiated contracts that may have been in the pipeline prior to the shutdown.
All we can do is keep watching the numbers and hope that as businesses open more sales will be booked. At this point it’s anyone’s guess what’s going to happen with the virus or with the real estate market. Stay tuned and stay well.
Fishing and the outdoors experiences that my love for the sport have occasioned have played a pivotal role in my life for almost seven decades. This infatuation has also made me passionate about working to protect the natural world that provides me with sport, inspiration and a desire to see future generations have some of the same opportunities that I’ve had.
That’s why I keep coming back to what I think is a crucial responsibility, being aware of how elected officials voted when it comes to the quality of the air I breathe, the water I drink and the water that the fish I love to pursue swim in. It’s become painfully apparent to me that the politicians we elect all too often have a different agenda than what they present to us when they want our vote. That’s why I have decided that I’m not a Republican or a Democrat. I don’t vote red or blue, liberal or conservative. What I am is an environmental voter.
What does that mean? It means I research how a politician who wants my vote has voted on issues, not what they promise. In this day of the internet, there’s really no excuse for not getting information based on facts instead of innuendo. A word of caution of course. All too often we make the mistake of looking for information that supports views we already hold rather than a search for the facts. Both are available in spades so be selective when choosing your sources and check to make sure they have no underlying (alternative) agenda. Here are a couple of resources you might want to explore.
Florida Conservation Voters has a scorecard that tracks how politicians have voted on important issues like clean water and clean air. Their mission is to elect lawmakers who protect our environment and healthy communities for everyone. Their vision resonates with mine: “Our vision for Florida’s future is one where our environment is recognized as the irreplaceable foundation of our economy, culture, and quality of life. It’s a future where our economic development, energy innovation, and conservation goals align. We envision a government that reflects the people it serves and lawmakers who vigorously fight for policies that protect our environment and create a healthy, sustainable future for all Floridians.”
There are also resources on the internet that, with a little research, will reveal how a senator or representative has voted on varying issues. Check them out at www.senate.gov and www.congress.gov.
Floridians, especially those who are blessed to live on a barrier island, can see firsthand the effects of poor policy and pollution on the waters that surround our homes. If you haven’t noticed, take a look at all the algae that is accumulating in our bays right now. Yes, some of that is a natural occurrence, but personally I’ve never seen so much so early in the season.
Bottom line, do a little homework going forward and see how those who claim to have your interests at heart actually voted and where their true allegiance lies. It’s a vital component of an informed electorate and will affect the quality of life and fishing we are leaving our children, grandchildren and future generations.
MANATEE COUNTY – The Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) took the first step on Monday to reopen vacation rentals countywide, including on Anna Maria Island.
TDC Chair and Manatee County Commissioner Misty Servia persuaded fellow TDC members to recommend that Manatee County commissioners remove the COVID-19 prohibition on short-term vacation rentals.
Under Gov. Ron DeSantis’ plan effective Monday, county commissioners can submit a plan to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation for approval to allow short-term vacation rental properties to reopen to guests. The plan would likely require working with owners and managers of vacation rentals to come up with strategies to meet the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) requirements for disinfecting and cleaning of units between guests.
Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), said that he’s been working with other west coast Florida county leaders to help develop a plan for vacation rentals that would provide some consistency for owners and visitors.
Servia added that coordination with the leaders of the three Anna Maria Island cities, where many of the county’s short-term rentals are located, would be a key component to success. Falcione said that no matter what plan is enacted, it will be up to the city leaders to oversee the operation of the vacation rental properties.
Local vacation rental owners who spoke during public comment said they are ready to reopen their units to visitors and are willing to abide by any necessary regulations to keep their properties safe for renters.
The recommendation passed in a unanimous vote. Members Ed Chiles, an Island restaurateur, and Wayne Poston, mayor of Bradenton, were absent from the meeting.
