Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/98836
MOVING FORWARD WITH BONDS The County Commission authorizes final design and bidding out of the Siesta Public Beach project, with funding from bond revenue but with a change in how construction management will be handled ��� Rachel Brown Hackney After close to two hours of discussion and public comments combined, the Sarasota County Commission voted unanimously on Tuesday, Dec. 11, to authorize staff to complete the design of the Siesta Public Beach project and put it out for bid, with the cost not to exceed $21.5 million. The amount includes $16.7 million estimated for the actual construction, with the rest allocated to engineering and architectural consulting fees. The motion also permitted staff to seek supplemental bids for 10 ���extras��� for the project that the design team had suggested. (Full story here) UNDER SCRUTINY Business organizations want to see caf�� owners keeping umbrellas over outdoor tables out of the way of pedestrians ��� Stan Zimmerman Sidewalk caf��s lend an air of insouciance to Sarasota ��� until the umbrella pokes you in the eye. Then life is not so carefree. Caf��s are encroaching on pedestrian space, say the chairmen of both the St. Armands and Downtown improvement districts. And that is going to change. St. Armands��� Business Improvement District Chairman Marty Rappaport and the Downtown Improvement District Chairman Ernie Ritz took a sidewalk stroll through both areas, and they separately told the same tale afterward: ���Tables and chairs are encroaching on sidewalks.��� The caf��s lease the sidewalk area from the City of Sarasota on an annual basis. The city, in return, requires at least a six-foot-wide walkway to remain, to handle foot traffic and wheelchairs. (Full story here) Click Any Headline To Go Directly To That Article AT A GLANCE TOP STORIES