HOLMES BEACH – Steve Oelfke, Jessica Patel and Terry Schaefer were sworn in to their two-year city commission terms on Nov. 18, followed by the newly-reconfigured commission’s organizational meeting, during which Commissioner Carol Whitmore was elected as chair.
Swearing in
During the city election that concluded Nov. 4, incumbent commissioners Oelfke and Schaefer were reelected and Patel was elected for the first time. After receiving the least number of votes in the city election, longtime commissioner Carol Soustek’s time in office has ended.
From left, Commissioners Terry Schaefer, Jessica Patel and Steve Oelfke were sworn in on Nov. 18. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
City Clerk Stacey Johnston conducted the well-attended afternoon swearing-in ceremony. Johnson provided some background information and her personal appreciation for each commissioner before swearing them in and administering the oath of office.
Whitmore elected chair
The ceremony was followed by the commission’s annual organizational meeting, during which the five commissioners select someone to serve as commission chair and someone to serve as the vice chair for the next 12 months. The chair leads the commission meetings and works with the mayor and the city clerk to set the agendas for the commission meetings and work sessions.
Schaefer nominated current Commission Chair Dan Diggins to serve another one-year term in the position. Taking her first action as a new commissioner, Patel nominated Commissioner Carol Whitmore to chair the commission. Patel, Oelfke and Whitmore voted for Whitmore and Schaefer and Diggins voted for Diggins. The commission then unanimously selected Diggins to serve as vice chair.
Regular meeting
During the regular meeting, the reconfigured commission adopted on second and final reading two previously reviewed and discussed ordinances.
The city commission’s adoption of Ordinance 25-06 updates the city’s regulations for seawalls, bulkheads, docks and piers.
According to the memo that Director of Development Services Chad Minor included in the meeting packet, “The ordinance provisions provide clarity to homeowners and contractors on docks, lifts, mooring areas and structures within Outstanding Florida Waters.”
During the planning commission’s final review of the proposed ordinance on Nov. 5, Minor said during the multi-meeting ordinance review process that the city received several letters from property owners in the Seaside Gardens subdivision.
Minor said a provision requested by Seaside Garden property owners along the Watson’s Bayou shoreline now allows those docks to extend 30 feet from the seawall instead of 25 feet. The ordinance also allows shared docks for Watson’s Bayou shoreline property owners, including duplex owners who face additional space restrictions.
The adopted 18-page ordinance also addresses several other specific docking locations and includes diagrams of many of those locations.
The city commission’s adoption of Ordinance 25-13 brings the city into compliance with a recent state law that requires code-compliant plat and replat requests to be administratively reviewed and approved by city staff without being presented to the city commission.
Minor told city commissioners this was “a necessity ordinance” requested and written by City Attorney Erica Augello in response to the Legislature’s adoption of Senate Bill 784 earlier this year and the ensuing state law that took effect on July 1.
During the recent planning commission meeting, Minor said plat and replat requests are rare in Holmes Beach but the new state law could come into play if the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church property is sold and the new owners want to replat the property for future development.
Traffic signals
The commission voted 5-0 in favor of opting out of a previously reached 20-year agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) that obligates the city to maintain the state-owned traffic signals at the Manatee Avenue/Gulf Drive intersection and the Manatee Avenue/East Bay Drive intersection.
City officials no longer want the maintenance responsibilities for this Manatee Avenue/Gulf Drive traffic signal. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
According to the existing agreement, the city must give FDOT two years notice of the city’s intent to opt out of the agreement. The opt-out will take effect July 1, 2028 unless FDOT wants the opt-out to take effect sooner.
The city’s public works department will continue to maintain the traffic signal at the Gulf Drive/Marina Drive intersection.
HOLMES BEACH – Incumbent Commissioner Steve Oelfke, first-time candidate Jessica Patel and incumbent Commissioner Terry Schaefer won the three city commission seats decided in the city election that concluded with in-person voting at the Island Branch Library on Nov. 4.
Longtime incumbent Commissioner Carol Soustek was not reelected and her final term in office will soon end.
Soustek was appointed to the commission in 2014 and she was elected to serve additional two-year terms in 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023.
Voters were allowed to vote for up to three candidates and the top three vote-getters earned two-year terms in office. Oelfke, Patel and Schaefer will be sworn in by City Clerk Stacey Johnston when the commission meets on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 2 p.m.
Vote totals
According to the official election results posted at the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office website on Nov. 7, Oelfke received 753 votes (32.39%), Patel received 635 votes (27.31%), Schaefer received 499 votes (21.46%) and Soustek received 438 votes (18.84%).
