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Tag: Manatee County

COVID-19 cases reach all-time high

Written by Sun staff on . Posted in Community News, Health.

New COVID-19 cases in both Florida and Manatee County surpassed previous record highs last week, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Reduce your risk

  • Get a COVID-19 vaccine
  • Wear a mask
  • Wash your hands
  • Clean and disinfect surfaces and
  • Avoid the Three Cs:
    • Closed Spaces. Avoid closed spaces with poor ventilation that could allow contagious droplets to linger in the air.
    • Crowded Places. Avoid crowded places with many people nearby; the greater the number of individuals in an area, the greater the chances of COVID-19 spreading from person-to-person.
    • Close-Contact Settings. Avoid close-range conversations and stay at least 6 feet from others.

Individuals over the age of 65 and those with underlying conditions are at higher risk of severe complications from COVID-19 and should avoid crowds and minimize contact outside the home.

Testing and vaccination sites

Free COVID-19 testing (both PCR and rapid testing) and vaccinations (Moderna) are available weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Palmetto Bus Station, 1802 Eighth Ave. W. in Palmetto from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. weekdays. No appointment is necessary.

Free testing is also available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, 1 Haben Blvd., Palmetto. Rapid testing will be provided. PCR testing will be provided only to symptomatic patients who test negative on the rapid test.

Visitors are asked to bring proof of Florida residency such as a driver’s license or utility bill with a Florida address. For more information, call 941-242-6646.

Vaccinations are also available at CVS, Publix, Walgreens, Walmart and Winn-Dixie stores.

Source: Florida Department of Health, CDC

County administrator addresses third COVID-19 staff fatality

County administrator addresses third COVID-19 staff fatality

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Health, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – A third county employee has died of COVID-19 related symptoms and 41 county employees have tested positive for COVID-19 since early May, according to County Administrator Scott Hopes.

None of the three workers who died were vaccinated, according to the county.

“We’ve had a total of 41 positive cases” from May 3 to July 30, Hopes said during a press conference he held Friday afternoon outside the county administration building in downtown Bradenton.

“We’ve had a total of 105 exposures we’ve identified through contact tracing and we’ve had three deaths. Five of our positive cases in the past couple of weeks have been in fully vaccinated individuals,” Hopes said.

According to the COVID-19 summary report Hopes referenced, three positive cases involved fully vaccinated individuals and two involved partially vaccinated individuals.

Hopes said those 41 cases included involved 16 members of the Utilities Department and five in the Information Technology (IT) Department – including two previously reported IT Department fatalities.

“The largest spread was in utilities. That’s where one of the deaths occurred last week. It was an individual that had been identified by contact tracing. The individual was home on quarantine and became ill rapidly. His spouse is also a utilities worker and found the employee deceased. Subsequently, the spouse has become ill with COVID. They were not vaccinated,” Hopes said, without providing the name of the deceased employee.

“The Utilities Department was one of those areas with a lot of vaccine hesitancy. In addition to that, there was a lot of resistance to wearing masks. That’s why you have so many cases,” Hopes said.

According to Hopes, a planning meeting prior to the arrival of Tropical Storm Elsa that included Utilities Department members and representatives from Waste Management and Waste Pro also contributed to an outbreak.

Regarding the IT Department deaths in June, Hopes said, “We finally got the gene sequencing back from the health department, and it was the Alpha variant. Two relatively healthy individuals without comorbidities passed away in that four-day period. That was the Alpha variant and what we’re dealing with today is far, far worse.”

Cases peaking again

“We are seeing case volumes at the levels of the peak last year. The Delta variant is the most prevalent variant. The Delta variant is causing breakthrough infections in individuals that have been vaccinated. We know that there’s a limit to the time with which you’re going to have coverage, and we’re just beginning to realize that we may need to use a booster to give people continuous protection.

Hopes does not anticipate the county requiring its employees to be vaccinated.

“We’re a community of choice. In these departments that have had a large number of cases – and especially when they have a death – we’re seeing an increased desire to get vaccinated. The vaccine works. It worked in the beginning. It still works,” Hopes said.

“This pandemic is not behind us. It is still here. We are in our new normal. This virus has proven to have staying power. We are a thriving community. Our economy is thriving. We cannot let a disease stop that economic growth. It’s here, and quite frankly we know how to minimize the risk of contracting this virus,” Hopes said.

“The county has made available the appropriate masks. That is the known way to mitigate the spread of the virus. We have changed our protocols. We identified why we’re having spread in various departments. We have mitigated that and we have developed new quarantine guidelines in collaboration with the Manatee County Department of Health,” Hopes said.

“But people have to take personal responsibility. Vaccinations work. If you don’t want to be vaccinated, reduce your risk by staying away from people that you know may not be vaccinated. If you’re sick, don’t come to work and don’t come to school. I do believe in the freedom of decision and choice, but I also believe in public health we all have a personal responsibility for ourselves as well as our neighbors,” Hopes said.

Still in the midst of a 10-day potential incubation period for his own exposure to a COVID-positive employee, Hopes said he’s been wearing a face mask when interacting with others inside the county administration building. He also said he’s fully vaccinated.

