Anna Maria Island Sun August 27, 2025

Beach cabana rental rules may change

Anna Maria officials are pondering potential changes to the city’s commercial beach activity regulations.

Cabana rentals are not allowed on Anna Maria’s public beaches, but that may change.

City

defends attorney, invoices

BY LESLIE LAKE SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – Mayor John Chappie, city commissioners and Police Chief John Cosby responded to criticism of post-hurricane invoices submitted by City Attorney Ricinda Perry at an Aug. 21 commission meeting, defending both the expenditures and Perry herself.

Cosby, serving as director of public works after Hurricane Helene hit the city in September 2024, asked Perry to assist with emergency operations at a FEMA-reimbursable rate of $150 per hour in addition to Perry’s FEMAreimbursable hurricane-related legal rate of $220 per hour.

The city was flooded with up to 4 feet of water after Helene swept past Anna Maria Island in the Gulf of Mexico. Damage included Gulf Drive being left covered in sand and impassable, with many groundfloor buildings filled with several feet of sand, no electricity and debris preventing access to many structures.

“I’m sure you’re aware of the recent media concerns and issues that had been brought forward,” Mayor John Chappie said, referring to an editorial in the Aug. 20 issue of The Islander newspaper criticizing Perry’s invoices for November and December 2024 totaling $91,050 for post-hurricane work.

Perry said her obligation is to the city.

“You (the city) are my client. I answer to you. I don’t answer to anybody else,” she said. “You hold me accountable. I have nothing to hide and I’m proud of the work that we did and I stand behind everything I’ve billed to the city.”

Perry said she did what Cosby asked her to do and fully documented her invoices.

“I worked with our contractor that submits these costs to FEMA,” Perry said. “Hopefully FEMA will approve all but 12.5% of these charges that are in front of you for my hurricane work, so the taxpayers are not exposed to this bill.”

SEE INVOICES, PAGE 22

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – No final decisions have been made, but the mayor and commissioners are considering allowing beach cabana rentals in some public beach areas and not allowing them in others.

Current city code adopted many years ago doesn’t allow any commercial activity in the city’s coastal conservation and recreation open space zones that comprise most of the public beach areas in Anna Maria.

City code also doesn’t allow multi-legged cabanas and tents in the coastal conservation zones, regardless of who owns them and sets them up.

The mayor and commissioners first discussed commercial beach activities, including cabana

General Store burglary suspect released on bond

Leonardo “Leo” Tilelli is facing a third-degree felony charge for allegedly burglarizing the Anna Maria General Store.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – After being arrested on Aug. 18 for allegedly burglarizing the Anna Maria General Store earlier that morning, 24-year-old former Holmes Beach resident Leonardo “Leo” Tilelli was released from the Manatee County Jail on a $10,000 bond on Aug. 23.

On Aug. 19, Tilelli’s courtappointed attorney entered a not guilty plea in response to the thirddegree felony charge of unarmed

burglary of an unoccupied structure. An arraignment hearing is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 3. According to the probable cause affidavit submitted by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Anna Maria Unit, a male suspect entered the Anna Maria General Store at 503 Pine Ave. after breaking through the glass in one of the store’s doors. The suspect later exited in the same manner carrying several food and drink items. Aided by surveillance video, a BOLO (Be on the Lookout) warning was issued. While on her way to work that morning, Holmes Beach Police Department School Resource Officer Christine LaBranche spotted a male who matched the BOLO description walking along Manatee Avenue, near Flamingo Drive. LaBranche detained

SEE BEACH CABANA, PAGE 15 SEE BURGLARY, PAGE 21

Tilelli

Anna Maria considers approving paid parking lot

If approved by the city commission, the proposed paid parking lot will provide 22 parking spaces.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – There may soon be a new paid public parking lot in Anna Maria for beachgoers and other visitors.

On Aug. 14, the Anna Maria Planning and Zoning Board voted 5-0 in favor of recommending city commission approval for a paid parking lot at 9806 Gulf Drive at the corner of Gulf Drive and Magnolia Avenue. City commissioners will next consider the proposal.

Easy Parking Group owner/ operator Josh LaRose presented the site plan approval request to the P&Z board on behalf of the property owner, JRHAMI LLC. The Florida Division of Corporations lists Bradenton

resident Jerry Robert Hynton as the LLC’s registered agent and manager. Hynton is a pediatric dentist in Bradenton.

LaRose’s Sarasota-based company currently operates at least one similar paid parking lot in Anna Maria and has operated similar parking lots in Bradenton Beach. LaRose also operated the now-defunct Old Town Tram shuttle service in Bradenton Beach that was partially funded by the Community Redevelopment Agency. Included in the planning board meeting packet was a memo written by City Planner Ashley Austin. According to the memo, the site plan proposes 22 paid parking spaces in the shellcovered parking lot, including one designated accessible parking space.

LaRose said the parking lot is currently blocked off to the public but some of the existing parking spaces are used by Ginny’s and Jane E’s Café & Gift Shop employees who

work across the street. He said parking spaces would still be provided for those employees during daytime hours and the remaining spaces would be open to the public. Ginny’s and Jane E’s closes daily at 3 p.m. Austin’s memo notes the paid parking lot will provide additional public parking for beachgoers and those visiting the restaurants, retail shops and other businesses in that area.

The site plan proposes one payment kiosk and six parking

management signs that feature QR codes that allow for parking payments made using a cell phone. Parking lot patrons will enter and exit the parking lot along Magnolia Avenue.

During the Aug. 14 meeting, Austin said parking lots are a permitted use in the city’s Residential/Office/Retail (ROR) zoning designation but the proposed use requires a city commission-approved site plan. The site plan includes cityrequired landscape buffering

along the western edge of the property and additional nonrequired landscape buffering along the southern edge of the parking lot property.

At the request of neighboring property owner Bob Dwyer, with LaRose in agreement, the non-required southern landscape buffering will be removed from the site plan because it would block a long-used secondary entry point to Dwyer’s residential properties at 109 and 113 Magnolia Ave. When asked, LaRose said the parking rate would likely be in the $5- to $7-dollar-per-hour range and possibly $30 for an entire day, with potential increases during holidays. Regarding enforcement, LaRose said the parking lot would be privately enforced by Easy Parking Group employees who use written warnings to educate violators and the booting or towing of vehicles when repeat or flagrant parking violations occur.

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

The parking lot at the corner of Gulf Drive and Magnolia Avenue is currently closed to the public.

Scan this code with your smartphone to go there.

IN BRIEF

LESLIE LAKE | SUN

Stack new building clerk

Bradenton Beach Building Official Bill Palmer introduced Jodie Stack, the city’s new Building and Planning Department permit clerk, at an Aug. 21 city commission meeting.

Commission to discuss builders’ complaints, ‘no swim’ zone

The Anna Maria City Commission will meet on Thursday, Aug. 28 at 10 a.m. After general public comment on non-agenda items, the commission will be asked to approve the consent agenda that includes a request to execute a new contract with Schwalls Consulting for FEMA consulting and other services. Commissioners will be presented with a city resolution that proposes increasing the annual stormwater fee assessed to Anna Maria property owners from $2 per 100 square feet of property to $4 per 100 square feet. The commission will be asked to authorize an agreement with C-Squared for stormwater swale maintenance. Commissioners will discuss the mayor’s suggestion to implement a ‘no swim’ zone at Bean Point and discuss complaints and comments local builders and contractors recently made regarding the city’s contracted building official and outsourced building department. The mayor will present the projected 202526 capital projects expenses and the mayor and general manager will provide a capital projects update. To access the meeting by phone, dial 1-929-205-6099 and enter the meeting ID: 85392000280.

Former building official blamed for ‘screwed-up mess’

The new building official issued a stop work order at 106 23rd St. N. Commissioners voted to lift it if the owner complies with certain stipulations.

BY LESLIE LAKE SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – With 85% of a building project completed under a 2024 city permit, a stop work order was issued at 106 23rd St. N. by city Building Official Bill Palmer, who said the prior permit was approved in error by the previous building official.

City commissioners voted at an Aug. 21 city commission meeting to lift Palmer’s stop work order if the owner complies with the building official’s recommendations; further discussion is planned on Thursday, Sept. 18.

“I wanted to update you on something that came to my attention on a permit that was approved and was issued and is in my opinion a violation of our land development code,” Palmer told commissioners at the Aug. 21 meeting.

Palmer said the existing 4,200-squarefoot parcel is zoned R-3 for a one-family or two-family (duplex) dwelling with a requirement of a minimum of 5,000 square feet and a minimum new lot area of 7,500 square feet.

“Last April 2024, we (the city building department prior to Palmer) issued a permit for a home with an R-3 occupancy. Which means it’s either a one-family or two-family dwelling,” Palmer said. “It was described on the plans as a garage accessory dwelling unit. The issue that comes into play is that there’s already a single-family dwelling unit on the property. It’s been there for a number of years and there was a detached garage on the property also, so they received a permit to demo the garage and then they built the second structure. The new structure is approximately 90 feet larger than the 25% allowed in the LDC (Land Development Code).

“Some of our definitions that are going to apply is that a two-family dwelling unit is defined as both units under a common roof. It’s not something that is two structures or tied in with a breezeway,” Palmer said.

Palmer said a previous building

official, Steve Gilbert, had told the previous owner, who wanted to do a similar thing, that it was not allowed.

“I don’t know what happened after 2021, but in 2024 they submitted pretty much the same plan, and it got approved. And the permit was issued.”

