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Holmes Beach commission candidates debate issues

Holmes Beach commission candidates debate issues

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Rainy weather and a hole in the Anna Maria Island Bridge couldn’t stop the four city commission candidates from coming out to The Sun’s candidate forum or the public from coming to hear their answers to questions.

More than 40 people gathered at Holmes Beach City Hall on Aug. 28 to hear what candidates Dan Diggins, Steve Oelfke, Bill Romberger and Carol Whitmore had to say. Candidates answered questions from the community ranging from what they think about the city’s budget and millage rate to consolidation, parking garages and Manatee County tourist tax funding.

All four of the candidates agreed that the results of the Aug. 20 primary election changed the dynamic of the city’s relationship with county and state elected officials.

Both Oelfke and Whitmore said that a strength they bring to the table is being able to foster good relationships among people at all levels. Romberger said he feels the best thing to do is “to stand strong and foster some kind of mutual respect.”

Incumbent Commissioner Dan Diggins said he felt that a lot of the issues between the city and the county had to do with a single commissioner who lost in the primary race, which he said should help the relationship. One thing Diggins thinks would help remedy some of the relationship issues would be for some of the tourist development tax funds, also known as bed tax funds, to come back to the Anna Maria Island communities. City officials have long said that Holmes Beach is one of the largest contributors to the tax funds but sees the least amount in return. Whitmore noted that according to state law, the tax funds can only be used to fund something concerning tourism, such as improvements or advertising directly related to tourism.

Another thing they all agreed on is that none of them are in favor of a proposed parking garage at the county-owned Manatee Beach or the consolidation of the three Island cities. While Romberger said he’d be willing to look at consolidation of services if it would be beneficial to residents in all three cities, Diggins questioned at what cost consolidation of services would come to taxpayers. He also questioned whether the three Island mayors would be willing to give up any of their city’s services in order to consolidate services. He suggested having interlocal agreements for shared equipment or services. Oelfke said he agreed with Diggins that some items could be shared and that he would be open to looking outside the box to find different solutions to save taxpayers money.

Concerns among residents about stormwater were also addressed by the commission candidates.

Romberger said he sees the city trying to help with stormwater accumulation and flooding, but there’s only so much that can be done. Whitmore agreed that she would be in favor of raising elevation when building new homes or building higher sea wall caps to try and help keep water from flooding residences and businesses. Diggins said that he also believes in climate change but thinks a lot of the flooding on the Island is caused by too much impervious surface and the Island being very close to sea level. The combination of heavy rains and high tides causes a difficult problem to battle for the city and its residents. Oelfke said he’s very encouraged hearing the work that the city is doing to fix ailing infrastructure, but he said that rain on an ordinary day should never cause houses to flood. That is, he said, a priority issue to be addressed by city leaders, to make sure that the storm drains are working properly.

Visit The Sun’s Facebook page to watch the forum in its entirety.

Whitmore seeks return to city commission

Whitmore seeks return to city commission

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – After working in the private sector for 18 months, former Manatee County commissioner Carol Whitmore is ready to step back into the local political spotlight, this time on familiar ground.

Whitmore is racing against three other candidates in the hopes of landing one of two available seats on the Holmes Beach city commission, the place where she started her political career before being elected as mayor and later elected to the county commission.

If elected, she plans to bring her ability to cultivate good relationships with other elected officials to the table.

“You need people who are willing to be open,” Whitmore said, noting that she has good contacts within Manatee County and with state leaders.

“I can act like a buffer,” she said. “They (other elected officials) want to hear from an elected official who has credibility.”

Whitmore said she’d like to help city leaders let the past go and move forward to build new, better relationships with Manatee County and Florida state elected officials. One of her greatest strengths as an elected official, she said, is building and maintaining relationships while also working in the city’s best interests to benefit the residents and visitors.

“I want to be there to support Judy (Mayor Judy Titsworth) and the commission but try to get us back on track,” Whitmore said.

Over the years, she said she’s seen three attempts to consolidate services across Anna Maria Island. Whitmore said she’s in favor of giving that a try if all three city governments can agree and they’re willing to move slowly to see what works and what may adversely affect the residents and visitors to the Island. She’s not, however, in favor of consolidating the city governments.

“I don’t support consolidating the cities at all. I believe in home rule,” Whitmore said. “I’ve lived here 55 years. I believe in home rule 100%.”

Removing all the existing structures at Manatee Beach to build a three-story parking garage is not a viable solution to traffic issues, she said. Whitmore added that she thinks funding for the project would be difficult to obtain, particularly when there is a county-owned parking garage in downtown Bradenton that needs immediate replacement. She said she thinks there are other solutions available to add public parking spaces, if needed.

Tourist development tax funds, Whitmore said, have a very narrow application under state regulations, though she thinks those monies could potentially be used to advertise or subsidize additional parking options at local churches.

