CALENDAR

BY CINDY LANE

SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Of eight water samples tested recently in Manatee County, three had very low levels of red tide, with one showing background concentrations and four showing no red tide, according to the most recent Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission weekly report.

Since those samples were taken, however, local boaters have reported red tide at Longboat Pass.

Sarasota County had medium levels of red tide at New Pass Dock. Hillsborough County had high levels at MacDill Air Force Base and Sand Key, among other locations. Pinellas County had high levels at Vinoy Park and Coquina Key, among other locations.

Red tide-related fish kills were reported over the past week in Manatee, Sarasota, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties.

Respiratory irritation was reported in Sarasota and Pinellas counties.

Red tide produces a neurotoxin called brevetoxin that can cause respiratory irritation, coughing, and more serious illness for people with severe or chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma, emphysema or COPD, according to the Florida Department of Health. Health officials recommend that people experiencing symptoms stay away from the water, go inside to an air-conditioned space, or wear masks, especially during onshore winds. Residents may consider wearing masks, especially if onshore winds are blowing.

Consuming shellfish exposed to red tide can cause neurotoxic shellfish poisoning. Health officials warn against swimming near dead fish and advise

Red tide ‘very low’ in Manatee waters

RED TIDE REPORT High (respiratory irritation, shellfish harvesting closures, fish kills, water discoloration) Medium (probable respiratory irritation, shellfish harvesting closures, fish kills) Low (possible respiratory irritation, shellfish harvesting closures, fish kills) keeping pets away from dead fish and seafoam, which can contain high concentrations of algae. Pets are not allowed on Anna Maria Island beaches.

Very low (possible respiratory irritation) Background (no effects) None (no red tide present) Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

ON THE AGENDA

ANNA MARIA

10005 GULF DRIVE FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-708-6130 City hall is open to the public with limited capacity and safety protocols in place. Please visit www. cityofannamaria.com or contact city hall for more information. July 20, 6 p.m. – Reimagining Pine Avenue informational meeting July 22, 6 p.m. – City Commission meeting July 29, 10 a.m. – City Commission meeting

BRADENTON BEACH

107 GULF DRIVE N. FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-778-1005 City hall is open to the public with limited capacity and safety protocols in place. Please visit www.cityofbradentonbeach.com or contact city hall for more information. July 21, 1 p.m. – Planning and Zoning board meeting

HOLMES BEACH

5801 MARINA DRIVE FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-708-5800 City hall is open to the public with limited capacity and safety protocols in place. Please visit www. holmesbeachfl.org or contact city hall for more information. July 14, 6 p.m. – Planning Commission meeting July 15, 5 p.m. – City Commission meeting with work session to follow July 21, 10 a.m. – Code Compliance special magistrate hearing July 27, 5 p.m. – City Commission meeting with work session to follow ISLAND-WIDE

July 20, 6 p.m. – West Manatee Fire Rescue board meeting, administration building, 701 63rd St. W., Bradenton

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

WEDNESDAY

JULY 14 Salt marsh planting, Robinson Preserve, Valentine House, 1704 99th St. W., Bradenton, 8 a.m. to noon. Reserve to www.eventbrite. com/e/141294350205. Beach market, Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit www.loc8nearme.com/florida/ bradenton-beach/beach-market-atcoquina-beach/6171244/ for more information. Golfing for God, IMG Academy Golf Club, 4350 El Conquistador Pkwy., Bradenton, 2:45 p.m. tee time, 5:30 p.m. Bible study and dinner, $40 for golf and dinner, $20 for dinner. Reservations required. Reserve to www.roserchurch.com/g4g/.

THURSDAY

JULY 15 Seashell shore walk, Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, 9 a.m. Reserve to www. eventbrite.com/e/15313455175. RoserRobics, Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, 9:30 a.m., no cost but donations welcome. Participants asked to bring bottled water and wear a face mask or shield. Farm stand, Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunshine Stitchers Knit and Crochet, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2-4 p.m. Register online at www.manateelibrary.libcal.com/calendar. Thursdays in Paradise Stroll featuring local art, music and food, Bridge Street, Bradenton Beach, 5 to 8 p.m.

FRIDAY

JULY 16 Beach market, Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit www.loc8nearme.com/florida/ bradenton-beach/beach-market-atcoquina-beach/6171244/ for more information.

SATURDAY

JULY 17 Robinson Runners, Robinson Preserve Mosaic Nest, 840 Ninth Ave. N.W., Bradenton, 8 a.m. Saturday mornings at the NEST, Robinson Preserve Mosaic Nest, 840 Ninth Ave. N.W., Bradenton, 9 a.m. to noon. Face masks required. Meditation, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 11 a.m. Register at www.manateelibrary.libcal.com/calendar.

SUNDAY

JULY 18 Farm stand, Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rise and Shine Power Flow Yoga, Robinson Preserve Mosaic Nest, 840 Ninth Ave. N.W., Bradenton 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., $10 fee payable online. Bring your own yoga mat. Register at https://parks.mymanatee.org/ wbwsc/webtrac.wsc/search. html?primarycode=110006 or call 941-742-5923 ext. 6042 for more information. TUESDAY

JULY 20 Tortoise Talk, Robinson Preserve, Valentine House, 1704 99th St. W., Bradenton, 8 a.m. RoserRobics, Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, 9:30 a.m., no cost but donations welcome. Participants asked to bring bottled water and wear a face mask or shield. Family storytime, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. Ages 0-5, limit five children and five caregivers. Register online at www.manateelibrary. libcal.com/calendar. Tech help, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2-4 p.m. Register online at www. manateelibrary.libcal.com/calendar.