Latest CDC numbers

According to the CDC website, 21,683 new positive COVID-19 cases were reported in Florida on July 30.

As of Sunday, more than 39,000 Floridians had died of symptoms associated with COVID-19, with 409 deaths reported statewide during the previous seven-day period.

According to the CDC website as of Sunday, 1,547 new COVID-19 cases and fewer than 10 COVID-19 associated deaths were reported in Manatee County during the past seven days. During that seven-day period, positive cases in Manatee County increased by 56%, the percent positive of all those tested increased to 19.86% and there were 98 COVID-19 related hospitalizations.

According to the CDC website, 187,359 Manatee County residents (46.4%) were fully vaccinated as of July 31.

Castles in the Sand

Are we starting to see a normal market?

Written by Louise Bolger on . Posted in Business, Castles in the Sand, Real estate | Development.

I’m starting to read in national publications that the real estate market is beginning to return to normal with more new listings hitting the market, especially in what is considered the luxury market. Well, if that’s true, no one told the homeowners and homebuyers in Manatee and Sarasota counties.

But could this be a predictor of the future?

According to Realtor.com, nationally new active listings for June were 43% less than June of last year – an improvement from May of this year, when the difference was 60% from May of last year. Those numbers do show a trend in more active listings nationwide. According to Realtor.com, this change is reflected in the new listing prices going down as well in June.

In addition, Realtor.com is reporting that the number of new listings over $1 million jumped 17.5% for the week ended June 19 compared to the same week last year. By comparison, new listings priced under $350,000 were down 7.4% for the same week. Obviously, lower-end homeowners never have the same flexibility that higher-end homeowners do, especially since many of the higher-end properties are second homes.

Real estate analysts are taking the position that more houses are coming on the market particularly for high-end properties. Owners who decided not to list during the worst of the pandemic when it wasn’t practical to list their homes are now ready to move on. Also, even those homeowners who were not thinking about selling are now rethinking their decision when they see the sale prices zooming up. That said, it is still a hot market with very low interest rates for mortgages. However, per the National Association of Realtors, it is no longer a frenzy where the sky’s the limit.

So, do homeowners in Manatee County believe any of this? It sure doesn’t appear that they do. April, May, and June’s new listings are stable at 797, 787 and 784, respectively. Pending numbers are also very close with April at 1,167, May at 1,180 and June at 1,080. And, there is certainly no negative effect on the median selling price at $405,000 for April, $400,000 for May and $405,305 for June.

That said, the last three month’s new listings, pending listings and median single-family sale price appear to be leveling off. Is it buyer fatigue or are we about to see some changes? Florida has seen a large influx of new residents that started before the pandemic but has accelerated since. We are now the third-largest state in population in the country and have attracted many northeastern homeowners and businesses, alike. So, will Florida follow the national trend?

Maybe. A more normal market would be beneficial for everyone. I just don’t think we’re there yet, regardless of what may be happening in other parts of the country. Florida steps to its own drummer and has always surprised the high-end market in what is considered the more sophisticated areas of the country. But those days may be over.

You don’t need to be a prophet to know that you can’t time the stock market and you can’t time the real estate market. If it’s the right time for you to sell for reasons beyond maximizing your profit, then you must do it. If it’s the right time for you to buy, you need to find the best possible property for your family and try and make it work financially. Thankfully, none of us are Nostradamus. Where’s the fun in being him, anyway?

COVID-19 on the rise in Manatee County

Written by Sun staff on . Posted in Archives, Featured.

Concerns about COVID-19 are on the rise, as downward trends in the disease have begun taking an upturn. The Delta variant, a more contagious and severe form of COVID-19, appears largely to blame. The most recent statistics for Manatee County from July 9-15 show an upward trend, and officials advise taking precautions.

New COVID-19 cases                                    657

Percentage change from previous week          up 85%

New hospital admissions                               up 400%

Total cases                                                  40,602

Average daily new cases                               66

Case positivity                                             15.7%, up from 12.6% the previous week

Deaths                                                        689

Level of community transmission                   High

To reduce your risk:

  • Get a COVID-19 vaccine
  • Wear a mask
  • Wash your hands
  • Avoid crowds; social distance
  • Clean and disinfect surfaces

The Florida Department of Health in Manatee County and the Florida Division of Emergency Management have a one-stop shop for COVID-19 testing and vaccination at the Palmetto Bus Station, 1802 Eighth Ave. W. in Palmetto. The site operates 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. weekdays. Testing (including both PCR and rapid testing) and vaccinations (Moderna) are free of charge. This is a walk-up operation; no appointment is necessary. Visitors are asked to bring proof of Florida residency (driver’s license, utility bill with Florida address, etc.). For more information, call 941-242-6646.

Source: Centers for Disease Control, Florida Department of Health, Mayo Clinic

Castles in the Sand

Once-in-a-generation housing shortage

Written by Louise Bolger on . Posted in Business, Castles in the Sand.

If you thought the national housing market was complicated, you might want to sit down, because there’s more to this story.

