BRADENTON BEACH – Life along the beach is returning to normal this week after the renourishment project ended two weekends ago.

During the nighttime, Great Lakes Dock and Dredge picked up the pipes that ran along the beach and staged its renourishment dredge, generator boat and other floating equipment near Egmont Key. Bulldozers were still active on the beach tilling the sand and knocking down escarpments - little cliffs created by wave erosion.

According to Michelle Pfeiffer, spokeswoman for the project, the final portion of the project along Cortez and Coquina beaches was done in 11 days. They put down roughly 165,000 cubic yards of sand, at a cost of about $5.5 million.

Pfeiffer said the staging area for equipment at Manatee Public Beach should be cleared by the end of this week or early next week.

At the Manatee Public Beach lifeguard tower last Friday, Lifeguard/EMT Roberto Pena and Lifeguard Marshall Greene were keeping an eye on the growing crowd of beachgoers. There was a lot more beach for them to survey.

“They built this sand up so it is higher,” said Pena. “North and south of here, the beach was extended further into the Gulf.”

Jim Romig, of Des Moines, Iowa, was sitting near the, Anna Maria Beach Café where people were lined up for a late breakfast or an early lunch. When asked if he knew about the renourishment, he said yes.

“In fact, it was a renourishment that got us to discover Anna Maria Island,” he said. “We used to go to Lido Beach, and one year they said there would be a beach renourishment so we decided to find another place. We ended up renting a three-bedroom house on Magnolia Avenue for the price of a motel in Lido.”

Romig said he knew something was up when they arrived on the Island.

“I noticed the beach was larger,” he said. “It’s marvelous what you’ve done.”

Romig was at the beach with his wife, Angela, and Jim and Teri Gallagher, friends from the Boston area.

“We come to Anna Maria Island every year,” he said. “It’s our favorite place.”

At Coquina Beach, Capt. Joe Westerman and Rex Beach were manning the tower. They praised the renourishment.

“They did a good job,” said Westerman. “The sand is nice and white, and it’s good quality.

“The jetties that are here are now covered by sand, but they put markers in the sand to show where they are,” Westerman said. “That way the beach cleaner won’t hit them under the sand.”

Westerman said they appreciate the fact that the 17 or so jetties are not exposed.

“Not dealing with rocks and jetties is fine by us,” he said. “Anytime you can cover up a hazard and banish the need of rescues is great.”

“They did a great job,” Beach added.

Len Mangus, who works at the Coquina Beach Café, said he learned a lot about renourishments.

“It’s a big improvement,” he said. “I wanted to know what they were and how long it would take, and now I do.”

Laurie Nichols also works at the café and she was impressed with Great Lakes Dredge and Dock.

“I think they were awesome,” she said. “They were efficient and nice and they did great.”

“People can’t believe the difference,” Mangus said.

 

BRADENTON BEACH – City officials overspent their budget over the last two years by more than $600,000, according to a report prepared by auditor Randy Dillingham.

At a work session last week, Dillingham said the city’s expenditures exceeded revenues by $266,314 in the fiscal year from Oct. 1, 2012 to Sept. 31, 2013, and by $386,012 the fiscal year before that.

“That’s been two years of excess expenditures,” he told commissioners. “If you add those together, you’re close to $600,000.”

Five years ago, the city had $1.8 million in its general fund. Two years ago, the balance was $1.5 million. Last year it was $1,000,050.

“At this rate we’d basically be out of cash in two or three years,” said Mayor Bill Shearon.

At the close of the recent fiscal year, the net worth of city assets was $8.1 million, down $272,057 from the previous year.

On the bright side, the city brought in $200,000 unexpected revenues last year and has no debt obligations. The Tingley Library fund is in good shape, as are the Community Redevelopment Ageny (CRA) funds that will help cover pier reconstruction costs.

The audit process required 24 adjustments to account for non-budgeted expenditures.

“When we come in and post 24 adjustments as part of the audit process that would tell you the city’s financial statements weren’t as accurately reported as they could be,” Dillingham said.

Non-budgeted expenditures included $193,000 on storm water projects, $84,000 for a floating dock, and $27,000 on street repairs. Additional inadequacies included a failure to invoice Manatee County for more than $30,000 in trolley stop reimbursements, and writing off $34,000 in bad debt due to poor record keeping and collection policies.

The budget shortfalls were the shared responsibility of former City Clerk Nora Idso and a previous city administration that included former Mayor John Shaughnessy, former Commissioners Ric Gatehouse and Gay Buehler and current Commissioners Jan Vosburgh and Ed Straight.

When asked how the budget shortfalls happened, Dillingham attributed it to a failure to make budget amendments throughout the year. He said the additions of City Treasurer Sheila Dalton and City Clerk Jamie Anderson, and better monthly financial reporting, should produce better results next year.

Earlier this year, the commission unanimously agreed to create a new and non-budgeted city treasurer’s position. Last month, the commission was divided on the decision to spend $38,000 on non-budgeted technology upgrades that were eventually approved. During that discussion, Commissioner Vosburgh again shared her concern that the mayor and commissioners were spending too much money on non-budgeted items.

The current budget will need to be amended to reflect the additional expenditures, and it is hoped that additional unbudgeted revenues will help offset at least some of the unplanned expenses.

A one-page document titled “The Mayor’s Audit Report” concludes with a vision for the future that includes a list of policies and procedures designed to ensure better fiscal responsibility moving forward. Not looking to place blame on the past administration, Shearon said the important thing is to correct the problems so they do not happen again.

The state mandated annual audit performed by the CS&L accounting firm cost the city $29,000.

ANNA MARIA – This year’s Island Affaire, "Just Another Day in Paradise," on Saturday, April 12, will feature entertainment by international recording artist Bertie Higgins.

Higgins, who grew up in Tarpon Springs, left college and became drummer for the Tommy Roe band, The Roemans. The band toured the world, starring alongside the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys, Tom Jones, Roy Orbison, the Dave Clark Five and more.

Higgins left The Roemans, returned to Florida, began playing a guitar and writing music and lyrics. In 1980, he moved to Atlanta, and there he wrote and recorded “Key Largo,” which became an international hit.

Other hit singles, including “Just Another Day in Paradise,” “Casablanca” and “Pirates and Poets,” followed. For the past several years, Higgins and his group, The Band of Pirates, have toured extensively around the globe.

The Affaire

The Affaire will be held in the Grande Ballroom at the Center and include a champagne reception, an open bar and a selection of hors d’oeuvres beginning at 6 p.m.; a dinner catered by Harry’s Continental Kitchens with a dessert bar; live and silent auctions and entertainment.

Individual tickets are $175, and tables of eight or 10 are available. There also is the option of attending the Pre-Affaire VIP party at 5 p.m., which includes special entertainment, VIP seating and a private auction preview for $250 per person.

Black tie is preferred. The Center will provide valet parking services.

Seating is limited, so reserve your seats today. RSVP by May 10 to Wende Webb at wendew@myamicc.com or by calling 941-778-1908, ext. 9203.

Sponsorships for the Affaire are available by contacting Webb and include Diamond, $10,000; Gold, $5,000; Silver, $2,500; VIP Table, $2,000; Bronze, $1,000; and Underwriters, $250 to $999.

HOLMES BEACH – Brian Check, project manager for Mainsail, said the company is on board with a boardwalk at its marina along Marina Drive beside Wells Fargo Bank.

The boardwalk has been a part of Mayor Carmel Monti’s city center plan for the area around the intersection of Marina and Gulf drives. The plan would include making the area more pedestrian and bike friendly and offer amenities to draw people to the area.

Originally Monti showed the boardwalk along the Marina Drive side of the marina, with retail barges in the marina. However, Check suggested a 35- to 40-foot boardwalk extending over some of the present boat slips and wrapping around the side by the bank.

