Skip to main content

Tag: DeSantis

Bradenton Anna Maria Island Longboat Key

TDC recommends opening vacation rentals

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Business, Tourism.

MANATEE COUNTY – The Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) took the first step on Monday to reopen vacation rentals countywide, including on Anna Maria Island.

TDC Chair and Manatee County Commissioner Misty Servia persuaded fellow TDC members to recommend that Manatee County commissioners remove the COVID-19 prohibition on short-term vacation rentals.

Under Gov. Ron DeSantis’ plan effective Monday, county commissioners can submit a plan to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation for approval to allow short-term vacation rental properties to reopen to guests. The plan would likely require working with owners and managers of vacation rentals to come up with strategies to meet the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) requirements for disinfecting and cleaning of units between guests.

Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), said that he’s been working with other west coast Florida county leaders to help develop a plan for vacation rentals that would provide some consistency for owners and visitors.

Servia added that coordination with the leaders of the three Anna Maria Island cities, where many of the county’s short-term rentals are located, would be a key component to success. Falcione said that no matter what plan is enacted, it will be up to the city leaders to oversee the operation of the vacation rental properties.

Local vacation rental owners who spoke during public comment said they are ready to reopen their units to visitors and are willing to abide by any necessary regulations to keep their properties safe for renters.

The recommendation passed in a unanimous vote. Members Ed Chiles, an Island restaurateur, and Wayne Poston, mayor of Bradenton, were absent from the meeting.

Marketing during COVID-19

The new short-term marketing recovery plan, debuted by Falcione and Dave DiMaggio, has two implementation phases. Phase one involves bringing visitors in from drivable markets, including Tampa, St. Petersburg, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Broward counties and Atlanta with plans to expand the advertising area up as far north as Memphis and Nashville and as far west as New Orleans.

Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Broward counties are the worst three counties in the state for COVID-19, with nearly 27,000 cases, according to the Florida Department of Health.

Manatee County has 867 cases as of Monday.

DiMaggio said that when deciding which markets to spend advertising dollars in, the overall health of the area and whether it’s a COVID-19 hotspot will be considered first along with how economically stable the target markets are.

The second phase involves bringing airline passengers back to the area. DiMaggio said that the success of phase two involves coordinating and sharing data with local airports, including Tampa International Airport and Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. For some of this data, he said he would be looking closely at the information provided by Anne Wittine of Research Data Services, the county’s tourism consultant, to see how comfortable people feel about travel and flying to their vacation destinations.

Wittine presented the results of a travel sentiment pulse poll which showed numbers trending upward over the past two weeks toward people being more comfortable with travel and ready to take a vacation. While 52% of the people polled are concerned about reopening the state too quickly, Wittine said that 15.9% of people say that travel is essential to them and they’re ready to get back out there. Of the people who participated in the poll, Wittine said she’s seeing a trend toward people’s intent to travel increasing in the late summer months, specifically July. She added that of the people willing to travel, 78.2% of them feel most comfortable traveling by car, which lines up with the first phase of the TDC’s new marketing plan.

DiMaggio said the second phase includes continuing to target drivers and targeting fliers from the Midwest and northeast of the United States.

He said he expects that some segments of the market will be slower to recover, including people who travel for sporting events, work conferences and travelers from the United Kingdom and Central Europe.

Falcione said that he would be utilizing a month-to-month budget approach, periodically re-evaluating how and where the CVB’s limited advertising budget is spent to determine where those funds will have the most impact to help get the local tourism economy back up and running.

The TDC next meets June 15 at the Bradenton Area Convention Center in Palmetto.

Related coverage

DeSantis expands reopening plans, opens door for vacation rentals

DeSantis: Restaurants, retail can open; vacation rentals cannot

Mayor issues executive order for vacation rentals

County commissioners extend curfew and reopen boat ramps

County commissioners extend curfew, reopen boat ramps

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – On Friday, Manatee County commissioners voted to extend the countywide curfew for another seven days and reopen the county’s public boat ramps on Monday.

As part of Manatee County’s ongoing response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, commissioners and county officials met this afternoon in a virtual emergency meeting, participating remotely.