Whitmore also said she hopes to use her public relations skills to help keep residents informed and work to help the three Island cities present a unified front on issues that affect all the municipalities. She said she thinks the strongest skill she can bring to the city is her ability to develop and maintain interpersonal relationships along with her ability to listen to the residents and help find solutions to problems.

“I’m honest,” she said. “And I think if you’re honest, you’ll never get in trouble.”

Romberger throws hat in commission ring

Romberger throws hat in commission ring

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Bill Romberger, owner and agent at the Anna Maria Island Real Estate Corp., is hoping voters will consider him for the city commission when going to the polls in November.

“I didn’t want it to turn into an Anna Maria situation,” he said, stating that he wanted to make sure that voters have a choice when it comes to choosing Holmes Beach city commissioners in November.

The local resident and Realtor said he’s been living on the Island with his family since 1995 and has seen a lot of changes over the years. He said he thinks the current elected officials in Holmes Beach are doing a good job and, if elected, he hopes to support continued efforts to improve water quality, protect the environment and oppose consolidation of the three Island cities and a proposed parking garage at Manatee Beach.

Currently a member of the Clean Water Ad-hoc Committee in Holmes Beach and the Surfrider Foundation, Romberger said that keeping local waters clean and Island stewardship is paramount on his list of priorities, if elected to one of the two open seats on the city commission.

“I’m an environmentalist,” he said, adding that he wants to protect the Island’s natural resources. “We need to look at things that can be done to, if nothing else, we don’t hurt the Island anymore, that it’s going to be hurt with the amount of tourists and development that it encounters.”

Romberger said he’d like to be a liaison to the clean water committee if elected so that he could work closely with those members to bring some of their projects to fruition.

“I think that would be my top priority,” he said.

Another priority, he said, would be to encourage native landscaping and minimalist landscaping to reduce water usage and stormwater runoff.

Romberger also said that he is a large supporter of the efforts to maintain home rule and is against consolidation and efforts to build a three-story parking garage at Manatee Beach. If it was fiscally responsible to consolidate services among the three Island cities, he said that would be worth serious consideration.

“I spent my whole life in island beach communities and always thought it was important that the small communities keep their local government,” he said.

If elected, he said he’d like to work with property owners and local businesses to develop affordable housing for workers. Romberger said he feels there’s a way to incentivize business owners to create or provide affordable housing on the Island for some of their workers or to encourage property owners to turn short-term rentals into reasonably priced annual rentals.

He said that if the city’s budget allowed, he could see giving financial incentives to property owners or helping to subsidize the rent for workers at brick-and-mortar locations on the Island.

Romberger is answering questions from the community at The Sun’s Holmes Beach Candidate Forum on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 6 p.m. at Holmes Beach City Hall.

Holmes Beach commissioner seeks re-election

Holmes Beach commissioner seeks re-election

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Commissioner Dan Diggins is seeking another term on the dais with the goal of establishing a better relationship with Manatee County and Florida state leaders.

“My number one goal is to have a better relationship with the county and the state because whatever we’ve been doing, it’s not working,” Diggins said. He added that he has talked with Rep. Will Robinson Jr., who suggested the city give a little on some county initiatives. One of those initiatives that Diggins is in favor of pursuing is a water taxi landing area. He said he feels that he might be the only elected official in the city who is willing to say he supports the concept of a water taxi landing.

“If you support the concept, then the plan will come,” Diggins said.

One county project that he’s not willing to bend on is a proposed multi-level parking garage at Manatee Beach. Diggins said the addition of a parking garage wouldn’t alleviate traffic to the beach. He also noted that the project is currently unfunded by the county.

“There’s plenty of parking,” he said. “We don’t really restrict parking like they do in Bradenton Beach and Anna Maria. We don’t charge for parking. We mark our parking spaces. We welcome visitors to come in and enjoy the beaches. We really do welcome the people.”

He also said he doesn’t support consolidating the three Anna Maria Island cities into one. Diggins said he thinks consolidation could have been done several decades ago, but now it wouldn’t be beneficial to the cities or fiscally responsible. He said now it would be more expensive to consolidate the cities than it would be to maintain the three city governments, though he could see some benefits in consolidating some services among the cities. One thing that concerns him about the consolidation talks, he said, is that any cost savings would come at the expense of people’s jobs.

One change he would like to see is a lower millage rate.

Diggins noted that the city has done a lot to build up reserves but he feels those funds are in good shape and the taxpayers deserve a break, along with a lowered city budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year.

If re-elected by voters in November, Diggins said he plans to continue bringing an open mind and willingness to hear both sides of an issue to the city government.

“One thing I can do when I’m up there on the dais is I can argue both sides of most of the issues. I’ve done that several times, I’ve argued both sides and I think that’s the sign of an open mind. I see this at the county level when I attend their meetings. Their minds are already made up, it doesn’t matter what people say,” Diggins said. “I actually listen to what the people say. I listen to all the facts and then I make a decision. My decision’s not made ahead of time and I purposely argue two sides of most issues before I make up my mind.”

