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The 2023 #SRQCountyWaterQuality Annual Report is live! Sarasota County is proud of the exciting milestones and achievements reached in water quality. Here are a few highlights!
- Keep Sarasota County Beautiful volunteers contributed nearly 1200 hours of service and removed more than 6.5 tons of litter from our beaches, roadways and parks!
- Public Works staff removed over 91,000 pounds of nitrogen and over 25,000 pounds of phosphorous from our waterways.
- The county acquired six properties totaling 351.65 acres through the voter-approved Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program and Neighborhood Parkland Acquisition program.
- The Bee Ridge Water Reclamation Facility expansion and conversion to advanced wastewater treatment is progressing on schedule.
Special thanks to all our volunteers who have supported this initiative to protect and sustain water quality in #SRQCounty.
From 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2, the City of Sarasota will host what its staff is calling a Main Street visioning workshop.
The event is scheduled to be held in the Jack J. Geldbart Auditorium at Selby Library, which stands at 1331 First St. in downtown Sarasota, a city news release says.
Transforming Main Street between U.S. 41 and School Avenue into a complete street “is the No. 8 priority in the City of Sarasota’s Transportation Master Plan adopted by the City Commission in 2019,” the release explains.
“The visioning workshop will begin with a brief presentation by the project team explaining the goals of the initiative. Improvements to sidewalks, landscaping, public parking and more are being considered to promote a Main Street that is pedestrian-friendly, attractive, accessible and even more desirable as a destination,” the release points out.
Participants may attend one of the four 30-minute sessions planned, the release notes: 5 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m. or 6:30 p.m.
Each session, which will be led by a project team member, will be limited to approximately 50 participants, the release says. Attendees will review the existing Main Street conditions and then “build their own Main Street by offering their unique ideas and collaborating with others to create a vision for the corridor,” the release adds.
“To help shape the spirit of the Main Street complete streets project, a video station will be available for participants to record their vision in their own words,” the release continues.
To reserve a space for the April 2 event, interested members of the public are asked to sign up via this Eventbrite link:
“Registration is limited to one session per person,” the news release cautions.
“Additional community outreach events will be announced in the coming weeks,” including two open houses during which people can drop in as they please, to learn about the Main Street complete streets project and share their ideas, the release notes.
In the meantime, city staff is encouraging residents, business owners, property owners and visitors “to complete a brief online survey about Main Street via this link. The survey is open through Friday, April 26.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection was made aware of a waste water spill at Piney Point in Manatee County.
According to the public report, on Thursday March 21, at approximately 11:30 AM, operations staff at the Manatee County Piney Point injection well pretreatment facility became aware of a release of untreated industrial wastewater on the plant site located at 3105 Buckeye Road in Palmetto.
The release occurred due to a power loss from a tripped breaker which resulted in a loss of communications and control at the plant.
When the plant lost power, the offsite transfer pump which sends the industrial wastewater from the Piney Point site to the pretreatment plant, continued to pump resulting in an overflow of approximately 6,000 gallons from the influent tanks.
Staff manually shut off the transfer pump to stop the overflow within 40 minutes of the spill.
The discharged wastewater soaked into the ground and did not leave the plant site.
Troubleshooting is currently ongoing to determine why the backup power source and fail safe controls did not engage.
The plant says it will be staffed during operating hours until this issue is corrected.
In April 2021, a leak was detected in a reservoir holding about 460 million gallons of contaminated water. Fearing a catastrophic breach, officials ordered the evacuation of more than 300 homes. Engineers eventually released 215 million gallons of wastewater directly into Tampa Bay to relieve pressure on the walls of the reservoir.
The state declared a state of emergency and earmarked $100 million to help resolve the problems at the site.
It was decided the water would be pretreated and pumped into injection wells to prevent the water from spilling into waterways around the area.
On Saturday, April 6, the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast will host its annual Wild About Nature Festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at its Bay Preserve headquarters, which is located at 400 Palmetto Ave. in Osprey (34229), the nonprofit has announced.
“With an exhibitor line-up featuring many local environmental and youth-serving organizations, this free children’s festival brings the community together for a fun-filled day of nature-based activities and exploration,” a news release explains. All of the activities have been planned meant to get children outside “and excited about nature,” the release adds.
