HOLMES BEACH – During the city’s town hall-style Hurricane Preparedness Workshop, members of the city’s emergency operations team spent nearly two hours sharing information about hurricane preparation, response and recovery.
Held at Holmes Beach City Hall on June 6, the workshop was livestreamed and the archived video can be viewed at the city website.
After thanking the 25 or so audience members in attendance, Mayor Judy Titsworth said, “If I’ve learned anything from our past two hurricanes, it is you can never be too prepared.”
Mayor Judy Titsworth is in charge of the city’s hurricane preparations. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Regarding mandatory evacuation orders, she said, “I know how hard it is to leave your home and not know the condition of it while you’re waiting to get back on the Island. We are going to continue to do everything we can to get you back on the Island as soon as possible.”
She said the debris removal costs and damage to city assets from Hurricanes Helene and Milton total nearly $8 million, but the city expects to be reimbursed for most of that.
“Hurricanes are inconvenient. They’re messy and they expose the character and resiliency of all affected,” she said. “Hurricane preparedness is a price you pay for living on this Island and there isn’t a better place I would rather be.”
Police Chief Bill Tokajer made it clear that he and his officers will not remain on the Island during the next major hurricane. He and several officers stayed during Hurricane Helene and became trapped inside the police department by the storm surge that Kamiya said reached 7 feet in some areas.
The storm surge pole by the city skate park illustrates how high the recent storm surges were. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Tokajer stressed the need to follow evacuation orders. He said once the winds hit a certain speed (35-55 mph depending on the agency), calling 911 will get you on a waiting list but no one’s coming to get you until the winds die down.
Tokajer advises making an evacuation plan and an evacuation kit ahead of time. An evacuation kit should include food, water, prescription drugs, batteries, flashlights, sanitary products, phone chargers, back-up power supplies and other supplies needed to survive a week or two without replenishment. He also suggests withdrawing cash ahead of time because ATM and credit card transactions may not be possible if the power’s out.
“Don’t wait. Stock up early on supplies,” he said.
Plan ahead when preparing a disaster kit. – HBPD | Submitted
Tokajer recommends putting insurance documents and other important documents on a thumb drive, along with photos of your household appliances and other belongings they may have to be replaced.
In addition to the city website and the city and police department Facebook pages used to share hurricane information in the past, the city has implemented the city-specific TextMyGov messaging system. Send a text to 91896 that says “HOLMESBEACH” and enter “YES” in response to the confirmation message.
When returning to the Island after an evacuation order has been lifted – but while reentry restrictions and checkpoints remain in place – residents, property owners and business owners will need a valid reentry hang tag. Holmes Beach residents, property owners and business owners can obtain reentry tags at the police department’s front counter, inside the city hall building.
Police Chief Bill Tokajer displayed a city-issued reentry tag. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Tokajer advises not leaving electric cars, golf carts, e-bikes and other electric vehicles in garages and ground-level storage areas where they could come in contact with saltwater and start a fire.
West Manatee Fire Rescue Fire Inspector Cierra Price also stressed the importance of removing electric vehicles from the path of a potential saltwater storm surge.
“If you’ve ever seen a lithium (battery) fire, they’re really hard to put out. Don’t park them in your garage. Your house will catch on fire,” she said.
Fire Inspector Cierra Price represented the West Manatee Fire Rescue District. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Price advises residents and property owners to disable their fire alarms and home security systems before evacuating to help prevent false alarms. She said the West Manatee Rescue Fire district responded to 92 false alarms in October 2024, around the time Hurricane Milton struck, and the monthly average is between seven and 20.
“You’re now taking emergency services to a false alarm when we could be responding to an actual emergency,” she said.
Price said during mandatory evacuations and emergency declarations residents and property owners are allowed by law to disable their fire alarm panels by shutting off the power and removing the backup batteries.
Public Works Director Sage Kamiya said his department’s first post-storm priority is clearing the city streets, followed by the removal of household and landscaping debris placed in the streetside city rights of way.
Titsworth said drywall, roofing and other construction materials are not supposed to be placed streetside for free debris removal and should be removed by the contractors or subcontractors doing the repairs.
Code Compliance Chief James Thomas said those caught illegally disposing of trash and debris after a hurricane will be ticketed and fined.
Code Compliance Chief James Thomas spoke about improper debris disposal. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Building Official Neal Schwartz said there is a lot of confusion about FEMA’s 50% substantial damage rule and how that’s applied to individual properties.
“We do not make a determination if a property is 50% damaged or not. That is up to the homeowner/contractor that is going to fill out the required 50% cost breakdown from FEMA,” he said.
Kim Charron and Chad Minor spoke about repair permitting requirements. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“This is why we require permits for all storm recovery work,” Development Services Coordinator Kim Charron added. “We have to track any repair costs and submit it to FEMA. Any repairs for storm damage have to be documented with a building permit.”
Development Services Director Chad Minor said hurricane repairs and restorations done without a permit can still be remedied.
“There is a way to get it done right,” he said. “Come in and talk to us. We can assist with those issues. We can right the ship.”