Local candidates meet and greet potential constituents

Local candidates meet and greet potential constituents

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Manatee County.

CORTEZ – Karen Bell hosted five candidates running in local political races at a meet and greet event at the Star Fish Co. dock on Sunday evening.

Invited candidates were Scott Farrington (R) for Manatee County Supervisor of Elections; Charlie Hackney (R) for Manatee County Property Appraiser; George Kruse (R) for Manatee County Commission District 7 at large; Tal Siddique (R) for Manatee County Commission District 3; and Carol Whitmore (R) for Holmes Beach City Commission.

“I decided to do this because I am concerned about the current state of our local government and thought it would be good for people to have an opportunity to meet these candidates who I know personally and respect,” Bell said.

Farrington, who has more than 20 years of experience in the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office as chief of staff, spoke first.

“This election is important to make sure there are accurate and secure elections,” Farrington said. “I believe that experience matters, doubly so, when it comes to elections. I have 20-plus years in elections, in Sarasota County for 10 and in Manatee County. That experience gives me the ability to run the elections office and in a way you expect the elections office to work.”

Farrington, a Republican, reminded those assembled to vote in the Aug. 20 primary.

“In order to vote in the primary, you must be a registered Republican,” he said. “I understand some of you may not be Republican, but understand in the primary a 30% turnout is considered really good, so that means the winner is going to be selected by less than 30% of the Republican party. It’s your choice, but if you want to have a say, vote in the primary. I’m not asking you to switch parties.”

Charlie Hackney, Manatee County’s property appraiser for 32 years, is running for another four-year term.

“If I get elected, we can keep doing what we’ve been doing for the past 30 years, what I’m proud of,” Hackney said.

George Kruse spoke next.

“I’m at large so everybody in Manatee County will have me on their ballot Aug. 20,” Kruse said. “This is having a voice in your government and you’ve lost a voice in your government. Every year it’s getting chipped away more and more and more.”

Without mentioning names, Kruse spoke about the Manatee County Board of Commissioners.

“Those people don’t actually care about you, they don’t answer your calls, they don’t answer your emails,” Kruse said. “You need to fix that. This year is incredibly important. In the supervisor of elections race you have somebody in there now that has no business being there.”

“We’re not hoarding money from developers and LLCs who tell us to do what we’re told,” Kruse said. “We’re not sitting on our couch with mailers full of lies going out. We’re here speaking to you and hearing your concerns so we can govern for the next four years.”

Tal Siddique spoke next.

“I’m running to be your next grassroots commissioner,” he said. “If you’re a registered Republican and you live in the district, you can vote for me in the primary. I want to see a new generation of leadership.”

Siddique referenced a benefit for boat captain Marty Lee in Cortez on Saturday night.

“In no other town in this country have I seen that,” he said. “This is old Florida. When we see a problem, we fix it. That’s what I want to see happen on this board.”

“We need good people on this board,” Siddique added.

Carol Whitmore spoke next.

“I’ve been there done that, I was mayor of Holmes Beach, city commissioner and county commissioner. I came back to the Island after I lost my election to Bearden and I worked for a year and a half raising money for a non-profit. I cannot live in Holmes Beach and not try to repair the relationships with what’s going on. They’re trying to consolidate the Island because of one person,” Whitmore said, adding, “I promise you this is my last time in public service.”

Jonathan Lynch (NPA), candidate for the Manatee County School Board, was invited but unable to attend.

Holmes Beach logo

Commissioners address consolidation

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Commissioners again discussed their concern about a move by the state Legislature to eliminate the three Anna Maria Island cities, consolidating them into one city, into the city of Bradenton or into Manatee County.

During an April 9 meeting, Commissioner Terry Schaefer addressed the elephant in the room, stating that he and other city leaders believe that the ongoing Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) study is likely to recommend elimination of the cities and place Anna Maria Island under the control of Manatee County commissioners. He said the study is due to be completed by the end of July.

City Attorney Erica Augello said that the report will be sent to the legislators who requested it but otherwise, the results of the study may never be seen by anyone else. State leaders are under no obligation to release the study or its results to any other officials or the public.

Schaefer said the members of the Manatee County state legislative delegation, particularly Rep. Will Robinson Jr. and Sen. Jim Boyd, requested the report.

At the same meeting, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said the average response time for his officers is two minutes. The department has its own dispatcher, meaning that only calls to 911 have to go through the county’s dispatchers, saving response time for callers directly to the police department. Schaefer said that one adverse effect of the elimination of the cities would be that all emergency calls would need to go through the county and be answered by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, exponentially increasing response time and potentially creating a public safety issue.

“That’s just one example of a potential issue that can arise for our residents,” he said.

