BRADENTON BEACH – City Commission candidates Ralph Cole, Marilyn Maro, Tjet Martin and John Metz recently shared their thoughts on their campaigns and the issues the City Commission deals with.
Cole and Maro currently serve on the commission, and Martin and Metz are trying to unseat them.
– Joe Hendricks | Sun
Some of the candidate’s answers to The Sun’s questions ran in last week’s issue and here are some more of the candidates’ views.
What qualifications and experience do you/would you bring to the commission?
Cole: I’ve been a commissioner for three years. I chair the CRA, I’m a property owner, I’m a business owner, I’ve been a resident for 39 years and my father was mayor.
Maro: I’ve been a commissioner and CRA member for two years. I’ve been in business, and I’ve taught intercity vocational education. I listen well, and I think before I act.
Martin: I know our ruling documents. I was Scenic WAVES chair getting projects completed. I have regularly participated in city matters. I am an independent thinker.
Metz: Doctor of Laws degree, three-plus years on the Planning and Zoning Board, 10 years on the city of Oceanside Beach and Harbor Advisory committee with five years as chairperson and managing two successful businesses.
What are your thoughts on the commission’s 2018-19 fiscal year budget?
Cole: I’ve done three budgets, and we’ve been going in the right direction. We’ve got stability, we’re not going broke and our staff does a really good job with the budget.
Maro: We’ve done an excellent job on the budget, and we’re in real good shape.
Martin: I have concerns that it will be a balanced budget. I don’t think there was enough money allocated for neighborhood improvements.
Metz: No tax increase is needed or should occur.
If you could complete one city and/or CRA project in the next two years what would it be?
Cole: The undergrounding of the power lines on Bridge Street, finishing the day dock, adding finger docks and creating a living shoreline.
Maro: The underground wiring, the design vision of Emily Anne Smith and the seagrass mitigation near the pier.
Martin: Improvements at Katie Pierola Park and the anchorage in the CRA district.
Metz: Mooring field.
Should the City Commission retain the sole authority to hire and fire department heads and the charter officials that include the city clerk, city attorney and police chief?
Cole: If we allowed a city manager to hire and fire our city department heads or anybody else, every two years we could end up with new staff. Right now, we have good stability, and we know what we’re working with.
Maro: Yes. I think it should be a group decision made by the commission.
Martin: Not as a whole, but together with city manager recommendations.
Metz: No.
What thoughts do you have on the still pending Sunshine Law lawsuit the commission filed against six former city advisory board members in 2017?
(Metz and Martin are among the six defendants named in the lawsuit that alleges Sunshine Law violations were committed by Planning and Zoning Board and Scenic WAVES Committee members.)
Cole: I didn’t ask any of our advisory board members to go out and have meetings outside of city hall. I felt that when CNOBB did their charter amendment initiatives I couldn’t participate in those meetings without fear of breaking the Sunshine Law. I believe the transparency of the Sunshine Law is very serious.
Maro: That’s up to the judge and the attorneys.
Martin: The commission should have followed resolution 16-853 that deals with board and committee members, or the state ethics commission could have done the investigation.
Metz: The case should never have been brought and will cause financial loss to the city. The situation was totally mismanaged, misjudged and such drastic measures against volunteers was avoidable.
If elected, how would being a defendant in the lawsuit impact your ability to serve as a commissioner?
Martin: It wouldn’t.
Metz: None. I would recuse myself on any vote about it.
If elected, would you seek a commission vote to dismiss the lawsuit or would you want the case to move forward so a judge can determine if the alleged Sunshine violations occurred?
Martin: I want the case to be settled as quickly as possible.
Metz: I would recuse myself on any vote concerning it.
BRADENTON BEACH – Incumbent commissioners Ralph Cole and Marilyn Maro, former Scenic WAVES Committee chair Tjet Martin and former Planning and Zoning Board member John Metz are competing for the two at-large commission seats to be decided in the upcoming city elections.
In lieu of a candidate’s forum, all four candidates were provided with a list of campaign questions. These are some of the questions and answers, with more to come as part of The Sun’s ongoing campaign coverage.
Why do you want to serve on the Bradenton Beach City Commission?
Cole: “Because I don’t agree with the direction two of my opponents want to take our city in.”
Maro: “I want to serve another term to keep our projects moving forward.”
Martin: “To give the residents a stronger voice and focus on their needs and our environmental and safety issues.”
Metz: “To create a better experience for our residents by focusing on their needs and goals, rather than on the commercialization of our city.”
Metz – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Do you support the candidacy of any other candidate?
Cole: “Yes, I support Marilyn.”
Maro: “Yes, but I’m not going to say who it is.”
Martin: “Yes, John Metz.”
Metz: “Yes, Tjet Martin.”
What have you accomplished during your current term in office?
Cole: “We passed legislation so you can’t put a multi-level, stand-alone parking structure in any part of the city; we’re working on our drainage issues and we made good policies for the CRA.”
Maro: “I kept the building moratorium going for more than a year. I’m the liaison for the cell tower and Scenic WAVES. I listened carefully and made good and fair decisions.”
Martin – Joe Hendricks | Sun
If elected, what would you do differently than the current commissioners?
Martin: “I will stay on top of projects that come before us. I want to make sure they get done correctly.”
Metz: “Focus on our residents’ needs and infrastructure to provide a better living experience to retain our residents and their quality of life.”
What are the most important issues facing the commission in the next two years?
Cole: “Drainage improvements, keeping our employees, maintaining the character of our city and protecting our city charter that’s been under attack from people trying to change it.”
Maro: “Improving the drainage and roads, upgrading our city buildings, staying on point and getting along as a commission.”
Martin: “Our residents’ quality of life. Better oversight of expenses and projects.”
Metz: “Restoring and reinforcing the residential quality of life in the city.”
What are the most important issues facing the CRA in the next two years?
Cole: “The undergrounding of the power lines and finishing the day dock.”
Maro: “The underground wiring, the design vision of Emily Anne Smith and seagrass mitigation near the pier.”
Martin: “Anchorage control, safety on Gulf Drive, better resident representation in the distribution of funds.”
Metz: “Mooring field.”
Cole – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Do you think the city should hire a city manager?
Cole: “Not at this time. I think it would destabilize our city.”
Maro: “Definitely not.”
Martin: “Yes, we need an impartial professional who lays out all options and follows our laws – someone who knows how to write contracts, get grants and avoid lawsuits.”
Metz: “Yes.”
What thoughts do you have on the charter amendments proposed by the Charter Review Committee?
Cole: “When you’re going to change your charter, do it in the Sunshine at city hall and get public input. This group did a good job, and they came out wanting to put the four wards back in. I support that.”
Maro: “I like the ward system. It keeps the power balanced.”
Martin: “I think the CRC was rushed. I don’t think the process was independently thought out.”
Metz: “Maintain at-large elections, not wards, and maintain (create) a city manager form of government.”
Maro – Joe Hendricks | Sun
How would assess the city’s drainage projects and what more should be done to address flooding?
Cole: “We have to make sure whatever we do works, is maintainable without a big tax burden and is appealing. Fixing the outfalls into the bay and installing more WaStop valves would help. When you get torrential downpours you need that overflow so it doesn’t back up into people’s houses and yards. And we have to address standing water so we don’t have mosquito problems.”
Maro: “The stormwater projects are moving along, but it’s going to take time. It’s getting better, and we have a good engineer. We’re going to restore the driveways on Avenue C, and I recommended those property owners not have to pay for those permits.”
