BRADENTON BEACH – Police Chief and Public Works Director John Cosby outlined the challenges the city faces with the anticipated receipt of approximately $500,000 in hurricane-related FEMA reimbursements.
“FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) is giving us pushback on six things they’ve just flatly denied, so we’re in the process of filing an appeal,” Cosby said during the Jan. 15 city commission meeting. “The appeal letters have already been sent.”
Cosby said eight additional claims are going back to FEMA for errors and omissions review.
“We didn’t agree on the language and some of the scope of work that was done,” he said.
He said he was unsure how long the appeals process could take.
“They’re backed up and everybody is having issues, so there’s been a lot of appeals filed,” Cosby said. “It generally takes about 18-24 months and we’ve got $500,000 on the line. We utilized 70% of our reserves in order to recover (from the 2024 hurricanes).”
Cosby stressed that when the next budget is determined, the city has to be cognizant of putting more money into the reserve fund to prepare for storm events.
“We know at $2.3 million we were able to handle back-to-back hurricanes without borrowing,” he said. “Shayne (City Treasurer Shayne Thompson) did secure a $5 million line of credit and we’re going to renew that in April.”
Cosby said the city was fortunate because some of the contractors generously waited for payment, without charging a late fee, until ad valorem property tax revenues came to the city at the beginning of the year.
“That helped us not to have to borrow money, so we’re grateful for that. Again, we did very well financially with the money we had to still shell out, but we’ve got to get that back,” he said.
“The reason this happened was we thought that it would happen a little quicker,” Cosby said. “We do know that a lot of people are still fighting their insurance company for payments and it’s hard to get contractors, but there are a number of permits that have come in. I believe there’s 10 major developments in process. So, not this next budget year, but the budget year after, when the tax money starts coming in 2027, we should be good again.”
After the meeting, Thompson said there is some disparity between the city and FEMA for the cost of some repairs.
“If we say a road took $100,000 to fix, FEMA might be saying $13,000,” Thompson said.
He said a “healthy dent” has been made in the city’s reserve fund, but the city was fortunate to have the funds in reserve.
“The million (dollars) is the big bucket. The $500,000 has been obligated; they’ve agreed to it,” Thompson said. “The state has looked at it, now it’s in financial services for the state to issue the check. There’s $500,000 now that’s being disputed.”
BRADENTON BEACH – City commissioners held a work meeting on July 15 to hold preliminary discussions about the upcoming 2025-26 budget.
According to the numbers presented at the meeting, total city revenues are projected to be $5,652,680 for the 2025-26 fiscal year, with expenditures projected at $5,045,506.
“A formal budget will be put together and there will be two public hearings (in September) on that,” Mayor John Chappie said. “Today is a preliminary discussion. This is just making sure everybody has an opportunity to answer questions.”
There is no planned increase in property taxes.
“The decision was made that we would not increase property taxes,” Bradenton Beach Police Chief and Public Works Director John Cosby said. “There was discussion about going to the rollback rate. We decided that by implementing the fees that we’ve been discussing over the last couple years, that this was the year we were going to do it. That happens to coincide with what happened with the hurricanes.”
Cosby said the city has seen an 11% reduction in property values due to the hurricanes.
“We have been discussing raising certain fees to bring them more in line with what the other cities are doing and you’re seeing that happen now,” Bradenton Beach Police Chief and Public Works Director John Cosby said. “We had toyed with raising the property tax. I personally walked the neighborhoods after the storm and people need more time to get situated. I think this is just the right thing to do.”
Cosby said that some city expenditures have been put on hold.
“We made some decisions not to do some capital improvement projects,” Cosby said. “New vehicles were going to be purchased and we talked about adding some personnel in the planning and police department and we’re going to put those on hold. As we’re going through this cycle with FEMA, we aren’t 100% sure what projects are going to fly and what percentage they’re going to get through the system.”
Cosby said that the city received $1.1 million in FEMA funding through the state to offset storm-related costs after storm debris removal was completed.
“Half of the projects were in the CRC (FEMA Consolidated Resource Center), which is the final approval to be funded,” Cosby said. “Then we will be getting 100% of those costs back. We decided to lay low this year because we are still going to responsible for 12.5% of our total damage from the hurricanes.”
Cosby said the city has requested its consultant to apply for a hardship through FEMA.
“The city is too small to incur the types of costs we’re having to incur due to the hurricanes,” he said. “Next year once we see where we’re at with FEMA and if we can get some assistance from FEMA to cover some of our losses, this budget could look a lot different next year.”
Millage rate and reserves
“The budget is built with not changing the millage of 2.3329,” City Treasurer Shayne Thompson said. “It functions as it is, it’s a moving target, so this is not the absolute be-all end-all number, but the goal was put some healthy amount back in reserves that were taken this year from the storm. We’re looking at putting back close to $320,000 into reserves in the coming year, so keeping the millage the same accomplishes that goal.”
“If you’re a coastal community, you should have 35% in reserves,” Cosby said. “In some of the budget years when there was money left over, instead of putting it back into the general fund, we put it back in uncommitted reserve. That was by far, one of the smartest things we have done as a city, because we’ve been able to weather this event, with two back-to-back category three hurricanes within 10 days.”
In discussing the millage rate, Commissioner Ralph Cole said that Bradenton Beach should ask Manatee County to contribute to policing in the city.
“We set our millage rate, the county sets their millage rate, and because they set their millage rate high, it puts the burden on us,” Cole said. “We need more money from the county for policing out here with all the people that are coming. Between the two entities we need to figure out something without raising the taxes on people that live here. We need to put more of our tax dollars where they come from.”
City employees will be receiving a 5% salary increase with no change in benefits.
“Last year the cost of living was set at 2.5% and we all got together and we decided 2.5% for a raise would put us at 5% and that is a nice increase for all the employees,” City Clerk Terri Sanclemente said. “I know it’s a little less than last year but it’s still a good raise.”
The city commission approved the following proposed expenditures:
BRADENTON BEACH – City commissioners voted to use the city’s Code Enforcement department process rather than go through FEMA to remove buildings condemned after Hurricanes Helene and Milton if property owners fail to remove them.
“We have approximately 16 properties, these are the ones that are down and compromised,” Police Chief and Public Works Director John Cosby told commissioners on Feb. 20. “We already sent out letters and asked people to respond back within 45 days with whatever their intent is. As of today we have received seven responses back, that they’re going to request to move forward to remove those properties.”
Cosby said if property owners don’t remove the buildings, the city will have to remove them using one of two options.
“The first is we could do it through Code Enforcement where we go after the property owner and cite them through code once they hit the number of days the limit is for the code,” Cosby said. “It’s brought before a special master, the special master makes a ruling and then we take them to court, obviously tracking the time, then we put a lien on the property to get reimbursed. Then we would go in and have the court order them to take the property down.”
The second option involves FEMA.
“We can go through FEMA and get the necessary paperwork in to them and then we have a right to enter, we could go in and just take it,” Cosby said. “The issue with doing it through FEMA is then the city is going to be responsible for 12.5% of that cost.”
He said the average cost for removal is between $25,000 and $30,000.
“So when we get to this point if we have to, which route do you want to go?” Cosby asked commissioners. “Do you want to continue to try to force the property owner to take care of their own property or do you want to expend city tax dollars to force them to do it?
“I think we should go with the code route, just the normal legal process we would follow. I think people would respond to that, eventually they would take care of it,” Commissioner Deborah Scaccianoce said.
Commissioner Ralph Cole asked if FEMA would help homeowners with the cost of removing their house.
“No. FEMA will give them a grant of $30,000 to bring it up to code,” Cosby said. “I don’t know what it costs to put a house up on stilts, but I would say $30,000 isn’t going to be a lot of money.”
Commissioner Scott Bear noted that by going through Code Enforcement, the city retains the ability to recover costs.
BRADENTON BEACH – Former city Building Official Darin Cushing alleges that he saw the city attorney and a well-known developer drive around the city together looking for hurricane-damaged structures and properties after Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck Anna Maria Island last year and pressured him to condemn them.
He also alleges the city attorney, mayor and police chief threatened his employment status on several occasions for not complying with permitting and inspection requests made by the developer.
Cushing made his public allegations during a town hall meeting that District 3 County Commissioner Tal Siddique held at the Island Branch Library on Feb. 13. During the meeting, Cushing handed Siddique a four-page letter that expands upon the allegations he made during the town hall meeting.
Siddique provided The Sun a copy of Cushing’s letter on Feb. 15. The next day, Cushing confirmed by email that his town hall comments and his letter pertained to Mayor John Chappie, City Attorney Ricinda Perry and Police Chief John Cosby. He did not name the developer.
“Based on this person’s track record of retaliation and lawsuits, I am hesitant to spell out a name. Regardless, no matter who the developer is, I was asked and even threatened with my job, to engage in unethical practice, which I refused to do,” he wrote The Sun in an email on Sunday.