Voter turnout was 42.9% and 948 ballots were cast, with 601 ballots cast in person on Election Day and 347 vote-by-mail ballots cast. According to Assistant Supervisor of Elections Sharon Stief, there are currently 2,210 registered voters in Holmes Beach and 496 voters requested vote-by-mail ballots for the city election that was the only election in Manatee County this fall.
Candidate comments
When contacted on Nov. 6, Soustek said, “I was very disappointed because I didn’t expect that result. Maybe they wanted change.”
She noted Oelfke and Patel received significantly more votes than she and Schaefer did, and to her that suggests many voters may have only voted for one or two candidates, rather than three.
Soustek said she was glad Schaefer got reelected.
When asked if she might run again in 2026, Soustek said, “No. Things have changed. I’m not sure where people are going anymore. Right now, I’m adjusting to getting fired.”
Soustek said she’ll miss helping guide the city and she’ll miss working with the city staff for whom she has great respect. She said she won’t miss “people telling lies” about what the commission and the city are doing.
Soustek said she’ll remain involved in community affairs and she’ll continue supporting the city’s efforts to purchase the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church property. She said she’d consider serving on a city advisory board or advisory committee if a seat opens up.
Oelfke first sought election in 2024 but he was not elected at that time.
When asked if he was surprised to be the leading vote-getter, Oelfke, who was appointed to the commission in February, said, “Somewhat. I knew I had a good chance because I’m seen as someone fresh who’s also an incumbent. I felt I could get a good cross section of voters. I’m thrilled and I’m encouraged. I really wanted to continue being a commissioner and not have to run three years in a row.”
Oelfke praised Patel for running a strong campaign and said, “I hate that Carol isn’t on the commission anymore but I’m excited for Jessica. When I was a planning commissioner, Carol was the city commission liaison and she provided us with a lot of good insight, feedback and support. She’ll definitely be missed.”
When asked about his to-do list, Oelfke mentioned the annual stormwater assessment fees and said, “I want to tackle the stormwater and drainage initiatives next year and make a good plan to raise the funds in a more fair manner than going strictly by the square footage of a person’s property.”
Schaefer said he was pleased and somewhat surprised by the voter turnout percentage, even though the number of registered Holmes Beach voters has dropped from approximately 3,500 to 2,200 registered voters since he was first elected in 2019.
“I’m grateful for the support and trust of our city and I’m happy to return for the next two years,” he said.
“I was certainly disappointed not to see Carol get re-elected. I personally feel she deserved it, but the voters have spoken,” he said.
Schaefer also mentioned vote totals that appeared to be impacted by some voters not casting all three of their allotted votes.
“It really skewed the numbers, but that’s the voters’ right,” he said.
“I’m glad it’s over and we can roll up our sleeves,” he said of the work that lies ahead.
When asked about her first election victory, Patel said, “I’m very excited and I’m thankful for our community.”
By a wide margin, Patel sought and received the most campaign contributions.
“I think that says people supported me and wanted to support someone they know. I also think it shows the people in the community wanted change. If I had lost, that would’ve showed me they were happy with everything as it is, but that wasn’t the case. They want change.”
Patel also offered her sympathies and appreciation for Soustek.
“I think Carol is a wonderful person for giving so much of her time and providing our community with as much as she did for as long as she did. I commend her for that and I thank her for her service to the community.”
Campaign finances
The most recent campaign treasurer reports the candidates filed covered the Oct. 18-30 reporting period, with one more report due.
As of Oct. 30, Oelfke reported $350 in campaign contributions received and he loaned his campaign an additional $300. His reported campaign expenditures totaled $423, including the $80.80 qualifying fee. He also reported $1,613 in self-funded in-kind contributions to himself for expenditures that included campaign mailers, flyers, signs and newspaper ads.
Patel received 24 campaign contributions that totaled $4,510 and ranged from a $10 contribution to a $1,000 contribution. She also loaned her campaign $150 during the first reporting period. As of Oct. 30, Patel’s reported campaign expenditures totaled $4,531 and her expenditures included the qualifying fee, signs, flyers, promotional materials and newspaper ads.
Schaefer self-funded his campaign with the $2,500 he loaned to his campaign. His reported campaign expenditures totaled $1,876 as of Oct. 30 and his two reported expenditures were the qualifying fee and $1,795 for campaign mailers. On Nov. 10, Schaefer filed his final TR-E report in which he reported the additional $1,400 he loaned his campaign and the $2,005 he spent on newspaper ads for his campaign.
Soustek self-funded her campaign with the $4,000 she loaned her campaign. Her reported campaign expenditures totaled $3,338 and included campaign mailers and newspaper ads.
“The candidates now have 90 days to disperse of their remaining funds in their campaign accounts, pay invoices, repay themselves the money they loaned themselves, etc. The final report is due on Feb. 2,” Stief said.
