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Year: 2023

Department of Health issues a no-swim advisory for causeway beach

Department of Health issues a no-swim advisory for causeway beach

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News.

BRADENTON – Florida Department of Health in Manatee County (DOH-Manatee) has issued a no-swim advisory for the beach on the south side of the Palma Sola Causeway along Manatee Avenue.

“A no-swim advisory is issued when enterococci bacteria levels exceed Federal Guidelines for safe swimming. It is thought that contact with the water at the site could make beachgoers sick,” a DOH-Manatee press release said.

The advisory will be in effect until the water meets Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) safety guidelines.

No other Manatee County beaches are under the no-swim advisory.

As a participant in the Healthy Beaches Program, DOH-Manatee collects water samples at select beaches each week. The samples are then sent to labs to determine if the levels of enteric bacteria (enterococci) – which can bring human disease, infections or rashes – are acceptable based on EPA standards.

If levels are read as unacceptable, a no-swim advisory is issued; a no-swim advisory is lifted once the levels read as acceptable.

DOH-Manatee received test results from samples taken at Palma Sola South on June 19 and June 22 that show an elevated level of enterococci bacteria.

Additional information about the Healthy Beaches program can be found by calling (941) 714-7593, or by visiting the Florida Department of Health’s website at www.FloridaHealth.gov and selecting Beach Water Quality under the Environmental Health tab of the navigation bar.

Continued water disruptions expected on AMI

Continued water disruptions expected on AMI

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Customers can expect periodic continued disruptions to water services as contractors continue to work to replace a part of a water main after the aging pipe fell off the Anna Maria Island Bridge on June 19.

In a press release, Manatee County officials said the emergency repairs are being completed as quickly as possible but could take up to a few weeks to complete. While residents and businesses are not without water, water pressure is expected to remain lower than usual and service may be interrupted for short periods of time to accommodate the repairs. Currently, the north end of the Island is receiving water through Bradenton Beach.

In addition to water service disruptions, there also are associated traffic issues to contend with.

Boaters are asked to travel only through the channel underneath the bridge to avoid interfering with workers and hitting the construction equipment or pipes.

Vehicular and pedestrian traffic across the bridge is reduced to one lane from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. through Friday, June 30. Access to the sidewalk on the south side of the bridge will be restricted and drivers will have to contend with alternating one-way traffic across the bridge, which is expected to cause traffic jams and extended travel times. To avoid the construction area, motorists are advised to use the Cortez Bridge to access the Island.

Everyone is asked to conserve water as much as possible while repairs are taking place, including taking shorter showers and limiting outdoor watering.

For more information, or to check for updates to the project, visit www.mymanatee.org.

Reel Time: Fly casting mastery

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

Teaching fly casting has taught me some valuable lessons. Chief among them is the fact that it’s most often easier to learn from scratch using the fundamentals (physics) of the cast than it is to correct bad habits that have been developed over time. That became apparent to me when I gave lessons to someone who had been fly casting for a long time but who had ingrained bad techniques. When I showed them how to properly move the rod tip in a straight line to form a tight, wind penetrating loop, they understood the concept immediately. The eye opener for student and teacher was when they tried to repeat the proper casting stroke and their ingrained bad habit overpowered their new understanding.

This isn’t bad news for long-time casters who have been using improper techniques, but points out the necessity of practice to reteach the brain how to move the rod. The same applies to proficient casters who are learning to cast with their non-dominant hand. Try this and you’ll see what I mean instantly. If you’re a right-handed caster, putting the rod in the left hand is like handing it to your clone where the fundamentals of the cast are understood but the body doesn’t cooperate. The good news is that by learning the fundamentals of the cast and practicing them regularly anyone can become adept.

Besides learning and practicing the essentials of fly casting, it’s important to realize that there is no right or wrong casting style. Casting is governed by physics and there are some essentials that every fly caster must master, no matter what their individual skills or styles. This is the difference between the art (style) and science (physics) of the cast.

Reel Time: Fly casting
Fly fishing legend Joan Wulff demonstrates the casting stroke. – Rusty Chinnis | Sun

Fly casting is a lifelong learning experience that you can practice at 9 or 90. Different people learn at a different pace. Some people pick up casting quickly and then plateau. Others start slow, but when they finally get it, they’ve got it. It can be compared to learning how to ride a bike. To become a good caster you need to practice, but that practice will reward you with a lifetime of pleasure and provide the opportunity of the company of good friends.

Fly casting differs from spin or bait casting where the weight of the lure or bait loads the rod. The rod then transfers the stored energy of the rod to the lure or bait, which carries it to the target. In fly casting, the weight of the line loads the rod, and the line takes the leader and flies to the target.

The basic casting stroke consists of the rod being held in the hand at the base of the fingers with the thumb on top of the cork. The stroke is a combination of moves of the wrist, the forearm and the upper arm. In the ready position with the thumb on the cork, the wrist is straight and the butt of the rod is at a 45 degree angle to the forearm. The wrist travels from this straight position to a 45 degree down angle then returns to straight position. The forearm and the upper arm complete the motion.

There are five basic movements that make up what is referred to as the essentials:

  1. There must be a pause at the end of each casting stroke, which varies in duration with the amount of line beyond the rod tip. This allows the line to straighten for the next cast.
  2. Slack line should be kept to an absolute minimum. Slack line prevents the rod from loading and applying the proper power to the cast. The most common mistake that creates slack line happens when the rod is started too high, forming a belly in the line between the rod tip and the water. To prevent this, start your cast with the rod tip pointing at the water.
  3. To form the most efficient, least air-resistant loops and to direct the energy of the cast toward the target, the rod tip must move in a straight line. Practice tracing a horizontal line like a roof eve.
  4. The length of the casting stroke must vary with the amount of line past the rod tip. If you are making a short cast, there is only a small amount of line needed (which only weighs a small amount). As the length of line increases, the stroke must be increased to load the rod.
  5. Power must be applied in the proper amount at the proper place in the stroke. In general, the power is applied slowly at first, gradually increasing to a peak at the end of the stroke. There should be a crisp stop at the end of the stroke, forcing the rod to come out of its bend. This is commonly referred to as the speed-up and stop.

