BRADENTON – During Thursday’s press conference held at the Pier 22 restaurant in Bradenton, Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law the dredging prohibitions contained in Senate Bill 302 and the matching companion bill recently adopted by the Florida House of Representatives.
During the March 19 press conference, DeSantis, FDEP Secretary Alexis Lambert, State Senator Jim Boyd and State Representative Will Robinson Jr. each said the new state law will prevent the dredging needed to construct and operate the proposed Knott-Cowen cruise port in the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve near Rattlesnake Key and The Sunshine Skyway. The new state law will take effect on July 1.
The press conference was streamed at the Florida Channel website and can be viewed using the link below. DeSantis began speaking about the cruise port and signing SB 0302 at the 7:24 mark of the video. Lambert, Boyd and Robinson also spoke during the press conference.
HOLMES BEACH – Anna Maria Island cities could be affected by the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) task force that Gov. Ron DeSantis created by executive order on Feb. 24.
A press release issued by the governor’s office said the task force, patterned after the federal government department, will “eliminate redundant boards and commissions, review state university and college operations and spending, utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to further examine state agencies to uncover hidden waste and even audit the spending habits of local entities to shine the light on waste and bloat.”
Andrew Kalel is the city of Holmes Beach’s contracted state lobbyist. – Sunrise Consulting Group | Submitted
Kalel is a government affairs consultant for the Sunrise Consulting Group and serves as the city of Holmes Beach’s contracted state lobbyist. In a Feb. 24 email to Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth, he wrote, “The governor has created Florida DOGE via executive order. The new Florida DOGE Team shall use ‘publicly available information to identify and report unnecessary spending within county and municipal governments’ and recommend legislative reforms to promote efficiency, maximize productivity and eliminate waste in state and local government.”
Section 1 of Executive Order 25-44 alludes to consolidation, specifying that the DOGE team shall be responsible for ensuring compliance with the executive order and identifying, reporting and recommending “administrative or legislative reforms to promote efficiency, maximize productivity and eliminate waste in state and local government, including recommendations to leverage modern technology and to eliminate the duplication of services, reduce fees and cut overhead.”
“I seriously hope that the governor allows the city’s elected officials, who have the boots on the ground, to know what is best as they provide public health, safety, and, most importantly, quality of life for their citizens,” Titsworth told The Sun.
What to expect
Kalel’s email included a bullet-pointed summary of some of the anticipated DOGE actions and the potential implications for the city of Holmes Beach and other Anna Maria Island and Florida cities:
“He’s created a new DOGE Task Force modeled after federal efforts to reduce government waste.
“He will eliminate over 70 state boards and commissions deemed redundant or ineffective.
“A push to further reduce spending, despite population growth and inflation.
“A continued focus on tax relief, including the elimination of Florida’s unique tax on business rent.
“Efforts to use artificial intelligence for auditing state contracts and eliminating ideological spending.”
Kalel’s email also listed potential actions aimed specifically at local governments.
Local government spending:
“The governor stated that while Florida’s state government has reduced spending, many local governments have increased their budgets and imposed higher property taxes.
“Homeowners are overburdened due to rising property tax assessments, particularly affecting seniors on fixed incomes. He suggested Florida could shift more tax burden to visitors and seasonal residents rather than relying on permanent homeowners.”
Local government audits:
“DOGE task force will review county and municipal spending using publicly available records.
“The governor is requesting legislative power for the task force to enforce audits at the local level.”
Regarding legislative action to improve local government transparency, Kalel wrote:
He (DeSantis) is pushing for laws that would force local governments to comply with audits by the state’s efficiency task force.
The task force would also use AI technology to detect wasteful spending.
Regarding local government spending on diversity, equity and inclusion and other programs, Kalel wrote:
The governor noted that at the state level, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs have been eliminated, but suggested local governments may still be funding similar initiatives under different names.
“He emphasized that AI auditing tools will be used to flag contracts that continue DEI-related spending under new labels.”
Regarding infrastructure and local services, Kalel wrote:
“The state has been accelerating infrastructure projects to keep up with population growth and tourism and he suggested that local governments need to be more efficient in their own infrastructure spending.”
DeSantis’ Feb. 24 press conference can be viewed at www. TheFloridaChannel.org.
BRADENTON BEACH – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, along with federal and state officials, was in Bradenton Beach on Saturday to provide an update on Hurricane Helene recovery efforts locally and statewide.
DeSantis addressed the need for reopening Gulf Drive, which suffered extensive damage that included several feet of sand over the road, buckling and sinkholes following the storm surge from the Category 4 storm.
“Here in Bradenton Beach one of the things we wanted to do is get this road fixed as soon as possible,” DeSantis said. “People were talking about many weeks, we don’t have that kind of time.”
Gulf Drive (SR-789) falls under the jurisdiction of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). As of Sunday, Bradenton Beach is the only Anna Maria Island city that was not allowing residents to return except on foot due largely to the conditions along Gulf Drive.
DeSantis said FDOT has a temporary fix started on Gulf Drive under an emergency contract.
“It could be finished in five days, but we’re hoping they’ll do better than that,” DeSantis said. “There’s part of the road where you have structural damage. And they’ll do temporary repairs. People will be able to use the road. It’s not going to be a permanent solution, but I’d rather get the road back open so people can use it, then we’ll address it on a permanent basis.”
He said the goal is to get everything functioning so people can get back to their homes and businesses as soon as possible.
At 3 p.m. on Sunday, FDOT was authorized by DeSantis to begin immediate sand removal and clearing of all City of Bradenton Beach local roads, according to a Bradenton Beach city press release.
“Please stay out of their way,” the release states. “The city remains open to foot traffic only.”
DeSantis called the amount of sand on the road in Bradenton Beach “significant” and said he has not seen that amount of sand following the storm in any other part of the state he’s visited.
“I think what we’re going to do, we’re going to store the sand and then if folks here need it for beach renourishment they can use it for beach renourishment,” DeSantis said. “In some areas the sand was 5 feet. That’s pretty incredible.”
Much of Anna Maria Island remains without power. The governor said that sand inhibits the ability to deal with some of the underground transmission lines.
“For folks here, there’s a lot of damage, but there’s no question you’ll be able to bounce back,” he said.
DeSantis was joined by FDOT Secretary Jared Purdue, FEMA Executive Director Kevin Guthrie, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and Major General John Haas from the Florida National Guard.
Purdue said FDOT solicited bids and got under contract quickly to repair Gulf Drive.
“We’re standing here on State Road 789 which sustained significant damage from Helene and with mounds and mounds of sand, and as soon as the water receded our FDOT team here in District 1 jumped in and immediately started doing damage assessments,” Purdue said. “There’s a schedule of five days, but you heard the governor – there’s a full anticipation we’re going to work around the clock to get this done as quickly as possible.”