He said the reviewing process in 2024 was done by then-Building Official Darin Cushing, who served as a contracted city planner for M.T. Causley after Gilbert and before Palmer.

“Bill (Palmer) did reach out to me, and he had concerns. In his independent review he saw that the property violated the code of the city,” City Attorney Ricinda Perry said. “When he did his investigation, he shared with me that Mr. Cushing and the planning services of M.T. Causley under Luis Serna had reviewed it and they did sign off on it, and in his opinion it was erroneous. That’s a lot of liability and exposure all the way around. This impacts individuals who’ve made an investment on their property. We couldn’t say tear it down when actors in the city had said go ahead.”

Perry said she and Palmer felt it was best for the city commission to be made aware of what they saw as improper decision making.

“I advised Bill (Palmer) to issue a stop work order, which didn’t make anybody happy, but there was no sense in continuing to expend funds and we really couldn’t sign off on any inspections because it violates the code,” she said. “In our professional opinion it violates the code and it’s a sub-standard lot at 100 by 42.”

Land use attorney Scott Rudacille represented property owner Neal

Morse at the meeting.

“When they acquired this property there was an existing detached garage on the property,” Rudacille said. “What was not mentioned was that the detached garage had an illegal unit that had been built within. So, when the property owner initially met with Mr. Gilbert, he said this is illegal and it was done without permits, obviously before this property owner acquired it, and it’s going to have to be torn down.”

He said the property owner worked with Gilbert to develop plans to remedy the issue.

“I’ve seen multiple emails from Steve (Gilbert) from 2022 where he’s telling them exactly what they need to do and it is specific to detached garage with living space above it,” Rudacille said. “Those plans were developed in consultation with Mr. Gilbert. They didn’t get permitted until 2024, but he was involved in those plans being developed.”

“The property owner was proceeding in good faith,” Rudacille said. “The project other than this issue that’s been raised about whether it’s an accessory structure or not, the project itself meets all the city’s requirements in terms of setbacks, lot coverage, height. They replaced an old groundlevel building with a FEMA compliant elevated structure. They’ve been getting inspected regularly by the city throughout the process.”

Morse said he hired a local architect who consulted with Gilbert. The plans were approved on March 12, 2024.

“What is the intended use?” Vice Mayor Deborah Scaccianoce asked.

LESLIE LAKE | SUN

The Bradenton Beach building official stopped construction at 106 23rd St. N. but commissioners voted to lift the stop work order subject to stipulations.

Mayor presents projected 2025-26 operating expenses

Anna Maria’s operating expenses are expected to total $8.1 million in the next fiscal year.

BY JOE HENDRICKS

SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – On Aug. 14, Mayor Mark Short presented city commissioners with an overview of the city’s operating expenses projected in the city’s proposed 2025-26 fiscal year budget.

The budget document shared with commissioners lists $6.8 million in total recurring operating expenses, compared to the $6.6 million listed for the 2024-25 fiscal year budget that ends on Sept. 30. Elected last November, Short, a retired certified public accountant and accounting consultant, is preparing his first city budget. He said the projected 2025-26 operating expenses equate to a 2.95% increase.

“When you look at the recurring operations of the city – to keep the lights on, to keep the streets clean, to keep law enforcement, to do all of that – the budget is less than a 3% anticipated increase,” he said.

The projected recurring operating expenses include $2.09 million for employee wages and benefits, a slight increase from the $1.98 million listed for the current fiscal year. Short said employee wages and benefits combined are projected to increase by slightly more than 5%, with city employees receiving approximate 4% wage increases.

The projected 2025-26 operating expenses include $1.67 million for law enforcement services provided by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, an increase from the $1.52 million listed for current fiscal year.

The projected operating expenses include $1.19 million for contracted professional ser-

vices – a significant increase from the $547,347 listed for the current fiscal year.

Professional services include city attorney services, street sweeping services, stormwater system vacuuming services, vacation rental inspections and the city’s contracted and outsourced building department and building official services. Short said $335,000 of the anticipated professional services increase is attributed to building department services to be provided by Joe Payne Inc.

The proposed operating expenses include $105,000

for Internet Technology (IT) expenses, down from the $155,000 listed for the current fiscal year due to a switch in service providers.

The proposed expenses include $514,871 in anticipated “citywide” expenses that Short said are not attributed to a specific department or service.

“There will be no pier operating expenses this year, I hate to say, but that is a fact,” he said of the hurricanedamaged City Pier walkway to be reconstructed during the coming fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1. Short anticipates the City Pier reconstruction project to be completed in October 2026.

The operating budget includes $885,000 in additional one-time expenses that include $332,000 for a coastal resiliency study that will help the city formulate a long-range stormwater and drainage plan. Short said the resiliency study is eligible for dollar-for-dollar matching grants.

The one-time expenses include $75,000 for a parking study, of which Short said, “You’re all here on the weekends and you know what this place looks like: the wild, wild west, and we need somebody to come in here and give us some advice on how to address that.”

The projected expenses include $103,000 for emergency road repairs still needed because of last year’s hurricanes and $150,000 to restore the city’s long-dormant emergency management department/program.

Short said the recurring and one-time operating expenses combined total $8.1 million.

On Aug. 28, Short will present city commissioners with the projected capital project expenditures for the coming fiscal year. The proposed budget will be presented for final city commission adoption during two public hearings in September.

Of fer valid on select standby generators. Generator must be purchased between July 15th and September 5th with installation by the end of the year

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN Mayor Mark Short is preparing his first city budget.

The Anna Maria Island Sun Staff

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Got an opinion, a complaint or a compliment? Is there something you need to get off your chest? Send us a letter to the editor and have your say. There are a couple of ways to do it. The easiest and most direct is to email The Sun at news@amisun.com. Remember to put Letter to the Editor in the subject field. Or you can snail-mail a letter to us at The Anna Maria Island Sun, P.O. Box 1189, Anna Maria, FL 34216. Letters should be kept to 300 words or less and must contain your name and the city in which you reside. Personal attacks and obscene language will not be printed. The Sun reserves the right to edit letters for length or content.

EVENTS

THURSDAY, AUG. 28

AMI Chamber of Commerce business card exchange and ribbon cutting, Kern and Gilder Construction, 1878 59th St. W., Bradenton, 5-7 p.m. $5/ members, $10/prospective members.

ON THE AGENDA

ANNA MARIA

10005 GULF DRIVE

FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-708-6130

Visit www.cityofannamaria.com or contact city hall for more information. Thursday, Aug. 28, 10 a.m., City Commission meeting Monday, Sept. 1, City offices closed for Labor Day

THURSDAY, SEPT. 4

AMI Chamber of Commerce breakfast, AMI Beach Café, 4000 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, 8 a.m., $15/members, $25/prospective members. RSVP at Terri@amichamber.org or call 941-7781541.

BRADENTON BEACH

107 GULF DRIVE N. FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-778-1005

CHURCH OF THE ANNUNCIATION EPISCOPAL CHURCH

4408 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, Sunday service 9:15 a.m.

CROSSPOINTE FELLOWSHIP

8605 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, Sunday service 9 a.m.

HARVEY MEMORIAL COMMUNITY CHURCH

300 Church Ave., Bradenton Beach, Sunday service 9:15 a.m.

ROSER MEMORIAL COMMUNITY CHURCH

512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, Sunday services 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m.

ST. BERNARD CATHOLIC CHURCH

248 South Harbor Drive, Holmes Beach, Masses: Saturday, 4 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.; Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m.

Visit www.cityofbradentonbeach.com or contact city hall for more information. Monday, Sept. 1, City offices closed for Labor Day Thursday, Sept. 4, 6 p.m., City Commission meeting

HOLMES BEACH

5801 MARINA DRIVE FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-708-5800

Visit www.holmesbeachfl.org or contact city hall for more information. Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2 p.m., City Commission meeting Monday, Sept. 1, City offices closed for Labor Day Wednesday, Sept. 3, 1:30 p.m., Joint meeting between Holmes Beach city commissioners and Manatee County commissioners, fifth floor, Manatee Room, Manatee County administrative building, 1112 Manatee Ave W., Bradenton Wednesday, Sept. 3, 3:30 p.m., Planning Commission meeting.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND CHURCH SCHEDULES

Teams, sponsors sought for Greg LaPensee Bowling Tournament

Holmes Beach-based LaPensee Plumbing, Pools and Air will host the annual Greg LaPensee Bowling Tournament at the Bowlero bowling center at 4208 Cortez Road W. in Bradenton on Saturday, Sept. 6. Proceeds from the tournament will benefit The Center of Anna Maria Island. Check-in for bowlers is at 5:30 p.m. and the bowling happens from 6-8 p.m. Teams are encouraged, but not required, to dress in costumes or themed attire. The number of lanes is limited and six-member teams are encouraged to reserve a lane now. A reserved lane for six bowlers is $350. A sponsored lane for six players with company or team logos placed on the signs is $500. A signature sponsored lane for six bowlers is $750 and includes koozies, shirts with the team or company logos on them and team or company logos placed on the signs. Non-bowling sponsorships with

company logos placed on the signs are $275. To register and reserve a lane and/or sponsorship, call 941-778-1908 or visit www.centerami.org/events. THE CENTER OF AMI | SUBMITTED

Haddox departs Planning and Zoning Board

The city seeks applicants interested in serving as a Planning and Zoning Board member.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – Planning and Zoning Board Chairperson David Haddox vacated his advisory board seat after the board’s Aug. 20 meeting.