HOLMES BEACH – The three winners in the four-candidate Holmes Beach City Commission race will be known after in-person voting concludes on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Carol Soustek, Terry Schaefer, Steve Oelfke and Jessica Patel seek the two-year commission terms to be determined by Holmes Beach voters.
On Nov. 4, in-person voting will occur at the Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The election results will be published that evening at www.amisun.com.
According to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office, there are currently 2,210 registered voters in Holmes Beach and 473 voters requested vote-by-mail ballots for the city election.
THE CANDIDATES
Soustek, a retired corporate accountant, was appointed to the commission in 2014 and then elected to serve additional two-year terms in 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023.
Schaefer, a retired bank executive, was elected to the city commission in 2019 and re-elected in 2021 and 2023.
In February, Oelfke, a skilled nursing facility administrator, and planning commissioner at the time, was appointed to fill the commission seat vacated by long-time Commissioner Pat Morton. Oelfke seeks his first term as an elected commissioner.
Patel, a creator and executive director for a non-profit organization and a former journalist, is a first-time candidate.
CANDIDATE FORUM
On Sept. 24, The Sun hosted a 90-minute candidate forum. A partial recap of the forum appeared in the Sept. 29 issue of The Sun and at www.amisun.com and focused on the candidates’ opening remarks and their views on the city’s hurricane recovery efforts, the city budget and millage rate, stormwater and drainage expenditures and the annual stormwater fees paid by Holmes Beach property owners. That night, the candidates also shared their thoughts on several other issues, some of which are recapped below.
REZONING REQUESTS
In response to a question submitted in advance by a Sun reader, the candidates discussed rezoning requests that seek to increase the zoning density and intensity for the use of a property.
“The last rezoning question that came to us was two years ago and we rejected it, when the Lutheran church asked to redevelop two of their three parcels into residential,” Schaefer said. “Our commission has taken a stand not to allow rezoning to increase density.”
Terry Schaefer seeks re-election. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Soustek said the city’s comprehensive plan is the commission’s guiding document for rezoning requests.
“You use that as your guide and we’ve done that very well,” she said.
She noted the commission is bound by law to approve a proposed site plan that complies with city codes and regulations; and the failure do so could result in the city being sued.
“The comprehensive plan is our directive,” Oelfke said. “It can help commissioners make decisions that are going to be in the best interests of the residents.”
“One of first things I did when I decided to run was read that comprehensive plan. I agree it’s not the solution,” Patel said regarding rezoning requests.
Patel noted the comp plan also addresses affordable housing, which remains in short supply.
“When you have four grand a month to spend on a place and you can’t afford to live on this Island, it’s a problem. Maybe changing some ordinances to allow for density where families can live in those areas, that should be open for discussion,” she said.
GLORIA DEI PROPERTY
Earlier this year, the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church’s representatives rejected the city’s $3 million offer to purchase the property and church building for use as a public facility. The property is currently listed for $9.9 million based on the seller’s assumption that the property can be rezoned for residential or commercial development.
“Don’t give up on the city getting the Gloria Dei property,” Soustek said.
As for rezoning the church property, she said, “Again, you use the comprehensive plan. If they met the rules, we’ve got to give it them, but they are very stringent rules.”
Carol Soustek seeks re-election. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“There’s a significant opportunity to keep the structure and the density as it is,” Oelfke said. “I want to see that property and that structure used to benefit the residents and I think it’s worth some money to do that.”
Jessica Patel seeks election for the first time. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“We definitely should not be rezoning it,” Patel said. “We should keep it as it is. We should be looking at different ways to use that property to potentially bring in revenue for the city.”
“The position that the city took was much more realistic than the position that the church took,” Schaefer said. “We made a legitimate offer of $3 million for the property. We had four agencies in the city that wanted to rent space from us.”
SPEED TABLES
The city plans to soon install two speed tables along Key Royale Drive, between Marina Drive and the Key Royale Bridge. At the time of the forum, three speed tables were anticipated.
Soustek said she’d be OK with just one speed table but something needs to be done to discourage speeding there.
Oelfke reluctantly agreed that something must be done, but he wants the speed tables to be constructed in a manner that allows motorists to pass over them while traveling at or near the 25 mph speed limit. He’d also like to see a roundabout constructed at the Marina Drive/Key Royale Drive intersection to make it safer and easier for Key Royale traffic to access Marina Drive.
Patel said the Key Royale residents she spoke with oppose the speed tables and feel the city is taking an unnecessary action to address a small number of speeding motorists.
Schaefer said, “This all started with a request of those neighbors living on the most narrow part of Key Royale Drive. This was not a city initiative. It was the city listening to its constituents about the concerns they had.”
