Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/289950
Toomey pointed out that more than 20 busi- nesses on the island, representing 85 percent of the retail and rental operations, are in sup- port of the proposal. It would require a person to pay a $25 fee for an annual permit to display merchandise or rental equipment outside in clearly defined parameters. A drawing showing the display plans would have to be submitted to the county for approval before the permit could be granted. The permit would be revoked if the county received two complaints regarding the business' noncompliance with the plan it had filed with the county. SKVA Vice President Kay Kouvatsos said she particularly liked the latter item's inclusion in the draft. SKVA President Cheryl Gaddie explained to the approximately 30 people present that the outdoor display issue on Siesta arose almost exactly a year ago — in May 2013 — when a number of owners of new businesses were cited for outdoor displays, which are not allowed under the Siesta Key Overlay District (SKOD) ordinance that governs the island. Sarasota County Code Enforcement Officer John Lally, who is the primary person han- dling SKOD violations on the key, had been out on leave. When he returned in May 2013, he began writing the citations. "We are a unique island with our architecture and our built environment," Gaddie contin- ued. "It's very tough, always tough, for anyone to run a small business." Mark Toomey, owner of Robin Hood Rentals, explains the facets of the proposed new outdoor display ordinance as incoming Siesta Key Village Association President Wendall Jacobsen (rear) listens. Photo by Rachel Hackney Sarasota News Leader April 4, 2014 Page 62