BRADENTON BEACH – City Attorney Ricinda Perry told commissioners last week that they cannot promise to designate a reserved space for the proposed water taxi on the floating day dock next to the Bradenton Beach Pier.
Manatee County’s long-planned water taxi service includes proposed stops in downtown Bradenton, the City Pier in Anna Maria, the Bradenton Beach Pier and the county-owned South Coquina Boat Ramp in Bradenton Beach. The county has not yet announced an anticipated start date for its initial Friday, Saturday and Sunday water taxi operations.
Perry said she made a few changes to a proposed interlocal agreement recently received from the county. One significant change notes that the water taxi operations must comply with the state-issued sovereign submerged land lease for the existing floating dock and the nine additional perpendicular finger piers that will be connected to the south side of the floating dock later this month, or soon thereafter.
Perry noted the submerged land lease requires the free public dockage offered at the floating day dock to be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. She said the city can’t provide the county with a reserved water taxi landing area.
“There’s really nothing the city can do to give an exclusive spot to Manatee County or any entity on the floating dock. It’s got to stay first-come, first-served,” she said.
City commissioners unanimously approved the draft version of the city’s proposed interlocal agreement presented by Perry on April 6 establishing the city’s requests and requirements pertaining to the use of the pier area as a water taxi stop. The agreement addresses any improvements the county or its contracted water taxi operator, Clearwater Ferry, wish to make to the pier area.
According to the proposed agreement, “The county shall only be responsible for the costs of creating ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) -compliant dockage at the pier for water taxi use. Subsequent maintenance of the pier shall remain the responsibility of the city.”
The city of Anna Maria’s proposed interlocal agreement with the county calls for the county or its contractor to cover the cost of any ongoing maintenance and repairs associated with any water taxi-related improvements or enhancements made to the Anna Maria City Pier.
Mayor John Chappie and Commissioner Jake Spooner said covering the ongoing maintenance costs would be Bradenton Beach’s contribution to the county’s water taxi service. Chappie also said he’s more comfortable with the city’s Public Works Department overseeing any maintenance or repairs needed on the pier or floating dock.
At this point, it’s not known what, if any, improvements the county might request. One potential safety improvement discussed was the installation of safety railings on the floating dock. The floating day dock doesn’t currently feature safety railings running along the length of the dock, but there are railings along the ramp area that leads from the floating dock to the elevated pier.
City Commissioner Jan Vosburgh said she’s shocked that the floating dock doesn’t have safety railings.
Spooner noted it would be difficult to access the floating dock by boat if railings existed along the southern edge of the dock that boaters tie up to. He also questioned the logic of installing railings on the backside of the floating dock, which is not accessible by boat.
Chappie said he doesn’t see the need for safety railings on the floating dock, but if the county installs them, the city will maintain them.
Perry told commission members they didn’t need to worry too much at this point about the specific improvements the county might want to make.
The proposed Bradenton Beach agreement notes, “The county agrees to provide a detailed plan in advance to the Bradenton Beach City Commission for approval showing the proposed landing area on the pier and any ADA-related modifications or improvements required.”
The commission-approved interlocal agreement is to be returned to the county for further review, which could result in additional revisions requested by the county.
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