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Commissioners consider permit parking

Commissioners consider permit parking

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

HOLMES BEACH – Commissioners are considering a change to the current prohibition against street-side parking on the west side of the city. That change may come in the form of permit parking for residents.

City staff and the mayor’s office have resurrected an ordinance allowing for permit-only parking on certain streets near the beach, put together in 2016 after the Island Congestion Committee’s members met and conducted research for several months. When the ordinance was originally considered, it passed a three-to-two commission vote but was vetoed by then-Mayor Bob Johnson.

Now, staff is working on updates to the ordinance to help address the city’s current parking concerns, primarily introducing permit-only parking and golf cart parking on some streets that are currently closed to all street side and right-of-way parking.

Out of the 1,100 spaces removed on city streets for parking by the city’s last decision, the plan would return 619 spaces for permit parking.

During the June 23 commission work session, a map was presented to commissioners marking some streets on the west side of the city as possible sites for permit-only and golf cart parking.

If the permit system is introduced, Police Chief Bill Tokajer said that the permits would be given to city residents, one for each vehicle registered to a Holmes Beach address within the permit parking area. For residents who live outside of the permit area, such as Key Royale, there would be a maximum of two permits for each property for use by the owners.

He noted that if residents have children whose vehicles are not registered to the address, those cars would not be eligible for the permit. Holmes Beach property owners who live elsewhere could be eligible for up to two permits that would be reserved for the owners’ vehicles only, not to be shared with renters.

Under the parking permit plan presented, a full-time resident would be defined as any property owner in Holmes Beach who does not rent out their property. Low-speed vehicles, including golf carts that are required to have license plates and be registered with the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles, would be required to have a permit to be parked on the street in the permit parking area. Golf carts that are not street legal (with no license plate or registration) will be allowed to park in the permit area without a permit.

Tokajer said the plan currently is to charge a nominal fee for the permits to cover the cost of printing and paperwork, with permits to be renewed annually. To prevent old permits from being used, Tokajer said he plans to change the color of the permits each year so that it’s easier for officers to know which ones are valid.

Permits also would not be transferrable between vehicles. When applying for a permit, the property owner will be required to show that the vehicle is registered to a Holmes Beach address and provide the license plate number and description of the vehicle, which will be attached to the permit for identification and enforcement purposes.

Any resident with a permit would be able to park in the permit-only area, giving residents on the east side of the city easy access to the beach, allowing residents to use street-side parking and not confining residents to parking in front of their properties.

The proposed permit parking area would encompass a large part of the area where parking is not allowed on the west side of the city. The area would stretch from the city’s southern border with Bradenton Beach to its northern border with Anna Maria with the bulk of the permit parking located north of Manatee Avenue and west of Gulf and Marina drives. The plan also leaves some street-side parking open on a first-come, first-served basis.

Mayor Judy Titsworth said that what commissioners have is a good starting point and that more discussion and tweaking to the plan will need to happen before anything is finalized. She expressed concern about allowing open parking in the area around St. Bernard Catholic Church, which could cause issues with beachgoers crossing busy Gulf Drive and churchgoers left with few parking options during Christmas and Easter seasons and during the winter when the city’s part-time residents return.

The discussion on permit parking is planned to continue at a future commission meeting.

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Face masks/coverings required in Holmes Beach

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

HOLMES BEACH – Beginning today anyone entering a restaurant or other business in Holmes Beach has to wear a face mask to help slow the spread of COVID-19, with a few exceptions.

If you are in a situation where you can’t social distance outside, maintaining a space of at least 6 feet from others not in your family or group, a face mask also is required.

And while police and code compliance officers will only be giving warnings over the weekend, beginning at 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 28, officers will give a warning followed by a $250 fine for a second offense and $500 for subsequent offenses.

Commissioners voted unanimously during an emergency meeting held virtually to adopt an emergency ordinance requiring people in the city to wear face masks inside businesses and when they can’t maintain proper social distancing outside. There’s an exception to the rule for people with a medical condition that prevents them from being able to safely wear a mask and for children under 2 years old.

While masks are required when entering a restaurant, they can be removed once patrons are seated to allow for eating and drinking.

The new rules don’t apply just to patrons, they also apply to workers at local businesses.

Everyone who is not exempt from the rule and is required to wear a mask should wear one that covers both the nose and mouth. It can be a surgical mask, homemade cloth mask, gaiter or bandana.

While police and code compliance officers will be able to issue warnings and tickets to individuals who are not compliant with the new mask regulations, Police Chief Bill Tokajer said the officers’ first priority is education about the mask requirements with enforcement by levying fines reserved as a last resort for people who refuse to abide by the mask regulations.

City Attorney Tom Thanus, sitting in for Patricia Petruff, said that the ordinance goes into effect as soon as it’s approved by commissioners and the mayor, however, it must be published before it becomes enforceable, leading to Sunday afternoon being the date enforcement can begin.

Commissioner Jim Kihm said he liked being able to give time to officers for the education of local business owners and residents before beginning enforcement of the ordinance.

Unless the ordinance is extended, it automatically expires in 61 days.

Tokajer said the city is printing up signs to be made available to business owners to place at the entrances of their businesses. He equated wearing a mask to the “no shirt, no shoes, no service” rule employed by many businesses. He added that anyone who receives a fine for not wearing a mask will be able to appeal the fine by appearing before the special magistrate.