In my experience, the only way to master fly casting is to practice consistently, preferably committing to two to five minutes every day to train or retrain your brain. Any additional time will, of course, be a bonus, but the importance of a regular practice schedule cannot be over-emphasized. There are lots of resources on the internet to help you perfect your cast and lessons with a caster trained by the Fly Fishers International can be invaluable. Some of the best videos to search for online are those by master casters and instructors Joan Wulff and Lefty Kreh. Locally, anglers can research rods and tackle at AMI Outfitters on Anna Maria Island. There are also some excellent casting videos on YouTube from Orvis and Rio. Learn and apply the fundamentals of fly casting consistently and you’ll be on your way to mastering the cast.

Incentives proposed for permanent Anna Maria residents

Incentives proposed for permanent Anna Maria residents

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – The city’s 2023-24 fiscal year budget may include a feasibility study aimed at attracting and retaining permanent residents through property tax breaks and building code incentives.

On June 22, with Mayor Dan Murphy absent, the city commission participated in the first of at least three preliminary three budget meetings to occur before the final budget and the yet-to-be proposed millage rate are finalized during two public hearings in September.

Thursday’s 30-minute budget meeting focused on capital outlay projects and other potential miscellaneous expenditures.

The budget proposes $325,000 for road repaving and Commission Chair Mark Short said there are only about four streets left in the city that have not been repaved in recent years.

The proposed budget includes $1.93 million for the Reimagining Pine Avenue safety improvement project that will include new sidewalks, crosswalks and streetlights along Pine Avenue.

The Pine Avenue sidewalk and crosswalk improvements will be funded by a $1.28 million state appropriation approved last year. The Pine Avenue streetlight improvements will be made using $460,000 in remaining American Rescue Plan funds previously provided by the federal government.

The proposed budget includes an additional $1.41 million in recently approved state funds to expand the Reimagining Pine Avenue project to include portions of Magnolia Avenue and Spring Avenue.

Incentives proposed for permanent Anna Maria residents
The budget proposes the design and permitting of a pumping station to address flooding along Archer Way. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

The budget proposes $525,000 for the ongoing maintenance of the city’s existing stormwater and drainage systems, $1.21 million for stormwater-related capital improvements and $75,000 to design a pumping station to address frequent flooding along Archer Way.

Additional projects

The proposed budget includes $1.8 million in additional potential capital projects that will require further commission discussion and decision-making.

Incentives proposed for permanent Anna Maria residents
The budget proposes installing shade sails above the City Pier Park playground. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

The potential projects include $156,486 to install shade sails over the children’s playground at City Pier Park, $79,660 to expand the existing City Pier Park shade sail structure and $69,912 to install shade sails over the T-end of the City Pier.

Incentives proposed for permanent Anna Maria residents
The budget proposes installing shade sails at the T-end of the City Pier. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

The budget proposes $200,000 for improvements to the city hall building that would allow building department personnel to vacate the rented annex building on Pine Avenue and return to city hall, with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Anna Maria Unit possibly moving into the annex building.

The budget proposes $275,000 to engineer and permit a permanent solution for the Lake LaVista jetty and canal area that would eliminate the need to dredge that area every two or three years.

The budget proposes $500,000 to construct stand-alone public restrooms on the city-owned property that contains City Hall, the Island Players theater and a public parking lot.

“This has come up because of the number of people using the beach and going into the stores and coming in here (city hall) to use the facilities,” Short said.

The budget also proposes $21,200 to redesign the Island Players parking lot to make it more disabled accessible and to include a designated passenger drop-off area.

Incentives proposed for permanent Anna Maria residents
The budget proposes $500,000 to extend the existing multi-use path along Gulf Drive. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

The budget proposes $500,000 to extend the multi-use path along Gulf Drive that currently extends from the entrance of the city to Willow Avenue.

Incentivizing residents

To retain and attract permanent residents, Commissioner Charlie Salem proposes budgeting $75,000 for a feasibility study pertaining to property tax breaks and building allowances being given to residential property owners who voluntarily agree to deed restrictions that would prohibit them for 25 years from renting their homes out for less than six months at a time.

Salem said Murphy supports the idea, which has also been discussed with City Planner Ashley Austin.

Citing U.S. Census data, the one-page document Salem shared with commissioners noted Anna Maria’s population declined from 1,814 in 2000 to 1,504 in 2010 and 968 in 2020.

Salem cited three primary goals: Retaining existing permanent residents through tax and building code incentives, marketing Anna Maria as a place to relocate for permanent residents and creating a better long-term rental market that allows more Island employees to live in Anna Maria.

To attract new residents and families, Salem suggests enacting building code incentives that include enhanced lot coverage, living area ratio and parking requirements in exchange for a voluntary deed restriction, with property tax relief as another potential incentive. Salem noted more people work from home these days and Anna Maria is an excellent place for that.

To increase the availability of long-term rentals, Salem and Austin suggest allowing code-compliant accessory buildings to be used as long-term rentals of more than six months, with a deed restriction in place.

Salem suggests creating a marketing plan to attract long-term residents and encourage existing residents to take advantage of any incentives given.

“I think it’s an excellent idea,” Commissioner Robert Kingan said, noting the city must be able to recapture benefits given to a property owner who agrees to a deed restriction and later tries to walk away from it.

Short suggested asking the City Attorney Becky Vose to provide her legal insight on Salem’s proposal before funding and conducting a feasibility study.

Vose said she would conduct that legal research because there’s no reason to conduct a study if the proposed deed restriction concept isn’t legally sound.

“This is a pressing issue,” Kingan said. “If it legally passes muster, we should fast-track this because we don’t have a lot of time. A lot of people are leaving.”

The commission reached a unanimous consensus in preliminary support of all the proposed expenditures, including the feasibility study.

Luxury Services and Moss Builders lead the pack

Written by Monica Simpson on . Posted in Football, Sports.

ANNA MARIA – Adult flag football and youth indoor soccer play continued at The Center last week. In the second week of play, two teams rose to the top of the pack.

