Sarasota & Manatee Counties news thread

[beach43ofus]

Former Florida Republican Chair, Christian Ziegler, Cleared of Rape Charges...incident was consensual:

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/fl...19/id/1150275/

Videotape of the incident, proved the rape allegation was false.

[wondermint2]

Newcomer Day and Community Yard Sale In North Port Feb 3rd

For full article:

https://www.wengradio.com/news/newco...h-port-feb-3rd

NORTH PORT, FL — Don’t miss out on two free events this Feb. 3! This is your chance to learn more about Sarasota County’s largest city at Newcomer Day; then stop over at Community Yard Sale to find a unique item or two to take home.

Newcomer Day

Newcomer Day, presented in partnership with the North Port Chamber of Commerce, is designed to connect residents with resources, programs and services within the community and is set-up in an expo-like format that includes information tables featuring local nonprofits, government entities and businesses.

This event is the perfect chance for anyone interested in learning more about the North Port area, whether they have been here for a short time or for several years. Newcomer Day is being held from 10 a.m.-noon at the George Mullen Activity Center, located at 1602 Kramer Way.

All event participants will enjoy free parking and admission. For more information about Newcomer Day and Community Yard Sale, visit:

https://www.northportfl.gov/Event-Directory

or contact call Parks & Recreation at 941-429-PARK (7275).

[wondermint2]

PUBLIC MEETING FOR FORT HAMER ROAD PD&E STUDY

For the full notice with more details:

https://www.mymanatee.org/news___eve...d_p_d__e_study

Manatee County invites you to an Alternatives Public Information Meeting for the Fort Hamer Road Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study (CIP Numbers 6054767 & 6054768) from Upper Manatee River Road to US 301. The Alternatives Public Information Meeting is being conducted to present information about the preliminary alternatives and provides the opportunity for the public to express their views about the project.

You can participate live online or in-person. The same materials will be displayed at both the online and in-person events.

In-Person Option
Thursday, January 25, 2024
Parrish United Methodist Church
12180 US 301 Parrish, FL 34219
5 p.m. to 7 p.m. open house
This will include a looping video (no formal presentation), and the project team will be available for discussion.

Live Online Option
Register in advance at bit.ly/Fort_Hamer_Road_PDE_Study
Thursday, February 1, 2024
6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
This event will include a viewing of the project video and a live question-and-answer component with the project team. Please review the materials on project webpage before attending (forthamerroad.com). Materials will be posted by January 18, 2024.

[wondermint2]

Originally Posted by wondermint2

County Seeking Purchaser for Lena Road "Musgrave" Property

For full article:

https://thebradentontimes.com/storie...property,70198

Manatee County Government has published an Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) for the sale and development of roughly 161 acres of surplused land adjacent to the county landfill off Lena Road, commonly referred to as the “Musgrave Property.”

Originally approved for purchase by the commission in 2020, the then-future plans for the site was to create a central county complex serving multiple public purposes. However, as the 2020 campaigns for four commission seats unfolded, and beyond that year’s election, the land located at 1707 Lena Road in Bradenton was heavily politicized and wielded as a justification to fire a long-time county employee and the former county administrator, Cheri Coryea.

The land, which was previously used for dairy farming, was sold to the county by the Musgrave family for $32.5 million. As part of the county’s planned construction of a “Central County Complex,” the site would be home to future warehouses and maintenance facilities for the Public Works and Utilities Departments, an east-central Sheriff’s Office, a fleet facility, and an evidence storage facility. Being adjacent to the existing landfill, some of the site’s acreage was also identified for a transfer station for purposes of extending the life of the landfill.

Due to its east-central location and intentions to construct a Sheriff’s District Office on the land, county staff believed the location would improve response times to area residents for all the agencies involved.

During the Oct. 2020 BOCC meeting where the purchase was approved, Sheriff Rick Wells told commissioners that the property would benefit his agency.

“For me, this is just about building something that should’ve been built 10 years ago. We’ve been asked to the prom several times, but we keep getting let down at the very end,” Wells told commissioners at the time.

The commission approved the execution of the land’s purchase in a 5-2 vote with former commissioners Vanessa Baugh and Stephen Jonsson dissenting. The dissenting commissioners cited concerns with the overall purchase price of the land.

But the two former commissioners were not the only voices raising concerns about the purchase of land, at least two current commissioners—who were voted into office in Nov. 2020, roughly a month after the board’s approval to close on the property—also attended meetings to speak out against the purchase.

As reported by the Bradenton Herald, both Commissioners George Kruse and Kevin Van Ostenbridge addressed the commission about the purchase. According to the BH, the two expressed their disapproval of the purchase price, arguing that the county was making “a bad deal.”

This is an opinion piece by Dennis "Mitch" Maley - an editor and columnist for The Bradenton Times and the host of their weekly podcast.

Opinion: Sale of Musgrave Property would be Beyond Short Sighted

For full article:

https://www.thebradentontimes.com/st...rt-sided,71071

Manatee County is currently looking to sell off 160 acres of former dairy farm land it purchased in 2020. Such a sale would not only be poor planning on the county’s part, but it would also saddle future generations of taxpayers with enormous costs to support the rampant, poorly planned growth that has been occurring in east county for the better part of two decades.

[wondermint2]

Caring for caregivers: Senior Friendship Centers hosts forum to address growing needs

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/med...723fb0b3&ei=20

Senior Friendship Centers – in collaboration with The Alzheimer’s Association, Sarasota Memorial Hospital Memory Disorder Clinic, and the Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson’s – will host a Caregiver’s Forum on Feb. 17 at SFC’s Sarasota campus, 1888 Brother Geenen Way.

