Tag: Dan Murphy

City, Mote Marine move forward on pier facility

Written by Joe Hendricks on March 21, 2021. Posted in Anna Maria, Community News, Featured.

ANNA MARIA – Mote Marine is another step closer to opening its education center at the end of the City Pier.

Mayor Dan Murphy and Mote Marine Laboratory President Dr. Michael Crosby signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Friday morning regarding the proposed City Pier Marine Educational Outreach Center to be located in the vacant city-owned building on the pier.

Built as part of the pier replacement project completed last year, the 1,800-square-foot building sits across the breezeway from a smaller city-owned building leased to the City Pier Grill & Bait Shop.

During Friday’s meeting, the city commission voted 5-0 in favor of entering into the memo of understanding with Mote Marine.

“This particular document is to show what our intent is. It’s not to really illustrate all of the details of how a contract would look for construction or how a lease would look,” Murphy told the commission. “There are some details included in here, but there’s a lot of details that would need to be worked out both for the construction and for the lease itself.”

The memo proposes two consecutive five-year lease terms.

According to the three-page document, “The purpose of this MOU is to set forth terms and conditions under which the city and Mote can cooperate in fulfilling common goals of both entities.”

The memo calls for the city to raise the initial $500,000 needed to transform the vacant pier building into a marine educational outreach center to be operated at Mote Marine’s expense.

On Feb. 17, the commission voted 4-1 to explore the Mote Marine option as its first choice for the use of that building. Commissioner Mark Short cast the opposition vote because he felt it was too soon to limit the choices to one option. Other potential options included a full-service restaurant, a special events venue, a retail shop and an open-air cantina.

Murphy recently spoke with Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Elliott Falcione in an effort to gauge whether the Tourist Development Council and the Manatee County Commission are interested in using revenues generated by the 5% tourist tax to cover some or all of the city’s $500,000 up-front costs.

Murphy and Public Works Manager Dean Jones also engaged in two fact-finding meetings with Crosby and his staff which provided the groundwork for the memo.

Commission questions

Short asked if the city or Mote Marine would be responsible for any cost overages beyond the initial $500,000. Murphy said Mote would be responsible for any additional costs beyond that amount. Murphy expressed his confidence that Mote representatives had done their due diligence and relied on past experience when estimating the start-up costs.

Short asked who would own the assets that result from the $500,000 expenditure. Murphy said the city would own those assets.

Commissioner Joe Muscatello said he’d like language added to the memo stating that no admission fees will be charged for the Mote Marine facility on the City Pier. Crosby said the intent is to not charge a fee to enter and access the facility, but some additional classes, nature tours, after-hours lectures and other activities would require a fee.

Muscatello asked for Manatee County schools to be added to the educational partnerships with The Center, the Anna Maria Historical Museum and the Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring organization referenced in the memo.

“We already partner with them. Obviously, the school system, both public and private, is a natural,” Crosby said.

Muscatello suggested taking out a loan if needed to cover the city’s up-front costs. Murphy said he’s confident the $500,000 can be raised, but he acknowledged a loan could be sought as a last resort.

Commissioner Jon Crane said he’s reluctant to put the city in debt for this project. Although he fully supports the project, Crane said he’s heard from residents who question why Mote isn’t being asked to pay rent to the city. In response, Crosby said Mote anticipates spending approximately $440,000 a year to operate the facility.

“That’s their skin in the game,” Murphy added.

Commission Chair Carol Carter expressed confidence that private philanthropists would also help support the initial fundraising efforts if needed.

During public comment, Murphy’s wife, Barbara, suggested placing a donation box on the pier, similar to the one at the nearby historical museum.

“We need to make sure that the general public has an opportunity to contribute,” she said.

Murphy said he’d be meeting soon with someone from the School District of Manatee County to discuss the possibility of using federal funds to help support the environmental education activities to be provided by the City Pier facility.

City and Mote Marine enter into memo of understanding — Initial funding will now be sought to create a Mote Marine educational outreach center inside this currently vacant pier building. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

The memo notes the city and Mote share common goals that include educating visitors and residents about the importance of preserving natural resources and marine life, promoting conservation and encouraging ecotourism.

The memo states that Mote will be responsible for hiring an architect and engineer, subject to the approval of the city. Mote is to develop the plans, hire the needed subcontractors, supervise the construction project and submit those bills for city review and payment.

In closing, Crosby said, “I just want to express Mote’s excitement about the potential to partner with the city on this and be on this historic pier. It’s an incredible opportunity for all of us in the community here. This is an MOU that enables you to go forward and us to help you.”

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Mayor to meet with Mote Marine representatives

Mayor to meet with Mote Marine representatives

Written by Joe Hendricks on March 2, 2021. Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – The city’s pursuit of a proposed Mote Marine educational outreach center on the City Pier continues.

During the Thursday, Feb. 25 city commission meeting, Mayor Dan Murphy said he planned to meet privately with Mote Marine President and CEO Dr. Michael Crosby and some additional Mote Marine staff members on Wednesday, March 3.

Topics to be discussed during the preliminary fact-finding meeting were to include financial and operational responsibilities and potential lease terms for Mote Marine’s use of the still-vacant city-owned pier building located next to the City Pier Grill & Bait Shop. Based on that meeting, Murphy will then develop a more detailed plan to present for commission consideration later this month.

Murphy said he spoke to Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Elliott Falcione and submitted a funding application for possible consideration by the Tourist Development Council (TDC) and the Manatee County Commission.

Murphy said he’s trying to gauge the county’s interest in providing some or all of the $500,000 the city would need to raise to establish a marine educational outreach center that would then be operated at Mote Marine’s expense. The Mote Marine proposal does not call for Mote Marine to make monthly lease payments or compensate the city for the use of the pier building.

Additional potential uses discussed on Feb. 10 and Feb. 17 included a full-service restaurant, a special events venue or a retail shop. During those meetings, no public opposition was expressed regarding the proposed Mote Marine facility.

On Feb. 17, the commission voted 4-1 to explore the Mote Marine option first. Commissioner Mark Short opposed limiting the city’s options to a single choice at this time.

During the Feb. 25 meeting, city resident and current Mote Marine board member Bob Carter clarified his role in the pursuit of a Mote Marine facility on the City Pier.

“There’s been some question about my motives in suggesting that Mote be out there,” he said.

Carter said serving as a volunteer Mote Marine board member provides him no financial gain. He also noted that he previously chaired the National Aquarium Board.

“People on the Island know that I, as well as my spouse (Commissioner Carol Carter), am very interested in the environment. We helped bring Philippe Cousteau here to talk about clean oceans. We helped bring John Englander here to talk about sea level rise. I don’t make any apologies for financially supporting and advocating for these causes in education, conservation, environment and global health. That’s why I suggested to Dr. Crosby that he might want to do something out here, and I’m delighted the commission has seen fit to give them a chance to do this. It will set this pier apart from a commercial-only enterprise and it will become a landmark of a different kind,” Carter said.

Comprehensive plan considerations

Carol Carter then referenced the city’s comprehensive plan – the document that establishes the overall vision for the city’s development and future growth. She noted the comp plan includes elements that address recreational, environmental and educational components.
“I think that’s an important thing for us to consider,” she said.

“I’m just astounded some people are still demanding a restaurant,” Commissioner Joe Muscatello added.

“Nowhere in the comprehensive plan does it say that we should be renting property for profit. But it does say we should be providing recreational facilities and we should be endorsing environmental education,” Murphy said. “We don’t get any revenue from the (Island) Players. We don’t get any revenue from the historical museum. We don’t get any money from the community center. This is not a new concept to this city, to take city space and use it to fulfill what’s in the comprehensive plan. I truly believe government fulfills a space that private enterprise cannot fill. That’s our mission.”

Carol Carter thanked Murphy for his preliminary efforts and said, “It’s not a done deal. We understand that.”

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City pursues Mote Marine proposal

City pursues Mote Marine pier proposal

Written by Joe Hendricks on February 22, 2021. Posted in Anna Maria, Community News, Featured.

ANNA MARIA – City commissioners have asked Mayor Dan Murphy to approach Mote Marine for a final proposal outlining its plans to create a Marine Educational Outreach Center at the end of the City Pier.

The proposed 1,800-square-foot center would be operated by Sarasota-based Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium inside the vacant, city-owned building next to the City Pier Grill & Bait Shop. The vacant building is one of two city-owned buildings constructed at the T-end of the pier during the pier replacement project completed in 2020.