Luxury Services and Moss Builders look to be the teams to beat this season going into week three play undefeated. Luxury Services had an easy time against the Sandbar Seafood & Spirits crew last Thursday night, winning by 16 points.

In the defensive battle royale, eight total interceptions were recorded in the statistics between both teams, along with more than 25 flag pulls. Leading in the defensive stops for Luxury Services was Derrick Carey with seven pulls.

Jonathan Soultatos, a member of last season’s championship team, along with teammate Ramon Guerrero IV had four flag pulls each, helping the team total 15 stops during the two halves of play.

The wheels of Tim Holly allowed him to get to the Sandbar quarterback with three sacks in the game. On the other side of the football, Soultatos got to the QB once for a big stop.

For the offense and the win, Luxury Services quarterback Chase Richardson hit Alonzo Lemus three times for touchdowns. Two-point conversions by Richardson and Lemus, along with a sack for a safety by Holly, gave the Luxury team 30 points and the win.

Despite the loss, Sandbar scored two touchdowns and Guerrero made a two-point conversion. TDs by Soultatos and Zachary Routh helped to keep the team in the game, but it just was not enough.

In game two Thursday night, Gulf Drive Café dominated the field on both offense and defense against The Banks Home Lending Team with the final score of 41-15. Dominick Otteni threw for four touchdowns and had a rushing TD of his own to help lead his team to the win.

Otteni’s scoring targets were Dallas Buchholz, Jacob Ferda, Steven Pavina and Kiatrell Zachery. Pavina scored for Gulf Drive while on defense, while Zachery, Ferda and Otteni added to the points after conversions.

The Banks Home Lending Team managed to get 15 points up in lights thanks to two nice throws by Cruz Rodriguez leading to 12 points by Juan Vega and Joseph Vigil. Don Uffinger is credited with a sack leading to a safety for two points.

Contributing to the team’s scoring, Sequiel Marintez scored a one-point conversion for The Banks Home Lending Team.

The third game in the adult flag football league was a nailbiter. Salty Printing eked out the win by three points against Cortez Deep Sea Fishing. Zaon Williams led the Salty team with three passing touchdowns and six points on his feet rushing into the end zone.

Joey Carder, Jose Perez and Brandon Rolland each put up six points with nice catches for touchdowns. Andrew Procter scored three critical conversion points in the game, helping to give his team the win.

Scoring his own one-point conversion, Rolland had seven points in the game, with two catches and one flag pull.

Despite the strong efforts of the Cortez Deep Sea Fishing squad, the win eluded them. Matt Manger and Anthony Mannino shared the QB duties. Mannino threw for one TD and scored on a reception from Manger. While playing defense, Mannino was credited with a flag pull, interception and a defensive touchdown.

Flipping roles, Mannino threw a touchdown pass to Manger. Other targets of the night for touchdowns were Johnny Sevier and Jesse Skipper. Skipper found himself in the endzone causing a sack and safety.

Rounding out the scoring for the Cortez Deep Sea Fishing squad, Anthony McCance contributed with a one-point conversion.

In the final game of the night, QB Tuna McCracken just could not find one more scoring opportunity for the Solid Rock Construction team, losing to Moss Builders 20-14.

Despite finding Connor Ludwig and Evelyn Long open for scoring passes and one-point conversions by both, Moss Builders made it into the end zone one more time than Solid Rock.

Veteran player Ryan Moss threw for three touchdowns, hitting cousin Greg Moss twice and Isaiah Lambert once for three touchdowns. G. Moss and Lambert each had a single interception in the game.

Moss rounded out his statistics with a two-point conversion to help the Moss Builders team capture its second win, remaining undefeated along with Luxury Services heading into week three play this Thursday night at The Center.

Youth soccer

In youth indoor soccer action, two games were played in the 11- to 13-year-old league last Monday night. Playing the first game, the Coastline West Team/Wagner Realty left Island Vacation Properties scoreless with a final score of 9-0.

David Zupa scored five goals for Coastline, along with three goals by Cayson Travis and a single by Grady Sandhoff. Blake Brower played goalie for Coastline, making 15 saves.

On the other side of the indoor field, Jimmie Melichar made 16 saves, while teammate Alonso Valle had 13 stops as goalie for Island Vacation Properties.

Winning by two goals, Moss Builders, with Miles Moss in goal, defeated Solid Rock Construction in youth indoor soccer. Moss made 10 stops for his team, with scoring by his brother, Mason Moss, and Magness Rollins for four points.

Solid Rock Construction’s Austin Guess stopped 11 shots as the keeper, while Mckenna Darak and Wes Saxon each had single goals to close out week two of youth indoor soccer action in the gymnasium at the Island’s community center.

 

Sun Scoreboard

June 19

Youth Indoor Soccer
8- to 10-year-old league

No games

11- to 13-year-old league
Week 2

 

Coastline West Team/Wagner Realty 9

Island Vacation Properties 0

 

Moss Builders 4

Solid Rock Construction 2

June 22

Adult co-ed flag football
Week 2

 

Luxury Services (2-0-0) 30

Sandbar Seafood & Spirits (1-1-0) 14

 

Gulf Drive Café (1-1-0) 41

The Banks Home Lending Team (0-2-0) 15

 

Salty Printing (1-1-0) 36

Cortez Deep Sea Fishing (0-2-0) 33

 

Moss Builders (2-0-0) 20

Solid Rock Construction (1-1-0) 14

Piney Point contamination extends to Tarpon Springs

Piney Point contamination extends to Tarpon Springs

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Environment, Outdoors.

PALMETTO – A recent study shows the contaminated water from the 2021 Piney Point spill, which contributed to algae blooms and red tide in Tampa Bay waterways, traveled farther than originally thought.

According to the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP), a chemical signature from the spill was found more than 30 miles away, in St. Joseph Sound near Tarpon Springs.

Immediately after the spill in 2021, SBEP partnered with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, Manatee, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the University of Florida and the University of South Florida to set up a series of sites to monitor existing conditions and determine the extent of the spill’s impact, according to the SBEP.

