Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/235968
Sarasota News Leader January 3, 2014 On Dec. 2, the City Commission votes 4-1 to allow a table or two in front of Parker Books for people to play chess or conduct book signings, with Vice Mayor Willie Shaw in the minority. On Dec. 2, the City Commission shelves a plan to charge for parking in the Palm Avenue garage starting next month. Commissioner Susan Chapman casts the only "No" vote. Parking will remain free until the end of the tourist season at the request of the owners of Louies Modern and The Francis, which will be marking their first season on the ground floor of the garage. Page 120 Of consultant Robert Marbut's 12 strategic recommendations for addressing homelessness in Sarasota County, No. 4 on the list will likely prove the most challenging and the most controversial. City and county staffers and elected officials are already taking the next step in regard to No. 4 — an environmental study of the three short-listed sites for a permanent homeless shelter in Sarasota. The report will look into issues such as possible contamination and specific areas on each site that are buildable or not buildable. Once it is complete, county staffers will be able to put together cost projections for a shelter at each location, Wayne Applebee, Sarasota County's director of homeless services, tells The Sarasota News Leader in early December. Applebee has been tasked with implementing Marbut's recommendations. Parking will remain free in the Palm Avenue garage during season. Photo by Norman Schimmel