“We’ve reopened the Florida Disaster Fund, this is a private fund, this is a tax-deductible charitable contribution you can make. It’s a partnership with our partners in the private sector, other non-government groups who work to help people when things like this happen. It can help fund meals and help displaced people get essential items,” DeSantis said.
He gave the telephone number for the state’s non-emergency information line, which is 800-342-3557 and the Hope Florida line for assistance with food and shelter at 1-833-GET-HOPE.
MANATEE COUNTY – Interim Supervisor of Elections James Satcher fired one elections office employee as the primary election wound down and three more the following day.
On the evening of Aug. 20, vote-by-mail employee Mark Darnell was fired. On Aug. 21, 16-year elections office employee Chris Palmer was fired, as were long-time temporary employees Teresa Margraf and Harriet “Heddy” Darnell, Mark Darnell’s mom. None of the fired employees were given a reason for their dismissal.
The firings occurred after Satcher was defeated in his bid to be Manatee County’s next duly elected Supervisor of Elections. That office will instead go to former Supervisor of Elections Chief of Staff Scott Farrington.
Farrington defeated Satcher in the Supervisor of Elections Republican primary race by 7,276 votes. With only a write-in challenger in the general election, Farrington will assume the supervisor’s role on Jan. 7, but Satcher remains in charge of the elections office through and beyond the general election in November.
In April, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Satcher, a county commissioner at the time, to finish the remaining months of the four-year term that Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett vacated when he retired in March. At the time, Satcher had no experience managing an elections office or running an election. Farrington resigned after Satcher’s appointment and ran for office.
Plea to DeSantis
On Aug. 23, Heddy Darnell sent a 1,300-word email to DeSantis, the Florida Division of Elections and the Florida Commission on Ethics.
In part, Darnell’s email said, “This is a plea from the voters and people in Manatee County. We are asking you to please remove James Satcher as supervisor of elections as soon as possible. He lost the primary to Scott Farrington and has now fired four people in retaliation.”
James Satcher suffered a resounding loss in the primary election. – Manatee County | Submitted
Darnell’s email also said, “The voters have spoken in Manatee County. Please help the county before more damage is done. Mr. Satcher needs to be removed. Scott Farrington needs to be put in command of this election in November. Mr. Satcher’s retaliation is hurting innocent people personally and financially. Please hear us.”
Ex-employees speak
On Aug. 23, The Sun spoke with Darnell about her firing. The Sun also spoke with Palmer and Margraf, who were together at the time.
Darnell had worked at the elections office since 2016. During the election cycles that take place every two years, she begins working full-time in February, takes a couple of months off during the slow period, returns in July and works through the November election. Her duties included data entry, registering new voters, making changes to voter records, answering voter questions and more.
“I was fired at about quarter to five on Wednesday, the day after the election. I was told my services were no longer needed. Period,” Darnell said.
She then shared her observations on Satcher’s performance, spending habits and the work environment he created.
“He was never there. He was there maybe 10% of the time, making $176,000 a year. He was very egotistical. He had the walls painted a particular color blue because it made his eyes pop. He bought a podium that he was going to use to speak in a room about the size of a large living room. He thought he was going to speak to his fans and his people that elected him, but it never got used because he never got elected,” Darnell said.
Regarding Satcher’s handpicked chief of staff, David Ballard, Darnell said, “Satcher pretty much dumped the whole show on him. Ballard’s very cocky. He’d come in with a baseball hat on backwards, just strutting around and issuing orders and being a big shot. It was uncomfortable and nobody knew quite how to talk to him.”
Satcher hired 24-year-old Jonathan Clendenon to be his IT (information technology) director.
“He was pretty much a snitch. All he’d do was walk around and listen to people and report back to Satcher. Jonathan couldn’t figure out how to work the printers so Satcher bought all new ones for early voting,” Darnell said.
Satcher also hired Vinola Rodrigues as the election office’s new public information officer.
“All she did was work on his campaign,” Darnell said.
When asked if she hopes to return for the 2026 elections, Darnell said, “Yes, I’d like to go back. I enjoy the voters. I enjoy the work and I’m very knowledgeable. I’m retired and it supplements my income. It’s only every other year that I work, but it’s a great opportunity.”
Palmer began working at the elections office when Bob Sweat was the supervisor. She then worked the entirety of Mike Bennett’s tenure as supervisor. Palmer is a Master Florida Certified Election Professional and was the voter service supervisor.
“I have never had any concerns with Mr. Sweat and Mr. Bennett. I had complete confidence that everything was above-board. I was proud to be in that office and I knew things were going to be done properly,” she said.
Palmer was fired at approximately 4:45 p.m. on Aug. 21.
“Ballard and Jonathan came up to my desk and Ballard said, ‘Your services are no longer required. Here’s your boxes. Pack them up and get out.’ I was in shock. After I got over the shock, I chased him down and said, ‘Tell me what I’ve done.’ He said, ‘Your services are no longer required.’
“In 16 years, I’ve had no write-ups and no warnings. None of us who got fired got any warnings. To fire people because you’re mad about losing the election is crazy and it can’t continue. We are good people in that office. If I could get a free lawyer, I’d sue in a heartbeat,” Palmer said.
Palmer hopes to return to the elections office when Farrington returns, but she’s concerned about the loss of income between now and then and she’s filing for unemployment benefits.
“I loved that job. I loved what I did,” she said.
Margraf was fired in a similar fashion.
She and Palmer said that Satcher didn’t show up for work the day after the election.
“He doesn’t have the guts to do things himself. He sends Ballard or Jonathan to do his dirty work,” Margraf said.
When recalling her first encounter with Satcher, Palmer said, “He walks in with a Bible and puts it on the table and tells us this story about how he’s a minister and his wife saves strippers. That was our first impression. I’m a Christian, but I believe in separation. I have my beliefs and my partisan beliefs, but I don’t take them to work. He has no boundaries. He doesn’t turn it off.
“They have their doors locked almost all day. Almost everything they do is behind closed doors. That, to me, was a bad sign,” Palmer said. “Mr. Bennett and Scott Farrington rarely had their doors closed and never had them locked. They had nothing to hide.”
Palmer said Satcher yelled at her during a managers’ meeting after she told him his plan to open satellite offices in Parrish and Lakewood Ranch before the primary election was “crazy.”
“He just lit into me. I held it together, but I was in tears later. I’ve never had a boss talk to me like that,” Palmer said.
“I learned that I’m not allowed to have an opinion and I’m certainly not allowed to voice anything different than what he wants,” Palmer said, noting her beloved workplace became a “dictatorship.”