Martin: “Poor. Fix the residential areas. Bridge Street is a mess when it rains because of the project that was done and now must be fixed. Again.”
Metz: “The projects have generally failed and have not been maintained.”
Do you feel the Transient Public Lodging Establishment (vacation rental) ordinance has been effective in addressing concerns about vacation rentals in residential neighborhoods?
Cole: “The state made it very difficult for local governments that did not have the wherewithal to prohibit rentals of less than 30 days in residential areas before 2011. All we can do now is regulate for noise, trash and parking, and we haven’t had any Bert Harris claims.”
Maro: “The TPLE is working, but it’s going to take time. It’s given everyone a better understanding of our citizens’ rights.”
Martin: “No, to this day on opposite ends of the city I get people telling me there are large parties.”
Metz: “No.”
What more can be done?
Cole: “We all knew we may have to tweak our ordinance and we probably will.”
Maro: “We’re going to have to get together with the realtors that manage them because I think that’s where the problem lies. We need to have more input from the people that are renting them out.”
Martin: “Task the planner and the Planning and Zoning Board to look into additional regulations. More enforcement of the TPLE.”
Metz: “Reinstate the moratorium and reduce house size or capacity. Enforce the existing noise and trash laws.”
As I watch this election season come upon us, I do so with disbelief as to the way this city’s police and code officers are again the target for attacks.
They work extremely hard to keep this city safe and should be applauded for their actions to protect Holmes Beach residents and visitors.
I believe the Holmes Beach Police Department and its police and code officers should be recognized for its proactive actions: distributing window clings and informative security fliers, as well as personally knocking on doors in the target areas, reminding people they are vacationing in a residential area and that noise should be kept to a respectful level.
I believe facts support our actions, and people are seeing a positive difference in their neighborhoods — a remarkable decrease in calls for service in the targeted area. In one year, the outreach program has shown a decrease in calls for service of 75 percent.
This outreach program is working!
Through proactive, high visibility policing, the HBPD has reduced crime, while increasing traffic enforcement and arrests, including high profile arrests, such as the recent home invasion burglary and attack of a resident.
Some say Holmes Beach is a little sleepy town with no crime. And yes, almost all of Holmes Beach residents are wonderful law-abiding citizens, but we also have unwelcome visitors. This is evident in the increase in arrests from 121 in 2012 to 400 arrests in 2017 — a 230 percent increase in five years.
Holmes Beach is increasingly becoming a very popular place to live and vacation, which results in the city being an ideal target for criminals.
The Holmes Beach Police Department has implemented and improved community outreach with National Night Out, Coffee with a Cop, Rascal program, RADKids – a self-empowerment for kids program – House watch program and joint functions with other agencies. For a small department, I’m proud of our accomplishments.
It’s my hope that this election year, we all look at the positive advancements that have been accomplished in a very short period, and avoid calling out easy targets: the hard-working professionals that proudly serve as members of the Holmes Beach Police Department and code enforcement.
HOLMES BEACH – Mayoral candidates Joshua Linney and Judy Titsworth are ready for the November election. The two took to the dais at city hall to answer questions from Sun readers during the 2018 candidate forum held Sept. 19.
Abbreviated answers to some questions from the forum are below but, to hear all the questions, answers and rebuttals, visit The Sun’s social media page.
In your opinion, what is the job of the mayor?
Linney: “The job of the mayor is to dutifully execute the will of the commission and represent the city in a legal capacity. I think that I am pretty much trying to mimic that now without even having been elected.”
Titsworth: “The mayor is the chief executive officer of the city and he’s administrator of all the city affairs as it relates to our city charter. He’s a leader and it’s important that he’s a responsive leader and that he speaks with the residents, the businesses, embraces the commission and their legislative duties and administrates the staff effectively.”
How do you think the three Island mayors can work together to better address common issues?
Linney: “Well I think it’s very important that we work together.”
Titsworth: “I’ve seen a lot of improvement and I want to thank them all for that… I think consolidation on the loss of home rule and things that we’re all dealing with together, consolidating ideas, consolidating solutions, sharing things, but I don’t think it’s just our only three Island cities, I think we need to reach out farther.”
What do you think is the biggest issue facing the city today and how would you approach dealing with it?
Linney: “There’s a number of them. First, there’s management. Nothing matters if you don’t do it right and if all we keep doing is changing the problem or shifting the problem or not actually addressing the problem we’re not going to get anything done. I think the management of the city is key and that’s number one.”
Titsworth: “The biggest challenge is water rise and stormwater management because we’re a barrier island… An issue is the loss of home rule. Our hands are tied on so many avenues that we used to be able to use to effectively police our communities.”
How would you help reduce the effects of red tide on the community?
Linney: “Shifting the algae into the ocean isn’t a solution, it’s just a different pileup… why haven’t they found a solution to redistribute the algae onto the land, letting the water run through and then taking the product that is the result which is nutrient rich because it’s blooming and use it to fertilize the cane fields it’s coming off of. It seems like solutions like this would be easier than pumping it all the way over 300 miles to the west just so we can push all the other algae north. It just doesn’t make sense.”
Titsworth: “As mayor get to Tallahassee. As mayor get to Vern Buchanan. As mayor just get the word out as best as possible about the amount of loss from our restaurants, from our motels, from our resort housing. Yes, we’re all enjoying the no one on the streets right now but we had to pay a really hefty price for that and that’s not right. We have to find a solution.”
How would you describe your city today to a stranger?
Linney: “Paradise. I don’t care what you say or where you go, all the things the city’s been through in the 43 years I’ve been here it’s still paradise.”
HOLMES BEACH – It’s getting closer to November and the day when residents will go out to the polls to cast their vote for who will take the two available seats on the city commission.
To help voters make their decision, The Sun hosted its 2018 candidate forum Sept. 19 at Holmes Beach City Hall with candidates Pat Morton, Don Purvis and Kim Rash. Candidate answers to some of the top questions asked are below. To hear the entire forum, visit The Sun Facebook page.
What, in your opinion, is the job of a commissioner?
Morton: “My theory of being a commissioner for a few years now is that I talk with the citizens and with the community. If they come to me with something, I work with them to try to get the best for each.”
Purvis: “I believe the responsibility of the job is truly to represent all the residents here and I think that requires somebody who is moving in multiple different circles, knows a lot of different people, is involved in different aspects of our community and whether that’s understanding what’s going on with small business or what’s going on right now in R-2, in R-1, what’s going on, all of those things matter.”
Rash: “To represent the residents of Holmes Beach. To listen to them and see what their needs are as a resident.”
If elected, what are your top three priorities to tackle?
Morton: “My big thing is infrastructure. It was let go for so many years. Now we’re in the process of getting it processed through. The second, my biggest thing is bicycle and pedestrian safety… the life safety of the Island. We need to get beach accesses opened up, so they can go to pick somebody up.”
Purvis: “Well I would say for me that number one is, as we look at the impact tourism has had on our city for all of us, where that is, where it’s been, where it is now, and, most importantly, where that’s headed and how to responsibly move forward in that manner. Number two, right now for me is infrastructure… third for me is pedestrian/cyclist safety.”
