Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/87353
ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN MOVE? TOP STORIES Anti-Fitzgerald DVDs illegally dumped in mailboxes, campaign says — Cooper Levey-Baker The Keith Fitzgerald campaign is firing back at U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan over a DVD containing an ad accusing of Fitzgerald of "intolerance and hate" that was distributed, perhaps illegally, to voters in Fitzgerald's own North Sarasota neighborhood. who vote for Democrats, the poor, the middle class, anyone but each other." The ad, "Outrageous," plays off a blog post by former Fitzgerald campaign spokeswoman Ana Maria Rosato, written before she joined the Fitzgerald team. In June, she accused Republicans of hating "women, immigrants, African Americans, firefighters, police officers, teachers, citizens "Our campaign hired a staff member without knowing that her personal blog was full of inappropriate comments," Fitzgerald said in a video response released Thursday. "As soon as these comments were brought to my attention, I fired her. Now it's time to move on. We don't need distractions. We need solutions." (Full story here) CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM IN THE MARKET Taylor Morrison announces plans for a 240-home development in Gulf Gate, just off the South Tamiami Trail — Rachel Brown Hackney Homebuilder Taylor Morrison announced this week that it is planning to construct a 240-home development called Esplanade by Siesta Key; the construction will be in the Gulf Gate area. The 77-acre site is located just off South Tamiami Trail, about two miles from Siesta Key, the company notes in a news release. In an Oct. 11 interview with The Sarasota News Leader, Cammie Longenecker, vice president of sales and marketing for Taylor Morrison's West Florida Division, said the announcement points to the firm's confidence that the economy is turning around. "We're cautiously optimistic about improving signs in the market," Longenecker said. Although the company has owned the Esplanade property for a number of years, she said, the decision to go forward with the project "was really about timing in the market … the old adage of supply and demand." (Full story here) FACING A DEADLINE County commissioners rebuke staff over delay in obtaining new road impact fee data — Rachel Brown Hackney Voicing frustration over a looming deadline, the Sarasota County Commission on Oct. 9 unani- mously directed county staff to bring to the board within 45 days a report on proposed new road impact fees determined by using current cost information and existing county methodology. Davis, general manager of Public Works Department planning for the county, "I typically have a problem with heartburn, but what gives me more heartburn is when this board asks for staff to work with those outside of county government" and that is not done. The discussion prompted a rare rebuke from Vice Chairwoman Carolyn Mason, who told Clarke Mason, Chairwoman Christine Robinson and Commissioner Joe Barbetta all reminded Davis that, shortly after Robinson was appointed to the board in late 2010, the commission directed staff to work with representatives of local construction and trade organizations to get updated data regarding impact fees. Davis acknowledged that staff had not done so. Mason told County Administrator Randall Reid, "I hope, going forward, that you will make sure" staff follows board direc- tives. (Full story here) AT A GLANCE