Toward the end of his letter, Cushing wrote, “There is so much more I could tell you about the goings on, where there have been dealings with this developer and the city attorney and the mayor and many people can corroborate them. Including eyewitness accounts of the attorney and the developer driving through town following the storms, picking out houses and the developer asking me to condemn them; stating that he was told by the attorney that if we hurried up, the city was going to get the houses demolished and hauled away using FEMA dollars. I refused and only condemned properties that were either completely destroyed or in damage of collapse. Every time I refused to do his bidding, I was questioned by one of the three city staff about it, always with pressure being put upon me to just do it.”
Contrary to his statement about only condemning properties that were either destroyed or in danger of collapse, Cushing did issue a condemnation order to Tennessee resident and “Love Shack” cottage owner Dan Ibach on Oct. 31.
Unlike the neighboring cottage that was completely destroyed by Hurricane Helene, Ibach’s cottage suffered no structural damage and had already been boarded up and sealed off by the time Cushing issued the condemnation order.
According to Ibach, he then received a call from Perry, who said the city could likely assist with his demolition costs. Ibach told Perry his cottage was not condemnable and would not be demolished. He contacted his attorney and the condemnation order was soon lifted. Ibach’s beachfront property is located next to Shawn Kaleta’s Seabreeze at Anna Maria Inn property.
Gash Caudill also staved off the city’s condemnation of the duplex on Gulf Drive North he shares with his mother.
At the city’s request, Cushing was recently suspended, due in part to a hurricane restoration-related permitting dispute between the city and Drift-In bar owner Derek Williams; and due in part to Facebook comments Cushing made in defense of his administrative decision to issue Williams’ permits without city commission approval. Cushing was later terminated by the SAFEbuilt/M.T. Causley development services firm that has provided Bradenton Beach’s contracted building officials for nearly two decades.
Town hall comments
The town hall discussion about Bradenton Beach began with Williams commenting on the delays he’s encountered trying to repair, renovate and reopen the Drift-In.
Drift-In owner Derek Williams shared his concerns during the town hall meeting. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“I have a permit. The building official (Cushing) that worked on my project is sitting in this room. I worked with him, the city planner, the code enforcement folks. I went through every step and all I’ve gotten is government overreach, private property issues. I tried to follow every letter of the law.
“It’s definitely a land grab. Somebody needs to step up and say that’s wrong. All the way along, this is a back-to-back disaster. This is third-world stuff and it needs to be addressed as the highest level. It’s absolutely a tragedy. It is a clown car show but it’s hurting real people,” Williams said.
Speaking next, Cushing said, “I’m the person who issued Derek’s permit. It was done properly. It was done correctly and it was done by the book.”
He then referenced the letter he later handed to Siddique and said he would hit the high points rather than read the entire letter aloud. He noted he’s been a licensed building official for 25 years and a certified floodplain manager for longer than that.
“I’ve been there since December of 2023. There has been constant, constant threats to me,” he said. “I know what I’m doing. We were getting things done, we were moving forward, we were doing things the right way. But every time that I didn’t do that for a particular developer – and you all know who I’m talking about – I was threatened. I was threatened by the mayor, the attorney and the police chief: ‘Do we just need to get another building official. Why won’t you do this for him?’ Things that were illegal,” Cushing said.
“I have a code of ethics I have to follow and I don’t want to lose that license. That’s my livelihood. I lost my job now and the company I worked for fired me too because I retaliated about the things that were being said about me – slanderous things they said about me and those things are not true. There’s dirty stuff going on in that city and somebody needs to look into it,” Cushing said.
“Our state statute says that I, the building official for that jurisdiction, will perform the duties under my responsibility without interference from any person. Not the mayor, not the city attorney, not anybody,” Cushing said.
County Commissioner Tal Siddique received a letter from Darin Cushing. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Siddique said he’s been following The Sun’s reporting on the Drift-In permitting issues and other concerns being reported in Bradenton Beach.
“I have not been able to get in contact with anyone from Bradenton Beach. I have not had one phone call back from Bradenton Beach since November. I left a voicemail this morning. I have no idea what the hell’s going on,” Siddique said.
Cushing said he recently interviewed for a position with Manatee County but he fears the “slanderous things” said about him may impact his ability to get a job.
Cushing’s letter
Regarding the start of his tenure in Bradenton Beach, Cushing wrote, “A certain developer, whom I’d known from my time as building official of Longboat Key, began asking me to issue permits that had been placed on hold for various reasons by the previous building official (Steve Gilbert). I reviewed the permits and told the applicant what needed to be done in order for the permits to be released.
“Several times over the next few months, I would get questioned by the city attorney, the mayor and several times by the police chief about what was holding this developer’s permits up. Each time, I would explain what needed to be done, but at the same time felt pressured to just give him his permits.”
Marina
Cushing’s letter addresses the stop-work order he issued to the owner of the Bradenton Beach Marina, developer Shawn Kaleta, when a new bar opened there.
“It had been built and the opening announced with no permits for construction, nor did they have a liquor license. Within hours, the developer called me and said, ‘I talked to the city attorney and the mayor and they’re all good with it.’ ”
According to his letter, Cushing told the developer this was not the attorney or mayor’s decision to make and he would still need to obtain all the needed permits and inspections before the stop-work order was lifted.
Pines
Regarding the hurricane-damaged Pines Trailer Park (owned by Kaleta and investment partners), Cushing wrote, “Following the hurricanes, I was immediately asked for the damage assessment status of the Pines by the developer. He also asked me if I would go ahead and condemn the whole park. I responded that I could not do that and that a proper damage assessment needed to be done.”
His letter notes it was later determined that only a few mobile homes needed to be condemned and the rest could be rehabilitated.
“I was asked no less than 10 times, by either the developer, the attorney, the mayor or the police chief, if I was going to write to the Pines (mobile home) owners and tell them they were done.”
Regarding the Drift-In permitting issues, Cushing acknowledges he erred in not routing the tiki bar permit to the fire marshal for an initial review of the tiki structure and its roof materials.
Cushing’s letter says the city received approximately 10 change of contractor forms from “said developer” a few days before he was suspended. According to Cushing, he told the developer he would not issue the change of contractor permits until all needed documents were correctly completed.
“Two days later, in a senior staff meeting, I was essentially threatened by all of the senior staff – attorney, mayor and police chief – that I needed to release those permits to him; or again, ‘maybe we need to get a different building official,’ ” Cushing states in his letter.
Mayor John Chappie and City Attorney Ricinda Perry are alluded to in Darin Cushing’s four-page letter. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Regarding the city attorney and a developer driving around town looking for properties to condemn, Cushing told The Sun on Sunday, “I personally witnessed them driving around together and other people (residents and city employees) visibly witnessed this happening on multiple occasions following the storms. Several owners told me verbally that this had happened to them.”
No response from city
On Feb. 14, The Sun asked Chappie if he wanted to comment on the town hall allegations Cushing made about being threatened by the mayor, city attorney and police chief. Chappie said he had no comment.
On Feb. 15, The Sun sent Cosby a text message containing a link to the town hall meeting video and seeking his comments on Cushing’s allegations. Cosby did not respond.
On Feb. 16, The Sun sent an email to Chappie, Perry and Cosby seeking their comments on these allegations. The email included a link to the archived town hall meeting video and a copy of Cushing’s letter. As of press time, The Sun had not received a response from the city.
The archived video of the town hall meeting can be viewed on YouTube by searching for “Tal Siddique Town Hall @ Island Branch Library.” The Bradenton Beach discussion begins at the 22-minute mark and continues to the 40-minute mark. The letter can be viewed in its entirety below.
(Sun reporter Leslie Lake contributed to this story)
BRADENTON BEACH – Police Chief and Public Works Director John Cosby provided The Sun with an extensive update on Oct. 1 regarding the conditions in the city and when residents, property owners, and business owners might be able to return.
He also addressed the ongoing power restoration efforts, property damage assessments, potential condemnation of damaged structures and mail delivery.
John Cosby stood at the sand-covered Cortez Road/Gulf Drive intersection the morning after Hurricane Helene passed through Bradenton Beach. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Cosby said the damage Hurricane Helene inflicted in Bradenton Beach is much greater than the damage sustained in Holmes Beach and Anna Maria. He also said the recovery efforts in Bradenton Beach are far more daunting and challenging than what the other two Island cities are experiencing.
“We have been declared as ‘catastrophic.’ Gov. DeSantis has been to a lot of disaster sites and he said never seen this much sand moved by a storm,” Cosby said.
“The governor’s visit on Saturday is what got us to the point we’re at now,” Cosby said of the ongoing street-clearing efforts.
“The city of Bradenton Beach greatly appreciates the governor’s visit and assistance. His visit brought to Bradenton Beach the assistance of all the state agencies necessary for the recovery efforts,” Cosby said.
Return access
Cosby said the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has cleared Gulf Drive of sand and debris deposited by Hurricane Helene’s winds and storm surge.
