HOLMES BEACH – Mayor Judy Titsworth wants vacation rentals in her city to remain on hold at least through April 30.
On April 7, Titsworth issued an executive order requiring all vacation rental owners and managers to stop taking new reservations and to cease check-ins until Gov. Ron DeSantis lifts the state-wide stay at home order. The governor’s order is currently set to expire on April 30.
Titsworth’s order is in response to coronavirus concerns and in an effort to slow the spread of the disease. As of April 9, Holmes Beach had one confirmed case of COVID-19, the only case so far on Anna Maria Island.
In Titsworth’s April 8 daily status of the city report related to COVID-19, she said that the city’s vacation rental management companies informed city hall staff that there are many rental check-ins scheduled for the weekend of April 10-12.
In an April 9 discussion with The Sun, Titsworth said she spoke with several rental agency representatives who are expecting check-ins this weekend and needed help to cancel the reservations. By issuing the order, she said it gives the rental agencies the ability to cancel upcoming reservations. Titsworth added that all of the vacation rental managers she’s spoken with are on board with not allowing vacation rentals through the end of the month.
DeSantis issued an order March 27 stopping new vacation rentals in Florida for 14 days. Those 14 days expire on April 10. Titsworth said that during an April 8 policy group conference call with the leaders of neighboring municipalities and Manatee County that it was decided to ask county leaders to reach out to the governor’s office to see if the order stopping vacation rentals could be extended to match the length of the stay at home order.
If the order is not extended, Titsworth has instructed city attorney Patricia Petruff to draft an emergency directive prohibiting any check-ins at vacation rentals and any advertising of residential vacation rental properties until May 1.
Police and code compliance officers are enforcing the city’s no new check-in mandate for vacation rentals.
HOLMES BEACH – The first case of COVID-19 has been reported on Anna Maria Island and the patient is from Holmes Beach.
When the 10 a.m. coronavirus data came out April 2 from the Florida Department of Health, it showed 73 cases in Manatee County with 50 of them in Bradenton, four in Lakewood Ranch, two in Palmetto, one in Ellenton and one in Holmes Beach. There also are five cases in Longboat Key with three on the Manatee County side of the island and two on the Sarasota County side.
As of April 5, there were 135 cases of COVID-19 in Manatee County with three deaths and 28 hospitalizations, according to data from FDOH.
In Holmes Beach, Mayor Judy Titsworth has been issuing a state of the city report related to coronavirus daily for the past two weeks. Her update April 2 acknowledged the newly identified coronavirus case and reiterated her April 1 request, addressing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order 20-91 ordering all Floridians to limit their movements outside of the house to essential activities, such as grocery shopping or going to the pharmacy, or providing essential services to the community. Titsworth asked that all residents stay at home, if possible, and practice social distancing when it’s necessary for them to leave their homes.
Titsworth extended the city’s state of emergency for an additional seven days, ending on April 6 with the option to extend for another seven-day period to be re-evaluated on a weekly basis. Currently, all city offices are open but the doors of city hall remain closed to the public. The April 14 city commission meeting and work session both are canceled.
She added that the city’s beaches and boat ramps both remain closed, though people are still allowed to go to the beach in groups of 10 or less as long as they practice social distancing, leaving 10-15 feet between groups. At the end of the day on March 31, Titsworth closed all of the city’s parks including the dog park, skate park, basketball court and tennis/pickleball courts to the public to discourage groups of more than 10 people forming and encourage residents to practice social distancing, remaining at least six feet from each other to reduce the community spread of coronavirus. On April 3, she reopened the large dog park with the pavilions remaining closed to discourage socialization by pet parents. Parks and the beaches are all being monitored by Holmes Beach police officers.
She also said that city code compliance officers are monitoring the occupancy levels at Holmes Beach motels, hotels and short-term rentals on a daily basis. On March 25, she sent a letter out asking that all vacation rental owners and agents stop taking new reservations until further notice. On March 27, DeSantis suspended all vacation rental check-ins in the state for a period of 14 days.
In the April 2 report, Titsworth noted that nine out of the 20 properties checked that day by code compliance officers were found to be in violation of the city and governor’s orders and advertising mandates, still allowing for booking and check-in of guests. She said that code and police officers will be monitoring in person and online advertising to make sure that no check-ins take place at vacation rentals. Any property owners or managers found to be in violation will be cited and reported to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
Titsworth’s daily updates can be found on the city’s website.
By now you should be getting to know your house really well, its assets and its defects, and it sounds like you’ll have a lot more time to make those assessments. Point is your home is you and your family’s safety net. Right now, the safety net is physical protection within the shelter of your home, but at some point in the future the safety net will change to financial and there’s a lot of worry out there about property values post coronavirus.
Up until March, the U.S. housing market was headed for a hot selling season, but like many Americans, the housing market may have caught the virus as well. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics Inc., is predicting a 60% chance of the U.S. economy going into a recession this year. This will hit the housing market hard despite record-low mortgage rates of 3.29% for a fixed-rate mortgage as of the middle of March. Zandi goes on to say, “housing is being buffeted by two gale forces moving in opposite directions,” referring to low rates and a virus-fueled economic turmoil. “The question is, what’s the end result of all that? In all likelihood, the recession will trump lower rates.”