Mayor Judy Titsworth said she’s spoken with Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore, whom she said put her support behind the mask ordinance. On June 23 and again on June 24 Manatee County commissioners voted to leave the county mask requirements as a suggestion to wear a mask in public rather than a mandate.

Commissioners all expressed their thanks to city staff for getting the ordinance together so quickly and for their support for the requirement to wear masks.

“If wearing a mask would save a life, why would you not do it?” Commissioner Carol Soustek said, adding that the commissioners are charged with protecting residents.

Commissioner Kim Rash cited information from the Centers for Disease Control, Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic that all recommended wearing masks over the nose and mouth to slow the spread of COVID-19 in addition to frequent handwashing and sanitization practices.

“My top priority is the safety of the people and residents of Holmes Beach,” he said, adding that the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in Manatee County was a cause for concern.

Some members of the public also spoke up during the meeting from both sides of the issue.

“I think this is way overdue,” said Richard Motzer, a retired paramedic. “You have to look at everyone, not just yourself.”

“I applaud this move,” Gale Tedhams said. “The data does show action needs to be taken.” She added that she and others she knows are making the decision to patronize businesses based on whether or not staff members are wearing masks.

“I think the mask thing is way overrated,” Richard Hosterman said. Vicki McIntyre said that she feels each person should be able to make their own decision regarding wearing masks. Maria DiMenna said that she also thinks it’s too much for the local government to try to control people’s actions.

“If people are that fearful, they need to stay home,” she said.

Commissioner Terry Schaefer said that while he is in favor of requiring masks in businesses and when social distancing isn’t an option, he said he’d received many comments on the issue, including some that threatened legal action against the city if a mask ordinance was enacted. Thanus addressed the issue, stating that he believes the ordinance is legally sound and would stand up to a test in court.

“If we all do it we’re protecting each other and can finally get this thing under control, at least in our community,” Commissioner Jim Kihm said, urging everyone to wear masks correctly and make sure to clean cloth masks or change disposable ones.

As of June 24, the city of Holmes Beach saw a jump in COVID-19 cases from one to five, with six cases in Bradenton Beach.

Related coverage

State health officer: ‘Wear your mask’

County commission has no plans to make masks mandatory

Spike in COVID-19 cases follows reopenings

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Changes for parking plans on the agenda

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

HOLMES BEACH – It’s been just over two weeks since the city’s new parking plan was enacted and commissioners are already discussing making changes after receiving criticism from some city residents, business owners and Manatee County residents.

The parking plan eliminated side of the street and right of way parking in some neighborhoods near the beach. Commissioners are scheduled at the Tuesday, June 23 work session to begin discussions on enacting permit parking in the areas where parking was eliminated.

The proposal being discussed is a modified version of a parking-by-permit proposal considered in 2016 by commissioners after a presentation by the city’s congestion committee. The proposal was vetoed by then-Mayor Bob Johnson and didn’t receive a super-majority vote from commissioners.

Current Mayor Judy Titsworth and Commissioner Pat Morton, who were both commissioners at the time, voted against the 2016 parking plan, but both have recently expressed support for limiting public parking in residential neighborhoods close to the beach while also finding a balance to accommodate residents in those neighborhoods.

While providing residential parking on the side of the street could alleviate some of the concerns expressed by residents, it doesn’t address the concerns of business owners.

Another proposal being considered by city commissioners in the near future is the possibility of changing the Holmes Beach Land Development Code to allow businesses and churches to charge for beachgoers using their lots for parking. While being able to accept donations for parking could help local churches suffering from a lack of donations due to COVID-19 shutdowns, some city business owners are still concerned that the lack of residential neighborhood parking and increase of commercial parking could result in a lack of parking spaces for their business patrons.

Utilizing church parking for access to beach access points where there are no facilities for visitors also is a cause for concern for some residents. The lack of street parking may keep cars out of the neighborhoods, but it’s not slowing down the foot traffic or eliminating issues such as trash and beach equipment left behind or a lack of restroom facilities for beachgoers, according to emails received by The Sun from concerned residents.

Titsworth also said she’s meeting with representatives from the Manatee County School District to discuss the possibility of using the Anna Maria Elementary School parking lot for overflow beach parking when available.

Manatee County commissioners are discussing their own ideas to remedy the issue, including the potential for a parking garage in Holmes Beach.

Currently, Manatee County offers a free park and ride service from the Beachway Shopping Plaza on 75th Street and Cortez Road in Bradenton to Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach on weekends. Riders can park their vehicles and take the bus to Anna Maria Island’s beaches without worrying about having to try to find parking. The bus runs hourly Friday through Sunday with pickup near the Wells Fargo Bank.

Parking issues spur protest, dialogue

Parking space reduction spurs protest, dialogue

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

HOLMES BEACH – It’s been just over one week since city leaders enacted a plan to limit parking on residential streets on the west side of the city, angering some residents, business owners and visitors.

Now city leaders are considering making changes to the city’s land development code to help ease some of the community’s parking concerns.

The week started with an online petition aimed at convincing city leaders to reverse a decision to block off-street parking in residential neighborhoods west of the city’s main corridors of Gulf, Marina and Palm drives, gaining more than 10,000 signatures from locals and visitors.

It ended with a letter from Florida Senate President Bill Galvano (R-Manatee) and Rep. Will Robinson (R-Manatee) asking Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth to consider retracting the parking regulations.