Monti said there could be kiosks on the boardwalk where people could get gelato, espresso, cut flowers, produce and the like.

“Once people get something they could sit down at a table with an umbrella,” Monti pointed out. “The thought was to give more things downtown where people will congregate and walk and bike to.”

Monti showed sketches by John Stanton featuring a row of kiosks, an ice cream stand, fencing, a dock entrance and chairs and umbrella tables.

“The kiosks would be like the ones at any shopping mall and would be portable and changeable,” Building Official Tom O’Brien added.

In other business the group:

• Discussed developing a drainage plan for the entire area;
• Agreed that a right of way plan is needed;
• Agreed that the two crosswalks in the area function well, but another is needed to connect the shopping centers;
• Discussed installing a sidewalk along the S&S Plaza side of Gulf Drive.

HOLMES BEACH – Charter review commission members discussed changing the two-year terms of office, imposing term limits and adding height and density limits to the charter, but did not make any decisions on recommendations.

“We may want to go to three or four years,” member David Cheshire said regarding terms of commissioners and advantages of longer terms would be that “it takes a significant amount of time and hands on experience to really build a practical knowledge of how the city operates, who the people are, what the processes are and how to work with your fellow commissioners, the mayor and department heads.”

He said it takes six to nine months to reach effectiveness and after 1 1/2 years the commissioner must begin campaigning for reelection.

Member Pam Leckie agreed and said it would give continuity for the staff and that “it puts great pressure on the community to have an election every two years.”

Chair Bob Johnson disagreed and noted, “The more often the community is involved, the better off we are. One of the advantages is that we have is having different people with different skills coming in at different times.”

Member Jim Plath pointed out that it is a “performance review every two years” and that “the learning curve is one-time experience.” He advocated two years, as did member David Lester.

Other speak

Commissioner Pat Morton said one advantage to the current term is that it is only a two-year commitment, but a disadvantage is that it takes time to reach effectiveness. He said campaigning also takes time and money, and he spends about $2,000 on an election.

Commissioner Jean Peelen cited the learning curve and said she thought she was experienced because of having worked for the federal government, but “I was so wrong. Working at the local level is so totally different.”

She said she spent $2,000 to $3,000 campaigning and that it took four to five months in office before she knew what she was doing. She advocated three-year terms.

Resident Lisa Pierce pointed out, “We want to encourage citizen participation, not a career.”

Term of mayor

Most members felt differently about the term of the mayor and said it should be three or four years.

“The mayor is the CEO and must have much deeper level of knowledge and interaction to do the job effectively,” Cheshire said, and Leckie and Lester agreed.

Morton advocated four years because “the mayor could lose all the progress he or she has made.”

Peelen favored three or four years, and said the mayor has spent a lot of time building relationships with city and county officials, which could be lost.

“Its imperative to have a longer tenure for the mayor,” Police Chief Bill Tokajer said. “Look at the projects that he’s started to implement. Some of those are going take more than two years when you are coordinating with all those other entities involved.”

Mayor Carmel Monti advocated three years for commissioners and four for the mayor and said the learning curve is six months to a year.

Treasurer Lori Hill agreed with Monti on the mayor's term and said, “It’s a lot of change in two years. Four years is a better choice.”

Johnson felt differently and said, “I look at four years and kind of shudder. I could compromise at three. I still think the for the community to speak is absolutely important.”

Term limits

Lester said voters can lose good legislators when they term out and that “if somebody is in office for 20 years, it’s because people like what they are doing.”

However, Plath pointed out, “I understand the benefit of longer terms if you have good qualified people. If not, it could be a lifetime.”

Leckie stressed, “I’ve never seen term limits that are successful. You are taking away some of the citizens’ rights because if they don’t like it (what the officials are doing) they can vote them out."

Plath, Lester and Johnson agreed, and Johnson asked, “Why would you want to throw out somebody who’s doing the right kind of job?”

Cheshire said he had mixed feelings and that “the voters can impose term limits,” but some people can get stale after too many years in office."