Below are the presentations given during the hurricane preparedness workshop:
HOLMES BEACH – After impacts from two hurricanes, the city of Holmes Beach was left with a disaster, including limited utilities, enforcement of a curfew and trying to keep the city safe for residents. Over the past few weeks, Holmes Beach police officers have received a helping hand from other Florida police departments, allowing officers time to take care of their own homes and families while also continuing to serve the Anna Maria Island community. Tokajer said Panama City Police Chief Mark Smith organized an entire contingent of officers who came down from the Florida panhandle to help HBPD officers. Those officers were joined by officers from the Miami area.
Tokajer thanked the officers who came to assist the HBPD, noting that due to the help from other law enforcement officials, his officers were able to take care of their own families and the community was kept safe. He said there were no instances of looting in the city in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Assisting officers came from:
Panama City Police Department
Panama City Beach Police Department
Gulf Breeze Police Department
Fort Walton Beach Police Department
Pensacola Police Department
Port St. Joe Police Department
Aventura Police Department
Miami-Dade Police Department
Pinecrest Police Department
Coral Gables Police Department
Bradenton Police Department
Palmetto Police Department
New College Police Department
Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority Police Department
Please note that this article contains elements that could potentially be disturbing or triggering to some individuals.
UPDATED: Thursday, Oct. 31, 5:30 p.m.
On Thursday, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer issued a statement regarding the state attorney’s office reviewing the police body camera and dash camera footage of the Sept. 10 arrest and tasing of an autistic man, Francisco Diaz, and the arrest of his father, Orlando Diaz.
“The tape was reviewed by State Attorney Ed Brodsky, and by Cynthia Evers and Dawn Buff, also with the state attorney’s office, who all said the charges were appropriate and the officers appeared to act within policy,” Tokajer stated.
The Sun then contacted Brodsky to confirm Tokajer’s statement. After noting that he cannot speak in great detail regarding a pending case, or cases, Brodsky said, “We determined the actions of the officers were appropriate.”
Speaking in general terms, not specific to any case, Brodsky said, “Typically what happens with a case is law enforcement’s report comes into us with the charges they’ve referred to us. We’ll review those charges then the prosecutor will make a filing decision as to whether to go forward on those charges.”
According to Manatee County court records, the charges filed by the prosecutor currently match the five charges recommended by the Holmes Beach Police Department for Francisco Diaz (including battery on a law enforcement officer) and the two charges recommended for his father, Orlando Diaz (including resisting, obstructing or opposing an officer without violence).
When asked if a person’s medical condition or other mitigating factors factor into a prosecutor’s decision-making when filing a charge, Brodsky said, “In every circumstance, we’re always going to consider all the facts and circumstances and that’s a factor in deciding the charge, whether to charge it, how to charge it and how you ultimately seek to resolve a case.”
(See the original Oct. 29 story below)
HOLMES BEACH – On Sept. 10, Holmes Beach Police Off. Christopher Liotti arrested 72-year-old Bradenton resident Orlando Diaz for driving with a suspended driver’s license. His 30-year-old autistic son, Francisco Diaz, tried to intervene and was later tased and arrested for alleged battery on a law enforcement officer.
Before the local media could get to this story – in part due to two consecutive hurricanes striking Anna Maria Island – a Telemundo news report and another news report from the London-based Daily Mail were shared on Facebook and local, national and international outrage quickly ensued.
On Oct. 28, The Sun spoke with Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer about the arrests and the tasing as he reviewed the officers’ body camera videos again.
Later that day, The Sun spoke with Francisco’s Bradenton-based attorney, C.J. Czaia. The Sun also conducted its own review of the 16 body camera videos Tokajer provided.
The arrests
According to the significant incident report filed by Sgt. Joshua Betts, at approximately 10 p.m. that night the police department’s camera-based license place recognition system issued an alert regarding a vehicle traveling through the city potentially being driven by someone with a suspended driver’s license. Liotti then conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, Orlando Diaz, in the plaza parking lot in front of the Dollar Tree store at 3260 East Bay Drive.
Officer Christopher Liotti spoke with Orlando and Francisco Diaz before the chaos ensued. – HBPD | Submitted
According to Liotti’s body camera footage, he then approached the driver’s side of the car. He asked Orlando Diaz to step out of the car, where he was going and whether he spoke English.
“A little,” he responded, noting he was driving someone in the vehicle for work purposes.
Liotti asked if anyone in the car spoke English. Francisco Diaz then exited the passenger door and walked around the front of the car to assist his father.
When Liotti asked Francisco Diaz if he spoke English, he said, “A little.”
Can you ask him if he’s been to court for his driver’s license issues? I already know the answer,” Liotti said.
Orlando Diaz acknowledged he had been to court for the driver’s license suspension.
“Was he found guilty?” Liotti asked.
Diaz acknowledged he had been found guilty.
When Liotti asked Diaz why he had not had his driver’s license renewed for more than 20 years, Francisco’s response was inaudible.
“So, he knows that he’s not supposed to be driving?” Liotti said.
“That’s why he cannot renew,” Francisco Diaz said.
“Has he ever been arrested for this?” Liotti asked.
Orlando Diaz shook his head, indicating he had not.