Haddox and his wife, Marsha McAllister, sold their Anna Maria home and moved to Blue Ridge, Georgia last week. When the Aug. 20 planning board meeting began, Mayor Mark Short thanked Haddox for the 2 ½-plus years he served as a Planning and Zoning Board member, including his tenure as the board’s chairperson. Short also thanked Haddox for identifying the many navigational markers and buoys that surrounded the city and went missing during the 2024 hurricanes. Haddox researched and identified who was responsible for replacing each missing marker and buoy – the city, the county or the state.

David Haddox served as an Anna Maria Planning and Zoning Board member for more than 2 ½ years.

“Dave has provided significant guidance to me and our staff on a number of other things as it relates to the waterways,”

Short said, noting that Haddox previously served as the commander of the Anna Maria Island Sail & Power Squadron.

“I wanted to publicly thank Dave for all his service that he has provided to the city,” Short said.

The board now consists of Jeff Rodencal, David Johnson, Christine Aaron and recently-appointed member Don Buswell-Charkow. The board members will select a new chairperson during their September meeting.

APPLICANTS SOUGHT

The city of Anna Maria is now accepting applications to fill that vacant planning board seat.

“This volunteer board plays a vital role in guiding the growth and development of our community by reviewing land use proposals, zoning changes and development plans in accordance with local ordinances and the comprehensive plan,” the city website says. “Help shape the future of the city of Anna Maria. Apply today.”

The board meets one Wednesday morning per month. Applicants must be residents of Anna Maria. The commission appointee will serve the remainder of Haddox’s current term, which expires May 8, 2026, with the potential for reappointment. The application form can be downloaded at the city website, www.cityofannamaria.com/media/4596. Completed applications can be emailed to amadmin@cityofannamaria.com or hand-delivered to city hall. For more information, contact Executive Assistant Barbara Jeffries at amadmin@ cityofannamaria.com.

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

AMI approaching turtle nesting record

BY LESLIE LAKE SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com

Anna Maria Island’s nesting sea turtles are approaching a record with 541 nests laid this year, two short of the 2019 record of 543.

Another record was set last week when the first turtle nest documented at Emerson Point Preserve hatched, with 81 of 98 eggs hatching, giving the nest an 83% hatch success rate.

Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella reports that 22,311 hatchlings have successfully hatched this year.

“This is more hatchlings than we produced in 2024 (20,633), and almost as many that were produced in 2023 (22,713) -

Where’s Winnie?

Winnie, a female loggerhead sea turtle, is in fourth place in a field of 12 turtles in the Sea Turtle Conservancy’s Tour de Turtles Race that began on Aug. 1. She has traveled 287 miles in the Gulf of Mexico since she was satellite-tagged and released after nesting on Coquina Beach on June 23 and 136 miles since the race began. Winnie is swimming to raise awareness about the threat of light pollution and how lighting near shore can negatively impact nesting sea turtles and their hatchlings. Her participation in the 2025 Tour de Turtles is sponsored by Hurricane Hanks and Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring.

and the season is not over yet,” Mazzarella wrote in an Aug. 21 email.

“With all these hatchlings being produced, we want to make sure they successfully reach the water. Hatchlings use light as a cue. They go away from dark backgrounds and towards the bright night sky over the water. We are urging everyone to do their best to keep light from reaching the beach and disorienting hatchlings.

• No cell phone or flashlights (even red lights) on the beach at night;

• Close blinds so interior lights cannot be seen from the beach;

• Use turtle-friendly lighting (red or amber LEDs) with shields or turn off lights that

can be seen from the beach; and

• Report any non-turtle friendly lights that can be seen from the beach to your local code enforcement.

If you find a hatchling in danger, in the road, in a pool or off the beach, here's what to do:

• Pick up the hatchling to get it out of danger;

• Place it in a bucket/container (you can put a little sand in the bucket but no water);

• Call AMITW's Hotline 941-301-8434 for more instructions; and

• Do not release hatchlings on your own. If they are sick or injured, they may not be able to swim.

NESTING NEWS

Turtle nests laid: 541 (526 loggerhead, 15 green) Record: 543 in 2019

False crawls: 828 (797 loggerhead, 31 green) Record: 831 in 2010

Nests hatched: 314 (307 loggerhead, 7 green) Record: 453 in 2022

TURTLE TIPS

During sea turtle season, May 1 – Oct. 31, follow these tips to help turtles:

• Turn off lights visible from the beach and close blinds from sundown to sunrise; lights confuse nesting sea turtles and may cause them to go back to sea and drop their eggs in the water, where they won’t hatch. Light can also attract hatchlings away from the water.

• Don’t use flashlights, lanterns or camera flashes on the beach at night.

• Remove all beach chairs and other

objects from the sand from sundown to sunrise; they can deter sea turtles from nesting and disorient hatchlings.

• Fill in the holes you dig in the sand before leaving the beach; they can trap nesting and hatching sea turtles, which cannot live long out of the water. You might also accidentally dig into an unmarked nest. To report large holes or other turtle obstacles, call:

- City of Anna Maria code enforcement — 941-708-6130, ext. 111.

- City of Bradenton Beach code enforcement — 941-778-1005, ext. 227.

- City of Holmes Beach code enforcement — 941-778-0331, ext. 260.

Hatchlings produced: 22,311 (21,969 loggerhead, 342 green) Record: 35,850 in 2022

Hatchling disorientations: 118 (117 loggerhead, 1 green)

Adult disorientations: 30 (28 loggerhead, 2 green)

Source: Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring

• Level sandcastles before leaving the beach; they can block hatchlings from the water.

• Don’t use balloons, wish lanterns or fireworks; they litter the beach and Gulf, and turtles can ingest the debris.

• Do not trim trees and plants that shield the beach from lights.

• Never touch a sea turtle; it’s the law. If you see people disturbing turtles, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

Source: Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring

Kristen Mazzarella and Peggy Welch excavate the first sea turtle nest ever recorded at Em erson Point Preserve. They found that 81 of 98 eggs hatched and emerged from the nest.

BEACH BEAT

BRADENTON BEACH

Aug. 17, 2:34 a.m. Bridge Street, Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Police were dispatched to the Sports Lounge on a report of a large fight in progress where a gun was involved. Police reported they located the suspect, a 21-year-old Jacksonville man who was staying at a local Airbnb, sitting across the street. Witnesses reportedly told police that the man was seen grabbing a customer by the throat before being told to

leave by security. The man left the area, then returned to the bar, demanding his ID. At some point he reportedly grabbed another bar patron by the throat and as he was being removed by security, a handgun fell out of his shorts inside the bar. Officers made contact with the bar security who informed them that the gun, a Glock 9mm semiautomatic with no magazine, was secured behind the bar. The suspect requested medical services and prior to EMS arriving, the man was given smelling salts. Police said he sat upright and stated, “Don’t ever do that to me again.” According to police, the man was apparently faking a medical issue. He was charged with battery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

• 512 Pine Ave, Anna Maria

Buddy Lee’s grave marker returned

Bradenton Beach dog Buddy Lee passed away in 2018.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – The hurricane-displaced grave marker for an infamous and beloved Bradenton Beach dog, Buddy Lee, was recently discovered on Egmont Key and returned to his former owner and "dog mom," Claudia Lee.

Buddy Lee was well known on Bridge Street and beyond for his wandering ways that brought him to his favorite watering holes and other locales in Bradenton Beach and Longboat Key.

After Buddy passed away on Nov. 5, 2018, a memorial marker was placed in the front yard of the Third Street South home Lee and Rip VanFossen lived in at the time, just around the corner from the Bridge Tender Inn.

On July 31, charter Capt. Laura King found Buddy’s grave marker on Egmont Key. King owns and operates the Holmes Beach-based Anna Maria Charters and is also a commercial stone crabber for A.P. Bell Fish Co. in Cortez.

In her free time, King and her son, Wilder, take hurricane debris salvage trips to Egmont Key. Among their discoveries is a commercial cooler King later determined came from an ice cream shop in Bradenton Beach.

“There’s so much stuff out there. I should make a lost and found page. It’s not useful stuff but it’s interesting and distinctive,” King said.

“I met Buddy a long time ago and I’ve known Rip forever. I used to work

at the Anchor (Inn) many moons ago,” she said.

King texted VanFossen a few days after she found Buddy’s marker. After returning from a scallop hunting excursion, she returned the marker to Lee, a longtime Bradenton Beach resident and decades-long employee at Hurricane Hank’s in Holmes Beach.

“I was so surprised. I’m glad to have it back,” Lee said. “The night before I found out about it, I made him another marker. I was shaking when I heard about this. It’s too strange. I used to say Buddy went on more vacations than I did.”

Because work is currently being done on the house that Lee, VanFossen and Buddy used to live in, Buddy’s marker now hangs inside Lee’s home in a residential unit on the Bridge Tender Inn property.

When contacted by phone, VanFos-

sen said he now lives in Melbourne after spending nine years living on a bridge-less island similar to Jewfish Key and located between Melbourne and Sebastian, where he did a major remodeling job on his sister’s house.

“We had to take a boat back and forth,” he said of his time living on that east coast Florida island.

When discussing Buddy’s marker and the journey it took, VanFossen said, “Isn’t that a hoot? We can’t get rid of him. He keeps finding his way home. He went underneath the Cortez Bridge and the Manatee Bridge and out to Egmont Key. Laura texted me and said, ‘Does this look familiar?’ I said, ‘Yes, that’s definitely Buddy’s grave marker from the yard.’

