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Old 07-11-2018, 08:37 PM
 
Location: Sarasota FL
6,864 posts, read 11,999,380 times
Reputation: 6743

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I saw on the news that the County Commissioners are again talking about how to charge a parking fee for the privilege of using the parking lot at Siesta Beach. Could be that the County treasury is being depleted from spending $12 million to pave over a railroad track, $25 million to dig a hole for a rowing lake and millions of dollars being spent on converting functioning street intersections to poorly designed postage stamp size 'roundabouts'.
Would you go to a different beach? Or pay? how much?
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Old 07-11-2018, 08:39 PM
 
24,322 posts, read 26,692,720 times
Reputation: 19740
I love Siesta Beach, I'd pay $10 for all day parking. The biggest complaint would be the lack of parking, so maybe charging would make it less of a mad house.
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Old 07-12-2018, 08:37 AM
 
Location: Free State of Florida
25,137 posts, read 12,298,550 times
Reputation: 18754
We seldom go to Siesta Key Beach because, for us, there are 3 better beaches. SKB's waterline is too far from the car.

Aside from our personal beach preferences, I feel most City, County, & State governments grossly overspend, waste, duplicate, mis-manage & mis-use taxpayer money, so I'm almost always against raising taxes, or fees.

I would first have to be shown that the government body is efficiently run, and I don't think that will ever happen. The smaller the government entity is, the more likely it is to be efficient, so there are some small municipalities out there that could convince me they need more cash, but not Sarasota County.

d4g4m forgot to list all the $'s the County pays for stadiums, & Pensions (that the private sector trimmed back long ago).

Before I agree to any parking fees at any beaches, I need the following info...

How many Sarasota County Government employees are making $100,000+?
How many are drawing Pensions right now, and how much is that costly taxpayers?
How large is the Pension shorfall? What is it forecasted to be 10 years from now?
What are the top 20 highest paid County employees entire comp packages, not just salary's, but benefits too?

If the answer to these ?'s were published in the newspaper, taxpayers would be outraged. The salary's wouldn't seem overly bloated, because the abuse is hidden in the benefits packages that nobody ever sees. They know the salary's are not easily concealed, so they hide their abuses in the benefits packages.

If anyone can find complete answers to these ?'s, plz share, and then we'll all vote on the beach parking fee. The results would be an resounding NO!
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Old 07-12-2018, 09:32 AM
 
Location: Sarasota, FL
733 posts, read 746,757 times
Reputation: 1119
Parking has gotten so bad there, it would be easy money. They really need to build a ramp, and add parking fees to pay for it.

Heck, I do pay $10 half the time because I just go to the church and pay them. One time I drove around that lot for an hour and twenty minutes before I found a spot. Now if it's full, I'll drive around 10 minutes and if nothing opens up, I'll just go to the church and take the 10 minute walk back to the beach.

Siesta Key is more popular than even. Even now off-season, you can't get a spot on a weekend after 11am (or earlier). But no other beach has sand quite the same, so we do prefer to go there and deal with the crowds. Plus that mobi-mat is great for our beach wagon.
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Old 07-12-2018, 09:37 AM
 
24,322 posts, read 26,692,720 times
Reputation: 19740
Quote:
Originally Posted by MattMN View Post
Parking has gotten so bad there, it would be easy money. They really need to build a ramp, and add parking fees to pay for it.

Heck, I do pay $10 half the time because I just go to the church and pay them. One time I drove around that lot for an hour and twenty minutes before I found a spot. Now if it's full, I'll drive around 10 minutes and if nothing opens up, I'll just go to the church and take the 10 minute walk back to the beach.

Siesta Key is more popular than even. Even now off-season, you can't get a spot on a weekend after 11am (or earlier). But no other beach has sand quite the same, so we do prefer to go there and deal with the crowds. Plus that mobi-mat is great for our beach wagon.
Do you mind telling the name or address of the church? That parking lot drives me crazy on weekends.
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Old 07-13-2018, 10:19 AM
 
22 posts, read 39,216 times
Reputation: 29
Of course people would pay, but it would be smart as well to run shuttles more to off site parking. Most times I avoid SK in total, too much of a monster.
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Old 07-13-2018, 12:27 PM
 
197 posts, read 181,154 times
Reputation: 125
Quote:
Originally Posted by d4g4m View Post
I saw on the news that the County Commissioners are again talking about how to charge a parking fee for the privilege of using the parking lot at Siesta Beach. Could be that the County treasury is being depleted from spending $12 million to pave over a railroad track, $25 million to dig a hole for a rowing lake and millions of dollars being spent on converting functioning street intersections to poorly designed postage stamp size 'roundabouts'.
Would you go to a different beach? Or pay? how much?
You appear to be hugely intelligent, you should run for Office, and fix everything!
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Old 07-13-2018, 02:44 PM
 
Location: Sarasota/ Bradenton - University Pkwy area
4,561 posts, read 7,425,155 times
Reputation: 5937
There's an article in today's paper about this very topic:

Sarasota considers paid parking and toll on Siesta Key beaches - News - Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Sarasota, FL



One particular paragraph caught my eye: At the future workshop, which has yet to be scheduled, commissioners will consider implementing paid parking, a potential toll to access Siesta Key, expanded trolley routes to provide a remote park and ride service, bicycle sharing program, water taxi service, creating either a surface parking lot or parking garage at a county-owned property located at 6647 Midnight Pass Road and conducting a traffic and parking planning study — which could cost between $40,000 and $100,000 — county officials said.
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Old 07-13-2018, 06:31 PM
 
Location: Free State of Florida
25,137 posts, read 12,298,550 times
Reputation: 18754
Quote:
Originally Posted by dotbowels View Post
You appear to be hugely intelligent, you should run for Office, and fix everything!
I'd vote for d4g4m! He's right on all 3 things. The County is spending way too much money on things that do not impact all County residents. They are gambling taxpayer money that their pet projects will pay off in net gains. They grossly over estimate the economic impact of their gambits, so I'm calling #% on that.

I realize its no fun making sure the garbage gets picked up, and the construction inspections get done well and in timely fashion, or that the police and fire departments are effective, but that is all most of us want.

Blocking and tackling, we dont need, or want, anything else...or at least, the majority of us don't.

If they put these big ticket items on a ballot, they'd be crushed.

What % of County residents will go to a Braves Spring training game?

If these wagers were paying off so well, why haven't our property tax bills gone down?

It's so much fun pending others peoples money, it's like an addictive drug.
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Old 07-13-2018, 08:13 PM
 
Location: Sarasota FL
6,864 posts, read 11,999,380 times
Reputation: 6743
A toll to enter Siesta Key? For real? Anyone notice that of all the suggestions to rake in more revenue, a toll booth directly at the beach parking lot is not mentioned?
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