Sarasota News Leader

06/14/2013

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Sarasota News Leader June 14, 2013 Page 51 "Would there be alternate programs or construction that we could use?" Any parking facility built on the northern lot would need to cantilever out over existing businesses, he pointed out. And the southeastern lot would require protection of the neighborhoods on two sides. THE STUDY WILL BE STUDIED Lyons called the BID "gracious" for being willing to fund an analysis of the shopping area's parking needs. Results of any feasibility study, he said, would be shared with the so-called Sarasota City Manager Tom Barwin. Photo by Norman Schimmel "LMR" organization representing the interests of landowners, merchants and residents PARKING'S BUDGETARY BLACK HOLE around the Circle. The cost of parking enforcement is of increasAdvertising for a consulting firm to under- ing concern as staffers develop next year's take the work is expected to begin later this City of Sarasota budget, City Manager Tom month. Firms will have 30 days to respond. Barwin told the board of another self-taxing Marty Rappaport, chairman of the BID, said district, the Downtown Improvement District (DID), the same morning the BID met. "We're the study could begin in October. developing the 2014 annual budget to be preMeanwhile, the future of the district remains sented in July," he said. up in the air. An earlier vote by landowners failed to approve a 10-year extension of the "One big gap is $500,000 in the parking fund, including garages and their maintenance. We BID, which levies a 2-mill tax on commercial have to begin again looking at revenue enproperty to pay for local improvements. The hancements and strategies," Barwin pointed measure was defeated by an almost 2:1 mar- out. "We want to start small and incrementalgin. ly." Undeterred, Rappaport and the district circulated another petition, successfully demanding a second vote on the issue. The results of that poll will not be known until mid-September. Ernie Ritz, chairman of the DID, told Barwin merchants previously were able to buy a $40 monthly parking sticker for each of their employees. The sticker allowed workers to park in the city's garages and not tie up precious spaces along downtown streets. If the vote swings the other way this time and the BID is continued for another decade, the "These are people who want to pay," said Ritz. city will try to get the tax bills printed on time Barwin replied that he would pass along the for the property owners. idea to Parking Manager Lyons. %

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