Rash: “Again, I think the top three things all have to do with residents. One, I’ve been out walking and talking and what I’ve been hearing the past couple weeks is all about property taxes. How their property taxes just keep going up and if they don’t raise the millage their property value goes up so they’re writing a larger check this year than they did last year…The other thing is a peaceful way of life for the residents… the third thing is I think we need tighter restrictions for the demo of properties and the building of new houses to make sure they’re built right and they’re not inconveniencing the whole neighborhood while they’re building them.”
What do you see as the hardest task the city has to deal with right now?
Morton: “I would say the rental program, getting that up to where it needs to be.”
Purvis: “I would say the biggest challenge… is cooperation.”
Rash: “I think keeping residents is the hardest task the city has to deal with right now.”
Are there issues that you think the city isn’t handling effectively? How do you propose to improve the city’s approach?
Morton: “We’re working things through, but it takes time to get there.”
Purvis: “Well, you know, the issue that probably jumps out biggest to me and this is once again, not a knock against anybody, it’s just that in my business every day I see vacation renters, I see people come in to purchase property, wanting, having the same dream we did of having the opportunity to live here one day and I realize that the best way to get a lot of these people who come to our city to understand what is expected of them is to get ahold of them before they get here.”
Rash: “The biggest things they have to deal with is the traffic.”
How would you describe your city to a stranger?
Morton: “I think we have a very friendly city here. The people here are very into what’s going on and I think we’re in tune to what’s going on.”
Purvis: “It’s paradise. There’s a reason why when we stumbled upon it we made sure to find a way to make this where we would end up.”
Rash: “We have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world right here. It’s just an unbelievable place to relax, unwind and breathe in the salt air. It’s just a great place to call home.”
HOLMES BEACH – If you have questions for the City Commission and mayoral candidates, Sept. 19 is your chance to get answers.
The Sun is hosting its annual candidate forum at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 19, at city hall, 5801 Marina Drive. Candidates will take to the dais to answer our readers’ questions before early voting begins in October.
During the forum, candidates will be asked to answer your questions with their fellow candidates given the chance to respond with their thoughts on the issues.
Commission candidates are first up at 6 p.m. With two two-year terms available on the City Commission, three candidates are vying for votes – Commissioner Pat Morton, Don Purvis and Kim Rash.
Morton served as commissioner since first being elected in 2003 and is currently serving a one-year term on the dais. In his current term, expiring November 2018, Morton was elected by his fellow commissioners to serve as vice-chair. He serves as liaison to Waste Pro for recycling and solid waste concerns, the Manatee County Emergency Operations Center and the Holmes Beach Police Department pension board.
Purvis is a newcomer to the local political arena. A Holmes Beach resident since 2010, Purvis works as the managing broker and an owner of Beach House Real Estate. After spending a year on the Center of Anna Maria Island’s board of directors, Purvis is ready to branch out into the local political arena to provide the City Commission with a fresh perspective on community issues.
Rash, the self-proclaimed mayor of Holmes Boulevard, is a long-time Holmes Beach resident who prides himself on giving a voice to the residents. After spending several years on the sidelines, he’s ready to dive into local politics to continue advocating for Holmes Beach residents and the rights of property owners in a more official capacity.
Immediately following the commission candidate forum, the mayoral candidates take the dais for a discussion of local issues and to answer questions. Vying for the mayoral position are Commissioner Judy Titsworth and political newcomer Joshua Linney.
Titsworth has been a lifetime resident of Holmes Beach. She was first elected to the city commission in 2012 and has served as commission chair since 2013. If elected as mayor, Titsworth hopes to use her years of local political and business management experience to benefit the city’s residents and business owners. Currently, she serves as the commission’s alternate for the Manatee County Emergency Operations Center and liaison for roads, bridges, canals and erosion issues.
Linney is a newcomer to the local political arena. A long-time resident of Holmes Beach, he currently serves as a member of the city’s Parks and Beautification Committee. He owns a website consulting service and previously served for three years in the U. S. Army. If elected, Linney says he wants to give voice to the residents of Holmes Beach.
To submit questions to be asked during the forum, email them to news@amisun.com or post them to our social media page.
HOLMES BEACH – Mayoral candidate Josh Linney is facing a lot of heat for the number of inconsistencies in his self-told background.
Despite his open and honest platform, misinformation and changing biographies are causing the public to question Linney and what he stands for. Though Linney can’t be disqualified for misrepresenting himself or altering the information in his self-written biography on the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections website, the inconsistencies are consistently placing him and his background in the public spotlight.
Biography versions
Updates to Linney’s online candidate biography have been noted by The Sun on July 4, July 23, July 27 and August 4, the latest as of press time. In each incarnation, new details have emerged and some have changed or disappeared.
In the first version of his biography, Linney made several claims including declining ROTC scholarships and admission to West Point in favor of guaranteed airborne and Army Ranger training. He noted that he finished second in his Army Advanced Infantry Training class. His biography also said he was deployed for a year to Iraq and suffered a traumatic brain injury from a one-story fall from a building.
The July 23 biography lists Linney as a Gulf War veteran and changes his deployment location to the Middle East. The detail about the fall from a building was omitted.
The July 25 biography said at recruitment he was guaranteed an assignment in the Army’s airborne division and admission to the Ranger Indoctrination Program. It also said he graduated from AIT second in his class from U. S. Army Quartermaster School in 1994 and spent nearly a year traveling through the Middle East before returning stateside in 1995 and being diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome along with other medical issues. A July 27 change took his status from Gulf War veteran to a veteran of the Gulf War period. In his Aug. 4 biography, Linney is listed as a Gulf War veteran who participated in Operation Vigilant Warrior.
Military training
His military records state that Linney entered the Army on Sept. 15, 1993, and served as a private first class before receiving an honorable discharge for medical reasons Aug. 6, 1996, followed by disability. In addition to passing basic training, he completed three weeks of basic airborne training, one week of combat lifesaver training and one week of driver training.
Linney never completed any infantry training. In an Aug. 5 interview, Linney said the claim of attending Advanced Infantry Training was an error he made after seeking help from an advisor on the biography with the full name of the training he knew as AIT. The Army website lists AIT as Advanced Individual Training.
Both airborne division soldiers and Army Rangers are listed as specialty schools and training disciplines on the Army’s official website. His military record shows his only specialty as food service.
At the time Linney was in the Army, soldiers were evaluated in a three-week Ranger Indoctrination Program before qualifying for Ranger program training. At enlistment, soldiers can volunteer for airborne training if they meet the criteria, but cannot be accepted to the Ranger training program without first being enlisted and completing the required pretraining and passing the screening process. Completion of basic airborne training does not qualify a soldier for acceptance into a specialized airborne division, according to the official Army website.
Education
Linney said he was invited to attend West Point by school representatives in a letter after scoring in the top 1 percentile on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. School representatives would not confirm or deny Linney’s acceptance. The school’s website says admission to West Point requires prospective students pass each step of the rigorous acceptance process, including receiving at least one nomination from Congressional representatives, the Vice President of the United States, the Puerto Rican governor or resident commissioner, the Secretary of the Army or a military official. Linney said he had no nominations.
Injuries and Gulf War Syndrome
In a previous interview with The Sun, Linney stated his traumatic brain injury was caused by the fall from a building, but in an Aug. 5 interview said it was caused by a fall from a truck during a training exercise in California in preparation for going overseas. After he recovered from the fall, Linney said he went back to training and was deployed as scheduled with the other members of his unit.