“Okay. Tell him he’s being arrested today,” Liotti said. “You’ve had multiple chances. You’ve been found guilty three times. You’re going to be arrested today. Turn around and place your hands behind your back.”
“But sir, he has work,” Orlando Diaz said in an apparent reference to his son, who was the only male passenger in the car. Francisco Diaz’ mother also was in the car.
As the tension rose and Orlando Diaz began to verbally protest the arrest, Liotti repeatedly asked Francisco Diaz to ask his father not to make the arrest any more difficult.
The mother then joined the conversation pleading for her husband’s release before returning to the car as directed.
When Liotti placed the first handcuff on Orlando Diaz’ wrist, the man began screaming and wailing.
At that point Franscisco Diaz came toward Liotti and tried to free his father from the officer’s grasp, making contact with Liotti in the process. The mother restrained Francisco and led him back to the car. Liotti then swept Orlando Diaz to the pavement, turned him on his stomach and placed him in handcuffs.
Diaz remained handcuffed on the pavement for several minutes, continuing to loudly scream and cry as he lay there despite no further physical contact. He was not tased and he did not appear to be physically harmed.
With the assistance of another officer, Diaz was brought to his feet and led toward one of the police vehicles to be placed in the back seat.
Liotti then asked Off. Alex Hurt to handcuff Francisco Diaz, cautioning that “he’s going to fight.”
The probable cause affidavit filed by Liotti states, “The defendant had to be physically removed from the vehicle, at which time he began to resist and struggle with officers, eventually striking an officer in the face.”
Francisco Diaz was tased by Officer Alex Hurt, center, with assistance from Officer Christopher Liotti. – HBPD | Submitted
According to Liotti’s body camera video, Liotti’s dash camera video and Hurt’s 25-second body camera video, Hurt asked Francisco Diaz to step out of the car and turn around. Diaz stepped out of the car and asked “Why?” three times without turning around. Hurt then grabbed Diaz’ left arm and took him to the ground using an arm bar takedown before attempting to handcuff him. During the ensuing struggle, which Liotti joined, Hurt was struck in the face, which Tokajer later said may have been unintentional due to Diaz’ autistic state.
According to Tokajer, Hurt’s body camera stopped working before he tased Diaz. A second 17-minute Hurt’s body camera video shows him later interacting with witnesses and asking them to share copies of their cell phone video footage, to be used as additional evidence.
As the struggle continued, with Francisco Diaz laying on his back, screaming and resisting, Liotti said, “You’re gonna get tased. You’re gonna get tased. Turn around or you’re gonna get tased. Turn over now. Turn around or you’re gonna get tased.”
Using a handheld Taser Stun Drive device that does not utilize probes, Hurt then discharged the Taser approximately 11 times, with some of those discharges apparently not making full contact with Francisco Diaz as he screamed and rolled on the ground, at one point yelling, “That’s no fair.”
After several directives to put his hands behind his back, Diaz said, “Okay,” and complied with the officer’s command.
Francisco Diaz’ mother then approached Liotti and repeatedly said, “Mi hijo has autismo (my son has autism),” as Liotti told her to go back to the car. That was the first time the officers were told he had autism.
After being handcuffed, Francisco Diaz compliantly walked toward a police vehicle and was placed in the back seat.
Liotti also checked on the father, who had been lying on the ground apparently unconscious, but breathing and with a pulse, near the rear door of the police vehicle he resisted getting into.
Sgt. Betts’ body camera footage shows Orlando Diaz slowly collapsing to the ground after he resisted being placed in the police vehicle. Calls were issued for medical assistance and Manatee County EMS and West Manatee Fire Rescue quickly responded.
When one of the paramedics asked Francisco Diaz if he needed medical attention, he said “No, I’m good.”
When speaking to Francisco Diaz a short time later, Liotti said, “Just to let you know, when you tried to fight with us, that’s against the law.”
“That’s my parents. The police always trap everybody like us,” Francisco Diaz replied.
“Your father has been found guilty for driving without a driver’s license. He’s got too many charges, which is why he’s going to be placed in jail,” Liotti said.
“My parents come first man,” Francisco Diaz replied.
“I understand that you want to defend your father and your parents, but you went about it the wrong way. You cannot put your hands on a police officer, which is why you’re now going to jail tonight,” Liotti said.
With the assistance of a Spanish-speaking bystander, Liotti explained to the mother what was happening.
“Her husband is going to jail for the driving violations. Her son is going to jail for striking me,” he said.
“He’s autismo,” the mother said.
“It doesn’t matter. He knows what he was doing,” Liotti said, noting Francisco Diaz cursed at him and tried to fight him. “That’s why he’s going to jail.”
When the mother said Francisco Diaz was trying to protect his father, Liotti said, “That doesn’t make it okay.”
Orlando Diaz was placed on a gurney and transported to the hospital for examination before being transported to the Manatee County Jail. According to Tokajer, Francisco Diaz was also taken to the hospital and examined before being transported to the county jail.
As these chaotic scenes unfolded in the plaza parking lot, several spectators videotaped the incident on their phones. The officers never asked them to stop.