The Mote Marine facility is one of several potential uses presented during a special city commission meeting held inside the vacant building on Feb. 10. Additional options included a full-service restaurant, a special events venue, a retail shop or some combination of those uses. The commission then held a follow-up meeting Wednesday, Feb. 17 at which Commissioner Mark Short cast the only opposition vote to the exclusive pursuit of the Mote Marine facility.

Options considered

On Feb. 10, Mote Marine representatives proposed a Marine Educational Outreach Center that would require the city to raise $500,000 of the anticipated $555,000 needed for the initial design and installation.

The proposal calls for Mote Marine to cover an estimated $444,000 in annual operating costs, including $303,212 for staffing. The proposal requests that the city pay an estimated $9,500 per year in utility bills and does not offer the city any monthly lease payments.

Commission favors Mote Marine pier proposal — Mayor Dan Murphy led the Feb. 17 discussion held inside the vacant pier building. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

When reviewing those options on Feb. 17, Murphy discussed other options, including a special events venue that he estimated would generate $60,000 to $75,000 in annual revenues for the city and cost the city and its taxpayers an estimated $275,000 to make the building habitable for that use.

Murphy said it might cost slightly less than that to complete the city’s portion of the buildout and improvements needed for a full-service restaurant offering 50 to 60 seats and limited storage capacity.

In 2020, Ugly Grouper LCC offered to lease both pier buildings and some additional outdoor deck space for $14,000 per month. The commission rejected that offer.

Murphy estimated a retail shop would generate approximately $70,000 in annual revenues for the city and require the city to spend $175,000 to $200,000 to ready the building.

Murphy then presented an additional option not discussed at the previous meeting – a covered, open-air cantina that would require the demolition of three existing exterior walls, with the bar and office located near the remaining wall. Murphy estimated an open-air cantina could generate between $55,000 and $75,000 in annual revenues for the city and the city would incur an estimated $225,000 to $250,000 in demolition and buildout costs.

Murphy noted the cantina would potentially compete with the City Pier Grill – whose operators currently pay the city $6,000 per month to lease the smaller pier building.

“Is the purpose of government to compete with businesses or is it to complement businesses? My feeling is government should do what the private industry can’t do. I think we need to complement businesses,” Murphy said.

When providing public input, City Pier Grill operator Brian Seymour noted his partnership group’s lease with the city allows them to bid on any proposed use of the currently vacant building. Seymour said if his group was selected to operate an open-air cantina that could complement their existing business.

“If it’s a different vendor over here it would definitely be competition, and would probably hurt both businesses,” he added.

Seymour said a regular full-service restaurant with such limited seating capacity would likely have to be expensive to be profitable.

Murphy acknowledged Seymour’s group does have the right of first refusal for any option the city chooses for the other building, providing they can provide the same services the city desires for that additional space.

Murphy said the purpose of the day’s meeting was to narrow down the potential options and provide him with direction as to which option or options to pursue.

Commission comments

Commissioner Jon Crane said the Mote Marine proposal would enhance the city while also enhancing environmental awareness.

“I hear from some people that we ought to maximize the potential of all exploitable resources. That’s not the mission of this commission, although I don’t think we should be wasting money either. I do think with clever negotiation skills the mayor might be able to come up with something with the Mote people where we might get a buck or two,” he said.

Short said he was intrigued by the open-air cantina concept and he doesn’t share the mayor’s desire to narrow down the options at this time. Instead, he suggested issuing a broad request for proposals (RFP) seeking bids for any proposed use of the pier building.

“After the meeting last week, I felt like everyone had made up their mind without knowing enough information. I still believe today there’s not enough information for us to make up our minds,” Short said.

Commission Chair Carol Carter said she opposes another protracted RFP process similar to the previous RFPs that failed to produce a suitable tenant for the still-vacant building.

Crane said evaluating a broad range of RFP responses would be comparing “apples to oranges.”

Citing 45 years of fundraising experience, Carter said the Manatee County Tourist Development Council is not the only potential funding source for the proposed Mote Marine facility. She suggested the Manatee Community Foundation and private donors might also provide funding.

Public support

When expressing her support for the Mote Marine proposal, Anna Maria Island Historical Society President Liz Hager said, “We think it would be a great complement to what we do. It clearly shows the city and the Island care as much about the environment and history as they do the beaches.”

Longtime Anna Maria resident John Dicks said he’s thrilled with the Mote Marine proposal and he considers the City Pier to be a “community treasure” that should provide the public with a place to be enjoyed by people of all ages.

“I believe there would be an upsurge of people on this Island, myself included, who would want to make contributions to see that happen,” Dicks said.

He also suggested local businesses might be willing to sponsor the various Mote Marine exhibits.

Commission decision

When expressing his support for the Mote Marine proposal, Commissioner Joe Muscatello said, “I look at this the same way I would look at a city park. We’re not in this to make money – and even if we have to spend city money to get this going, I think we should.”

Muscatello said the open-air cantina intrigued him too, but that option wasn’t considered when a previous commission approved the pier design.

Muscatello made the motion for Murphy to proceed with getting a final proposal from Mote Marine. Crane seconded the motion and Carter and Commissioner Deanie Sebring also supported it.

Short opposed the motion and made a separate motion to pursue the open-air cantina as a second option. His motion died without a second from another commissioner. Murphy said the cantina concept could be further evaluated if the Mote Marine proposal doesn’t pan out. He also noted the Mote Marine proposal is not a simple undertaking.

“I’m going to have to manage the buildout of this space. I’m also responsible for going out and getting funding. That takes a lot of time, so I would like my efforts focused in one direction,” he said, noting he would provide the commission with an initial status update on Thursday, Feb. 25.

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Mote Marine proposes City Pier Marine Educational Outreach Center

Cities oppose Manatee becoming a charter county

Written by Joe Hendricks on February 8, 2021. Posted in Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach, Community News.

MANATEE COUNTY – City officials representing the three city governments on Anna Maria Island oppose County Commissioner George Kruse’s desire for Manatee County to become a charter county.

Government officials in Longboat Key, Bradenton and Palmetto share that opposition.

All six municipalities in Manatee County are structured and governed according to their city charters, which can only be changed with the majority support of their registered voters.

Cortez and Parrish are among the unincorporated areas in Manatee County that don’t have city governments and are therefore governed by the county commission.

As a non-charter county, Manatee County is structured and governed according to state law and the Florida Constitution, and its governmental structure can only be altered by state legislators.

City officials expressed their opposition to a charter county during the Tuesday, Feb. 2 Council of Governments meeting. The quarterly meeting occurred at the Bradenton Area Convention Center in Palmetto and was chaired this month by Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy.

The meeting began with Murphy discussing an agenda topic about issues in the city of Anna Maria. Those issues included the state Legislature’s annual efforts to preempt vacation rental regulations to the state while reducing home rule rights from Florida cities and counties.

The remarks Murphy made regarding larger governments’ assaults on smaller governments’ home rule rights to regulate vacation rentals foreshadowed the charter county discussion that followed.

Charter discussion

When introducing his requested agenda item, Kruse said his intent was not to do a deep dive on the subject.

“It’s something I’m looking into and I believe in. Every few years this comes up and I feel it comes up for a good reason. The last time was 2017, and that kind of just died away,” he said.

Kruse noted 20 of Florida’s 67 counties are currently charter counties. According to the Florida Association of Counties website, 75% of Floridians live in charter counties.

Kruse said Manatee County is the second-largest non-charter county in the state and he noted Sarasota County has been a charter county since 1971.

They have things like term limits and limits to financing for campaigns. They have recall provisions. These are things the people of Sarasota County elected over time to impose on their government. We can’t do any of that because the state of Florida prohibits it,” he said.

Not noted by Kruse was the fact that a charter county is also required to adopt an administrative code.

According to Florida Statute 125.87, “Following the organization of the first board of county commissioners elected pursuant to a charter, the board of commissioners shall adopt an administrative code organizing the administration of the county government and setting forth the duties and responsibilities and powers of all county officials and agencies pursuant to the provisions of the charter.”

“My goal,” Kruse said, “is to give the voice to the people. It’s not to take voices away or the power away from the municipalities. I know that’s a concern.”

Kruse said he’s only aware of one county in Florida that takes away a city’s home rule rights.

“It’s just not what’s done. It’s something that people who don’t want charters tell municipalities could happen,” he said.