“At one time, Buddy knew everybody on the Island and everybody knew that dog; but now I don’t know if there’s anybody left. It’s a great memory of

the little guy though,” VanFossen said. A 2018 story about Buddy Lee’s life and passing can be found online at www.amisun.com/bridge-street-losesits-buddy-and-beloved-mascot/.

LAURA KING | SUBMITTED Buddy Lee’s grave marker was recently found on Egmont Key after being washed away by hurricanes.

CLAUDIA LEE/RIP VANFOSSEN | SUBMITTED Buddy Lee passed away in 2018.

LAURA KING | SUBMITTED Laura King’s son, Wilder, made this sign with wood and a working permanent marker he found during a salvage trip to Egmont Key.

Speed detection cameras monitoring AME school zone

More than 70 motorists sped through the AME school zone during the first week of school.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – New automated speed detection cameras are now operational along Gulf Drive near Anna Maria Elementary School between 7:30-8:40 a.m. and 2:45-3:45 p.m.

Because the automated speed cameras are new this year, an initial educational grace period took effect on the first day of school, Aug. 11, and remains in effect through Monday, Sept. 8. Beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 9, motorists who exceed the 15 mph speed limit by 10 mph or more will be issued speeding tickets.

Last week, the Holmes Beach Police Department posted on Facebook some initial speed detection camera statistics and a message from Police Chief Bill Tokajer: “We have completed our first

Automated speed detection cameras now monitor the speed of motorists driving by the elementary school when students are arriving and leaving. The speed limits drops from 25 mph to 15 mph when the yellow school zone lights are flashing.

week of speed enforcement in the school zone. During the first week of school, we had multiple first responders present in the school zone: police, fire and EMS, all with emergency lights flashing and we still had 77 people going 26-32 mph. This is only enforced while the (yellow) lights are flashing in the morning and afternoon. Please

slow down in the school zone when the lights are flashing.

“Week 1: During the first week of school, the speed cameras captured and issued 77 warnings for speeds between 26-32 mph.

“Week 2: Monday and Tuesday there were 60 violations which included 13 Island residents. You need to slow down when the

(yellow) school zone lights are flashing. The cameras are active when the school zone lights are flashing. Starting Sept. 9, there will be $100 dollar tickets issued for each violation. Please slow down and drive safely,” the Facebook message says.

The speed limit is 25 mph when the yellow lights are not flashing.

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

Bradenton Beach approves new TPLE fees

BY LESLIE LAKE SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH - City commissioners unanimously approved an increase in Transient Public Lodging Establishment (TPLE) fees at the Aug. 21 commission meeting.

This increase is the first since the fees went into effect.

“It started in 2017, and it’s been the same fee structure since,” City Treasurer Shayne Thompson said. “The only thing we’ve done in that time is lower it.”

City Attorney Ricinda Perry said the update in the fee structure accounts for cost of living increases and services rendered to administer licenses.

Thompson said the increases in Resolution 25-982 are a direct result of the city’s budget meeting.

NEW FEE SCHEDULE:

• Initial/Renewal TPLE license application per unit, four or less occupants: $150;

• Initial/Renewal TPLE license application per unit, greater than four occupants: $100/additional occupant;

• Late fee: $300;

• Change of property manager administrative fee: $75;

• First re-inspection fee: $50;

• Second and subsequent re-inspection fees: $75;

• Reinstatement of TPLE license after suspension or revocation:

$150; and

• Administrative appeal of suspension or revocation of TPLE license: $500.

EXEMPTIONS:

• Any operator of a hotel or motel as defined under Florida Statutes;

• Any operator of a TPLE with on-site management and whose TPLE is located in the Planned Development Overlay Zoning District, Mixed-Use Zoning District or General Commercial Zoning District; and

• Any operator of a TPLE who resides on-site; the operator may be required to provide proof of residency.

Kapok tree removed due to weather impacts

The majestic kapok tree has been replaced by a bombax tree from the same kapok family.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – A massive kapok tree transported and transplanted at a residential property in the 700 block of North Shore Drive in April 2024 was recently removed and replaced due the weather conditions it was exposed to during the storms and hurricanes that followed later that year.

The transplanted kapok tree was removed in early June and replaced with a bombax (“red kapok”) tree in early July.

Sarasota-based Michael A. Gilkey Inc. owner Michael Gilkey served as the landscape architect and landscape contractor for the initial Ross Built residential construction project and the recent tree replacement project.

When contacted last week, Gilkey discussed the string of natural events that led to the majestic tree’s demise. “I am absolutely heartbroken,”

he said. “The tree was so beautiful and it took a lot of effort to get it there. I take a lot of pride in the trust of my clients to bring them healthy material. We’ve planted trees that size and bigger and this is the first one I’ve lost; and it hurts.

“This tree had been prepped for 18 months for the move to get the storage of nutrients and sugars needed for this type of relocation. We installed the tree in April because we wanted to do it before the tree flushed. As it comes out of dormancy from the winter months in mid-April or so, it starts to put out new foliage. The timing of the installation was based around protecting the nutrient buildup in this tree.”

The weather impacts that followed were too much for the transplanted tree to survive.

“We had a weird storm in the middle of the summer. There was a lot of flooding and a good bit of wind. The tree had already flushed and it lost half its foliage in that mid-summer storm. Then we had the first hurricane of the year, Hurricane Debby, which wasn’t

a direct hit to us, but we still had winds at 60-70 miles an hour. The tree had flushed back out and it lost its foliage again. When this happens, it’s depleting the nutrients and sugars because the foliage is not taking in the sunlight; and there are not enough roots in the ground to help it recoup that energy,” Gilkey explained.

“And then with Helene, we had several feet of saltwater inundation and there was so much water moving that the 12-foot buttress roots we attached to the tree were pushed and moved. The wind stripped the tree again and the

saltwater burnt the roots. This tree is a fairly saltwater-tolerant tree, but after you go through multiple events of losing foliage, its resistance is lower each time.

“When Milton hit, it was the nail in the coffin. We lost power to the well. There was no water turned on in Anna Maria and we had no way to wash the salt off the tree; and it was very hot during the two weeks after Milton,” Gilkey said. “At that point, it was just too far gone. It’s hard to turn a tree that’s in decline, even a healthy tree with a robust root system. There was nothing we

could do. It was ‘Mother Nature’ and the whole sequence was unfortunate.”

Gilkey said the removed kapok tree was 60-80 years old and the new bombax tree is approximately 15 years old.

“We replaced it with another variety of the same tree. The tree we planted is a massive tree on any other site, but as a replacement to the tree we had it looks miniscule. The new tree’s probably 35 feet tall and 15-18 feet wide. It’s a large tree but you can’t replace the stature of that tree we had there.”

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

Left, this kapok tree arrived in Anna Maria in April 2024. Right, A bombax tree stands where the kapok tree once stood.

BEACH CABANA: Rental discussions continue

rentals, on July 24 and they continued those discussions on Aug. 14.

Reiterating statements made at the previous meeting, Mayor Mark Short said, “Commercial activity is not listed as a permissible activity on any of our beaches. In fact, our land use ordinance even goes as far as to say you can’t even have more than one-pole tents on the coastal conservation part of our beach.”

Highlighted in green on the city’s zoning map, the coastal conservation zones include the lengthy beach shoreline that extends from the southwest end of Magnolia Avenue near the Sandbar restaurant and around Bean Point to Jacaranda Road. The coastal conservation zones also include the Gulf shoreline that extends south from Oak Avenue to the city limits at Beach Avenue; and the narrow, residential Tampa Bay shoreline along South Bay Drive from Magnolia Avenue to the northeastern tip of the city near the Galati marina.

Highlighted in blue, the largest beachfront recreation open space zone extends along the Tampa Bay shoreline between Hibiscus Street to the northeast end of Magnolia Avenue and includes the Bayfront Park and City Pier shorelines. A smaller beachfront recreation open space zone extends along the Gulf shoreline from Magnolia Avenue to Oak Avenue.

Short said the first question the commission needed to answer was whether they wanted to leave the current ordinance as it is and begin enforcing the existing prohibitions and restrictions that are not currently being enforced, and haven’t been in the past.

The areas highlighted in green are coastal conservation zones. The areas highlighted in blue are recreation open space zones.

“If the commission chooses to leave the ordinance as it is, we will immediately begin enforcing it,” Short said.

The commissioners reached preliminary consensus that they don’t want the enforcement of the existing prohibitions and restrictions to begin until they decide if and how they’re going to change the existing city regulations.

The commissioners also reached preliminary consensus that they do want to change the regulation that only allows singlepole shade structures (umbrellas), but not cabanas and tents, in coastal conservation zones.

Based on the comments made during the Aug. 14 meeting, the commission appears to be leaning toward allowing cabana rentals in the recreation open space zones, but not in the coastal conservation zones that include a significant portion of the city-controlled beaches.

Commissioner Kathy MorganJohnson said, “I think we should allow the cabanas,” but she didn’t specify which zone or zones she was referring to.

Johnson said she doesn’t have strong feelings either way about logos and other advertising being placed on rented cabanas, if allowed.

Commissioner Gary McMullen doesn’t support cabana rentals in the coastal conservation zones and he doesn’t support company logos or advertising being placed on the cabanas that would have to be reserved in advance before being placed in the recreation open space zones, if that’s what the commission decides to do.

Commissioner John Lynch supports allowing cabana rentals in the recreation open space zones. He’s currently opposed to allowing cabana rentals in the coastal conservation zones but he feels more discussion is needed.

Commissioner Chris Arendt supports cabana rentals being allowed in some form or fashion but he hasn’t arrived at a final conclusion and he feels more discussion is needed.