The following day bail was posted for Orlando. He was released on two bonds totaling $3,000 for driving with a license canceled, suspended or revoked after prior conviction and resisting, obstructing or opposing an officer without violence.
Orlando Diaz
According to court records, Orlando Diaz has received at least five citations for driving with a suspended or expired driver’s license since 2018, including one in Holmes Beach that year.
Francisco Diaz
Francisco Diaz remained in jail until Oct. 3 or 4, when he was released on five $10,000 bonds totaling $50,000. He is currently charged with two third degree felony counts of battery on a law enforcement officer, two third degree felony counts of resisting an officer with violence and one first degree misdemeanor count of resisting an officer without violence. According to court records, this is Francisco Diaz’ first arrest in Manatee County.
Chief’s response
While reviewing the most significant body camera footage with The Sun on Oct. 28, Tokajer addressed the events of Sept. 10.
He began by saying he incorrectly told a Telemundo reporter that Francisco Diaz attempted to kick the officer when he first exited the family’s car. Tokajer said Diaz did not attempt to kick an officer and that was something he confused with another arrest that happened within that same week.
When reviewing Liotti’s body camera footage, Tokajer noted Francisco Diaz was calm and helpful until the first handcuff was placed on his father.
“The officer was making a lawful arrest of the father, then the son pushed the officer and interfered with the lawful arrest,” Tokajer said, noting Orlando Diaz was not injured while being taken to the ground and handcuffed.
When watching the footage of Francisco Diaz getting tased, Tokajer said, “As soon as they got his hands behind his back, they de-escalated the situation.”
He also noted the man’s autism was not mentioned until the tasing occurred.
“Had the family, at the beginning of the interaction, told the officer their son was autistic, things might have gone differently. The officers had no knowledge that he was autistic. What got him agitated was his mom and dad screaming and getting agitated. That is what triggered his reaction,” Tokajer, said, based on his recent conversations with an autism specialist.
Tokajer said his officers will now receive training on how to recognize autism and interact with autistic people.
When asked if it’s standard procedure to arrest someone for driving with a suspended or expired license, Tokajer said, “It’s at the officer’s discretion. The officer was able to look up the driver’s record and see that he had several citations for driving with his license suspended. Giving him a ticket was not getting the desired effect of getting him to comply to go get his license. I think he was justified in doing so. And keep in mind, he’s been driving on a suspended license for over 20 years. And if you don’t have a driver’s license, the chances are you’re also not insured.”
When asked if he feels Francisco Diaz’ arrest was justified, Tokajer said, “The son interfered with a lawful arrest. Had the officers been aware that he had autism they might have looked at it differently, but that was not told to them until after they made contact with him.”
When asked if he feels Francisco Diaz’ tasing was justified, Tokajer said, “The drive stun is a useful tool to get compliance. The officers did not strike him. They did not kick him. They were merely trying to get him to comply so they could affect the arrest.”
“Although the optics with the drive stun seems to some to be wrong, it is a tool that’s used to lessen the chance of injury to the arrestee rather than using physical force such as strikes, blows, kicks, a baton or pepper spray. And the officers’ firearms were never in play,” Tokajer said.
He noted there was one Holmes Beach tasing in 2020, none in 2021 and one each in 2022 and 2023.
“That’s not a pattern of abuse,” he added.
Tokajer said there is currently no formal internal or external investigation taking place, but Lt. Brian Hall is conducting an extensive review of the officers’ body cameras, dashboard cameras and in-car cameras. The three officers remain on active duty pending the results of Hall’s video review.
When asked if Francisco’s charges might be reduced because of his autism, Tokajer said, “We do the initial charges and then it’s up to the state attorney’s office to review it to see if that’s a mitigating factor that warrants a lesser charge or no charge. That is not something we will oppose.”
Attorney’s response
When contacted late Monday afternoon, attorney C.J. Czaia noted he is representing Francisco Diaz but he is not representing his father.
Czaia said he watched the video footage broadcast by Telemundo and some of the phone videos taken shot by bystanders, but he had not yet obtained or viewed the police officers’ body camera and dashboard camera footage.
Attorney C.J. Czaia is representing Francisco Diaz. – CzaiaLaw.com | Submitted
Czaia acknowledged the incident would not have happened in the first place had Orlando Diaz not been driving with a suspended license, but he questions why the two men were arrested, why Francisco Diaz was tased, and why it took so long to get him out of jail.
“When people ask me if someone’s guilty, I say I don’t know until I work the case and look at everything, including why the stop occurred and why the officer was upset. If the kid did commit a crime, did the officers overdo it? Right now, I don’t know,” Czaia said.
“Until we look at all the evidence and depose the officers, it’s very hard to judge what really happened. But this kid was in jail for three weeks and could not get a hearing to get a bond reduction or explain his situation. That I do know for a fact. And I do think there’s a problem with how law enforcement handles people with autism and Aspergers,” he added.
“The big question to me, regarding Francisco’s autism, is why do you have to put this young man in a jail full of bad people? I really have an issue with that. This kid was in jail for three weeks,” Czaia said.
Czaia said a “good Samaritan” who has a family member, or family members, with autism, put up Francisco Diaz’ bail bond money.