“We’ve got 78 days before the general election and they let go of one of their most knowledgeable employees. I was the supervisor and I took care of everything in that department. Satcher and Ballard do not understand the procedures of the office,” Palmer said.
“They have no clue,” Margraf added.
As for who will fill the four recently-vacated positions, Palmer said, “New people that don’t know what they’re doing.”
“After Satcher got appointed, a lot of our poll workers who’d been here for years refused to work under him, so they were scrambling right up to the end trying to train new poll workers,” Margraf said.
When asked if they were nervous about the primary election being conducted properly, Palmer said, “Yes. Definitely.”
“Everybody was nervous about it. A lot of people in the office can’t speak up because they need their jobs and they’re afraid,” Margraf added. “I don’t think things ran quite as smoothly as they normally do, but it did get done.”
“Satcher needs to be removed immediately and there’s a petition going around trying to get him removed,” Palmer said, with Margraf in agreement.
Bradenton Times Publisher Joe McClash has initiated a petition drive seeking Satcher’s removal. The online petition can be found here.
Bennett’s insights
When contacted by The Sun, Bennett said he’s willing to serve as the appointed supervisor until Jan. 7, if needed.
Regarding the firings, Bennett said, “He fired four people that combined had close to 30 years of experience. We’re going into one of the most controversial presidential races we’ve had in quite a while. You’re going to have an 80%-plus voter turnout. In the primary, they had a little less than 25%. You can imagine what’s going to happen when you have 80% turnout without having the people around to do it. Everybody can be replaced, but can they be replaced and pick up what they need to know in such a short period of time? No, they can’t. It’s a real shame. He is not a manager. A manager would have never done something so silly as to relieve so many important people going into the biggest election he’s ever going to have – and he only has one more,” Bennett said.
When asked if he’s concerned about the general election, Bennett said, “Yes, I have big concerns about it, especially if he fires one or two more people.”
I am a lifelong Republican and a 20+ year Manatee County, Florida resident. I have always supported you and your policies – until recently.
It greatly troubled me when you appointed totally unqualified and inexperienced James Satcher to Manatee County Supervisor of Elections (instead of Scott Farrington, who is both highly qualified and experienced and who was whole-heartedly recommended by former SOE Mike Bennett upon his retirement). But now, I am frankly horrified that you have endorsed Kevin Van Ostenbridge for Manatee County BOCC District 7 At Large.
It appears that you have become very badly compromised and are now merely a puppet who is controlled by the “political consultant” Anthony Pedicini and his SIMwins organization of Tampa, Bill Galvano and Real Estate Developers Pat Neal and Carlos Beruff.
I’ve lost all respect for you and will no longer be able to support you for any elected office. I have spoken with many other residents of Manatee County and they all agree with me and feel the same.
I pray that the voters will awaken and see through and understand Pedicini’s lies and deception and your foolish weakness before they vote in the Aug. 20 primary. I also pray that you will repent and redeem yourself before you cause irreparable damage to your political future.
ANNA MARIA – Some business owners are concerned about the city’s desire to extend the multi-use path along Gulf Drive that runs from the entrance of the city to Willow Avenue.
They say that extending the path to Magnolia or Pine avenues would eliminate the parallel parking spaces located along that side of Gulf Drive.
The multi-use path currently extends from the entrance to the city to Willow Avenue. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
City officials are still awaiting word as to whether Gov. Ron DeSantis will approve or veto a $250,000 state appropriation supported by the Florida House and Senate for Anna Maria’s multi-use path extension project. The funding request is included in the proposed 2024-25 state budget not yet finalized by DeSantis.
The business owners’ concerns are expressed in a petition initiated by Ginny’s and Jane E’s Café owner Paul Foster. The petition was sent to DeSantis, Sen. Jim Boyd, State Rep. Will Robinson Jr. and Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge.
Several Anna Maria businesses are supported by the free parking spaces along Gulf Drive. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The petition was signed by the owners of Body & Sol Spa and Wellness, Snips Hair Design, Harry’s Grill, AMI Beach Hut, Ginny’s and Jane E’s Café, The Porch restaurant, Robinhood Rentals and John Cagnina, the owner of the Ginny’s and Jane E’s property leased to Foster, which includes a rear parking lot.
The Porch restaurant is among the businesses listed on the petition. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
In part, the petition says: “There is a bill going to your desk that will hurt small businesses in the city of Anna Maria. We have, over the last number of years, seen a rapid decline in free public parking. Private lots turned into paid parking and projects like this extension of a multi-use path from a residential area into a commercial area, removed free parking in front of many small businesses. It not only hurts business, but it is dangerous to bring traffic like this into a busy corner. We have options that keep bikers (bicyclists) safe and keep businesses prospering.
AMI Beach Hut customers and Harry’s Grill patrons are among those who utilize the free parking spaces along Gulf Drive. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“I implore you to use your veto authority and put a stop to the funding of this project. I am asking for a more thorough study on the impacts to health and safety, and to businesses directly impacted,” the petition says.
When speaking to The Sun on March 22, Foster said the concerns addressed in the petition stem in part from previous city commission discussions regarding the potential elimination of the streetside parallel parking spaces along Pine Avenue as part of the yet-to-be-constructed Reimagining Pine Avenue safety improvement project.
Eliminating the Pine Avenue parking spaces has been discussed by the city commission and supported by some current and past commissioners, but that idea has never garnered the majority support of the commission. City Commission Chair Mark Short and Mayor Dan Murphy are among those who’ve expressed concerns about the negative impact eliminating the Pine Avenue parking spaces would have on those businesses.
Eliminating parking spaces along Gulf Drive to accommodate an extended multi-use path has never been publicly discussed by the city commission or presented to the commission in a planning document.
Foster was asked if anyone representing the city ever mentioned to him the possibility of eliminating Gulf Drive parking spaces to accommodate an extended multi-use path.
Foster referenced a wide-ranging conversation he had with Reimagining Pine Avenue project engineer Gerry Traverso in 2021. Traverso is employed by the George F. Young Inc. engineering firm.
“Gerry never told me they were going to do this, but he did say the extension of the multi-use path would eliminate the parking,” Foster said.
There does not appear to be enough space along Gulf Drive to extend the multi-use path while also preserving the existing parking spaces. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“It would be devastating. If people are coming to a restaurant, they’re not going to use paid parking. They’re going to want to park for free. Up here, free parking is definitely limited and these 13 spaces in front of these businesses are their lifeblood,” he added.
When asked why he didn’t approach the mayor before petitioning the governor, Foster said he felt this was the most effective means to address these concerns.
FUNDING REQUESTS
The city’s $250,000 funding request is addressed in Florida Senate local funding initiative request 1512, sponsored by Boyd, and House of Representatives HSE form 2599, sponsored by Robinson. Anna Maria City Clerk LeAnne Addy said the city’s contracted lobbyist submitted the funding requests on the city’s behalf.
