Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/143399
Sarasota News Leader July 12, 2013 Page 95 Siesta Seen available in the 2015 fiscal year, would be in Commissioner Joe Barbetta asked that county staff have a report ready for the board when the amount of $1.087 million. it returns from its summer break. "SCAT intends to pursue funding for the required vehicles and operators in 2014 during County Administrator Randall Reid told the the FY 2015 budget preparation," Carter add- commissioners that report would be ready "as ed. That would make it possible for the Siesta soon as you get back." service to start in January 2016, she noted. According to the calendar on the county webOn June 29, Patterson replied, "I am sorry but site, the next meeting will be on Aug. 20. this seems entirely too long for a service that was needed a while ago. I did not feel that we TURTLE BEACH RENOURISHMENT could advance the grant funding for this year One piece of Siesta business that won easy as was suggested before you came, but wait- approval this week involves the Turtle Beach ing until 2016 for service is another matter renourishment project. entirely. If the funding is available in 2014/15 from FDOT I would hope that we would have During its regular meeting on July 9, the Counthe [trolleys] in time for the fall of 2014 when ty Commission voted unanimously to pay the operating funds are available. That is al- $725,237 to Humiston & Moore Engineers of most a year and a half away. What you suggest Naples for design and construction phase sercarries it out still an additional year plus to vices for that initiative. [January] 2016. We have been talking about An April 22 memo to the County Commission this for years!" from the county's coastal resources managDuring the July 10 County Commission meet- er, Laird Wreford, pointed out that $5 million ing, Patterson pointed out that the Siesta Pub- from a Tourist Development Tax fund desiglic Beach improvements will be getting under nated for renourishment would pay for the way in the not-too-distant future, which will Turtle Beach project. exacerbate the parking situation on the island. A July 9 staff memo from Amy Meese, direcReferring to the January 2016 timeline Carter tor of the county's Natural Resources Departhad mentioned, Patterson asked, "Could we ment; Isaac R. Brownman, director of capital projects; and Curtis R. Smith, the project try to do better than that?" manager, notes the previous South Siesta Key She added, "If there's any way to expedite Beach Restoration Project — which began in the ordering of the buses to match the avail- December 2006 and ended in March 2007 — ability of the operating monies we're going "consisted of the placement of approximately to get from the state, that would make much 922,300 cubic yards of dredged sand along apmore sense." proximately 2 miles of open shoreline front-