Results of that collaboration among agencies showed evidence of algae blooms and high concentrations of red tide in the months following the spill.

“A chemical signature, unique to the Piney Point effluent, was also found at a location in St. Joseph Sound, originally chosen to be a reference site, as it was assumed to be far enough away from the spill to avoid impact,” according to the SBEP website. “This was not the case as evidence of the Piney Point spill was also found at this location.”

In 2021, FDEP authorized the intentional emergency discharge of 215 million gallons of wastewater from the former phosphate plant into Tampa Bay to avoid a potential flood after a leak was discovered in the waste storage system. Surrounding homes and businesses were evacuated.

From March 30 to April 9, 2021, the wastewater poured into the bay, adding an estimated 186 metric tons of nitrogen, exceeding typical annual nitrogen loads in a matter of days, according to a report released by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program. The nitrogen worsened toxic cyanobacteria blooms that peaked in June, followed by a bloom of toxic red tide algae that caused fish kills, triggering the cleanup of more than 1,600 metric tons of dead fish, according to the report.

Last March, Manatee County Utilities crews began disposal of those waters into a permitted injection well.
The well, drilled to a depth of 3,300 feet below land surface, was completed by Fort Myers-based Youngquist Brothers Inc., working with consultants ASRus of Tampa and Manatee County Utilities staff. By collaboratively working with the FDEP, crews were able to expedite the well work, which was completed in late 2022.

The well holds Piney Point’s process water in a confined saltwater aquifer over a half mile below the surface under the Floridan aquifer, the state’s drinking water source.

The phosphate process water will continue to be drained from the reservoirs atop nearby phosphogypsum stacks as the plant is permanently closed, and will be pre-treated before injection.

Fireworks pose danger to wildlife

Fireworks pose danger to wildlife

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Birds, Outdoors.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – While it’s common knowledge that house pets are easily spooked by fireworks, local animal advocates remind people about the disruption to wildlife from loud and light-filled Fourth of July celebrations.

Krista Carpenter, a volunteer with Wildlife Inc., said that each year, the Bradenton Beach animal rehabilitation organization sees an influx of animals impacted by fireworks.

“Babies can become separated from their parents as they run from the noise of fireworks,” Carpenter said. “Raptors like the bald eagle can abandon their nests because the noise and lights are considered an attack.”

She said even animals in Wildlife Inc.’s care may become hurt while reacting to the sound of fireworks.

“Animals at the rescue can injure themselves by throwing themselves against the cages out of fear, attempting to escape,” Carpenter said.

Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella said that fireworks can disorient sea turtles and scare nesting shorebirds away.

“Fireworks pose threats to both sea turtles and shorebirds,” Mazzarella said. “The light from fireworks can disorient or confuse nesting sea turtles and hatchlings, preventing them from finding their way to the ocean.”

She said both light and noise can scare nesting shorebirds.

“Fireworks can spook nesting shorebirds from their nests and scatter chicks, leaving them open to predators and being separated from their parents,” Mazzarella said. “The trash from the fireworks can be a danger to all animals on the beach.”

Celebratory fireworks can literally frighten birds to death, according to Audubon Florida.

“Although beachside fireworks shows are entertaining to people, the bursts of color and noise wreak havoc on coastal birds – especially for nesting species. After each fireworks explosion, birds panic and fly from their nests, scattering the chicks and exposing them to predators and heat until their parents return,” according to Audubon Florida. “For this reason, it is better to attend a municipal firework show versus deploying store-bought fireworks on the beach.”

Audubon Florida reminds beachgoers:

  • Debris left from the fireworks litter beaches and near-shore waters and can be easily mistaken for food by sea turtles and other marine animals. Hungry chicks nibble on plastic refuse, even ingesting some of the smallest pieces.
  • Give nesting birds at least 100 feet of distance or as much as possible. Signs or people will alert you to these areas, but some birds haven’t settled down to start nesting yet and may just look like they are resting in the sand. Please avoid walking through flocks of birds on the upper beach.
  • Pets and vehicles are not permitted on Anna Maria Island beaches.
  • Remove trash and food scraps, which attract predators that will also eat birds’ eggs and/or chicks.

“These disturbances can cause adult birds to abandon their nests or chicks, which can ultimately lead to chicks starving, getting eaten by a predator, or overheating in the sun. This Fourth of July weekend, many birds are re-nesting and will have their final opportunity to successfully raise young this season,” the Audubon website says.

Over the July Fourth weekend, Audubon Florida’s bird stewards will be out at locations across the state where people and beach-nesting birds co-mingle. They will help coastal visitors learn about the birds to better understand what is happening inside posted areas.

Bradenton Beach officials discuss $4.3 million budget

Bradenton Beach officials discuss $4.3 million budget

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News.

BRADENTON BEACH – City commissioners and department heads met to hold the first of several discussions for the 2023-24 fiscal year budget.

At the June 20 meeting, the proposed budget of $4,332,075 was rolled out with an increase of $356,703 over the previous year. Some of the largest increases came from a rise in insurance premiums and salary increases for cost of living adjustments.

Two public hearings on the budget will be held in September prior to the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.

Attending the budget discussion meeting were Mayor John Chappie, Commissioners Ralph Cole, Jake Spooner and Jan Vosburgh, Police Chief John Cosby, Building Official Steve Gilbert, City Clerk Terri Sanclemente, City Treasurer Shayne Thompson and Public Works Director Tom Woodard.

The budget categories for discussion were Administration, Commission, Police, Emergency, Building, Code Enforcement, Streets and Roads, Storm Water, Facilities, Pier, Capital Projects and Library.

“We take each one of these and we have a motion to approve as presented,” Chappie said.

“Our biggest increase, of course, is salary,” Cosby said, “with our new guy hired in place. There is an increase with travel and education. The reason for that is in order to keep up with the culture in law enforcement, training is number one. The state is also requiring us to get that done. It’s not always held in our region so we have to travel to get that done.”

The other increase in the police budget is insurance, Cosby said. The department had the same policy as last year, but it increased in price by 10.1%.