Marketing during COVID-19
The new short-term marketing recovery plan, debuted by Falcione and Dave DiMaggio, has two implementation phases. Phase one involves bringing visitors in from drivable markets, including Tampa, St. Petersburg, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Broward counties and Atlanta with plans to expand the advertising area up as far north as Memphis and Nashville and as far west as New Orleans.
Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Broward counties are the worst three counties in the state for COVID-19, with nearly 27,000 cases, according to the Florida Department of Health.
Manatee County has 867 cases as of Monday.
DiMaggio said that when deciding which markets to spend advertising dollars in, the overall health of the area and whether it’s a COVID-19 hotspot will be considered first along with how economically stable the target markets are.
The second phase involves bringing airline passengers back to the area. DiMaggio said that the success of phase two involves coordinating and sharing data with local airports, including Tampa International Airport and Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. For some of this data, he said he would be looking closely at the information provided by Anne Wittine of Research Data Services, the county’s tourism consultant, to see how comfortable people feel about travel and flying to their vacation destinations.
Wittine presented the results of a travel sentiment pulse poll which showed numbers trending upward over the past two weeks toward people being more comfortable with travel and ready to take a vacation. While 52% of the people polled are concerned about reopening the state too quickly, Wittine said that 15.9% of people say that travel is essential to them and they’re ready to get back out there. Of the people who participated in the poll, Wittine said she’s seeing a trend toward people’s intent to travel increasing in the late summer months, specifically July. She added that of the people willing to travel, 78.2% of them feel most comfortable traveling by car, which lines up with the first phase of the TDC’s new marketing plan.
DiMaggio said the second phase includes continuing to target drivers and targeting fliers from the Midwest and northeast of the United States.
He said he expects that some segments of the market will be slower to recover, including people who travel for sporting events, work conferences and travelers from the United Kingdom and Central Europe.
Falcione said that he would be utilizing a month-to-month budget approach, periodically re-evaluating how and where the CVB’s limited advertising budget is spent to determine where those funds will have the most impact to help get the local tourism economy back up and running.
The TDC next meets June 15 at the Bradenton Area Convention Center in Palmetto.
The last thing anyone wants these days is for someone next to you in line at the market, the bank or in our slowly-opening restaurants to sneeze near you. But if the real estate market starts to get seriously infected from the effects of the coronavirus, it may start to sneeze all over related industries.
The American housing market is such a major influence on the country’s economy that even a slight downturn could have a very big effect on goods and services generated from buying, selling and building new homes. Right now, there are large portions of the country where the real estate market is at a total standstill because of lockdowns. Properties cannot be shown to prospective buyers, sellers are taking their homes off the market and construction of new homes and apartments has mostly stopped.
Obviously, there are hundreds of industries related to the real estate market that are losing money and jobs. The construction industry is being particularly impacted per the Commerce Department which reported a 22% decrease in new home construction in March from February. The Northeast region is experiencing the most pronounced decrease in new home construction with a 42.5% decline during this period.
New construction generates a plethora of jobs – carpenters, plumbers and electricians in addition to support and office staff. The materials alone needed to build range from lumber to sheetrock to paint to concrete and roofing not to mention heating and air conditioning systems.
Sales of existing properties are also down across the country as they are right here in Manatee County. If and when this will turn around as we in Florida start to open our economy, we just don’t know. But what we do know is that a slow real estate resale market touches so many other areas of the economy.
When someone purchases a home, they spend money preparing that home for the specifics they need and require for their family. Even the lack of simple renovations like new flooring, appliances, landscaping and paint will have an effect on the economy. This is in addition to major renovations to existing homes that have been sold or aren’t even on the market yet. The fallout from homeowners holding up on renovations can’t be calculated but inevitably will be substantial.
And what about the financial part of all this? Job loss is now measured in the millions, impacting tax revenue at every level of national, state and local governments. Much of this loss will ultimately be traced back to the real estate market, including the hard-working real estate professionals whose income and careers have been upended.
The one bright light for the real estate industry has been its ability to pivot to electronics to market and close properties. Agents all over the country are running virtual open houses and creating video tours for available properties. Video chats are taking the place of conference room meetings and available digital mortgage platforms can remotely verify employment and assets. A decade ago, the housing market would have been completely shut down during a situation like this; now at least everyone can move forward, even if at a slower pace.