Height and density limits

Prior to the discussion, Cheshire asked City Attorney Patricia Petruff the difference between the comprehensive plan and the land development code (LDC).

Petruff said both are mandated by the state and the comprehensive plan is “your overall policy document that governs your city’s land use with goals, objectives and policies. The LDC gives the details of how you are going to accomplish those goals, objectives and policies.”

Cheshire asked if the city is allowed to place controls on height and density in the charter, and Petruff replied, “Everything I know about putting these types of restrictions in your charter has not turned out in a good way for those local governments that tried to do it. They got mired in litigation. I don’t think I would recommend it.”

Leckie asked how citizens could be protected from high-rise development, and Johnson noted that it takes only three votes to change the current 36-foot height limit. Petruff said the height is in the comprehensive plan, so it would have to be a comprehensive plan change.

Johnson asked how easy it is to change he comprehensive plan, and Petruff said it would require several public hearings, a review by the state and the state or citizens can challenge the change.

Leckie asked if they could require a super majority to change the city’s LDC, and Petruff said they could put that in the charter.

They all agreed that they support the concept, but are unsure how to accomplish it. Petruff said she would research the issue and that she has no objection to a “fairly simple statement in the charter.”

At their next meeting on Wednesday, March 26, at 9 a.m., members plan to determine their positions on these issues and also discuss a city manager form of government

ANNA MARIA – The city commission discussed several topics at a work session last week and then set priorities to a list of problems and concerns gleaned over the recent past.

The list of priorities, some of which are being actively pursued, are:

1. Establishing paid parking;

2. Changing the traffic ordinance;

3. Setting fines for unlawful activity in Gulf Front Park and developing a system for people to help keep it trimmed;

4. Renaming the six lots at Pine Avenue and North Bay Boulevard;

5. Revising the special events permit;

6. Allowing Little Free Libraries in yards.

7. Dealing with sandwich board signs and allowing for exceptions for some businesses;

8. Dealing with residential setbacks and through lots;

9. Adopting the International Property Maintenance Code;

10. Making a wish list for the $350,000 cell tower payment the city will receive this year;

11. Setting up a tree bank;

12. Raising the mayor’s salary;

13. Developing audio visual streaming on websites.

Ground floor living

Before setting the priorities, Building Official Bob Welch discussed the flood prevention ordinance the city is adopting in order to comply with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). He said the city needs to prevent people from turning the ground level of elevated houses into living areas in violation of FEMA rules.

Welch said under the new ordinance, he would have to have homeowners take out the living facilities in the ground level.

“If we leave it, FEMA might come some day and take a survey of homes to catch violations,” he said, adding if FEMA finds too many violations, it could take away the discounts for Federal Flood Insurance that property owners now enjoy.

Commissioner Dale Woodland asked if the city could do an inspection of all the elevated homes.

“If you suspect it is illegal, you can get an inspection warrant,” said City Attorney Jim Dye. “You have to notify the homeowner when you intend to get one.”

Mayor SueLynn said she was opposed to having ground floors under elevated homes concealed by lattice or breakaway walls.

Commissioner Chuck Webb asked if they could require owners of homes with concealed ground floors to allow them to inspect the homes.

“I’m really wary when government gets unfettered access to private property,” Dye replied.

Commissioner Doug Copeland asked what they could do.

Webb said he thought the city could require inspections.

“I understand you can do what you want under the flood prevention ordinance as long as it’s more stringent than the state standard.”

The law allows homeowners to enclose the ground level under an elevated home as long as it allows floodwater to pass through via breakaway walls, lattice walls or no walls. The enclosed area can be no more than 50 percent of the home’s area.

“Fifty percent is huge,” said Commissioner Dale Woodland.

The commission agreed to ask Dye to see if that area could be lowered and said they would tackle the problem later.

Restricted Use Funds

Last year the city ended up returning a donation from Rex Hagen for landscaping, bathrooms and parking at the six lots park because they did not want parking or toilets. They discussed accepting money from the private sector for public projects,

“When you get funding with strings attached, it’s bad,” said SueLynn. “I opposed it then, and I oppose it now.”