On June 16, The National Association of Realtors (NAR) published a disturbing report about the deficit of available housing. That report was researched and authored by the Rosen Consulting Group and indicates an under-building gap of 5.5 to 6.8 million housing units since 2001, spanning everything from single-family homes to rental units. This is considered a once-in-a-generation crisis, but the question is, how did this happen?

The report says that from 2010 to 2020, new home construction fell 6.8 million short of what was needed to replace aging units. Limited supply has been a driver of rising housing prices for both renters and buyers, complicated by an increase in demand during the COVID-19 crisis. New home construction surged in the early 2000s, then building activity slowed during the 2007-09 recession after the financial crisis. The industry never got back up and running to its previous level before the pandemic hit.

The supply shortage became worse during the past year as builders slowed construction in some regions and delayed purchasing land because of the pandemic. All of that, combined with low mortgage interest rates and remote work, has led to unanticipated demand for single-family homes. At this point, the consensus is that it would take a decade to close a gap of 5.5 million units.

The NAR report goes on to say that the lack of new construction and under-investment has led to an acute shortage of available housing that is a detriment to the health of the public and the economy. They say the gap is so enormous that it will require a major national commitment to build more housing of all types and they are attempting to persuade lawmakers to include housing investment in any infrastructure package enacted. This could include removing barriers to new construction and creating incentives for builders and investors to pursue new housing development.

The NAR’s chief economist, Lawrence Yun, says there is a strong desire for homeownership across this country. However, the lack of supply is preventing too many buyers from moving forward, thus requiring dramatic action to close the gap.

May’s Manatee County sales statistics are out as reported by the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee, so let’s take a look.

Manatee County single-family homes closed 66.1% higher than last year and cash sales were up 168.9%. The median sale price was $400,000, up 23.1%, which is almost the same as the national increase of 23.6%. The average sale price was $567,549, up 38.8%, the median time to contract was six days, active inventory was down 71.7% and the month’s supply of properties was .06 months.

Condo sales were up 112.7% more than last year and cash sales were up 250%. The median sales price was $243,595, up 5.9%, and the average sale price was $312,244, up 19.4%. The median time to contract was nine days, active inventory was down 78.5% and the month’s supply of properties was .06 months.

Regardless of these surging numbers, the president of the Realtor Association, Alex Krumm, points out that Florida real estate remains on par or less expensive than the markets from which people are moving. This is keeping our market very desirable and active with little change in sight.

A once-in-a-generation crisis sounds extreme and we in Florida may not feel it to the same degree as people in other regions of the country. But for many, it is a disruption of a life-long goal and for others, it is a more serious crisis.

Tensions mount in city-county parking debate

Tensions mount in city-county parking debate

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

MANATEE COUNTY – The battle between some Manatee County commissioners and city leadership in Holmes Beach continues to rage on after hopes of a cease-fire were diminished earlier in the week.

At the forefront of the disagreement are Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge and Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth, with backup from Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer. Van Ostenbridge has County Administrator Scott Hopes in his corner for reinforcement.

At the crux of the issues between the county and city are struggles over providing public parking on residential streets near beach access points. Van Ostenbridge is continuing his crusade to force the city’s leaders to open residential roads for beachgoer parking. Titsworth isn’t backing down from her commitment to balancing the needs of residents with the needs of visitors to the Island community.

Monday meeting

The two sides met on June 7 at Holmes Beach City Hall for a sit-down discussion about parking. During the meeting, both sides aired some of their grievances and agreed to work to find solutions.

Titsworth said she’s concerned about the lack of communication between the county and city and some of the inaccurate information being shared as fact at county commission meetings and with the media concerning parking in Holmes Beach.

The city has 1,261 non-permit public parking spaces, including some on residential streets and at beach ends in residential neighborhoods. There also are 642 permit-only spots open to residents of the Island city until 5 p.m. daily. All of these parking spaces are located a quarter-mile or less from the beach. When Holmes Beach leaders created the permit-only spaces on residential streets following COVID-19 closures in 2020, it was the implementation of a city plan that had been in the works for several years. It also eliminated 497 parking spaces citywide. The city needs 476 public parking spaces to qualify for beach renourishment funds.

Titsworth said the parking changes were implemented to help residents who were having a difficult time with beachgoers parking on residential streets. Some of the issues include noise, trespassing, trash and people using residential properties as restrooms and using outdoor hoses for showers, noting that no facilities are available outside of Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach. She said it also creates a safety problem as there are no lifeguards present outside of the public beach boundaries.

Sticking to her guns, Titsworth said the city would provide no additional public parking and that it’s up to the county to do so. She added that she’s provided Hopes with the name of a commercial property owner seeking to sell the former Bank of America location on Manatee Avenue, with the suggestion that the county could purchase the property and use it for beach parking. Currently, the city’s codes have no provision for a parking garage to be built.

Van Ostenbridge responded that if additional lifeguards are needed outside of the public beach, it would be up to the city to provide them.

To combat parking issues, he said he would contact Holmes Beach churches to see if they would be willing to provide public parking on their properties. It would require a change in city codes and two public hearings to allow for public parking at local churches for non-church functions.

During a June 8 city commission meeting, Father Matthew Grunfeld, of the Episcopal Church of the Annunciation, said his congregation has no interest in being put in the middle of the county and city fight over parking.