When he was discharged, Linney said he was diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome. The illness is defined by the Department of Veterans Affairs as “a cluster of medically unexplained chronic symptoms” ranging from headaches to PTSD. Because of the widespread physical and mental symptoms documented in soldiers who served in Southwest Asia, it’s assumed that certain chronic, unexplained symptoms that persist or get worse over a six-month period are related to the syndrome. Soldiers can apply for benefits due to the syndrome if they served on active duty in the region prior to the end of 2021.
Linney served in Southwest Asia for 43 days, his only recorded deployment. The dates of his deployment line up with those from Operation Vigilant Warrior, a mission to dispel an Iraqi threat on the Kuwait border. Linney said he was a cook in the dining facility of an armored division attached to the third brigade infantry division verified to have participated in the operation. Though he did not serve during the Gulf War, Linney qualifies as a Gulf War veteran according to the VA along with any other soldier serving on active duty from Aug. 2, 1990, to present.
Despite inconsistencies in biographies, articles, or social media posts, Linney’s name is still on the November ballot for Holmes Beach voters. Though inconsistencies can’t disqualify him, voters will be left to assess a candidate with a past record in dispute who is running on an honesty platform. Linney has had several run-ins with the law, more than a dozen with the Holmes Beach Police Department whose budget he would oversee as mayor, been convicted of two driving under the influence charges, and also faced drug-related and theft charges.
These days, Linney says he lives his life free from alcohol and drugs other than those prescribed by a doctor and medical marijuana, of which he is an advocate. He says he hopes voters will not judge him based on the issues of his past, though he denies issues in his present, saying that he wants to be as “open and transparent as possible.”
Election season is upon us, and already the gloves are coming off between candidates and between some candidates and the public. The first ballot is months away from being cast, but the first punches have certainly been thrown.
In some races already votes of confidence are coming down to where candidates stand on certain issues. Out of consideration is whether or not the candidates, if elected, would have any influence over those issues. Neighbors are pitting themselves against neighbors, and the political divides are becoming painfully obvious.
Everyone should stand up for what they believe in. Everyone should help create the change they want to see in their community. The trick is to make a positive change in the community in a positive way, without resorting to backstabbing and dirty politics. At this point, all of the current candidates in all three cities are staying in the game for the long haul. It’s now up to everyone else to do their part. Get out there and do your homework before you vote. Research your community’s candidates, what they stand for, what their track records are and what their background is.
At the end of the day, campaign promises often are just ploys to encourage voters to come to a candidate’s side, unless that candidate has the intent and ability to follow through if elected. Part of responsible voting is knowing what you’re endorsing before you go to the polls. While it’s tempting to vote for your friends or vote for someone who makes grand promises, it may not be the best decision for your community and how you want it to be two years from now.
In the meantime, remember that we’re still a community. No matter who ends up in office in any of the three cities, we’re all living on the same seven-mile stretch of sand. Every candidate is a friend, neighbor or a welcoming face that you likely see every day. If elected, they will be less politicians and more public servants who receive precious little compensation for their time and effort.
As we gear up for the election, let’s not forget the real focus – our Island community. It’s still a long road to November. Let’s all try to stay friends and reject the incivility that seems to be spreading throughout this land.
HOLMES BEACH – Two City Commission seats are up for grabs in the November election and resident Kim Rash is still in the running for one of them.
Rash’s candidacy came into question when fellow Holmes Beach resident David Zaccagnino submitted a letter to city hall asking for Rash to be disqualified from the election due to a paperwork discrepancy.
When filing his paperwork for candidacy, Rash designated Hancock Bank as the holder of his campaign account. However, the campaign check he used to pay his candidate fees was from Wells Fargo. Because Holmes Beach qualifies its own candidates, rather than going through the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office, the decision to allow Rash to remain as a candidate fell to City Clerk Stacey Johnston, who also serves as the city’s elections officer.
In a July 10 email, Rash said he, his daughter Melissa Rash, and campaign treasurer Margie Motzer visited city hall on June 4 to obtain and fill out campaign paperwork. At that time, Rash designated Hancock Bank as his primary campaign depository with no secondary depository named.
In the email, he said when he visited the bank to open the campaign account, he learned that a federal employer identification number would be required to establish the checking account. Since no one was available to help him through the process of establishing an EIN, Rash chose to open his account at the nearby Holmes Beach branch of Wells Fargo, which didn’t require an EIN number. Rash’s candidacy was approved by Johnston on June 21 during qualifying week.
“There was never any intent of wrongdoing or fraudulent activity,” Rash said in the email. “It would be a shame to allow the democratic process to be overshadowed by this innocent error.”
Florida Statute 106.021 governs requirements for campaign treasurers, deputies, and primary and secondary depositories. Though the statute says that a primary depository must be declared when qualifying for office, along with a campaign treasurer, it does not specify that the depository cannot be changed or that there are consequences to the candidate when the account location is changed. The statute does state that the primary depository is the only account that campaign funds can be spent out of, including candidate qualifying fees. A secondary depository can be established, however, that account can only be used to collect monies and disperse them to the primary depository campaign account. Rash did not specify a secondary depository in his candidate paperwork.
In addition, Rash’s campaign account was established at Wells Fargo on June 4 per his email, well ahead of the June 18-22 candidate qualifying week in Holmes Beach though a corrected form was not filed prior to him qualifying for office June 21.
Rash said he didn’t correct the Appointment of Campaign Treasurer and Designation of Campaign Depository for Candidates form because he was unaware a change was needed. Johnston said a corrected form has been filed by Rash to name Wells Fargo as his primary campaign depository.
Though a mistake was noted on the form, Johnston did not disqualify Rash as a candidate. With little guidance available in the state statutes, Johnston said the matter would have to be pursued through the legal system per state statutes by the person bringing up the complaint, in this case, Zaccagnino.
The discrepancy with Rash’s form brought to light another campaign paperwork issue.
It’s a requirement for candidates to provide a social security number on some campaign forms. Though those forms must be available for public review, social security numbers are protected by state and federal law. It was discovered that the social security numbers for Rash and fellow candidate Joshua Linney were visible on documents posted to the Supervisor of Elections Office website, making the candidates vulnerable to identity fraud.
Rash said his candidate profile was viewed more than 50 times before the error was noticed. The error has since been corrected on the website by blacking out the candidates’ social security numbers and campaign account numbers on posted copies of paperwork.
As of press time for The Sun, no instances of identity fraud related to the posted information have been identified.
BRADENTON BEACH – The Charter Review Committee (CRC) reached consensus on several items during its Monday, July 9 meeting.
Members Debra Cox, Anne Leister, Dan Morhaus and Randy Milton support a potential charter amendment that would create two City Commission wards.
Cox and Morhaus participated in Monday’s meeting by phone.
If placed on the ballot by the City Commission and approved by city voters, this amendment would create a two-ward system with two commissioners being elected from a north ward by north ward voters only, two commissioners being elected from a south ward by south ward voters only and an at-large mayor elected citywide. The exact ward boundaries would need to be clarified, but the Cortez Bridge has been mentioned as a possible dividing line.
The four geographically based commission wards established in the 1950s were eliminated by city voters last year in support of a charter amendment proposed by the Concerned Neighbors of Bradenton Committee (CNOBB) group. In that system, candidates were ward-specific, but all city voters were allowed to vote in all commission races.
As they did during their two previous meetings, Cox, Leister and Milton first expressed support for a return to the four-ward system, but they compromised on the proposed two-ward system after debating whether the two wards would allow for citywide voting or ward-specific voting.