Titsworth responded that city leaders are considering changing the land development code to allow businesses and churches to charge for beach parking. She added that she’s also meeting with Manatee County leaders to discuss parking and has approached the Manatee County School District to determine if the lot at Anna Maria Elementary School can be used for overflow beach parking. Another potential solution is to issue parking permits to residents.

The new parking regulations eliminated 1,102 on-street parking spaces, leaving 1,307 spaces available within a quarter-mile of the beach, including the Manatee Beach parking lot.

Work vehicles where employees are performing maintenance, construction or other commercial services at a property are not affected by the parking regulations and may still use street parking on any Holmes Beach street while they are completing work at a nearby residence or business.

Holmes Beach was the last of the three Island cities to enact strict parking restrictions.

The issue

Holmes Beach, while the largest of the three cities on Anna Maria Island, is only about 1.91 square miles on a seven-mile island. Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said that about 18,000-23,000 cars cross into the city on a daily basis with that number more than doubling on holiday weekends. And while not everyone is going to the beach, a large number of people are, and that number is continuing to grow as more people move to Manatee County each year. Despite the growing demand for parking spaces, he said there’s just no more space in the city to accommodate more people and that beach parking in neighborhoods is problematic for residents who end up with beachgoers parked on their property and often leaving behind trash or attempting to use outdoor facilities, such as hoses and swimming pools, as their own.

Titsworth said that the beach parking in residential neighborhoods creates a public health concern due to the lack of restroom facilities, limited trash disposal options and lack of lifeguards outside of the Manatee Beach area. Manatee Beach is a public beach at the end of Manatee Avenue in Holmes Beach that is home to more than 300 public parking spaces, restroom facilities, showers, a full restaurant and playground, and the waters are watched over by lifeguards. Within the residential neighborhoods, she said there is no space to install these types of facilities. Tokajer said that even if facilities could be added, there’s simply no way to meet the demand for beach parking.

The residential street parking also poses a problem for trash collection vehicles, mail trucks, EMS vehicles and fire department trucks, which have a difficult time navigating the sometimes narrow streets. If visitors are parked up and down the street, the vehicles may not be able to get through, which particularly concerns city officials in the event of an emergency.

The protest

While some residents are happy with the new parking regulations, some are not and have taken to social media, email and public forums to air their grievances with the city.

Residents who live on the east side of the city say they cannot easily access the beach if parking in residential neighborhoods is closed to them. Some residents who live in the area where the no parking signs went up are concerned because street parking that they use for visitors, family members and extra vehicles is now gone.

Some business owners are worried about having to police their own lots to stop beachgoers from using the spaces reserved for customers as beach parking. Some also fear that the reduction in parking will mean a reduction in the number of people who patronize local restaurants and shops, just reopened from COVID-19 shutdowns.

During a protest held on June 9 at Holmes Beach City Hall, more than 50 people gathered with signs to demonstrate their frustration with city leaders and their opposition to the removal of on-street parking spots. Besides city residents and business owners, Manatee County residents came to express concern about their ability to access beach parking.

Many spoke out against what they called an abuse of power by the city’s mayor, police chief and commissioners to change parking regulations while the city is still under a state of emergency due to COVID-19 and commissioners are meeting virtually rather than in person at city hall. Many people argued that the decision had been made without public notice and input.

While the discussion was never formally put on a city commission agenda, it was discussed in the virtual meetings, which are open to the public, beginning in April and has been reported in The Sun 10 times since parking was first limited in the city to encourage social distancing during the governor’s stay-at-home order for Florida residents.

At press time for The Sun, the petition on change.org had garnered more than 11,400 signatures. Another petition bearing 68 signatures of residents, business owners and Island workers was presented to city leaders during the June 9 commission meeting asking commissioners to reconsider the parking regulations.

The June 9 meeting was attended by more than 120 people who called in or joined through their computers and more than a dozen spoke up about parking regulations during public comment with more sending in comments by email to be read by commissioners.

Resident comments

Holmes Beach resident, business owner and commission candidate Rick Hurst spoke first during public comment, noting that he had sent commissioners a petition with more than 200 signatures requesting that the new parking regulations be rescinded. He argued that commissioners did not get enough public input on the plan before it was implemented.

Bradenton Beach vacation rental owner John Little said that in his estimation, the city of Holmes Beach is “100% dependent on visitors” and that by not allowing street parking in residential neighborhoods, the city wasn’t being very welcoming to visitors.

Holmes Beach resident Karen Gertz-Casper said she’d like to know what the city will be doing to help residents who have lost their parking and easy beach access.

Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore said that out of the more than 400,000 county residents that she represents, she’s had several complaints about the city’s new parking restrictions and that the residential street parking has traditionally been available to beachgoers to use. Whitmore added that she also was concerned about the way the restrictions were enacted.

Manatee County residents Stephanie Ham, Meagan Cox and Jason Hall all spoke against the parking restrictions, stating that county residents have a right to the parking and to access the Island’s beaches.

Holmes Beach residents Gale Tedhams and Renee Ferguson spoke in favor of the parking restrictions, though Tedhams was concerned about how to handle visitors coming to her home who need parking. Ferguson stated that she wants people to come to the beach but agrees that there will never be enough parking to meet the demand. She said that she believes the parking issue in Holmes Beach was created by Manatee County leaders who advertise the Island’s beaches and then provide limited facilities for visitors to use, including parking spaces.