So, no sneezing in public – we all have to do our part. As far as the real estate market, we don’t really know what the future is and neither does anyone else. Stay safe and wear a mask.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – A tour of Anna Maria Island on Saturday revealed an Island wasting no time trying to return to normal as the first weekend of the governor’s phase one reopening plan unfolded.
With a two-hour parking limit in place, the parking lot at Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach was already full shortly after 10 a.m. Additional cars were not allowed to wait in front of the main gate and were turned away and forced to circle around until other cars exited out another gate.
Manatee County Code Enforcement Officer Pete Chadziewicz said people were being patient, but growing more impatient with each unsuccessful pass by the gate.
“When we’re full, we’re full,” he said.
The beach itself was quite busy and social distancing was practiced with varied degrees of success.
The West Coast Surf Shop was open and the picnic tables at Skinny’s Place across the street were filled with outdoor diners.
After leaving the beach, Valrico residents Dana Kates, Shaun McCloskey and their three children hit the Ugly Grouper restaurant for lunch, where Kates and her 5-year-old son, Andrew, engaged in a joyous dance to the live music performed by Nick Lutz.
“This is the first time we’ve had the kids out in eight weeks. It feels pretty amazing,” Kates said.
“It’s Mother’s Day weekend. We had to get mom to the beach,” McCloskey added.
Down by the Anna Maria City Pier, folks gathered on the narrow beaches on both sides of the pier, joined by several boaters anchored just offshore.
Across the street, ice cream cones were enjoyed on Two Scoops’ waterfront patio.
Ginny’s and Jane E’s, Harry’s Grill, Poppo’s Taqueria, the Sandbar, Slim’s Place and The Waterfront restaurant were among the Anna Maria restaurants welcoming back their weekend patrons.
On Pine Avenue, Shiny Fish owner Rebecca Preston was happy to be back in the retail business, even at limited capacity.
“I’m thrilled to be open. We’ve seen a steady increase in visitors this week,” Preston said.
The beach in front of the Sandbar restaurant was a popular destination and so was nearby Bean Point.
The beach near the Moose Lodge in Bradenton Beach was moderately busy, but the beachgoers were spread out.
Bridge Street was abuzz with activity, including those who enjoyed lunch and/or adult beverages at the Anna Maria Island Oyster Bar, the Bridge Tender Inn, the Daiquiri Deck, Blue Marlin Seafood, Island Time Bar & Grill, Oma’s Pizza and more.
Bridge Street Bazaar employees are now protected by Plexiglas shields. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
People also visited the reopened retail establishments, including the Bridge Street Bazaar, where the clerks now work behind newly-installed Plexiglas shields.
Similar dining activities took place north of Cortez Road at the Gulf Drive Café, Wicked Cantina and Smoqehouse.
The Island’s stand-alone bars – the Drift In, Sports Lounge, Anchor Inn, D Coy Ducks and The Doctor’s Office – remain closed under the governor’s executive order.
Vacation rental check-ins are still prohibited according to the governor’s executive order, but out-of-town visitors and out-of-state license plates were a common sight.
A Tampa attorney recently filed a lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis seeking to get the vacation rental ban lifted and DeSantis has not yet announced when vacation rental operations can legally resume.
DeSantis allowed hair and nail salons to reopen Monday with enhanced safety protocols, but he had not yet announced when the second phase of his reopening plan would begin.
Continued testing
When the reopening began on Monday, May 4, there had been a total of 619 reported COVID-19 cases in Manatee County, with 59 deaths and 162 hospitalizations. As increased testing continues, Manatee County had 783 reported COVID-19 cases, 178 hospitalizations and 74 deaths – 46 of which were attributed to nursing homes and assisted living facilities – as of Monday, May 11.
