Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/108313
Sarasota News Leader February 8, 2013 Page 27 "But we don't want to push the problem into our sister cities in the county." TRYING FOR TRACTION Barwin was like a runner on a soap-scummed racetrack; he made a lot of effort but very little headway. "I have a problem wrapping my arms around government entities taking this on," said County Commission Chairwoman Carolyn Mason. Barwin kept pumping. "This will migrate into a discussion of housing. They need to come up with $2,000 for first and last [months' rent] and utilities," he said. "There are ways to do this for $400 to $500 per month. If you do the math, I know you'll be saving money. They won't end up in the emergency room. I think you'll find we'll be saving money." City Manager Tom Barwin raises an issue during the joint meeting of the City and County commissions on Feb. 5. Photo by Norman Schimmel Barwin has asked the Community Foundation of Sarasota County for funding to hire one full-time and two part-time caseworkers. "You need to have more of these conversaThey would cooperate with the police and try tions, Mr. Barwin," said Mason. "It didn't get to find help for homeless people. But he ran like this overnight, and we can't fix it overinto a county bureaucratic buzz saw. night." "The myth out there is the county doesn't do Mason concluded the agenda item by saying , a thing for the homeless," said County Com"What I'm hearing from my board is, we don't missioner Christine Robinson. "Last year our have enough information to make a decision." health and human services budget was just under $5 million. In order to get funding, Robinson softened the blow. "You've heard there is a strenuous process those agencies questions, not a 'No.'" go through with our Human Services Advisory Council. Did you look at what we're providing The next joint meeting? Maybe a year from as a county?" she asked. "Why do you believe now. it shouldn't be done through another agency?" THE RAILROAD IS DEAD "I didn't want to spend months going through The bus rapid transit (BRT) discussion (covall the hoops," said Barwin. ered in-depth elsewhere in this issue) was the "I'm not sure that will be quicker," said Rob- second item on the agenda, and it was another "kill" in the Think Tank. inson.