FDOT utilized a small army of trucks and equipment to clear Gulf Drive of sand and debris. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“Gulf Drive is a state road and Gov. DeSantis also authorized FDOT to clear all public roads owned by the city of Bradenton Beach. As soon as FDOT is done clearing the secondary roads owned, we will let residents, business owners, insurance adjusters, vacation rental property owners and property management personnel to return. We will also allow the contractors that the property owners and businesses have contacted to come out and do work,” Cosby said.
“If FDOT gives me the green light on Thursday, then we’ll start this on Friday,” Cosby said of the controlled re-entry process that remains subject to change.
“At that point, you can start cleaning up and assessing your damage. You can stay until the curfew begins at 7 p.m. If you want to bring a van or truck to load up your belongings, you’ll be allowed to do that. That’s why I want residents to have a few days to try to salvage their lives before the general public starts driving around,” Cosby said.
Cosby said residents can resume living in their homes, if they wish, with or without electrical service. Still, there is a fire risk associated with power returning to damaged electrical systems.
Regarding the initial wave of returnees, Cosby said, “I want to give the residents and the business owners a couple days to come out and collect their bearings because they are not prepared for what they are going to see. Some of these people have lost everything and their care and needs are our top priority. They are not prepared when they walk in their house and see that their house is totally destroyed, or see that their vehicles are totally destroyed and there’s two or three feet of sand in their garage. The business owners who’ve returned to Bridge Street are just overwhelmed. When I began talking to them, they were on the verge of tears,” Cosby said.
Regarding future re-entry for the general public, Cosby said, “When the time is right, I will then consider allowing other traffic into the city.”
Cosby provided no specific timetable as to when that additional traffic will be allowed to return, but if all goes well, he expects it could happen at some point next week.
Cosby said those who have questions or concerns, can stop the police department, at 403 Highland Ave, or speak with an officer patrolling the city.
Re-entry requirements
Re-entry checkpoints remain in effect at the Cortez Bridge, the Bradenton Beach/Holmes Beach border and the Longboat Pass Bridge. Tampa Police Department officers will begin assisting the city with those efforts tonight (Oct. 1).
Barring any unforeseen complications, when the first wave of authorized residents, property owners, business owners, and others begin returning later this week through the Cortez Road checkpoint only, they must present a city-issued re-entry tag or some other documentation that supports their entrance to the city.
Residents can also provide a valid driver’s license or state ID with a Bradenton Beach address, a utility bill, or a tax bill specific to their property.
Valid documentation for business owners includes a current re-entry tag or a city-issued business tax license. Business owners who want their employees to return to their workplace via their own vehicles must provide Cosby with a letter containing the business letterhead, the owner’s name, and the name of each employee authorized to return in their own vehicle.
The authorization letters are to be emailed to Cosby at jcosby@cityofbradnetonbeach.com. Cosby will print the employee authorization letters out and provide them to the law enforcement personnel stationed at the Cortez Bridge checkpoint.
Cosby encourages returning employees to share rides or caravan as much as possible to reduce the number of unnecessary vehicles returning, especially those with trailers and trucks coming out to remove the contents of a business.
Valid documentation for returning vacation rental owners and property managers includes a re-entry tag or a copy of a city-issued transient public lodging license. Arrangements can then be made for contractors to begin their recovery and restoration work. Returning contractors will be asked to provide a work order or some other documentation associated with the pending work.
This elevated residential structure along Gulf Drive South sustained hurricane damage. – Leslie Lake | Sub
Cosby noted that FDOT and Manatee County personnel are not clearing driveways and driveway entrances at this point and, for now, that remains the responsibility of the property owner. Returning vehicles will not be allowed to park alongside Gulf Drive and must be parked in driveways, along residential side streets, in public parking spaces or in business parking lots.
Due to ongoing public safety and law enforcement concerns, Cosby said the general public, “disaster tourists’ and others without a legitimate reason to return will not be granted access to the city.
Trolley service resumes
While awaiting allowed vehicular access to the city, residents, business owners, employees and others can now return to the city using MCAT’s free Island trolley service. According to Cosby, the free Island trolley buses began traveling through Bradenton Beach at approximately noon today after previously resuming service in Holmes Beach and Anna Maria.
Trolley busses entering Bradenton Beach through Holmes Beach will travel south along Gulf Drive to the S-Curve at 13th Street South. Passengers can get off the bus along the route to access their residential and commercial properties that may or may not have electrical service.
The trollies will turn around at the S-curve and will not travel to Coquina Beach or the Coquina boat ramps, which remain closed. The trollies will then travel north on Gulf Drive and take a right turn (east) on the Cortez Bridge to pick up passengers near the bridge where vehicular access remains restricted. There is no designated parking for trolley passengers so you must find a legal parking place on your own. The trollies will turn around at the Cortez Bridge and proceed north and toward Holmes Beach and Anna Maria. Trolley arrival times will likely be approximately every half-hour, with longer wait times possible.
Power restoration
Cosby said electrical service has been restored in some locations and that remains an ongoing, and sometimes challenging, work in progress.
“The FPL assessment team was out here yesterday and today analyzing and assessing the city’s underground electrical system south of Cortez Road. They are diligently analyzing and assessing the damage and formulating a plan to restore power to the south end of the city,” Cosby said.
FPL is analyzing the damage done to the electrical system at the south end of the city. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Cosby said power has been restored to the police station, city hall and other locations throughout the city.
“FPL has already charged the overhead lines on Gulf Drive and sporadically some people are getting power back. The city’s planning department is working with FPL to ensure that every individual home or building is inspected and certified before receiving electrical services. If the home or building is not certified, the power meter will be removed and the building will not have electricity when the power line is charged,” Cosby said.
Property damage
“People don’t realize how bad it is,” Cosby said. “A picture only shows a certain angle, but not the entire degree of the damage. When talking to the Bridge Street merchants when we first brought them out, I told them before we went over the bridge to be prepared for shock and awe. You are not going to believe what you’re going to see because we’ve never had anything like this. A lot of buildings are going to have to be torn down,” Cosby said.
The storm surge left its mark on this elevated Bradenton Beach home. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Cosby said the storm surge was three or four feet high on Bridge Street and over six feet high in other places, with reported wave heights of eight to 11 feet.
Water erosion threatens the foundation at this home along Gulf Drive South. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Hurricane Helene demolished this home and deposited it at the end of the street. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“Our building official has already determined that several structures have been condemned and the building department will continue to evaluate structures to determine whether or not they can be occupied,” Cosby said.
Mail service
Today, the city issued a press release regarding mail service that states Bradenton Beach mail service is being temporarily re-routed to the Longboat Key post office at 560 Bay Isles Road for approximately one month. Cosby said the Bradenton Beach post office may have sustained storm damage and many residential mailboxes are buried or missing.
“Starting Thursday (Oct. 3), mail can start being picked up at the Longboat Key post office. There will be no mail delivery until further notice,” he said.
Final thoughts
“The city of Bradenton Beach appreciates the efforts of FDOT, Gov. DeSantis, the state of Florida, Manatee County and the Manatee County Emergency Operations Center, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the West Manatee Fire District, and the other Island municipalities for their response and assisting us with our ongoing recovery efforts,” Cosby said.
Real-time updates and information are being posted daily at the Bradenton Beach Police Department’s Facebook page.
(Sun reporter Leslie Lake contributed photos to this story)
(Editor’s note: As conditions and circumstances continue to evolve, the information provided in this story is subject to change at any time.)
BRADENTON BEACH – Police Chief John Cosby is also now the city’s permanent public works director.
Cosby previously served as the city’s temporary public works director since longtime director Tom Woodard resigned earlier this year.
On Sept. 19, commissioners voted 4-0 in favor of naming Cosby public works director permanently and paying him an additional $74,747, as outlined in the employee manual, in addition to his $133,000 police chief’s salary.
During Thursday’s meeting, Mayor John Chappie said he initially intended to ask the commission to consider a pay increase for Cosby as he continued to serve as the temporary director but decided instead to ask the commission members to make Cosby the permanent director.
“It gives him the leeway to make some of the more important decisions in the operations of the public works department,” he said.
Chappie said appointing Cosby as public works director provides the city with significant savings because his insurance, pension and other employee benefits are already part of his police chief compensation.
Under Cosby’s leadership, Chappie said the public works department has already produced increased productivity and efficiency, along with better utilization of the department’s existing and new equipment. He attributed that to the leadership skills Cosby developed during his many years with the police department.
“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate what he’s been able to do. With that, I would hope you would consider my proposal,” Chappie told the commission.
Before the vote took place, Commissioner Deborah Scaccianoce said, “I think Chief Cosby’s done an outstanding job wearing that additional hat. You can definitely see all of the things that have improved.”
Scaccianoce also said she’s glad to see the city’s street sweeping truck being routinely used.
“Things are getting done. I think he’s doing a great job,” she added.
Cosby has also long served as the city’s emergency operations manager.