The National Association of Realtors had anticipated about 5.5 million sales of previously owned homes in 2020, up from 5.3 million a year in 2019. Now, however, they’re expecting a 10% drop in home sales in the next month to start with. Homeowners will be hesitant to put their homes on the market until the crisis is over, fearful they won’t get a good price. But if a recession does develop, others could be forced to sell, changing the inventory dynamic from a severe shortage to more available properties. Meanwhile, buyers have seen some of their down payment funds evaporating as the stock market declines, creating the potential of keeping them out of the market until they see a financial recovery.
According to many housing experts, the economic distress will slow home sales, and prices nationally will likely flatten or fall slightly after years of gains. There could be opportunities for buyers with more inventory, declining prices and low interest rates, nevertheless the economic prediction is the coronavirus could drive home sales down 10% in the short term.
What does all of this mean for us on Florida’s west coast? I’m still bullish on our local real estate market; we can certainly expect some adjustments after we return to a normal market but buyers still want to come to Florida from the northeast and other major metro areas, maybe even more after this is all over.
Here’s an interesting statistic I recently uncovered: In 1998, Florida’s population was approximately 14.9 million, in 2018 it was 21.3 million. In 20 years, Florida grew by over 6 million people, more than the size of many U.S. cities. Based on that, our weather, taxes and general lifestyle advantages, I see no reason to think that our state won’t be at the forefront of the coronavirus recovery.
For now, the main objective is to stay physically healthy; your financial health can be assessed down the road. So, keep the disinfectant handy, spirits up and learn to love your home and family, flaws and all. Good luck.
HOLMES BEACH – Chef Vincenzo “Vinny” Esposito may not be in Italy but that’s not stopping him from reaching out a helping hand to his hometown of Viterbo during the current coronavirus pandemic.
Chef Vinny, owner of Vinny and Cheryl’s Italian Kitchen in Holmes Beach, is helping to raise funds to help the intensive care unit at Belcolle Hospital, located in his Italian hometown. All of the funds raised are being used to purchase necessary medical equipment and supplies to be donated to the hospital as a thank you to all of the medical personnel working to help community members recover from the COVID-19 outbreak.
As of March 29, Chef Vinny had collected and donated over $3,900 to the cause, with much of the funds being donated by his Anna Maria Island customers. The chef said that he will continue to collect donations at his restaurant through the end of April.
The fund also has a GoFundMe page where anyone can donate online. As of April 3, more than 1,600 donors had donated nearly 105,000 euros, about $113,500, surpassing the stated goal of 100,000 euros.
Locally, donors can drop off their donations and pick up a dish or two of Italian favorite foods at Vinny and Cheryl’s Italian Kitchen, 5337 Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach.
HOLMES BEACH – Everyone may feel a little disconnected while social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic, but Mayor Judy Titsworth is working to make sure that Holmes Beach residents stay connected to their city government.
Titsworth is releasing daily updates on activities at city hall. The March 27 update gives the most up-to-date information on how things are working behind the closed doors of city hall.
While city hall is closed to the public, allowing only essential city employees to enter, the rear entrance at the police station remains open for emergency access to Holmes Beach police officers.
Right now, the only meetings being held are essential meetings, with the city’s parks and beautification committee, planning commission and city commission work sessions all canceled for the first half of April. The April 14 city commission meeting will be held via teleconferencing with login credentials supplied to the public via the city’s website.
The mayor is continuing to update the city’s state of emergency and re-evaluate the extension on a weekly basis.
HBPD officers are continuing their daily monitoring of the beaches. Currently, all public beaches are closed and city leaders are asking that anyone who does choose to go to the beach during the coronavirus pandemic gather in groups of 10 people or less, maintain a distance of 10-15 feet between groups and park legally. To help with the beach closure, Police Chief Bill Tokajer said that public parking has been reduced by 85-90% for beach parking and that police are enforcing the new restrictions.
Titsworth said that code compliance officers are monitoring occupancy in city hotels, motels and vacation rentals. On March 25, Titsworth issued an official request to all vacation rental owners and agents along with hotel and motel management to ask them to cease taking new reservations at this time. She said that the response to this request has been primarily positive.
Currently, code compliance officers are not conducting vacation rental certificate program inspections. The city’s public works department is working diligently to sanitize city hall, city offices and all city vehicles to help keep employees safe.
The Holmes Beach building department is still open but is only accepting new permit requests through the city’s website. Inspections are still being conducted, with all city inspectors wearing personal protective equipment. Inspectors are considering video submittals for inspections on small permit projects. Contractors have been asked to limit the number of workers on job sites to 10 or less. Anyone with questions about the new policies is asked to contact building department staff by email or by telephone at 941-708-5800.
“I continue to urge all Island residents and guests to continue to practice social distancing,” Titsworth said in her March 27 update. “Everyone in our community has a very important job to do. That job is to assume you have COVID-19 and to not spread your germs. Please continue to wash your hands, use hand sanitizer and stay at home.”