Attorney Wade Vose is a partner in the law firm that serves as the city attorney for Anna Maria and his fields of expertise include county charters. Vose did not attend Tuesday’s meeting, but he watched the charter discussion online.

When contacted by The Sun, Vose disputed Kruse’s claim that only one county charter in Florida takes away the rights of a city. Vose said Alachua, Broward, Charlotte, Columbia, Hillsborough, Orange, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Sarasota, Seminole and Volusia counties are all examples of counties that have adopted county laws that supersede local municipalities’ laws. Vose also noted that he’s represented many of those counties.

“They all have instances where they have declared in their charter that county ordinances preempt municipality ordinances on specific topics, such as land-use regulations and beach regulations,” Vose said.

“Ideally, what I want to look into is a starter charter,” Kruse said during the meeting.
He said a starter charter would initially produce a county government identical to the non-chartered county government that exists today, while also giving the people of Manatee County the framework to make future amendments to it.

Kruse said 40 percent of Manatee County’s voters live in chartered cities. He also said a starter charter could be structured to require at least 60% support from all of the county’s registered voters to later adopt proposed amendments to the starter charter.

Vose disputes that claim. Vose said state law only requires a simple majority – 50% plus one vote – to amend a county charter.

“The Florida Constitution requires that a county charter can only be amended by a majority of the county electorate,” Vose said.

He referenced a First District Court of Appeal case out of Clay County where the court struck down a charter amendment that added a 60% vote requirement for charter amendments because it violated the Florida Constitution.

According to Vose, Polk County is the only Florida county whose charter includes a 60% threshold to adopt a charter amendment. Vose believes Polk County’s 60% threshold violates the Florida Constitution, but he said it’s never been challenged in court.

Kruse encouraged city officials to reach out to him to further discuss their charter concerns.

“I’d rather succeed as a group rather than ram something through myself,” he said.
During the group discussion that ensued, Kruse said there are two ways to place a proposed county charter on the ballot. One method is a citizen-initiated petition drive that requires the signatures of 15% of Manatee County’s registered voters. The second is for the county commission to form an exploratory committee and host public hearings before placing a proposed county charter on a future ballot.

Referencing the Florida Constitution again, Vose said the county commission method would only require the support of four of the seven county commissioners.

City opposition

During the meeting, Palmetto City Commissioner Brian Williams disputed Kruse’s contention that a charter county would not reduce the individual cities’ home rule rights. He suggested an opt-out clause for the cities if the county wishes to pursue a charter for its unincorporated areas only.

County commissioner and former Holmes Beach Mayor Carol Whitmore said, “I’m willing to listen, but I’ve been through it twice. It may not affect the cities now, but it could. Being a former mayor, I can understand where they’re coming from.”

In response to Kruse’s earlier statement, Bradenton City Administrator Carl Callahan noted 60% of the county’s voters do not live in chartered cities.

“We’re not going to get anywhere close to a majority,” he said, of that voting bloc.

As the District 3 County Commissioner, Kevin Van Ostenbridge represents Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach, the Manatee County portion of Longboat Key and portions of Bradenton. He also represents the unincorporated areas in Cortez and west Bradenton.

“I would agree with what Mr. Callahan just said. The county is expanding due to urban sprawl. Unincorporated county is what’s growing,” Van Ostenbridge said.

Regarding a county charter, Van Ostenbridge said, “I do worry that this erodes the autonomy of the cities. I would certainly have a fight on my hands if I supported this, so I don’t see myself supporting charter government. You would have people out in Lakewood Ranch ultimately deciding what is best for the residents on Anna Maria Island, and I don’t think that should be the case. Instead of people in Tallahassee deciding, the people in Lakewood Ranch are deciding. You’re trading one master for another,” he added.

Holmes Beach Vice Mayor Jim Kihm said, “I’m unclear as to what the need for a starter charter would be at this particular time. It sounds to me like it’s a solution looking for a problem. If it’s not broken, why do we need to change it?”

Kihm agreed with Williams’ suggested opt-out for the cities.

“I agree with what the other cities are saying. I think you need to remember that municipalities are the grassroots of government,” Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie said.

Chappie expressed concerns that future amendments made to a starter charter would eventually chip away at the cities’ home rule rights and their ability to govern at the local level. He noted this already happened when the state Legislature limited local government’s ability to regulate vacation rentals.

“It’s about governing from the bottom up, not from the top down. We get enough of that from Tallahassee and now we have to be on guard because of the county government. We’ve been screwed over before and I don’t want it to happen again. We don’t have to Zoom to talk with our constituents. We just yell over the fence or they catch us at the grocery store,” Chappie said.

Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant said, “I’ve been through this before and my opinion on it is a big no. In a time when we need to be working together, this should be kicked to the curb summarily and be done with. This appears to me to be a power grab. Let’s summarily finish this conversation and move on to important issues.”

Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown said, “Whether it’s innocent or not, it’s going to seem like a power grab to us. There’s a lot of opportunity for it to be a power grab down the road. It sounds like there’s an opportunity here to stop this now. Take us (the cities) off the table and the county can have their own discussion.”

District 1 County Commissioner James Satcher’s district includes Parrish and other unincorporated areas.

In defense of Kruse, he said, “If there’s any power he wants to grab, he wants to take it from Tallahassee, not from you all sitting around the table. He wants to see the power that’s there come back to this county. I think that’s a reasonable case that he’s making. The real question is what would the people of Manatee County think? I like the idea of term limits.”

Satcher also said, “Parrish used to be just tomato fields and now there’s a whole lot of people there. There’s a lot of change here and it might be smart to get in front of it. I’m not throwing in one way or another, but I throw in for my fellow commissioner.”

Joining the discussion by phone, East Manatee Fire Rescue Chief Lee Whitehurst said, “Our question would be, does anybody know how this may affect the independent fire districts?”

When no one responded Murphy said, “I don’t see any answers in the room, sir.”

“The fire districts may be concerned if home rule affects that in one way or another,” Whitehurst said.

Post-meeting actions

After the meeting ended, Kruse was asked if he intended to continue his pursuit of a county charter.

“I want to still keep talking about it. I think it’s the right thing to do,” he said.

Kruse said he would reach out to the mayors and the fire districts and would also research the possibility of creating an opt-out clause for the cities.

“I’m not trying to upset the municipalities,” he said.

Kruse was asked if he envisions the county commission pursuing a county charter without the support of the cities.

“I don’t know,” he said, noting he still needed to process the opinions expressed during the meeting.

Unlike some of his mayoral peers, Murphy does not think the charter county discussion is now a dead issue, and he wants to ensure that the city of Anna Maria is prepared to oppose it if needed.

On Wednesday, Murphy sent an email to the Anna Maria commissioners regarding a yet-to-be scheduled virtual meeting that will allow Vose to share his county charter expertise with them and others.

2021 vacation rental registration fees set

Written by Joe Hendricks on February 8, 2021. Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – Vacation rental owners in Anna Maria will be charged $58.52 per occupant allowed when paying their 2021 vacation rental registration fees.

The 2021 registration fees were established on Jan. 28 with the city commission’s adoption of Resolution 21-767. When presenting the resolution, City Attorney Becky Vose said the annual registration fees are based on how much it cost the city to regulate vacation rentals. She noted each fee is based on the occupancy allowed at that specific vacation rental.

“A vacation rental that has a small occupancy pays a whole lot less than some vacation rental that has a very large occupancy,” Vose said.

Mayor Dan Murphy has stated in past years that the registration fees are intended to be a break-even revenue source to cover the city’s costs and are not intended to be a profit generator for the city.

After noting the 2021 fee will be $58.52 per occupant allowed, Murphy said the lowest registration fee will be the $234.08 paid by the owner of a one-bedroom vacation rental that allows two guests in the bedroom and two additional guests. The registration fee for a six-occupant vacation rental home or unit in Anna Maria was $309 in 2020 and will be $351 in 2021, he added.

According to the fee chart included in the meeting packet, the owner of a 10-occupant vacation rental will pay a $585.20 registration fee. The owner of an 18-occupant vacation rental will pay $1,053.36. The highest fee listed is $1,697.08 for a 29-occupant vacation rental.

Murphy said the annual registration fees are developed based on the city’s vacation rental-related administrative costs, enforcement costs, legal costs, lobbyist costs and other costs associated with vacation rental regulation.