The Senate form asks the applicant to state the purpose to be achieved with the desired state funds.
The city’s response says, “The goal is to improve safety and accessibility along the city’s main artery for the key stakeholders – residents, businesses, and visitors – while addressing the impact of seasonal traffic. The project will make the city’s main street corridor more user-friendly by addressing safety concerns, access issues and aesthetic deficiencies resulting from the currently antiquated infrastructure along the street that doesn’t account for increased tourism.”
The House request form asks if the need for funds is documented in a study completed by an independent third party.
The city’s response says, “Yes. George F. Young Inc. has done a study on this as the engineering firm that is working on the project.”
The city response refers to the initial Reimagining Pine Avenue research Traverso conducted. Neither funding request form includes any drawings or plans of the proposed multi-use path extension area, nor do they mention the removal of existing parking spaces.
When contacted by The Sun on March 22, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said no specific plans for the proposed path extension have been created or presented to the city commission; and Addy said she wasn’t aware of any such planning documents.
FOSTER’S LETTER
The petition sent to DeSantis and others was accompanied by a letter written by Foster.
“We are very concerned with the city’s push forward with a multi-use path into a busy commercial area. All businesses along this strip will be affected negatively,” his letter says.
The letter claims the path extension would eliminate 13 parking spaces that currently serve more than 200 people per day.
“Yes, health and safety must be the number one priority, but this must be done with an eye out for our community of ‘Ma and Pop’ businesses that need to survive there. I think it’s important that everyone’s interests are looked after,” Foster stated in his letter.
Ginny’s and Jane E’s owner doesn’t support a multi-use path located in front of his businesses. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
After acknowledging that city officials have a tough job and their overall efforts are appreciated, Foster’s letter says, “I’m afraid they missed their mark on this one. There is still time if protecting businesses is as important to them.”
MAYOR’S RESPONSE
On March 22, Murphy provided a written statement regarding the petition and the business owners’ concerns.
“The problem we are trying to address is that people are opening their car doors into oncoming traffic on Gulf Drive and then walking in the road to go to the restaurants and stores,” Murphy stated. “We want to develop some ideas, and then plans, on how to best address that if possible. So, we submitted a funding request for $250,000 to help defray some of the costs of addressing the problem and then work on a plan. We want to find out if anything can be done to make Gulf Drive safer to walk and drive, more people-friendly and easier to shop and eat, not to eliminate the number of parking spaces serving that area.”
The multi-use path ends at Willow Avenue, with no sidewalk on that side of the street for pedestrians. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
He noted the path extension planning process would include the solicitation of public input, similar to what occurred during the initial Reimagining Pine Avenue planning process.
“I’m not sure why Mr. Foster wouldn’t have called me about his concerns prior to launching into a petition campaign, but that’s his prerogative. I’m hoping the appropriation doesn’t get stalled and goes through so we can quickly get started on addressing this issue,” Murphy stated.
When asked if there’s enough available space along that side of Gulf Drive to extend the multi-use path and preserve the existing parking spaces, Murphy said, “Not currently.”
BRADENTON – More than 50 concerned citizens and city officials gathered on Friday to protest Manatee County’s plans to build a 1,500-space, three-story parking garage at Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach.
The protesters made their voices heard along Manatee Avenue in front of the county administration building in downtown Bradenton.
The scheduled protest coincidentally occurred a few hours after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 947. Introduced by State Rep. Will Robinson (R-Bradenton), supported by Sen. Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton) and unanimously approved by the Florida House and the Florida Senate, HB 947 allows Manatee County to build a parking garage on the county-owned Manatee Beach property in Holmes Beach despite the city’s prohibitions on the construction of a parking garage.
Manatee Beach in 1955. – Manatee County Historical Records Library | Submitted
The parking garage must still comply with the height restrictions contained in Holmes Beach’s city charter, which will limit it to three stories with parking on the roof. To make room for the garage, which is expected to fill the entire existing parking lot, the vintage concession stand and other buildings at the beach will be demolished.
The estimated $45 million construction process is expected to take two years.
Protesters speak
Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth and city commissioners Dan Diggins and Carol Soustek participated in Friday’s protest.
“I’m glad the bill was either signed or vetoed because I didn’t want it to just go unnoticed,” Titsworth said. “Now people know what DeSantis believes in – the loss of home rule and big government overreach. That completely circumvents our ability to govern and people don’t have a voice anymore. It’s wrong.
“The parking garage is unfunded, so the county’s going to have to find the money. I hope they don’t dip into reserves because we need those reserves, especially with the increased magnitude of the hurricanes coming our way. And there’s a lot of infrastructure in the county that needs funding. We’re dealing with a county water pipe issue right now. I hope they put the emphasis on things like that instead.”
Holmes Beach Commissioner Dan Diggins, left, and Mayor Judy Titsworth were among the many protestors. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Titsworth said the fight is not over.
“We have legal recourse and a couple other things we’re working on that I think could make an impact,” she said. “The citizens have to take their stand and tell the people they elected how disappointed they are.”
Titsworth said the city will have no input or oversight of the construction of the parking garage.
“They made sure we didn’t have a seat at the table. I’ve never seen such hostile local bill,” she said.
Diggins said, “I think it’s heavy-handed government at its worst. This bill was passed to solve an undefined problem. They never brought us a plan to say this is what we’d like to do with the studies about drainage, traffic and beach carrying capacity. If those things were done, we’d be open to consider it. This whole thing was done bass-ackwards.
“It was basically done because some county commissioner got their feelings hurt,” Diggins said. “We passed an ordinance that banned a parking garage. It had nothing to do with the county’s plans and that set this whole thing in motion. Once (Manatee County Commissioner) Kevin Van Ostenbridge saw that, he threatened us with retribution; and apparently, this is part of that retribution.”
Diggins and Titsworth were asked if the county ever considered buying the nearby vacant Bank of America property and building a parking garage there instead.
“I brought that up in front of Kevin and he said, ‘Why would I do that when we already own the county beach?’ He didn’t want to do it,” Titsworth said.
“I talked to Kevin before I was a commissioner and I brought up that suggestion. He said why would we do that? We already own the county beach,” Diggins echoed.
Soustek said, “There’s a lot of people here that are very concerned. We appreciate everyone who takes a stand against big government trying to take away home rule rights from the cities. It’s not the solution. It’s just another problem. There are other solutions. There are studies that were done in the past and they recommend off-Island mass transportation to the Island. That would help with the traffic. I think they should have taken a lot more time to look into the matter before they pushed it through.”
Holmes Beach resident and Island business owner Morgan Bryant helped organize the protest.
