Sarasota News Leader

09/28/12

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Sarasota News Leader September 28, 2012 "I'd really like to see the breakdown of ev- ery expense, including the amount of money staff's putting in," Barbetta said, adding that he had heard comments that staff time on the project was adding up to about $2 million. Regarding the bond option: Patterson said that while she initially had been supportive of the idea, she had grown concerned about trying to pay for both the beach improvements and a new emergency communications system for the county, to replace outdated equipment for which parts are becoming increasingly diffi- cult to find. After she voiced those concerns during a Presidents Council meeting on Siesta Key — which included representatives from vari- ous island organizations, including the Siesta Key Village Association, the Siesta Key Con- dominium Council, the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce and the SKA — architect Mark Smith had offered to review the beach project expenses estimated for the numerous features of the plan, Patterson said. Smith has talked during SKA and SKVA meet- ings about his hope he can suggest features that can be eliminated to save on expenses. However, Patterson said, "trying to get the list of different items [for the park plan from staff] … so far [has] been difficult …" Eastwood had said during the SKA meeting that county staff planned to hold an open house on Siesta Key in October, to allow res- idents and any other interested people to get a look at the detailed plans. She added that the list Smith had sought would be ready for presentation at that meeting. Page 33 "There is such a list being prepared," Reid confirmed to the commissioners. In related news, Curtis Smith reported in a Sept. 24 email to the County Commission that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had approved the modification to the original per- mit the county had sought for the stormwater project at Siesta Public Beach. That notification came on Sept. 14, he added. "At this time," Smith wrote, "we are finalizing the bid documents, and we expect to advertise before Thanksgiving. As for the timing of con- struction, the April time frame discussed at the recent budget workshop has not changed. Parking will not be affected by the drainage improvements construction." The stormwater project has been delayed be- cause of redesign of the location of the storm- water retention pond, at the request of resi- dents of the adjacent Gulf & Bay Club. After county staff completed the revised plan, it had to submit requests for permit applica- tions to the Corps of Engineers as well as to the Florida Department of Environmental Pro- tection. A Southwest Florida Water Management Dis- trict grant of up to $975,000 for the approx- imately $1.5 million cost of the stormwater project also has been in jeopardy. However, Smith reported during the Sept. 6 SKA meet- ing that SWFWMD officials were working with the county on the grant and seemed agreeable to keeping the funding available if the April construction timetable stayed firm.

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