Commission Chair Charlie Salem is still evaluating the options and he wants more input from residents and vendors

before making any final decisions.

Short said the commission also needs to decide if it wants to allow any additional commercial activities on the public beaches.

“We can decide what commercial activities we would like to allow. Cabana rentals? Yoga instruction? There may be others? We need to be very specific in terms of what we will allow in terms of commercial activity,” he said.

OTHER ISLAND CITIES

Holmes Beach Development Services Director Chad Minor and Code Compliance Chief James Thomas attended the Anna Maria meeting and Minor briefly addressed the commission.

Regarding Holmes Beach’s sign regulations that prohibit advertising on the beach, Minor said, “At this time, we’re approaching it from the commercial advertising aspect. We’ve got most of the vendors to comply. The other concern we had was the placement of tents before they were actually rented. Someone could walk by, scan the QR code and

then rent the tent. If they’ve got a pre-arranged reservation, that’s how we’re approaching it.

“We will be diving into this in more detail. One of our other concerns is it’s tents today, what could it be tomorrow? SUP boards (stand-up paddleboards), kayaks? I get more Jet-Ski rental requests a week than I’ve ever had. There’s a lot of businesses that want to be out here, and rightfully so. We just have to learn how to balance that,” Minor said. Short said he received a copy of a cabana rental-related draft ordinance the city of Bradenton Beach is working on, but he didn’t know if it had been presented to Bradenton Beach commissioners yet. Short said the draft ordinance proposes limiting each cabana or tent to 10 square feet with no more than two enclosed sides. The draft ordinance currently proposes prohibiting commercial signage or branding, imposing a limit of 20 cabanas per licensed vendor, imposing a restriction on how many cabanas can be set up side by side and imposing a restriction on the number of chairs placed under the cabanas.

The Bradenton Beach commissioners are expected to discuss the draft ordinance during their Thursday, Sept. 11 commission workshop.

PUBLIC INPUT

Longtime North Shore Drive resident John Dicks said, “The world’s not going to end if we don’t allow rental cabanas on our beaches. Look deep and hard as you consider changing our ordinances.”

My Beach Concierge owners Peery and Becky Heldreth attended the July 24 and Aug. 14 meetings.

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

ORDER: Former official blamed for 'screwed-up mess'

“That depends on what we’re allowed to do,” Morse said. “On the plans it says it’s a game room and a bonus room with a deck. We just want to complete it at this point. The focus with the city was not so much the use as it was what we’re allowed to build.”

“I think what you’re looking at here is additional living space for the house, it’s just not connected,” Rudacille said. “The issue that they had was you had an existing ground level house, which under the 50% limitations they couldn’t add additional square footage to that. Steve (Gilbert) said if you did a separate structure then you can have living space as long as it’s above the base flood elevation. So basically, what you have here is living space that happens to be in a separate structure but all still part of the same single-family dwelling. The only thing unique is the space between the house and the detached garage.”

“This was permitted by us somehow,” Commissioner Ralph Cole said. “I’m looking for a solution to the problem that we have and that problem seems to be coming up more and more that permits were issued that maybe shouldn’t have been. Right now, we’re in that situation again.”

“The city has approved the structure to be built,” Mayor John Chappie said. “To put it bluntly, it’s a screwed-up mess and the liability out there is extreme on all parties. It could be very costly depending on how we handle this. I don’t want to force somebody to tear something down like this. I think it’s a mistake that both sides are going to have to figure out and live with. We have to figure out how can this go forward and not set a precedent of any kind, because I guarantee you other people will come back and say you let this guy do it and now, you’re not going to let that guy do it.”

“If we issued the permit, we’re in kind of a pickle,” Cole said. “Was it the commission’s fault? No, but we’re the ones that have to determine what’s right and what’s wrong.”

“I think we have to take responsibility for our actions,” Commissioner Jan Vosburgh said.

“It’s unfortunate that this situation exists,” Perry said. “I think what the commission needs to decide today is whether or not to allow the property owner to continue with construction plans so they can continue to move forward or if you’re going to keep the stop work order in effect. Having two houses on that lot is a violation.”

Palmer said he favored keeping the stop work order in place until he receives an under-construction elevation certification and a tie-in survey.

Commissioners reached a consensus to lift the stop work order contingent on receipt of the documents Palmer requested.

Perry read the following motion: “Motion to authorize the removal of a stop work order for 106 23rd St. N. contingent on receipt and acceptance by the building official of an under-construction elevation certificate and tie-in survey with the property owner accepting the risk and financial exposure for any additional costs incurred for work conducted as of 8/21/2025 and to further direct staff and the property owner and/or his agent to prepare a proposed resolution addressing the second R-3 structure and its uses for 106 23rd St. N. for commission review no later than Sept. 18.”

The commission approved the motion unanimously.

Perry said there will be expense as the city is now exposed for the legal fees through the actions of M.T. Causley contractors, and she asked if the commissioners wanted to direct staff to provide any proposed remedies for the added financial cost to correct the permit that was issued. She said staff will bring back a recommended path for remedy of the financial cost for correcting the issue.

Ross Built wins prestigious Southern Living award

Ross Built has been featured three times in Southern Living magazine this year.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA ISLAND

– Bradenton-based Ross Built Custom Homes was featured in the August issue of Southern Living magazine as the winner of the 2025 Southern Living Custom Builder Program Member of the Year Award.

The description below the headline for the onepage magazine story says, “Ross Built is awarded the 2025 Southern Living Custom Builder Program Member of the Year Award for excellence in design, construction and industry professionalism.”

Ross Built owners Greg and Lee Ross received the award at the annual Southern Living

Home Summit held Feb. 3-7 in Fairhope, Alabama.

“That’s when we found out we won. It was a surprise and a huge honor,” Lee Ross said on Aug. 14. “This was the article announcing it. It’s in Publix now.”

On Feb. 15, Greg passed away unexpectedly due to an undiagnosed heart condition,

leaving Lee and their sons, Jake and Andrew, to carry on the Ross Built legacy.

“It’s bittersweet. We got the award about two weeks before Greg passed,” Ross said. “We felt like the king and queen of the prom that night. We were so happy, humbled and excited. We were walking around that night and

people were coming up and congratulating us. We went back to our room and giggled and thought: ‘Wow, how did this happen and how did we come from two people on a breakfast table drawing plans and having a dream to being where we are now?”

Ross Built is a member of the Southern Living

Custom Builder Program that features a small number of builders selected from 16 Southeastern states.

“You become a member of this group and get connected with companies like Pella windows, Sherman Williams, Kohler, Clopay, architects and

LEE ROSS | SUBMITTED

Southern Living Editor in Chief Sid Evans with Lee and Greg Ross at the Southern Living Home Summit in February. Ross Built won Southern Living magazine’s Custom Builder Program Builder Member of the Year Award.

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

The August issue of Southern Living was displayed in the Publix supermarket on Manatee Avenue.

OUTDOORS

Opportunity meets preparedness

Reel Time

hether you’re fishing for reds, snook and trout in Sarasota Bay or Anna Maria Sound, stalking bonefish in the Bahamas, stripers in the Northeast, or casting to rising trout on a mountain stream in Montana, you’ll be spending more time anticipating the adventure than actually fishing. That’s the perfect time to prepare so you’ve addressed the things you have control over in advance. When you do get on the water, you will inevitably encounter unpredictable forces like wind, rain, clouds and any number of other conditions.

With so many unavoidable pitfalls facing anglers, there is often

a propensity to just hope for the best and then take what you get. How many of us have waited for months to take that trip of a lifetime, had perfect conditions and then found our casting abilities no match for our prey? The old saying that luck is "opportunity meeting preparedness" is especially true for fishers. Why not develop the mindset from the beginning that everything we do (on the water and off) contributes to turning odds into opportunities?

Preparation comes in many forms, and the most important for anglers are:

• Short, numerous practice sessions throughout the year;

• having tackle in top form; and

• knowing how to tie proper knots and choose baits that imitate your prey’s food.

Casting skills are developed over a lifetime, and practice should not be saved for fishing trips, or even the days leading up to a trip. The best practice

is on grass, throwing to targets placed at different distances and angles. If you are a fly fisher, don’t make the mistake of judging your casting ability by how long a line you can throw. Learn to make a tight, accurate 40-foot cast first, and then work on distance.

While I’ve been blessed to learn from some of the industry’s leading experts, I've found the best instructor, after mastering the basics, is experience. As a fly fisherman, one of the first and most important lessons I’ve learned is to see the wind as friend, not foe. If you’re new to the game, don’t put off a fly fishing trip because the wind is blowing. On my first trip to the Bahamas I was face to face with a large school of bonefish just 40 feet away into a 25 mph headwind! All those days of avoiding the wind meant that I didn’t have the skills to get the job done! Now I value the windy days because I know that if I can make the cast,

I can benefit from the conditions. Fish are far less spooky and will more readily take the fly or lure when the waves riffle the surface. The waves also provide windows into the water. If you can make an accurate cast into a 15-knot wind, you’ll be golden on those days when the wind is in your favor. Being mentally prepared and employing techniques like visualization gives you the ability

to form a mental picture of the outcome you desire by seeing the quarry in exquisite detail and imagining yourself making the perfect presentation, setting the hook and feeling the line and the pressure on the rod as the fish streaks for the horizon. The athletes in all sports know how to plan and visualize their outcome. They’re prepared when opportunity presents itself as “luck.”