Chair Mary Bell opposed returning to a ward system due to her ongoing concerns about Bradenton Beach’s shrinking population and the increased difficulty in finding commission candidates.
Morhaus said he saw no point in returning to a four-ward system or creating a two-ward system in which voters from one ward would help determine the winners in another ward. He said limiting the votes to the ward-specific residents would create parochial representation if that was the intent.
Cox and Leister said they like the wards because it helps preserve that Old Florida and neighborhood feel. Milton said he likes having a representative that he knows and that knows his neighborhood.
If the City Commission places the two-ward charter amendment question on the fall ballot, city voters will determine whether wards are restored in a modified form.
City Manager
The committee members again unanimously opposed a charter amendment that would require the city to hire a full-time city manager as proposed by the Keep Our Residential Neighborhood (KORN) political action committee.
KORN treasurer John Metz questioned a statement Bell made at the previous meeting regarding a city manager costing an estimated $200,000 a year in salary and benefits. Metz estimated the total cost to be closer to $120,000 to $140,000, which he said is about what Police Chief Sam Speciale earns.
Morhaus said he didn’t see the benefit in hiring a city manager and Bell said the committee’s collective opposition was based more on the lack of an actual need for a manager than it was on dollars and cents.
Parking garage
The committee unanimously supports a citywide prohibition on multi-level parking garages, but upon the advice of the city attorney agreed that the city charter is not the right place to address those desires because state law no longer allows land use matters to be decided by voter referendum.
City Planner Alan Garrett told the members about the Planning and Zoning Board and City Commission’s efforts to adopt two city ordinances that would prohibit parking garages citywide by amending the comprehensive plan’s future land use map and the city’s land development code.
Metz noted ordinance changes could be undone by a future commission, whereas a charter amendment could only be reversed by city voters.
Commission candidate Tjet Martin suggested there at least be a requirement for a four-fifths supra-majority commission vote to undo ordinance-enacted parking garage prohibitions. Perry said the charter already requires a four-fifths commission vote to amend the comp plan.
Residency
The committee unanimously supports requiring City Commission candidates to be registered voters – a requirement city voters eliminated last fall when supporting a CNOBB amendment that also reduced candidate residency requirements from two years to one.
The committee supports the one-year residency requirement but also feels commission candidates should be registered city voters for at least one year before seeking office. Milton said CRC members are required to be city voters and the same should apply to commission members.
Regarding the City Commission’s request to better define residency, the committee recommends an amendment that would require commission candidates to prove their residency by providing at least three of following items that include a Bradenton Beach address: a county-issued voter registration card, a Florida driver license or state ID, a declaration of domicile that includes a residency date, a bank statement, a property tax bill, a long-term lease or a federal tax return.
The Charter Review Committee expects to meet once or twice more to conclude its work.
HOLMES BEACH – With current Mayor Bob Johnson not running for a third term on the Holmes Beach City Commission, voters will choose either Commissioner Judy Titsworth or political newcomer Joshua Linney as their new mayor.
Joshua Linney
Though he hasn’t held a political office, Joshua Linney said he’s ready to take on the challenges of being Holmes Beach’s mayor. He said he chose to run for mayor rather than commissioner to “make sure the citizens have a choice in November” and because if the mayoral position is eliminated, he said he could later run for commissioner. The way he sees it, it’s the commission’s job to set legislation and the mayor’s job to make sure that legislation is carried out while keeping the best interests of the residents in mind.
In his first bid for political office, Joshua Linney is challenging Commissioner Judy Titsworth in the November mayoral election. – Kristin Swain | Sun
If elected, Linney’s priorities would be to create financial incentives for community redevelopment by investors and developers, creating a Community Investment Tax Incentive to give short-term rental owners an incentive to turn properties into annual rentals, and help improve vehicular congestion through park-and-ride services and a ferry to Holmes Beach. He also wants to encourage interaction between city leaders and residents through the addition of town hall type meetings where property owners can get their questions answered in an open forum.
Another goal for Linney is to help residents voice their concerns and make sure those concerns are heard by city staff. He’d also like to encourage all community members, from full-time residents to short-term visitors, to work together to return the feeling of community to the city.
“The city is at a very critical precipice. These are important times for the city,” he said.
Though Linney was born on Anna Maria Island, he left to join the U.S. Army for a three-year stint. Returning from the military found him suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and with a dependency on prescription and other drugs. Those experiences led to several run-ins with the law including two driving under the influence charges, one involving a hit-and-run that resulted in Linney serving more than a year of probation, several charges for petty theft, felony and misdemeanor charges for possession of marijuana, all of which were either dropped or lowered to misdemeanor charges, a felony weapons charge that was lowered to a misdemeanor criminal mischief charge, driving with a suspended license and possession of drug paraphernalia. Those run-ins with the law resulted in fines, probation and community service. Rather than regretting these mistakes, Linney said he’s learned from them and has been “clean and sober” for two years, with the exception of medical marijuana and prescription drugs. He actively supports and lobbies for legalizing marijuana for medical uses and is the chief technology officer for VFC, Veterans For Cannabis, an organization dedicated to helping veterans find alternatives to addictive prescription medications. Linney said he no longer drinks alcohol or uses any illegal or controlled substances. His last run-in with law enforcement was in 2016.
“I wouldn’t change anything,” Linney said. “My life today is more than I could’ve ever imagined. I’ve just got to take it in stride. You can’t go back, you can’t change anything. I’m not proud of everything I’ve done but I’m not ashamed of who I am.”
“In this country, if criminal allegations were enough to keep someone from getting elected we wouldn’t have a lot of officials. I know people are already talking and I know what they’re talking about but acting like I regret it or like I would go back, I don’t. I just hope I make better choices going forward,” he said.
As a disabled veteran and with his own web design firm which he operates from his Holmes Beach residence, Linney said he has the time to devote himself fully to the city and its residents.
“I want to represent people without shutting the residents down,” he said. “Things are not getting done or they’re only getting done half-way. I want to get things done. Failure’s not an option.”
Judy Titsworth
Commissioner Judy Titsworth is no stranger to political office. Titsworth is serving her third term as a city commissioner, which expires in November. She’s served as chair of the commission since 2013.
Holmes Beach Commissioner Judy Titsworth is ready to make the move from legislative to administrative elected official, throwing her hat in the ring for mayor. – Submitted | Judy Titsworth
Titsworth has lived almost her entire life on Anna Maria Island, having been raised in Holmes Beach and then returning after college in Alaska to raise her own children only a few houses down from her family home on Sunrise Lane. In preparation for her bid for the mayoral seat, Titsworth said she’s been training her daughter to take over the majority of her duties at Shoreline Builders so that she has all the time needed to focus on the administration of the city.
“It’s going to be a big commitment but I’ve freed myself up to handle the commitment,” she said. “I want to finish the job. I want people to have someone to go to that can help give them a voice.”
A goal is to bring back more active residential neighborhoods in the city.
If elected, Titsworth hopes to make the city run more effectively in the future.
“I feel we’re lacking a leader right now. Things could be done better, more efficiently. I have to go where I’m needed,” she said. “I’ll get on it and get it done.”
As mayor, some of the challenges Titsworth said she’d face would be to help make the building department more effective with a reduction in processing times and better service for local property owners and contractors. She said rather than putting more staff members on the payroll she’d like to use contractors, such as the city planner, more effectively and then determine if new staff members should be strategically added to departments. Titsworth also would like to add someone to the city’s two-person code enforcement staff and be more proactive with the department’s initiative to greet visitors at problem vacation rental properties. She’d like to add rental properties to the list of “problem” properties that have more than three complaints recorded.