Topics will include the importance of care planning, area resources, financial and legal planning, family dynamics, and caregiver support connections. Information booths from area nonprofits will also be available to connect caregivers with resources.

According to the American Association of Retired Persons, 2.7 million caregivers in Florida provided unpaid care valued at $40 billion in 2023 and an estimated 17-35% of family caregivers view their health as fair to the poor. By 2045, 1 in 5 Sarasota County residents will be 80 and older and will require daily assistance from at least one caregiver.

"Too often, the physical challenges, mounting medical bills, and compromised quality of life faced by caregivers are overshadowed by the focus on the patient,” said Senior Friendship Centers president and CEO Erin McLeod. “The goal of the forum is to ensure caregivers receive the necessary support, not just to survive, but thrive in this vital role."

[wondermint2]

Venice City Council to ponder changing length of members' terms from three years to four

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/new...723fb0b3&ei=35

The Venice City Council will decide Tuesday whether to move toward a 120-day moratorium on new annexations prior to elections, have council members serve four-year terms instead of three year and amend the city charter to have council members limited to two consecutive four-year terms instead of three three-year terms.

Mayor Nick Pachota put those items up for discussion and possible action after Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner spoke to the board on Jan. 9.

[wondermint2]

This is article is from Erin Duggan - the president and CEO of Visit Sarasota County. She can be reached at 941-955-0991, ext. 108, or eduggan@visitsarasota.org.

Visit Sarasota County looks ahead to comprehensive strategic plan (Input welcomed)

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/new...e326cedb&ei=25

As we move into a new year, this is generally a time when we as individuals look to reflect upon our personal goals and aspirations and examine how we plan to achieve those goals. Well, at Visit Sarasota County, we have a similar process that we do every few years to ensure that as an organization and destination we move in the right direction, establish clearly defined goals and build a clear plan on how to reach our objectives. We put all of this together in our Destination Strategic Plan and in 2024 we will develop our new plan that will take us through 2030.

Our expectation is for this plan to identify strategies and actions to increase visitor flow across leisure, meetings, sports and other market segments; align funding and programming with local municipalities, tourism partners, residents and other stakeholders; assess the effectiveness of current marketing programs; restructure the VSC partnership program; and identify how to address threats and opportunities facing tourism in Sarasota County.

The process of building this plan is involved and requires several steps. Some of the actions taken include an evaluation of destination assets, a review of trends and conditions, a deep dive into municipal and county initiatives and projects that impact tourism, and an examination of VSC’s current plans, initiatives and reports.

What might be among the most critical components of building this plan, though, is stakeholder input. It is vital that we hear from our community and those who are so important to making our county the amazing and vibrant tourist destination it is today. We ask our key partners to share their input on vision, problem areas, potential solutions and needs to help prioritize the destination direction.

Sarasota County’s tourism landscape is rich in amenities, from top-ranked beaches to world-class arts and culture experiences. However, to remain at the forefront of this competitive industry, we must continue to push ourselves. We must be strategic. We must be innovative. We must be thoughtful. With the help of our partners and community, I know we will continue to do just that and because of you all our future remains bright.

I encourage anyone who has thoughts or would like to be part of this process to reach out to me directly. We do this as a community, and we want to hear from you.

[wondermint2]

I don't think Gruters was a big fan of DeSantis.

Sen. Joe Gruters endorsed for national GOP post by Trump

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...e326cedb&ei=29

Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Florida State Sen. Joe Gruters of Sarasota to fill Florida’s committeeman seat on the Republican National Committee.

Trump posted on his Truth Social account Jan. 20 and announced the endorsement.

“Florida State Senator Joe Gruters of the Great State of Florida was one of the very first Patriots to join the MAGA Movement that puts America First,” said Trump. “As Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, Joe delivered massive and historic victories across the state.”

[wondermint2]

Macy's could be in trouble - although the Macy's at University Town Center & Westfield Siesta Key malls in Sarasota County are staying open (for now).

Macy’s laying off more than 2,000 employees, closing 5 stores

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/comp...0643b689&ei=22

Retail layoffs are hitting especially hard this week.

Macy’s is laying off about 3.5% of its total headcount, which amounts to roughly 2,350 employees, and the iconic department store is closing five locations.

Macy’s confirmed layoffs to The Associated Press via email — with the New York company saying it made the difficult decision as it prepares “to deploy a new strategy to meet the needs of an everchanging consumer and marketplace.”

The five stores to be closed are located in Arlington, Virginia (Ballston); San Leandro, California (Bay Fair); Lihue, Hawaii (Kukui Grove); Simi Valley, California (Simi Valley Town Center); and Tallahassee, Florida (Governor’s Square), according to a spokesperson for Macy’s Inc.

[wondermint2]

Cable giant invests $22M in Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch projects

For full article:

https://www.businessobserverfl.com/n...anch-projects/

Cable giant Comcast says it has completed a three-year, $22 million infrastructure upgrade project in Sarasota County.

The project was designed, the company says in a statement, to bring its Xfinity 10G Network and advanced telecommunications services to industrial parks, retail sites and large residential developments across the county. The company commemorated the completion of the projects Jan. 20 at the grand opening of its new Sarasota Xfinity Store at 6511 S. Tamiami Trail, in the Gulf Gate area.

Comcast’s infrastructure project sites in the county includes: