Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/87353
Sarasota News Leader He concurred with Brown that the county easily could end up spending the $344,000 or more on attorneys' fees if the commission contin- ued the assessment process. On the other side of the argument, Cath- erine Luckner, pres- ident of the Siesta Key Association, told the News Lead- er by email she felt the county's cover- ing the remaining ex- pense of the parking lot "is a lot to ask for citizens to give [Sies- ta Key] businesses. The availability of parking provided in- centive for business to arrive and created October 12, 2012 Page 29 said. "That was un- derstood from the beginning. What I don't understand is why [the assess- ment value] was ever fixed to go up or down, and I think it needs to be nailed in place." Moreover, Pat- terson pointed out, "We don't go building commer- cial parking lots for districts else- where." Many Siesta Key shopping centers have signs warning people not to park in their spaces unless the drivers plan to shop in their stores. The tow- ing threats make the municipal parking lot all the more attractive to visitors. Photo by Rachel Hack- ney revenue for the merchants and for the County. It was meant to be 'win-win.'" (Luckner was out of state on vacation; the News Leader had provided her with a copy of Harriott's memo.) THE DISCUSSION During the Oct. 10 County Commission dis- cussion, Patterson said she could not support abolishing the district. "People understood that they would pay for half of the cost" of the parking lot, Patterson Thaxton said it was a benefit to the entire coun- ty to provide ade- quate parking "in a district such as Si- esta Village, which is a veritable gold mine in terms of sales tax, tourist development taxes, and just an overall asset." Barbetta suggested that if the county needed a source of funds to maintain the parking lot, the commission could consider charging for use of the facility — "meter it without a big expense; maybe buy some meters from the city [of Sarasota.]" (Since abolishing its downtown metered park- ing program last year, the City of Sarasota has been trying to sell the parking meters it has in storage.)