CITY MEETINGS
The candidates discussed what might be done to increase public attendance at the twice-monthly city commission meetings usually held on Tuesdays at 2 p.m.
Oelfke said he has the flexibility to leave work to attend afternoon meetings but many other residents do not so it might be better to hold city meetings in the evening.
“As a commissioner, I need to hear their voices,” he said, noting that meeting times don’t matter if the residents feel the commission isn’t listening to them.
Patel, who works full-time, said more people might show up for evening meetings, in part because many parents have to pick their kids up from school in the afternoon.
“When you have a four-hour meeting, that’s a real sacrifice,” she added.
Patel suggested the city make a greater effort to promote the city meetings on social media.
Regarding the forum attendance that evening, Schaefer said, “I wish we had this type of attendance at our meetings.”
He then noted city meetings are promoted on the marquee sign in front of city hall, noticed on the city website and Facebook page and noticed in the emails the city clerk’s office distributes to registered subscribers.
“All you have to do is contact the city clerk. She will add you to the list. It goes out well in advance of the meetings so you know what the topics are,” he said. “Please show up, because that is the best way to hear directly from the public.”
Soustek said the meetings times changed from evenings to afternoons a couple years ago and that made no impact on meeting attendance.
“We have some loyal people that come because they want to know what’s going on, but we don’t see new people unless something on the agenda affects them,” she said.
ADDITIONAL MATTERS
The four candidates agree that paid parking near city-controlled beach access points might be inevitable but none of them support doing it now.
The four candidates agree that beach cabana rentals should remain an allowed activity but additional commercial beach activities that could include watercraft rentals and food and drink vendors present potential concerns.
The candidates agree that vacation rental-related noise ordinance complaints have declined in recent years in most neighborhoods and relations have greatly improved between the city and the short-term rental owners and managers.
All four candidates said they would support the city contracting with a firm to conduct a residents’ survey that asks residents which city issues and concerns are most important to them.
CLOSING REMARKS
During his closing remarks, Schaefer said it would have been nice to run unopposed but he thanked Patel for running. He said that’s another example of the willingness Holmes Beach residents have when it comes to serving on city boards and committees.
“I’m willing to do that and I think I’ve been a contributor. I realize everybody doesn’t agree with every decision I make, but that’s our system. I sleep well at night and there isn’t a decision I made that I regret or believe was wrong. I look forward to serving the city for another two years,” he said.
Soustek said she wants to work more aggressively with the city’s Clean Water Ad Hoc Committee, Suncoast Waterkeeper and other organizations to help address the off-Island sewage spills that negatively impact the Island’s water quality.
She said she’s not giving up on the city’s purchase of the Gloria Dei property and she said the city and its residents must continuing fighting to protect the city’s home rule rights from state legislators who feel a “one law fits all” approach is best.
“I like my job and I want to continue to be your commissioner,” Soustek said.
Oelfke said, “I’m a listener and I care, and I think that’s going to bear good results for the city – to have a city that listens to every stakeholder that’s involved with the city. I want to do things that are going to help the residents.”
He, too, stressed the importance of protecting the natural waters that surround the Island.
Patel said, “I like to help people, I like to make a difference and sometimes you need fresh eyes. Where can we do better, what can we see differently and how can we navigate this in a new and different way? Sometimes you need to visualize new ways, new paths and new ideas. Sometimes you just need something new.”
The Holmes Beach candidate forum video can be viewed here.
HOLMES BEACH – Police Chief Bill Tokajer reminds everyone that it’s illegal to remove a political campaign sign from someone else’s property.
According to Tokajer, all four Holmes Beach City Commission candidates have had their signs removed.
The four candidates seeking the three commission seats to be filled by the city election that concludes on Tuesday, Nov. 4 are Steve Oelfke, Jessica Patel, Terry Schaefer and Carol Soustek.
Tokajer addressed the missing campaign signs during the Oct. 16 city commission meeting.
“We received a call yesterday about some political signs that were taken from Ms. Patel,” he told the commission.
He also referenced a call he received earlier from Anna Maria Mayor Mark Short while that day’s commission meeting was in progress. Short told Tokajer someone delivered 11 Patel campaign signs to Anna Maria City Hall the previous day and there was surveillance video of the unknown person who did so.
“Every candidate has had signs stolen. That is a crime. It happens every year,” Tokajer.
He also noted the two-year city commission terms set forth in the city charter result in a city election taking place every year. He said the annual election cycles often pit residents against other residents in terms of which candidate or candidates they support.
When contacted the following day, Tokajer said he received and reviewed the Anna Maria surveillance video photographs.
