Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/316941
The following day, May 20, the county commis- sioners heard another update on the progress — or, rather, lack thereof — on the topic. Three commissioners apologized to Marbut, who was in the audience, for remarks made at the City Commission meeting the previous evening. The city and county boards are scheduled to meet yet again on June 23 for their third dis- cussion of the shelter. "Are we going to be any further [along] when we have our joint meeting than we were before?" asked County Commission Vice Chairwoman Christine Robinson. "It has appeared that there has been a lot of conver- sation and little action." The county commissioners have been united in saying a come-as-you-are shelter is the best option for addressing community homeless- ness, which has led to increasing problems in downtown Sarasota, from crime to shoppers worried about avoiding homeless people on Main Street. Opponents say the shelter would increase not only the number of homeless people on the streets but also the number panhandling downtown. Perhaps the shelter problem now is a pub- lic relations problem, County Commissioner Nora Patterson suggested at Tuesday's meeting. The city lot on Goodrich Avenue does not seem to be full of vehicles on either weekdays or the weekends, Commissioner Joe Barbetta says. Photo courtesy of Joe Barbetta I am excited, Dr. Marbut, with your stick-to-it-ness. Carolyn Mason Commissioner Sarasota County Sarasota News Leader May 23, 2014 Page 45