Schaefer also noted that city leaders cannot put a referendum on the ballot to vote against consolidation or elimination of the cities, but local voters can. He said that he encourages members of the voting public who are against consolidation or elimination to consider creating a ballot referendum.

If a referendum is created, it could be the only chance voters have to make their voices heard on the matter. State legislators can force the cities into consolidation by creating and voting on a bill. As long as it’s approved by the governor, the bill would become law without any input from the local governments, community members or voters.

No election, charter commission in Holmes Beach

No election, charter commission in Holmes Beach

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – There will be no changes on the city commission dais this year. Commissioners Pat Morton, Terry Schaefer and Carol Soustek are all automatically re-elected for another two-year term.

All three incumbent commissioners were unopposed when election candidate qualifying ended at noon on Sept. 1, eliminating the need for a November city election in 2023.

This will be Soustek’s fifth full term as a city commissioner. She was first elected in 2015 after being appointed in 2014 to fill the unexpired term of former Commissioner David Zaccagnino.

Morton was first elected in 2003 as a city commissioner, serving 17 years on the dais before losing his seat in the 2019 election. He regained his seat in 2021.

This will be Schaefer’s third term as a city commissioner. He was first elected to his seat in 2019.

Not so cut and dry were the Charter Review Commission results. After only one candidate, Holmes Beach resident William Romberger, qualified for one of the five seats, city leaders had to look to the charter and City Attorney Erica Augello for advice.

Initially, City Clerk Stacey Johnston announced that Romberger would be working to appoint an additional four members to the Charter Review Commission. Then Augello weighed in with a different opinion by email.

In her email, Augello said that because there were not five members sitting on the commission, the seats could not be vacated and therefore an appointment couldn’t occur. Under the city’s charter, she said there must be five members, or the review board can’t convene.

“Right now, the city is in a position where it is violating its charter by following the provisions of its charter through no fault of its own,” Augello said. “There is no way to enforce it if not enough people volunteer to run and serve.”

What this means for city commissioners is that they are now tasked with amending the charter.

According to the Holmes Beach charter, a charter review commission must be convened every five years to see if any amendments need to be made to the document by which the city is run. Mayor Judy Titsworth often refers to the charter as the city’s “Bible” during city commission meetings. Without a charter review commission, the scheduled five-year examination of the document in 2024 cannot take place.

Augello said an ordinance needs to be drafted for commissioners to consider to amend the charter to put the operations of the city back in line with the document.

This year marks the first time since the city was incorporated in 1950 that not enough people qualified to run for the charter review commission.

Holmes Beach: The Year in Review

Holmes Beach: The Year in Review

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach, Special Sections, Year in Review.

HOLMES BEACH – City leaders may be more than ready to put 2022 in their rearview mirrors. The year was full of ups and downs in the biggest little city on Anna Maria Island.

The Island Branch Library celebrated 40 years in its Marina Drive location beginning in January and concluding with a springtime party featuring speakers including elected officials, residents and members of the Friends of the Island Library.

At the city commission level, leaders began the year embroiled in a lawsuit with local developer Shawn Kaleta over fines for unpermitted work and operations at the Bali Hai Beach Resort. In 2023 that case remains in court.

City leaders made the decision in early February to reduce the speed limit citywide to 25 miles per hour on city streets. The reduced speed limit does not apply to Manatee Avenue which is a state road and controlled by the Florida Department of Transportation. A registration program for golf carts was also enacted at the same time, requiring residents to obtain a sticker for their vehicles in order to drive them on city streets.

Issues between city and Manatee County leaders came to a head in March and April when a meeting between the two groups of elected officials ended with no solutions for either side’s problems discussed. Mayor Judy Titsworth and commissioners held firm on their stance to not reopen residential streets for public parking. Residents, however, are allowed to park on the street with a valid parking permit. Relations with county commissioners further deteriorated when city officials began discussing a ban on multi-level parking garages. County Commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge appeared before city commissioners during a June meeting to warn them against instituting the ban, saying that there would be negative consequences to the decision.

Holmes Beach: The Year in Review
Great blue herons nesting in an Australian pine at the Kingfish Boat Ramp temporarily halted the removal of trees at the site though those plans were ultimately abandoned by the county after funding for a renovation project was lost due to excessive delays. – Kristin Swain | Sun

In addition to parking, county and city leaders also clashed over plans to renovate the Kingfish Boat Ramp. The project would have seen more than 100 trees at the county-owned boat ramp removed along with a popular shaded picnic area. Public outcry against the project fell on deaf ears at the county, though the renovations ultimately didn’t take place due to a loss of funding after numerous project delays.

The April closure of a private beach access point on 78th Street pitted neighbor against neighbor as nearby residents united to first protest the closure and then sue property owners Travis Resmondo and the neighboring Oceana Condominium Association in Manatee County Circuit Court for access. While Judge Charles Sniffen ruled against issuing a temporary injunction in August, neighbors vowed to continue the fight in court for beach access through the path to be restored.