The code enforcement initiative has officers greet incoming visitors to certain properties where multiple noise complaints have been called into the Holmes Beach Police Department to inform renters of the city’s policies and regulations. One addition she’d like to see to the city’s ordinances would be the implementation of technology to monitor noise at vacation rental properties. Her suggestion is to give property owners a break on the price of their vacation rental certificate application to encourage use of the technology which she thinks could help people be more aware of their auditory impact on the surrounding residential neighbors.
Another staff initiative would be to make sure someone in each department is trained to move up to more advanced positions so if something happened, such as the building official leaving, an existing staff member would be prepared to be promoted to give the city continuity.
Titsworth also would like for commission members to use their liaison positions more effectively and work as a team with staff to keep everyone apprised of new information.
“The city is better off if everyone knows what’s going on,” she said.
Another priority would be to update the city’s emergency management plan to provide better coordination for staff, property owners and residents during both a storm and recovery efforts.
“One of my missions is to make sure we’re fully prepared,” Titsworth said.
Other items to tackle include balancing the city’s budget and improving efficiency without putting the city in financial danger or placing burdens on property owners, clearing out Bert Harris claims and upholding the city charter and comprehensive plans.
HOLMES BEACH – The voters have spoken and Jim Kihm, Carol Soustek, Rick Hurst and Pat Morton will fill the commission’s roster for the next year.
Bringing in the highest number of votes at 698, newcomer Kihm took one of the three two-year terms available. This will be his first term on the city commission.
Filling the remaining two-year terms are incumbent Carol Soustek and newcomer Rick Hurst. Soustek will be returning for her third term, having garnered 572 of the votes. Hurst will be serving his first term on the commission, receiving 556 of the votes.
Taking the one-year term on the city commission is incumbent Morton, who brought in 532 votes. This will be his eighth term as commissioner.
Because of an error in qualifying for last year’s election, Marvin Grossman was reappointed by his fellow commissioners for a one-year term. To put the seat back into its proper election order, Morton will have to run again in 2018 to remain on the commission for a two-year term.
Without enough seats for all candidates, incumbent Grossman was unseated, falling short with 496 votes.
For the first time in three years Holmes Beach hosted a municipal election night to fill its city commission dais. With five candidates and four available seats, 2,854 total votes were cast at the polls and by mail. As of September 2017, Holmes Beach has 2,935 registered voters according to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office.
The first meeting for the new commission will be an organizational meeting, scheduled for Monday, Nov. 20 at 9 a.m. at Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive.
HOLMES BEACH – The five commission candidates in Holmes Beach are prepared to tackle the issues facing the Island city.
Candidates came together Oct. 17 at Holmes Beach City Hall for The Anna Maria Island Sun’s candidate forum. Sun readers didn’t hold back any punches and candidates gave their responses, including plans if elected, to some of the challenges making their way to city hall. The five candidates vying for four commission seats are Marvin Grossman, Rick Hurst, Jim Kihm, Pat Morton and Carol Soustek. Here are some of their comments.
Rick Hurst, Pat Morton, Marvin Grossman, Jim Kihm and Carol Soustek are running for Holmes Beach Commission.- Mike Field | Sun
Does Holmes Beach need more green space?
Carol: “I’m for buying anything that comes available to us. And it’s not because I have a reason to use it today, it’s because I think we’ll have a use for it in the future. I was thinking today, if we’d had the foresight to buy Pete Reynard’s lot, what a difference that intersection would be looking like about now. So just because we don’t have a reason right before us doesn’t mean we won’t have a need and a reason later on. And we have the money to do it. So let’s think more into the future than in just the present.”
Marvin: “We always need more green space. We have the biggest green space of any city I’ve ever been in; it runs right along the Gulf. It’s a little bit in from the beach and we’ve left it, we’ve kept it that way. In fact, I’ve planted native flowers out there… I think as events come up we will then see if we need any more. I think it’s referring to buying vacant land, vacant lots and I feel like there has to be a use for it, at least in the distant future.”
Pat: “We’ve got to look into now and the future. I agree, we have to be very smart about what we buy and if it’s going to be feasible. Like Carol said, there’s that big ‘if’, if we’d done this, if we’d done that. That can hurt us. You have to keep it within a price range we can work with… We have to be very smart about how we spend our money because it’s your guys’ money also.”
Jim: “My opinion is it doesn’t fit within the long-term vision for the city. I’m concerned about speculating in land purchases and I’m also concerned about how this whole process has evolved… What I would hope is that we have a reason for it.”
Rick: “It’s something I haven’t really thought about but I agree with Marvin in that to get more green space we need to buy more and to buy more greenspace there needs to be a justification. I would be somewhat against buying more green space.”
As a commissioner, how do you think you could help the city bring back more full-time residents?
Carol: “We could go kidnap them, I guess. I think that slowly we can bring them back. It’s going to be a different type of resident. It’s going to be a resident that can work from home on his Internet because traffic precludes a lot of traffic back and forth from the island for a normal job. I also think that we appeal to a lot of retirees and that has always been good for us here. I think now that we’re beginning to put some management into the party houses and such the stigma that it’s too loud or it’s a party town has gone away and I think that will draw more. It’s hard because it’s expensive out here so it’s going to be a limited choice.”
– Mike Field | Sun
Marvin: “I’ve given this a lot of thought… If you want a community you have to work toward it and I think it’s time we worked toward this community. I have quite a few ideas how to do it… We’re going to have to make some changes to make our community so desirable that people will move here from all over the world.”
Pat: “Look at the price or the cost of living out here. It’s way out of hand… We no longer have affordable housing out here and I don’t think we’re ever going to get it back.”
Jim: “I think the commission has done some things recently with trying to limit the number of bedrooms you can have to try to stop the growth we’ve had with the big party houses. We have a noise ordinance on the book that I’d like to see more strongly enforced. I think we need to do something. We have a high percentage here on the Island of the properties that are rentals. It’s very difficult and the impact is in our school where 50 percent of the students come from off-island and the community center, you read about the problem’s they’re having in the paper. If we don’t have residents, it’s not practical for young families to be here.”
Rick: “I think first we need to understand that our pool of potential residents is basically the renters and visitors that come here. I think we need to embrace them more and not villainize them as much as we are. We need more community activities. We’ve watched it go away… I think people come to visit and they see this just as a place to vacation. We’ve lost our sense of community… If you can work from home, I don’t buy the cost of living because I know a lot of people who make a lot of money and can afford the price of houses here.”
What is your vision for Holmes Beach in the future?
Carol: “I envision a clean city, a clean air city. I envision where the city runs on electric or solar power. I envision a city that has a community that shows respect for one another and enjoys the whole living experience of this island. A lot of that is here now. I’m involved in a lot of environmental things and I’m amazed at the dedication that exists in small groups. I think that I’m looking for a community of balance where you can manage your growth and you can work to solve the new issues and they come in and not always be under pressure from outside greed. That’s kind of my utopia.”
Marvin: “We live in paradise. We need to make it better and better. That’s the direction we need to go in, just make it better for us to enjoy and live here.”
Pat: “My vision is that we try to make a unit out here called ‘residents.’ The cost of living is a deterrent. With the cost of living, the average family isn’t going to make it out here. There’s going to be somebody who’s making some good money or someone who’s retired with a lot in retirement. We have nothing to bring residents here. We need to have some more community stuff.”
