Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/273295
paddleboard rentals at the beach or say, "'We don't like a lot of people out on the water hav- ing a great time. It's no good; let's can it.'" Alfieri acknowledged the concern of Sarasota County lifeguards about paddleboarders in the swim zone at the beach. Being a former lifeguard himself, he added — "in my younger and better fit days" — he supports that view. He told the board he does not want to see paddleboarders in the designated swimming area at the beach, which is marked by buoys. However, he pointed out, he felt it was possi- ble to make room for the paddleboarders in a separate area. PROS AND CONS Carolyn Brown, director of the county's Parks and Recreation Department, explained during her presentation that while the sport "is gaining a lot of popularity here and around the world," the current concession contract between the county and LaBonte does not allow him to rent either motorized or non-motorized vessels. Alfieri and Brown had proposed allowing people to rent paddle- boards either at the concession or at Beach Access 11, the westernmost area of the public beach, Brown noted. The present swim zone extends from Beach Access 11 to the Gulf & Bay Condominium Complex property line on the eastern side of the park, a memo from Brown, Fire Chief Mike Tobias and Scott Montgomery, lifeguard operations manager, explains. If the rental transactions took place at the concession, Brown told the commissioners, A graphic shows the area at Beach Access 11 on Siesta Key (in yellow), where paddleboard rentals could be allowed. Image courtesy Sarasota County Sarasota News Leader March 7, 2014 Page 61