The solution

While a solution to the issues brought to their attention by residents, visitors and business owners has yet to be proposed by city leaders, some options are being considered at coming commission meetings and work sessions, including allowing businesses and churches to charge people to use their parking lots and issuing parking permits for residents.

In the short term, Tokajer said that bike racks can be added at beach access points to accommodate more cyclists and that he plans to add at least two golf cart-only parking spaces at each beach access point where parking is available. Four disabled accessible spots and a ramp are planned for installation at the 52nd Street beach access. He also said that residents who need to use street parking for a family gathering, event or other short-term use can contact the police department, tell the dispatcher how many people are expected and when, and officers will temporarily cover the no parking signs in that area to accommodate the needed street parking.

To follow along with what’s happening at city hall, visit www.holmesbeachfl.org.

Watch out for rental fraud

Watch out for rental fraud

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

HOLMES BEACH – Investigations are ongoing in at least three cases of rental fraud that have occurred in the last month.

The vacation rentals were rented out without the owner’s or property management company’s knowledge or consent and the funds for the rentals were transferred to a party that doesn’t represent the owner. Visitors arrived only to find out that they really didn’t have a booking at the property they thought they’d reserved.

Now Holmes Beach police officers are warning rental owners to be on the lookout for any fraudulent advertisements for their properties, and are warning visitors to be careful how they book their next vacation.

The first instance was reported to HBPD on May 21, when officers responded to 309-A 58th St., where renters were occupying a property that had not been rented through the owner, Jerry McBrayer, or Island Vacation Properties, the company that manages the vacation rental.

McBrayer said that he went to the property to do some work while the property was unoccupied during the COVID-19 shutdown and was surprised to find people staying there. After calling Island Vacation Properties to confirm that the property was supposed to be unoccupied, the police were called and, according to the police report, the renters were packing to leave when officers arrived on the scene.

The renter, Danielle Skinner, said that she had paid a total of $1,080 to rent the property through Cashapp after finding an advertisement for the rental on Craigslist. She said throughout correspondence the correct names were used for the owner and she never thought it was a fraudulent transaction. Upon arrival at the rental, Skinner told police that the code to unlock the door of the unit that she had received was incorrect. She called Island Vacation Properties as their sign was in front of the rental and was mistakenly given the correct code through an answering service. She and the rest of her party had been staying at the property since May 18.

Also on May 21, one rental owner got in front of a fraudulent post advertising his property when a phone call alerted him to the issue. Cameron Simmons, who lives in Ontario and owns a property that he and his wife rent long term at 449 63rd St., found out that his property was being fraudulently advertised on Craigslist without his knowledge using information from his VRBO advertisement. Simmons told police that he received an email and a phone call about the post and attempted to have the Craigslist post taken down without success.

Massachusetts resident Karen Johnson told HBPD officers May 24 that she was halfway to Holmes Beach before she started feeling that something was wrong with her rental transaction. Johnson said that she found an ad on Craigslist for 119 52nd St. She sent an $800 deposit for the rental through Zelle and said that communication with the man she rented the property from, Douglas King, broke down when she was halfway to Florida, with him refusing to respond to multiple messages. Johnson contacted HBPD, telling them that King said he lives at 113 31st St. in Holmes Beach, which turned out to be a professionally managed vacation rental property.

Chief Bill Tokajer said that rental property owners and managers can help protect their properties and potential visitors from fraud by periodically searching their property’s address online to see if any advertisements they don’t recognize come up.

Tokajer said that visitors to the area can help to protect themselves by only renting vacation rentals through reputable companies and paying special attention to any advertisements on Craigslist. A good way to determine if a potential transaction is fraudulent, he said, is by how the person renting the property asks for payment. Red flags include having to send money by wire transfer, only using one certain type of credit card or through a prepaid card like Green Dot. Another red flag is a strange PayPal account associated with the payment or using other cash transfer apps. The amount of the rental also could be a red flag. If a deal on a marketplace site like Craigslist looks too good to be true, it very well might be. Research prices in the area for similar rentals to determine if it seems like the amount advertised is on par with what similar units are renting for.

Visitors should also pay close attention to the rental agreement they receive. A fraudulent rental agreement was shared with The Sun that lists an invalid company and contact information for the owner, has multiple spelling and spacing errors and doesn’t list the address of the property being rented. The occupancy listed also is above the maximum legally allowable limit of two people per bedroom or six people, whichever is greater, and no vacation rental certificate number is provided. The owner’s name and signature also don’t match.

If you think you have been a victim of fraud or your property is being advertised without your consent, contact the HBPD at 941-708-2677.

Residents question parking restrictions

Residents question parking restrictions

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

HOLMES BEACH – Beach parking has been the subject of much discussion among not only Holmes Beach residents, but also Manatee County residents, visitors, property owners and business owners. It’s not just any beach parking that’s under discussion, but that which takes place in residential neighborhoods.

The plan

Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer presented a plan to commissioners in April proposing to ban right of way and streetside parking in neighborhoods west of Gulf Drive in the south part of the city, Marina Drive in the middle and Palm Drive in the north once COVID-19 precautions were lifted. Those precautions prohibit all right of way, streetside and beach access parking.

The plan was agreed to and about 200 signs were ordered.

The banners announcing the parking ban were scheduled for removal on June 6, with beach access parking opening the same day. New signs banning streetside parking were placed along most of the streets close to the beach and the plan was officially launched, unfortunately on a rainy weekend.