The November election brought two new faces to the city commission in the form of Dan Diggins and Greg Kerchner. The two, along with Mayor Judy Titsworth, ran unopposed after former Commissioner Kim Rash decided to not run for re-election and former Commissioner Jayne Christenson dropped out of the race to retain her seat on the dais.

Holmes Beach: The Year in Review
Signs block the beach access at 78th Street in Holmes Beach from public use after a busy Easter weekend resulted in trespassers invading adjacent private properties. – Kristin Swain | Sun

Construction began on long-awaited road improvements at city center, the intersection of Gulf and Marina drives, in the fall, causing traffic delays and headaches for drivers. Though planned to take place separately, the road construction intersected with a county water main project in the area, resulting in additional delays and road closures. Public Works Director Sage Kamiya said he received a round of applause from drivers and onlookers when he authorized the reopening of both lanes of Marina Drive just in time for the Christmas holiday.

Letter to the Editor: Goodbye for now

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Letter to the Editor, Opinion.

I am most proud of my “resident” platform. I ran on that and always held true to it. As I reached out as I bicycled and rode through the neighborhoods, I always let people know that I valued their input on city issues and that I was there if they needed me. I think that is why I received the top votes each time I ran. I was a voice for the people and a voice of reason. I never used my role of commissioner for personal gain.

I helped to strengthen the noise ordinance, I initiated the idea of competitive bidding, promoted better and more sidewalks and better quality of work by contractors and encouraged greater transparency. I tried to make suggestions that would help to build an honest, transparent government and I made decisions that would help to maintain the character of the island. These issues are going to be so important as the commission moves forward.

Just because I am stepping down, for now, does not mean I am gone. I still care about the direction of Holmes Beach.

 

Kim Rash

Former commissioner, Holmes Beach

Christenson withdraws from commission race

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – The commission race has come to an unexpectedly early end with Commissioner Jayne Christen- son announcing her withdrawal ahead of the Nov. 8 election.

Christenson was running for re-election against political newcomers Dan Diggins and Greg Kerchner. She was first elected to the city commission in November 2020. She announced her intent to withdraw her candidacy during commission comments at the end of an Oct. 11 meeting.

Jayne Christenson
Christenson

“With the support of my family and friends, I have made the decision to not seek re-election as a city commissioner in Holmes Beach in the election on Nov. 8, 2022,” she said, reading from a prepared statement.

“This has been a difficult decision based on many factors, most importantly being my work/life balance. I have a demanding job in the bio-pharmaceutical research and manufacturing industry and have recently taken on even more people management and multi-million dollar budget responsibility which requires extensive travel, limiting the time I have to dedicate to the city.”

With Commissioner Kim Rash also not seeking re-election, that leaves two seats open on the city commission and only two remaining candidates qualified by the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office, Diggins and Kerchner.

Greg Kerchner
Kerchner

Despite Christenson’s statement that she would contact the elections office to have her name removed from the ballot, mail-in ballots have already been distributed. The city is home to 2,685 registered voters. Of those, 138 have already cast their ballots as of Oct. 16, according to the Supervisor of Elections Office.

Dan Diggins
Diggins

Diggins retired to Holmes Beach with his wife in 2011 after a career in aviation. This will be his first time holding an office in the city.

Kerchner is no stranger to the inner workings of the city, having served for several years on the city’s planning commission. He’s currently the planning commission chair, a position he will have to resign before being sworn in as a city commissioner.

Mayor Judy Titsworth ran unopposed for her second and now third terms in office. She will be sworn in for another two-year term in November.

In-person voting will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 8 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, 248 S. Harbor Drive

Letter to the Editor: Holmes Beach annual city budget high

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Letter to the Editor, Opinion.

Based on the population size (3,017) of Holmes Beach including the number of homes (2,538+), the city’s annual budget is not in proportion. Year over year the city budget goes up, from $15M to $18M. Up to $22M last year and now the commission is asked to approve a budget of over $25M. Keep in mind that the city of Holmes Beach is 1.9 square miles. There has been exhaustive analysis by concerned residents of the “expense per capita” for Holmes Beach and how we compare to similar “like cities.” When it comes to the budget, Holmes Beach is substantially above and significantly out of line from the norm.

I take pride in the job I am elected to do. I use every form of communication to listen to the voters and property owners alike to take a temperature on how people feel about topics of concern, including taxes.

Budgets go up for several reasons:

  • When property values increase.
  • When the city does not reduce the millage rate enough.
  • When the county does not pay its fair share.
  • Grants applied for.

