HOLMES BEACH –Several residents protested the millage rate and questioned the budget process during the city’s first budget public hearing last week.

Treasurer Lori Hill said the proposed millage rate is 1.75, a 7.02 increase from the rollback millage rate of 1.6352, and explained, “The rollback rate is the millage rate that would have to be levied to generate the same amount of revenue as last year.”

“I see it as a tax increase,” resident James Kihm said. “You’re looking for an opportunity to spend our money.”

And resident Bob Johnson pointed out, “The standard is what millage rate do we need to raise the money to do the things we need to do and must do and must do efficiently.”

Commissioner Jean Peelen agreed and stressed, “Whether you call it a tax increase or not, more money is coming out of the pockets of our citizens. I would like to see us cut some things out of the budget or go to the rollback rate. We’re just rubber stamping.”

Commissioner David Zaccagnino disagreed and said, it would be “penny wise and pound foolish” to go to the roll back rate.

Mayor Carmel Monti stressed that he, as the city’s CEO, and the city commissioners determine the need and added, “The other avenue is to raise revenue in another way.”

Commissioner Marvin Grossman said they should keep the proposed millage rate and find other ways to raise revenue.

“We should pledge to trim some parts if the budget so this doesn’t happen the third year in a row,” Zaccagnino said.

The millage rate was approved with Peelen dissenting.

The budget

During the budget hearing, Kihm said he has been corresponding with Hill and some commissioners regarding the reserves and asked why the city has three months of reserves instead of two, why does it require more than other cities, how is the amount decided and how much do other cities require?

Hill said she thought she had answered Kihm’s questions, but Kihm said he received “generalities and platitudes and no concrete answers.”

Zaccagnino said there is “no hard number. We don’t know how much a storm would cost. We’ve always had this storm fund, and I don’t think it’s enough.”

Kihm asked what process the city uses to determine the amount of reserves, and Peelen said she is proud that the city has the reserve fund, but there is no process.

Monti said they could develop one, and Human Services Analyst Mary Buonagura said she would research other Gulf coast cities of the same size.

Peelen also pointed out that the commission has “never publicly examined the budget, but rubber stamps it,” and “there are new expenses that are not critical to the operations of the city.”

Zaccagnino again said he hopes to trim the budget next year, and Chair Judy Titsworth said, “This is the time to tell us those things. We don’t have an approved budget yet, so if you have a list, let’s do it.”

Peelen agreed and said, “You’re saying next year we’ll tighten up. How do you suggest we tighten up this year?”

Titsworth said Zaccagnino could bring a list of potential cuts to the second public hearing on Sept. 24, and commissioners approved the budget with Peelen dissenting.

HOLMES BEACH – Calling it a document with phrases “you can drive a Mack truck through,” Human Services Analyst Mary Buonagura advised city commissioners to highlight language they are unhappy with in a Manatee County resolution on the use of beach concession revenues.

County officials have said they plan to use surplus beach concession revenues for Island projects that all three cities agree on and have submitted a draft resolution establishing the guidelines.

Commissioner David Zaccagnino enumerated issues with language in several sections including:

• The surplus revenue should be a percentage instead of a dollar amount;
• The language, “the funding of public projects that benefit Anna Maria Island,” is vague;
• The language, “A project may be undertaken directly by the county,” could eliminate Island input;
• A provision requiring matching funds from the Island cities should be removed;
• The language, “Surplus concession revenues are not reserved for the uses described in this resolution,” implies the county could use the money for whatever it wants.

Not a contract

However, Commissioner Jean Peelen pointed out, “This is not a contract. It’s the county’s money, and they’re saying, ‘It is our intension that the Island should benefit from this money,’ but never in a million years are they going to say, ‘This is your money and we will not use it for any other purpose.’”

Chair Judy Titsworth said the money should be used at the public beach for such things as fixing the parking lot and hiring more lifeguards. She said she did not think it should be given to the Community Center, as requested by Community Center board of director’s member David Teitelbaum.

Zaccagnino agreed with Titsworth regarding the Community Center.

Mayor Carmel Monti said the intention is for the money to be used for a variety of projects, for example to fund an Island-wide traffic study. He also said the matching funds do not necessarily mean 50/50 and could be in kind.

Monti said he wants clarification on what matching funds means and that commissioners should put their concerns in writing.

From left, Island Time’s Christina Merenda, Paula Riley,
Eric Fleishman and Bill Herlihy gather near the Tribute
to Heroes souvenir table.

joe hendricks | sun

 

 

BRADENTON BEACH – Saturday afternoon, the staff and patrons of Island Time Bar & Grill helped raise more than $3,000 for the Manatee County Emergency Services Memorial Fund.

Sponsored in part by The Sun, the four-hour, 9/11-inspired Tribute to Heroes fund-raiser included a free buffet for first responders and veterans, a silent auction, a 50-50 raffle, T-shirt sales and the donation of the business establishment’s afternoon net profits.

“We obtained our goal, raising $500 more than we did last year,” said Island Time owner Bill Herlihy, as the fourth annual event concluded.

“It’s for a wonderful cause, and we can never forget. Thanks to all our great sponsors and to everyone on Bridge Street who helped out. We all believe in supporting our first responders,” Herlihy said.

Retired Nassau County Police Department Det. Lt. Bob Lucas was among those on hand. He and his wife, Jan, live in Long Island and have a second home here on the Island.