At Anna Maria Elementary School, Van Ostenbridge agreed the county would look into supplying a restroom trailer on the property and would contact the Florida Department of Transportation about providing flashing crosswalk signage for the crosswalk at Gulf Drive. Titsworth pointed out that vehicles stopping for pedestrians could cause vehicular traffic delays.

The county representatives also agreed to reach out to FDOT concerning the traffic patterns on stoplights leading down Manatee Avenue to the public beach. Holmes Beach Commissioner Jayne Christenson maintains that part of the problem on the Island isn’t lack of parking but an issue with the timing of the traffic light at Manatee Avenue and East Bay Drive, something the city’s been trying to work with the county and FDOT to have remedied for months.

Tuesday tangle

The stalemate between the two sides was short-lived.

During a June 8 Manatee County Commission meeting, the city of Holmes Beach was under consideration for potential tourist development funding. While one smaller project was approved by commissioners, a second larger one was not. Van Ostenbridge took a moment before voting to say that city leaders need to consider the consequences of their actions before voting against providing funding to the city.

Mayor Judy Titsworth was not at the county meeting due to a prior obligation.

During a Holmes Beach commission meeting held the same day, commissioners and the mayor all expressed their displeasure with the decision.

Commissioners Terry Schaefer and Christenson both said they’d agreed to meet with Van Ostenbridge to listen to what he has to say but that they wouldn’t be attempting to broker a deal on the city’s behalf. Christenson also said she would be meeting with Hopes and County Commissioner Carol Whitmore.

“We finally poked the bear hard enough that they’re finally listening to us,” Christenson said. Prior to being a commissioner, Christenson worked with two committees to address parking and traffic in Holmes Beach. She noted that the first presentation of the parking committee concerning residential street parking took place in 2014.

Commissioner Jim Kihm said he feels the county should be more proactive in planning for future growth rather than putting pressure on the city to make up for a lack of planning. Even if city leaders added back the lost 497 spaces, with more than 10,000 people moving to Manatee County every year and an average of 30,000 vehicles coming on to the Island every weekend day looking for parking, adding a few hundred spaces won’t solve the problem, he said.

Kihm said city and county leaders need to have more dialogue and come up with real solutions and the financing to pay for them to address parking and traffic concerns.

Related coverage

 

County commissioners refuse Holmes Beach funding request

 

Parking rift between city, county widens over Memorial Day

 

Memorial Day weekend parking sparks drama in Holmes Beach

 

Holmes Beach parking permits prove controversial

State reviewing Longboat Key’s two-county status

State reviewing Longboat Key’s two-county status

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Longboat Key.

LONGBOAT KEY – Manatee County officials have been notified that a state agency is reviewing the possibility that the Town of Longboat Key may be designated as entirely in Sarasota County or Manatee County.

The northern portion of Longboat Key is currently in Manatee County and the southern portion is in Sarasota County.

On May 27, R. Philip Twogood, coordinator for the Florida Legislature’s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), sent written notification of the review to Manatee County Commission Chair Vanessa Baugh. County Administrator Scott Hopes was also copied on the one-page letter.

“At the direction of the Legislature, the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability will examine administrative and fiscal factors related to placing the Town of Longboat Key in either Sarasota or Manatee county. We expect to begin this review immediately. To assure the least disruption to your agency, we would like to meet with you or your representative to discuss the procedures for this review. We will contact your office in the near future to establish an appropriate time and place for the meeting. Thank you for your cooperation,” Twogood’s letter states.

The current county designations result in some Longboat Key property owners paying property taxes to Manatee County and some paying taxes to Sarasota County. The county designations also determine where and how Longboat Key residents vote.

When contacted on Thursday, June 3, Longboat Key Town Manager Tom Harmer said the town was previously notified of the state review.

“We made a request to OPPAGA to review the circumstances around Longboat Key being in two counties. This was discussed with both Manatee and Sarasota counties and one of our legislative priorities was to ask OPPAGA to do an independent review of the challenges of being in two counties,” Harmer said.

State reviewing Longboat Key’s two-county status
Town Manager Tom Harmer awaits the results of the state agency’s study. – Town of Longboat Key | Submitted

“This has been a topic of discussion for a number of years – the challenges and differences with the property appraisers, the tax collectors, the supervisors of elections and the emergency management offices. There are also differences in how the two county governments are funded and what services they provide here. We’ve done our own review, but this would be an independent review,” Harmer said.

In 2018, the town commission held public hearings pertaining to the town’s two-county status. Harmer said no final conclusions were drawn from the 2018 hearings.

“We were just presenting the finding to both county commissions, so we had joint meetings with both Sarasota County and Manatee County. We looked at the differences and some of the challenges we face. One thing that did come out of those hearings was related to emergency management. Both counties agreed that we shouldn’t report to two different counties during an emergency, like a hurricane. The two sheriffs may have different curfews. The two counties may have different evacuations and reentry timings. We entered into a three-party agreement a little over a year ago that says during an active state of emergency we report through Sarasota County. This applied to the COVID pandemic too,” Harmer said.