Among the activities will be tree climbing, nature printing, the planting of native plants, animal encounters, face painting, crafts, and games, the release points out. Additionally, multiple food trucks will be on-site, the release says: Currywurst, The Empanada Girl, Simply Greek by Wynnberry, Kona Ice, and Surfing Coconut.
”We are delighted to bring this engaging and educational festival back to Bay Preserve,” Christine P. Johnson, president of the Conservation Foundation, said in the release. “Through both our year-round youth education programming and events such as these, we provide kids with the kind of WOW! moments in nature that lead to a lifelong respect for and appreciation of the great outdoors,” she noted.
“Wild About Nature is the best,” added Sam Valentin, the Conservation Foundation’s director of marketing and events, in the release. “Not only are we connecting kids to nature and showing them how much fun they can have outside, we’re also bringing nonprofits and community organizations from across the region together in the same place at the same time for families to learn more. And it’s free and open to everyone!”
Registration is not required for this community event, the release notes, “though Facebook event RSVPs are requested.”
Parking generally will be off-site, at the First Baptist Church of Osprey, Victory Baptist Church, and the historic Osprey Library, the release adds, with only limited handicapped parking available on the property. Those who attempt to enter the Bay Preserve parking lot will be re-routed, unless they have the appropriate parking permit, the release points out.
“A trolley will run on a loop to transport guests between the event space and parking areas,” the release says.
More details, including the participating exhibitors, may be found on the Conservation Foundation’s Wild About Nature Facebook event page:
The City of Sarasota will host an informational meeting Thursday, Oct. 26 to learn about The Legacy Trail-Payne Park improvement project that will connect bicyclists, walkers and others from The Legacy Trail to downtown Sarasota.
The meeting will be held from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26 at the SRQ Media Studio in the City Hall Annex, 1565 First Street.
On the table will be discussion on connectivity and safety for users traveling between The Legacy Trail, downtown Sarasota, St. Armands Circle and Lido Key. A 14-foot-wide Multi-Use Recreational Trail (MURT) will be constructed and connect from South Payne Park to The Legacy Trail/School Avenue junction. The trail will tie into protected bike lanes on the Ringling Trail and offer shorter travel distances for those bicycling, walking or using mobility assistance devices.
The project will include amenities such as a shade shelter, drinking fountain, benches, tables, bike rack, lighting, landscaping, and informational signage.
City Commission takes another step with plans for construction of Alderman Multi-Use Recreational Trail connector to Legacy Trail
Formal budget amendment approved for project this fiscal year
On a unanimous vote this week, the Sarasota City commissioners formally approved a budget amendment reflecting a $400,000 grant that the city has received from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for the construction of what is being called the Alderman Multi-Use Recreational Trail (MURT).
The March 18 Agenda Request Form for the item noted that City Manager Marlon Brown singed the standard grant agreement with FDOT on July 12, 2023. The project, the form explains, will consist of engineering, design, surveying, permitting and finally the construction of the 1,170-linear-foot, 14-foot-wide trail, along with a shade shelter, trash receptacles, benches, tables, a bike rack, a drinking foundation, lighting, educational and informational signage, and landscaping.
The city has to put up $375,000 as a match for the state funds, the form notes. That money will come out of Multi Modal Transportation Impact Fees revenue, the form says.
In October 2023, city staff noted the expectation that the project would get underway in the latter part of this year.
As city staff has explained in the past, the MURT will be constructed as the connector from south Payne Park to The Legacy Trail at the latter’s School Avenue junction. That will enable The Legacy Trail to tie into protected bike lanes on the Ringling Trail in downtown Sarasota “and offer shorter travel distances for those bicycling, walking or using mobility assistance devices” to reach other locations within the city.
The Legacy Trail stretches for almost 20 miles from Venice to School Avenue, a Sarasota County Government document says. The Trail extends about 10 more miles from Venice to North Port.
Mosaic company has a huge phosphate mine adjacent to this forum area's largest source for drinking water...Lake Manatee. Manatee County approved it in 2017 after DeSoto County rejected a Mosaic phosphate mine:
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection was made aware of a waste water spill at Piney Point in Manatee County.
According to the public report, on Thursday March 21, at approximately 11:30 AM, operations staff at the Manatee County Piney Point injection well pretreatment facility became aware of a release of untreated industrial wastewater on the plant site located at 3105 Buckeye Road in Palmetto.