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Those who went boating on Saturday near Anna Maria Island were among the first to do so following the executive order the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) issued Friday afternoon.
Issued at the direction of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, FWC Executive Order 20-09 sets forth temporary conditions that now apply to boaters using Florida waterways.
While the order remains in effect, recreational vessel occupancy is limited to no more than 10 persons per vessel and recreational boaters must maintain a minimum distance of 50 feet from other vessels.
“This distance provision does not apply to permitted mooring fields, public or private marinas or any other permanently installed wet slips, and does not apply to vessels underway unless they are tied, rafted or moored to another vessel,” the FWC executive order says.
“This shall expire when the Governor’s Executive Order 20-52, expires unless rescinded or superseded at a sooner date,” the FWC order says.
Applicable statewide, the FWC order was issued on Friday, March 27 – one day after the public boat ramps in Manatee County closed.
The Manatee County boat ramp closures provide exceptions for the commercial fishermen still allowed to use the Coquina South Boat Ramp in Bradenton Beach and the Riverside Boat Ramp in Palmetto.
“Commercial fishing operations with a Florida Saltwater Products License (SPL) for commercial fishing will be allowed to launch at the two boat ramps,” said the Wednesday, March 25 press release issued by Manatee County.
The county boat ramp closures do not provide any exceptions for charter captains.
Manatee County officials also closed Beer Can Island – also known as Greer Island – which is actually a peninsula extending under the Longboat Key bridge.
With the FWC executive order and the county boat ramp closures now in effect, many recreational boaters gathered legally offshore of Jewfish Key on Saturday afternoon.
These boaters gathered near the northern tip of Jewfish Key on Saturday afternoon. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
From the vantage point of the Longboat Pass Bridge, there appeared to be fewer boats in that area than there were on Sunday, March 22. The boats gathered Saturday were less densely clustered and more spread out than what was witnessed during the previous weekend.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit patrolled the Intracoastal Waterway waters near Jewfish Key on Saturday afternoon, and there were no boats beached at Beer Can Island.
Boaters gathered between the City Pier and the Rod & Reel Pier in Anna Maria on Saturday afternoon. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
At the north end of Anna Maria Island, boaters gathered offshore near the City Pier and the Rod & Reel Pier in Anna Maria.
And large numbers of boaters gathered near Passage Key and Egmont Key, north of Anna Maria Island.
Large numbers of boaters gathered near Passage Key on Saturday afternoon. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Sarasota boat ramps closed
On Saturday evening, the city of Sarasota announced the closing of two city-owned public boat ramps.
According to the press release the city of Sarasota issued Saturday evening, the city-owned 10th Street Boat Ramps, the City Island Boat Ramps and the Bird Key Park parking lot were closing to the public at 6 a.m. on Sunday, March 29.
The press release noted the closure was “part of emergency orders related to the COVID-19 public health emergency.”
When contacted Saturday evening, city of Sarasota Senior Communications Manager Jan Thornburg was asked if the Manatee County boat ramp closures impacted the city’s decision to close its public boat ramps.
“We’ve seen an increase with boaters who aren’t following the CDC’s social distancing guidelines. We’re not sure where they are from,” Thornburg said.
Thornburg was asked if commercial fishermen will still be allowed to use the two boat ramps closed to recreational boaters.
“Right now, the interpretation is that all commercial fishermen will be exempted. The city attorney may consider revising this emergency order to include this exemption,” Thornburg said.
According to the press release, “Those who do not voluntarily comply with the new emergency orders related to the closure of the boat ramps and the Bird Key Park parking lot may be issued a citation by a sworn Sarasota police officer. A violation would be considered a second-degree misdemeanor.”
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Local businesses are reaching out a helping hand to community members amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minnie’s Beach Café, at 5360 Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach, is offering free breakfasts and lunches to local kids in need. In addition, if anyone is having trouble finding fresh eggs, produce or any items other than paper goods, the staff at the café is willing to help. Call the restaurant with what you’re looking for and, if they have it, the staff is willing to sell supplies to the public. And if you need something but can’t get out and live locally, they’ll deliver your order to you. The restaurant also is offering freshly prepared food to-go. Minnie’s Beach Café can be reached at 941-778-4140. The restaurant is open for pick up from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.
The Sandbar Restaurant and Mar Vista are both offering farm fresh organic produce boxes to the public. Each box of vegetables comes straight from Worden Farms and features an assortment of salad greens, root vegetables, culinary herbs, cooking greens and other organic veggies. Each box is $30 with orders delivered to The Sandbar on Thursdays for pick up after 1 p.m. and to Mar Vista on Thursdays for pick up after 2 p.m. The vegetable boxes are the farmer’s choice and cannot be customized.
Both restaurants also have a menu of freshly prepared dishes for pick up along with a selection of grocery items including eggs, cheese, fresh meat and seafood, pasta, fresh vegetables and bottles of wine, beer and liquor. For more information, or to place your order, visit Mar Vista online to order or The Sandbar online to order. Pickup from both locations is available daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Mar Vista is located at 760 Broadway St. on Longboat Key. The Sandbar is at 100 Spring Ave. in Anna Maria.