“We’ve had discussions with Manatee County and looked for ways to partner with them financially. They agreed to partner with us on our beach renourishment project,” Harmer said.

Harmer provided The Sun with a copy of a March 2021 town presentation titled “Two Counties Challenges.” The presentation notes the total millage rate imposed on Manatee County property owners was 13.87 mills in 2020, compared to 11.7 mills for Sarasota County property owners.

“There’s been no discussion with the town commission on a preference. We’ve provided what we think is factual information to say here’s the difference in the millage rate, here’s the difference in services, here’s the difference in grant opportunities, school board funding and how working with the West Coast Inland Navigation District differs in both counties. The residents have not taken a vote and the commission has not taken a formal position on a particular county at this point,” Harmer said.

“This is really an act of the state Legislature. It’s the state Legislature that would approve it. That’s not something the town can do. Anything that we would do would be more of a non-binding straw ballot or survey. The state is the only one that can move county boundaries,” Harmer said.

Harmer was asked if the facts favor one county over the other.

“It’s a little bit of apples and oranges the way the counties are funded and how we interact with them. That’s why we want to present this to the state Legislature. We want to present the two different financial models for the counties and how it impacts us. We’re looking to the state for recommendations or options on how we address some of these concerns. Some of the concerns are about duplication, some are financial. We’re looking for the state to tell us what we can do and what we should do. Our residents may have different views, the counties may have different views, so why not go to the state and ask for a review of the circumstances and their thoughts on our options,” Harmer said.

“In their notice to us, they said they were moving forward immediately and wanted to complete the report in September. We appreciate them taking this on,” Harmer said.

According to Harmer, the current population of Longboat Key is approximately 7,200 residents.

Memorial Day weekend parking sparks drama in Holmes Beach

Parking rift between city, county widens over Memorial Day

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

HOLMES BEACH – Memorial Day weekend brought thousands of people to Anna Maria Island to celebrate the holiday weekend, exacerbating the disagreement between Manatee County commissioners and Holmes Beach city leaders over beach parking.

Prior to the start of the weekend, some Manatee County leaders wanted Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth to open more residential city streets for public beach parking. Titsworth refused, and new County Administrator Scott Hopes made a late-night deal on May 28 with the Manatee County School Board, of which he was a member at the time, to use the parking lot at Anna Maria Elementary School for public parking through Memorial Day, though overnight parking was not allowed there. He also allowed for the public to use the parking lot at the Island Branch Library for beach parking after the library closed for the weekend.

While Hopes informed county commissioners of the decision, Titsworth said that he did not provide any notice of the parking allowances to Holmes Beach leaders or police.

If the county’s leaders wish to continue providing public parking at the school and library sites, Titsworth said they’re going to have to work with the city on it.

First, she said the use of the school property for anything other than its intended use requires either a special use permit from the city or an updated site plan approval by city staff and potentially city commissioners.

A temporary special use permit is needed to provide parking one time or sporadically at the site. A site plan amendment would be needed to provide beach parking at the school on an ongoing basis.

Beach parking at the Island Branch Library poses a more difficult challenge for county officials, primarily because the property is owned by the city of Holmes Beach and leased by the county strictly for the library. Providing beach parking in the library parking lot is in violation of the county’s lease for the property, Titsworth said.

If county officials push to provide additional beach parking at the school, Titsworth said she would remove an equal number of spots from residential streets. She said she would not be adding any additional beach parking in Holmes Beach.

Holmes Beach currently has 1,261 non-permit public parking spaces and 642 residential permit-only parking spaces until 5 p.m. daily within a quarter-mile of the beach, including spaces located at beach access points. When city leaders closed off some residential streets to public parking following a COVID-19 lockdown in early 2020 of all beach parking spaces, 497 parking spaces were lost citywide.

Hopes did not return calls for comment.

Holiday weekend numbers

After the holiday weekend, Police Chief Bill Tokajer said that he counted an average of 31,222 vehicles passing into the city each day from Friday, May 28 through Monday, May 31 for a total of just under 125,000 vehicles. Despite a large number of people in the city, Tokajer said Holmes Beach police officers only wrote 169 parking tickets, and none of those were at the two parking lots authorized by Hopes. Some parking tickets were written for cars parked at AME, but those were written by Manatee County officers patrolling that area, he said.

In a May 28 email to county commissioners, Hopes said that parking at the school would be available in the designated parking lot May 29-31 from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and that the county would make sure that all litter, trash and debris was removed from the school parking lot by June 1 at 7 a.m.

While the trash was removed from the school parking lot, Tokajer said that county officials did not make any preparations for the additional trash at beach access points near the school to be collected. He added that he and other city officials heard about the beach parking at the school and library from local media outlets and that he was very disappointed that the city was not included in the conversation with the county officials who made the decision to allow the extra beach parking. In the future, Tokajer said he hopes there will be open communication between city and county leaders.

Titsworth said she felt that other than issues with trash, the impromptu parking at the school and library went well over the weekend. She said that issues with additional parking throughout the city remain, such as the need for additional trash and restroom facilities and lifeguards to be stationed further down the beach than just at Manatee Beach. Without these necessities, Titsworth said a public health and safety issue persists.