The commission voted 4-3 in favor of reopening the Manatee County-owned and operated public boat ramps.

Commissioners Vanessa Baugh, Reggie Bellamy, Misty Servia and Priscilla Trace supported reopening the boat ramps that were previously closed on March 26 by Public Safety Director Jake Saur.

Commissioners Betsy Benac, Steve Jonsson and Carol Whitmore opposed reopening the boat ramps. Whitmore said all the mayors in Manatee County that she spoke with did not want the boat ramps reopened yet.

During Friday’s meeting, the commission majority first decided to reopen the county boat ramps on Sunday, but Trace proposed they be reopened on Monday instead, so county staff didn’t have to work on Easter Sunday.

Once the county boat ramps are reopened at 3 p.m. on Monday, they will be open to all boaters, including recreational boaters, charter fishermen and commercial fishermen.

The Monday timetable means the county boat ramps will not be open to recreational boaters and charter captains during the Easter weekend. The Coquina South boat ramp in Bradenton Beach and the Riverside Boat Ramp in Palmetto will remain open to commercial fishermen this weekend.

Curfew extended

The commission also voted 5-2 in favor of extending the amended countywide curfew, effective between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., for seven more days.

Commissioners Bellamy, Benac, Servia, Trace and Whitmore supported extending an amended version of the countywide curfew that was first adopted and enacted on Friday, April 3. Commissioners Baugh and Jonsson opposed the curfew when it was adopted and on Friday they opposed extending it.

Unlike the original curfew, the amended and extended curfew will no longer apply to gatherings that occur outdoors at private residences.

On April 7, the Sarasota chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sent a letter to the Manatee County Commission that expressed concerns about county resolution R-20-053 – the resolution that first enacted the curfew.

“First, the resolution patently restricts groups of individuals – even if related by kinship – from gathering at exterior spaces on their own property. We see no reasonable basis for permitting families to gather inside their homes, but broadly prohibiting them from gathering on porches or in yards,” the ACLU letter said.

“Second, the resolution patently and disproportionately puts homeless persons at risk of detainment. There is simply no way for people who live on the streets to be in compliance with the law between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.,” the ACLU letter also said.

As adopted on Friday, April 10, via county resolution R-20-056, the curfew provisions have now been amended to address the concerns expressed by the ACLU.

During Friday’s meeting, County Attorney Mickey Palmer said he received an email from ACLU board member Michael Barfield earlier that afternoon in which Barfield expressed the ACLU’s support for the proposed amended curfew resolution.

County commissioners extend curfew and reopen boat ramps
County Attorney Mickey Palmer explains the changes made to the amended curfew resolution. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Palmer also noted the amended curfew no longer contains the specific curfew exceptions included in the original curfew resolution – exceptions that included traveling for work, traveling to secure food or supplies, checking in on a loved one or walking your dog.

“All of those items, A through H, have been removed and it now simply reads: ‘A curfew is established effective immediately for all of Manatee County. All pedestrian and vehicular movement, standing and parking – except for persons engaged in essential services or essential activities as those terms are defined in governor’s Executive Order, 20-91 – are prohibited during curfew hours,” Palmer told the commission.

Section 3 of EO 20-91 includes the header “Essential Activities” and says, “For purposes of this order and the conduct it limits, ‘essential activities’ means and encompasses the following:

  • Attending religious services conducted in churches, synagogues and houses of worship;
  • Participating in recreational activities – consistent with social distancing guidelines – such as walking, biking, hiking, fishing, hunting, running or swimming:
  • Taking care of pets;
  • Caring for or otherwise assisting a loved one or friend.”

EO 20-91 says, “A social gathering in a public space is not an essential activity. Local jurisdictions shall ensure that groups of people greater than 10 are not permitted to congregate in any public space.”

The amended curfew remains in effect seven days a week, from 11 p.m. until 5 a.m.

“The hours have not changed from the last resolution, but this go-around we are focusing on essential services and essential activities as defined by the governor in his executive order,” Palmer said.

Regarding the first week of curfew enforcement, Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells said his deputies have not issued any orders to appear in court or arrested anyone for violating the county curfew or the governor’s executive order that pertains to essential businesses, services and activities.

