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received calls at 2 a.m. from delivery truck drivers reporting fires. He sees the burnt brush himself later those mornings, he says. He has emailed the city's Code Enforcement Office several times, but he has had no response. Thus, he and other people with businesses near his went to City Hall Monday afternoon to complain. "The city needs to clear the grass and brush," said Mixon. "I'm begging you: Please get this under control." As we enter the driest month of the year, Mixon and Fee fear an unattended camp- fire could create a wildfire that might — just might — start a 10-alarm conflagration. "You could build a fire here that blazes out of con- trol," noted Mixon. "The businesses around me would be gone. I'm trying to be proac- tive here." Amy Kubanek works on the west side of the tracks at the former Stottlemeyer Lumber Co. headquarters. "A fire would destroy our build- ing," she told the commission. "We employ 100 people and could expand to 400. But people don't feel safe." She added that the company joined the city's program to help businesses prevent and handle trespassing but is experiencing delays in getting police officers to respond. Midco could be considered a strategic asset for the region. During the past five hurricane strikes in the region, the company was key to fueling not only Sarasota but Manatee, DeSoto and Charlotte counties' emergency vehicles. Mixon said, "If we get burned out, the [Florida Department of Environmental Protection] would never let us build back. Mixon is a lifelong resident of the area. In an interview, he said his opinion of the homeless and vagrant population has changed over the years. "It used to be, you could deal with peo- ple up and down the railroad. For years, I had sympathy," he added. "For the people who are truly homeless, the city does a good job for them. But over the past two years, people have become more belligerent, especially in the last six months." He has seen public defecation and urination; spotted the syringes and condoms. "When you see somebody lugging a 24-pack of beer at 8 a.m., you know what's going on," he said. "These people don't want help. They are where they want to be." Mixon noted that he recently called the Fire Department to report another campfire near his fuel facility. "Is it out of control?" asked the person on the other end of the line. "No," said Mixon. Replied the dispatcher on the phone: "Well, call back later." % An aerial view shows the location of Midco Petroleum at 2212 Sixth St. in Sarasota. Image from Google Maps Sarasota News Leader April 25, 2014 Page 10