The millage rate and the budget are what the city commission can control. Over the years we have heard promises of tax relief/tax savings and the commitment to lower the millage rate. The millage was reduced from 2.25 to 2.07. Yet, the budget still went from $22.2M to $25.4M. Up $3M, a 14.4% increase. A millage reduction but still a tax increase as our property values continue to go up. I guess that’s good if you are selling. Which is what some long-term residents who are on fixed incomes are doing. Our residents are being replaced by a different type of owner/investor. We are seeing a change in the diversity of our community. The tax increases are pushing people out, which is changing the face of Holmes Beach and Anna Maria Island.

Our property owners need tax relief. Our city can reduce the “nice to have” expenses, which continue to increase year over year. At each budget hearing, I asked for a more significant millage reduction, and I am staying consistent with that message.

 

Jayne Christenson

Holmes Beach city commissioner

Commissioners plan for county meeting

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach, Manatee County.

HOLMES BEACH – City and county commissioners are preparing for a face-to-face meeting tentatively scheduled for March, and Holmes Beach commissioners are getting their talking points in order for discussion on several topics.

At a Jan. 25 work session, Mayor Judy Titsworth and city commissioners discussed coming up with a game plan for how to approach the meeting. Commissioners decided they need to present a united front to the county representatives, however, rather than appointing Titsworth to speak on behalf of the city, she asked that all commissioners be prepared to lead and participate in the discussions that they’re passionate about.

Titsworth said she is hoping for a productive dialogue with county commissioners and wants to make sure Holmes Beach city leaders take full advantage of the opportunity. The joint meeting will be open to the public.

Some items for discussion proposed by Titsworth and Holmes Beach commissioners include:

  • Increasing the amount of funding offered by the county for Holmes Beach police officers to patrol county-maintained beaches, beach parking and boat ramps.
  • Expanding the use of tourist development tax funds, a large majority of which is collected from vacation rentals on Anna Maria Island, to include money for bike lanes, sidewalks, street lighting, landscape, pedestrian accesses, stormwater improvements and other projects to make Holmes Beach a safer, more welcoming place for both tourists and residents.
  • Stemming the effects of red tide, blue-green algae and other issues that adversely affect the water quality in and around Holmes Beach and the aquatic ecosystem.
  • Reviewing the improvements planned to take place at the Kingfish Boat Ramp and how they affect parking and picnic facilities at the park. Specifically, Titsworth said she’d like to see the removal of some parking spaces on the south side of Manatee Avenue delayed until construction on the new Anna Maria Island Bridge begins. Removal of the spaces, she said, would adversely affect the boaters who come to Kingfish to launch their boats. Also, the addition of parallel parking spaces by the existing picnic area would remove trees needed for shade and trees used by great blue herons for nesting.
  • Creating a better flow of communication between city and county officials concerning events and additional parking planned at Manatee Beach and the Island Branch Library.
  • Examining unchecked development and growth in Manatee County as it pertains to the increase in the number of potential users for Island beaches. Titsworth suggested speaking with county commissioners about the beach carrying capacity for the Island and asking county officials to fund a beach carrying capacity study, as meets the Florida Department of Environmental Protection beach carrying capacity standard, to determine if the number of people regularly coming to Island beaches is too much for the beach, natural resources and existing infrastructure to handle.

One of the major items anticipated to be discussed is beach parking.

Titsworth said she believes county leaders will push for Holmes Beach commissioners to open more residential street parking during the day for beachgoers, and she reminded commissioners the city provides more than the number of public parking spaces required to receive beach renourishment funding from the state of Florida.

Though required to only provide 324 spaces to receive beach renourishment funding, the city’s interlocal agreement with Manatee County requires just over 500 spaces to be made available for beach parking. Currently, the city of Holmes Beach provides more than 1,200 public parking spaces for beach access.

Related coverage

 

County commissioner proposes beach parking garage

 

Tensions mount in city-county parking debate

 

County commissioners refuse Holmes Beach funding request

Commissioners consider regulating emotional support animals

Commissioners consider defining ’emotional support animals’

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – It all started with one well-behaved goat.

In late 2021, a Holmes Beach couple appeared before city commissioners after a passing boater reported their pet goat to code compliance officers. The goat is not just a beloved pet, it’s also an emotional support animal that neighbors signed a petition to encourage city leaders to allow to stay in their neighborhood despite livestock not being allowed in the city of Holmes Beach. And while city leaders had no problem giving the couple permission to keep the emotional support goat, it brought up a larger question about emotional support animals in the city, one that commissioners are trying to get a handle on through new regulations.

After the incident with the goat, then-City Attorney Patricia Petruff suggested that commissioners consider some type of regulations or acknowledgment of emotional support animals in city codes to prevent potential issues. With Petruff’s retirement as city attorney in December, new City Attorney Erica Augello is tackling the issue. And while it was discussed during a Jan. 11 commission work session, commissioners agreed to postpone passing a resolution or ordinance until Augello could do more research into state regulations concerning emotional support animals.