RUSTY CHINNIS

RUSTY CHINNIS | SUN

Bryan Chamberlin’s permit came on the last day of a five-day trip to the Keys. He was prepared and made his one cast count.

CAPT. RICK GRASSETT

Snook fishing should be good during September. You should still find them in the surf in the coastal Gulf of Mexico and in the Intracoastal Waterway around docks and bridges, close to passes. As days get shorter and water temperature cools, they will move towards shallow flats where they may stage along sandbars.

Top water plugs and fly poppers and Gurglers should work well, especially in low light. Since heat is still an issue in September, it is a good time of year to fish dock lights before dawn and then move to shallow flats. Spin fishing anglers should do well with CAL jigs and a variety of tails and DOA Shrimp. Live bait anglers should do well with live shrimp around docks or live pilchards on shallow grass flats. Fly anglers should do well with small white flies, like my Grassett Snook

September means snook, reds

Minnow, which will also work in the surf.

Tarpon should still be an option, although adult migratory fish in the coastal Gulf have thinned out. They will move to inside waters to rest and eat before migrating away from our area. You may find them around bridges or over deep grass flats. Spin fishing anglers should connect with DOA Lures (Baitbuster, Shrimp and TerrorEyz). Live bait anglers should score with live shrimp or pilchards. Fly anglers should have good action with small white flies tied on beefier hooks (1/0 or 2/0). Reds should school up during September. You should find them on shallow flats when the tide is high or along the edges of flats and sand bars at low tide. They may push a wake in shallow water when they are spooked. Try to avoid spooking them by getting ahead of them and

working around the edges of the school. Spin fishing anglers should score with live pilchards or DOA Lures, such as PT-7 (top water), Baitbusters or CAL jigs. Fly anglers should score with poppers, Gurglers and wide

profile baitfish fly patterns. Be as quiet as possible; I prefer a push pole only in shallow water since an electric trolling motor may spook them. You may also find large jack crevalle and blues mixed with schools of reds.

You may also find large spotted sea trout on shallow flats this month. They may be in potholes or mixed with schools of reds. They are most active in low light, especially when it is cooler, early or late in the day. Over slot trout are usually females, which, in my opinion, should be released since they are breeders. You may also find trout on deep grass flats where they may be mixed with blues, Spanish mackerel or pompano. When fishing deep grass flats, I like to drift and cast ahead of my drift with DOA Shrimp, Deadly Combos or live shrimp under a popping cork. Fly anglers should do well with synthetic fiber Clouser flies (due to toothy fish in the mix). Make a series of drifts to locate fish and then shorten your drift to zero in on them. Since stone crab traps aren’t in the water yet, focus on

CAPT. RICK GRASSETT | SUBMITTED

Howard Hsu, of Atlanta, with a dock light red caught and released in a previous September while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.

REAL ESTATE

Homeownership in the golden years

Back in June, I wrote a column asking, “Are you tired of homeown ership?” focusing on renting versus owning. Well, it now appears that plenty of people are tired of homeownership, primarily in the golden years of life.

The country is aging and so is the baby boomer generation and now they’re asking themselves, is this house really worth it? In my generation, if you didn’t own your own home you hadn’t evolved to adulthood and made a success of your life, or as my mother would say, “Renting is like throwing your money away.”

Castles in the Sand

ability to pick up and move if you don’t like your neighbors or want closer access to family members.

of renters 65 and older rose 30% in the past decade, according to a recent study by Point2Homes, a residence rental platform. It appears that it’s a concept whose time has come with the aging of the Baby Boomers. Not all of them want to go into life plan communities and even fewer want to live with adult children. Keep your eye out for new communities that can also offer luxury apartments if you’re starting to think along those lines.

A lot of senior citizens, most of whom have been long-term homeowners, are choosing to rent instead. Developers have certainly taken note of this and are building single-family home communities for people 55 and older all over the country. The attraction is maintenance-free living while still having your personal space and living among people with similar interests. Also, renting always has in its favor the

In addition, the sale pitch for homeownership has flipped. Younger homeowners had an interest and a need to build equity in order to move on to larger homes to accommodate a growing family. With no more kids to house and space for them to run around, why do you need the four-bedroom, three-bath home anymore? Most people also probably don’t need to build equity either at a certain point in their life.

According to 2023 Census Bureau data, the fastest-growing group of renters are those 55 and older. In addition, the share

Time for July sales statistics published by the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee.

Single family homes in Manatee County closed 9% lower this July compared to last July. The median sale price was $489,900, down 1.8%, and the average sale price was $631,195, down 4.5%. The median time to closing was 102 days this year compared to 100 last year. New listings were down 2.9% and the month’s supply of available properties was 4.8 months compared to 3.9 months last year.

Condos closed 10.7% fewer properties

this July compared to last year. The median sale price was $320,000, down 2.7% and the average sale price was $329,947, down 6.9%. The median time to closing was 111 days compared to 121 days last year. New listings were down 11.3% and month’s supply of available properties was 7 months compared to 5.6 last year. Need I remind you, we’re in the middle of hurricane season with the first Atlantic named hurricane last week. Not much happens during hurricane season even in a good market, so it’s not surprising the market is quiet, to say the least. That said, there does appear to be some stability setting in with a slight uptick in all sectors in Manatee. So, if you’re tired of fixing the air conditioning and cleaning the gutters, it may be time to unload the albatross you now call your home. Don’t worry about what my mother says, she’s not in a position to judge anymore and even she would probably admit that pulling weeds is not a good use for your free time.

LOUISE BOLGER

BURGLARY: General Store burglary suspect released on bond

Tilelli until additional officers arrived and transported him to the Manatee County Jail.

According to the MCSO affidavit, “The suspect was in possession of a green bag containing several food items. A post-Miranda interview was conducted with Leonardo, where he stated he went into the store to get food and drink as he was hungry. Leonardo did not wish to speak about the incident when asked how he had entered the store. The items Leonardo was carrying were taken back to the store. The owner (Brian Seymour) identified seven total food/drink items taken from his shelves totaling $42.45. The estimated cost to fix the double pane glass door is approximately $2,500.”

ISLAND TIES

Tilelli’s grandmother is a Holmes Beach resident. His mother, Christine Tilelli, is a former Holmes Beach resident who relocated to Colorado but returned in late February in hopes

of locating Leo, who had been out of contact, missing for several months and possibly homeless.

According to Christine, Leo grew up in Holmes Beach, attended Anna Maria Elementary and then Manatee High School, where he played football, was popular with the other students and was named homecoming king. Christine said Leo earned a scholarship to the University of South Florida (USF), where he was a communications major and was also in pursuit of a minor in mechanical science because of his deep interest in and love of nature.

When speaking to The Sun on Aug. 21, Christine said the family was still waiting to bond Leo out of jail because they feared he might disappear again upon his release. Christine said she fears Leo may be suffering from mental illness and her hope is to get him evaluated and provided with the treatment and/or medication he may need.

When contacted by The Sun again after Leo’s Aug. 23 release, Christine said he was with his family.

SUN

On Aug. 20, the damaged Anna Maria General Store door was covered with plywood while awaiting repairs.

When contacted the day of Leo’s release, Seymour said Christine, Leo’s grandmother and Leo’s younger brother came to the general store the previous day to speak with him.

“They apologized for Leo’s actions and offered to pay for the damages. At this time, we’re still collecting quotes to get the door repaired or replaced. I don’t know the total damage yet, but they said to reach out to them and they

will make me and the store whole again,” Seymour said. When asked if he would be in favor of the felony burglary charge being reduced after restitution is made, Seymour said, “I am in favor of that if he and his family get him the help he needs. He is a legal adult and they can’t force him to seek help, but I hope he does. If he doesn’t seek help, then no, I’m not in favor of that.”

PREVIOUS ARREST

On April 30, 2024, while attending USF, Leo participated in an on-campus protest pertaining to the Israel/Palestine conflict, according to a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office arrest affidavit.

After failing to disperse when ordered to do so by police, Leo allegedly fled on foot to avoid arrest, and while being apprehended, he allegedly attempted to strike the pursuing officer. He was charged with resisting an officer with violence, a third-degree felony, and resisting an officer without violence, a first-degree misdemeanor. The misdemeanor charge was later dropped. The felony charge is pending.

At some point after that arrest, Leo left school and his family lost touch with him.

“Before all this happened, his heart was large. He was kind and he never met a person he wouldn’t help,” Christine said.

JOE HENDRICKS |

INVOICES: City defends attorney, invoices

FROM PAGE 1

Perry said there are many layers of oversight to the FEMA-related billing.

“It goes through the FEMA review process, and I think even the county or state has some review and oversight for our expenditures that go in for FEMA reimbursement,” Perry said. “Then on top of that it goes on a public agenda to be vetted by the public and vetted by you, the client, the elected officials. Staff looks at all of this.

“You were operating under a state of emergency and in a lot of respects the media has come out and said they have a vote of no confidence in the services that were rendered on behalf of the city by me,” she said.

“You can see the detail I put in my invoices. I don’t simply say ‘showed up at work.’ ” Perry said. “There were days I slept in my car at the police department to keep things going. Chief was charged in this instance with assembling a team to respond and get the community back in working order. And the question that largely needs to be answered is, did we succeed? Did Chief succeed in getting the city back open and running? You got the results that were needed.”

Perry’s invoice runs from Nov. 1 through Dec. 19 2024 and covers such items as attending daily briefings; meetings with staff, neighborhood and business owners and fire district personnel; conducting site visits to affected infrastructure; meeting with building owners regarding rebuilding requirements and FEMA compliance; drafting contracts for debris removal; building department reorganization and managing public outreach, to

name a few.