Tokajer said he expects to have to tweak the new parking plan as issues are identified and find some exception for residents whose homes don’t have enough parking on their lots.

Mayor Judy Titsworth said she is working with residents who live on one of the affected streets who need an exception, whether that’s for their own vehicles or the vehicles of visitors to their homes. Some residents, Titsworth said, have asked not to have the signs placed on their side of the street, a request which is considered on an individual basis and has been honored by the city.

Tokajer said having some sort of permit for residents also is being considered as a potential next step, however, he added that this first step, keeping parking off of the westside city streets, needs to be implemented and evaluated.

Under the new plan, the city of Holmes Beach has 1,303 parking spaces available including 334 at Manatee Beach, 22 for beach access after hours at Hancock Bank and the remaining spaces located at beach access points and along city streets. The 1,303 spaces mark a reduction of 1,102 spaces from the previously available 2,405. According to a parking study completed and shared by Titsworth and Tokajer, the city has 479 spaces to qualify for beach renourishment funding, more than the required amount.

Holmes Beach isn’t the only Anna Maria Island city with parking restrictions. Bradenton Beach doesn’t allow parking on any rights of way within the city. The city of Anna Maria allows parking only on certain sides of the street, requires that all four vehicle tires be off the pavement and recently instituted a fine of $100 to $225 every two hours for parking violators. Contrary to some reports, the city of Holmes Beach has not raised its parking violation amount, which remains at $50.

The complaints

While Tokajer said during the May 26 commission meeting that he’d received primarily positive response to the new parking plan, during the week of June 1, some residents took to social media and email to express their dislike of the plan.

Chief among the detractors is former Holmes Beach commissioner Rick Hurst. Hurst, who owns the Freckled Fin in Holmes Beach and also is a Key Royale resident, said the parking restrictions would prevent people in his neighborhood, on the east side of the city, from being able to easily drive to and park at the beach. He also said he’s concerned that a reduction in parking will hurt businesses, like his restaurant, that he said are patronized by people going to the beach.

Fellow Key Royale resident Don Purvis also had concerns about being easily able to access the beach. Purvis said he feels a reduction in parking could cause businesses like his real estate company who have their own parking lots to have to police the lots to keep beachgoers from taking up the spaces needed for customers.

Holmes Beach resident Dave Welch said he’s concerned not only about being able to easily access the beach, but also about residents who live near the beach not being able to use the streetside parking in front of their homes for guests or general overflow parking from their homes. While many homes in Holmes Beach have driveways or other onsite parking large enough to accommodate one car per bedroom, some older homes have smaller driveways that were grandfathered in and the residents rely on the street parking.

New Holmes Beach resident Nicole Kaleta said she and her husband recently purchased and renovated a home in the city after starting a vacation rental company there several years ago. Now, she said it saddens here to see the no parking signs, no parking banners and construction signs throughout the city.

“This is not at all what I had in mind for living on the friendly welcoming island we fought so hard to move to nor is it the one we continually work so hard to welcome visitors to,” Kaleta said in an email to The Sun. “I am so saddened to see locals unable to enjoy their own beaches, businesses unable to host patrons and the attitude of the Island be one of negativity and unwelcomeness. We should be living in an era of embracing and supporting each other, not making life more difficult.”

Island property and business owner Mike Thrasher said his concern is how the decision was made. He said he felt the decision was made without public input and is an abuse of power, a sentiment echoed by some Island residents and many Manatee County residents despite both Tokajer and Titsworth stating that the decision was made in a public meeting, held by teleconference, and has been discussed regularly in subsequent meetings. Some comments on social media indicated that people would like to have a town hall meeting, where the options for parking are discussed and community members can have their say before a plan is implemented.

Manatee County Commissioner and Holmes Beach resident Carol Whitmore spoke out against the new parking strategy, both via email and on social media, saying the city has removed a practice that has been in place for many years – parking for the beach along residential streets – and that the decision was made while the city is under a state of emergency due to COVID-19.

In response to Titsworth’s concern that not only would Holmes Beach continue to bear the brunt of parking for the Island’s beaches but that there are not public facilities outside of Manatee Beach for beachgoers to utilize, Whitmore suggested placing portable toilets at beach access points that she said could potentially be placed and maintained by Manatee County.

Petition and protest

On social media, many Manatee County residents expressed concern about the new parking restrictions, with many saying it’s unfair of the city to block off parking that county residents may need for beach parking.

A petition was created on www.change.org to ask city commissioners to repeal the parking decision and keep all streetside parking in the city open in Holmes Beach. As of June 7, the petition had more than 9,400 signatures. The city of Holmes Beach has an estimated population of just over 4,000 residents. A group also is planning to gather at Holmes Beach City Hall during the June 9 commission meeting, even though city hall remains closed to the public due to COVID-19 precautions and the meeting will be held via teleconference. Many of the attendees have stated their intention to speak on the matter of streetside beach parking during public comment.

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Commissioners consider parking concession for residents

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

HOLMES BEACH – While city leaders await the delivery and installation of new posts and signs for street side, right of way and beach access parking, all of those options remain closed to beachgoers, even those who reside in the city.

During a May 26 commission meeting, Chief Bill Tokajer said that while the parking signs and the posts for them are expected to arrive over the next several days, it could take two weeks or more to have them all installed. Once the installation is complete, he said parking will be reopened at beach accesses but remain closed along city streets and in the rights of way. This opens up about 479 spaces, more than are needed for beach renourishment funding but keeps about 2,000 spaces permanently closed.