Carla Ballew, Talha Siddique and Morgan Bryant participated in Friday’s protest. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“I want to preserve Anna Maria Island. We don’t need a 1,500-space parking garage. It’s sad that the first thing people are going to see when they drive over the bridge is a giant parking garage,” she said.
“The biggest thing here is big government overreach and circumventing our home rule and our city’s ability to preserve itself. I was upset driving over here when I heard the news. I don’t know that this protest will change anything, but at least our voices will be heard. I hope the city and the county can find a better solution. People need to be made aware of the parking spaces we have throughout Holmes Beach and the Island. I grew up in east Bradenton. I understand why people get upset when they can’t find parking spaces, but there are parking spaces,” Bryant said.
Manatee County has the green light to make the parking lot east of Manatee Beach into a three-story parking garage from end to end. – Troy Morgan/PhotosFromTheAir.com | Submitted
“Some of us are also concerned that this will open up the door to a higher structure and before you know it, we’ll have a whole bunch of high-rises on the Island,” former Island resident Carla Ballew said. “We’re trying to keep the jewel that it was, which it’s not anymore, but we’re still trying to preserve some of that quaintness that used to be Anna Maria Island.”
“The county has completely mishandled this entire situation from start to finish. This is an absolute misuse and waste of our tax dollars,” Speak Out Manatee founder Talha Siddique said. “The county has closed off far more beach parking than the city of Holmes Beach has and that’s almost $50 million that could go to schools, teachers, our police and firefighters and our crumbling infrastructure. Our elected officials want to put our money towards something we don’t want. At its core this is a local issue. Our county commission didn’t want to work out a deal with the city. That’s why we need to speak out and we need to vote in 2024. If these county commissioners aren’t going to vote in accordance with what we want them to do, we have an opportunity to take anybody out of office who doesn’t want to listen to us.”
Longtime Island resident Tom Aposporos said, “The governor signed the bill and it surprises me because I understood he was a believer in home rule. This is the antithesis of home rule. Can you imagine a parking garage staring you right in the face as you’re driving onto that bucolic Island? And making traffic worse, not better. How can anyone who has an ounce of decency think that’s a good idea?”
Regarding Robinson and Boyd’s legislative efforts, Aposporos said, “I’m surprised. I’ve never had a reason to disrespect either one of them. I do not understand this at all. I think there has been political intrigue between the local governments and those gentlemen as state officials, but somehow I think that can be worked out. It doesn’t have to become this draconian decision to build a multi-story parking garage in the middle of a beautiful place. It will not accomplish what they’re saying it will accomplish and I hope that all comes out in the courts.”
Charlene Smock, left, and Brandi Brady question State Rep. Will Robinson Jr.’s legislative efforts. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Charlene Smock and Brandi Brady were among those holding blue and red signs that said, “Danger Will Robinson.” Smock lives in Palma Sola and Brady’s family has owned and operated the West Coast Surf Shop next to Manatee Beach for more than five decades.
Regarding DeSantis signing the bill, Brady said, “We just found out and we’re devastated. You’re going to fill that big concrete building on the beach with a lot more people coming to the Island and leaving the Island. All the tourists that come into our shop love the Island the way it is and everybody we’ve talked to is against the garage. That might be great for our business, but no. We have enough business. Everybody has enough business. The traffic’s going to be even worse,” Brady said.
Smock said, “Think about emptying that parking garage with 1,500 cars all trying to come out at once during bad weather.”
Smock suggested the county finish its Coquina Beach parking improvements so those temporarily unavailable parking spaces are available again.
There is a smarter, less costly approach to increase parking capacity in Holmes Beach.
Anna Maria Island (AMI) is a treasure. We must protect it from the current misguided construction plan of a four-story, $45M garage at Holmes Beach. This project will create a bottleneck at the T intersection of Manatee Avenue and Gulf Drive, creating traffic delays of two hours or more at peak times. Queueing models prove that congestion on the island will become explosively worse than it already is.
More visitors are welcome on AMI, as they bring additional business to the restaurants and shopping outlets. But there are smarter, more cost-effective alternatives than building a massive garage at a choke point.
An alternative is to distribute the traffic load across multiple points. For example, Manatee County can contract with numerous parking lots off-island, including east on Manatee Avenue, to use their idle spaces. And shuttles can carry beachgoers to and from Holmes Beach. This is a smarter approach that is less costly, reduces current traffic congestion on the island, and mitigates the problems that will be otherwise imposed by the original misguided design. It also better serves the economic interests of the area.
HOLMES BEACH – A much-loved, historic Easter service may be in jeopardy if a multi-story parking garage is erected at Manatee Beach.
Thousands of people gather on the sand every year for the non-denominational Easter Sunrise Service hosted by the Anna Maria Island Kiwanis Club. Residents and visitors from all over the world gather for the service before the sun comes up, celebrating together as the sun rises in the east over the top of the single-story concession stand.
Manatee County commissioners have a plan to replace that building with a three-story parking garage with additional parking on the roof. The bill awaits a decision by Gov. Ron DeSantis. If approved, the county could build the garage despite prohibitions in city ordinances and the land development code. County commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge estimates the 1,500-plus parking space garage will cost $45 million to build over at least two years.
The garage would change the venue where the sunrise service has been held for 58 years, rising at least 36 feet over the beach, casting a shadow on the sand in the morning, and blocking the view of the sunrise during the religious service.
Sandy Haas-Martens, secretary of the Kiwanis club, said that the group is on its summer meeting schedule and have not discussed the future of the service if DeSantis signs off on the parking garage, but she anticipates it will be a topic at a future meeting.
Speaking on behalf of St. Bernard Catholic Church, one of the Island churches that participates in the annual service, Haas-Martens said the Easter sunrise service is something that brings the Island community together, both locals and visitors, and is something each church’s leaders enjoy participating in. The 2023 service was the first time the event was live streamed for online viewers.
Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer, who handles security and traffic for the service, said he hopes the service will be able to continue.
“I’m still hoping the county commission comes to their senses and realizes the garage is a bad idea,” he said, noting that the city still had plenty of available parking spaces even over the busy Memorial Day holiday weekend.
If the garage is built, he said trying to get traffic in and out of the planned three-story space would be extremely difficult, especially if a large number of people try to leave at once, which often happens at the beach during a rainstorm, and at the end of the service.
“How are you going to get out when everyone is in line for the exit?” he said.
Representatives from other participating churches, Roser Memorial Community Church, Harvey Memorial Church, The Episcopal Church of the Annunciation and Gloria Dei Lutheran Church could not be reached for comment by press time for The Sun.
HOLMES BEACH – City leaders and residents are making last-minute attempts to get the attention of Gov. Ron DeSantis before he makes a decision on the future of a bill allowing a multi-level parking garage to be built at Manatee Beach contrary to city regulations.