“If we can identify this person, we can find out what their purpose was and where the signs were taken from. Each of our candidates had signs removed by someone unknown, for purposes unknown. If someone thinks a sign is improperly displayed, they need to contact code enforcement for their respective city. Code enforcement will educate the owner of the sign to make sure they are properly displayed,” Tokajer said.
Police Chief Bill Tokajer said stealing a campaign sign is a crime. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Holmes Beach city code prohibits placing signs on city-owned property and in city-owned rights of way. City code also prohibits placing a sign on a property without the property owner’s permission.
When contacted on Wednesday, Oct. 22, Tokajer said he wasn’t aware of the person in the video and the photographs being identified.
HOLMES BEACH – City Commission candidates Steve Oelfke, Jessica Patel, Terry Schaefer and Carol Soustek participated in a candidate forum hosted by The Anna Maria Island Sun on Sept. 24.
Oelfke, Schaefer and Soustek currently serve on the city commission and seek additional two-year terms in office. Patel, a first-time candidate, seeks to unseat one of the incumbents.
The top three vote-getters in the city election that concludes on Tuesday, Nov. 4 will claim commission seats. In-person voting will occur at the Island Branch Library in Holmes Beach on Nov. 4; there will be no in-person early voting for the city election. Vote-by-mail ballots will be mailed out in early October.
During the forum, the candidates shared their views on several city issues, including the city’s hurricane recovery efforts, the city budget, property taxes, drainage and flooding and stormwater fees. The forum video can be viewed at The Anna Maria Island Sun Facebook page and on YouTube.
The candidates
Oelfke, a nursing home administrator, said he and his wife moved to Holmes Beach in 2011 after growing up in the Maitland/ Winter Springs area of Orlando. Their two children attended Anna Maria Elementary and Oelfke served on the Holmes Beach Planning Commission before being appointed to the city commission earlier this year when Pat Morton resigned.
Patel and her husband met many years ago in Bradenton Beach and after time spent living in New York and California, they and their two children became Holmes Beach residents in 2020. Patel is the vice-president of the Anna Maria Elementary PTO board and the vice-chair of the School Advisory Committee. Patel, a University of Florida graduate, works for a non-profit organization.
Schaefer, a retired bank executive, has served as city commissioner for the past six years. He grew up in St. Louis and met his wife at the University of Missouri. They have been Holmes Beach residents for 19 years and have two children and five granddaughters.
Soustek was appointed to the city commission in 2014 and has remained a commissioner since then. She first visited the Island as a child while living in Tampa and later made Holmes Beach her home. She was an Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring volunteer for more than 30 years.
“When you are a commissioner, you have to make decisions up here that affect a lot of lives, so we take that job very seriously,” Soustek said.
Hurricane preparedness, recovery
The candidates were asked what the city did well in its response to the 2024 hurricanes and what might be done better the next time.
Schaefer said before the 2024 hurricanes struck, the city completed the creation of a 600-page emergency management document that helped guide the city’s hurricane response.
“What can we do better? That is being studied right now,” he said.
Terry Schaefer has served three terms as a city commissioner. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Soustek said four or five years ago, Mayor Judy Titsworth told the commission she wanted to improve the city’s hurricane preparedness and those efforts included lining up emergency contractors to assist with the recovery efforts.
“We were prepared. Nobody’s prepared for 5 feet of water in their houses,” Soustek said.
Oelfke wasn’t in office when the hurricanes struck.
“I think the police did a great job. I think the city pulling in a group from Texas to help give guidance was great,” he said.
Regarding the city’s contracted debris hauler, Oelfke said, “The vendor we relied on struggled. They gave us a good rate, but they struggled to deliver as well as we would have liked.”
After noting the city now has agreements in place with multiple debris removal companies, Oelfke said, “That’s an area of improvement.”
Patel said the first responders did a great job.
“Outside of that, it was a disaster,” she said. “The contractors were a total mess. There were a lot of problems and the community was not proud of us. People were really disappointed and really upset, myself included.”
Budget, taxes
The candidates were asked about the city’s $22 million 2025-26 fiscal year budget, retaining the 1.99 property tax millage rate and the city’s expenditure of taxpayer dollars.
“Nobody wants to raise taxes,” Soustek said. “This year, city hall understood the fragileness of our community and they cut back on projects they planned to do. A lot of things were cut so we could keep our millage the same.”
She noted the property taxes levied by the city make up a small portion of a property owner’s tax bill, but that small portion plays a key role in funding the city’s operations.
“Go home and look at your tax bill. Look at the amount of money the city gets compared to some other things,” Soustek said.