There was still only one reported COVID-19 case in Holmes Beach, one in Bradenton Beach (cruise ship-related) and none in Anna Maria. According to Manatee County Public Safety Director Jake Saur, a positive case is attributed to the zip code shown on the driver’s license or ID of the person who tests positive.
I like to bike and I love to fish. It occurred to me a long time ago that I might be able to access some great fishing spots by bike. More often than not though, my fishing adventures involved a boat. That is until I started pedaling to Longboat Pass to fish from the bridge and to the bay to explore local public docks. What I discovered was a way to get in some excellent fishing without having to do the work to get a boat in and out of the water, with all that’s involved.
That didn’t keep me from boating, but it opened up a new avenue for getting my fishing fix and a bike ride too. For anglers who don’t have easy access to a boat, a bike can take you to some excellent angling opportunities. A good example is Robinson Preserve in Manatee County. The park is a treasure for walkers, bikers, kayakers and anyone who enjoys the outdoors. It also provides access to Perico Bayou and Tampa Bay. In addition, it also holds a maze of canals that, based on recent observations, hold some pretty terrific fishing. On a bike ride to the park recently, I encountered a number of anglers who had used their bikes to access the bridges that span the preserve’s canals and outlets to Tampa Bay. When I reached a favorite spot for a water break near the bay, I saw two anglers far out on a shallow flat I’ve fished many times from my boat. Nearby, leaning against a picnic table were their two bikes with rod holders. I took some pictures along the shoreline and eventually the two anglers waded to shore nearby. They had experienced a productive morning of fishing, seen no other angers and landed a number of big redfish and trout.
Although it doesn’t take more than a medium-light spinning rod rigged with an artificial lure to get in the game, I saw other bikers transporting live shrimp and even cast nets for catching bait. My preferred rig is an 8-pound spinning outfit or 8-weight fly rod with a 25- or 30-pound leader. I’m confident in the flies, plugs and jigs I fish, so that’s what I use and what I catch fish on. I double my standing line with a Bimini twist or a spider hitch and then tie my leader to the double line with a blood knot. After tying on a fly, top water plug or jig with a Non-Slip Mono Loop, I stick a spool of leader and a couple of extra flies or lures in my pocket and I’m good to go.
This time of the year is perfect for a world of wade fishing that a bike gives access to. All you’ll need is a pair of wading boots or old tennis shoes and a change of pants for the ride home. Bikes can quickly get you to places you’d find hard to reach even by boat. You can plan your outing by consulting access points (Google Maps) online. Then pack your gear and use your bike to explore some local less-accessible fishing gems. Try using your bike to expand your fishing horizon. Whether it’s a quick ride to a local pass or to one of a number of local parks near Anna Maria Island, you’ll be surprised at the opportunities it will open up for you.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Coquina Beach, Cortez Beach and Manatee Beach are open again.
By order of the Manatee County Commission, the county beaches and beach parking lots on Anna Maria Island reopened at 10 a.m. this morning.
Public Safety Director Jake Saur closed the county beaches and beach parking lots on March 20 in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. But the beaches were never totally off-limits to Island residents, vacationers and those who found parking spaces.
The Bridge Street Bazaar in Bradenton Beach reopened with new plexiglass shields to protect the employees. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Monday also marked the return of outdoor dining, with tables spaced at least 6 feet apart and indoor dining at 25% capacity according to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ phase one reopening plans, which took effect Monday.
These masked friends from Tampa – Caroline, Abby and Lesley – enjoyed lunch at Ginny’s and Jane E’s in Anna Maria on Monday. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Many of the Island’s retail businesses also reopened Monday in accordance with the 25% capacity set forth in DeSantis’ executive order.
The Ugly Grouper in Holmes Beach was open for lunch on Monday. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The entryways to Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach and Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach are now staffed by county workers who hand drivers 5 by 7 cards with COVID-19 safety tips on one side and the handwritten date and arrival time on the other.
The dashboard cards provide county code enforcement officers the information they need to issue $25 parking citations to those who linger too long – with no tires chalked.