Regarding the intense scrutiny this case has already generated on social media, Czaia said, “The Latin community is up in arms. They’re upset, and maybe it has to do with what’s happening around us on TV and the politics of the moment. This is a very sensitive time for this community and the optics don’t look good. The father is a mild-mannered man. He’s not a threat to anybody and his family can’t function without him.”
Regarding Orlando Diaz’ arrest, Czaia said, “It’s at their discretion if the stop is legal and legitimate. He’s not a criminal and in 15 other states, undocumented people have the right to get a driver’s license. This state is not one of them, and I often tell people to go to a state where you can drive legally because you have to drive. I don’t represent his dad, but Francisco has DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) status and if they convict him that could affect his status here,” Czaia said.
Czaia said he’s known and respected Tokajer for a long time.
“I have fond memories of him working at the Bradenton Police Department and I told the family and Telemundo that he’s a straight-up guy,” Czaia said.
Czaia said he would have more to say about the case once he’s reviewed the police department videos and has a better understanding of what actually happened.
Please note that the videos linked below contain content that could be disturbing or triggering for some individuals and should be watched at your own discretion. Videos have been edited for length and file size. Due to size, all videos link to Facebook.
In the attached TikTok link you will see Dr. Hopes publicly shaming Holmes Beach residents and myself for asking for the water to be left on for our residents who wanted to remain on the island, accusing us of not taking Hurricane Ian seriously—stating that our residents were jeopardizing the water infrastructure for the entire county.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The county administrator is the one person the Island residents, county residents and municipal leaders should be able to look towards for the facts. Especially during a storm event.
I did call Dr. Hopes I asked that he revisit the order to turn off the water to the island on Tuesday at 6 pm for the Safety of First Responders. Dr. Hopes stated he was on the way to a meeting at the EOC and would discuss and call me back.
I did not make the request because I wanted water for our residents who refused to leave, but because our First Responders, the Holmes Beach Police, Manatee Sheriff’s Department, West Manatee Fire and Bradenton Beach Police would not be leaving the island until the wind was too dangerous, which at the time of the phone call was not expected till mid-morning Wednesday.
Mayor Titsworth had the same conversation with Commissioner VanOstenbridge, telling him of the first responder, police and fire needs, telling him the island looks deserted because people are taking this seriously and evacuating.
When asked about the evacuation by Dr. Hopes, I advised him that we have clearly put out the message of the mandatory evacuation and the dangers of staying and that most of our residents had taken heed to the warnings, but we will always have a few hold outs that don’t leave.
As Island leaders we could not be prouder of our residents, business and property owners as they took Hurricane Ian very seriously, sandbagging, boarding up businesses and residences and coming to the city hall and police department to get over 1,100 re-entry tags for those who were evacuating to be able to return.
William L. Tokajer
Chief of Police
Holmes Beach Police Department
HOLMES BEACH – Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth declined Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge’s request to meet and discuss the city’s past elimination of street-side parking spaces.
Titsworth rejected Van Ostenbridge’s request to meet in part because Van Ostenbridge’s invitation did not extend to Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer.
As the District 3 county commissioner, Van Ostenbridge represents all three Anna Maria Island cities. Van Ostenbridge was sworn into office on Nov. 17. During the county commission work meeting held later that day, Van Ostenbridge threatened to withhold future beach renourishment funding from the city of Holmes Beach because of the city’s parking reductions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Mayor Titsworth and the Holmes Beach City Commission have jeopardized future beach renourishment projects in their city. I will not support county participation in beach renourishment projects in Holmes Beach until on-street parking levels are returned to pre-COVID-19 levels. I am drawing a line in the sand,” Van Ostenbridge said, during his first county meeting.
Meeting sought
Vida Gordon is the executive administrative assistant to the county commission. On Tuesday, March 23, Gordon sent Titsworth an email on behalf of Van Ostenbridge which said, “Commissioner Van Ostenbridge would like to meet with you and staff regarding: Public parking on city streets in the city of Holmes Beach. Manatee County participation in future beach renourishment projects.”
Within 30 minutes, Titsworth sent Gordon her response.
“Please ask the commissioner to take the time to witness the high traffic in our city on our many sunny weekends prior to scheduling this meeting. I see no reason to have a meeting until he takes the time to see it for himself. Saturdays would be a great time, as our rather large resort housing industry turns over each Saturday and traffic is at a standstill. If we are going to have real discussions with real solutions, I find it important that he witness this first-hand,” Titsworth stated in her email.
Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth will not meet to discuss parking concerns without the police chief present. – Kristin Swain | Sun
“I would also ask that he drive through the residential neighborhoods to take note of the beach access parking we currently provide so that he can more easily understand the issues. This may allow him a better perspective to see the limits the city is facing in accommodating all our county residents and tourists who want to arrive by car,” Titsworth wrote.
“As for the Manatee County participation in beach nourishment, I am well advised as to the interlocal agreement we have with the county and the city’s continued participation to provide beach access public parking. If he would like to discuss any proposed changes to this agreement at this meeting, please advise prior, as I would ask that Charlie Hunsicker be present to inform us of any changes in requirements at the state level. The chief and I are available on April 12. Please ask him to come to city hall,” Titsworth wrote.