Chappie said all contract invoices over $2,000 must be submitted to the commission for review and are public record.

“As you are aware, I lost my right-hand man,” Cosby said. “With him being gone and not having another public works director to assist in this I reached out to Ricinda. I needed somebody that quick on their feet, educated, able to read contracts, RFPs, everything else that I knew was going to have to be put together to move this forward.”

Cosby said he was left with two choices - to ask Perry to help or hire a consulting firm at the cost of roughly $350 per hour per person for up to five people.

“The average consultant fee for what I was going to have her do for FEMA guidelines is $150,” Cosby said. “That’s why I came to the commission and said whatever she’s doing that’s not attorney-related I need you to approve the cost of $150 an hour. We ran that through FEMA, and they were comfortable with that and that is still moving forward.”

Cosby noted that Bradenton Beach was the hardest-hit government entity in Manatee County after Hurricane Helene.

“We had not just damage to our buildings, we have infrastructure damage that’s being repaired, there was no

other way to do it, there was no one else to do it,” Cosby said. “There’s two of us, myself and Terri (City Clerk Terri Sanclemente.) She was handling all the insurance issues, and you have to remember we still had to do our regular jobs. I still had to do payroll; scheduling and I had to guide the public works department.”

Cosby said he was working 16-18 hour days after the hurricane, sometimes being called back in the middle of the night for emergencies such as a diesel fuel spill.

“It’s individuals mouthing off that are not residents of Bradenton Beach that are not here and did not go through this,” Cosby said. “They have no clue what they’re talking about.”

“Things were happening so fast, and our team was on top of it and I think you’re going to see the result of the expertise that our team has had when our FEMA reimbursement checks start coming back in and how well we have done our job,” Chappie said, adding the editorial was uncalled for.

Commissioner Ralph Cole said, “When we were under emergency management, they needed their space to do what they needed to do, and we got it done a lot cheaper and a lot faster than the other communities.”

“I just marvel at Ricinda’s ability and

we’re so lucky to have her,” Commissioner Jan Vosburgh said.

Vice-Mayor Deborah Scaccianoce addressed criticism of city oversight and Perry’s invoices.

“We pass our audits with flying colors. There is so much oversight in our spending,” she said. “The lawyers for the other cities weren’t slinging mud, wearing boots, carrying cases of water and going out in the public. Not one of those attorneys took the time that Ms. Perry did to shlep around in mud and muck in that disaster that we lived through. But this attorney did do that. She is a member of this community, and she is not replaceable as a result of that.”

Scaccianoce said the city suffered 95% damage, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

SEE INVOICES, PAGE 23

LESLIE LAKE | SUN

Bradenton Beach commissioners responded to criticism aimed at City Attorney Ricinda Perry for her posthurricane invoices at an Aug. 21 meeting.

BEACH CABANA: Rental discussions continue

FROM PAGE 15

During the recent meeting, Peery asked the commission to allow cabana rentals in the coastal conservation zones.

“We’re talking about a tremendous amount of area here in the city of Anna Maria,” he said. He also said some cabana rental clients are physically unable to transport and set up their own

cabanas, including senior clients and those with disabilities.

Anna Maria General Store owner and former city commissioner Brian Seymour said enforcing a ban on all commercial beach activities except cabana rentals could have unintended impacts on other businesses, including beach weddings and restaurants and food delivery services that deliver to beachgoers.

“There’s a lot more to this than just

beach cabanas,” Seymour said, and he suggested the commission host a public workshop before making any final decisions.

Short said beach weddings are regulated by city-issued special event permits but Salem acknowledged other industries could be impacted by the commission’s future decisions.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do on this,” Salem said.

INVOICES: City defends attorney, invoices

“Anna Maria was marginal, Holmes Beach by comparison was marginal,” Scaccianoce said. “She (Perry) was here every day during recovery. The Chief was wearing a lot of hats, he had other stuff to do. Ricinda took responsibilities away from him so he could concentrate on getting done what he needed to do. What Ricinda contributed went above and beyond.”

“Bridge Street brought a sense of normalcy and hope back to this city and it was Ricinda who made sure that happened,” Scaccianoce said. “The idea that

any of this is inappropriate or not acceptable is outrageous. I challenge anyone to have put as much time and effort that Ms. Perry did as our city attorney during this catastrophe. And questioning her billing or our auditing processes or any of that is absolute nonsense. And I challenge any of those people - the writer of the editorial - where were you? I know where Ricinda was because I was on this Island and I watched her do it. She was bringing boots for people so they could navigate through the muck and mud. It’s really easy to sling mud at people when you’re sitting behind your computer. If you’re not boots on the

ground, you have no right to open your mouth to discredit anyone. I am furious this is even put in question.”

Commissioner Scott Bear said he was disappointed that the Islander editorial made it personal about Perry.

“They didn’t come in and ask us why she was doing the work,” Bear said. “We were short-staffed, that’s why. To say the attorneys in those two cities (Anna Maria and Holmes Beach) didn’t charge anything, well, I can guarantee you, if they had been asked to do it, it wouldn’t have been done under their flat rate. To make a statement in a paper that they didn’t have additional

cost, well no kidding, they also didn’t have 95% damage.”

“This malfeasance and fraud that are supposedly going on in the city, not just us, but the other two cities, were stripped naked by OPPAGA,” Cosby said, referring to a recent study by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability. “They went through everything. If there were issues, we would have known about it and we came out of this well. It’s people that don’t know running their mouth. After what we went through it’s disheartening to have to deal with this.”

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN Single pole umbrellas are currently the only shade structures allowed in Anna Maria’s coastal conservation zones.

ISLAND SPORTS

CENTER FLAG FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD

Solid Rock Electrical (6-1) 26

Slim’s Place (5-2) 20

Salty Printing (6-2) 33

Coaster Continent (4-3) 30

G.I. Bins (3-4) 42

Edible Cookie Dough Café (0-7) 12

Solid Rock Construction 36 Moss Builders 18 (as of halftime weather halt)

Cortez Pump & Sprinkler (3-4) Win Bubble Binz (3-4) Forfeit

KEY ROYALE GOLF SCOREBOARD

AUG. 18 - MODIFIED STABLEFORD

First Place - Quentin Talbert, +5

Second Place - Earl Ritchie and Rich Salzburg tied, +3

AUG. 19 - LOW NET

SCORE

First Place - Jana Samuels, 32 Second PlaceHelen Pollock, 34 Third Place - Sue Wheeler, 38

AUG. 21 - SCRAMBLE

First Place Team - Jim Bailey, Bill Shuman and Ron Vandeman, 30, 2 under par Second Place Team - Mike Clements, Warren Stevens and Quentin Talbert, 31, 1 under par.

GRASSETT: September means snook, reds

FROM PAGE 19

inshore crab trap floats (blue crab) to find tripletail and then use DOA Shrimp, live shrimp or lightly-weighted flies with weed guards, to avoid snagging the crab trap line. Full regulations on trout and other species can be found at https:// myfwc.com/ .

Nelson, Farrington pitch to win

Brooks Nelson, left, teamed up with Tom Farrington on Aug. 20 to win the day’s championship after posting the only 3-0 record during pool play at Anna Maria Horseshoes. On Aug. 23, Tim Sofran and partner Tom Betty earned the day’s bragging rights after they were the only 3-0 team.

I like to check the coastal Gulf when conditions are good. You may find false albacore (little tunny) or Spanish mackerel in the coastal Gulf, although it’s a little early in the season. Look for surface activity (breaking/feeding fish). I use small white flies, DOA Shrimp, live shrimp or CAL jigs for albies and mackerel. Look for surface action that may also attract sharks and tarpon into the fray. I like to use larger diameter fluorocarbon leader versus wire when toothy fish are in the mix. Although it’s too early for stone crab traps to be in the Gulf, you may find an early tripletail on abandoned crab trap floats, channel markers buoys or any floating debris. I like DOA Shrimp, live shrimp or flies with weed guards when targeting tripletail.

There are lots of options this month, but the theme is to fish early in the day for the best action. I like to start in the dark before sunrise, targeting snook and juvenile tarpon around dock lights and then move to shallow flats at dawn to target reds and big trout.

Our natural resources are under constant pressure from red tides fueled by residential, agricultural and industrial runoff, toxic spills and discharges, freezes, increasing fishing pressure and habitat loss and degradation. Please limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!

ROSS BUILT: Wins prestigious Southern Living award

PAGE 17

others and become industry partners with them,” Ross said. “It keeps us on the cutting edge of all the new materials being released by some of the top vendors in the world. We get high level education from the industry partners and Southern Living gets homes to feature in their magazine. Southern Living is all about a southern lifestyle and our homes, our product, our vibe and the body of our work represents the southern lifestyle.”

The photos in the award announcement story feature the Ross Built home on Jewfish Key that was completed in late 2024, but the award is for the company’s overall body of work. The Jewfish Key home was also featured in two Southern Living stories in January.

“For a little company that was homegrown on Anna Maria Island to be so present in the national spotlight is thrilling,” Ross said. “It helps build and solidify our brand so people know we’re at the highest caliber of builders.”

For a little company that was homegrown on Anna Maria Island to be so present in the national spotlight is thrilling.”

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

Southern Living stories.