COSBY’S COMMENTS
After the meeting, while standing in front of the public works building located next to the police station, Cosby discussed his public works department duties.
“I’ve been doing it for five months and it hasn’t really been an issue. I take all the paperwork that has to be done for public works home and I do it at home. There haven’t been any issues and hopefully, it stays that way,” he said.
When asked if he enjoys the public works side of things, Cosby said, “Yes. I like to get things done quick. I can move more at the pace I want instead of waiting for other people. It definitely makes it easier to get things done.”
Cosby said Donovan Buss serves as the public works department foreman and some future departmental restructuring is likely.
“I may make some changes after the first of the year to adjust everybody’s jobs and give everybody a little more responsibility. There’s a lot of talent there and I don’t think it’s being used properly,” Cosby said.
At the police department, Lt. Lenard Diaz has served as Cosby’s second in command since Cosby succeeded Sam Speciale as police chief in 2021.
“The police department is run by the chain of command, from the staff to the sergeant, to the lieutenant, and then to me,” Cosby said.
BRADENTON BEACH – Police officers Devon Straight and Charles “Chuck” Marose received recognition last week for saving a life.
During the March 16 city commission meeting, Police Chief John Cosby presented Straight and Marose with lifesaving medals.
“It’s my honor to come before you today,” Cosby told the commission. “We’ll be presenting Officer Devon Straight and Officer Chuck Marose with a lifesaving medal. On Feb. 17, at approximately 6:09 p.m., both officers responded to a 62-year-old male who was found lying on the sidewalk in the 1900 block of Gulf Drive. Once they arrived, some people that were there were already doing CPR. They took over the CPR and they used one of our AEDs (automated external defibrillator) to bring the gentleman back. He was transported to Blake and a few days later he was released and he went back to Georgia.”
Cosby then stressed the importance of providing officers with the training and equipment they need to do their jobs.
“I keep telling you: Training and equipment. This is a perfect example of it being used appropriately and it saved somebody’s life,” Cosby said.
Included in the meeting packet was a memo that Straight sent Cosby on Feb. 20.
Police Chief John Cosby presented Officer Devon Straight with his medal. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
In his written description of the events that transpired that evening, Straight noted “Officer Marose then took it upon himself to check on the patient’s condition later that same night and was advised the patient had been stabilized and should recover.”
Police Chief John Cosby presented Officer Charles Marose with his medal. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Straight’s memo also included the following assessment: “I believe the quick implementation of CPR from bystanders and officers was critical to the patient’s survival before EMS could arrive, and the added benefit of having a readily available department-issued AED on-scene made our critical lifesaving efforts twice as effective.”
BRADENTON BEACH – Paid parking and potential future millage increases were primary topics of discussion during the city commission’s July 12 budget meeting.
The tentative budget discussed on Tuesday proposes $4.17 million in total city expenditures – an increase of $584,618 from the current fiscal year that ends on Sept. 30.
The commission intends to maintain the current 2.3329 millage rate for the 2022-23 fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1.
A significant portion of the city’s expenses will be covered by the $2,005,086 the city anticipates receiving in ad valorem property tax revenues. Due to skyrocketing property values, the city anticipates a significant increase in ad valorem property tax revenues in the coming fiscal year.
City Treasurer Shayne Thompson told the commission this equates to a $291,521 increase in property tax revenues for new fiscal year. He said the city usually sees a $120,000 to $140,000 annual increase in property tax revenues as property values increase by an average of 6-8%, but in this current fiscal year, property values have increased by approximately 17%.
“That is an anomaly, plain and simple. The raise in property values this year is certainly not the norm. Without that increase, we would probably be faced with a millage increase, like it or not,” Thompson told the commission.
Higher property values mean property owners will pay higher property taxes and Mayor John Chappie said the commission does not intend to adopt a lower rollback millage rate that would generate the same amount of property tax revenues as last year while lowering the millage rate for city taxpayers.
Thompson said the city’s reserve fund has been drawn down in recent years and needs to be replenished, and small annual millage increases may be needed in future years to accomplish this.
Thompson said a one-tenth of a percent millage increase on a home with a $1 million assessed value would result in the property owner paying an additional $100 in property taxes. According to Thompson, a one-tenth of a percent millage increase would generate approximately $85,000 in additional property tax revenues during a single fiscal year.
Chappie and Commissioner Jan Vosburgh said they would not support a millage increase this year and they hope to avoid doing so in future years.
Police Chief John Cosby supports paid parking in city-owned parking lots. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Police Chief John Cosby said, “Every year for the past five years I have told you that you need to raise the millage a little bit every year. I do agree with Shayne that it’s something to keep in the back of our mind. I don’t think we’re in trouble yet, but I think next year will be the year we really have to look at it. I think you should heed Shayne’s advice that going up a little bit every year at some point is not going to hurt.”
Chappie noted the commission intends to discuss paid parking in city-owned parking lots as a possible means of generating additional city revenues. That work meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 30 at 9 a.m.
Potential paid parking locations include the city-owned portion of the parking lot behind the BridgeWalk resort, the city hall parking lot and the unpaved parking lot near the Public Works Department building.
The city-owned parking lot near the Public Works Department building could be used for paid parking. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
In recent months, Cosby has repeatedly told the commission the police department is underfunded and understaffed when it comes to policing a city that receives thousands of visitors on any given day. During the budget meeting, he mentioned paid parking as the most likely revenue source for additional policing and also replenishing the city’s reserve fund.
“Paid parking is it. We’ve got to get it back from the people that are coming here and enjoying our amenities, and the only way to do that is paid parking. That could generate a lot of revenue. That would take care of your concern and Shayne’s concerns,” Cosby said.
“I’ve done a little research and Pinellas County just went to $7 an hour for paid parking. It’s an option we need to look at. Your citizens have already told you they want you to find a way to generate revenue outside of a tax increase and this is one way to do it,” he added.
Cosby said the city’s current reserve fund would cover approximately 20-25% of the city’s annual expenses, but a coastal community that’s more prone to storm and hurricane damage should really have a reserve fund that would cover $30-35% of the city’s operating expenses.
“This city has to rely on itself until FEMA can get here to help us. We’re going to have to be self-sufficient and we’re not there yet. When we do the paid parking, we have to really look at how we’re going to distribute that revenue. I think a percentage of that revenue should automatically go into reserves so we can build a good strong reserve,” Cosby said.
Other budget matters
As is the case each year, the city’s largest expenses are employee salaries, benefits and retirement fund contributions. City Clerk Terri Sanclemente told the commission that due to budget constraints, she and the other department heads are requesting a 6% cost of living adjustment (COLA) increase for all city employees but are not requesting any additional salary increases.
The police department budget includes enough money to hire one more officer at an approximate cost of $100,000, including the officer’s annual salary and employee benefits.
According to Thompson, the city has received to date $320,296 in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds from the federal government and expects to receive an additional $320,296 before the current fiscal year ends.
The ARP fund expenditures included in the 2022-23 fiscal year budget allocate $37,000 for the public works department to buy a new pickup truck and a new GEM cart, $88,000 for two new police vehicles, $20,000 for a Polaris-like ATV to be shared by code enforcement and the police department for beach patrols and $66,600 for server upgrades for the city and police department computer systems.
The budget remains a work in progress and will be finalized and adopted during two public hearings in September.
BRADENTON BEACH – The city is addressing complaints about the city-owned beach access at the west end of 23rd Street North being used as guest-only parking for a privately owned resort.
According to the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s Office, the Seabreeze at Anna Maria Inn resort property located on both sides of the city-owned street end along the 2300 block of Gulf Drive North is owned by the Tri Star Properties LLC. According to state records, the LLC lists attorney Louis Najmy as its registered agent and Shawn Kaleta and Daniel Zoller as principals.
As of last week, several signs placed in or near the city-owned beach access area said, “Anna Maria Island Inn. Guest Parking Only. All Others May Be Towed at Owner’s Expense.”
As of last week, several signs were in place that improperly claimed the beach access parking area was for resort guests only. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
On June 16, Police Chief John Cosby told the city commission he received three complaints about the resort trying to use public property for guest-only parking.
Cosby also said the current parking configuration blocks and hinders access for his officers and other first responders who use that beach access point to respond to water rescues, drownings and other emergency situations. Cosby said he’s going to rope off a portion of the street-end for emergency responders regardless of what the commission decides to do with the public parking. Cosby said that will probably result in the loss of four parking spaces.
First responders use the 23rd Street North beach access when responding to emergencies. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Mayor John Chappie and Building Official Steve Gilbert noted Section 58-35 of the city’s code of ordinances prohibits parking any vehicle at or within 100 feet of a city-owned street-end or terminus along the Gulf of Mexico or Sarasota Bay unless it’s properly marked as city-provided parking.
After stressing the importance of protecting public access to the beaches, Chappie said, “We’ve got to take control of this situation. It is a problem because we’ve had complaints.”