“If you’re away from people and keeping your distance, you can be out in the open air enjoying the sunshine, water and sand.” – Tina Miller, Bradenton resident
“Our goal today is to be courteous and helpful to the people who want to enjoy the beach,” Manatee County Code Enforcement Officer Zach Stiscak said, noting the goal is to educate beachgoers, not ticket them.
Construction projects at Manatee Beach and Coquina Beach have reduced parking capacity at both beaches. When a parking lot becomes full, entry will be delayed until cars leave and make room for others.
The main entrance at Coquina Beach is open. Drivers can also pull through the Coquina South boat ramp parking lot and under the Longboat Pass Bridge to access the south parking lot.
The beach restrooms are open, but the concession stands are not.
With no gated entryways, enforcement of the two-hour parking limit at Cortez Beach in Bradenton Beach was minimal.
The parking lot at Bayfront Park in Anna Maria remains closed.
Back to the beach
Amanda Daughtry and her two sons were among the first to arrive at Manatee Beach Monday morning.
“We are out of the house and so excited,” she said, noting she didn’t think their beach visit would expose them to greater risk.
Bradenton resident Tina Miller sat on the beach with two friends from Michigan.
“Opening the largest playground in Manatee County for large gatherings sends the wrong message.” – Bill Tokajer, Holmes Beach Police Chief
“I am so happy they reopened the beaches. If you’re away from people and keeping your distance, you can be out in the open air enjoying the sunshine, water and sand. Thank you, Manatee County,” Miller said.
Manatee Beach was busy but not packed, and for the most part beachgoers practiced social distancing. The same was true at Cortez Beach and at Coquina Beach, where Bradenton residents Judy and Dennis Schultz enjoyed beach time with seasonal Cortez residents Deb and Bob Bates.
“We missed it a lot,” Judy Schultz said.
“We’re snowbirds and we haven’t been able to come to the beach. I’m thrilled that I get to spend a couple days here before we go back to Michigan,” Deb Bates said.
Police perspective
The Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach police departments are not assisting with the enforcement of the two-hour parking rule. And Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer doesn’t think the beaches should be open yet.
Tokajer said that message was conveyed to county commissioners last week before they made their decision.
“Opening the largest playground in Manatee County for large gatherings sends the wrong message. The commissioners need to listen to the medical professionals who are telling everybody the numbers in Manatee County are still too high. Opening the beach indicates the virus is over and everything’s OK, but there’s still the opportunity for this virus to be spread to our workers at Publix, CVS, Walgreens and at our restaurants. That puts our residents, workers and officers in harm’s way.
“Holmes Beach will continue to have no parking on our streets, right of ways and beach accesses and violators will be ticketed and possibly towed,” Tokajer said.
Bradenton Beach Police Chief Sam Speciale is concerned about the lack of parking at Coquina Beach.
“You’re going to get people from across the state who decide to go to the beach and they’re going to get here and find out there’s no parking because of the construction,” Speciale said.
Lt. John Cosby said, “People are ready to get out, they’re tired of being locked down. But the more people that come out, the more interaction they’ll have with all the Island’s law enforcement officers, and that puts our people at risk,” Cosby said.
HOLMES BEACH – Beach parking may be opening to visitors but in Holmes Beach, beach access, side of street and right of way parking remain closed to drivers.
Drivers who illegally park their vehicles may return to find them towed or ticketed. Holmes Beach police officers are regularly patrolling city streets to enforce the parking regulations.
Once the COVID-19 pandemic passes and parking is reopened in the city, visitors and residents will notice some major changes. During an April 28 virtual commission meeting, Chief Bill Tokajer presented a plan to open only the spaces needed for beach renourishment funding and leave much of the city’s parking closed, reducing parking by about 2,000 spaces.
Tokajer said the city is required to have 364 parking spaces available to the public for beach renourishment. In the city’s beach access points, there are 473 public parking spaces available. When the pandemic threat is over, Tokajer said he plans to only open those 473 beach access spaces, which don’t affect residents, and leave right of way and side of the street parking closed on all roads on the west side of the city.