“The city’s liability insurance went up 85%,” Cosby said.

“We took out some street signs and that helped stabilize this increase,” he said. “Just the damage that was done to the north fence from (Hurricane) Ian, that fence replacement was almost $27,000. All those things are going way up in price.  We did take some things out that weren’t worth insuring.”

The proposed budget for police is $1,772,869, an increase of $143,608 from the previous year.

Cosby added overtime to the code enforcement budget, citing the requirement for the code enforcement officer to work on weekends to monitor illegal construction, parking enforcement and to help with Turtle Watch.

The proposed code enforcement budget is $103,555, an increase of $16,084 from the prior year.

Gilbert said there was one increase in building inspection services, which the commission approved on June 18.

“There is an 8% cost of living increase,” Gilbert said. “There were increases in insurance.”

Gilbert, who is on salary, will not receive a salary increase.

“There has been no real change to commission,” Sanclemente said.

“Insurance has increased a little bit,” Woodard said. “Other than that, I think we’re in good shape.”

“Of course, our streets are getting done with Woodruff,” Chappie said, referring to the sewer project on Gulf Drive in which contractors will be repaving the roads. “That will save the taxpayers a lot of money.”

“We’re meeting our budget, you’re all fiscally responsible,” Chappie told the department heads and commissioners.

He said the city should have 25% in reserves and is trying to stay above that at 30%.

“We’re looking at how we can save the city money,” Chappie said.

A millage meeting is set for Tuesday, July 11 at 9:30 a.m. at City Hall, 107 Gulf Drive N. in Bradenton Beach.

Letter to the Editor

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Letter to the Editor, Opinion.

Dear Island Sun Staff,

The Copeland family would like to express our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for the remembrance edition dedicated to the life and legacy of Pat Copeland, recently published on June 21, 2023. We are deeply moved by the AMI Sun family’s tribute to her.

The remembrance edition truly captured the essence of Pat’s remarkable life journey and the profound impact she had on our community. The articles, photographs, and personal anecdotes shared within its pages beautifully highlighted her numerous accomplishments, her unwavering dedication as a wife and mother, and her enduring spirit. It was a fitting tribute to someone who touched so many’s lives.

I must commend journalist Joe Hendricks for the love and care he poured into his article, the entire AMI Sun Staff, and the editorial team involved in creating this exceptional tribute. Pat especially loved the weekly cartoons by Steve Borggren, so it was such a nice surprise to see that even the weekly cartoon was in her honor. It was a wonderful portrait for those who knew Pat, and for those who didn’t, they got to know her.

The overwhelming condolences the family has received show the beauty and kindness within the island community that Pat cherished. Thank you to the City of Anna Maria for giving her a stately celebration by lowering the city flags in her honor.

On behalf of everyone who had the privilege of knowing Pat, I extend my deepest gratitude to the entire team at The AMI Sun. Your commitment to honoring her memory with grace, dignity, and authenticity is a testament to the importance of local journalism and its role in preserving the stories that shape our community.

A public memorial service will be held at 9:30 AM on Saturday, July 8, at Roser Memorial Church on Anna Maria, where friends and family will come together to celebrate Patricia’s remarkable life.

The Copeland Family

Castles in the Sand

100 years of paradise

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

Anna Maria is celebrating 100 years of providing exquisite beaches and aqua water to beachgoers and visitors. The celebration started on Memorial Day and will probably go on for several months and rightly so since the Island is something to be celebrated.

Down through the years when I interviewed new business owners or friends who moved to Anna Maria Island, I always asked how they found it. Many of them came as children to visit grandparents and always vowed to return. One drove over the Manatee Avenue bridge because she was early to visit a relative in Bradenton and couldn’t believe what she found, buying a Gulf-front piece of property the same day on a credit card. And one of my favorite stories was when a couple on vacation in their RV drove over the Cortez Bridge and turned right instead of left. They too bought a home the same day and opened a business.

My personal story happened in 1995 when I was visiting a friend in Bradenton and was taken to Anna Maria for dinner. That was the first of many visits to the Island, including the one that sent us home to sell our house. In January of 1997, my husband and I rented a beach house on the Gulf side of North Shore Drive. It turned out to be one of the best vacations I ever had and I knew then this is where I wanted to be.

To say Anna Maria Island has changed since those years would be a vast understatement and the thing that has changed the most is real estate construction and values. May sales statistics released by the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee is showing our market is still moving forward.

Single-family closed properties were up 17.2% compared to May of last year. The median sale price for single-family homes was down 6.4% to $515,000 and the average selling price for single-family properties was also down by 4.1% to $686,015. The median time to contract was 32 days, compared to six days last year. Pending inventory was up by 31.8% and the month’s supply of available properties was 2.7 months, compared to last year at 1.2 months.

Condo sales were up 5% when compared to May of last year. The median sale price was up 3.4% to $382,645 and the average sale price was also up by 37.3% to $606,255. The median time to contract was 37 days, compared to 6 days last year, and pending inventory was up 8.9%. The month’s supply of available properties was 3.4 months, compared to one month last year.

Condo sales had the edge this month in both sales and selling price, which in this market could change in a heartbeat. That said, the market is starting to settle down, as stated by the press release issued by the Realtor Association.

“Sarasota-Manatee housing market begins to stabilize but remains a seller’s market,” the press release said.

The summer months have always been the slow time in Island real estate, but don’t bet on that to continue when we’re in a seller’s market.

Anna Maria Island is so much more than its beaches; it’s a lifestyle I fear is slowly eroding just like the beach sand. If there is anything that can be done to slow this progression, I don’t know what it is. I only hope that our little paradise isn’t lost in the name of progress.

Protestors oppose beach parking garage

Protestors oppose beach parking garage

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Holmes Beach.

BRADENTON – More than 50 concerned citizens and city officials gathered on Friday to protest Manatee County’s plans to build a 1,500-space, three-story parking garage at Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach.

The protesters made their voices heard along Manatee Avenue in front of the county administration building in downtown Bradenton.