Carol Soustek has served multiple terms as a city commissioner. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Oelfke said he doesn’t mind his own taxes increasing slightly but as a commissioner he feels a “huge responsibility” to keep property taxes low and ensure the tax revenues received are spent efficiently.
“I believe the people in this community need to feel heard and there’s a feeling that they don’t feel heard,” he said.
Patel said she doesn’t understand why the tentative millage rate was initially set at the higher 2.1812 mills rate and later lowered to the existing 1.99 rate after additional cost savings were identified.
Jessica Patel seeks her first term as a city commissioner. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“There’s always places in a budget that can be trimmed,” she said. “ Only after the fact – after the community was furious – did they say maybe we should take a look at the budget. That shows that we’re not talking to the community before making big decisions.”
Schaefer praised the mayor and the department heads for the comprehensive approach they took when crafting the new budget.
“I think a lot of people misunderstood when we set the maximum millage,” he said of the maximum millage rate adopted in July that could be, and was, lowered before the final budget was adopted in September.
Stormwater improvements, fees
Earlier this summer, Oelfke and Soustek and Commissioner Carol Whitmore opposed increasing the annual stormwater fee from $2.95 per 100 square feet of property to $4.95. Schaefer and Commissioner Dan Diggins supported the proposed increase.
During the forum, Oelke said he wasn’t comfortable increasing the stormwater fee when so many residents are still dealing with hurricane recovery expenses, but he said the fee will need to be increased in the future to make the necessary stormwater and drainage improvements.
Soustek expressed a similar view.
Patel said, “I shouldn’t have to drive through a no wake zone to take my kid to school. It’s a big problem. I feel like we’re playing this game of throw it at the fridge and see what sticks and nothing’s yet worked.”
She suggested looking at how other coastal cities address drainage and flooding issues.
Schaefer said the before 2024 hurricanes struck, the city asked a consultant to conduct a comprehensive drainage and stormwater system study. He said the consultant and city staff identified the $21 million worth of stormwater and drainage projects that should be pursued in the next five years and the stormwater fee revenues provide the money the city needs to receive the matching grants that help fund those projects.
All four candidates agreed that the existing square footage-based stormwater fee calculation method should be revised in a manner that factors in total lot coverage and impervious surface coverage.
Steve Oelke was appointed to the commission earlier this year. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“It’s not OK that some of our water issues are related to new development or new homes that maximize every square inch allowed on a lot. Those are the ones that should carry more of the burden,” Oelfke said.
Additional forum coverage will appear in The Sun before the Nov. 4 election.
HOLMES BEACH – The Anna Maria Island Sun will host a Holmes Beach city commission candidate forum at Holmes Beach City Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 24 from 6-7:30 p.m., and the public is invited.
The forum will feature the four city commission candidates seeking the three seats to be filled by the city election that concludes on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Current commissioners Steve Oelfke, Terry Schaefer and Carol Soustek seek additional two-year terms in office and challenger Jessica Patel seeks to unseat one of the incumbents.
Sun reporter Joe Hendricks will moderate the forum to be held before vote by mail ballots are delivered and mail voting begins. The candidates will not be provided with the questions in advance and the public is welcome to submit questions to be posed to all four candidates. Please email your forum questions to jhendricks@amisun.com no later than Sunday, Sept. 21. The forum will be livestreamed and archived for 30 days at The Sun’s Facebook page.
According to Manatee County Assistant Supervisor of Elections Sharon Stief, military and overseas vote by mail ballots will be mailed out on Friday, Sept. 19. All other vote by mail ballots will begin being mailed out on Friday, Sept. 26. The deadline to request a vote by mail ballot is Thursday, Oct. 23 at 5 p.m. To request a vote by mail ballot or to check your current vote by mail status, visit www.votemanatee.gov/VBM or call the elections office at 941-741-3823 and press 1.
Monday, Oct. 6 is the deadline to register to vote in the upcoming city election.
HOLMES BEACH – Former city commission candidate and planning commissioner Steve Oelfke has been appointed to fill the remainder of Pat Morton’s two-year term that expires in November.
After 22 years in office, Morton announced his resignation during the city commission’s Feb. 11 work session. During the brief discussion that ensued after Morton’s announcement, the mayor, city attorney and city commissioners discussed appointing Oelfke to serve the remainder of Morton’s term – in part because Oelfke received the third highest number of votes in the 2024 election that resulted in Dan Diggins being elected to serve another term and Carol Whitmore being elected to rejoin the city commission after a long stint as a county commissioner.
The four remaining commissioners expressed their unanimous support for Oelfke but the appointment could not be made during a commission work session.
During the Feb. 25 city commission meeting, Whitmore nominated Oelfke to fill the vacancy. Commissioner Terry Schaefer seconded the motion and Diggins and Commissioner Carol Soustek supported the nomination with no other nominees.