Over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, Tokajer said his officers issued parking tickets but did not tow any illegally parked vehicles.

Though he said that he’s received 98% support from residents on the new parking plan, there’s still a small percent, particularly those that live on the east side of Holmes Beach who have to drive to the beach, that are unhappy with the decision. In an effort to assist those residents with obtaining a beach parking space more easily, Tokajer said he’s looking at designating golf cart parking spaces at some beach accesses. The reasoning for designated golf cart spaces is that residents and visitors to the Island will be the only people arriving at the beach in golf carts, not people from town or other areas.

Though Tokajer said not all beach access points are large enough to accommodate handicapped parking spaces, four will be designated at the 53rd Street access near the Martinique condominiums. He added that a volunteer from the community has offered to install a handicap ramp to assist with beach access at the location.

Another group having difficulty with the new beach parking arrangements are area churches.

While Tokajer said beach parking has been taking place at CrossPointe Fellowship, it was not under authorization from the church’s leaders and Holmes Beach police can’t interfere because the parking lot is located in the city of Anna Maria.

In contrast, Father Matthew Grunfeld spoke during public comment at the meeting, petitioning for the Episcopal Church of the Annunciation to be able to allow parking at the church’s lot for a donation.

With donations down due to the church’s closure for COVID-19 precautions and a dwindling resident population on the Island, Grunfeld said that allowing beach parking, overseen by volunteers from the church, gives his congregation a new way to minister to the public and also collect a freewill offering if drivers are so inclined to donate to the church.

Though the church did contact the city prior to beginning the parking project and received the police chief’s blessing, Tokajer said a later consultation with the city planner’s office revealed a zoning issue with allowing beach parking at the church parking lot or any private lot in the city.

Mayor Judy Titsworth said she appreciated what the church is trying to do, but that the church or any other owner of a private parking lot would have to submit to the city planner’s office for a site plan review. If the site plan review meets the criteria, it would go before the city commission for review and a vote. Currently, allowing parking and accepting money for it is a nonconforming use, Titsworth said.

Commissioner Terry Schaefer and resident Jayne Christenson both spoke in favor of the church being allowed to host beach parking, saying that the volunteers at the Church of the Annunciation were running a very orderly, friendly operation.

Though Titsworth said a site plan review could take time if there isn’t something immediate that the planner’s office staff can suggest, Schaefer said he’d like to keep searching for a way to help the church members continue with their parking outreach project.

Titsworth said no applications for a site plan review had been received as of May 26.

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Commission and mayoral seats up for grabs

Commission and mayoral seats up for grabs

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

HOLMES BEACH – If you’ve ever pictured yourself on the dais at Holmes Beach City Hall, your chance is coming up to qualify as a candidate, only, of course, if you’re a Holmes Beach resident.

This year’s election will see two positions coming available on the city commission, the seats held by Commissioners Pat Morton and Kim Rash. Also up for grabs is the mayoral office, currently held by Mayor Judy Titsworth.

All three positions hold two-year terms. Titsworth and Rash are completing their first terms on the dais as mayor and commissioner respectively. For Morton, November marks the end of his 17th year on the city commission.

Qualifying for all three elected positions begins at noon on June 8 and ends at noon on June 12. All candidate paperwork must be submitted to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections office prior to the deadline to be considered as a candidate.

To qualify, prospective candidates must have been a resident of Holmes Beach for at least two years prior to the qualifying date and be a registered Manatee County voter. Candidates must appoint a campaign treasurer, open a campaign bank account and file the corresponding paperwork as well as a statement of candidate, candidate oath, residency affidavit and statement of financial interests. Candidates also are required to pay an election assessment fee equal to 1% of the annual salary of the office sought, $60 for commission candidates and $240 for mayoral candidates, and collect 15 petition signatures of voters also residing in the city.

Candidates also have the option to file an undue burden oath to eliminate the election assessment fee but must still collect 15 signatures from city voters.

Candidates may not accept campaign contributions until after a campaign treasurer is appointed and a campaign account is established.

All candidate information can be found online under the candidate information tab. Forms can be found online or picked up at the Supervisor of Elections Office. Candidates must submit all forms to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office at 600 301 Blvd W., Suite 108 in Bradenton prior to the deadline. No candidate forms will be accepted at Holmes Beach City Hall.

This year’s general election will be held on Nov. 3.

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WMFR logo

Two fire commission seats up for election

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, West Manatee Fire Rescue.

BRADENTON – If you live in the West Manatee Fire Rescue District and have ever thought about running for fire commissioner, now may be your chance.

In the Nov. 3 general election two seats on the fire commission – those now held by Commissioners Larry Jennis and Randy Cooper – will be up for grabs. Cooper has already stated that he will not be running for re-election.

WMFR’s commissioners serve four-year terms on the dais.

To qualify as a candidate, the person must be a registered Manatee County voter and reside in the WMFR district, which stretches across unincorporated Manatee County on the west, encompassing the cities of Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach, along with Cortez, Palma Sola and much of northwest Bradenton.

Though pre-qualifying papers already can be submitted to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office, candidate qualifying officially begins at noon on June 8 and ends at noon on June 12. All paperwork must be submitted prior to the deadline.