Over in Cortez, the Swordfish Grill and Tiki Bar also is offering not only some of the restaurant’s most popular dishes to-go but groceries, bait, ice, deli supplies and sandwiches, beer, wine and liquor for pick up by land or by boat. The food menu and available groceries change daily as do the groceries available which range from fresh vegetables to milk and eggs, seafood, deli meats and cheeses, fresh bread and even a few paper goods. The restaurant, located at 4628 119th St. W. or at mile marker 49 by boat, is accepting orders online or by phone at 941-798-2035.
ANNA MARIA – Serving Anna Maria Island residents and employees, the Roser Food Pantry in Anna Maria needs your help assisting others in need during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Food pantry chairman Jack Brennan is asking those who can help to do so by bringing any and all non-perishable food items, paper products and personal hygiene products to the Roser Memorial Community Church office at 512 Pine Ave. in Anna Maria Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
These items can also be brought directly to the Roser Food Pantry across the street at 511 Pine Ave. from 10:30 to noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Brennan said this is currently more of a supply issue than a financial issue because the food pantry is having trouble purchasing the food and supplies it needs to assist those in need.
Although the current need at this time is for non-perishable food items and supplies, financial contributions to the food pantry are also always welcomed. Donations can be made online by visiting the church website and clicking on the “missions” link at the top of the church’s homepage. Donations can also be made by calling the church office at 941-778-0414.
Need food?
If you need food, call the church office at 941-778-0414 during regular business hours to set an appointment to visit the food pantry on a Monday or a Wednesday between 11 a.m. and noon or so.
Island workers and residents who are not already signed up for food pantry benefits will be asked to fill out a short application that will make them eligible to immediately receive food pantry benefits.
ANNA MARIA – Mayor Dan Murphy has issued a state of emergency order that temporarily prohibits new reservations being taken for vacation rental stays of less than 30 days in the city of Anna Maria.
The emergency order is part of the city’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The temporary rental reservation prohibition is effective of Wednesday, March 25.
“There shall be no new reservations for an arrival date of March 26 through June 30 of less than 30 days. Reservations with an arrival date on or subsequent to July 1 are excluded from this order,” the emergency order says.
Reservations can still be made for short-term rental stays that begin on July 1 or later.
“If a rental of 30 days or more during the period between 4 p.m. March 25 and June 30 is cancelled before the end of the 30-day period, that vacation rental shall not be permitted to be made available for rental, or be rented, for the balance of that 30-day period,” the order says.
“The occupancy of all vacation rentals beginning 4 p.m. March 25 and until June 30, regardless of when rented, shall be capped 24 hours a day based upon the allowed overnight occupancy of such vacation rental,” the order says.
This means the number of rental guests and any additional temporary visitors to the vacation rental property cannot exceed at any time the maximum occupancy allowed according to the city’s annual vacation rental registration program.
The emergency order references Chapter 27 of city code and notes misleading advertising shall be strictly enforced.
The order says that as of 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, it shall be considered fraudulent and unlawful to fail to include the following two statements on any vacation rental advertisement made while the reservation restrictions remain in place:
“On Anna Maria Island, all restaurants are closed except for takeout and all bars are closed;
“All persons who have arrived in Florida from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have been ordered by the State of Florida to isolate or quarantine for a period of 14 days from the time of entry in State of Florida or the duration of the person’s presence in State of Florida, whichever is shorter,” the order says.
“This order is deemed necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the city of Anna Maria due to the evolving nationwide COVID-19 regulations and occurrences including but not limited to the shelter in place orders in 12 different states, the need to reduce gatherings of people in compliance with CDC directives, the closures of a massive number of Florida hotels and motels and the order from the State of Florida that certain persons arriving from out of state must shelter in place for a period of 14 days upon arrival,” the order says.
Murphy will review the emergency order at least once every seven days to determine whether it needs to remain in place to protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Anna Maria.
“Violations of this order shall be punished as provided in Section 2-271 of the Anna Maria City Code, including, but not limited to:
The suspension or revocation of the vacation rental’s registration;
Removal of tenants in the vacation rental resulting for such reservation in violation of this order;
Criminal penalties against both vacation rental owners and vacation rental management companies and personnel;
Every day of non-compliance will be punished by separate fines levied against both the vacation rental owner and the vacation rental management company in the amount of $500 per day of non-compliance,” the order says.
“Days of non-compliance under this order shall include both the days of advertisements of each vacation rental in violation of this order and the days of rental entered into in violation of this order,” the order says.
Murphy signed and issued the emergency order on Tuesday, March 24. As a courtesy, he sent a copy to County Administrator Cheri Coryea that afternoon.
“Good move Mayor. Thanks,” Coryea wrote in her response.
Three potentially impacted members of Anna Maria’s vacation rental community declined comment when contacted by The Sun.
MANATEE COUNTY – The Manatee County Health Department will host a drive-through specimen collection site at the Bradenton Area Convention Center from Thursday, March 26 through Sunday, March 29.