Those total costs are then divided by the total number of vacation rental occupancies allowed in Anna Maria. According to Murphy, there are about 630 vacation rental units in Anna Maria.

This year’s fee increase reflects the city’s increased legal costs, labor costs, administrative costs, and lobbying costs, he said.

He also said, “We’re doing some new things in the enforcement of the ordinance – the way that we’re tracking vacation rentals that fly under the radar. We’ve become a little bit more sophisticated in how we’re analyzing that data so that we can find people that are ignoring the ordinance.”

Dogs on beaches concern city officials

Written by Joe Hendricks on January 31, 2021. Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – Dogs on the beach are a growing concern in Anna Maria.

City officials believe the steady stream of tourists, the lack of verification requirements for service dogs and dog-friendly sheriff’s deputies are contributing factors.

Mayor Dan Murphy initiated discussion on these topics during the Thursday, Jan. 28 city commission meeting. He told the commission he started getting more complaints about dogs on beaches in October and asked the Anna Maria Unit of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office to increase its enforcement efforts.

“We get complaints, and the complaints are escalating,” Murphy said, noting they’re not all coming from the same people.

As a result of Thursday’s discussion, the city commission informally asked Murphy to put together a proposal detailing the potential cost of using code enforcement officers employed directly by the city to enforce the city’s dog-related regulations.

City ordinances

According to Sec. 38-28 of the city ordinances, “It shall be unlawful for the owner or keeper of any domestic animal to allow such animal on any beaches, coastal barrier sand dunes or parks located within the city limits.”

According to Murphy, this includes the beach at Bayfront Park and the public beach areas near the City Pier.

The ordinance does not prohibit keeping a domestic animal on private beach property, as long as it isn’t allowed to stray onto public beaches, coastal barrier sand dunes or parks.

According to Sec. 14-61, “The owner or custodian of a dog or cat must have direct control of such animal at all times.”

According to Sec. 14-62, “Any feces deposited by a dog or cat on public property, public walks, recreation areas or the private property of others must be immediately removed by the person who has custody or control of the animal, unless otherwise authorized by the property owner.”

Service dogs and photographs

When addressing the commission, Murphy said, “Part of the problem with this is if it’s a service dog there’s nothing that can be done about a dog on the beach. Under the law, the only thing that’s required is for the person to say it’s a service dog. It doesn’t have to have a license. You don’t have to have a little jacket on it. You don’t have to have anything. The word has gotten out, so everything’s a service dog.”

He then deferred to Commissioner Deanie Sebring, whose diabetic alert dog, Humphrey, she carries in a pouch worn around her chest and torso.

Sebring said the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not require the dog owner to carry a card or the dog to wear a vest that designates it as a service dog.

“They don’t want a disabled person to be singled out by your dog actually having a vest or a card,” Sebring said, noting that she carries such a card.

“The only way a service dog can be asked to leave is if it’s behaving in a manner that’s not acceptable. If the dog is behaving, there really is nothing that anyone can do about it. As far as comfort dogs, I believe that’s a whole different situation. But there again, it’s someone’s word the police officer has to take,” Sebring said.

Murphy said a new and additional complaint has also recently surfaced: He’s now getting complaints about sheriff’s deputies posing for photos with dogs on the beach, and he’s been asked what signal that sends to others.

“They must come to a conclusion that it’s OK to have a dog on the beach because they’re taking a picture with the deputy,” Murphy said.

Murphy said he discussed this with Anna Maria Unit leader Sgt. Brett Getman.

“He feels very strongly that the people are doing nothing wrong because it’s a service dog. And if they ask for a picture on the beach with a dog that’s just good public relations. My perspective is different than that. Perception becomes reality. If the perception is that we’re allowing dogs on the beach because we have a deputy having their picture taken with a dog, then to me that exacerbates it. I can pursue this further with the sheriff and see if we can have a change of heart in that regard, if that’s what the commission is interested in,” Murphy said.

Canine concerns

“There’s no bad dogs, there’s only bad people. And bad people don’t pick up their dog feces.” Commissioner Jon Crane said. “Dog feces is one of the two reasons you don’t want dogs on the beach. The other is they might bite people.”

Crane said he’s not in favor of deputies posing for photos with dogs on the beach, and he’d like to see the sheriff’s office take this entire matter more seriously, but he doesn’t want to pick a fight with the city’s contracted law enforcement agency.

“I wouldn’t mind tripling the fines for people that don’t pick up their dog poop,” he added.

Later in the discussion, Crane said, “I had an experience walking my dogs across the roadside edge of Bayfront Park, which I guess is wrong – I was told it is wrong by a sheriff’s deputy. They didn’t take a picture with me and they shooed me off of Bayfront Park. So, I don’t know how widespread this is, but they handled me appropriately.”

Commissioner Joe Muscatello asked about the fines for having a dog on the beach or not cleaning up after it. Murphy said he thought those fines were $500 and he noted the fine for not cleaning up after your dog applies anywhere in the city.

Muscatello noted Anna Maria beaches are considered bird and turtle sanctuaries: “If that’s what we’re going to be, then we need to stay true to that. We’re a special beach here and we need to maintain that.”

Crane said he’d like to see more enforcement of the city’s leash law, because a dog on a leash isn’t going to chase down a turtle or a seabird.

Raising another concern, Sebring said she often sees dogs “running amok” on the beach after coming off a boat: “I see them pulling up and they don’t put them on leashes. The dogs run up into the dunes and do whatever.”

Muscatello acknowledged it’s difficult to enforce dogs coming off boats, but he still expects the sheriff’s deputies to enforce the laws: “We need to make sure we’re not opening this up to be a kennel on the beach.”

COVID and costs

“We have some special issues this year with COVID,” Commission Chair Carol Carter said.

Carter said she’s seen social media posts about vacation rental guests bringing four dogs with them. She believes there are more dogs in Anna Maria now due to travelers driving instead of flying. She also said she hears more dogs barking and sees more dog feces on the ground when she’s out walking.

“I don’t think these are owners or residents with their dogs. I think these are visitors who don’t understand our rules. I would like to see us create a little more awareness than what’s being done by the sheriff,” Carter said.

“If the sheriff doesn’t want to take any further action, I think we ought to consider code enforcement helping with some of this. I’m really concerned about the number of dogs running around on the beach.” Carter said, noting that she loves dogs and has had one most of her life.

Muscatello asked if the vacation rental companies make their guests aware of the city regulations regarding dogs on the beach. Murphy said some do and some don’t. Murphy said that information could be added to the list of best practices already provided to vacation rental guests regarding sea turtle protections, beach lighting restrictions and other local regulations.

Sebring noted the only public beach near Anna Maria Island that allows dogs is off-Island, along the Palma Sola Causeway.

Murphy said if the commission wants to use code enforcement officers to patrol beaches, he could come back with a proposal that details the estimated costs.

“It’s going to take vehicles and it’s going to take more bodies – as long as you understand that up front. We’re going to need a vehicle that can go on the beach,” Murphy said.

“We have to defend this beach. If that’s what it takes, that’s what it takes,” Muscatello said.

Trawler’s oil tank found, fuel tank possibly missing

Written by Joe Hendricks on January 25, 2021. Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – The used oil storage tank from the shrimp trawler that sank offshore of Anna Maria on Jan. 8 has been recovered, but there may still be a fuel tank missing, according to Mayor Dan Murphy.

Murphy told city commissioners on Jan. 14 that a 700-gallon storage tank that held used sludge oil was missing. According to the Mayor, that tank was located at some point last week.

At mid-day Sunday, Murphy shared the latest update he received from the U.S. Coast Guard.

“Good morning sir, they were unable to locate the last remaining fuel tank. They concluded fuel recovery operations last night. The tug and barge is going to Tarpon Springs. They will be back on scene this week to conduct salvage operations. Our hopes are that the tank will turn up during the course of the salvage. There’s no longer any signs of pollution on scene, but if at any time they start to get any kind of pollution they will stop salvage and begin recovery of the fuel,” the Coast Guard update said.

The fuel recovery efforts took place about a mile and a half offshore of Bean Point. Sunday afternoon, Murphy received another update regarding the possible missing fuel tank.
“It is unknown if it would have had any product in it. The belief is that if it was still there and had product, we could see an oil sheen. It is believed that this tank either is still in the wreck, possibly drifted out to deeper water or there may have been a possibility that the tank was not on the vessel to begin with. The contractors did conduct an exhaustive search over a two-week period using divers, side-scan sonar, drones and helicopter overflight,” the Sunday afternoon update said.