Cosby said a properly designated public parking area requires parking bumpers and signs that designate those spaces for public use. He said the designated public spaces would then be available on a first-come, first-served basis which would not exclude resort guests, noting that overnight parking is not allowed in city-owned parking areas.
Gilbert said he’s not aware of any agreement between the resort and the city that allows for guest-only parking. Gilbert and Commissioner Ralph Cole noted it would take a four-fifths supra-majority vote of the commission and the majority support of the city’s registered voters for the city to vacate that city-owned property to the resort owners – an action Cosby said city voters would never support.
Commissioner Jan Vosburgh expressed concerns about negatively impacting the resort owner.
“Why would we want to do that?” she asked.
“Because it’s public property,” Cosby replied. “If you want to keep the willy-nilly parking, knock yourselves out. When I get complaints, I’m going to tell them to come here and talk to you. I can’t tell them that I am allowing somebody to break the law.”
The Seabreeze at Anna Maria Inn resort has structures located on both sides of the publicly owned beach access point. – Joe Hendricks | SunCommissioner Jake Spooner agreed that a private business should not have the exclusive use of public property, but he’s not in favor of eliminating those beach parking spaces either. Spooner said the resort managers would likely remove the guest-only parking signs if asked.
Cosby and Gilbert said it might be possible to configure the public parking in a manner that allows the resort to install two privately-owned, resort-only parallel parking spaces near the smaller building to the south.
Based on Cosby and Gilbert’s advice, the commission directed them and Public Works Director Tom Woodard to develop a plan for a designated public parking area at the 23rd Street North street-end, and to bring that plan back to the commission for additional discussion and approval.
BRADENTON BEACH – An incident involving two Bradenton Beach police officers prompted Police Chief John Cosby to again voice concerns about the police department budget and staffing shortages.
During the June 1 Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) meeting, Cosby provided an update on the policing efforts in the CRA district.
Noting that Bridge Street is filled to capacity on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, Cosby said, “You can’t fit any more people down there.”
He said there are now issues with patrons lingering late at night after the businesses close.
“I only have two officers on. It’s hard to disperse that many people,” Cosby said.
He then referenced an incident involving a vehicle that left the Drift In parking lot during the early morning hours of May 29.
According to the probable cause report, an officer saw a vehicle driven by Steven Davis reverse at a high rate of speed and fishtail out of the Drift-In parking lot with no headlights on before striking a signpost. After eventually being wrestled to the ground and pepper-sprayed, Davis was arrested for resisting arrest and disorderly intoxication (see related story, page 9).
As that arrest took place, Davis’ companion, Torrie Kronk, was arrested for disorderly intoxication for the alleged verbal abuse she directed toward the arresting officers.
“One subject had to be wrestled to the ground. They wound up going to the hospital,” Cosby said. “They were tied up at the hospital for seven hours. An officer has to stay with them the entire time they’re there. The second person who was arrested also claimed injury and also went to the hospital and was there for seven hours. From 3 o’clock to 7 in the morning there were no officers available to take any calls in Bradenton Beach unless it was a priority call. Our mutual aid contracts with the other cities and the county only call for them to come out if we have a priority call. So, any other type of call went ignored until 7 o’clock – until the day shift officer came in.”
Cosby said the two officers were supposed to get off duty at 3 a.m. but wound up working until 10 a.m. and had to be back to work at 5 p.m. Sunday evening.
“I have eight patrol officers. I’m down two right now, and I have some that are taking vacation. I’m down to five people to cover all the shifts. I need more staff,” Cosby said.
Other issues
Cosby described the recent Memorial Day weekend as “total mayhem.” He said Manatee County Commission Chairman Kevin Van Ostenbridge rode with Manatee County Marine Rescue personnel that Sunday and witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by law enforcement and public safety personnel.
“He was in awe of what was going on out here. He responded with them to the fight calls we had over parking issues, which were multiple, and the sheer amount of traffic. There’s too many people coming here. There’s no place to put them,” Cosby said.
“It’s not my job to come up with an answer. This is a political issue. It’s your job to work with them (the county) to figure something out,” Cosby told the CRA members – five of whom also serve on the city commission.
Cosby said he’s raising from $35 to $40 the hourly rate the department charges the CRA for off-duty policing services in the CRA district that includes Bridge Street. He said other law enforcement agencies in the area charge $40-$45 for off-duty policing.
“If you can’t pay it, then we can’t provide the service. I can’t expect my people to go out there and not make the same amount of money other officers at other agencies are making,” Cosby said.
Regarding staffing shortages, Cosby said, “Myself and Lt. Diaz are covering shifts. I just don’t have anybody. I’m hoping to be back to a full staff in July. I have not been at full staff for three and a half years. Again, you’re getting what you pay for,” Cosby said.
CRA Chairman Ralph Cole said the CRA and the city commission have to figure out how to address the ongoing police funding concerns and he noted other city services may need to be reduced. Cole said the city needs more financial support from Manatee County and the other taxing authorities that place additional burdens on the city’s police department.
CRA member John Chappie noted the county-owned beaches and boat ramps make up one-third of Bradenton Beach and help attract 14,000-20,000 people to the city on any given Saturday or Sunday.
Previous comments
During the May 5 commission meeting, Cosby and two residents voiced their concerns about the city having one officer available to respond to an incident involving 10 people, a possible fight and a gun.
During that meeting, Cosby said more officers and more funds are needed if the city’s police department is going to keep up with the additional policing demands created by the constant influx of tourists and the continued growth in Manatee County.
BRADENTON BEACH – A recent incident involving a stolen car, a stolen gun and a skirmish brought residents and police to city hall to tell commissioners about fear and inadequate funding.
On April 26 at 8:50 p.m., Bradenton Beach Police Officer Kyle Orms responded to a report of a possible fight in progress at the Summer Sands condominium complex near the 1100 block of Gulf Drive North. On the way, Orms was advised that a gun and 10 or more people were involved.
“Upon arrival, I observed approximately 10 subjects gathered in the street around one male subject on the ground. The male subject, later identified as Jonathan France, 17 years old, appeared to be being held down by a female subject later identified as Laketa Taylor. After the group parted and Mrs. Taylor let Mr. France go, Mrs. Taylor began yelling that Mr. France had stolen her vehicle and a gun and was trying to get away; and that she had been holding him there for the police,” Orms stated in his report.
While speaking with Taylor, Orms learned she had previously filed a report with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office in which she alleged France stole her vehicle and a gun from her residence.
“While attempting to detain Mr. France, he began slamming his head into a nearby vehicle. I then took Mr. France to the ground and was able to secure him in handcuffs. After securing Mr. France, multiple subjects began getting into their vehicles and leaving the scene,” Orms stated in his report.
Officers from the Holmes Beach Police Department arrived to provide additional assistance. Bradenton Beach Police Officer Thomas Ferrara also later responded to the scene.
Taylor had learned on Facebook that France was on the Island and brought several people with her to confront him, according to the report. When confronted, France tried to run, the group stopped him and he fell, “yelling that he wanted to kill himself” and slamming his head into the concrete.
Taylor held him down while her husband, Dwight Evans Jr., grabbed a gun that was laying on the ground. Evans left, returning when Orms asked Taylor to have him bring the gun back to the scene, according to the report.
According to Ferrara’s report, Taylor’s husband found his stolen handgun – a loaded 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol – while searching for the stolen vehicle that was found parked at the nearby Bridgeport condominium complex. Ferrara’s report notes Taylor’s car had a dead battery but was otherwise undamaged.
Orms ran a check that revealed France had been reported as missing and was the subject of multiple arrest warrants issued by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and one warrant issued in Sarasota. France was placed under arrest and transported to HCA Florida Blake Hospital in Bradenton. After being medically cleared, he was transported to the juvenile assessment center.
“I was advised that due to Mr. France’s statements, he would need to be transported to Centerstone for Baker Act,” Orms stated in his report.
Residents’ concerns
Addressing the commission on May 5, Bradenton Beach resident Ken McDonough said, “What happened that night was a wake-up call to us on 10th, 11th and 12th Street North. Five carloads of individuals came to the neighborhood.”
McDonough said many of the individuals wore “dark hoodies” and some tried to enter the Summer Sands pool area, which was locked.
Resident Ken McDonough described the April 26 incident to the city commission. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“This wasn’t the normal thing for our neighborhood. As I went up towards 11th Street, I saw a bunch of individuals, one on the ground, and people screaming. At that point, somebody did get a hold of the police,” McDonough said.
“When the first officer showed up, everybody started to run in different directions. I was on the north side of the condominium garage. I went around to the south side and three carloads went out the south side of the garage, up Gulf Drive and crossed over the Cortez Bridge at a high rate of speed. The first policeman that showed up had his hands full. I was concerned for him because there were individuals screaming and running and by this time it was dark. I found out the next day that after the police left, two individuals came back into that garage and were looking for things,” McDonough said.