In a draft ordinance presented by Augello that was prepared by Petruff prior to her leaving the city, regulations in Holmes Beach concerning emotional support animals would require a permit through the city to register and keep an emotional support or service animal. Augello suggested commissioners consider adopting definitions of emotional support and service animals, noting that she’s anticipating that the Americans with Disabilities Act will be updated sometime in the future to more closely align the two types of assistance animals.

Another thing for commissioners to consider is the types of animals that can be used as service, emotional support or other assistance animals. While some may consider traditional pets, such as dogs or cats, as emotional support animals, Augello noted that there is a wider variety of animals that are considered by their owners as emotional support animals and that whatever regulations commissioners pass concerning the keeping of these animals by city residents, that needs to be taken into consideration.

While the conversation about animals is currently paused, it is expected to be taken up again by commissioners at a future work session.

Public gives input on comprehensive plan changes

Public gives input on comprehensive plan changes

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Work on the proposed revisions to the city’s comprehensive plan are almost complete and planning commissioners are seeking input from the public on the changes they’ve come up with.

About 30 members of the public along with city staff, Mayor Judy Titsworth and Commissioner Terry Schaefer gathered on Dec. 8 at City Hall for a town hall meeting on the comprehensive plan held by the city’s planning commissioners. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the proposed changes to the comprehensive plan and get feedback from members of the community. From residents to business owners and visitors, everyone was invited to come and have their opinions heard.

Planning commissioners will discuss the feedback they received at an upcoming public meeting. However, those who were unable to attend may submit public comment by email through the middle of January at cityclerk@holmesbeachfl.org.

The comprehensive plan is a document that is adopted by city commissioners to provide a guide for the future of Holmes Beach and what types of policies they should implement in the city. There are 10 elements to the comprehensive plan: Future Land Use; Property Rights; Infrastructure; Capital Improvements; Coastal Management and Conservation; Recreation, Open Space, Arts and Culture; Transportation; Housing; Intergovernmental Coordination; and Public School Facilities. Here are the primary proposed changes to each element:

Future Land Use

– Added objective relating to the city’s desire to promote arts, culture and creative design

– Added language which reinforces the city’s stated vision and values

Property Rights

– New element being added to comply with recent legislation enacted by the Florida Legislature

  • Four statements of rights that require the city to consider private property rights in all local decision-making

Infrastructure

– Continue to urge Manatee County to eliminate all septic tanks and to hook up to the central sewer system when available

– Incorporate drainage projects within the five-year schedule of capital projects

  • Pursue mitigation efforts associated with stormwater, drainage and floodplain management

Capital Improvements

– Language added to reinforce the city’s stated vision and values to fund strong safety programs, such as police, fire and emergency personnel

– Emphasis on sharing of school recreation facilities, including funding if appropriate

– The five-year schedule of capital improvement projects has been updated

– Removal of:

  • Rigid and poorly-worded guidelines for prioritization of capital improvement projects
  • Rigid levels of service for recreational facilities
  • Outdated lists of capital improvement projects
  • Outdated concurrency management section so that provisions in the Land Development Code can be updated as needed

Coastal Management and Conservation

– Reorganization of elements

– Objective added to address energy efficiency, waste reduction and other sustainability measures

– Objective added regarding the protection of habitat and endangered/threatened species

– Objective added to address the city’s desire to promote ecotourism

– Objective added to reduce impervious surfaces

Recreation, Open Space, Arts and Culture

– Incorporation of arts and culture as a part of recreation activities

– Maximize and continue improvement of municipal recreation facilities

– Protection of Grassy Point Preserve as a conservation asset while providing passive access

– Emphasis on linking transportation generators and attractors with bicycle and pedestrian paths

Transportation

– Added policies to improve transit routes, options and facilities

– Added objective related to the city’s mission to improve the resiliency of transportation facilities

Housing

– Policies added to maintain and encourage affordable and workforce housing

– Objective added to address the city’s desire to encourage energy efficiency and sustainability

– Objective added to encourage resilient building practices

– Objective added to address the city’s desire to encourage development within the mixed-use overlay district to promote the live, work, play lifestyle within the city

Intergovernmental Coordination

– Objective added to emphasize the city’s position that home rule and local authority be preserved

Public School Facilities

– Language added to reinforce the city’s position that Anna Maria Elementary should be retained as a community school

– Re-establishment of the Manatee County School District’s responsibility to adequately fund capital improvements for public schools

– Removal of redundant policies

To learn more about the proposed changes to the comprehensive plan and how they can affect the future of Holmes Beach, visit the LaRue Planning website.

Commission splits on dress code decision

Commission splits on dress code decision

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – In trying to ease rifts among Holmes Beach commissioners, new commission Chair Carol Soustek inadvertently gave them something to argue about.

Soustek presented her fellow commissioners with a proposed Code of Core Values for Civility and Ethics created by altering a document adopted by the city of Dunedin.