“Welcome Steve,” Diggins said.
Before City Clerk Stacey Johnston swore Oelfke in as a city commissioner, City Attorney Erica Augello said he had to first resign from the planning commission.
“As much as I hate to leave the planning commission, I will have to relinquish my position,” Oelfke said.
After being sworn in, Oelfke took his seat on the commission dais and signed some required documents.
Steve Oelfke is now a Holmes Beach city commissioner. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
After congratulating Oelfke, Schaefer said, “You served the city very well on the planning commission and I can’t think of a better proving ground. After the election, you never lost interest in the city. You were here, I believe, every (city commission) meeting, paying attention and observing. I think that’s a tribute to your sincere effort to serve our city.”
“I think we all concur on that,” Diggins added.
Speaking for the first time as a city commissioner, Oelfke said, “It’s just an honor to be here with you all and I look forward to being able to contribute and help make the city great.”
He then participated in the rest of the meeting.
Planning commission vacancy
Oelfke’s appointment to the city commission creates a vacancy on the planning commission, which meets the first Wednesday of the month at 3:30 p.m. Planning commissioners review land use ordinances and issues and make non-binding recommendations to the city commission.
The city is currently accepting applications for the open position on the planning commission. Applicants must be qualified electors (voters) of Holmes Beach and must have lived in the city for a minimum of two years.
Applications should be submitted to the city clerk’s office no later than Wednesday, March 19. Applications are available at the city’s website and those interested can also contact Johnston at cityclerk@holmesbeachfl.org or by calling 941-708-5800, ext. 226.
HOLMES BEACH – Longtime City Commissioner Pat Morton has resigned and recent city commission candidate and current Planning Commissioner Steve Oelfke is expected to serve in that role until the next city election in November.
Morton joined the commission in 2003 and he announced his resignation during the city commission work session that followed the city commission meeting on Feb. 11.
At the start of the regular meeting, Morton noted he’d been gone for about six weeks. He spent two weeks near Asheville, N.C. assisting hurricane-related flood victims before visiting family members in West Virginia. He briefly mentioned the social media criticism the city of Holmes Beach received for its hurricane cleanup and debris removal efforts and he later returned to that topic when announcing his resignation.
“I’ve been on the city commission for 22 years. I’ve always said when I become not happy with serving on the commission, not enjoying it, I was going to resign. We got chastised. It’s been shameful what people said about us on social media. We tried to keep everything safe for the citizens of Holmes Beach,” he said during the work session.
He also mentioned the vacation rental management companies that publicly opposed the city’s short-lived, hurricane recovery-related vacation rental moratorium.
“I don’t appreciate that,” he said.
“We’ve got some very fine residents that live in Holmes Beach and I’ve met a lot of them. I call them my ‘extra family.’ That being said, I will resign from the city commission as of today. I’ve enjoyed 21 and a half years. It’s done,” he said.
After praising the city commission, Police Chief Bill Tokajer and the Holmes Beach Police Department, Morton said, “We have an awesome group running our city. It’s horrible what they were saying about us. How they wanted to get rid of us.”
During the initial cleanup and debris removal efforts, Morton defended the city on Facebook, which prompted criticism aimed at him too. He also made inaccurate Facebook statements alleging the city of Anna Maria was not following FEMA debris removal requirements and would not qualify for FEMA reimbursement.
Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy publicly disputed and dispelled those allegations and he and the Anna Maria Commission suggested Morton focus on Holmes Beach.
COMMISSION REACTS
After Morton’s announcement, Commission Chair Dan Diggins said, “Pat, we’re really sorry to see you go; sorry it affected you this way.”
He later said, “People’s perspective on things doesn’t mean it’s accurate.”
Commissioner Terry Schaefer said, “Anyone who devotes, on a volunteer basis, 21-and-a-half active years of their life to any municipality is owed a debt of gratitude. I’ve had the pleasure of working with you at the commission level for six years and I’ve always respected your down-to-earth approach to city governance. It’s always a practical, logical approach, not a political approach. You were the voice of many people in our community. You brought that sense of reason to our deliberations.”
The following day, Schaefer told planning commissioners that Morton is moving to West Virginia.
During the work session, Commissioner Carol Soustek said, “Pat was from the old regime. Twelve years ago, the new regime showed up and Pat joined in. We took a city that was facing bankruptcy and turned it around.”
Soustek said Morton’s longtime employment at the Ace Hardware store in Holmes Beach and his interactions with customers there gave him a great feel for the pulse of the city.
“They felt comfortable bringing him their problems. He was a conduit to a lot of things we did up here,” Soustek said. “When you lose a person of his quality in public service, you’re losing a very important part of your city government. It is hard for people to understand what you give up when you come up here. You are a target, but what you do with what you have been given is so important.”
