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Sarasota News Leader June 14, 2013 Page 36 Staff recommends hiring two full-time contract employees for what is expected to be a two-year effort to rehabilitate the city's zoning code. During the late May workshop, the city commissioners received a briefing from Karin Murphy and Andrew Georgiadis, who would lead the effort. They and staff propose an inhouse "Urban Design Studio" instead of the city's retaining outside consultants. The go-ahead decision is split into two parts. Under "Old Business" the commission will vote on the concept and approach. Under "New Business" later in the meeting, the commissioners are expected to approve a $300,000 shift in the existing budget to get the work started next month. The downtown area already uses a form-based code, which employs "administrative approval" of projects meeting the requirements. ExAndres Duany. Photo courtesy of the Univerpansion of administrative approval to other sity of Georgia areas in the city has been tried before, but it has met serious neighborhood opposition. The The Sheriff's Office and School Board split the alternative is public hearings before the Plan- half-million dollar cost down the middle for ning Board and possibly the City Commission. the resource officers, but Sheriff Tom Knight announced he felt the city police should hanIf the commissioners approve of the code dle the responsibilities because the schools overhaul, the work would be finished by Sept. are in its jurisdiction. 30, 2016. The city proposes to replace them with three police officers, plus the cost of half of a suSPD PICKS UP SRO DUTIES pervisor's time. The city originally wanted Sarasota County Sheriff's Office deputies will $352,000 for the service, or about $92,000 no longer serve as School Resource Officers more than was paid under the School Board's inside the city limits. The city police will pick deal with the sheriff. up the slack, if a School Board-city agreement After negotiations with City Administrator is inked on Monday. Tom Barwin, the School Board's share was The city police would handle responsibilities dropped to $312,000, with the flexibility that at the two high schools — Booker and Sara- the officers may not necessarily be at each school five days every week. % sota — and at Brookside Middle School.