Before the end of the qualifying period, all potential candidates must appoint a campaign treasurer, open a campaign bank account and file the required paperwork as well as collect the signatures of 25 registered voters who reside in the district. A fee of $0.10 is required per signature as a verification fee. If a candidate cannot pay the fee, an oath of undue burden must be filed to have the fee waived. Candidates also must file a statement of candidate, candidate oath, a statement of financial interests and either a $25 qualifying fee or certificate of petition verification.

All candidates are required to designate a campaign treasurer and open a campaign account before accepting any campaign contributions. For fire district candidates, any candidate who does not collect campaign contributions and whose only expense is the filing or signature verification fee is not required to appoint a campaign treasurer or open a campaign account. Filing fees are not required to be drawn from a campaign account.

All candidate information can be found on the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections website under the candidate information tab. Forms can also be found on the website or picked up from the Supervisor of Elections Office. All paperwork must be submitted for verification to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office at 600301 Blvd W. in Bradenton prior to the qualifying deadline.

The 2020 general election will be held on Nov. 3.

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Alternate administration building plan rejected

Alternate administration building plan rejected

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, West Manatee Fire Rescue.

BRADENTON – The majority of West Manatee Fire Rescue’s commissioners agreed to continue moving forward with the construction of their own administration building rather than purchase suites in a shell building near Blake Medical Center.

Commissioner Al Robinson brought the idea back to the table during a May 19 meeting, asking realtor J. Daniel Douglass to provide information on a shell building on 21st Avenue West in Bradenton.

Out of the four units in the building, Douglass said there are three units available with a total of 6,140 square feet. The building, designed to serve as medical offices, currently holds one medical office and is a shell building with sprinklers, a ceiling and air conditioning already installed. Located across the street from the Bishop Animal Shelter, the property features a total of 29 parking spaces and does not meet the hardened hurricane-force wind load that commissioners previously said is wanted for the district’s new administration building.

Robinson urged his fellow commissioners to carefully consider purchasing all three units and selling one if the district finds it doesn’t need that much space for administrative staff.

Douglass said that the three units could be purchased for $549,000 and would cost about $614,000 to build out as office space, ending with a total purchase price of $1.2 million, not including condominium fees associated with the property. He added that the building is an as-is purchase.

Commissioner Randy Cooper said he was concerned with the lack of ability to store or stage equipment at the site as it has much less space for parking than the currently planned administration building.

Commissioners Larry Jennis and George Harris both said they have concerns about the building. Some of those concerns voiced by Jennis include that the building isn’t hardened and doesn’t have adequate parking space. Harris added that the location also is problematic, being well outside of WMFR’s district.

Chief Ben Rigney said he’s been working with representatives from Hall Darling Design Studio and expects to have a not-to-exceed price for construction of the district’s new administration building for commissioner consideration in August.

In April, Rigney presented a potential design for the new administration building that features office space, storage and a hardened conference room that could be used as a westside emergency operations center in the event of a hurricane. The building is currently planned for construction on a lot purchased by the district in 2019 and located off Manatee Avenue behind the Fountain Court Shopping Center.

“I think we’re making good progress,” Jennis said of the potential construction project.

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WMFR commissioners vote on assessment increase

WMFR commissioners vote on assessment increase

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News, West Manatee Fire Rescue.

BRADENTON – Property owners in the West Manatee Fire Rescue District will see an increase in their assessment rate when TRIM notices are mailed in the fall.

During a May 19 meeting, commissioners voted 3-1 with Commissioner Al Robinson dissenting, to raise the assessment rate 2.6% over the current year’s rates. Commissioner David Bishop was absent.

At the 2.6% increase, the district’s revenue will increase by $189,436, eliminating the need for district leaders to draw from reserves to meet anticipated needs including capital projects and projected increases in insurance, pension fund contributions and a potential increase in employee compensation. Commissioner Larry Jennis reminded his fellow board members that the coming year is a bargaining year with the firefighters’ union. For the 2020-21 fiscal year, WMFR’s staff projects bringing in $7,475,424 in revenue from assessments.

With the increase, the base rate for a residential property increases to $195.53 from $190.57 with the square foot rate increasing from $0.1124 to $0.1153. The total assessment rate for a 2,000 square foot residential building will increase from $302.97 to $310.85.

For commercial buildings, the base rate will increase from $473.62 to $485.94 with the square foot rate increasing from $0.2051 to $0.2104. The total assessment rate for a 2,000 square foot commercial building will increase from $678.72 to $696.37.

Before the vote was taken, Commissioner Al Robinson expressed concern about raising the assessment rate in a year that has produced financial hardship for many property owners.

“I’m not in favor of raising anything,” Robinson said. “We have plenty of money.”

Chief Ben Rigney said that the district’s staff typically spends about 95% of the funds budgeted each year. Any rollover amounts are put into savings for future capital expenses, equipment purchases or emergency savings in case of a natural disaster.

“I think it’s very evident that our staff has been frugal in spending taxpayer dollars,” Commissioner George Harris said, adding that he believes the board makes a sound decision each year concerning assessment rates.

Each year, the amount that commissioners can increase the assessment rate is based on a rolling five-year personal income growth number or PIG. This year, the maximum amount allowed for an increase is 5.46%. Because he expects the next year’s PIG to be much lower, Rigney asked commissioners to consider a 4% increase, which was rejected by board members.

“I know it was a tough decision but we have to do what’s best for the district,” Commissioner Randy Cooper said after the vote had been taken.