“In all the years I’ve been here I’ve never felt unsafe in Bradenton Beach. That night, everybody did in our neighborhood,” he added.
Resident Sheryl Blinde described her efforts to contact the police. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Sheryl Blinde was walking her dog as the events unfolded. Blinde told the commission she called 911 and explained what was happening to the operator. After being put on hold, she had to explain the situation again when her call was transferred to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
“I was frightened and I just wanted to get a hold of the police,” she said, questioning whether there’s a more effective way to handle calls for police assistance.
Chief’s concerns
The police chief also addressed the commission.
“There was a young man in town that’s been having some issues and maybe he was thinking about taking his life. He’d been on the Island for a while and was at another condo resort. They knew he was out of place and he was there for a few hours just sitting in his car and nobody called us. This could have been taken care of right then. If something doesn’t look right, call,” Cosby said.
“Speaking with people over the past couple days, they were concerned because after the incident became under control, people were still lingering around and none of the officers appeared to be talking to them. The other officers there were from Holmes Beach. Their job is only to assist our officers if something is physically happening, which at that point it wasn’t.
“I only had one officer on duty. Holmes Beach had three to four officers on duty and that’s why they responded as the backup. Our officer was tied up dealing with the young man and wound up Baker Acting him. Half-hour to 45 minutes later, our second officer, which is our midnight officer, came on duty. He processed the car and processed the gun. So, he also was out of commission dealing with those two things,” Cosby said.
Cosby then addressed the annual budgets for two neighboring police departments.
“The city of Holmes Beach has three to four people on duty every shift. His budget is $3.5 million. The town of Longboat Key has three to four people on duty. They actually have it written in their manual that no less than two people can be working per shift. Their budget is $3.5 million. My budget is $1.36 million. I can’t provide that kind of service, so you’re getting what you pay for. Every year, the department heads are told, ‘We’re not raising taxes. Make do with what you have,’ ” Cosby said.
“As the county grows, and more people continue to move here, these types of incidents are going to become more prevalent. We have to figure something out because we can’t keep doing this. Somebody’s going to get seriously hurt. I only have so many people and I can only do so many things, so it falls back to you,” Cosby told the commission.
Cosby also discussed the city phone system the public uses to contact the police department.
“The phone system has been in disarray for five years. Every year we were told there’s no money to fix it. We paid $30,000 to put a patch in that doesn’t work,” Cosby said.
“The way the phone system’s supposed to work is at 4 o’clock we forward it to the sheriff’s office front desk. The deputies that work the front desk take the call, send it up to dispatch and an officer responds for a non-emergency. You know what happens? When they call the after-hours number, once in a while it will go through to the sheriff’s office. The second option is the call drops or it goes to the voice mail for the police department,” Cosby said.
Cosby said the phone system is finally getting replaced thanks to federal funds the city received as part of the federal government’s COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.
Regarding the police department budget, Mayor John Chappie said, “Every year we talk about the police department. We know you’ve been short-handed.”
Commission response
Chappie said Cosby recently told him the starting salary for a Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office deputy is increasing to $62,000. According to Cosby, the starting salary for a Bradenton Beach officer is $47,000.
Cosby said he’s still operating with nine officers instead of 10 because one officer is still recovering from an injury suffered long ago while making an arrest. Chappie said he and Cosby have talked about having two officers on duty at night.
“We’ve got to do something,” Chappie said.
Mayor John Chappie shares the police chief’s concerns. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Chappie said he and the two other Anna Maria Island mayors recently met with state Sen. Jim Boyd and state Rep. Will Robinson. The mayor said he reminded the legislators that the single-family homes once occupied by three or four people have been replaced by large vacation rental homes occupied by 10-20 people, which puts more pressure on the police department and the city’s limited resources.
Chappie said he encouraged Boyd and Robinson to help change the state law that currently prohibits cities and counties from using tax revenues generated by the county’s 5% tourist tax for infrastructure improvements and law enforcement.
“You can’t ask the citizens of Bradenton Beach to be burdened with that extra expense,” Commissioner Jan Vosburgh said. “It’s got to be coming from the county or someplace else because Bradenton Beach cannot afford to have a big police department.”
“Since Manatee County is growing so big, they need to contribute a little extra or allow us to take some of the tax dollars for the police department,” Commissioner Ralph Cole said.
Cosby said the city of Holmes Beach has made multiple police funding requests to the county, but to no avail.
Commissioner Marilyn Maro said investor-owned vacation rental homes are placing a greater burden on the police department and those investors should be required to help fund the additional policing needs.
Chappie said he and Cosby have talked to City Attorney Ricinda Perry about the potential implementation of a public safety impact fee for new construction.
“That is something we are going to be looking at seriously,” Chappie said.
Commissioner Jake Spooner said it’s unlikely the city will receive any additional outside funds for the police department.
“There’s not much fat in our budget, but we’ve got to make it happen,” Spooner said.
BRADENTON BEACH – The city of Bradenton Beach embarked on some important public projects in 2021 and also welcomed a familiar face as the city’s new police chief.
January
In January, the mayor and city commission learned of the Florida Department of Transportation’s plans to begin construction in 2026 on the new fixed-span bridge that would provide 65 feet of vertical clearance as the replacement for the existing Cortez Bridge drawbridge.
February
Phase II of Manatee County’s drainage and parking lot improvements commenced at Coquina Beach.
The city commission extended a micromobility moratorium enacted in late 2020 that temporarily prohibits any new businesses from renting scoot coupes, motor scooters and other motorized micromobility devices. The moratorium, extended again later in the year, does not pertain to the actual operation of those vehicles on public streets.
March
Former county commissioners Joe McClash and Jane von Hahmann asked the city to join their federal lawsuit that opposes the construction of a fixed-span bridge to replace the Cortez Bridge drawbridge constructed in 1956. The commission tentatively agreed to contribute up to $5,000 toward the legal efforts, but in August, the commission voted 3-2 in opposition to providing any city funds or joining the lawsuit as an additional named party.
The city commission named Lt. John Cosby to serve as the eventual successor to Police Chief Sam Speciale leading up to Speciale’s planned retirement in October.
April
Building Official Steve Gilbert and City Planner Luis Serna began guiding the Planning and Zoning Board members through an extensive review of the Future Land Use Map and zoning map inconsistencies that exist throughout the city. The city commission has not yet acted on the board recommendations and the map revision process is expected to continue in 2022.
A personal watercraft and a boat collided on the Intracoastal Waterway near Longboat Pass. Tour boat captain Mike Draayom helped rescue the personal watercraft driver and passenger from the water. The accident resulted in two people being taken to the hospital.
The city commission authorized a request for proposals seeking a third-party review of the Master Drainage Study and stormwater and drainage systems designed by longtime City Engineer Lynn Burnett. The commission ultimately selected Utility Consultants of Florida and the subcontracted Colliers Engineering firm to take over the stormwater-related engineering and design services, including those associated with a $2.6 million, state-funded flood control project for the north end of the city. In November, the state granted the city additional time to design, permit and construct the drainage improvements which now have a June 2024 completion deadline.
May
The commission selected Duncan Seawall, Dock & Boat Lift to expand the floating dock, install finger piers perpendicular to the expanded dock and replace the public dinghy dock near the foot of the Bridge Street Pier boardwalk.
The CRA members agreed to increase the CRA’s holiday decorating budget from $15,000 to $40,000.
The Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge’s renovated kitchen reopened.
June
The CRA members discussed the potential CRA-funded trimming or removal of some privately-owned Australian pine trees located near the Gulf Drive/Cortez Road intersection. Those efforts were later abandoned.
The city is still waiting for FPL to remove the concrete utility poles along Gulf Drive South. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
City Attorney Ricinda Perry informed the commission that the state-funded Gulf Drive South utility line undergrounding project would cost much more than expected due to the increased pole and line removal costs imposed by Florida Power & Light. Perry said FPL’s initial non-binding cost estimates came in between $360,000 and $390,000, but in mid-May, she received a binding cost estimate for $1,187,029. Perry was able to reduce some of those additional costs and secure the use of additional county funds previously budged for another unrelated project. The new lines have been undergrounded and have been connected to the impacted residential structures, but the city is still waiting for FPL to remove dozens of concrete utility poles along Gulf Drive South.
The city commission extended the expanded outdoor dining allowances enacted in 2020 as part of the city’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The commission also stated live music would be allowed to continue in the expanded outdoor seating areas.
The Manatee County Commission agreed to provide up to $850,000 in matching county funds for the dock expansion and dinghy dock replacement project.
Mural artist Chad “Cheeta” Ruis painted a sea life-themed mural on the exterior walls of the AMI Moose Lodge.
July
Accompanied by Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper, the Stanley Cup visited the Bradenton Beach Police Department as part of Cooper’s multi-stop victory lap around Anna Maria Island.
August
Former Drift In employee and well-known Island personality David Marshall was struck by a car and seriously injured on Aug. 24 and he passed away on Sept. 5.