The scheduled protest coincidentally occurred a few hours after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 947. Introduced by State Rep. Will Robinson (R-Bradenton), supported by Sen. Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton) and unanimously approved by the Florida House and the Florida Senate, HB 947 allows Manatee County to build a parking garage on the county-owned Manatee Beach property in Holmes Beach despite the city’s prohibitions on the construction of a parking garage.

Manatee Beach in 1955. – Manatee County Historical Records Library | Submitted

The parking garage must still comply with the height restrictions contained in Holmes Beach’s city charter, which will limit it to three stories with parking on the roof. To make room for the garage, which is expected to fill the entire existing parking lot, the vintage concession stand and other buildings at the beach will be demolished.

The estimated $45 million construction process is expected to take two years.

Protesters speak

Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth and city commissioners Dan Diggins and Carol Soustek participated in Friday’s protest.

“I’m glad the bill was either signed or vetoed because I didn’t want it to just go unnoticed,” Titsworth said. “Now people know what DeSantis believes in – the loss of home rule and big government overreach. That completely circumvents our ability to govern and people don’t have a voice anymore. It’s wrong.

“The parking garage is unfunded, so the county’s going to have to find the money. I hope they don’t dip into reserves because we need those reserves, especially with the increased magnitude of the hurricanes coming our way. And there’s a lot of infrastructure in the county that needs funding. We’re dealing with a county water pipe issue right now. I hope they put the emphasis on things like that instead.”

Protestors oppose beach parking garage
Holmes Beach Commissioner Dan Diggins, left, and Mayor Judy Titsworth were among the many protestors. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Titsworth said the fight is not over.

“We have legal recourse and a couple other things we’re working on that I think could make an impact,” she said. “The citizens have to take their stand and tell the people they elected how disappointed they are.”

Titsworth said the city will have no input or oversight of the construction of the parking garage.

“They made sure we didn’t have a seat at the table. I’ve never seen such hostile local bill,” she said.

Diggins said, “I think it’s heavy-handed government at its worst. This bill was passed to solve an undefined problem. They never brought us a plan to say this is what we’d like to do with the studies about drainage, traffic and beach carrying capacity. If those things were done, we’d be open to consider it. This whole thing was done bass-ackwards.

“It was basically done because some county commissioner got their feelings hurt,” Diggins said. “We passed an ordinance that banned a parking garage. It had nothing to do with the county’s plans and that set this whole thing in motion. Once (Manatee County Commissioner) Kevin Van Ostenbridge saw that, he threatened us with retribution; and apparently, this is part of that retribution.”

Diggins and Titsworth were asked if the county ever considered buying the nearby vacant Bank of America property and building a parking garage there instead.

“I brought that up in front of Kevin and he said, ‘Why would I do that when we already own the county beach?’ He didn’t want to do it,” Titsworth said.

“I talked to Kevin before I was a commissioner and I brought up that suggestion. He said why would we do that? We already own the county beach,” Diggins echoed.

Soustek said, “There’s a lot of people here that are very concerned. We appreciate everyone who takes a stand against big government trying to take away home rule rights from the cities. It’s not the solution. It’s just another problem. There are other solutions. There are studies that were done in the past and they recommend off-Island mass transportation to the Island. That would help with the traffic. I think they should have taken a lot more time to look into the matter before they pushed it through.”

Holmes Beach resident and Island business owner Morgan Bryant helped organize the protest.

Protestors oppose beach parking garage
Carla Ballew, Talha Siddique and Morgan Bryant participated in Friday’s protest. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

“I want to preserve Anna Maria Island. We don’t need a 1,500-space parking garage. It’s sad that the first thing people are going to see when they drive over the bridge is a giant parking garage,” she said.

“The biggest thing here is big government overreach and circumventing our home rule and our city’s ability to preserve itself. I was upset driving over here when I heard the news. I don’t know that this protest will change anything, but at least our voices will be heard. I hope the city and the county can find a better solution. People need to be made aware of the parking spaces we have throughout Holmes Beach and the Island. I grew up in east Bradenton. I understand why people get upset when they can’t find parking spaces, but there are parking spaces,” Bryant said.

Protestors oppose beach parking garage
Manatee County has the green light to make the parking lot east of Manatee Beach into a three-story parking garage from end to end. – Troy Morgan/PhotosFromTheAir.com | Submitted

“Some of us are also concerned that this will open up the door to a higher structure and before you know it, we’ll have a whole bunch of high-rises on the Island,” former Island resident Carla Ballew said. “We’re trying to keep the jewel that it was, which it’s not anymore, but we’re still trying to preserve some of that quaintness that used to be Anna Maria Island.”

“The county has completely mishandled this entire situation from start to finish. This is an absolute misuse and waste of our tax dollars,” Speak Out Manatee founder Talha Siddique said. “The county has closed off far more beach parking than the city of Holmes Beach has and that’s almost $50 million that could go to schools, teachers, our police and firefighters and our crumbling infrastructure. Our elected officials want to put our money towards something we don’t want. At its core this is a local issue. Our county commission didn’t want to work out a deal with the city. That’s why we need to speak out and we need to vote in 2024. If these county commissioners aren’t going to vote in accordance with what we want them to do, we have an opportunity to take anybody out of office who doesn’t want to listen to us.”

Longtime Island resident Tom Aposporos said, “The governor signed the bill and it surprises me because I understood he was a believer in home rule. This is the antithesis of home rule. Can you imagine a parking garage staring you right in the face as you’re driving onto that bucolic Island? And making traffic worse, not better. How can anyone who has an ounce of decency think that’s a good idea?”

Regarding Robinson and Boyd’s legislative efforts, Aposporos said, “I’m surprised. I’ve never had a reason to disrespect either one of them. I do not understand this at all. I think there has been political intrigue between the local governments and those gentlemen as state officials, but somehow I think that can be worked out. It doesn’t have to become this draconian decision to build a multi-story parking garage in the middle of a beautiful place. It will not accomplish what they’re saying it will accomplish and I hope that all comes out in the courts.”