Related coverage

Search continues for sunken trawler’s oil storage tank

Legislators again seek state regulation of vacation rentals

Written by Joe Hendricks on January 24, 2021. Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – Florida Sen. Manny Diaz (R-Hialeah) and Florida Rep. Jason Fischer (R-Jacksonville) are once again trying to take away local governments’ ability to regulate vacation rentals and vacation rental advertising.

The Florida Legislature will convene for its annual 60-day legislative session on Tuesday, March 2. Diaz and Fischer have already filed identical bills that are similar to the legislation they unsuccessfully pursued in 2020.

Diaz filed Senate Bill 522 on Jan. 11 and Fischer filed House Bill 219 on Jan. 12. If adopted, the latest proposed legislation would essentially eliminate the ability of the Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach governments to regulate vacation rentals at the city level.

Both bills contain language that is similar to last year’s failed legislation.

“A local law, ordinance or regulation may not allow or require the local inspection or licensing of public lodging establishments, including vacation rentals,” according to SB 522 and HB 219.

“A local law, ordinance or regulation may regulate activities that arise when a property is used as a vacation rental if the law, ordinance, or regulation applies uniformly to all residential properties without regard to whether the property is used as a vacation rental, as a long-term rental or the property owner chooses not to rent the property. However, a local law, ordinance or regulation may not prohibit vacation rentals or regulate the duration or frequency of rental of vacation rentals,” according to both bills.

“The prohibitions set forth in this paragraph do not apply to any local law, ordinance or regulation adopted on or before June 1, 2011, including when such law, ordinance, or regulation is being amended to be less restrictive with regard to a prohibition or a duration or frequency regulation,” according to the filed bills.

Local concerns

During the Jan. 14 Anna Maria City Commission meeting, commission Chair Carol Carter referenced a presentation that Florida League of Cities President Tony Ortez gave earlier that day to the ManaSota League of Cities.

“He’s focused already on some of the vacation rental issues that we have. As some of you already know, Senate Bill 522 has already been introduced by Mr. Diaz. Again, the same thing as last year – they want to preempt to the state our ability to regulate and register vacation rentals. We’ll have the same battle again this year,” Carter said.

Carter said she and Mayor Dan Murphy have already met once with State Rep. Will Robinson (R-Bradenton), who in past years has been an ally in the Island cities’ fight on this issue, helping to defeat some of the previous efforts to take away the ability of local governments to regulate vacation rentals.

Carter said she and Murphy may also seek the assistance of former Senate President Bill Galvano, who, along with lobbyist Chip Case and City Attorney Becky Vose, helped defeat last year’s legislative efforts.

“The situation is already tense and they haven’t even started session, so be aware of that,” Carter cautioned.

As they’ve done in recent years, the cities of Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach have also retained lobbyists to oppose the proposed vacation rental legislation.

Home Rule Florida

During the Jan. 14 meeting, Anna Maria commissioners authorized Murphy to use $3,640 of the city’s funds to partner with and upgrade the existing Home Rule Florida website, www.homerulefl.com.

In recent years, the Home Rule Florida website has become a comprehensive source of information for citizens and public officials in their ongoing efforts to preserve and protect cities’ home rule rights.

When presenting his funding request, Murphy said, “The Home Rule website is a website where residents or anyone else can fire off a letter to your legislator. You can fire off multiple letters regarding home rule, specifically directed at vacation rentals and pending legislation.

“The site needs to be upgraded. It needs to be made more user friendly. It was put together initially by Bob Carter, Dick York and (the late) Norm Mansour. They did a great job, but we need to fine-tune it. We’re asking for $3,640 to upgrade the site,” Murphy said.

He noted upgrades would include linking the Home Rule Florida website to other social media networks and platforms.

“We get a clean website that’s easy to navigate,” Murphy told the commission, who then unanimously supported his request.

When asked later, Murphy said York and Bob Carter will remain involved with the Home Rule Florida website.

Carol Carter encourages concerned citizens and public officials from all three Island cities and beyond to email HomeRuleFl@gmail.com and ask to be added to the Home Rule Florida database and email distribution list.

Search continues for sunken trawler’s oil storage tank

Written by Joe Hendricks on January 15, 2021. Posted in Anna Maria, Anna Maria Island, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – About 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel have been removed from the hull of the commercial shrimp trawler that recently sank offshore of Anna Maria, but concerns linger regarding a still-missing 700-gallon used oil storage tank.

The ship’s oil storage tank remained missing Friday afternoon, but no oil slicks or oil spills associated with the shipwreck had been reported.

The remains of the sunken shrimp trawler were located at latitude 27-32.55N and longitude 082-46-440, according to an update Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy received from the Coast Guard.

“It (the oil tank) has not been found as of now,” Murphy said Friday afternoon. “They are using side-scan sonar to try to locate the missing tank, and to see if there are any other tanks or debris in the area.”

Owned by the Tampa-based Versaggi Shrimp Corporation, the shrimp trawler, Warrior, began taking on water Friday evening Jan. 8. In response to the trawler’s distress call, a 45-foot boat from the Cortez Coast Guard station arrived on scene about two miles west of Anna Maria at 7:50 p.m. and removed three crew members from the floundering 70-foot shrimp boat.

The abandoned vessel’s superstructure later broke apart. Early Saturday morning, the majority of the shipwreck debris was discovered near Bean Point in Anna Maria. Debris from the Warrior also washed ashore in Holmes Beach, Bradenton Beach and Longboat Key.

Murphy made city commissioners aware of the missing oil tank when providing them with a “good news-bad news” status update during Thursday’s city commission meeting, which began at 2 p.m.

According to Murphy, the salvage and fuel recovery efforts were taking place about a mile and a half west of Bean Point.

“The real bad news is that there’s another tank that they can’t find. This tank does not hold fuel. It holds black sludge oil. It’s a tank that’s used when you pump out the engine oil – like when you change the oil in your car. They put it into retention and then about every five to six months they pump that out,” Murphy said.

According to Murphy, the missing oil tank has the capacity to hold 700 gallons of used motor oil and he did not know how much oil was stored in the tank when the ship sank.

“That tank has not been found yet. There is no sheen on the water. The Coast Guard’s out there looking at it. The salvage company left yesterday (Wednesday) and I called the Coast Guard this morning,” Murphy said.

Murphy said he asked the Coast Guard if the salvage team had been authorized to leave the scene. Murphy said he was told the Coast Guard did not authorize the salvage team to leave and were ordered to return Thursday morning. Murphy said upon their return, the salvage team once again installed containment booms around the remains of the sunken trawler.

“The divers are still in the water and we still haven’t found this tank. As of 15 minutes before the meeting started, the tank had not been found,” Murphy told the commissioners Thursday afternoon.

“It’s a potential problem. I don’t know how many gallons are in that tank. The Coast Guard doesn’t know. The Department of Environmental Protection doesn’t know. The Coast Guard can’t keep a helicopter out there all the time. They do a flyover now and then. They’re looking for a sheen on the water. As much as I trust Coast Guard, and as much as I trust FDEP, we need our own people out there being vigilant as well,” Murphy said.

The city asks anyone who sees any signs of a potential oil spill to call city hall at 941-708-6130 during regular business hours; or to call 911 at night or during the weekend.

“There’s a weather front coming in Friday afternoon/Friday evening. The salvage company is not going to be able to stay out there during that weather event. So, the salvage company is going as fast as they can to see if they can find this other tank that’s missing. I don’t know what they’re going to do with it – whether they’re going to raise it or pump it out – but that has to be found,” Murphy told the commission.

“There is no evidence of it leaking at this point. There is no sheen. There’s no pollutants going into the water as of two o’ clock this afternoon. That’s the status. I wish it was better news. Everything was going hunky-dory until I heard about the lost tank,” Murphy told the commission.

Regarding the presence of diesel fuel first detected Saturday morning (Jan. 9), Murphy said, “I was worried about the fuel. It smelled all the way from the City Pier down to about Cypress (Avenue). It pretty much dissipated by Sunday morning. A little bit of fuel goes a long way when it’s on the water. It really wasn’t that much.”

Regarding the ensuing fuel containment and removal efforts, Murphy said, “The company hired to do the salvaging of that shrimp boat was out there the day after and the day after that. They put (containment) booms up and they had divers down. The main (fuel) tank held 7,000 gallons. They found 5,000 gallons in the tank and pumped it up and put that in their salvage boat. Then they found two auxiliary tanks. It appears to be the capacity of these two auxiliaries is about 75, maybe 80 gallons.”