After passing both the Florida House and Senate with unanimous votes of the members in attendance, the bill stalled for over a month before being presented to the governor for consideration. As of press time for The Sun, DeSantis had not signed or vetoed the bill.
The bill, HB 947, was presented to state legislators by Rep. Will Robinson Jr. during the Florida legislative session that ended in May. The bill came at the request of Manatee County commissioners, primarily commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge, to build a three-story parking garage with parking on the roof at Manatee Beach. If built, Van Ostenbridge said the garage is planned to span the entirety of the county’s buildable land at the public beach and be able to house 1,500-1,700 vehicles with paid parking estimated at $2 per hour. To accommodate the garage, all of the existing facilities at the beach, including the concession stand, restrooms and retail, would be removed, along with trees at the property. The concession, restroom and retail facilities would be rebuilt as a part of the new garage. Construction on the project is estimated to cost $45 million and take at least two years to complete during which parking and facilities at the beach would be unavailable to the public.
Currently, there are more than 400 free parking spaces available to the public at Manatee Beach with hundreds more available in auxiliary on-street parking and at beach access points throughout the city.
Now that the bill has been officially presented to DeSantis, the governor has three options – sign it, veto it or ignore it. If he signs the bill, it becomes law upon gaining his signature. If he ignores it, the bill becomes law automatically on July 1. If he vetoes it, the bill goes back to the House and Senate for reconsideration during the next regular legislative session. If the bill passes both chambers with a three-quarters majority vote, it overrides the governor’s veto and the bill becomes law.
With the bill now up for consideration, concerned local residents, stakeholders and city leaders are appealing to DeSantis to veto the parking garage.
An effort among residents, called Paradise Lost, has sprung up to help bring awareness and mathematically-based reason to the parking garage discussion, led by Allan Levy of Perico Island. Levy, a professional analyst, studied the proposed project and says the construction of the garage would be catastrophic for traffic, causing backups to leave the beach of two hours or more during peak times. He also said that during these backups, traffic in and out of the garage would create a solid wall of vehicles that would be difficult to impossible for first responders, including fire trucks and ambulances to navigate through.
For more information on the effort, visit the group’s website.
There are also two petitions in circulation speaking out against the garage. One on Change.org had garnered over 6,300 signatures at press time for The Sun. Another petition on Manatee Citizens Taking Action has gained more than 2,800 signatures.
Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth also continues to speak out against the garage, taking to social media on June 15 to post a video directed to DeSantis asking him to veto the garage.
“This is an attack on home rule and a huge governmental overreach,” she said, adding that it would also potentially be the largest garage in the region. Titsworth also noted that the increase in traffic caused by the parking garage would be “a nightmare for first responders.”
During a June 13 meeting, she said that she walked the beach over the Memorial Day weekend, noting the crowds already gathered on the sand without adding another 1,000 parking spaces.
“It’s already umbrella-to-umbrella and shoulder-to-shoulder out there,” she said, adding that she’s not sure where on the sand the additional people would go to enjoy the beach.
Levy argues that congestion and beach capacity studies need to be done before a garage could be built. If the governor approves the bill, he said that he and others would be watching county leaders very closely to make sure that all required studies are completed before any permits are issued.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed into law new state legislation that will impact condominium associations and owners.
On June 9, DeSantis signed the legislation recently adopted by the Florida Legislature as Senate Bill 154 and House Bill 1395.
Taking effect on July 1, the new law requires structural inspections of all condominium buildings three or more stories in height and at least 30 years old by Dec. 31, 2024 and again every 10 years thereafter.
In accordance with the Florida Building Code, the inspection requirement includes the most popular type of condominium building on Anna Maria Island – three-story buildings with two elevated living levels and ground-level parking below.
The new law builds upon the state law previously created in 2022 with the adoption of Senate Bill 4-D. The legislation adopted in 2022 and 2023 is in response to the partial collapse of the 12-story Champlain Towers South condominium building in Surfside that killed 98 people in 2021.
The new law applies to all qualifying condominium buildings in Florida regardless of location and it deletes the 25-year inspection requirement adopted last year for condo buildings located within three miles of the coastline.
The new law clarifies that all owners of a condominium building must share the costs of the structural inspections via annual assessments. Condo owners must also share the cost of repairing or remedying any structural distress or weakness identified in a structural inspection.
The law authorizes local governments to enforce the milestone inspection requirements and allows local enforcement agencies to accept an inspection report completed before July 1, 2022, if the inspection and the report comply with the milestone requirements.
The law requires condo associations to provide notice to condo unit owners about the inspection deadlines and inspection findings.
I am a fan of simple. I think we overanalyze many things. However, there are some things that call for higher-level thinking. The dilemma of transporting more people to AMI beaches is one of them.
The current knee-jerk parking garage solution from state and county leaders is decades old, tired and simple. It is “Boy howdy, let’s just pour us some more concrete.” It is wrong on so many levels.
There is a lesson here for the electorate. There are going to be other ongoing complex issues that call for creative and innovative thinking. The solutions to these issues will impact us all. We would be wise to elect future leaders who understand the whole picture, are forward-thinking and comprehend multiplex relationships. After all, they do have our fate in their hands.
ST. PETERSBURG – Local government emergency orders regarding COVID-19 have been invalidated statewide under an executive order that Gov. Ron DeSantis issued Monday, May 3.
At a press conference in St. Petersburg, DeSantis said the suspension of local emergency COVID orders will remain in effect until a new state law he signed today on emergency management procedures takes effect July 1.
The new law, passed last week as Senate Bill 2006, will limit local government’s emergency powers during future non-hurricane related emergencies regarding business closures, school closures and other quality of life issues for Floridians.
“I’ll also sign an executive order pursuant to that bill invalidating all remaining local emergency COVID orders effective on July 1,” DeSantis said. “To bridge the gap between then and now, I’m going to suspend, under my executive power, the local emergency orders as it related to COVID. I think that’s the evidence-based thing to do. I think folks that are saying they need to be policing people at this point are saying you don’t believe in the vaccine. You don’t believe in the data. You don’t believe in the science. We’ve embraced the vaccines. We’ve embraced the science on it. It’s even better in real life.”
Regarding the COVID-19 vaccines themselves, DeSantis said, “It’s available. We want everyone to get it and if you get it just know the reason you get it is because we want people to enjoy themselves and live freely in the state of Florida.”
Island impacts
When contacted Monday afternoon regarding the governor’s actions, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said, “We will discuss our options at next Thursday’s (May 13) city commission meeting.”
The city of Bradenton Beach has no COVID-related emergency orders in effect other than its ongoing declaration of a local state of emergency. When contacted Monday, City Attorney Ricinda Perry said, “I plan to recommend termination of the local state of emergency.”