From 28th to 38th streets in the south of the city, parking on the side of the street and right of way will remain closed from East Bay/Gulf Drive west to the beach. From the public beach at Manatee Avenue to 52nd Street, parking will be closed west of Gulf Drive except at beach accesses. In the rest of the city, side of the street and right of way parking will remain closed on all streets west of Marina/Palm Drive north to the Anna Maria city border. Once the new regulations are put into effect, Tokajer said his officers would monitor the situation to see if adjustments need to be made. He said the new regulations hopefully will ease beach parking and reduce traffic in residential areas.
Jayne Christensen, former chair of the city’s congestion committee, said that she’s “100% behind it,” and that the reduction in street parking in residential neighborhoods was exactly what her committee was working for.
“Thank you for doing this,” she said to commissioners.
“This is just a wonderful, big step to bringing balance back to the Island,” Commissioner Carol Soustek said.
Commissioners Pat Morton, Kim Rash, Jim Kihm and Terry Schaefer all agreed that they are behind enforcing the permanent reduction in parking.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Kihm said, adding that if any visitors to the Island want beach parking, they’d better plan to come out early.
Tokajer said he’s already ordered signs to be put up in anticipation of reopening the street end beach access parking and the removal of the no parking banners currently placed throughout the city. He added that the parking measures would not affect service workers, such as landscapers who are working at a residential property, from parking on the side of the street.
Another parking change that surprised even city leaders came when the Florida Department of Transportation, in conjunction with the county administrator’s office, put up signs on the south side of Manatee Avenue, prohibiting overflow parking from the Kingfish Boat Ramp.
In her May 1 report on the status of the city, Mayor Judy Titsworth said that FDOT gave Tokajer permission to cover the no parking signs across from Kingfish with bags. She added that the city will work with FDOT to come up with a safer, designated parking area for overflow parking for the boat ramp. During that time, however, the historic overflow parking on Manatee Avenue remains open to boaters.
BRADENTON – West Manatee Fire Rescue commissioners held their first budget meeting of the year on April 21 and the hot topic was whether to raise the assessment rates for commercial and residential property owners in the district.
WMFR has a non-ad valorem assessment rate, meaning the rate is tied to the size of the building on the property instead of the property value, which is used to determine property taxes. The amount the district can raise assessment rates each year is capped by personal income growth, a five-year rolling number used to estimate increases in taxpayer income.
At the end of the meeting, commissioners were considering three different options – a zero increase, a 2.6% increase and a 4% increase in assessment rates. An option to increase to the allowable limit of 5.46% was deemed too high by commissioners and dismissed. Commissioners will vote at their May meeting to determine the assessment rate for the 2020-21 fiscal year.
At a zero increase, the district would be operating at a loss for the coming year, requiring the use of $189,436 in reserves on top of the estimated $7,285,989 in revenue from property assessments. This would keep the residential base rate at $190.57 plus $0.1124 per square foot over 1,000 square feet and the commercial base rate at $473.62 plus $0.2051 per square foot over 1,000 square feet. At current rates, the full assessment on a 2,000-square-foot residential home is $302.97. The rate for a commercial building of the same size is $678.72.
The second option, a 2.6% increase in the assessment rate, would be the break-even point for the district, requiring no spending from reserves and bringing the total revenue from assessments up to $7,475,424. Under this plan, the assessment rate for a 2,000-square-foot home would be $310.85 and $696.37 for a 2,000-square-foot commercial building.
The third option, a 4% increase, is the one that was recommended by Chief Ben Rigney and the largest assessment rate increase being considered by commissioners. Under the 4% increase, commissioners would have an additional $291,440 in operating funds and would be able to add $102,004 to the district’s reserves to be used in case of an emergency. Reserve funds also are used to save for new equipment, such as a new fire truck, and to float the district’s operating expenses in the early months of the fiscal year before assessment rate funds are received. Under this increase, a residential property owner with a 2,000-square-foot home would pay $315.09 in total assessments to the fire district while a commercial property owner with a 2,000-square-foot building would pay $705.87.