Lucas was near the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

“I was going into the city at around 8:30 a.m. because I had a meeting at FBI headquarters in Manhattan. When we pulled into the subway station our train became smoke-filled and only half the train was in the station because part of the first building had come down. We were told to exit the station. When we got to the top of the stairs, we were directed by NYPD to leave the area. I looked at the officer, whose eyes were as wide as silver dollars, and he said, ‘Lieutenant you gotta get out of here. The buildings are coming down.’”

After he discovered the FBI building in lockdown mode, Lucas walked to 1 Police Plaza, where he was directed to the Brooklyn Bridge.

“As I was walking, I turned around and looked at the World Trade Center. I saw people jumping out the windows, holding hands and going down. I then heard a large rumble and the first building collapsed. I was in the dust cloud running down the street, and I can still hear the twisting and the turning of the steel that gave me nightmares for days.

“As I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, I turned and looked and the second building went down. It was the most horrifying sight you could see. I think about it all the time.”

He and his wife Jan visited ground zero two weeks later.

“We went in the evening. It was dark, and it reminded me of hell, with all the dust and debris.

"I remember turning the corner and seeing two beams in the shape of a cross. It brought me to tears," Jan recalled.

When asked how 9/11 impacted his life, Lucas said, “It gave me more of an appreciation for the things we have, for life itself and for how short life can be.”

Sarasota County Fire Department EMT Cheryl Douma was still in training on that fateful day.

“I was in EMT school. When I walked in that morning, someone said a plane had hit the World Trade Center. They wheeled in a TV, and we watched the tower collapse. It’s etched in my memory forever, and it gave me more respect for what I was doing,” she said.

“Being an EMT gives my life greater purpose and allows me to be more involved in my community,” Douma said.

HOLMES BEACH – After yet another revision since its January introduction, city commissioners approved the second reading of the city’s noise ordinance last week.

At the ordinance’s first reading, resident Maro Lorimer, asked that continuous equipment noise be limited to 40 decibels, and commissioners lowered it to 50 decibels.

Lorimer again asked commissioner to lower it further, and Chair Judy Titsworth said she could be comfortable with 45 decibels.

“We need to be reasonable,” Commissioner David Zaccagnino protested. ‘We haven’t had many complaints unless it’s a loud party house.”

Commissioner Pat Morton agreed with Zaccagnino, and City Attorney Patricia Petruff cautioned commissioners.

“I don’t know how 45 or 50 sounds,” she pointed out. “I’m concerned that without field work, you may put three-fourths of the town out of compliance.

“You don’t understand the impacts of the decision. If you want to lower it, don’t take action tonight, but ask the chief to take the decibel meter out and investigate.”

Commissioners agreed to leave it at 50 decibels. They also agreed to add language suggested by resident Andy Sheridan regarding revving engines.

Police Chief Bill Tokajer supplied the following language from Sarasota’s noise ordinance: “Rapid throttle advance (revving) of an internal combustion engine on the public right-of-way resulting in increased sound from the engine for the purpose of drawing attention to the source of the sound.”

City Attorney Patricia Petruff suggested they put it in under Section 6. Prohibited Acts.

tOM VAUGHT | SUN

Brian Seymour and Tammy and Paul Foster pour
ice water over Sergeant Paul David, who wore a
tuxedo he bought from the Roser Church Thrift Store for $5.

ANNA MARIA – The city turned into a village Friday afternoon as residents joined in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge at the entrance to the city pier to raise money for local victims of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Paul Davis, who heads the city’s sheriff’s patrol, quickly put together the project, which worked seamlessly. Tickets were available at city hall, and staff drew a winning ticket at the pier for the person to pour the icy water over Davis. The money raised goes to the ALS Association’s local Loaner Closet, where victims of the debilitating disease get special equipment needed during a certain stage, and when the need passes, they return it for someone else to use.

Paul and Tammy Foster, owners of Ginny and Jane E’s, won the first draw and Mayor SueLynn announced the winners could auction off their opportunity to raise even more money. Michelle and Douglas Shaw, who were dressed for the beach, won the auction with a bid of $25, and they auctioned the winning ticket again to Anna Maria General Store owner Brian Seymour for $50. The winners decided that all three of them would soak the sergeant.

Davis showed up looking quite dapper in a tuxedo he bought from the Roser Church Store for $5. That didn’t last too long, however, as a big, blue container was hoisted over his head and a cascade of ice cubes framed his face for a second before the water and the rest of the ice caught up.

As announced last week, a second victim was scheduled, and it was Mayor SueLynn. Again, they drew a ticket and Anna Maria Code Enforcement Officer Gerry Rathvon won. In order to get more money and possibly because the mayor signs her paychecks, Rathvon put her ticket up for bid. The ticket changed hands again and Carol Ann Magill won. Davis helped her as they slowly poured the ice water over the mayor. When it was over, she jumped up shivering, finding that she was surrounded by ice on the deck. She navigated away carefully avoiding the ice cubes.

The last victim was Manatee County Commissioner John Chappie who joined the fun, and another ticket was chosen. Michelle and Douglas Shaw ended up doing the honors, pouring slowly over the commissioner’s head.

Public works employees were there to sweep away the ice so the people coming from and going to the pier would not slip and fall. Someone remarked that slipping on ice in September on Anna Maria Island would be hard to explain.

In all, more than $1,000 was raised. Sgt. Davis remarked he would like to try it again, maybe in conjunction with the other cities and perhaps in a central Island location.