As Tokajer and his officers patrolled the parking areas over the weekend, they discovered that the majority of people using the parking areas that county commissioners intended for Manatee County residents weren’t used by residents.

At the parking lot at AME, Tokajer said on Saturday there were 47 cars parked in the lot. When officers ran the plates of those cars, it was noted that only one vehicle was from Manatee County. At the Manatee Beach parking lot, he said there were 335 vehicles parked and less than 10% of those were from Manatee County.

On Memorial Day, Tokajer said he observed a group of six vehicles in a row parked with the occupants unloading for the beach. When asked, he said the occupants of five cars said they were from Orlando and the sixth was from Ocala.

Related coverage

 

Memorial Day weekend parking sparks drama in Holmes Beach

 

Lifeguards, law enforcement prepared for busy beach holidays

 

Holmes Beach mayor declines Van Ostenbridge’s meeting request

Memorial Day weekend parking sparks drama in Holmes Beach

Memorial Day weekend parking sparks drama in Holmes Beach

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

HOLMES BEACH – The ongoing saga of beach parking in the biggest city on Anna Maria Island is hitting a fever pitch over the busy Memorial Day weekend.

In a bid to gain more parking for Manatee County residents and visitors going to the Island’s beaches, county Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge announced during a May 25 commission meeting that he would be asking Holmes Beach officials to reopen street parking that was turned into permit parking for city residents only in the wake of COVID-19 closures. The consideration for making some streets near beaches permit-only parking until 5 p.m. wasn’t a new idea, it was just made easier to implement after all parking was closed due to pandemic shutdowns.

Last week, county commissioners sent a letter to Holmes Beach officials asking them to reopen the parking spaces to everyone in the public – not just the city’s residents – for the busy Memorial Day weekend. Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth denied the request.

If all of this sounds familiar, it’s because trying to demand more parking on Holmes Beach streets for the public on the Island has been an ongoing theme since Van Ostenbridge took office in November. And each time the subject’s been broached, city leaders have denied the request, citing safety concerns for residents and overcrowding during busy times on the Island. Titsworth’s response has consistently been that Holmes Beach residents shouldn’t bear the brunt of the need for more parking on the Island and that county officials should consider alternative transportation options instead of focusing on parking.

With an average of 30,000 people coming to Holmes Beach daily during season and more than that on busy holiday weekends, according to numbers provided by Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer, finding a way to accommodate that many cars on a 7-mile island won’t be an easy task. Titsworth suggests people coming from the mainland take advantage of other transportation options, such as the beach express free bus that allows people to park their cars at 75th Street and Manatee Avenue in the Beachway Plaza and take a bus ride to the Island’s beaches.

To solve the immediate issue of Memorial Day weekend parking, County Administrator Scott Hopes received permission from the Manatee County School Board to open the lots at Anna Maria Elementary School in Holmes Beach for public parking, though no overnight parking was permitted. Hopes also arranged for public parking at the Island Branch Library in Holmes Beach after the library closed at 5 p.m. on May 29.

In an email to county commissioners, Hopes said he would personally oversee the launch of public parking at the two sites and that they would be monitored by code officers. He added that the county would be in charge of all cleaning and trash pickup from the two parking areas.

All permit parking spaces in Holmes Beach open to the public after 5 p.m. daily.

Adding to the traffic congestion at the start of the Memorial Day weekend was a Florida Department of Transportation intersection improvement project at the intersection of Manatee Avenue and Gulf Drive just in front of the entrance to Manatee Beach.

The project shut down two left-turn lanes at the intersection, one going north on Gulf Drive and another going east on Manatee Avenue from Gulf Drive. Though construction on the project stopped in the afternoon on Friday, May 28, it picks up again for milling and resurfacing overnight from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. June 1-4.

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WMFR logo

Commissioners vote to increase fire assessment rates

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

BRADENTON – Property owners in the West Manatee Fire Rescue District in western Manatee County will notice an increase in the fire assessment rate when TRIM notices go out later this year, but it won’t be a big jump in cost.

District commissioners voted 4-1 to increase assessment rates for the 2021-22 fiscal year. The increase will be 4%, slightly less than the allowable increase of 5.64%.

WMFR gets most of its income from special assessment rates paid by property owners in the district. Since the assessments are non-ad valorem, they’re not based on a property’s taxable value. Instead, they are based on the size of the building on the property or set at a flat rate if the property is vacant.

The maximum percentage that the rate can be increased each year is based on personal income growth, or PIG. Though district leaders expected the 2021 number to be much lower, it came in at 6.8% for the state of Florida according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The maximum increase considered by WMFR commissioners during their April mid-year budget workshop was 5.64%.

What this means for district taxpayers, including all property owners on Anna Maria Island, in Cortez and the west side of unincorporated Manatee County, is that what you pay annually for fire service is increasing slightly on your next property tax bill.

A 4% increase will bring the residential property base rate up $7.82 to $203.35 with an increase for properties over 1,000 square feet of $0.0046 to $0.1199 per square foot. For a 2,000-square-foot home, this brings the total rate up from $310.85 to $323.28, a difference of $12.43. The rate for a 3,000-square-foot home would increase from $426.17 to $443.22 and from $541.50 to $563.16 for a 5,000-square-foot home.