September
The CRA contracted C Squared to install four new stamped asphalt crosswalks across Bridge Street. The new crosswalks were engineered by Colliers Engineering. The new crosswalks replaced the failing brick paver crosswalks installed in late 2020 by Classic Brick Construction and engineered by LTA Engineers.
Stamped asphalt crosswalks replaced the brick paver crosswalks installed in 2020. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
October
CRA members approved a $595,905 dock expansion project contract with Duncan Seawall, Dock & Boat Lift. The dock expansion project will provide short-term public docking for approximately two dozen vessels when the project is completed in 2022 using components pre-manufactured by Golden Marine Systems.
John Cosby was sworn in as the city’s new police chief.
John Cosby was sworn in as the city’s new police chief by City Clerk Terri Sanclemente. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
City officials expressed concerns about the permeable brick paver sidewalk being installed along Gulf Drive North by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The concerns included safety and tripping hazards and the city’s ongoing liability and maintenance responsibilities.
The CRA extended the Old Town Tram pilot program for an additional year. The CRA members’ desire for the tram service to be primarily funded by advertising revenues remains a work in progress. In November, advertising revenues accounted for $4,775 (48%) of the CRA’s $9,975 monthly tram operation costs.
The Old Town Tram pilot program was extended for another year. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
November
Incumbent Mayor John Chappie defeated first-time challenger David Galuszka in the mayor’s race. Running unopposed, incumbent commissioners Jake Spooner and Jan Vosburgh claimed additional two-year terms in office. City voters maintained the existing term limits, which means Chappie and Spooner will term limit out of office in 2023.
John Chappie won a third consecutive term as the Bradenton Beach mayor. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Chief Cosby promoted Det. Sgt. Lenard Diaz to the rank of lieutenant, making him the police department’s second in command.
A Christmas tree lighting ceremony took place at the Bradenton Beach Post Office as part of the CRA and the Bridge Street merchants’ enhanced holiday decorating efforts.
December
The annual Christmas on Bridge Street celebration and the Bradenton Beach Holiday Lighted Boat Parade resumed after being canceled in 2020.
The CRA and the Bridge Street merchants went all-out with their holiday decorations. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The commission authorized a $5,000 expenditure as part of the exploratory efforts regarding the desired undergrounding of utility lines at the north end of the city.
BRADENTON BEACH – Lt. John Cosby is now the acting chief of the Bradenton Beach Police Department.
The “acting” designation will be removed from Cosby’s title in early October when current Police Chief Sam Speciale’s 35 years of service come to an official end.
Cosby was appointed acting police chief during the Thursday, Sept. 2 city commission meeting. He now carries all duties, responsibilities and authority given to the city’s police chief. Cosby joined the police department in 1988 and has long served as Speciale’s second in command.
When Speciale tendered his resignation to the city commission last October, he said his final day would be Oct. 9, 2021 – a date that marks 35 years to the day since Speciale joined the department.
Because he accrued so much vacation time and other paid time off during his 3 1/2 decades with the city, Speciale recently decided he would discontinue his active police duties as he waits for his retirement to become official in October.
Earlier this year, Speciale sold his home in Bradenton Beach. He now lives in Bradenton and he and his wife, MaryAnn, now spend much of their free time at their cabin in Georgia.
When proposing Cosby’s appointment as acting chief, Mayor John Chappie suggested Cosby’s salary be immediately increased to the current salary earned by Speciale. According to City Treasurer Shayne Thompson, Speciale’s current annual salary is $109,054 and was to increase to $114,507 when the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1.
“He’s doing the work, he’s done the time, it’s only fair,” Chappie said, noting that he spoke to Speciale about the transition taking place.
Chappie also proposed giving Cosby a $2,500 bonus as compensation for the additional work he’s done during the transition period leading up to Speciale’s pending retirement. The rest of the commission supported the proposed salary increase and the bonus.
Cosby said he appreciated the immediate salary increase offer, but declined to take it because he does not want to impact the final remaining weeks of the police department’s current fiscal year budget. Cosby said he has some departmental expenditures he would rather spend that money on instead.
Cosby said he would accept the mayor and commission’s offer of a $2,500 bonus. Chappie then suggested, and the commission agreed, to increase the bonus by an additional $2,500 using Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) funds in appreciation of all the extra work Cosby has done regarding CRA projects and in the CRA district as a whole. The CRA portion of the $5,000 bonus is still contingent on final approval by the seven-member CRA board that includes all five city commission members.
Acting Police Chief John Cosby has developed strong working relationships with city officials, city residents, local business owners and his fellow officers since joining the police force in 1988. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The commission also approved Cosby’s request that he be allowed to reserve his right to work special duty shifts that include marine patrols of the anchorage south of the Bridge Street Pier and other policing duties. Cosby will also continue his long-held role as the city’s emergency operations manager.
Chappie and the commission praised Cosby and Speciale for their many years of service to the city.
“I’ve known the lieutenant and I’ve known the chief for a long, long time. I know that they work together as a team to make this place what we’ve got right now. I want to thank you and him (Speciale),” Commissioner Ralph Cole said.
“You look at our community and the amount of crime and they’ve done an excellent job. My dad was mayor when Chief Sam came in. A lot of good things happened. These guys put us where we’re at right now. They’ve done an extremely great job. John deserves everything that we can give him. I know how hard you work. I’ve watched you work over the years. You should get everything you deserve,” Cole said.
Bradenton Beach Police Chief Sam Speciale announced his retirement last October. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
When discussing a brief potential pre-retirement return to the police department headquarters by Speciale before his retirement becomes official, Cosby jokingly said, “He better come back at some point because he left a lot of stuff in the office that has to go.”
After the meeting ended, Cosby shared some additional thoughts on his new role as chief and the chief’s duties he’s been performing during the transition period.
“Sam’s been semi-retired and working off his paid time. There will be some changes with the police department – stuff that Sam and I have talked about in the past – that are now going to come to fruition,” Cosby said.
Cosby was asked if he plans to appoint someone to serve as his second in command, similar to the role he served under Speciale for many years.
“Yes, I’ll make that announcement in October. I’m going to promote somebody from within,” Cosby said, noting the officer who gets promoted will hold the rank of lieutenant that he himself held for many years.
“We’re lucky to have you,” Commissioner Marilyn Maro said to Cosby as she exited city hall.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – The executive order that Gov. Ron DeSantis issued Wednesday pertaining to essential businesses and services is now in effect.
“All persons in Florida shall limit their movements and personal interactions outside of their home to only those necessary to obtain or provide essential services or conduct essential activities,” according to Executive Order (EO) 20-91.
Issued in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the governor’s emergency order took effect at 12:01 a.m. on Friday and will remain in effect until April 30, unless canceled or extended by the governor.
Gov. Ron DeSantis issued his essential services order on Wednesday. – www.myflgov.com
The governor’s order left city and county governments with approximately 36 hours to interpret the order and figure out how to comply with it and enforce it.
Section 2 of the governor’s order includes the header “Safer at Home” and sets forth which businesses are essential and allowed to remain open and which businesses are non-essential and must remain closed while the order remains in effect.
“Essential services means and encompasses the list detailed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in its Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce and any subsequent lists published,” according to EO 20-91.
The Department of Homeland Security guidance can be found at the agency’s website.
“Essential services also include those businesses and activities designated by Executive Order 20-89 and its attachment which consists of a list propounded by Miami-Dade County in multiple orders,” EO 20-91 says.
Miami-Dade County’s list of essential and non-essential businesses can be viewed at the county website.
The directives issued by Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez took effect in Miami-Dade County on Thursday, March 19.
According to Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie and Lt. John Cosby of the Bradenton Beach Police Department, the city of Bradenton Beach will use the Miami-Dade County order as its essential/non-essential guidelines. Cosby is the city’s emergency operations manager.
Section 3 of EO 20-91 includes the header “Essential Activities” and says, “For purposes of this order and the conduct it limits, ‘essential activities’ means and encompasses the following:
Attending religious services conducted in churches, synagogues and houses of worship;
Participating in recreational activities – consistent with social distancing guidelines – such as walking, biking, hiking, fishing, hunting, running or swimming:
Taking care of pets;
Caring for or otherwise assisting a loved one or friend.”
EO 20-91 says, “A social gathering in a public space is not an essential activity. Local jurisdictions shall ensure that groups of people greater than 10 are not permitted to congregate in any public space.”
It also says, “Other essential activities may be added to this list.”
Bradenton Beach compliance
On Thursday afternoon, Chappie and Cosby discussed Bradenton Beach’s plans to comply with EO 20-91.
“Bradenton Beach is showing a united front with Manatee County, with one set of rules for all. Bradenton Beach is using the Miami-Dade County guidelines set forth in the governor’s order,” Chappie said.
Mayor John Chappie also plays a key role in Bradenton Beach’s emergency management operations. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“According to our discussion yesterday, we are using the Miami-Dade County order. It’s a lot clearer than the federal list,” Cosby said.