A short time later, Gordon sent Titsworth Van Ostenbridge’s response.
“I have seen first-hand the traffic challenges on AMI at peak hours. I look forward to hearing from the mayor in our meeting. I am hoping for a constructive meeting that will enable the mayor and myself to lay out our respective positions. The end goal I have in mind is to create a more welcoming environment on AMI and increase accessibility to our public beaches. My hope is that this meeting will be a productive first step,” Van Ostenbridge wrote.
“Mr. Hunsicker has been invited to the meeting as well as county attorney (Bill) Clague. If she would like to remove either of those invitees from the meeting, I will oblige her request. That said, my invitation does not extend to the Holmes Beach Police Chief,” Van Ostenbridge wrote.
Upon receipt of that message, Titsworth informed Gordan that she would not be meeting with Van Ostenbridge.
“If the meeting does not extend to the police chief who has first-hand knowledge on why parking was eliminated on certain streets, then I see no reason to have the meeting. Per the commissioner’s email, he feels he has all the experience he needs on the traffic, congestion and parking constraints. Unfortunately, he does not have the credentials to determine where parking works and where it does not. If I am to accept a meeting with the commissioner to discuss parking in the neighborhoods, I will expect the chief to attend. As for the county attorney, I see no reason why his services would be needed at this time,” Titsworth wrote.
“With all due respect, any comments made by the commissioner up to this point have been threatening in nature. I understand his position, as he does mine. There is no reason to take up any additional time in laying out our positions. Any proposed additional parking in Holmes Beach will require a traffic study by FDOT, including a viable plan for bringing additional cars on and off the Island. Any additional parking will need to include restroom facilities,” Titsworth wrote.
“If a meeting cannot be agreed to, I would suggest the commissioner attend a city meeting so he can express his concerns regarding the ‘unwelcoming environment’ and the accessibility to the beaches. I am certain the board would welcome hearing his suggestions, being that he is our new district representative,” Titsworth wrote.
Titsworth then received an email from Gordon that stated Van Ostenbridge would be happy to meet with the mayor in the county commissioners’ conference room or in his office in downtown Bradenton.
In response, Titsworth wrote, “If he is unwilling to come visit the city he represents, I will have to decline to attend the meeting. I can already see where it is heading. Commissioner Kruse was happy to meet me and the chief at our city. My door is always open.”
Chief’s comments
When contacted Friday, Tokajer said, “For Commissioner Van Ostenbridge to invite the mayor to a meeting that dictates which staff is allowed to attend is another example of his abuse of the perceived power of his position. I do not see our mayor and commission being bullied by empty threats about future beach renourishment.”
Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer played a significant role in the development of the city’s current parking plan. – Kristin Swain | Sun
“As a city, we’ve more than upheld our requirements set forth in the interlocal agreement with Manatee County on parking. Do you really think the county is going to stop receiving federal funds for beach renourishment for the largest tourist destination in Manatee County? Are they going to stop advertising Anna Maria Island as a tourist destination? If the county is not going to do beach renourishment, they can give the city back the millions of dollars in the tourist tax revenues they collect from the Holmes Beach community,” Tokajer said.
“The city’s residential areas should not be made into a parking lot. The county needs to come up with some other ideas as to where people can park – and the places they come up with need to have facilities such as bathrooms, changing stations and lifeguards. We need to do something to balance the amount of people coming into our residential areas,” Tokajer said.
“Right now, there are 1,264 parking spaces that are open to the public, and 500 of those are dedicated to meeting beach renourishment parking requirements. We have an additional 645 spaces for residential parking by permit. The city’s parking plan is truly working in the manner in which we thought it would,” he added.
Tokajer doesn’t anticipate the city restoring its parking capacity to pre-pandemic levels.
“The commission has already voted numerous times on this parking plan and they unanimously support the plan we have now. No matter what this commissioner does, I don’t see them going back to that,” he said.
Citing data collected by license plate readers positioned along the city’s main thoroughfares, Tokajer said, “From March 1 through noon today, March 26, we had 621,569 vehicles that came on and off Island in Holmes Beach during that 26-day period. That’s an average of 24,675 vehicles per day. Even if we opened up the 2,400 parking spaces we had before COVID, that’s still leaves another 22,000 cars a day that have nowhere to park.
“Commissioner Kruse was willing to come here to Holmes Beach and sit down with the mayor and I to discuss things and learn why we did what we did. If Commissioner Van Ostenbridge wants to dictate who the mayor’s going to bring to a meeting, then I guess we’re not going to have it,” Tokajer said.
MANATEE COUNTY – In reaction and response to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, Manatee County’s public beaches will be closed as of Friday, March 20 at 6 a.m.
Manatee County Public Safety Director Jacob Saur made this announcement with Sarasota County officials on Thursday afternoon at a 3 p.m. press conference at the Sarasota County Emergency Operations Center.
Sarasota County’s public beaches will close at 6 a.m. on Saturday morning, March 21.
Manatee County issued a beach closure-related press release at 3 p.m. Thursday.
Regarding the public beaches in Manatee County, the press release said, “Parking lots will be closed and signs placed to alert drivers, and we expect that most people will heed that advice.”