Commercial property owners will notice an increase as well, with the commercial base rate increasing from $485.94 to $505.38 and the per-square-foot rate increasing from $0.2104 to $0.2188 for buildings over 1,000 square feet. The 4% increase brings the total rate for a 2,000-square-foot commercial property to $724.23 with a 3,000-square-foot building coming in at $943.08 and the rate for a 4,000-square-foot commercial building increasing to $1,161.92.

Commissioner Al Robinson was the lone vote against raising the assessment rate for the coming year. Robinson has previously been vocal about curbing the department’s spending and lessening the burden of the fire district on property owners.

Despite the increase in assessment rates, WMFR still has one of the lowest rates in Manatee County.

Commissioner David Bishop said the decision to vote whether or not to increase assessment rates is a difficult one. He warned his fellow commissioners that in looking to the future of the district they don’t get too far ahead for the taxpayer base. He said he feels the district could quickly reach a tipping point with costs and that they want to make sure that those costs don’t tip the wrong way, ending up too high to be sustainable.

“It’s a tough vote every year,” Bishop said.

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Castles in the Sand

Crazy rich homeowners

Written by Louise Bolger on . Posted in Business, Castles in the Sand.

We’re in the “careful what you wish for” zone, not just Floridians, but every homeowner across the country. Prices are up, inventory is low and a lot of potential buyers are really unhappy; where will it end?

Home prices rose around the country during the first quarter of the year to a record level. The median sale price for existing single-family homes was higher in the first quarter compared with a year earlier for most of the metro area tracked by the National Association of Realtors. They reported that in 89% of the metro areas tracked, median prices rose by more than 10% from last year.

In addition, the National Association of Realtors reported the United States average median single-family home appreciation rate was up 16%. The following are first-quarter median single-family appreciation rates for some of the major areas around the country: Northeast up 22%; West up 18%; South up 15% and Midwest up 14%. This may be a confusing mouthful, but it boils down to no matter where you live or are trying to buy a home, you’ll pay a lot more than last year.

Realtor.com also reported the number of active listings on their website was down 52% from a year earlier at the beginning of May. The fact that mortgage rates are low, even though they did have a slight blip up, is not significant in some areas since all-cash buyers are representing a large slice of buyers. And Fannie Mae is forecasting median existing-home prices to rise 11.5% in 2021 then slow to a 4% increase in 2022, none of which is good news for buyers who are getting priced out of the market every month. Not to mention lenders who are less than enthusiastic about giving mortgages to first-time borrowers, especially if their credit ratings are less than very high 700s.

Before I go into Manatee County’s April sales statistics reported by the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee, comparing April of last year to April of this year will show remarkable changes because April 1 of last year was the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown and a pause in real estate sales. Regardless, the numbers are incredible, breaking yet another record for single-family median sales price.

April single-family closed sales were up 69.7%, cash sales were up 166.7% and the median sale price was $405,000 up 19.1% a new record. The average sales price was $578,162, up 42.2%, the median time to contract was seven days and month’s supply of available properties was 0.6 months.

April condo closed sales was up 126.8%, cash sales were up 121.7% and the median sale price was $235,000, up 10.8%. The average sale price was $303,121, up 28.9%, the median time to contract was 11 days and month’s supply of available properties was 0.7 months.

Make note of the cash sales, which keep going up every month. That number is having a significant influence on the market. First-time buyers are not only being outbid they are also being outmaneuvered by cash buyers and quick closings, frequently without an inspection contingency.

Every month, it’s hard to believe the numbers can improve as much as they do. But we are in real estate crazy land, something we all at one time wished for. Nevertheless, keep in mind that comparisons will be off for the next several months when you compare them to last year because of last year’s lockdowns. Stay safe.

State COVID-19 testing sites close

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

MANATEE COUNTY – The COVID-19 testing site that’s been a fixture in the southwest corner of the Bradenton Area Convention Center parking lot for the past several months is closed.

The order to close all state COVID-19 testing sites by May 28 came from the Florida Department of Health on May 11. Two of the first ones to close were in Manatee and Sarasota counties, both of which were set to close May 15 after testing for the day concluded.

Though the walk-up site at the convention center is no more, Manatee County residents still have options to receive free COVID-19 tests.

Local Walgreens and CVS locations are offering free COVID-19 testing with both rapid tests and more detailed diagnostic tests that take a few days to receive results.

On Anna Maria Island, both CVS and Walgreens offer the diagnostic test. For a rapid test, islanders will need to drive into town.

To book an appointment for COVID-19 testing at a Walgreens location, visit their website. You will be required to fill out a short online form and provide your insurance information. Select Walgreens locations offer drive-thru testing.

To book an appointment at a local CVS, visit their COVID-19 test information page. Patients also will have to fill out a short online form and provide insurance information to book an appointment.

For those who don’t want to visit a local pharmacist, at-home COVID-19 test kits are available for purchase. The test kits are available for about $40 and can be purchased in person or online from CVS and other retailers. Patients will have to take their own nasal sample using the provided collection tools and mail the sample to a designated laboratory for processing.