Protestors oppose beach parking garage
Charlene Smock, left, and Brandi Brady question State Rep. Will Robinson Jr.’s legislative efforts. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Charlene Smock and Brandi Brady were among those holding blue and red signs that said, “Danger Will Robinson.” Smock lives in Palma Sola and Brady’s family has owned and operated the West Coast Surf Shop next to Manatee Beach for more than five decades.

Regarding DeSantis signing the bill, Brady said, “We just found out and we’re devastated. You’re going to fill that big concrete building on the beach with a lot more people coming to the Island and leaving the Island. All the tourists that come into our shop love the Island the way it is and everybody we’ve talked to is against the garage. That might be great for our business, but no. We have enough business. Everybody has enough business. The traffic’s going to be even worse,” Brady said.

Smock said, “Think about emptying that parking garage with 1,500 cars all trying to come out at once during bad weather.”

Smock suggested the county finish its Coquina Beach parking improvements so those temporarily unavailable parking spaces are available again.

Summer sports kick off at The Center

Written by Monica Simpson on . Posted in Football, Sports.

ANNA MARIA – As the first official day of summer approaches, the heat of the Island evenings pushes The Center’s youth sports activities inside with indoor soccer’s kickoff games last week. Thursday night started the adult co-ed recreational summer flag football action on the big field with competitive action once again.

Because of ties and forfeits, only one team in each of the youth indoor leagues came out victorious at the end of their games. Teams Solid Rock Construction and Island Vacation Properties won in their respective leagues.

In 8- to 10-year-old league play, Solid Rock Construction hit the gymnasium floor against team Progressive Cabinetry. Strong goal-scoring by the Solid Rock squad gave them the win with the final score 6-4.

Scoring for Solid Rock, Matthew Darak made four goals. Teammate Holden put two points on the scoreboard. At the net, Isaac Roadman protected the goal with skill making five saves in the team’s win week one.

Max McMaster scored the two goals for Progressive Cabinetry, while Vincent Gollamundi miraculously made 15 big stops in the game as goalie for his team.

Island Vacation Properties was the lone victor in the 11- to 13-year-old league due to a forfeit by team Moss Builders.

Indoor soccer action between team Coastline West Team – Wagner Realty and Solid Rock Construction ended in a 3-3 tie. With 11 saves by Austin Guess for Solid Rock, the team held its own against the Coastline West squad thanks to three goals by Wes Saxon.

Coastline’s goals came off the boots of David Zupa with two goals and Grady Sandhoff with a solo goal. Making eight amazing saves, the Coastline West Team’s goalie, Blake Brower, helped his team hold on to the tie, giving each team one point in the season.

After four adult flag football games, four teams came out on top finishing the week with 1-0-0 records. Teams Luxury Services, Moss Builders, Sandbar Seafood & Spirits and Solid Rock Construction each took home a win.

Starting off the season, Salty Printing matched up with last season’s big winners, team Luxury Services. With a slightly different lineup, the Luxury team easily won their first game 35-12. Tim Holly topped the men’s flag-pulling for the week with eight snags.

In another high-scoring game and aerial assault, Moss Builders scored 45 points against the Gulf Drive Café defense. The Gulf Drive team managed to put up 26 points on the scoreboard in their first loss last Thursday night.

Defense was the name of the game in the third game of the adult flag football season with the Solid Rock Construction team winning against team Cortez Deep Sea Fishing 14-7. Evelyn Long made seven amazing stops with flag pulls for the Solid Rock team, just short of Holly.

Ending the night with the closest game of the week, Sandbar Seafood & Spirits barely earned the win against The Banks Home Lending Team. Winning by two points, the Sandbar team came out on top with the final score 28-26.

Playing toward the championship games in August, 16 teams, three leagues, two sports compete at The Center all summer.

 

Sun Scoreboard

 

June 13

 

Youth Indoor Soccer

 

8- to 10-year-old league
Week 1

 

AMI Dolphin Tours – Forfeit Tie

Intentional Resilient Intuitive – Forfeit Tie

 

Solid Rock Construction 6

Progressive Cabinetry 2

 

11- to 13-year-old league

 

Week 1

 

 

Coastline West Team – Wagner Realty 3

Solid Rock Construction 3

 

Island Vacation Properties W by Forfeit

Moss Builders L

 

June 15

 

Adult Co-Ed Flag Football

 

Week 1

 

 

Luxury Services 35

Salty Printing 12

 

 

Moss Builders 45

Gulf Drive Café 26

 

 

Solid Rock Construction 14

Cortez Deep Sea Fishing 7

Sandbar Seafood & Spirits 28

The Banks Home Lending Team 26

Suncoast Waterkeeper opposes fish farm

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

In a press release last week, Suncoast Waterkeeper and a coalition of ocean advocates announced their opposition to what they called a bait-and-switch permit application for the Velella Epsilon industrial finfish aquaculture facility 40 miles off the Sarasota coast. The press release explains, “Florida fishermen; homeowner association leaders; business owners; community and clean water advocates; other concerned residents, and visitors to the Gulf coast gathered today to protest a “bait-and-switch” on the terms of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) permit that was issued for wastewater discharge from the Velella Epsilon industrial finfish aquaculture facility. The open cage fish farm operation is planned for construction about 40 miles off the Sarasota County, Florida coast. Ocean Era, the company that requested the permit, recently informed EPA that it plans to swap out both the kind of fish to be raised and the type of facility to be constructed.”