Murphy said the auxiliary fuel tanks were also being pumped out.

Successful cleanup efforts

Murphy also provided some positive news regarding the successful debris cleanup efforts conducted by the Anna Maria Public Works Department and Manatee County.

He praised Public Works Manager Dean Jones for his leadership. He also praised Deputy Clerk and Code Enforcement Manager Debbie Haynes for the public notifications she provided at the city website as the situation unfolded last weekend.

“Manatee County did a tremendous job of helping us get all that debris off the beach. They came equipped with backloaders and dumpsters and everything else. It was incredible. As I told Dean when we were on the beach: ‘This is something that wasn’t in that book of how to be a mayor.’ We got it pretty much picked up by Saturday night.”

Commissioner Jonathan Crane asked Murphy if the city will be compensated for the time the Public Works Department spent cleaning up the debris.

“Absolutely, and the county as well,” Murphy said.

“The insurance adjuster came. I was told by the owner of the vessel that he was an insurance adjuster, but I think he’s more of a ship’s agent. He came and he took a lot of pictures. He admitted that all the debris – 80 cubic yards – is all off that trawler,” Murphy said.

Crane said that in addition to the city and county staffs, Murphy should also be applauded for his efforts. Crane said he received his first phone update from Murphy at about 7 a.m. last Saturday.

“I was thunderstruck that Dan was out making phone calls to keep all of us ahead of the curve. I really appreciate it,” Crane said.

“Here, here,” Carter said in agreement.

Related coverage:

Shipwreck debris removed; fuel containment, salvage efforts continue

Fishermen rescued; fuel, debris spilled near AMI

Shipwreck debris removed, fuel containment and salvage efforts continue

Shipwreck debris removed; fuel containment, salvage efforts continue

Written by Joe Hendricks on January 11, 2021. Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News, Manatee County.

ANNA MARIA – The cleanup of the shipwreck debris field along the Anna Maria shoreline is mostly complete.

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued three commercial fishermen from a 70-foot commercial fishing vessel that took on water on Friday evening 2 miles west of Anna Maria Island.

After being abandoned at sea, the superstructure of the commercial fishing boat Warrior – owned by the Versaggi Shrimp Corp. in Tampa – broke apart in the rough seas, leaving the remaining hull submerged in approximately 14 feet of water.

By Saturday morning, a great deal of shipwreck debris had washed ashore in Anna Maria. To a lesser degree, debris also washed ashore in Holmes Beach, Bradenton Beach and Longboat Key.

Saturday morning, the city of Anna Maria, with the county’s help, initiated an extensive cleanup effort that was essentially completed by the time the sun set Sunday evening.

Early Saturday afternoon, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy spoke to Joe Versaggi by phone and the two men agreed that the Versaggi Shrimp Corp. would ask its insurance carrier to pay for the cleanup efforts.

Due to rough seas, Sunday’s offshore diesel fuel containment and salvage efforts were postponed until Monday morning.

Situation updates

Late Sunday morning, Murphy provided city commissioners with a detailed email update.

“The debris field from the wrecked shrimp trawler has pretty much all been removed, with the exception of a few very large pieces remaining near the beach access at Fir Ave., and a large water tank near Bean Point.

“These pieces will be removed over the next few days after cutting them into manageable pieces. The fuel smell has dissipated and appears to have not caused any major damage to the beach or dune system. However, our staff, FDEP and USCG are continuing to monitor the beaches to ensure there is no impact,” Murphy’s email said.

“As to the remains of the trawler, salvage operations with divers are scheduled to begin today just off of Bean Point where the trawler ran aground. The fuel tank, which had a maximum capacity of 7,000 gallons of diesel fuel, remains offshore attached to the hull in approximately 14 feet of water. USCG aerial observations indicate no further leakage. Still, this tank continues to pose a potential threat to our beaches should it rupture prior to or during salvage operations.

“The debris removed from the beaches has been placed in dumpsters and moved to the vacant lot by the Historical Society museum. The insurance adjuster for the shrimp company owning the trawler will inspect the debris this week,” Murphy wrote.

His email included a copy of the Coast Guard debris chart that indicated the locations of the wreck and the debris drift.

“Dean Jones and his Public Works staff, along with some incredible help from Charlie Hunsicker’s Manatee County staff, all did a remarkable job of quickly responding to this emergency. They came in on short notice during one of the coldest days in months and worked long hours under extreme and adverse conditions to restore our beaches to normal. We owe all of them our gratitude and a ‘thank you’ for a job well done,” Murphy’s email said.

Additional updates

At approximately 6:45 p.m. Saturday evening, Murphy provided a situation update.

“The United States Coast Guard informed me this evening that after their last flyover, the vessel’s fuel tank appears to still be secure. It is their opinion that the fuel we have on our beach is possibly remnants from the vessel’s bilge. The salvage boat will be on site between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Sunday morning,” Murphy said via text message.

At approximately 1 p.m. on Sunday, Murphy provided a text message update that said, “Over 75 cubic yards of debris were picked up off our beaches. Last few pieces of debris placed in museum lot to be cut up and removed.”

At 6:40 p.m. Sunday evening, Murphy provided another text message update regarding the efforts to place a circular fuel spill containment boom in the water above and around the hull of the sunken ship.

“Not good news. Hoping for early a.m. placement tomorrow,” Murphy said in his text message that also contained a message he received from a Coast Guard representative.

“Sir, the tug and barge was on scene but could not conduct operations due to 4-foot seas and high winds. Additionally, these conditions would be outside of the parameters for effective boom deployment. Their plan tonight is to anchor behind the Island and get started first thing in the morning. Forecast tomorrow is much more favorable. They will be placing the buoy on the wreck this evening,” the Coast Guard message said.

When contacted at 10 p.m. Sunday evening, Murphy said the plan is to place 3,000 feet of containment boom in the water surrounding the submerged hull. Murphy said the entire superstructure is gone and all that remains is the hull.

Murphy said the city’s cleanup efforts were for the most part complete, with the exception of a large piece of debris still floating just offshore. Murphy said the Coast Guard’s aerial surveillance did not indicate a great deal of additional floating debris headed toward the Island.

“It’s pretty much over at this time, except for whether I’m going to get the money from the insurance company. That’s a whole different story,” Murphy said.

“When the mayor put out a call for help to respond to literally a shipwreck off Anna Maria Island, we bring the Cavalry!” said Charlie Hunsicker, director of Manatee County’s Parks and Natural Resources Department. “Got to be proud of this multi-department, multi-city team effort.”

When contacted Monday morning, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said, “To my knowledge, we didn’t have a tremendous amount of debris, but our public works department and police department worked together to clean it up.”

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Fishermen rescued, fuel, debris spilled near AMI

Roser Food Pantry receives $30,000 donation

Written by Joe Hendricks on January 3, 2021. Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – On the final day of 2020, the Roser Food Pantry received a $30,000 check from the Mayors Feed the Hungry organization.

On Thursday, Dec. 31, Mayors Feed the Hungry Chairman Joel Swallow presented Roser Food Pantry Chairman Jack Brennan with a check commemorating the $30,000 donation made possible by the $70.5 million in federal CARES Act funds that Manatee County received earlier this year. The CARES Act assists individuals, organizations and businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Using CARES Act funds, the Mayors Feed the Hungry program also provided $3,000 to All Island Denominations, the Holmes Beach-based organization that represents the Anna Maria Island churches’ collective efforts to provide mortgage, rent and utility bill assistance to Island residents and employees in need.

When presenting the check to Brennan on Thursday morning, Swallow said, “On behalf of Mayors Feed the Hungry – that’s nine mayors and two commission chairs with Sarasota and Manatee county – we’re proud to offer this check of $30,000 to the food pantry here in Anna Maria, for Jack and all the people and all the churches that come together to serve.”

Swallow then credited former Manatee County Commission Chair Betsy Benac for the assistance she provided before leaving office in mid-November.

“Betsy Benac was the key person that helped drive it through and we really appreciate it,” Swallow said.

“It was good timing,” Benac said. “We knew that everyone was trying to get food out to the community, the money was available and we had a great organization in Mayors Feed the Hungry.”

Benac thanked Deputy County Administrator Karen Stewart for her assistance.