The code sets out expectations and rules of conduct for commissioners, noting that other cities have similar guidelines for commissioners.

Commissioner Kim Rash shows off one of his custom-made T-shirts with the statement, “I represent the residents” printed on the front. – Kim Rash | Submitted

“You’re held to a very high standard when you’re elected and everything you do is a reflection upon your city. It’s not like when you leave this dais you can go rob a bank. It wouldn’t be very good for the city,” she said, adding that she feels the proposed guidelines eliminate any gray areas in how commissioners conduct themselves.

The values outlined in the document include integrity, ethics, communication, teamwork, leadership, quality of work and recognition of each other’s individual contributions to the Holmes Beach community. Commissioners didn’t express any issues with those items.

The one that caused a disagreement was the stewardship addition made by Soustek, which stated: “I shall strive to make a positive role model as a city commissioner. Proper attire should always be appropriate to the situation. While in the commission chambers, clothing with slogans or words, political or otherwise, shall not be worn. No food is allowed in the chambers. The smell, noise or transfer to documents when eating food can be disruptive. Drinks will be allowed by the city commission and staff but when not in use, the container needs to be capped securely and not placed on the dais.”

While Commissioners Pat Morton and Terry Schaefer agreed with the stewardship provision, Commissioners Jayne Christenson and Kim Rash did not.

Rash said that he felt the dress code section of the stewardship provision was targeted at him for the custom-made T-shirts he has worn in recent months when attending city meetings. The shirts previously were brought under fire by Mayor Judy Titsworth, who said that she felt that statements like “I represent the residents” were misleading because she said all elected officials represent the residents, not just Rash. Rash, who has a T-shirt with that statement, ran both his election and re-election campaigns with a similar slogan.

During the Dec. 14 meeting, he argued that forbidding him to wear the shirts to a commission meeting was a violation of his constitutional First Amendment right to free speech. Rash pressed for city leaders to obtain a ruling from Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody on whether or not instituting the dress code would be a violation of his or any other commissioner’s civil rights.

“In my research, dress codes cannot discriminate on the basis of controversial messages on clothing. I do not feel that my T-shirts have been controversial in nature, but the chair and the mayor obviously believe otherwise,” Rash stated. “There is nothing destructive or vulgar about statements about the city officials supporting residents who elect them to serve in office, in my opinion.”

City Attorney Patricia Petruff said that she was unprepared to have a discussion about the legality of a dress code, however, she said that dress codes were consistently implemented in the school system for both students and staff without, to her knowledge, infringing on civil liberties. She encouraged commissioners to table the discussion until more information could be gathered and presented by either herself or incoming city attorney Erica Augello.

Christenson said that while she’d be willing to discuss a dress code for commissioners, she didn’t feel that its placement in a code of ethics was warranted, stating that she doesn’t believe it’s an ethics issue. She urged her fellow commissioners to consider removing the provision and discussing it as a separate item.

“I felt that this was a nice document,” she said, adding that she would like to see provisions for civility, respect for the individual, creativity and innovation, efficiency, adaptability and organizational sensitivity added.

“When we get into attire and what we can eat and drink in the room, I think it’s a little overreaching,” Christenson said. While she said she’s open to the discussion, she felt it’s more of a policy decision versus an ethics issue. She suggested discussing the two items as a separate building policy.

While commissioners did not vote to remove the stewardship provision, a majority did seem agreeable to adopting the Code of Core Values for Civility and Ethics with the inclusion of the provisions suggested by Christenson. They agreed with Petruff’s suggestion and voted unanimously to table the discussion to be brought up at a future meeting.

“I think it’s a very good step forward,” Schaefer said of the proposed code of core values, noting that he felt Soustek hit on some very good points in the proposed document that he would like to see instituted.

Morton said that he feels the adoption of the document was long overdue and that he would like it extended beyond elected officials to include city staff as well. Mayor Judy Titsworth noted that a similar code is included in the Holmes Beach employee handbook.

Soustek said that the matter was brought directly to a regular meeting instead of first being debated at a work session because she’d like to start the new year with an understanding of what is expected of city commissioners going forward.

“We’re five individuals as a group. Decisions are a group decision and I have seen some of this being splintered and I’m tired of it,” Soustek said, adding that for the commission to make great progress in the future to move forward she feels that the group needs to work more toward unification.

“We are responsible for being very good at what we do. I don’t want people to start laughing at my commission. I want them to start respecting this commission and thinking they do an excellent job,” she said.

Soustek said that the purpose of the code was to address issues that she’s noticed and have been brought to her attention by the public.

“I want us to move into a new year with clear understanding and no question of what this commission is responsible for,” Soustek finished.

Titsworth added that she hopes adopting the proposed code or one similar will help city commissioners to be more like “statesmen” when representing the city of Holmes Beach.