Jim: “One of the things I’d like to see when I’m elected to the commission is the planning commission; we need a group here of concerned citizens to work together on a collective vision for our city five years, 10 years from now to face the problems facing our city in the future.”
Rick: “I envision a city where visitors and residents live in harmony. Residents can have a quiet life… I would hope again that we can bring the community together. There really are great people here. I really hope we can do those things.”
Do you think the city’s vacation rental program initiative is effective?
Carol: “I am the liaison to the code enforcement officers and I am extremely pleased with our officers… This program is ensuring the safety of the visitors who come here. This program is working. The code enforcement officers are so good that all the rental companies are working with them, they’re not fighting them.”
Marvin: “The program so far is working good… They’re finding health and safety problems and that’s what the program was designed to do.”
Pat: “Our code enforcement officers under the guidance of our chief are doing a super job. They’re out there finding things no one even knew about… I wish we would’ve had this four or five years ago.
Jim: “I think the program is working… This is a big program for the city but I think it’s going to pay some dividends for us. I think it’s going to get some properties into the fold, raise the level of awareness that we have, and bring people into compliance. I think that the larger rental companies want to be in compliance, they want all their properties to be in compliance. I think the problem we have is some properties still flying under the radar… We need to be vigilant.”
Rick: “I think the beauty of this program is we’re identifying properties we didn’t know about. Once we identify them, we can check them for safety issues. I think it’s a great program.”
Are there any items on this year’s budget that you disagree with or any that you feel are missing?
Carol: “Behind the scenes, each commissioner spends a lot of time with the mayor and questioning Lori Hill who makes a lot of the figures come together and this is a process of over two months or more… When we bring the budget forward, we have two public hearing where you can come and question anything… It’s a lot of work and it’s not perfect because you don’t have the final figures… I’m proud of what we did.”
Marvin: “I would like to see dedicated money for our dog park. It’s used by more citizens than any other park combined in our city, yet it’s like the stepchild of our city. We’re going to put it in the budget… We’ll get it done this year.”
Pat Morton, Marvin Grossman – Mike Field | Sun
Pat: “The budget could be tweaked but Lori Hill did an excellent job getting the figures together along with the mayor and back to the chief. They put their heads together and came back to us with a very good budget.”
Jim: “There are a couple things with the budget. The first one is the purchase of green space, the Gloria Dei property and the way it’s been done. Rather than putting it up for a vote of the commission, yea or nay if they want to move forward with a $1.3 million acquisition of the property, the city has decided they are going to approve contracts for two appraisals for $5,000 and a $50,000 contract to have some attorney draw up language for a bond to purchase it. So what you’re doing being asked to do as a community is not approve $1.3 million but very surreptitiously there’s $105,000 in this year’s budget, it will be in every budget for the next 13 years, to purchase this property. Nobody on the commission has said that they haven’t put that up for your vote either. I think that’s a miss.”
Rick: “To me, it’s a challenging question because I’ve been in business and I’ve dealt with budgets… One of the things near and dear to me is the community and with that comes the Center. They are having financial difficulty. I just think the back and forth is not amenable. I think we need to act more reasonably and resolve this.”
What do you feel is the city’s responsibility to the Center of Anna Maria Island? What role do you see the city taking if the Center fails?
Carol: “I have not thought about the Center failing totally. That would be a very bad blow. There are some very talented people down there and I hope they can get it together. The city’s responsibility is to watch carefully what happens down there. We can’t tell them what to do, that’s their prerogative. I think we’ve been very disappointed up here that we’ve had to wrestle with it as a problem rather than an asset and it has become a problem. Honestly, in the last few months, I’ve been very discouraged that they will be able to pull it out.”
Marvin: “Part of the problem is the model they’re trying to be. The city’s changed. They’re trying to be a charity. We don’t need a charity on this Island, we need a community center that’ll serve all the population. They don’t need that overhead they have and they’re not going to give that up as long as the people giving the money are in charge. They’re looking at it as the way it’s been the last five, six years, not the way it was when it started. They’ve got to go back to where they started and start over again.”
Pat: “When I was first on the commission I was the liaison for the community center. I’ve seen what it was back then, it was a real community center. The city needs to be able to help them out. When the city helps them out, we’re helping our residents who have small children… If the community center were to go down, that would be devastation for this whole Island.”
Jim: “My thoughts are I’m a small government kind of guy. I look to the government to do things we can’t do as individuals. As far as picking charities, I’m perfectly able to do that on my own. I don’t need the city’s help to do that. Taking taxpayer funds and deciding who it goes to and in the Center’s case, to date they so far haven’t demonstrated being able to handle their own money, little less someone else’s. They don’t seem to have a plan, they don’t have a vision. They want to be everything to everyone. They have a big staff, they have a lot of expenses and with their funding model being over half donations, they’re having trouble getting people to donate.”
Rick: “As you can tell, I’m a supporter there… I’m not associated with the Center in any way, shape or form. I think it’s important to the community… I think any city who gives money should have a seat on the board… They are one of the most polarizing topics in this community. It’s crazy. We need to work it out.”
Do you believe it’s important to have some involvement with city government before running for city commission?
Carol: “I’m happy when anybody volunteers for the city, it doesn’t matter in what capacity. The fact that they take the time and step up to help the city is fine with me. This position, when we make decisions up here it affects people’s lives, not just now but later down the road. So the more you learn about how this Island ticks and how the residents think and what they need, you have to be involved in the community as a whole. And that comes from attending meetings, joining committees and helping the city in smaller ways. To just jump on and think that past education can help you, it probably could, but if you have a feeling for this city it probably will help you a lot more.”
Marvin: “If somebody does a lot of things before and we see they’re participating, they’re more likely to do it again… If I had a choice, I would rather see someone who comes into meetings, who participates in the city and who knows a little more about it.”
Pat: “I’m not a politician, I’m an elected official elected by the citizens of the city and I respond to who they are, not who I am. You may be the highest educated person in the world, but do you have the skill set to put it down and be the common person, to understand the common people we have out here on this Island? We have a lot of super nice residents out here. Education doesn’t mean a thing as long as you can get your job done up here on the dais. I’ve always stuck with our citizens.”
Jim: “I think if you want a position on the commission you have to take part in what goes on here… I’ve been attending meetings ever since we moved here. I attend meetings, I speak out.”
Rick: “Naturally I’m going to say no. Naturally, it would help. Overall I consider myself someone who learns quickly… I’m a pretty quick study. Yeah, I might be behind by a month but I believe I can catch up pretty quickly. I have the skill set and I think the innate skill and experiences are more important.
What proposed city project tops your priority list if elected, and why?
Carol: “I guess I’m going to cycle back that my concern for the city is to continue pursuing the TDC tax distribution which is not being distributed… The other is the traffic. I’ve been to several meetings and the study seems to be concentrating on this park and ride… I would like to see a concentrated effort with all the cities who are working together now to put pressure on getting the employees who work out here transportation back and forth.”
Marvin: “First one is the dog park. The next one is not quite as well formed out and I can’t quite see what it is but we created rules, we created restrictions for our vacation rentals. Now we have to finish the job. We have to talk to our visitors and figure out how to bring them into the fold.”