That anticipated action is expected to occur during Wednesday’s weekly emergency commission meeting.
Regarding the city hall mask requirement, Perry said, “I need to read the Governor’s order, but I believe all regulations should be lifted. That’s an administrative office requirement that would also go away. City Clerk Terri Sanclemente confirmed that wearing a mask will now be up to each individual but will not be required inside city hall.”
Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth said, “I urge everyone to get the vaccines. Unfortunately, they are not available for children.”
When asked if the city plans to continue its mask requirement inside city hall and at other city facilities, Titsworth said, “I think it’s important.”
The city commission meets again on Tuesday, May 11, and the governor’s order and its impacts are expected to be topics of discussion.
Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said, “If the commission decides they want to keep that mask order for the city building and the City Field, that’s something they will address at that time. If they want to go with the more relaxed approach, then they’ll make that decision at that time as well.
“As for the businesses, we have left it up to them to police their own businesses. If they want to continue to err on the side of caution and have people wear masks inside their businesses it’s up to them to post signs and to discuss it with those not wearing masks. If someone refuses to comply, they can call the police and we would respond and take whatever action is necessary,” Tokajer said.
Without having seen anything in writing from the governor’s office yet, Tokajer was asked if he believes the police department can still trespass, at the request of the business representative, a patron who refuses to wear a mask inside the business.
“Yes, we do. Any business can refuse business to any patron as long as it’s justified,” Tokajer said.
PALMETTO – State leaders are committing financial resources for the ongoing Piney Point response efforts and the implementation of a long-term plan to permanently close the property.
The Piney Point property is owned by HRK Holdings. The company purchased the property in 2006. A phosphate production facility operated on that site from 1966 to 1999.
On Tuesday, April 13, Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson and Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Noah Valenstein participated in a press conference at the Piney Point property. State Sen. Jim Boyd (R-Manatee), State Rep. Will Robinson (R-Manatee), acting Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes and all seven county commissioners attended the press conference but did not address the media.
Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered the permanent closure of the Piney Point property. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Regarding the initial state response that included DEP, the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Florida National Guard, DeSantis noted the controlled discharge of containment stack water into Tampa Bay was stopped within seven days.
The governor then addressed his plans moving forward.
“We want this to be the last chapter of the Piney Point story. Today, I’m directing the Department of Environmental Protection to create a plan to close Piney Point. I’ve requested that DEP’s team of engineers and scientists develop plans for the permanent closure of this site, including identifying necessary resources to do so. This will ensure the state is moving forward with a plausible scientific plan toward closure,” DeSantis said.
“I’m redirecting $15.4 million from existing appropriations at DEP to use innovative technologies to pre-treat water at the site for nutrients so that in the event that further controlled discharges are needed, any potential adverse environmental impacts such as algae blooms and fish kills are mitigated,” DeSantis said.
“I’m further directing DEP to fully investigate the incidents here at Piney Point to take any and all legal actions to ensure we hold HRK and the other actors fully accountable,” the governor said.
Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson addressed the state Legislature’s Piney Point funding efforts. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Speaking next, Simpson addressed the state Legislature’s efforts.
“This year we’re going to appropriate $100 million for the initial funding. By the end of the year, we hope to get a full closure plan with a fully-funded amount that may be required; and then come back next year and have a fully-funded plan,” he said.
DEP Secretary Noah Valenstein also spoke about holding HRK Holdings responsible for the environmental and economic impacts caused by the breach of the Piney Point containment stack.
“We have a team of attorneys back at Tallahassee that is making sure they take advantage of all the information we’re collecting and then put together a case to hold HRK fully accountable. We are putting every effort to hold folks accountable, regardless or not of a particular corporation’s circumstances,” he said.
After Tuesday’s press conference, Port Manatee Director of Communications Virginia Zimmermann provided The Sun with a tour of the Berth 12 area where the Piney Point water was discharged into Tampa Bay through an inland canal that helped move the discharged water into the deep water shipping channel. Zimmermann said the port remained fully operational while the Piney Point crisis played out.
According to DEP, about 215 million gallons of water containing elevated levels of nitrates and phosphates were discharged into Tampa Bay. Phosphates and nitrates are primary ingredients in fertilizer and concerns linger regarding the potential environmental impact of discharging that much nutrient-rich water into Tampa Bay.
The Piney Point discharge entered the shipping channel and Tampa Bay at Port Manatee’s Berth 12. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The controlled discharge began on March 31 after a breach was identified in one of the three Piney Point phosphogypsum containment stacks. DEP refers to the breached gyp stack that resembles a small lake as the “NGS-South compartment.”
Another leak
According to DEP’s daily update on Saturday, April 17, approximately 205 million gallons remained in the NGS-South compartment and DEP was preparing to manage increased stormwater on the Piney Point property ahead of weather forecasts predicting rain and windy conditions early this week.
According to Friday’s update, members of the University of South Florida’s School of Geosciences began using bathymetric equipment that day to survey the gyp stack and further assess repairs previously made to its submerged liner.
Friday’s update noted that on Tuesday, April 13, a low-level flow was observed from the concentrated seepage area on the east wall of the gyp stack: “Dive crews immediately arrived on scene and identified a small detachment underneath the plate placed over the liner seam separation. At this time, the low-level flow rate appears to be consistent and repair efforts continue.”
Environmental concerns
On Saturday, Sarasota Bay Estuary Program Executive Director Dave Tomasko provided his latest insights on the potential environmental impacts.
“We haven’t had discharges in about a week, but it looks like we’ve got a 10-15 square mile algae bloom centered around Piney Point. It’s pretty much in the same location it was for the past week,” he said.
This satellite imagery from Thursday, April 15 indicates what’s believed to be an algae bloom. – NOAA | Submitted
Tomasko noted the suspected algae bloom appears on the daily satellite imagery provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). He said an algae bloom does not necessarily appear as a large mass of material that can be seen on the water’s surface.
“It’s floating microscopic plants,” he said.
Sharing his own personal observations, Tomasko said, “The water does not look the way it normally does this time of year. The water this time of year is usually blue. It looks kind of brownish to me. In that area around Piney Point, people have been noting the water does not look clear. It looks brownish-green. It looks like there’s elevated phytoplankton and this week we’re going to find out if there’s a more macro-algae out there.”
Tomasko said members of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and other volunteers will be out on the water in several locations conducting surveys of the algae, and also of the seagrass the grows on the bottom of the surveyed bodies of water.
“We’ve got baseline conditions before any of the impact was felt and this coming week we’re going to go see if they’ve changed,” he said. “No one really knows what’s going to happen, but it’s hard to believe there wouldn’t be some sort of impact with all the nutrients put into the water.”