The Coquina Beach parking lot in Bradenton Beach will be closed as of Friday morning. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The parking lots referred to are at the three county beaches on Anna Maria Island – Coquina Beach and Cortez Beach in Bradenton Beach and Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach.
What it means
On Thursday afternoon, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer issued a press release regarding the county’s announcement.
“The Holmes Beach Police Department and Code Compliance Department are enforcing this policy by eliminating public parking. We will continue to proactively patrol the beach to be sure our residents and guests are following the guidance of social distancing. The gates at the public beach located at 4000 Gulf Drive will be locked. Many additional parking areas will be changed to no parking zones. This reduces Holmes Beach’s right of way parking by 70 to 80%. The enforcement guidelines will change based on the daily observations,” Tokajer said in his press release.
When contacted, Tokajer also said the Island’s vacation rental companies are being updated on the closures and any developments that occur.
Folks enjoyed the last few hours of normal beach operations at Manatee Beach Thursday afternoon. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Lt. John Cosby from the Bradenton Beach Police Department said, “Resort guests, those who live on the Island and those who can find a legal public parking space outside of those areas that are closed will still have access to the beach at this time. We still want you to keep the six-foot distance and no groups larger than 10.”
Cosby said the city of Bradenton Beach currently has no plans to close the public beach access points, some of which are located at city street ends and provide limited or no public parking.
On Thursday afternoon, beachgoers enjoyed the final hours of Coquina Beach being open. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
A one-sentence message posted at the city of Anna Maria website Thursday says, “All beaches in the city of Anna Maria will be closed effective 6 a.m. Friday 3/20/20 until further notice.”
Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy was not available for comment after the announcement was made Thursday afternoon.
County statements
In Thursday’s press release, County Administrator Cheri Coryea said, “Each day as our local situation has changed and new advisories have been sent, Manatee County residents have heeded warnings and taken official advice seriously. We’re hoping for more of the same with our beach announcement.”
The press release notes Manatee County lifeguards will remain on duty from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily to ensure the safety of those who disregard the closure. A double red flag, indicating no swimming, will fly from lifeguard stands.
“Manatee County Code Enforcement Officers will assist the Island communities enforcing the beach closure. The Anna Maria Island Trolley will continue to operate,” the press release says.
While the Coquina Beach Cafe will be closing, for now, the Anna Maria Island Beach Cafe at Manatee Beach will remain open.
The concession at Manatee Beach will remain open during the beach closures. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Coryea said the decision was made to close beaches with careful input from the mayors on Anna Maria Island, and after speaking with Sarasota County officials in order to continue the close coordination of the two counties during the coronavirus outbreak.
“This is not a step we take lightly to close our beaches, but together with the advice of the public health officials we believe it is a step that’s in the public’s best interest,” Coryea said in the press release.
“Our primary concern is the health and safety of our residents and visitors and the people they return home to. The leadership of the Island cities of Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach, Anna Maria and the Town of Longboat Key collectively brainstormed this decision and will have the authority to manage the impacts in their community,” Coryea said in the press release.
Coryea, Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells, Manatee County Department of Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Bencie and Saur will provide more details on the local COVID-19 response during a press conference Friday afternoon at 2 p.m.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Anna Maria Island beaches are busy and business owners are enjoying a banner Spring break season.
A mid-week visit to Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach found a quartet of students from Indianapolis among those enjoying a beautiful beach day.
“We have family that lives down here. It’s a clean beach, the sand feels great and the water’s clean,” said high school senior Brenna Garrard, while sitting on the beach Wednesday afternoon with her twin brother Tyler and their high school friends Alexis Weston and Samara Gephart.
Tyler graduated high school early and is now studying mechanics as a freshman at Indiana University.
“We went over to Siesta Key and we’ve been in Clearwater a few times. I like this beach a lot better. Clearwater is more packed. Here it’s more relaxed,” Tyler said.
On Friday, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said, “People have been behaving very well. Most of our guests have been families that have had a wonderful time on the Island. We had two groups of unruly college students that were evicted from their rental units for underage drinking, jumping off the roof into the pool and other things they shouldn’t have been doing. The rental agents were notified and they evicted them.
“We’ve also had many well-behaved and respectful groups of college kids on the Island from Ohio, Minnesota, a group from Indianapolis and a couple groups from Tampa. We enjoy having the groups that respect our rules and ordinances and are responsible and understand we have zero tolerance for any alcohol on the beach,” Tokajer said.
“Spring break has been very busy this year, probably the busiest I can remember in the past 10 years,” said DCoy Ducks’ bartender Brad Lisk. “The crowds seem younger this year and there are a lot more college-aged kids. For the most part, they’ve been well-behaved. They’re here to party but they’re being respectful while enjoying the beach, the sun and some drinking.”
Anna Maria
The Pine Avenue business district in Anna Maria is also abuzz with visitors.