Lee Ross, Ross Built Custom Homes owner

ANNA MARIA HORSESHOES | SUBMITTED

FUN IN THE SUN

CLASSIFIEDS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

THRIVE BEACH YOGA: All Levels Welcome! 100 Pine Ave on AMI. 8:30am every Saturday & Sunday, $15 PreRegistration required at ThriveYogaFit.com

I HAVE SANDBAGS. Need filled and delivered in Holmes Beach. $2.00 per bag. Penney 941-9936485

COMMERCIAL SALES, RENT & LEASE

HAVE YOU BEEN thinking of selling? We NEED properties to List for SALE!!! Duplexes, multi family, small resorts? Call BIG Alan Galletto of Island Real Estate to get it SOLD 941-232-2216

CLEANING SERVICE

TOTAL HOME SERVICES CLEANING: Residential, Commercial, Rentals, VRBO. Professional and Reliable. Call 941-756-4570 or 941-565-3931

CONSTRUCTION/ INSURANCE

WE SPECALIZE IN: WIND Mitigation forms, 4-POINT forms, DECK safety and evaluation. State Certified since 1990. Call Mike Conley 941-778-2385. Straight Inspection Service. Veteran Owned

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

RENOVATION SPECALIST ALL carpentry repairs, Wash Family Construction, locally owned and operated CBC 1258250 Call 941-725-0073.

KERN & GILDER CONSTRUCTION, INC New Homes & Remodel. Design/Build. Since 1968. License # CBC 1261150. Call the Office. 941-7781115. NEW OFFICE ADDRESS: 1878 59th Street W Bradenton, FL 34209

API’S DRYWALL REPAIR 15+ years experience. Free estimates. No job too small. Love to help you. Call 941-524-8067.

GET’R DONE DRYWALL, INC Specializing in Remodels & Repairs. Island Resident for 20+ years. Call Neil. Cell 941-9621194

JSAN CORPORATION

Renovations Construction & Handyman Services 941-243-0995 Lic# CRC1332505 jsancorporation@gmail. com Flooring, Drywall, Painting, Repairs, Kitchen and Bathrooms, Trim & Doors Free Estimates. Credit Cards Accepted.

GORILLA DRYWALL REPAIR, LLC. 15+ years of experience. Free Estimates. Let’s solve your Drywall problems together. Call 941-286-0607.

CCS DRYWALL REPAIRS We are local. Family owned & operated since 1991. Free Estimates. Licensed/Insured/Bonded. License # SCC131149803 Call 941-713-6531.

HURRICANE DAMAGE?

I’m an Island resident. Pressure washing, tree work, fence repair, mailbox replacement. Also see ads under “Landscaping & painting. Bill Witaszek 941-307-9315

FROM HOME TO BUSINESSES, we build it all. You’re Reliable General Contractor for new construction, water damage, restoration 941-894-7549 or email at@constructionatr.com

BATHROOM REMODEL STARTING at $1999 Limited Time Promotion (labor only) McGhie Construction Inc. State certified CBC 1258471 Call 813-966-3707 Free Estimates

START TO FINISH, Custom Carpentry, Accent Walls, Drywall and much more 941-565-2165

HOME SERVICE

HATE TO COOK? Long time Island resident. Can help with cooking, laundry and many things around your house. Many compliments on cooking. References available. Please Call or Text 941685-0045.

LANDSCAPING & LAWN CARE

R. GAROFALO’S Interlocking brick pavers, driveways, patios, pool decks. Free estimates. Licensed & Insured. Call Rafael 941-778-4823 or Veronik 941-526-7941

ISLAND RESIDENT. TREE/ BUSH Trimming, removal. Sweeping, blowing, and weeding. Weekly, bi-monthly or monthly schedule. Pressure washing. Call Bill Witaszek 941307-9315

SHELL DRIVEWAYS & LANDSCAPE. Specializing in Old Florida Seashell and Lime rock driveways and scapes. Also River Rock, Sand, Mulch, & Soil. Call Shark Mark 941-301-6067

MOVING & STORAGE

MARTIN’S MOVING YOUR Island movers! Offering dependable, competitive rates. No hidden costs. 941-809-5777.

PAINTING & WALLCOVERING

PAINT! PAINT! AND MORE 28 years of experienced interior/exterior custom painting. Pressure cleaning, drywall repairs and texture finishes. Many Island references. Please call Neil for free estimates. 941-812-0507

“WIZARD OF WALLS” Established 1980 Prompt quality service. Wallpaper installation/ removal. Mary Bell Winegarden 941-794-0455

DONALD PERKINS ABRACADABRA PAINTING LLC fully insured. 30 years experience. Many Island references. Call 941-705-7096

PROFESSIONAL PAINTING SERVICES. Prompt & Reliable. Island Resident. Quality Workmanship. Interior/Exterior. Minor repairs & carpentry. Free estimates. Bill Witaszek 941-307-9315

TRUE TONE PAINTING. Painting, power washing, epoxy floors and more, No job too small. Please call 941-224-4020 www. truetonepainting.com

PEST CONTROL

ANNA MARIA PEST CONTROL Call 941-7781630

POOL SERVICES

FOUR SEASONS POOL SERVICE AND CHEMICAL SERVICES. Certified Pool Operator. 18 + Years Experience. Residential/commercial. Chemical Service Licensed & Insured. Call Dennis Clark 941-7375657

COLE'S TROPICAL POOL SERVICE Call Cole Bowers for all your pool maintenance needs! Affordable and Dependable!! 941-7131893

PRESSURE WASHING & WINDOWS

TOTAL HOME SERVICES CLEANING: Residential, Commercial, Construction, Vacation, VRBO Rentals . Also available Pressure Washing, Roof Cleaning, Paver Sealing and Windows. Call 941-5653931.

REAL ESTATE HOMES & CONDOS FOR SALE

Have you been thinking of selling? We NEED properties to List for SALE!!! GULF FRONT, CANAL FRONT, BAY FRONT CONDOS or HOMES ASK for BIG Alan Galletto of Island Real Estate to get it SOLD 941-232-2216

LOOKING FOR A highly motivated real estate broker to buy or sell your next home? Darcie Duncan, Broker Duncan Real Estate a lifelong island resident bringing success to her customers for 30 years. Proven track record brings you results! 941-725-1589

FOR SALE - PERICO

BAY CLUB New Price for 2BR/2BA villa with Water View! 2 CAR GARAGE, open floor plan & high ceilings! $374,400 Call Erin Leathem at The Anna Maria Sales Team at Island Real Estate 941448-5616

For Sale. 3BR/2.5BA TownHouse . Walk to Holmes Beach Shopping and dining! Walk to beach. Beautifully designed interior and Garage! No water in house ever! Cape Town Village. In Bradenton close to pickleball courts! 3/2.5 beautifully remodeled . No flood zone. $539,000. Brenda Boyd May. Broker. 941-730-8589

RENTALS: ANNUAL

ANNUAL RENTAL CENTRAL HOMES BEACH

3BR/2BA completely remodeled. Walk to beach, school, trolley, shopping. $2595/mo Call 941-7136743

HOLMES BEACH 209 83rd

St.: 2BR/2BA private pool, large screened lanai! $3000/mo. Water, trash, lawn care included. Also pool care. Annual, unfurnished. 1 Year lease. 1st, & $4500 security deposit Call 941-809-2488

BEAUTIFUL PERICO BAY

Club Condo! 2BR/2BA, Second Floor Unit $4750/ mo seasonally, $2500/mo annually +Security Deposit Please call 941-7781979 for more details.

ANNUAL RENTAL! Available NOW, Palm Dr in Holmes Beach.2BR/1BA, elevated duplex, pets welcome with deposit. 2 car garage, washer and dryer hookups $2000/month Application with background check required. Call Carol with Island Real Estate, 941-345-1300

YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS this rare opportunity to live on Anna Maria Island. Please call the office at 941-778-1979 to see this 2BR/2BA $2975/ mo renovated home with a beautifully landscaped large backyard.

ANNUAL RENTAL 1BR/1BA apartment. Laundry room with W/D. All utilities + WIFI. 7 miles from island.. Out of Flood Zone. $1400/ mo. First, last & security. Call 941-778-3206

BUSINESS & SERVICE

RENTALS:

SEASONAL & VACATION

ANNA MARIA ISLAND

CONDOS Large pool, beach access, free WiFi, 1&2 Bedroom $900 to $1200 per week redekercondosonami.com Tim 941-704-7525

TIFFANY PLACE Gulf Front Condo for Rent Incredible views from living room and master bedroom. 2BR/2BA Green Real Estate Call 941-778-0455

SEASONAL RENTAL in PALMA SOLA. 3BR/2BA weekly or monthly rates. Contact Barb Grace 941201-2190

SNOW BIRD SPECIAL: DISCOUNT for multiple months. 2BR/2BA 2nd Floor Condo in HOLMES BEACH. POOL, Tennis/ Pickleball, in-unit laundry, WIFI, screened lanai, covered parking. AVAILABLE 2025/26 Season beginning December 2025. Beautiful, bayside seating area. Pool/Beach toys, Bikes included. Call Jack 312-835-2323 for more info/photos.

TOP FLOOR OCEAN VIEW 2BR/2BA rental available August 15th 3 month minimum rent. $5-10k prorated. Utilities included 201-317-6922 owner operated

SEASONAL RENTAL on Sarasota Bay. Great location, beautiful neighborhood 2BR/1BA weekly or monthly rates. Contact Vicky or Taylor. 941-7731552.

TRANSPORTATION

ANYTIME TRANSPORTATION to all Airports, Casino, etc. Tampa/St. Pete $85. Sarasota $40. Pets welcome. Very dependable. Reasonable rates. Contact Jeanne. 941-7795095