Groups challenging the permit in ongoing litigation included Food & Water Watch, Center for Food Safety, Healthy Gulf, Recirculating Farms, Sierra Club, Suncoast Waterkeeper and Tampa Bay Waterkeeper. The parties sent a letter to the EPA on June 7 urging the agency to void the existing permit and do an entirely new impact assessment, with a public comment period. The letter states:

  • “…on May 10, 2023, Ocean Era expressly acknowledged that it does ‘not intend to implement the project as currently permitted (i.e., with almaco jack or a SPM net pen system)’ and instead requested to alter both the species of fish proposed to be raised by Ocean Era (changing from almaco jack to red drum) and the type of net pen system utilized for the facility (changing from a swivel-point mooring system to a grid mooring system).
  • “Accordingly, we hereby call upon EPA to exert its jurisdiction and authority under the Clean Water Act to revoke NPDES Permit FL0A00001 in its entirety, in light of Ocean Era’s explicit admission that it will not — indeed, as a practical matter, it cannot — implement the project as currently permitted.”
Suncoast Waterkeeper opposes fish farm
Justin Bloom, founder of Suncoast Waterkeeper, addresses attendees at the fish farm press conference. – Samantha Wassmer | Submitted

Attending the press conference, Justin Bloom, founder and board member of Suncoast Waterkeeper, stated, “Notwithstanding the major changes to the project proposal, this permit is flawed and not adequately protective of the environment and our coastal communities that rely on clean and healthy waters. The new changes are equivalent to an entirely new project and make it clear that the permitting agencies should require a new permit proposal.”

Also present was Dr. Neal Schleifer, vice president of the Siesta Key Condominium Council (SKCC), representing over 90 associations and 7,000 residences.

“The changes should result in revocation of the permit, which is widely opposed by residents and local municipalities as a danger to the environment and local economy,” Schleifer said. “The changes introduce new issues and question the credibility of previous company information. Imagine the potential problems if this facility existed during Hurricane Ian or the subsequent massive red tide outbreak.”

Dr. Larry Allan, Manatee-Sarasota Sierra Club steering committee member and wildlife photographer, repeated what so many in the crowd said in some form or another.

“It’s not aquaculture I oppose in general, but the proposed placement of this project – no matter what kind of fish or what kind of open cage – just offshore from an area plagued with annual red tide blooms makes absolutely no sense for anyone,” Allan said.

While the lawsuit is currently on hold pending an EPA review of the Velella Epsilon project changes, Marianne Cufone, director of recirculating farms, steering committee member of the Don’t Cage Our Oceans coalition and a Florida attorney on the lawsuit, was in Washington, D.C.  at the time of the event discussing offshore finfish farming bills.

“EPA should withdraw the permit it issued for the Velella Epsilon industrial finfish aquaculture facility and do a full environmental review of the new plans, including meaningful opportunities for public input, to fully consider all the potential impacts and alternatives,” she said.

If you would like more information on the pending permit and project, contact Justin Bloom at 917-991-7593 or bloomesq1@gmail.com, Casey Streeter at 239-333-8832 or casey@floridawatermen.org, Cris Costello at 941-914-0421 or cris.costello@sierraclub.org and  Shane Tan at shane.tan@berlinrosen.com.

Castles in the Sand

Timing is everything

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

In life, sometimes it’s just luck that makes the life-changing decisions we make look genius. In real estate, the importance of the old adage, “location, location, location” is only surpassed by timing – and you can’t plan timing.

The summer of 2020 started the pandemic buying spree and combined with interest rates dropping to 3% it was all-out insanity. Nationally, the median number of days on the market in 2019 pre-pandemic was 30 to 40. In 2020 that number started to drop into the 20s and into the teens in 2021-22.

Florida in general has experienced a longer number of days to get properties into contract. Specifically, Manatee County, as of the last set of statistics released by the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee, reports that single-family homes took 28 days to get into contract as opposed to 5 days last year. Most of this is a reflection of the low inventory available, slightly higher than last year but still historically low.

Buyers who were lucky enough to buy when mortgage rates were low and homes were still available will benefit from that decision for decades, affecting every other aspect of their life choices. Those buyers who missed the market blame themselves for taking their eye off the ball and not acting faster or not taking a risk. Some of this may be true, but frankly, no one during those years really knew what was going to happen. The entire population of the country was frozen in place both literally and figuratively, making decision-making difficult, especially for first-time and marginal buyers.

Similarly, the run-up to the financial crisis and the bursting of the housing bubble in 2008 was unpredictable. Buyers and investors were buying anything and everything for overinflated prices. When the bubble exploded, the value of their properties declined so much it took a decade for some of it to come back.

An economics professor at the University of Georgia presented this hypothetical I recently read. A buyer who purchased a house in June of 2020 for $300,000 – about the median for homes at the time – with a 20% down payment and a 3% mortgage rate would pay about $89,000 in interest over the first 15 years of a 30-year loan. By comparison, someone who bought at the same price in June of 2022 with a 6% mortgage rate would pay about $190,000 in interest over 15 years. Two years made an enormous difference.

But this is now and even if you feel you didn’t act three years ago, you can act now. Economists have always believed that homeownership is an important generator of wealth. They focus on moving forward, especially for young first-time buyers who have years ahead of them to create wealth. Americans have more faith in real estate that in any other investment. A recent Gallup survey indicated that 34% of Americans rated real estate the best long-term investment, down from 41% in 2021 and 45% in 2022.

The lesson here is that buying a home is a more important decision than when you buy that home. You have to be in it to win it, you have to be in it to create a family home, and you have to be in it to create the biggest generator of wealth this country has ever consistently had. Timing is important, but action is long-term.

Letter to the Editor: DeSantis should veto HB 947

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Letter to the Editor, Opinion.

There is a smarter, less costly approach to increase parking capacity in Holmes Beach.

Anna Maria Island (AMI) is a treasure. We must protect it from the current misguided construction plan of a four-story, $45M garage at Holmes Beach. This project will create a bottleneck at the T intersection of Manatee Avenue and Gulf Drive, creating traffic delays of two hours or more at peak times. Queueing models prove that congestion on the island will become explosively worse than it already is.

More visitors are welcome on AMI, as they bring additional business to the restaurants and shopping outlets. But there are smarter, more cost-effective alternatives than building a massive garage at a choke point.

An alternative is to distribute the traffic load across multiple points. For example, Manatee County can contract with numerous parking lots off-island, including east on Manatee Avenue, to use their idle spaces. And shuttles can carry beachgoers to and from Holmes Beach. This is a smarter approach that is less costly, reduces current traffic congestion on the island, and mitigates the problems that will be otherwise imposed by the original misguided design. It also better serves the economic interests of the area.

 

Allan Levy

Perico Island