“I don’t know if it’s perception or because we went through such a long dry spell with the red tide and the fact that we lost the pier, but it seems to me that we have a bumper crop this year,” Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said. “It seems to me there’s more families visiting and more younger people. The streets are filled on weekends with young people. I think it’s great for the businesses. I know it’s a little hectic for those who live here full-time, so I ask everybody to be patient, welcoming and kind because it’s good that people are enjoying our city. They’re basking in the sunshine and enjoying themselves.”
The line was long at the Donut Experiment in Anna Maria Wednesday morning. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Brian Seymour says sales are up at his Anna Maria General Store & Deli.
“The first couple weeks were definitely college kids. This week and next it’s mostly families. It’s nice to see the Island busy again. There’s downsides for the residents with the increased traffic, but people have come back to the Island and they’re supporting the local businesses,” Seymour said.
“We are having a great spring break. We are much busier than last year. That’s good news and we are renting to families, not college kids,” said Duncan Real Estate owner Darcie Duncan.
Bradenton Beach
“We’re having an extremely busy spring break with both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. We’ve got people everywhere,” said Bradenton Beach Police Chief Sam Speciale.
“The schools let out a couple weeks ago and we’ll be seeing a lot of people out here until Easter. We’ve got college kids, high school kids and a lot of families coming down. Everybody’s been really well-behaved and it’s been a nice, quiet spring break. You’ve got to give credit to the kids and the families for coming down here and enjoying themselves without causing any problems. The vacation rentals are all filled. We haven’t had a lot of noise complaints, but we’ve had a few. The few we’ve had quieted right down when our officers went there and we haven’t had to go back,” Speciale said.
Jake Spooner owns the Bridge Street Bazaar and The Fish Hole miniature golf course on Bridge Street.
The Bridge Tender Inn is among the many Island bars enjoying a boost in Spring break business. Jake Spooner | Submitted
“It’s been a great 2019 and Easter is later this year, so we’ll have a longer season. I’m seeing mostly families – grandparents, parents and kids. Our numbers are up over last year. The Bridge Street bars have been packed too. Everybody seems a lot busier this year,” Spooner said.
Cortez
Business is up in Cortez too.
“I think our crowd might be a little younger this year, but I don’t know if it’s Spring breakers or just families. There just seems to be more people here on Spring break,” Swordfish Grill General Manager Bob Slicker said. “I think there’s more people here too because of what happened in the panhandle with Hurricane Michael. Some people told me they’re here for the first time because they used to go there. We’re up a bit more than normal, which I’m very grateful for. We’re off the beaten path but more people know about Cortez every year.”
This sandcastle was left as a souvenir of someone’s time at Manatee Beach on Wednesday. Joe Hendricks | Sun
HOLMES BEACH — Drivers crossing the Anna Maria Island bridge may have noticed a recent speed limit change.
The slowdown going in and out of Holmes Beach via Manatee Avenue isn’t all due to extra traffic. Beginning Jan. 30, the speed limit from the Manatee Public Beach on Manatee Avenue to the Anna Maria Island Bridge was slowed to 25 mph. Speed across the bridge was slowed from 45 to 35 mph.
Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer, who also serves as the city’s traffic engineer, reached out to the Florida Department of Transportation in 2015 and again in 2016 about reducing the speed limit along the quarter-mile stretch of road in Holmes Beach. The state agency responded by lowering not only the speed on the stretch of Island road, but also across the bridge on the approach to Holmes Beach.
Tokajer said his primary reason for requesting the change is increased safety on a shared road. With the road frequented by pedestrians, cyclists and motorists, he said the speed limit needed to be lowered to help prevent accidents. Another reason for the slow down is the amount of traffic going in and out of Kingfish boat ramp.
“You can’t put a cross walk on a bridge, so we have to slow people down,” Tokajer said. “It’s dangerous for people to come over that bridge at high speeds. Our whole thing is public safety.”
The final speed limit determination was made by FDOT because Manatee Avenue is a state road.
In his opinion, Tokajer said the speed limit slow down was not expected to increase traffic congestion in the area. He said the public response he’s received to the change has been primarily positive.
However, that’s not the reaction Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore has received. In a letter sent to Holmes Beach Mayor Bob Johnson on Sunday, Feb. 5 and obtained by The Sun on Monday, Feb. 6, Whitmore said she fielded calls all last week from people angry over the speed limit reduction.
“You have a lot of islanders that are very upset,” Whitmore wrote, adding that she was concerned that no notice was given to residents before the change was made.
“I don’t think the speed limit can be reduced on a state road to 25 mph without public input,” Whitmore wrote. “I do not recall any public meetings regarding this action by the city.
“I don’t believe this was a safety issue, personally,” she concluded.
After The Sun posted on its Facebook page a video from Tokajer explaining the speed limit reduction to social media, comments were mixed with a few concerned that the change was to create a speed trap in the area.
While motorists become accustomed to the change, Tokajer said officers will be issuing warnings for minor violations.
Island resident Kelly Smith said the reduced speed limit contributed to an added 30 minutes to her commute off-island.
However, Capt. Mark Howard, owner of SumoTime Fishing Charters of Anna Maria Island, commented that he supports an Island-wide reduced speed limit.
For his part, Tokajer said he hopes motorists abide by the new speed limit and safely share the road.
“You’re in paradise, slow down and enjoy the view,” he said.
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