BRADENTON BEACH – In the aftermath of large holiday crowds on the Island and at the request of Police Chief John Cosby the city commission approved a declaration of a local state of emergency for July 4-6.
“It’s not that there’s anything wrong, but we’re trying to be proactive,” Cosby said. “I need to be able to put people on call and pay out some extra overtime and there are some requirements in our emergency ordinance so I would like to activate that.”
According to the city’s emergency ordinance, the commission may approve “Performance of public work and taking whatever prudent action is necessary to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the community.”
Cosby noted that on Memorial Day a lot of people were trying to get to the Island and were disregarding “no parking” signs.
“We’re ticketing and they’re laughing at our $75 ticket so that’s something we are going to discuss at the budget meeting,” he said.
The declaration states, “As Mayor of the City of Bradenton Beach, pursuant to the authority vested in the office of the mayor by virtue of Article II, Section 3, of the charter of the city of Bradenton Beach in order to ensure compliance with emergency preparedness declare a state of local emergency that will continue for three days… This local state of emergency includes all of the city of Bradenton Beach.”
“I appreciate everything you do and I know these holidays are extremely rough on your guys,” Mayor John Chappie said. If there’s anything we can do to help you and your police officers we will do that.”
ANNA MARIA – Sunday morning, Mayor Dan Murphy renewed for seven additional days two previously issued hurricane-related emergency orders.
Monday morning, he discontinued the nightly curfew and the re-entry checkpoint at the entrance to the city. The Holmes Beach nightly re-entry checkpoint remains in place on Manatee Avenue.
Emergency orders
Dated Oct. 13, Emergency Order 1 extends the city’s declaration of a state of local emergency due to the effects of Hurricane Milton. Emergency Order 3 extends the city’s declaration of a state of local emergency due to the effects of Hurricane Helene. The emergency declarations allow the mayor to take certain emergency measures, such as enacting and lifting curfews and re-entry checkpoints. The emergency declarations also allow Murphy to make recovery-related emergency expenditures without city commission authorization.
The city of Anna Maria continues to operate under a local state of emergency. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Murphy usually calls an emergency city commission meeting and seeks commission authorization before issuing or extending emergency orders, but due to the circumstances and conditions created by back-to-back hurricanes, he extended the emergency orders without an emergency meeting.
On Saturday, Murphy informed each Anna Maria commissioner of his intentions via email: “I just wanted to let you know that tomorrow afternoon we will renew the two emergency orders. As you recall, the emergency orders allow us to get funding from the state and federal government. I would like to have had a public meeting to discuss this and take a vote, but I cannot. As it stands now, the general public wouldn’t be able to attend the meeting because they can’t get into the city. Only residents and business owners are allowed in. So, I wanted to let you know I’m going to sign off on it, and if you have any concerns or questions call me.”
Curfew & checkpoint
On Saturday, Anna Maria residents, business owners and property owners were allowed to return to the city after passing through law enforcement checkpoints at the entrance to Holmes Beach on Manatee Avenue and at the entrance to Anna Maria, with a city-wide curfew in effect from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Monday morning, Murphy discontinued the checkpoint and curfew. The following message was posted on the city of Anna Maria’s Facebook page: “Since the beginning of the storm, the city of Anna Maria has had an average of 6 to 8 deputies patrolling our streets. We have now taken down the checkpoint to the entrance of our city and the curfew has also been lifted. Residents and workers are free to move about the city, please exercise caution in doing so. A checkpoint remains at the entrance to the Island.”
The Holmes Beach re-entry checkpoint remains in place on Manatee Avenue during curfew hours. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
As of Monday, the Holmes Beach checkpoint on Manatee Avenue continues to operate from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily. According to Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer, Holmes Beach and Anna Maria residents will be the only people allowed to pass through the Manatee Avenue checkpoint between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. Business owners, contractors, vacation rental owners and managers, and rental guests will not be allowed through the nightly Holmes Beach checkpoint.
Short-term vacation rental lodging remains suspended in Holmes Beach due to a previously adopted 45-day vacation rental moratorium. Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach remain open to vacation rental guests and normal vacation rental business operations.
Debris removal
Monday morning, the following debris removal message was posted on the city of Anna Maria’s Facebook page: “The majority of household debris has been picked up and removed from the right-of-way in the city of Anna Maria. Landscaping debris remains and should be placed in the right-of-way for pickup. Any remaining household debris needs to be placed in the city right-of-way ASAP – not on private property – if you wish to have this removed by the city. Pickups will continue through the next several days. Please remember to separate all household debris from landscaping debris in two separate piles in the city right-of-way.”
Hurricane Helene debris sat partially submerged along a flooded street in Anna Maria the day after Hurricane Milton struck. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Commission meeting
The next regular Anna Maria City Commission meeting will take place on Thursday, Oct. 24, at 1 p.m. During that meeting, Murphy and General Manager Dean Jones will provide a status update on the hurricane damage and the ongoing recovery efforts.
The city commission will also engage in regular city business that includes the second and final reading of a city ordinance that will provide a $25,000 additional property tax-related homestead exemption for low-income homeowners who are 65 and older who meet the state’s income limit threshold which is currently $31,100.
The city commission will also be presented with the first reading of an ordinance prohibiting overnight camping and sleeping and the first reading of an ordinance pertaining to the city’s special event permitting process.