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Holmes Beach parks reopen to public

Holmes Beach parks reopen to public

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

HOLMES BEACH – The city’s parks are now open to both residents and visitors alike.

Mayor Judy Titsworth made the announcement during the May 12 city commission meeting, held via teleconference, that all of the city’s parks were reopened to the public as long as groups in each area were kept to no more than 10 people at one time and everyone practices social distancing. If crowds at city parks become a problem, she added that she would consider closing them again.

In addition to the skate park, large dog park, basketball courts and tennis/pickleball courts, Titsworth said the new playground is finished and open for children to play. Commissioner Kim Rash is helping public works employees install a fence around the playground in the coming weeks.

Also newly completed are the shuffleboard courts, though Titsworth said they still need to have benches and a scoreboard installed.

“They are beautiful,” Titsworth said.

The remodeled small dog park is scheduled to open by the end of May. While the rest of the city’s park facilities are open to the public, the multi-use field at the city field complex remains temporarily closed due to re-sodding.

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TDC recommends opening vacation rentals

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Marketing during COVID-19

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

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

Manatee County has 867 cases as of Monday.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Parking still a problem in Holmes Beach

Parking still a problem in Holmes Beach

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

HOLMES BEACH – Beachgoers beware. Right of way, street and beach access parking are still closed in Holmes Beach with most parking spaces planned to remain closed to drivers once the COVID-19 threat is over.

During a May 12 commission meeting, Police Chief Bill Tokajer updated commissioners on a plan to eliminate right of way and street parking on all streets in the city west of the Gulf, East Bay, Marina and Palm Drive main thoroughfare. Tokajer said that “no parking” signs and poles had been ordered and were expected to arrive within the next few weeks with additional time needed for sign installation. With the current plan, he said it would be the end of the month before any street parking spaces are open to the public, including visitors and residents.

Until those signs are installed, all street, right of way and beach access parking remains closed to the public. Violators may receive parking tickets or have their car towed at their own expense. Banners proclaiming the parking regulations are on display throughout the city.

Once the new “no parking” signs are installed, only the beach access parking spaces and street parking on the east side of the city will reopen, eliminating about 2,000 parking spaces. If beach parking becomes a problem on the east side of the city, Tokajer said he would review the situation and come back to the mayor and city commission with a new plan.

Church, business lot issues

One problem that’s already made itself apparent now that Manatee Beach is reopened at full capacity to visitors is local churches lending their parking lots to beachgoers. Because the parking lots are privately owned, the city can’t regulate parking in them, however, Mayor Judy Titsworth expressed concern that not only are the lots being used for beach parking, pushing beachgoers through neighborhoods to beach access points, there’s also no way to enforce social distancing. With the public beach parking lot also now opened to full capacity, Tokajer said enforcing social distancing in that lot is also a problem.

For owners of private lots, including parking lots at commercial businesses and shopping plazas, if no parking signs are present, business owners can call HBPD officers to ticket violators who are parking in the lots to go to the beach. However, while HBPD officers will have cars towed if they are parked at beach access points, on city streets and in the right of way, it’s up to the parking lot owners to have vehicles towed out of their spaces.

Titsworth said she would reach out to the churches and other private lot owners to follow up on how the lots are being used and let them know what services HBPD officers can offer for parking violators.

Currently, Tokajer said there are no plans to up the city’s parking violation fine from $50 though he added that the issue would be revisited if necessary in the future.

HBPD officers are taking over the enforcement of parking at the Manatee Beach lot, along with social distancing and monitoring of beachgoers. If police enforcement at the beach becomes an issue, Tokajer said he’d ask Manatee County leaders to step in and bring staff back to the beach to deal with issues. On the weekends, Friday through Monday when beach traffic is typically at its highest, Tokajer said his officers would have reinforcements from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

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Business owners won’t get break on fees

Business owners won’t get break on fees

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

HOLMES BEACH – After discussing eliminating the fees for business tax receipts in the 2020-21 fiscal year, commissioners are now leaving the fees intact and considering lowering property taxes instead.

During a May 12 work session, commissioners brought their previous decision to eliminate the BTR fees for commercial and home-based businesses back to the table and reversed it, reinstituting the fee.

Mayor Judy Titsworth said that if commissioners want to eliminate the fee for one year, it would still cost the same amount to operate the program, revenue that would need to be made up in a different way. She added that eliminating the BTR fee for a year wouldn’t financially help vacation rental owners.

Commissioner Carol Soustek said that she’d like to find a way to help more people than just business owners. She said that she doesn’t feel like the city can ask for a tax increase in the coming fiscal year and that she’s concerned about giving away money when the city’s leadership isn’t sure that there will be enough funds to operate at current levels.

Commissioner Kim Rash said that eliminating the BTR fees only gives a minimal financial break to business owners and sets a wrong precedent for other people in the city.

Commissioner Terry Schaefer said he was still in favor of eliminating the BTR fee for one year and wants to see the city’s leaders make up the lost revenue by cutting spending. His fellow commissioners agreed that cutting spending for the next fiscal year is a goal, but Commissioners Jim Kihm, Pat Morton and Soustek said they’d rather use the rollback rate for property taxes and reduce or keep taxes the same for property owners in the coming year rather than eliminate the BTR fees for one year.

“We need to come up with a reasonable budget and reasonable ad valorem rate that applies to everyone,” Kihm said.

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