Cosby was referring to the discussions that took place at Wednesday’s emergency management policy meeting. City and county officials now engage in these policy meetings regularly, sometimes daily, via conference call.
What’s in a name?
Chappie and Cosby were asked if they considered Executive Order 20-91 to be a lockdown order, as some media reports have reported.
“No, not even close,” Cosby said.
“No,” Chappie added.
They also said they didn’t consider EO 20-91 to be a stay-at-home order.
When asked how they refer to the order, Cosby and Chappie both said, “Governor’s Executive Order 20-91.”
Non-essential and essential businesses
According to the Miami-Dade County order, businesses that must close include arts and craft supply stores: barbers, beauty salons and nail studios; bookstores; casinos; clothing boutiques; indoor amusement parks, driving ranges; jewelry stores; malls; music supply stores; pawn shops; social clubs, tennis clubs and golf courses; fishing charters; souvenir stores; spas; sporting goods stores; tutoring centers; music classes; toy stores and children’s stores.
“All medical facilities, doctors’ offices, and airlines will remain open,” the Miami-Dade order says.
Businesses that can remain open according to the Miami-Dade County order include architectural, engineering and landscape services; assisted living facilities, nursing homes, adult day care centers and senior residential facilities; banks; businesses that interact with customers solely through electronic or telephonic means; business operating at any airport, seaport or other government facility; childcare facilities limited to a maximum of 10 children and teachers in any one group; construction sites currently in operation, regardless of building type; convenience stores; factories, manufacturing facilities, bottling plants and other industrial sites; food cultivation, including farming, livestock and fishing; gas stations; grocery stores; hardware stores; home-based care for seniors, adults or children; landscaping and pool services; laundromats; logistics providers; mail and shipping services; natural and propane gas providers; newspapers, TV, radio and media services; pet supply stores; pharmacies; professional services, such as legal and accounting services; restaurant kitchens – for pick-up and delivery only; services providing food, shelter, social services and other necessities for the economically disadvantaged; taxis and private transportation providers; telecommunications providers and waste management service, including collection and disposal.
“Today and tomorrow, I’ll be going around to the businesses that don’t meet the criteria and letting them know that they don’t meet the criteria. In Bradenton Beach, most of those businesses have already closed,” Cosby said.
“The businesses that are not compliant will be given a verbal warning. They’ll be educated that they are not an essential business, and if need be will be provided with a copy of the governor’s order. The second offense will be a summons to appear, which will include a citation. The third offense will be a physical arrest, and so would any violation after three offenses,” Cosby said.
Beach closures?
Chappie and Cosby were asked if EO 20-91 impacts the public beaches in Bradenton Beach that were ‘closed’ by the county’s emergency order on March 20. The county order resulted in the public parking lots at Coquina Beach, Cortez Beach and Manatee Beach being closed, but the Island’s law enforcement officials still allow groups of 10 or less on the beach – and those groups must maintain a six-foot distance from others.
“The county order stands as it is,” Chappie said. “We’re having good compliance with the order. Our police department is continually monitoring the situation out on the beaches. We really have had no problems whatsoever,” Chappie said.
Construction sites
“Our building department has some protocols they’re following too with regards to building permits, inspections and things like that – and that will be posted online at the city website,” Chappie said.
“Anything that has to do with construction is still considered essential. They have to have less than 10 people on-site and they have to maintain the six-foot distance,” Cosby said.
Vacation rentals
Cosby believes DeSantis will extend EO 20-87 – the order he issued on March 27 that prohibits new vacation rental guests from checking in until the order expires after 14 days.
“With the governor enacting this order (20-91) and extended this order to the end of the month, I’m feeling pretty confident he’s going to extend that order (20-87) also. One without the other doesn’t make a lot of sense,” Cosby said.
Cosby said businesses that rent golf carts, scooters, bicycles and other mobility devices are not considered essential.
“There’s nothing there that allows that,” he said.
Regarding incoming flights that bring more people to the Island, Cosby said, “The airlines are not doing flights from certain areas. We heard from the airport today. For March traffic, they were at 5%.”
Cosby said the Bridge Street Pier remains open, but social distancing requirements must be followed.
Anna Maria’s response
On Thursday, Anna Maria City Attorney Becky Vose provided her responses to questions also posed to Chappie and Cosby.
As to whether she considers EO 20-91 a lockdown order, a stay at home order or a safer at home order, Vose said, “I am not aware of any legal definition of any of those terms. The order does what it says it does – nothing more, nothing less. We are referring to the order as EO 20-91.”
The city of Anna Maria also has a plan to comply with Executive Order 20-91. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Vose said the order’s impact on the city of Anna Maria’s beaches was “to be determined.”
Regarding essential and non-essential businesses and services, Vose said, “Although not crystal clear, E.O. 20-91 provides guidance as to which businesses are non-essential. Enforcement is to be determined.”
Vose said the city of Anna Maria would use the Department of Homeland Security’s guidance and the Miami-Dade County order to determine essential and non-essential businesses and services.
Vose shared Cosby’s belief that DeSantis would likely extend the vacation rental check-in prohibitions contained in EO 20-87 to coincide with the April 30 expiration date of E.O. 20-91.
MANATEE COUNTY – In reaction and response to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, Manatee County’s public beaches will be closed as of Friday, March 20 at 6 a.m.
Manatee County Public Safety Director Jacob Saur made this announcement with Sarasota County officials on Thursday afternoon at a 3 p.m. press conference at the Sarasota County Emergency Operations Center.
Sarasota County’s public beaches will close at 6 a.m. on Saturday morning, March 21.
Manatee County issued a beach closure-related press release at 3 p.m. Thursday.
Regarding the public beaches in Manatee County, the press release said, “Parking lots will be closed and signs placed to alert drivers, and we expect that most people will heed that advice.”
The Coquina Beach parking lot in Bradenton Beach will be closed as of Friday morning. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The parking lots referred to are at the three county beaches on Anna Maria Island – Coquina Beach and Cortez Beach in Bradenton Beach and Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach.
What it means
On Thursday afternoon, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer issued a press release regarding the county’s announcement.
“The Holmes Beach Police Department and Code Compliance Department are enforcing this policy by eliminating public parking. We will continue to proactively patrol the beach to be sure our residents and guests are following the guidance of social distancing. The gates at the public beach located at 4000 Gulf Drive will be locked. Many additional parking areas will be changed to no parking zones. This reduces Holmes Beach’s right of way parking by 70 to 80%. The enforcement guidelines will change based on the daily observations,” Tokajer said in his press release.
When contacted, Tokajer also said the Island’s vacation rental companies are being updated on the closures and any developments that occur.
Folks enjoyed the last few hours of normal beach operations at Manatee Beach Thursday afternoon. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Lt. John Cosby from the Bradenton Beach Police Department said, “Resort guests, those who live on the Island and those who can find a legal public parking space outside of those areas that are closed will still have access to the beach at this time. We still want you to keep the six-foot distance and no groups larger than 10.”
Cosby said the city of Bradenton Beach currently has no plans to close the public beach access points, some of which are located at city street ends and provide limited or no public parking.
On Thursday afternoon, beachgoers enjoyed the final hours of Coquina Beach being open. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
A one-sentence message posted at the city of Anna Maria website Thursday says, “All beaches in the city of Anna Maria will be closed effective 6 a.m. Friday 3/20/20 until further notice.”
Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy was not available for comment after the announcement was made Thursday afternoon.
County statements
In Thursday’s press release, County Administrator Cheri Coryea said, “Each day as our local situation has changed and new advisories have been sent, Manatee County residents have heeded warnings and taken official advice seriously. We’re hoping for more of the same with our beach announcement.”
The press release notes Manatee County lifeguards will remain on duty from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily to ensure the safety of those who disregard the closure. A double red flag, indicating no swimming, will fly from lifeguard stands.
“Manatee County Code Enforcement Officers will assist the Island communities enforcing the beach closure. The Anna Maria Island Trolley will continue to operate,” the press release says.
While the Coquina Beach Cafe will be closing, for now, the Anna Maria Island Beach Cafe at Manatee Beach will remain open.
The concession at Manatee Beach will remain open during the beach closures. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Coryea said the decision was made to close beaches with careful input from the mayors on Anna Maria Island, and after speaking with Sarasota County officials in order to continue the close coordination of the two counties during the coronavirus outbreak.
“This is not a step we take lightly to close our beaches, but together with the advice of the public health officials we believe it is a step that’s in the public’s best interest,” Coryea said in the press release.
“Our primary concern is the health and safety of our residents and visitors and the people they return home to. The leadership of the Island cities of Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach, Anna Maria and the Town of Longboat Key collectively brainstormed this decision and will have the authority to manage the impacts in their community,” Coryea said in the press release.
Coryea, Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells, Manatee County Department of Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Bencie and Saur will provide more details on the local COVID-19 response during a press conference Friday afternoon at 2 p.m.