“It’s not easy to get that amount of money out in a short time. It really takes a lot of legwork, but they got it done,” Benac said of the county staff.

Benac also noted that the deadline to apply for and receive CARES Act funds has been extended into this year.

Shirley Pearson, executive director of the Mt. Carmel Community Resource Center Palmetto, attended Thursday’s check presentation.

“I’m truly grateful to Commissioner Benac for all the help and support she gave us to get these funds. I’m truly grateful to her and the county for what they did because it helps so many people in our community. When I think about it, tears almost come to my eyes,” Pearson said in regard to the CARES Act funds distributed countywide.

Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy played a key role in getting the Roser Food Pantry and All Island Denominations added to the list of organizations eligible for Mayors Feed the Hungry funding assistance.

“There’s never been any of the Island charities included in the Mayors Feed the Hungry. I thought it was important that people knew we have a need out here on the Island and it would be good to channel some of the funds out here to Anna Maria. I’m really pleased we were able to accomplish that,” Murphy said.

“This is great not only for the food pantry but also for All Island Denominations. Both of those agencies do a tremendous job of helping the people that live and work here on the Island who have been impacted by COVID. I thank Mayors Feed the Hungry for including the Island and making life for our less fortunate people easier and a little bit better. A lot of people think it’s nothing but wealthy people living out here, but that just simply isn’t the case. We have a lot of people that need help,” Murphy said.

All Island Denominations’ (AID) President Cornelia Zanetti shared her thoughts on the $3,000 that the organization received.

“This has helped A.I.D. help Anna Maria Elementary school, because we have already spent $2,200 for Christmas helping the families, the employees and other people here in the community. We pay the bills for electric, mortgages, rents and we coordinate with Jack to get the food. We thank everybody in the community who sends up donations to help the poor and the needy here on Anna Maria Island, and we sure do have those people in need,” Zanetti said.

Food pantry programs

Speaking last, Brennan said, “I think it’s going to help a lot, especially since we can use portions of the money in 2021. That was important to me. This is going to boost the Sponsored Food Recipient Program we have,” Brennan said.

Serving as an extension of Roser Memorial Community Church and the Roser Food Pantry, the Sponsored Food Recipient Program provides a monthly allowance of Publix gift cards to those struggling to make ends meet.

Each anonymous individual or family that receives Sponsored Food Recipient Program support is sponsored by a church member who assesses their need and determines their monthly assistance.

Brennan said the church and the food pantry spend approximately $4,000 per month on the Sponsored Food Recipient Program. He said the food pantry spends between $12,000 and $18,000 a year purchasing food to supplement the food donated by the community.

If you or someone you know needs Roser Food Pantry assistance, please call 941-778-0414.

If you or someone you know needs All Island Denominations assistance, please call 941-725-2433.

Sebring appointed to Anna Maria Commission

Written by Joe Hendricks on December 6, 2020. Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – Doris “Deanie” Sebring is now an Anna Maria City Commissioner.

Anna Maria resident Sharon Wisniewski also applied to serve the two-year commission term vacated by Commissioner Amy Tripp when she moved to North Carolina earlier this year after qualifying to run unopposed in the November election.

Sebring’s appointment took place during the commission’s Thursday, Dec. 3 organizational meeting at which Commissioner Mark Short and Mayor Dan Murphy were first sworn into their new two-year terms in office after running unopposed. Commissioner Carol Carter was then appointed to serve as commission chair for another year, with Short serving as vice-chair.

Before the vacant commission seat was filled, Sebring and Wisniewski had five minutes each to address the commission.

Going first, and accompanied by her diabetic-alert dog Humphrey, Sebring said she and her husband, Tripp, moved to Anna Maria four years ago.

“We chose to move here and build our forever home because we love the feel of the city, the quaintness of the small, hometown businesses and the feeling of being safe. I have no hidden agenda or political interests other than to serve the community,” she said.

“Anna Maria is a major tourist destination. While I knew that when I moved here, I also understand that we can’t let tourists’ interests overpower the interests of the people who call Anna Maria home. There has to be a healthy balance between tourism and businesses and the residents,” Sebring said.

Sebring said she supports the home rule rights the commission has thus far managed to preserve, despite the annual challenges from the state legislature.

“I feel it’s important to have local authority over rentals. You cannot effectively rule when you’re so far removed,” Sebring said.

“I also would like to continue the progress the city has made with regards to sidewalks. In a beach community that is mainly a walking town, I think sidewalks are a necessity. Not to mention, motorists are trying to dodge huge potholes and maneuver flooded streets. I’d like to find a way to make our streets safer for residents and our visitors and I do have ideas for that,” Sebring said.

Sebring said she grew up in Louisiana and helped run the family business. At the age of 18, she moved to California and began working in the accounting department of an automobile dealership that later named her general manager.

When she was 32, she moved to Tampa, opened her own business and developed a clientele that consisted of more than 550 auto dealerships throughout the United States. In doing so, she invented and marketed an email- and Q-code-based database as part of a lost key recovery program utilized by consumers and auto dealerships at a time when people were still leery of sharing their email addresses.

“While running my business in Tampa, I raised three children on my own. I was board member of the garden club in the historic south Tampa district and was a key member of the fundraising team. I wrote for the magazine Hyde Parking Living. I’ve written two children’s books and I’ve done the children’s circuit for Barnes & Noble. Since moving to the Island, I have been active with the Anna Maria Garden Club,” Sebring said.

“I’m organized, I’m dependable, I’m dedicated and up for the task. I love this island as much as anyone here in this room and I want to preserve the beauty, the character and quaintness that brought me and my family here to remain forever,” Sebring said.

Wisniewski’s qualifications

Wisniewski said her husband’s family ties on Anna Maria Island date back to the 1950s.

“We love living here and we currently live in the house my husband’s grandfather built in 1959,” she said.

Wisniewski said their daughter and son-in-law are the owners/operators of the Pizza Social restaurant on Pine Avenue.

“I was a commissioned officer in the United States Army for 31 years. I retired as a full colonel. We retired in 2014 and became full-time residents here in Anna Maria in 2015,” she said.

Wisniewski said her military service provided her with a wide range of experience and knowledge regarding budgets, facilities, personnel, staffing, recruiting and more.

“My background is human resource management, but as an officer, you’re often asked to do things out of your comfort zone. I’ve managed budgets from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars,” she said.

She also said she managed upwards of 350 people at a time who were dispersed over a wide geographic area.

Appointment made

After the applicants spoke, Murphy said, “We are very fortunate as a city, and as a municipal government, to have two very highly qualified candidates to consider for this position. You have such unique and fantastic backgrounds, both of you.”

Carter, Short and commissioners Jon Crane and Joe Muscatello were then asked to rank Sebring and Wisniewski as their first and second choices. Crane, Muscatello and Short ranked Sebring as their first choice. Carter ranked Wisniewski as her first choice and the appointment went to Sebring.

Abandoned sailboat removal still awaited

Written by Joe Hendricks on October 4, 2020. Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – Mayor Dan Murphy is frustrated with the lack of action regarding the removal of a derelict sailboat southeast of the new City Pier.

The large, multi-hulled, partially sunken sailboat has been grounded in that location since mid-December.

On Thursday, Oct. 1, Murphy sent city commissioners and County Administrator Cheri Coryea an email update on the removal process that involves the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the West Coast Inland Navigation District (WCIND).

“We still do not have a date for removal of the derelict vessel in the water near South Bay (Boulevard) and the pier. I have asked our lobbyist (Chip Case) to escalate this issue to Gov. DeSantis’ office for resolution. I feel an inquiry from his office is necessary to clear up a bureaucratic mess of no one being responsible for removal, and no sense of urgency among any of the officials involved,” Murphy’s email said.

Earlier that day, Murphy emailed FWC Public Information Officer Adam Brown in response to a phone conversation they had the previous day.

“Per our discussion, it is my understanding that although money has been allocated for this project, FWC still does not have a firm date as to when the derelict vessel can be removed. Please be advised and pass on to those involved in this process that this is a very serious matter and the vessel, since December of 2019, has continued to pose a threat to our pier and our beaches in the city of Anna Maria. It would appear that the vessel is now leaking oil and fuel into Tampa Bay and contaminating our beach. Please provide us with a firm date of removal,” Murphy said in his email to Brown.