According to the press release issued by Manatee County Tuesday afternoon, the collection site will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.
You must have a prescription to be tested for COVID-19 at the drive-through collection site. You must also make an appointment in advance with the Manatee County Health Department by calling 941-748-0747.
According to the press release, there are 200 specimen collection kits available for the four-day event. The Department of Health will schedule 50 appointments for each of the four days and the specimens collected will be sent to labs for testing.
According to the press release, everyone who arrives at the drive-thru must:
Be in a vehicle. No walk-up patients will be seen.
Drivers must remain in their vehicles at all times.
Drivers must present a photo ID and a prescription for specimen collection, written by their health care provider. The name on the ID and the prescription must match, the press release says.
Anyone in Manatee County who believes they may have COVID-19 should call the Manatee Health Line at 941-242-6649 before calling 9-1-1 and before visiting a hospital emergency room.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – For Anna Maria Island’s stand-alone bars, St. Patrick’s Day was supposed to be a night of celebration.
Instead, St. Patrick’s Day 2020 became the day Florida’s bars went dark. This took place at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17 as a result of the executive order Gov. Ron DeSantis issued earlier that day.
In an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), DeSantis ordered all non-restaurant-affiliated bars and nightclubs to close at 5 p.m. sharp. Those that didn’t comply faced immediate legal consequences.
The governor’s order closed the Drift In, Sports Lounge and Tommy Knockers in Bradenton Beach, and the Anchor Inn, D Coy Ducks and the Doctor’s Office in Holmes Beach. The city of Anna Maria currently has no stand-alone bars in operation.
The Drift In was very busy during its final hour, and at the outside tiki bar, bartender Sharon Bell worked her final bar shift for the foreseeable future.
“I’ve never seen anything like this. It feels ominous and foreign and awful. This place has been serving liquor 365 days a year since before this was Bridge Street, when that bridge (the Cortez Bridge) was made out of wood,” Bell said.
“People have been really sweet today. They’re concerned and they’re asking if I’m going to be alright. Some of our vacationers are worried about what’s going to happen when they go home and if they’re going to get stuck trying to get home. This is not just here. This is not just Florida. This is our whole nation and it’s scary,” Bell said of the pandemic.
“I have another job, thankfully,” she said of her part-time position in the insurance industry.
Bell said she hadn’t had time yet to form an opinion about the governor’s decision to make bars and nightclubs the first Florida industry to be shut down as a result of the pandemic.
Anna Maria Island Privateer and longtime Drift In patron Tim “Hammer” Thompson said he’d already been to D Coy Ducks and the Anchor Inn and he planned to hit the Sports Lounge too before it closed.
“I gotta get ‘em all in before 5 o’clock,” he said.
Thompson said he felt bad for all the bartenders that would become unemployed at 5 p.m. Using an expletive, he also said he disagreed with the governor’s decision.
“At 5 o’clock on St. Patty’s Day I’m going to be the last pirate standing,” he said before making his way to the Sports Lounge next door.
At exactly 5 p.m., the Drift In and the Sports Lounge closed as ordered and many patrons simply dispersed to the other restaurant bars that remained open.
Anchored for now
Although the front door was already locked at 5:20 p.m., Anchor Inn owner Darla Tingler opened the door to discuss what just happened.
“I understand it, but I don’t think it’s fair that he started with the bars,” she said of the governor’s decision.
Tingler said she didn’t understand how sending her customers to another establishment would help separate people in terms of containing the spread of the coronavirus.
“That’s doesn’t make sense to me. As owners, me and my husband will be OK. My employees, that’s another situation. Brad’s been with us for 18 years,” she said.
Her son, Joey Tingler, said, “I woke up this morning thinking I was going to work and I heard they were shutting us down for the next month. None of us saw this coming and none of us were prepared for something of this magnitude.”
Tingler’s husband, Bobby, said there are many times during the day when there are 10 or less people in the bar – and there might be 20 or so people there when it’s busy.
“You’re going to get way more people in the restaurant bars,” he said.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Many restaurants on Anna Maria Island and in the village of Cortez are now offering takeout and delivery service to help offset the economic damage being caused in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
On Tuesday, March 17, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order that closed all Florida bars and nightclubs as of 5 p.m. that night. The executive order also mandated all restaurants reduce their seating capacity to 50% and create a six-foot distance between groups of diners that are now limited to no more than 10 per group.
Swordfish Grill server Scarlett Szarko makes a dockside delivery to boater and longtime patron Mick Weick. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The next change came shortly after 2 p.m. on Friday, March 20, when DeSantis issued an executive order that immediately restricted restaurant operations to delivery and takeout service only. The order allows alcohol to be sold for takeout purposes but prohibits alcohol being consumed on the premises of any Florida restaurant.
Shellshocked in paradise
Although not a complete surprise, Friday’s announcement sent immediate economic shockwaves throughout Florida’s restaurant industry as owners, managers and employees scrambled to enact contingency plans.
In Cortez, Swordfish Grill General Manager Bob Slicker already had his plan in place.