Due to the expected economic downturn as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, commissioners expressed concern that increasing the assessment rate at all could be a burden on property owners but also, that if rates aren’t increased this year and the personal income growth number goes down next year, the district might have more than one fiscal year where it operates at a loss.
Commissioner Al Robinson said he’s concerned about the burden on taxpayers if assessment rates are increased and then the district has a significant rollover from the current fiscal year. He asked staff to look into the past five years of financials to see what the rollover amount typically is for the district. WMFR is currently at the halfway mark at six months in the current fiscal year.
For the 2020-21 fiscal year, beginning Sept. 30, Rigney said that he expects operating expenses to increase $188,653, including required raises for staff and anticipated increases in insurance and other benefits, along with expenses to set up the planned new administration building. He said he expects an increase in operating expenses of $221,009 for the 2021-22 fiscal year, which is also a negotiating year for the firefighter’s union.
After the expenses for a new fire truck expected to arrive in the coming weeks, Rigney said he doesn’t anticipate any additional large expenditures for equipment in the next two to three years or more.
Commissioners are expected to vote on whether to increase the assessment rate for the coming fiscal year during their May 19 meeting.
BRADENTON – A lot has been purchased, an architect selected and now the first rendering is in for the design of West Manatee Fire Rescue’s new administration building.
The design, created by architects at the Hall Darling Design Studio, tops out at 3,879 square feet and contains office and storage spaces for the fire district’s staff, a kitchen and restroom facilities and a meeting room with a separate entrance that is hardened to survive a Category 5 storm.
Chief Ben Rigney presented the design to commissioners, saying it meets the district’s goals of having a smaller administration building. He added that the quote of $1,469,708 to build the structure falls within budget for the building and keeps the district out of debt, while the hardened meeting room gives the district a base of operations in case of a hurricane. The previous administration building, which was sold more than a year ago, was 11,200 square feet in size.
Rigney said he feels comfortable the district can pay for the construction of the building without borrowing funds using reserve funds and impact fees. He said an official not-to-exceed amount for the project is expected from the architects by August for commissioners to consider. If they agree to move forward with the project, he said the building could be ready to occupy by the middle of 2021. During the April 21 meeting, Rigney said he was looking for direction from commissioners to move forward with the proposed design and floorplan.
Commissioner Randy Cooper, who serves as the board’s liaison on the administration building project, said that while the floorplan as presented is a compromise, it’s one of the best he’s seen within the district’s budget.
While commissioners agreed they liked the proposed design, where they varied was in how to pay for the project.
Though Rigney said the district has the funds to pay for the construction project outright, Commissioner David Bishop said that with the current economic climate and drop in interest rates it might be more beneficial to borrow the funds and save the reserve funds that would be used to finance the building.
“Amen,” Commissioner Al Robinson said, agreeing with Bishop. “I’m in the amen corner on borrowing the money.”
While Commissioner Larry Jennis said he wouldn’t be opposed to borrowing the funds, Commissioner George Harris said he doesn’t see a reason for it when the district already has the money available. He added that with the effects of statewide shutdowns due to COVID-19 precautions, the economy may experience a downturn which could potentially lower the district’s construction costs.
Robinson said he’s still not in favor of constructing a new administration building due to the cost and that he would like to continue looking for a pre-existing structure in the district to purchase.
Rigney said the total cost of the building plus fees and the purchase of the property is expected to come in around $1.8-1.9 million dollars.
“This is absurd,” Robinson said. “This is ludicrous.”
Bishop said that while it does seem expensive, for a municipal building that has the amenities the fire district needs, including the hardening, he thinks the pricing is good.
Jennis agreed with Bishop, adding that what the district wants, a building that would survive a strong hurricane and still be usable, is a “specialty thing. It’s not a generic building.”
Cooper said he would work with Rigney to judge the feasibility of borrowing the funds for the project and bring options back to his fellow commissioners at an upcoming meeting.