Before returning to the city commission late last year after a long tenure as a county commissioner, Commissioner Carol Whitmore served for many years as a Holmes Beach commissioner and as mayor.
“I’ve been with him since day one. He’s a good guy,” she said, noting Morton did a “wonderful job” as the city commission’s Waste Pro liaison.
Mayor Judy Titsworth praised Pat Morton’s civic service. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Mayor Judy Titsworth said, “If you looked up the definition of ‘civic duty,’ you would see Pat’s picture. I hope the community understands just how important it is to get people up there that are only here for civic duty. They’re not here for a political climb. They’re not here for the power. They’re here for their civic duty because they love this city so much. That’s Pat; that’s all of us here.”
Tokajer said, “You’ve been a champion for the police department since I got here. I appreciate you and all the love you’ve shown to my officers over the last 12 years.”
Diggins then raised the topic of appointing Morton’s successor.
Citing the city charter, City Attorney Erica Augello said, “A vacancy on the commission shall be filled by appointment of the commission. Such appointment shall receive the approval of the majority of the remaining members and shall be for a term expiring at the end of the next city general election. The unexpired term, if any, shall be filled by election.”
Titsworth referenced the 2024 election in which Diggins and Whitmore won the two open commission seats. Oelfke finished third with 20.6% of the votes and Bill Romberger finished fourth with 11%. Titsworth said the city could solicit applications or defer to the recent election results. Soustek said that’s how she originally became a commissioner after losing a close election.
Planning Commissioner Steve Oelfke is expected to serve the rest of Pat Morton’s term. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“We already know who that is. He happens to be here,” Whitmore said of Oelfke’s presence.
She asked if the vacancy could be filled without advertising the open position. Augello said there’s nothing in the charter or state election law that requires a vacant seat to be advertised but the commission can’t take an official action during a work session.
Oelfke is expected to be appointed on Tuesday, Feb. 25 and serve what remains of Morton’s two-year term that expires in November.
An farewell reception for Morton will be held Wednesday, Feb. 26 from4:30–5:30 p.m. in the Doctor’s Garden at The Doctor’s Office in Holmes Beach, 5312 Holmes Blvd. The reception will begin with a plaque presentation, followed by an informal gathering with refreshments served. The city extends an open invitation to all residents.
Commissioner Steve Oelfke has a lot of ideas and he’s hoping that voters will put him in one of two available seats on the city commission in November.
“I knew that there was a need for people to step up and I felt that was the direction I would move in at some point,” he said of throwing his hat in the ring to make the transition. “The reason why I’m doing any of this is because we, my wife and my family, love where we live.”
Oelfke said it’s important to him to serve the community in some way, crediting Commissioner Terry Schaffer with “planting the seed” that encouraged him to apply for the planning commission, which now has led to him to seek elected office in the city.
In his professional life, Oelfke is a nursing home administrator, a job that lets him do what he loves – helping people. It’s that attitude that he wants to bring to the city commission by working as a team with the other commissioners to best serve the community and solve problems.
“The biggest problem is handling the amount of people who want to come to the Island, the strain that puts on the people who live on the Island,” he said. “I think the biggest problem is how to handle that.”
Some of the effects of that strain, Oelfke said, are traffic, accidents, noise and strain on infrastructure. While he said he doesn’t believe that the parking garage at Manatee Beach proposed by county commissioners would be an answer, he does feel that the Gulf Island Ferry service is a nod in the right direction to helping reduce traffic.
To really reduce traffic, he said, mass transit has to become a more viable option for commuters and beachgoers. For that to happen, he said the Anna Maria Island Bridge on Manatee Avenue would need a third lane, one that would be dedicated to bus and trolley service along with first responder vehicles in an emergency. To take the idea a step further, Oelfke said the third lane could also be utilized as an extra traffic lane to move heavy traffic off the Island, though he did acknowledge the third lane would really need to extend to the mainland in Bradenton to truly be effective.
He also sees the county effort to put another ferry stop on Anna Maria Island as a positive move in the right direction to build up mass transit from the mainland.
Two county-led efforts that Oelfke said he’s not in favor of are consolidation of the three Island cities and a parking garage at the county-owned Manatee Beach.
He said part of the charm of the Island is in its quaintness and diversity among the three cities along with the small-town feel. Building high rises on the beach and taking away local government would ruin the character that makes the Island special.
“The Island, I feel, is a paradise,” Oelfke said. “We feel lucky to live here.”
Hear Oelfke answer questions from the community live at The Sun’s candidate forum on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 6 p.m. at Holmes Beach City Hall.
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