More information on at-home testing can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

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WMFR logo

WMFR board may raise 2021-22 assessment rates

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

BRADENTON – Rates may be increasing for residents and business owners in the West Manatee Fire Rescue District, but if they do increase, it will only be by 4% for the 2021-22 fiscal year.

Commissioners held their annual mid-year budget workshop on April 20 prior to the start of their monthly meeting. During the meeting, they reviewed where the district currently sits with its 2020-21 budget six months into the fiscal year and where staff sees the district going financially during the next fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.

At the mid-year point, staff reported that the district is right on target with 51.44% of expenses accounted for and 86.15% of total income collected. WMFR’s total break-even budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year includes $9,410,362 in expenses. Those expenses take into account $1.631 million in capital expenses largely attributed to the construction of WMFR’s new administration building.

The proposed 2021-22 fiscal year budget is projected to break even at $8,238,154, a difference of -$1,172,208 from the current year. That number includes a 4% assessment increase proposed by Chief Ben Rigney to help cover the costs of a new three-year employment contract currently wrapping up in negotiations between the district and the firefighters’ union.

WMFR’s assessments are non-ad valorem, meaning that the amount of the assessment is tied to the size of a structure on a lot, or a flat fee if the lot is vacant, and whether the use is residential or commercial.

A 4% increase in rates would bring the district’s projected assessment rate revenue up to $7,820,586.80, an estimated increase of $300,791.80 over the current fiscal year’s projected assessment revenue of $7,519,795. Rigney projects $365,967.67 in increased costs for the 2021-22 fiscal year but says what the district doesn’t make up for in rate increases can be achieved through lowered costs in other areas.

If commissioners vote during their May meeting to increase the district’s rates by 4%, the residential base rate will increase by $7.82 to $203.35 with a residential per square foot increase from $0.1153 to $0.1199 for every square foot of a building over 1,000 square feet. For a 2,000-square-foot home, the rate would increase from the current $310.85 to $323.28; a 3,000-square-foot home would increase from $426.17 to $443.22 and a 4,000-square-foot home would increase from $541.50 to $563.16.

With a 4% increase, the commercial base rate would go from $485.94 to $505.38, an increase of $19.41. The commercial per square foot rate would go from $0.2104 to $0.2188 for the amount of square feet over 1,000. For a 2,000-square-foot commercial space, the rate would increase to $724.23. At 3,000 square feet, the rate would be $943.08 and at 4,000 square feet, the rate would increase to $1,161.92 for a commercial building.

For residential properties, Rigney said the average increase would be $12.50 with a $28 increase for commercial properties.

WMFR’s assessment rate is noted on the TRIM notices mailed out in the fall and collected as a part of the owner’s property tax bill.

Assessment rates are allowed to be increased by the fire district each year according to the personal income growth number, or PIG, determined by the U. S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. This year’s PIG is 6.8% for the state of Florida, though the maximum increase considered and dismissed by WMFR commissioners was 5.64%.

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Bradenton Anna Maria Island Longboat Key

Tourism on the rebound as visitors lengthen their stays

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Business, Tourism.

BRADENTON – After struggling to stay afloat throughout the worst of the COVID pandemic, area businesses may be getting some relief with people once again coming through their doors.

In her monthly state of tourism update, Anne Wittine, director of quantitative research for Manatee County’s tourism consultant, Research Data Services (RDS), released data showing tourism is increasing on Anna Maria Island and surrounding tourist destinations.

“In January we saw a turnaround – we saw more out-of-state visitors than Florida visitors,” said Wittine. “A lot of this has to do with the public perception of air travel, as well as more Americans being vaccinated. These numbers would be much higher, but Canada and Europe are still locked down, so international tourism is almost nonexistent at this time. That could change as early as May or June, but there is no guarantee. Statistics are showing that the largest number of out-of-state visitors are coming from the Southeast.

“The data we are seeing implies that as we move through the summer, we are going to see longer stays,” Wittine added, concerning a comparison of February 2020 to February 2021 showing an increase in length of stay. The research suggests this will be a trend for months to come. 

“People have felt like they’ve missed out, so when they get to take that vacation, they really want to make it count,” she said.

RDS also released the March traveler sentiment study, which is done every month and gathers data from respondents who are planning to visit the area. The March study showed that 37.1% of respondents currently have a trip booked. According to Wittine, this is the highest number since they started the survey, and up from 25.2% in February. In addition, 24.4% of respondents said they were planning to travel in the next 30 days, up from 16.6% in February.

Another statistic of interest in the RDS study was how optimistic would-be travelers are about personal health, with more than 81.3% of respondents saying they are optimistic about personal health. Wittine noted there isn’t 81.3% of the public vaccinated, so it shows a general increase in optimism overall.

“In terms of feeling safe, we’ve got 50% saying they feel safe dining in a restaurant, 61% saying they feel safe shopping, 38% are OK with visiting indoor attractions, and taking a domestic flight is at 35%. All of these numbers are the highest we’ve seen since we started this,” Wittine said.