BRADENTON BEACH – In advance of Tropical Storm Idalia, which is forecast to potentially make landfall as a major hurricane on Florida’s west coast, city commissioners voted unanimously on Aug. 28 to declare a local state of emergency.
The state of emergency will remain in place until Tuesday, Sept. 5 and will be extended if needed.
“What we’re expecting now is a storm surge of 4-7 feet,” Bradenton Beach Police Chief John Cosby said. “Tuesday night around 1 a.m. is high tide. We’re going to have some water. That’s going to be our biggest issue. Winds anywhere from 35 (miles per hour) gusting to 73.”
At 2 p.m. Monday, a mandatory evacuation order was in place for Level A residents and all Manatee Couty residents in mobile home parks. The county also issued a voluntary Level B evacuation.
“The reason we’re issuing the evacuation order so soon is sometimes it takes people a while to get out,” Cosby said. “You don’t have to go at that time. You’re probably going to be pretty comfortable staying here through tomorrow (Tuesday). But tomorrow night is when you really need to start thinking about it.”
Cosby suggested people closely monitor the weather forecast.
“The concern is if it shifts to the right, we’re going to have a problem,” he said. “The best situation for us is it moves a little more to the left. The further away the better.”
He said city businesses, along with city hall, will be closed Aug. 29-30. Manatee County government offices closed at noon on Monday.
“There are three shelters open – Miller, Freedom and Mills,” Cosby said.
Virgil Mills Elementary School is located at 7200 69th St. E., Palmetto; Jesse P. Miller Elementary School is located at 6014 Third St. W., Bradenton and Freedom Elementary School is located at 9515 FL-64, Bradenton.
City officials said public works staff is preparing for the storm by checking storm drains and code enforcement is clearing the beaches. Construction sites in the city also will be shut down.
Cosby said there would be extra police staff on duty.
Residents who do evacuate Anna Maria Island will need to show a driver’s license as proof of residency upon return, Cosby said.
UPDATED JULY 4, 2021 at 2:32 p.m. – ANNA MARIA – Due to the approach of what was then Hurricane Elsa, the Anna Maria City Commission declared a preemptive local state of emergency Friday afternoon.
As of 5 a.m. Saturday morning, the National Hurricane Center had predicted hurricane-force winds could arrive in the Tampa Bay area at some point Monday, however, the storm has since been downgraded to a tropical storm.
Manatee County declared a state of emergency Sunday afternoon.
“It’s important for the public to monitor the storm and prepare for a possible tropical storm impacting our area,” said Public Safety Director Jacob Saur. “This will largely be a rain event but as the ground is already saturated, trees can easily topple from the winds produced by tropical storms in our area.”
Although county offices are closed in observance of Independence Day, Manatee County’s 311 call center will be open Monday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. to field calls from the public about sandbag locations or storm preparedness questions.
Anna Maria’s declaration of emergency was enacted with emergency resolution R 21-771, a resolution that provides Mayor Dan Murphy with additional storm-related powers for the next seven days. In effect now, the resolution allows the mayor to enact curfews, suspend alcohol sales, close roads, close certain areas of the city and spend up to $10,000 without additional city commission authorization while responding to the storm and any storm-related public safety and/or cleanup efforts.
During Friday afternoon’s emergency commission meeting, Murphy told the attending commission members that he would first consult with each commissioner by phone before making any final decisions regarding the city’s storm preparations and response efforts.
During the meeting, Murphy noted the city experienced power outages and downed power lines during Hurricane Irma in 2017, which resulted in the entrance to the city being temporarily manned and controlled by Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies. Murphy said those efforts were complicated when the cities of Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach allowed residents and visitors back on the Island before the city of Anna Maria was prepared to do so.
Murphy said he will be meeting with the Public Works and Code Enforcement departments on Sunday to further evaluate the approaching storm. Murphy and Public Works Manager Dean Jones said Public Works personnel will be on duty Monday despite Monday being a federal holiday and a day off for city employees. Jones said the city is aptly prepared for a storm of this scale and has the chainsaws, tools, fuel and other equipment needed to clear the roads of fallen trees and storm debris if need be.
Sgt. Brett Getman said the Anna Maria Unit of the Sheriff’s Office will also be monitoring the approaching storm.
“We’ll be prepared,” Getman said.
Murphy said the city already has a debris removal company, Jet Hauling, under contract and ready to roll if needed. The city has a new generator on order for city hall but it has not yet arrived.
Murphy said any evacuation orders would be issued by the county. Murphy said he’s in contact with county officials but the city is leading its own storm preparation and response efforts.
“This is our city. We need to make it safe. We need to make decisions for our city. That is the purpose of this resolution,” Murphy said.
Free sandbags are available at the northwest end of Bayfront Park, near the North Bay Boulevard/North Shore Drive intersection. Those seeking sandbags need to bring their own shovels and it’s a good idea to bring another person to hold the sandbags while they are being filled.
Free sandbags are available at Bayfront Park in Anna Maria. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Murphy said Friday’s emergency declaration has no impact on the AMI Privateer’s parade taking place this morning. The parade will begin in Bradenton Beach, pass through Holmes Beach and end at City Pier Park in Anna Maria.