The release occurred due to a power loss from a tripped breaker which resulted in a loss of communications and control at the plant.
When the plant lost power, the offsite transfer pump which sends the industrial wastewater from the Piney Point site to the pretreatment plant, continued to pump resulting in an overflow of approximately 6,000 gallons from the influent tanks.
Staff manually shut off the transfer pump to stop the overflow within 40 minutes of the spill.
The discharged wastewater soaked into the ground and did not leave the plant site.
Troubleshooting is currently ongoing to determine why the backup power source and fail safe controls did not engage.
The plant says it will be staffed during operating hours until this issue is corrected.
In April 2021, a leak was detected in a reservoir holding about 460 million gallons of contaminated water. Fearing a catastrophic breach, officials ordered the evacuation of more than 300 homes. Engineers eventually released 215 million gallons of wastewater directly into Tampa Bay to relieve pressure on the walls of the reservoir.
The state declared a state of emergency and earmarked $100 million to help resolve the problems at the site.
It was decided the water would be pretreated and pumped into injection wells to prevent the water from spilling into waterways around the area.
King Plastic Corp. and the YMCA of Southwest Florida are partnering to develop an Early Learning Center that could help educate 150 children from six weeks old through voluntary pre-kindergarten.
While priority will be given to the employees of King Plastic – North Port’s largest private employer – the center will be available for children throughout the community.
The proposed center will mark a return of YMCA-run child care to the city after an absence of roughly five years.
“I’m just excited about it, " said Gene Jones, president/CEO of the YMCA of Southwest Florida. “It’s going to be a phenomenal opportunity for us to serve that community and to me, the beginning of expanding our services in North Port.
The Y now serves about 730 children at its four early learning academies – two in Venice, one in Port Charlotte and one in Bonita Springs – and its 2024-26 Strategic Plan calls for 90% of the early learners meeting or exceeding readiness standards to start Kindergarten.
Sarasota County launched its Resilient SRQ Multifamily Affordable Housing program.
The program’s goal is to provide more affordable housing options in the county.
“There will be an application cycle for any non-profits, private developers, and housing authorities who want to submit proposals for housing projects who want to fund affordable housing units,” program manager Laurel Varnell said.
Varnell said affordable housing has become more of an issue ever since Hurricane Ian.
“I love being part of this program. I think we will have an impact here in the next six years,” Varnell said.
Sarasota County will be hosting informational sessions on March 25 and March 29. To learn if you qualify for the program, you can go to the county’s website:
A pool of $40 million for developers looking to build affordable housing is up for grabs, Sarasota County announced Wednesday.
The Resilient SRQ Multifamily Affordable Housing project will allocate the funding to nonprofit developers, for-profit developers, local municipalities and public housing authorities that apply to build affordable units. The funding comes from a more than $200 million Community Development Block Grant Sarasota County will receive from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, per a press release.
Applications must propose more than five units, and a minimum of 51% of them must be affordable. Projects must also be located in Sarasota County, remain affordable for at least 20 years, qualify as eligible activities as outlined in the block grant’s guidelines and include mitigation measures.
A team from Resilient SRQ will score applications based on impact, affordability, financial planning, readiness and more, and the Sarasota County Commission will have the final approval among the selected finalists. Applications are open from March 20 to May 1, and potential applicants can attend information sessions March 25 and March 29.
This, after an official dedication ceremony marking the opening of Sarasota County Fire Station 23 located in Nokomis. Sarasota County officials said Friday marked the official start of even more advancements in keeping residents safe along the Suncoast.
The more than 10-thousand square foot state-of-the-art facility replaced a similar structure that was built in 1990, then demolished in 2022 to make room for the new facility. With and $8.5-million-dollar price tag, and more than ten thousand square feet of space, officials said it’s an investment in our rapidly growing region.
“This facility is designed for future growth, there’s our long-term plan to add additional apparatus to serve our community from here, " said Sarasota County Fire Chief David Rathbun. “It’s rated for a category four hurricane, that allows firefighters to ride out the storm in place and be able to respond when it’s safe to do so,” Rathbun added.
Officials added that the team of first responders had been working out of a temporary station next door while construction was underway on the new building over the past two years.
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