LONGBOAT KEY – The Jewfish Key Preservation Association has withdrawn its application to be removed from the jurisdiction of the Town of Longboat Key.
Attorney Aaron Thomas of the Najmy Thompson law firm represents the association. On May 31, he sent an email to Longboat Key Town Attorney Maggie Mooney formally withdrawing the “voluntary contraction” petition submitted on Jan. 16.
“Please be informed that the association, along with the property owners of Jewfish Key, has decided to formally withdraw and revoke the Voluntary Contraction Petition,” Thomas wrote. “This decision comes as we are currently in the process of reassessing the Voluntary Contraction Petition in light of the findings and recommendations contained within the Requested Contraction of Jewfish Key Feasibility Study conducted by the Town of Longboat Key.”
No specific reason was given.
The 139-page study prepared by the town includes a summary of the petition and a brief history of the contraction area, the town’s departmental and consultant analyses prepared by department heads from finance, planning, zoning, building, public works, police and fire departments and a market/economic analysis by consultant Willdan Financial of the contraction area relating to the statutory feasibility study criteria provided for in Florida Statutes Chapter 171. Also included are relevant maps, a staff analysis of Florida Statutes, historical documents and town department head credentials and biographies.
The study was prepared to fulfill statutory requirements and was intended to be used by the town commission to evaluate the feasibility of the requested contraction and decide whether to initiate contraction proceedings or to reject the petition, according to the study introduction.
Thomas wrote that since there was no longer a petition or proposal for commissioners to consider at the June 3 commission meeting, the item should be removed from the meeting agenda.
If the contraction had been pursued and was successful, Jewfish Key would have become part of unincorporated Manatee County.
Mooney notified Mayor Ken Schneier and town commissioners of the withdrawal by email: “The purpose of this email is to share with the Town Commission an email transmitted this morning from the attorney for the Jewfish Key Preservation Association withdrawing and revoking the Contraction Petition submitted on Jan. 16, 2024.”
Despite the withdrawal, Mooney wrote that the commission should still plan on convening to open the public meeting since the session was noticed to the public.
“Given the withdrawal, there will not be a presentation from town staff on the Jewfish Key contraction request as previously identified in the meeting agenda and no further town commission action or discussion on the matter is required,” she wrote.