Tomasko’s overall concerns also include the presence of red tide (Karenia brevis) in the area.
“We’ve got red tide in Sarasota. These are low to moderate levels. Red tide is not caused by humans but when it comes into water enriched by human activity that’s a real concern. If this plume lingers around and the red tide encounters it, it’s like adding gasoline to a fire,” Tomasko said.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission red tide current status map, medium levels of Karenia brevis cells (red tide) were measured at Siesta Beach in Sarasota on April 12. That same day, low levels of Karenia brevis cells were detected at the New Pass Dock in Sarasota Bay and at Lido Pass.
An April 12 water sample taken near the Rod and Reel Pier in Anna Maria indicated Karenia brevis cellswere not present or were present only at minimal background levels.
The north end of Anna Maria Island is approximately 15 miles from Port Manatee.
Previous seagrass losses
Tomasko also lamented the previous loss of seagrass that occurred in Sarasota Bay prior to the Piney Point crisis.
“We just had our numbers released Friday about the seagrass change. We’re down 18%. We lost more than 2,000 acres of seagrass in the northern part of Sarasota Bay between 2018 and 2020 in the area around Long Bar Pointe. North and south of Long Bar Pointe we’re down 18%, after a 5% loss between 2016 and 2018,” he said.
Tomasko was asked why so much seagrass has been lost near Long Bar Pointe.
“We think it’s because of two red tides in 2016 and 2017. Then you had Hurricane Irma in 2017 and a real strong red tide from 2018 going into 2019. The red tide shuts off the photosynthesis. The seagrass expires because the water is warm and there’s not enough light,” he said.
“The last thing we need is another red tide like we had in 2018-2019. We’re already in a stressed position and now we’ve got red tide to the south and Piney Point to the north. The last thing we need is for people to think the crisis is past. We’re nowhere near close to knowing what the effects are going to be,” he added.
Holmes Beach declaration
On Tuesday, April 13, the Holmes Beach City Commission adopted by city resolution a declaration of a local state of emergency that serves as the city’s preemptive response to the potential environmental and economic impacts of the Piney Point discharge.
“The city commission has determined that the release of contaminated water from the Piney Point facility poses an immediate and real threat to the residents and businesses of the city of Holmes Beach. The city commission supports the allocation of federal and state funds to develop and implement a plan that will eliminate any future threat that the Piney Point facility poses to Tampa Bay and surrounding waters,” the resolution states.
The Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach city commissions declared similar declarations of emergency on April 8.
ANNA MARIA – Anna Maria City Commissioner Joe Muscatello has recovered from his recent COVID-19 infection.
During the Tuesday, Nov. 24 city commission meeting, Muscatello discussed his COVID experience after thanking Mayor Dan Murphy and city staff for checking on his well-being.
“I’m one of the people in Anna Maria that had COVID. You don’t want it. It was horrible. I’ve gone through stage 4 cancer and this was worse than that for three weeks. I couldn’t move for three weeks. I had to quarantine away from my wife, in my room,” Muscatello said.
Muscatello, who’s retired, said he was fortunate that he didn’t have to miss work, get children off to school or deal with the other concerns working people have to contend with while recovering from the illness.
2020 COVID-19 cases on Anna Maria Island
Source: Florida Department of Health
Muscatello said he had a 102-degree fever for three weeks, but was fortunate that he didn’t have to be hospitalized or be placed on a ventilator.
“And I’m not one of the 250,000 people who are now dead. My heart goes out to all those families,” he said.
“These damn people who won’t wear a mask… it’s personal to me now. I was worried about it before. Now that I’ve had it, I’m even more worried,” Muscatello said. “I picked it up from an extended family member. I let my guard down for one day. That’s all it takes.”
Muscatello said his main concern is the 1,500 residents who live in Anna Maria, but he’s also concerned about “the 20,000 that come here every week to have a good time.”
Commission’s COVID concerns
Muscatello discussed his personal experience after Commissioner Jon Crane expressed concerns about Gov. Ron DeSantis’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“You already know my feeling about the governor’s approach to relaxing COVID measures. I disagree with him,” Crane said.
“I’m been ruminating on this for a while and the other day I saw a number of mayors had written a letter to the governor saying, ‘Let us have our powers back so we can protect our city.’ I think we might want to consider some sort of resolution supporting those mayors and our own need to exercise our home rule in protecting our citizens,” Crane said.
Commissioner Jon Crane disagrees with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ COVID-19 response. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
In September, DeSantis issued Executive Order 20-244, an order that prohibits city and county governments from imposing fines or other penalties on individuals who violate local COVID-19 orders or mandates.
That order also prevents local and county governments from limiting establishments with a food service license to less than 100% indoor capacity without quantifying the economic impact of each limitation or requirement placed on those restaurants and explaining why each limitation or requirement is necessary to protect public health.
On Nov. 24, DeSantis extended EO 20-244 with the issuance of EO 20-297.
“We’re not able to enforce our mask ordinance,” Crane said.
“Because we can’t fine,” Mayor Dan Murphy added.
Crane said it was noted earlier during the meeting that Anna Maria businesses are, for the most part, doing a good job of enforcing their own mask requirements.
“I just think we ought to protect our people from visitors who are mask-defiant,” Crane said.
Murphy referenced the local emergency order he issued on Sept. 30 in response to DeSantis’ order – an order that reiterates a business owner’s right to have a patron trespassed for refusing to wear a mask. At that time, Murphy issued a second order that requires masks or face coverings inside city hall, the city annex and at city events held at City Pier Park.
“The trespass order is actually more effective than the fines because nobody wants to be trespassed. We’ve had incidents down at the farmers market and they’re quickly solved with the mention of trespassing,” Murphy said.
Muscatello asked Murphy if he was aware of any Anna Maria businesses trespassing a patron for not wearing a mask.
Murphy said he was not aware of that happening, but he is aware of customers being made cognizant that they could be trespassed.
Code Enforcement Manager Debbie Haynes mentioned an incident involving a patron who refused to wear a mask at the farmers market.
“A deputy came to address the situation,” Haynes said, noting it wasn’t a vendor who requested that action, but a member of the code enforcement department who was present at the time.
Murphy said a lady recently wanted to use the restroom inside city hall but didn’t want to wear a mask.
“She told me all the reasons I couldn’t make her put a mask on. I told her that I could, and I would, and she wasn’t going to use the bathroom. She yelled at me a little bit and I said you’ll have to use the bathroom somewhere else,” Murphy said.
“I’ll maintain my outrage. but I’ll withdraw my motion,” Crane said in regard to a city resolution.
“Jon, I’m right behind you on what we can do to convince this crazy-ass governor of ours to help us out,” Muscatello said before sharing his own COVID experience.