They talked about the city of Longboat Key, which got money from private residents for a city center and the money all went into one fund. The donors had no say about where their money went for the project.

“I don’t like it when an agreement limits future decisions, said Webb.

The commissioners agreed to continue talk on that subject later.

For the second time in a month, traffic to and from Anna Maria Island was brought to a standstill due to an accident on one of the bridges. This time, a Jeep lost traction in the rain on the Anna Maria Island Bridge Monday around 1:30 p.m. and ran into the railing, according to police. The unidentified driver was unhurt and the Jeep suffered damage to its undercarriage, but a four-foot hole was punched in a section of concrete bridge railing. The bridge was closed to all traffic for more than 1 1/2 hours until a bridge inspector from the Florida Department of Transportation arrived and deemed it safe to use. Eastbound traffic leaving the Island was diverted south to the Cortez Bridge, basically creating gridlock up and down the Island. Tall boat traffic, meanwhile, also had to wait about 90 minutes until the span on the AMI Bridge could be raised. Shortly after 3 p.m. the bridge on Manatee Avenue was reopened and the backup of cars and boats slowly thinned out. Traffic also was halted three weeks ago when a teenage runaway stole a truck and led police on a high-speed chase through the Island, smashing into 23 vehicles before crashing on the Cortez Bridge. The bridge remained closed for about four hours.

 

 

BRADENTON BEACH – Seeking guidance rather than approval for his revised Bridge Street development proposal, Michael Hynds left the March planning and zoning board meeting with no indication that support for his project is forthcoming.

His revised plan still includes a 60-seat, second story, open-air restaurant at 119 Bridge Street in Bradenton Beach, but no longer includes short-term residential units at the rear of the property, abutting Third Street South.

Hynds would like to increase the number of parking spaces from 10 to 15, and he pitched the idea of adding as many as five additional retail units. He said the ideal configuration would consist of 10 to 12 retail units, including the restaurant. Revisions also call for the main walkway to now be located at the center of the development.

Hynds appeared at the March 12 planning board meeting looking for additional board input before submitting a revised plan for approval by the advisory board and city commissioners.

Board members spoke positively of the proposed changes, but still object to a plan that does not provide parking for a 60-seat restaurant, a concern driven by the fact that the city does not require outdoor dining establishments to provide designated parking. The board fears the proposed development would contribute to Bridge Street congestion.

According to Planning Official Alan Garrett, indoor eateries are required to provide one parking space for every three seats and an additional space for every two employees on duty during the heaviest daily work shift. This has led some in the business community to question the fairness of a developer being allowed to bypass similar requirements.

Hynds told the planning board he intends to provide shuttle service to an off-site parking location, but is not required to do so.

He feels he is being asked to bear the city’s parking burdens. After the meeting he said, “I don’t think it’s fair. The city needs to address its parking problems and develop a plan for parking.”

Outdoor dining parking inequities are expected to be addressed during the pending revision of the city’s land development code, but an earlier version of Hynds’ plan has already been approved and does not require restaurant parking.

In 2013, the planning board recommended city commission denial of an earlier plan, but commissioners discarded that opinion and approved a Planned Unit Development (PUD) request allowing for a restaurant, 10 parking spaces and 10 small-scale retail units designed for start-up businesses and single-owner operations.

“I already have a city-approved set of plans, and I’m hoping this doesn’t end up in court, which is why the mayor wanted me to go have a discussion with the board,” Hynds said.

He can proceed with that plan, but needs commission approval for additional retail units, parking spaces and any other significant revisions. It is possible the commission could approve the walkway relocation as a stand-alone plan amendment that does not significantly alter the plan’s intent.

Commenting on a permitting process that began a year and a half ago, Hynds said, “It’s a political nightmare.” He said he has spent more than $400,000 on additional property acquisitions and plan modifications in his efforts to garner city support for his project.