“We had already been providing our customers with to-go services that include having their food delivered curbside or dockside,” Slicker said Friday afternoon.
“If you order something to go, you get a free roll of toilet paper if you need it. And if you’re a restaurant employee and have a check stub to prove it you get 40% off your food. We can do to-go alcohol too. You can pick up a six-pack and some food and then stay home,” Slicker said.
He encourages those who purchase takeout food anywhere to tip generously.
“I want to be there for my team and my community and pay some of our employees for as long as I can. Some people can’t bounce back from something like this and they might start making bad decisions,” Slicker said when expressing his concerns about mental health issues and suicide rates increasing as the economic hardships become greater.
By 3:45 p.m. Friday, Anna Maria Island Beach Café bar manager Jason Bell had already closed the tiki bar and the café was in the process of closing until further notice.
“We’re waiting to see what happens next and we’re pretty much out of a job at the moment. Luckily, they’re going to let us come in and do some cleaning and stuff like that, but there’s only so much of that you can do,” Benn said.
By 4 p.m., Hurricane Hanks in Holmes Beach already had banners in their windows that said, “Open for takeout and delivery.”
Management and staff there were already dealing with unhappy customers who were learning they would not be allowed inside to eat or drink.
Around the corner at the Ugly Grouper, General Manager Thad Treadwell was still trying to process what just happened and he said it was too soon for him to comment.
While Treadwell and his staff swung into takeout-only mode, Wisconsin visitor Cindy Jewett and her son Nick learned they were not going to be sitting down to enjoy food and drinks.
“Before you could sit with the tables further apart, but this is ridiculous,” she said of the events that unfolded during her week-long stay on the Island.
In response to the governor’s order, most Anna Maria Island and Cortez restaurants quickly took to social media to announce and promote their takeout and delivery services.
Ed Chiles and the Chiles Group own and operate the Sandbar restaurant in Anna Maria, the BeachHouse in Bradenton Beach and Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant in Longboat Key.
When contacted Sunday, Chiles said, “All three restaurants are operating with takeout menus and we’re looking to do custom food too if people need a bigger, family-style meal.”
Regarding his employees, Chiles said, “Our staff is concerned and we’re providing them information on where to go to sign up for unemployment compensation, how to do that and what we’re doing with their health insurance after these layoffs happen. We also set up a GoFundMe account for our Chiles Group employees and we put $12,000 in that. This is a vehicle for people who want to help these folks who work for us.”
Before last week’s events unfolded, the Chiles Group had more than 300 employees.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – COVID-19 will keep most Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring volunteers off the beaches as sea turtle and bird nesting seasons begin, according to Director Suzi Fox.
Turtle nesting season begins officially on May 1, but Turtle Watch volunteers usually take to the beach on April 1 each year to catch any early nesters, and already, an early loggerhead nest has been discovered on Florida’s east coast, she said.
“We need to make sure we don’t miss any nests,” said Fox, who, with another volunteer, will monitor the beaches by ATV and let the organization’s other volunteers remain safely at home for the near future.
Depending on the progress of the coronavirus, a “skeleton crew” of about a dozen volunteers on ATVs could be deployed in May, she said.
You can follow Turtle Watch’s activities on its newly-redesigned website, www.islandturtlewatch.com.
“We have to make sure the workers are safe,” Fox said. “I don’t want volunteers on the beach until this thing has passed.”
COVID-19 has affected Turtle Watch financially, too, she said, with a large source of donations drying up with the cancellation of the Farmer’s Market.
In addition, Turtle Talks have been suspended until further notice, she said, adding, “We will not be meeting face to face for at least the next two months.”
The group also monitors spring bird nesting, roping off nesting areas to keep eggs and chicks safe.
So far this year, Fox has seen black skimmers gathering at Coquina Beach and some royal terns “looking amorously at each other,” she said, adding that no snowy plovers have appeared on local beaches yet.
Ruddy turnstones, which leave by summer, are active, and a lesser black back gull has been spotted, she added.
One or two of the gulls, which are noticeably larger than most other birds on the beach, usually come each spring and leave by summer, Fox said.
Turtle Watch will be coordinating with Manatee County on the upcoming beach renourishment project, which will be done during sea turtle nesting season, she said.
The start date for the beach renourishment project is not confirmed, according to Charlie Hunsicker, director of the Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department, but the coronavirus has not yet affected other dredge operations in the U.S., he said.
The beach renourishment project originally slated to begin in February was delayed until April by an Army Corps of Engineers requirement that Manatee County prove its title to a section of the beach.
The six-month, two-phase project will add sand to the beach between 78th Street North in Holmes Beach to Fifth Street South in Bradenton Beach, and between Fifth Street South and Longboat Pass.
County funds for the project, estimated between $13-$16 million, come from the tourist tax; state and federal funds also are allocated to the project.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Manatee County’s public beaches on Anna Maria Island are closed until further notice as of Friday, March 20.
Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach March 21-22. - Troy Morgan | PhotosFromTheAir.com
Bean Point in Anna Maria March 21-22. - Troy Morgan | PhotosFromTheAir.com
Anna Maria beach March 21-22. - Troy Morgan | PhotosFromTheAir.com
Bradenton Beach March 21-22. - Troy Morgan | PhotosFromTheAir.com
Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach March 21-22. - Troy Morgan | PhotosFromTheAir.com
Anna Maria Island beaches March 21-22. - Troy Morgan | PhotosFromTheAir.com
Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach March 21-22. - Troy Morgan | PhotosFromTheAir.com
The beach closures are a precautionary measure being taken because of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
On Thursday, March 19, Manatee County issued a press release that said, “County and municipal officials today announced that the beaches of Anna Maria Island will close tomorrow, March 20, at 6 a.m.”
“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.” – Lt. John Cosby, BBPD
The press release also said, “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.”
The gates at Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach remain locked. – Joe Hendricks
The county-owned parking lots at Coquina Beach and Cortez Beach in Bradenton Beach closed Friday morning as announced. So did the parking lot at Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach. The gates at Coquina Beach and Manatee Beach are locked and signs affixed to the gates say, “Beach closed.”
The ungated Cortez Beach parking areas along Gulf Drive South are closed and blocked by barricades, plastic tape and “Beach closed” signs.
The Cortez Beach parking lots in Bradenton Beach are closed. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Intended enforcement
Thursday afternoon, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer issued a press release in response to 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. Many additional parking areas will be changed to no parking zones. The enforcement guidelines will change based on the daily observations,” according to Tokajer’s press release.
These Bradenton Beach police officers were stationed at the main Coquina Beach entrance Friday morning. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Lt. John Cosby, of 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 and Tokajer said they had no plans to close the street-end beach accesses.
The beach accesses in Holmes Beach remain open. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
On Friday morning, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy issued an email addressing the city of Anna Maria’s beach closures.
“Although our beaches remain closed to the general public, they are open to residents and their guests while practicing safe social distancing. There are sheriff deputies as well as city and county code enforcement officers posted at many beach access points to enforce and clarify this position,” according to Murphy’s email.
Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells addressed the beach closures during a county press conference Friday afternoon.
Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells said law enforcement does not want to arrest people who enter the closed beaches. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“First and foremost, I want to assure the citizens of Manatee County that we are not out on the beaches trying to arrest people who do show up there and maybe have not received the message. We are asking for voluntary compliance. We are not there trying to incarcerate people for walking on the beach. That is not the goal,” Wells said.
When asked for further clarification on the extent of the beach closures, Manatee County Information Outreach Manager Nick Azzara said, “In the announcement we sent yesterday, when we closed the beaches, we tried to make clear that this was largely a self-policing exercise and that we were relying on our residents and visitors to make a good faith effort in heeding those warnings. We’re asking people to avoid the beaches.”
Manatee County Public Safety Director Jake Saur said there were no plans to close the county boat ramps.
The parking lots at the Coquina boat ramps are supposed to be used by boaters only. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Tour of the beaches
The Sun made a tour of the Island beaches on Friday.
At Coquina Beach late Friday morning, two officers and two vehicles from the Bradenton Beach Police Department were stationed at the main entrance where the gate was open so the free Island trolley could continue making its regular stops.
The beach concession stand was closed and there were only two people walking the shoreline of the otherwise empty beach.
Across the street, the North and South Coquina boat ramps were open to boaters. Manatee Beach Patrol personnel were stationed at the entrances to both boat ramp parking lots and they turned away those who sought to park there for non-boating purposes.
To the north along Cortez Beach, there were people on the beach, but not in large numbers.
The beach between the Moose Lodge and the BeachHouse restaurant in Bradenton Beach had a moderate number of beachgoers. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Slightly north of that, there were people on the beach between the Moose Lodge and the BeachHouse restaurant, some in the water.
At approximately 3:45 p.m., there were fewer than a dozen people at Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach and the central part of the beach was empty. The beach areas south of Manatee Beach were much busier.
The central section of Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach was empty Friday afternoon. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Because of the executive order that Gov. Ron DeSantis issued Friday afternoon limiting Florida restaurants to takeout service only, the tiki bar was already closed. The AMI Beach Café and gift shop closed later that day and remains closed until further notice.
Two blocks north of Manatee Beach, the 45th Street beach access was open as usual. There were people on the beach, but not in large numbers. The beach areas north of the 45th Street beach access were much busier.
The beach north of the 45th Street beach access in Holmes Beach was very busy Friday afternoon. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Those entering the city of Anna Maria at the north end of the Island are now greeted by a digital sign that says, “Beaches closed.” A similar sign stands near the new City Pier.
The Bayfront Park parking lot is closed and blocked by “Beach closed” signs and plastic tape.
There are two new mounted “Beach closed” signs at the entrance to the North Bay Boulevard beach access that leads to Bean Point.
“Beach closed” signs are now posted at beach accesses in Anna Maria.- Joe Hendricks | Sun
Murphy told The Sun he plans to add additional signs that say, “Residents only.” He said city residents may be asked to provide identification and rental guests may be asked to show proof of rental when accessing Anna Maria’s beaches.
