Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/97647
Sarasota News Leader December 7, 2012 Page 41 as shelters. "And we use our [school] shelters modern emergency radio system to replace pretty well across the board here in Sarasota the outdated 800MHz system will cost about County, because they're pretty far inland," To- $30 million. bias added. "We didn't mean to imply that there is not another avenue to get the funding or to use SURTAX REVENUE this funding for something else," Tobias told The funding for the Booker project was desigthe commissioners. However, he said, "These nated out of the Surtax III revenue, he pointed funds have been specifically committed for out, "because we had such a deficit of shelter this project." space." During an Aug. 29 joint meeting of the School Board and the County Commission, Ed McCrane, the county's emergency management chief, told the boards he and his staff were eager to see the Booker High project completed. He added, "… [I]t will serve the citizens of North Sarasota County who need a shelter desperately." Both Patterson and Barbetta said they did not want to hold up the Booker project, with Patterson noting, "I don't want to hurt the [hurricane shelter] partnership [with the school district] in any way." Still, she said, it was reasonable to ask whether school officials had looked into the state funding. "We can address this next week," Tobias said. A Dec. 4 memo from Tobias to the County When Commissioner Charles Hines asked Commission says the shelter would be able whether county staff was working with the to handle 2,400 people for 24 hours. school district to use the rebuilt Venice High Patterson pointed out to School and Sarasota High Tobias, "There are tens of School as shelters, too, millions of dollars of projMiller replied that shelects that were approved ter guidelines probably for sales tax [revenue exempted use of Venice funding] that have been High for that purpose, becancelled because of incause of its low elevation. sufficient revenue … and However, it was possible we're struggling on some the rebuilt Sarasota High other public safety-type School could be used as a issues like the 800MHz shelter, she said. and where those dollars are going to come from." Vice Chairwoman Carolyn Tobias has said the total Mason made the motion cost of infrastructure and to hold off on the funding new radio equipment to Sarasota County Commissioner Joe decision until next week; provide the county with a Barbetta/Photo by Norman Schimmel Patterson seconded it. %