Instead, deputies and law enforcement officers in Manatee County will continue educating county residents and visitors on the need to adhere to the governor’s order and the county curfew.

“We are following the governor’s executive order. The governor’s executive order is a ‘stay at home’ order, not a ‘stay at home if you want to’ order. Whether it’s 2 p.m. or 2 a.m., the governor’s order is clear: if you are not traveling for essential services or activities you are to stay at home,” Wells said.

DeSantis’ EO 20-91 is scheduled to expire on April 30.

Wells also addressed the request to remove the original curfew language that provided law enforcement officers in Manatee County the authority to enforce curfew restrictions on private residential properties.

Wells said family members that have been isolated from one another lately may want to spend time together during the Easter holiday.

“We didn’t want them to worry about law enforcement coming to their homes,” Wells said.

Reel Time: A new direction for Florida’s marine environment

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Archives.

At a press conference Jan. 10 at Mote Marine Laboratory, Florida’s new Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, announced some sweeping changes to the way his administration will handle Florida’s mounting water crisis.

The actions announced in the first two days of his term have been heralded by anglers, environmentalists and many Democrats. In an executive order signed that same day, DeSantis indicated he would be expanding efforts by increasing environmental funding, relying on sound science and pushing for quick action on Everglades area restoration.

In another action, he requested the resignation of the entire South Florida Water Management District board.

The specifics of the order call for $2.5 billion over the next four years for Everglades restoration and water resource protection, a $1 billion increase over what was spent the prior four years. Other key features include the creation of the Office of Environmental Accountability and Transparency and the Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection, both within the Department of Environmental Protection.

I think it’s important to applaud the governor for these long overdue actions while keeping a close eye on what follows with the Republican-controlled Legislature that has been closely aligned with agricultural interests that have been blamed for much of the runoff that may be fueling both the red tide and blue-green algae.

reel time DeSantis
Gov. Ron DeSantis announces his resolve to follow through with his campaign promise to address Florida’s water crisis. He is flanked by, from left, Mote’s Dr. Michael Crosby and Hell’s Bay Boat Company owner Chris Peterson. – Rusty Chinnis | Sun

My main concern is the apparent change of course for a politician who, as a senator, consistently voted against sound environmental policy. True, DeSantis made the environment of Florida and the much-publicized red tide and blue-green algae threat the centerpiece of his campaign and is apparently following through with that promise. Looking for a valid explanation one doesn’t have to go too far. While all red tides are bad for businesses on Florida’s west coast (and occasionally the east coast), this episode finally got the attention it deserves as influential businesses, including developers, real estate agents and the $82 billion-dollar tourist industry felt the impact. While these actions are long overdue and the right thing to do, it’s also a wise political move.

I’ve fished local waters since the early 80s and have seen firsthand the slow but steady decline of many of our fisheries. True, there have been some bright spots as local governments have worked to control storm and sewage releases, and groups like the Coastal Conservation Association have lobbied for change.

But a look at Florida’s history really brings home the extent of what we’re losing and what has been lost. This past year, books I’ve read have helped me see the place where I’ve lived for four decades with new eyes. Jack Davis’ “Gulf, The Making of An American Sea,” Michael Grundwald’s “The Swamp, The Everglades, Florida, and The Politics of Paradise” and “A Land Remembered” by Patrick D. Smith, showed me a once-resplendent Florida that few can imagine.

It’s an age-old problem as people have come to Florida over the decades and are enchanted by its natural beauty. Compared to other more compromised areas of the country some see no problem in sacrificing a few mangroves and natural habitat in the name of progress. When we have lived here for a while, we begin to see the effects of this gradual compromise as new residents arrive not having that same experience.

It’s unfortunate that the environment had to get to the condition it’s in to effect change, but maybe this time will be different. All Floridians should applaud the governor and support him in efforts to protect our water, air and natural assets. We should also be vigilant and hold our politicians to the task of protecting our most valuable assets. Stay tuned!

More Reel Time:

Reel Time: The miracle of Matlacha

Reel Time: Sarasota Bay seagrasses take a big hit

Reel Time: Kids for Clean Water