Vacationing Wisconsin residents Mary and Ralph Cornell were parking their bikes by the dune walkover before taking a walk on the Bean Point beach.
Wisconsin residents Ralph and Mary Cornell want to continue visiting the beaches while vacationing in Anna Maria. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Regarding the beach closings, Mary Cornell said, “I think it’s the wise thing to do. They’re just trying to keep the number of people down, but it allows the local residents and people like us who stay for a long period of time to walk the beach. We don’t gather in big groups. We just want to be able to see the beach and the sunsets. You have great sunsets here and we really don’t want to miss those.”
There were about 20 people on that stretch of the Bean Point beach, including a few families.
These folks enjoyed the beach at Bean Point Friday late Friday afternoon. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Just after sunset, there were still many cars parked at the Palma Sola Causeway on Manatee Avenue despite the presence of several “Beach closed” signs.
At 10:30 Saturday morning, an occupied police car from the Bradenton Police Department was parked at the east end of the non-barricaded causeway parking area. There was no one on the beach and no other cars parked on either side of the causeway.
The Bradenton Police Department patrolled the causeway beaches on Saturday. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
When contacted Saturday afternoon, Lt. Cosby said everything was going fine and they had not had any problems.
Updated Monday, March 23 | There are 1,227 reported positive cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Florida and 18 reported deaths, according to the Florida Department of Health’s COVID-19 Data and Surveillance Dashboard. In Manatee County, there are 15 positive cases and one reported death. The age range for the Manatee County cases is 14 to 81 years old, with an average age of 64. Eight of the positive cases are men, seven are women and seven positive cases were hospitalized. Sarasota County has 21 reported positive cases and one reported death. Pinellas County has 41 reported cases and one reported death. Hillsborough County has 75 reported cases and no deaths. The FDOH Dashboard is updated at least twice daily.
MANATEE COUNTY – A Manatee County resident has died after testing positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19).
The Manatee County death reported on Tuesday was the first reported COVID-19 related death in Manatee County.
“One person has died in Manatee County who tested positive for COVID-19,” said the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) press release issued Tuesday evening.
At that time, there were seven COVID-19 related death in Florida, according to FDOH.
This evening, the FDOH announced an eighth Florida death, which was in Clay County.
As of 7 p.m. this evening, the FDOH COVID-19 Data and Surveillance Dashboard listed eight reported COVID-19 cases in Manatee County.
According to the FDOH Dashboard, 45 tests had been administered in Manatee County, with eight positive tests, 27 negative tests and 10 test results still pending. Five of the positive reported Manatee County case were men and three were women. The age range was 61-81 years old. Only one of the eight reported cases in Manatee County was listed as travel-related.
As of 7 p.m., there were 328 reported COVID-19 positive cases in Florida. According to the FDOH Dashboard, there were 80 reported cases in Broward County, 77 reported cases in Miami-Dade County and 21 reported cases in Palm Beach County. Those three southeast Florida counties accounted for 178 of reported positive cases – 54 percent of the reported cases in Florida.
Sarasota County had four reported cases. Hillsborough County had 14 cases.
County buildings closed
On Tuesday, March 17, Manatee County issued a press release announcing several county closings.
“In accordance with the President’s Coronavirus Guidelines for America, which recommend avoiding gatherings of more than 10 people, Manatee County Government will be closing all public buildings to the public for walk-in services for the next 15 days. All buildings will remain closed beginning at 8 a.m. on March 18,” Tuesday’s press release said.
“County staff will continue to serve the public and services will continue to operate. The public is encouraged to conduct transactions with the County online or over the phone whenever possible. Citizens can call 3-1-1 for more information.”
The list of public buildings now closed includes:
The County Administration Building;
All Manatee County Public Library locations, including the Island Branch Library. Online resources are still available for check out and late materials fines and fees will be forgiven;
Manatee County Animal Services locations;
T. Bray Recreation Center – all athletic league games and other organized events are canceled;
The Bradenton Area Convention Center;
All locations for Building and Development Services and Veterans Services;
The Utilities Administration Building;
The Manatee County Clerk of Court Historic Courthouse;
The Manatee County Property Appraiser office.
Manatee County Area Transit services will continue to operate as normal, including Handy Bus services.
In the press release, County Administrator Cheri Coryea is quoted as saying, “Transit Services remain a vital service for individuals without access to essentials such as grocery stores, pharmacies, and medical appointments.”
“Manatee County parks, outdoor amenities, preserves and beaches remain open for now and the public is encouraged to exercise social distancing when out in public places. Under the Governor’s order, beaches may remain open but restricted to 10 persons in each group and a distance of six feet between parties,” the press release said.
In the press release, Coryea said, “This is an hour-by-hour emergency event and should a new directive need to be implemented to further protect the public we will make that call.”
According to the press release, all public county meetings during the next 15 days will be canceled or rescheduled.
Privacy choicesWe use Google Analytics to understand readership and improve the website. Analytics cookies are optional and can be accepted or declined.Privacy Policy