Pat: “Number one, our stormwater. We’ve hired Lynn Burnett to come into our city as an engineer which we probably should’ve had 10 years ago. Our system is totally in a shambles. It’s starting to come back to what we need for our citizens out here. When it rains at the wrong time, at high tide, we’re going to go snorkeling out here. But it’s been improving tremendously. The second thought is we need some form of bicycle trail, some way to make it safer for bicycles out here.”
Jim: “I don’t have any pet project per se, but what I’d like to see is an improvement in our process. Right now we have a lot of capital projects on our books and there’s not a lot of reporting to citizenry about the status of those projects.”
Rick: “I do agree with the stormwater drainage. I’m starting to see water on my street, Key Royale where I didn’t a month ago. It’s getting better, it’s getting worse… I know there’s a schedule but I don’t know what we can do to accelerate that.”
How would you propose settling the lawsuits that are currently facing the city?
Carol: “The League of Cities and our lawyers are very sure of themselves. We wouldn’t have made this agreement if we weren’t assured that we were protecting the city and the residents in the city.”
Marvin: “You don’t make people necessarily happy because they tend to want more. We’re in a good position. We’ve worked the last five years for the residents. The residents need the quiet enjoyment of their homes and that’s where we stand. If it comes out with the Bert Harris that we need to do something then we’ll do something then. I’m not ready to give up right now. We’ve had two people per bedroom in our comprehensive plan for years… If you have to compromise I guess, but I think we’re going to win.”
Pat: “We need to find out what is going to be applicable to us. Every city’s going to be different.”
Jim: “I support the city’s position in pursuing these cases through the courts to see how the court finds. We’ll get our first couple of verdicts and then see where we go from there. I think we should follow all of that through.”
Rick: “From what I understand the idea is to throw them all out there and see how they survive in court, which is not a bad plan. On the occupancy, I don’t think two plus two is a bad plan either.”
Do you believe the city’s planning commission is being utilized effectively?
Carol: “The planning commission is working on the vision statement right now and that’s an important prelude into the LDC and the comprehensive code. They’re adjusting to the demands of the position that they hold. I think they are working very well together.”
Marvin: “There’s a number of functions they can fulfill. The vision plan right now is a great one, because this will give us some kind of direction with input from the residents of our city.”
Pat: “I think it’s been one of the most underutilized committees we have out here. Now we’re slowly getting them back to work… They’ve given us some good directions the last couple of times.”
Jim: “I think that’s something that’s very necessary is to have a vision for where we see our city… I think the planning commission needs to continue on with their work and maybe expand.”
Rick: “I really don’t have a lot of experience with this group but I have some experience with the members… To be honest with you, I need to learn more about what they do.”
Do you think the Holmes Beach contract with Waste Pro to pick up storm debris is sufficient to meet the needs of the city and how much longer do you think it will be before the (Hurricane Irma) debris is completely cleared?
Carol: “We were so lucky we worked on that contract before the storm. I think we’ve all learned the problems that we’re going to face when we have a storm. We weren’t prepared for a lot of that. I think that they could do better, but I don’t think they have the equipment to do any better… They didn’t prepare correctly for this. So we’ve learned.”
Marvin: “We should’ve gotten this done the first week. Then I thought, am I willing to pay for this myself. There’s just so many trucks you can have or demand a company have for special occasions so we sort of have to understand… I don’t think our community would be willing to double our bills just to get it done a little bit faster. We have to understand there’s a lot of trash out there and it takes a lot of time to run back and forth.”
Pat: “How long it’s going to take is how long it’s going to take. We have the possibility of about another two more weeks. With our city commission, we set up our city ordinance so we could have Waste Pro pick this up. Granted, it was underestimated how much we have out there. It’s over 200 tons of debris picked up on this Island already. We’re at about 70 percent completed already with 30 percent left to pick up… That’s a lot of debris to pick up.”
Jim: “I kind of applaud Mayor Dan Murphy for thinking outside the box and hiring his own contractors… The devil’s in the details with the contract we have with Waste Pro. It seems to be that they don’t have the equipment. I’m not sure what the plan was to start with but if the plan was to pick up debris after a hurricane we were woefully short. Maybe there are some lessons learned.”
Rick: “I’d like to add that adding to this challenge is there are some people that are just doing cleanup and it’s nothing to do with storm cleanup… It’s a challenge.”
If elected or re-elected, what would be your first item of business?
Carol: “The franchise businesses, that’s still a lot of work to be done on that… We need all the help we can get on that.”
Marvin: “I’m going to get the money for the dog park. We’re going to finish the franchise agreement, probably within the next month.
Pat: “Unity amongst us here will go a long way. You’re never going to get anything done by ‘I’. ”
Jim: “I’d like to extend a spirit of cooperation to my fellow commissioners.”
Rick: “First thing I would do is what I’ve been talking a lot about which is focus on the community. So, number one, I would ask Carol if she would give up her liaison-ship to the Center and I would like to be the liaison. If we can get them, which I think we can, to give us a seat on the board I would like to ask to be that board member and then I would report back to the commission.”
ANNA MARIA – The Sun will host a candidates forum featuring the four Anna Maria City Commission candidates on Wednesday, Oct. 11. The forum will begin at 6 p.m., preceded by an informal opportunity to meet the candidates before the forum starts. Open to the public, the forum will take place at Anna Maria City Hall, 10005 Gulf Drive.
Carol Carter
Doug Copeland
Laurie Jo Higgins
Dale Woodland
Commission candidates Carol Carter, Doug Copeland, Laurie Jo Higgins and Dale Woodland will spend approximately 90 minutes discussing their positions on various city issues – including the Anna Maria City Pier, City Pier Park, vacation rentals, parking, The Center, the city budget, drainage and more.
The candidates will also give opening and closing statements that summarize their campaign priorities.
Sun readers can submit questions in advance by e-mailing jhendricks@amisun.com. Forum attendees can submit their questions in writing before the moderated forum begins.
For those who can’t attend, The Sun will live stream the forum on Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/AnnaMariaIslandSun and a recording will be posted on Facebook and at www.amisun.com.
HOLMES BEACH — It’s almost election time again, and for the first time in three years, Holmes Beach voters will get to voice their opinions in the race for commissioner.
At the close of candidate qualifying, noon Friday, Sept. 1, five candidates emerged, of which four will appear on the November ballot. Incumbents Pat Morton and Carol Soustek are vying for one of three open seats with residents Jim Kihm and Rick Hurst. Commissioner Marvin Grossman is the only candidate to qualify for a one-year term.
As the only candidate, Grossman automatically regains his seat on the commission for a single year. The seat is up for re-election in 2018. The quick turnaround corrects the seat’s two-year election cycle.
Previously, Grossman was up for re-election in 2016 but failed to qualify due to an application error. Instead of using a check from a campaign account, he used a personal one to pay the fees to qualify. His fellow commissioners reappointed him to the seat for a one-year term expiring in November.
With three two-year commission seats open and four candidates, voters must choose at the polls. The top three candidates after polls close receive the three seats.
Not joining the incumbents seeking re-election is Commissioner Jean Peelen. Due to health, personal and political issues, Peelen withdrew her candidacy. Instead, she’s supporting Jim Kihm as a potential successor.
“Jim is smart, ethical and totally committed to maintaining Holmes Beach as a residential community,” Peelen’s e-mail reads.
In addition to supporting Kihm’s candidacy, Peelen thanked the community for its support over the years.
“It has been an honor to serve over the last six years,” she said. “I will continue, as a civilian, to try to save this community we all love from becoming Disney West.”