When contacted by The Sun via email late Thursday afternoon, Brown wrote, “I received notification yesterday from the West Coast Inland Navigation District that a removal bid was accepted and approved by the FWC Division of Boating Waterways. A final approval from the FWC legal office is needed to allow WCIND to remove the vessel. Once we receive that approval, WCIND will contact us with a date and time of removal.

“Regarding the derelict vessel investigation, the FWC does not remove derelict vessels from area waterways. After a law enforcement investigation involving the FWC’s Division of Law Enforcement or local law enforcement agency is complete, we work with municipalities and navigational districts to assist them with derelict vessel removal grant funding, but removal is ultimately performed by the area municipality or district, if they so choose, and if the vessel owner does not remove it themselves,” Brown’s email to The Sun said.

“The derelict vessel adjudication and removal process can be lengthy and can include multiple court hearings and court orders in order to finally remove a vessel from state waters. The FWC makes every effort to work with the vessel owners to have them either remove the vessel from state waters themselves or return it to non-derelict status to minimize the cost to taxpayers,” Brown wrote.

When previously contacted by The Sun on Sept. 16, Brown said, “I’ve reached out to our derelict vessel coordinator and was told the required 35-day waiting period necessary to give the registered owner an opportunity to remove the vessel will have elapsed on Friday, Sept. 18. With that being the case, we have also reached out to staff with WCIND (West Coast Inland Navigation District) and confirmed that they too are aware of this timeframe and are taking the proper steps to proceed with removal if the registered owners have not taken action before Friday. Sometimes the bidding process for removal and the removal itself can take some time, but I feel confident this is something that will take priority and I hope you will see movement beginning next week.”

Anna Maria mayor issues two mask-related orders

Anna Maria mayor issues two face mask orders

Written by Joe Hendricks on October 2, 2020. Posted in Anna Maria, Community News, Featured.

ANNA MARIA – Mayor Dan Murphy issued two new emergency orders today regarding COVID-19 and face coverings.

One order serves notice that an individual who refuses to wear a face mask or face covering inside a business or at a special event can be cited for trespassing on that property. Another order makes masks or face coverings mandatory in or at certain city properties.

Order #86 includes the title: “Granting businesses and special events the right to require face mask use and with trespass enforcement for non-compliance.”

The order notes it was issued pursuant to the authority Murphy has as the mayor of Anna Maria.

The order took effect the same day.

“I hereby declare that every business or special event held in the city of Anna Maria may, at the business’s or special event designee’s discretion, require the wearing of a facemask as a condition of being in/at the business’s or special event premises,” Order #86 says.

Murphy issued the order one week after Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order, EO 20-244, that now prohibits local governments from fining or otherwise penalizing an individual who violates a local COVID-19 mandate or order – including those pertaining to masks and face coverings.

Murphy’s order provides for an alternate means of enforcement in the wake of DeSantis’ order.

“At the request of a business/special event representative or designee, a law enforcement officer of the city of Anna Maria may trespass a person who refuses to wear a face mask at that business/special event premises and enforce that trespass order as to complaining business/special event,” Order #86 says.

“This order shall be reviewed by the undersigned to determine whether it is needed to protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Anna Maria no less often than once every seven days, if deemed to be still needed, shall be extended for additional periods of no more than seven days at a time,” the order says.

Second order requires masks

On Wednesday, Sept. 30, Murphy issued order #85, which includes the title, “Requiring face mask use and social distancing at certain city facilities.”

The order took effect the following day.

“In a further effort to reduce the potential spread of the deadly COVID-19, I hereby declare that every person, when in the following city locations – Anna Maria City Hall, City Hall Annex, City Pier Park – during a city-sponsored event, such as the farmers market, shall properly wear a face covering and maintain social distancing from other persons, excluding family members or companions,” Order #85 says.

The order makes no reference to the new City Pier across the street from City Pier Park.

According to Order #85, facial coverings are not required at city facilities for persons under the age of 2 years old, persons for whom a face covering would cause impairment due to an existing health condition, persons working in a city location who do not have interactions with other persons and persons working in a city location when all interactions with others is done with social distancing as recommended by the CDC.”

Regarding enforcement, Order #85 says, “Persons violating this order shall be subject to removal from the city location.”

The order notes it shall be reviewed and renewed or allowed to expire every seven days.

Murphy issued Order #85 one day after Manatee County commissioners repealed the county face-covering mandate that did not apply in Anna Maria because the mayor issued an emergency order in late June that required face masks inside many Anna Maria businesses.

The city’s mask order carried a $50 fine until DeSantis issued his Phase 3 reopening order on Friday, Sept. 25 – an order Murphy said rendered the city’s original face-covering order unenforceable.

Anna Maria extends mandatory mask order

Written by Joe Hendricks on July 2, 2020. Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

Updated July 3, 2020 – ANNA MARIA – Mayor Dan Murphy and the Anna Maria City Commission have extended the city’s mandatory mask order for another seven days.

The emergency mask order originally enacted on June 25 as City Order #33 was amended during a special commission meeting Thursday morning. The amended order, City Order #36, is now posted at the city website.

Similar to the original mask order, the amended and extended order only applies to certain indoor places. But City Order #36 also includes new recommendations regarding outdoor waiting areas and vacation rentals.

“Every person working, living, visiting or doing business in the city of Anna Maria shall wear a face covering in any indoor location, other than their home or residence, when not maintaining social distancing from other persons, excluding family members or companions,” the amended order says.

The order lists the following exceptions:

Children under the age of two years;
People for whom a face covering would cause impairment due to an existing health condition;
People working in a business or profession who do not have interactions with other people;
People working in an office when all interactions with others are done with social distancing as recommended by the CDC;
People eating and/or drinking at a restaurant; provided, however, that face coverings must otherwise be worn in restaurants.

City Order #36 includes new language that says, “Businesses are requested to strongly encourage face coverings and social distancing for customers and persons waiting in line outdoors for service. Also, vacation rental owners and management companies are requested to give out informational material, such as a copy of this order, to each of their vacation rental customers upon check-in.”

A violation of the mask order is punishable by a code enforcement citation that carries a $50 fine per violation. During Thursday’s meeting, Murphy said no citations had been issued for mask violations to date and the city had not received any complaints about non-compliance.

When Thursday’s discussion began, Murphy addressed expanding the order to include outdoor public spaces.

“It’s very difficult for me to tell you that you have to stay 6 feet away from your husband or your wife or your child while you’re on vacation outdoors in the state of Florida. I think it would be nice if everybody wore face masks, but I don’t think we can infringe upon people’s personal rights that much. And I know we can’t enforce it. I think it’s going too far,” Murphy said.

Outdoor waiting areas

The new language regarding outdoor waiting areas arose from concerns raised by commissioners Jon Crane and Mark Short, based on what they’ve seen outside some restaurants and other food establishments, including ice cream shops.

Crane suggested expanding the mask order to include outdoor waiting areas, but the commission did not go that far.

Commissioner Joe Muscatello asked if the city was going to encourage that masks be worn on the City Pier. The commission did not address the pier in its amended mask order, but Murphy said free masks are available at the pier entryway when the pier is open.

Commissioner Amy Tripp agreed with Crane and Short, but said enforcement of the outdoor waiting areas would be challenging. She recommended calling on business owners and patrons to use common sense instead.

Muscatello shared feedback he received from business owners.

“They don’t want to see a shutdown and they would go along with anything we came up with that was helpful,” he said.

Muscatello also provided personal perspective as a city resident.

“We seem to be so focused on the tourists. I think our first priority ought to be the residents. I pay a hell of a lot of property taxes to live here and I’m afraid to go to my own beach. We are here to serve the 1,500 people who live here and not the 40,000 people who come here to visit. I feel like a prisoner in my own home,” he said.

Commission Chair Carol Carter suggested the non-binding language regarding outdoor waiting areas. She said face coverings in waiting areas not only protect patrons, but they protect the employees too.

“When we heard about places that closed, it’s been because an employee has shown signs of being infected with COVID,” Short added.

Regarding outdoor waiting areas, Murphy said, “The message should be we don’t want to legislate something – and that we will if we have to. The onus is at the point of contact at the restaurant itself to make sure this is done, not city hall.”

Under the local state of emergency, Murphy has the authority to extend the mask order every seven days without calling a special commission meeting to do so.

Murphy said the updated mask order would be emailed to business owners and vacation rental owners and agents.

To assist businesses, the city is offering free signs that reference the mask order. To request those signs email depclerk@cityofannamaria.com.

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