Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/356321
did you surprise them by appearing and get- ting the work stopped, you went above and beyond by communicating with the neigh- bors and providing them with information they needed." During the March 4 County Commission meeting, Robinson also won consensus from her fellow board members to direct Harmer to review the county ordinance pertaining to mangroves and provide a report on his find- ings. That report was dated April 15, the day before the first Special Magistrate hearing in the case. Written by Osterhoudt, it points out that work along the county's shorelines, including dredging and filling, must be approved by the commission sitting as the Sarasota County Water and Navigation Control Authority (WNCA). That board was established in 1957 through a Special Act of the Legislature that was codified later in a county ordinance. Osterhoudt further noted, "Earthmoving along shorelines with mangroves also requires owners to meet standards provided in the Sarasota County Earthmoving Ordinance." Both the Earthmoving and WNCA ordi- nances "require the avoidance, minimization, and mitigation of impacts to native habitats and consistency with the Sarasota County Comprehensive Plan, and specifically include the Principles for Evaluating Development Proposals in Native Habitats." Those principles, he continued, "indicate that mangrove swamps shall be preserved or enhanced, dredging and filling of mangrove swamps shall be strictly prohibited, and pre- viously cleared mangrove swamps should be restored." The enforcement process for violations, Osterhoudt noted, generally includes, in order, a Notice of Violation, an Affidavit of Mangroves lie on the ground at 8215 Manasota Key Road. Photo courtesy Sarasota County Sarasota News Leader August 1, 2014 Page 48