WEDNESDAY

JULY 21 Beach market, Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit www.loc8nearme.com/florida/ bradenton-beach/beach-market-atcoquina-beach/6171244/ for more information. Photo scanning sessions, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 6 to 8 p.m. Register online at www.manateelibrary. libcal.com/calendar.

THURSDAY

JULY 22 RoserRobics, Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, 9:30 a.m., no cost but donations welcome. Participants asked to bring bottled water and wear a face mask or shield. Farm stand, Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Polymer clay sea creature craft, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m. Register online at www.manateelibrary. libcal.com/calendar. Thursdays in Paradise Stroll featuring local art, music and food, Bridge Street, Bradenton Beach, 5 to 8 p.m.

FRIDAY

JULY 23 Beach market, Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit www.loc8nearme.com/florida/ bradenton-beach/beach-market-atcoquina-beach/6171244/ for more information. Full moon paddle, Robinson Preserve, 1704 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 7:30 p.m. Participants must have their own kayak or canoe and safety gear, including a lifejacket, flashlight and whistle. Reserve to www.eventbrite. com/e/160857439933.

SATURDAY

JULY 24 Robinson Runners, Robinson Preserve Mosaic Nest, 840 Ninth Ave. N.W., Bradenton, 8 a.m. Saturday mornings at the NEST, Robinson Preserve Mosaic Nest, 840 Ninth Ave. N.W., Bradenton, 9 a.m. to noon. Face masks required. Music on the Porch Saturday Jam Session with Soupy, Cortez Cultural Center, 11655 Cortez Road, Cortez, 2-4 p.m.

SUNDAY

JULY 25 Farm stand, Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Murphy upset with trash collection disruptions

Waste Management attributed the service disruptions to the closure of the county landfill.

BY JOE HENDRICKS

SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – Mayor Dan Murphy is among those displeased with the lack of trash collection provided by Waste Management during the extended Fourth of July weekend and Hurricane Elsa.

Anna Maria is the only city on Anna Maria Island serviced by Waste Management. Waste Pro services Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach. According to Bradenton Beach Public Works Manager Tom Woodard, Waste Pro serviced that city on Tuesday and Wednesday.

During the Thursday, July 8 city commission meeting, Murphy gave a positive report regarding the city’s response to the storm, with one exception: “The biggest faux pas we had was garbage collection. Holmes Beach had their garbage collected and somehow Waste Management decided to not pick up our garbage because the landfill was closed.”

Murphy was referring to the Manatee County landfill being closed on Tuesday after being closed on Monday in recognition of the Fourth of July holiday.

At 11:46 a.m. on Monday, July 6, Manatee County Utilities Department Strategic Affairs Manager Amy Pilson sent an email to the public works directors in the Manatee County cities, but her email was not sent directly sent to the Island's city mayors.

“Due to the anticipated impacts of Tropical Storm Elsa, the Manatee County Landfill will be closed and all collection services in the unincorporated areas will be suspended tomorrow, Tuesday, July 6,” Pilson stated in her email.

Murphy said no one from the county or Waste Management contacted him directly to explain the situation, but Public Works Manager Dean Jones was initially notified by Waste Management of the additional service disruption.

“Dean couldn’t even get ahold of them to find out what’s going on. The word coming from Waste Management was basically non-existent. I’ve asked Dean to schedule an appointment with Waste Management because I’m very dissatisfied with their communications. It was a fiasco. They obviously had no plan for an emergency, especially following a three-day weekend when the garbage is already piling up,” Murphy said.

“If you can send me an email every time my bill is due, then why can’t you send me an email and tell me you’re not going to provide service? I also know they have the capability to do robocalls. Why wasn’t that employed?” he added.

“The call came after the fact,” Commissioner Carol Carter noted.

CONTRACT TALKS

The city of Anna Maria extended its contract with Waste Management in 2019. At that time, Waste Pro also submitted a bid to provide those exclusive citywide services. When presenting the Waste Pro proposal, company representative Bob ten Haaf noted Waste

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN Waste Management is the city of Anna Maria’s exclusive trash collection service provider.

SEE TRASH, PAGE 28

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Copeland returns to Anna Maria City Commission

Doug Copeland said he will not seek a full twoyear term in the upcoming city elections.

BY JOE HENDRICKS

SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – A familiar face has returned temporarily to the Anna Maria City Commission.

On Thursday, July 8, the fourmember commission unanimously appointed former Commissioner Doug Copeland to serve the remaining months of former Commissioner Joe Muscatello’s current term. Muscatello vacated his seat on Thursday, June 24 because he and his wife, Melissa, were relocating to his home state to operate a bed and breakfast they purchased in West Virginia.

Copeland was the only applicant who sought to fill the vacant seat on a short-term basis. He did not address the commission before the appointment was made, but he did include a brief statement in the application he submitted on Friday, June 25.

Copeland's statement read as follows: “Dear Mayor and Anna Maria City commissioners, As important as I feel that commissioners should be elected by the voters, I am convinced it is critical to have a full commission. This not only prevents ties but brings another voice to the discussion. I believe I’m in a unique position to fill the vacant seat. I have over 20

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN City Clerk LeAnne Addy swore Doug Copeland into office after the commission appointed him.

SEE COPELAND, PAGE 26

ELSA: Takes it easy on Anna Maria Island

FROM PAGE 3

I don’t see any issues,” Cosby said.

Cosby and Woodard said they weren’t aware of any property damage or serious flooding issues elsewhere in the city. A tour of the city indicated some localized street and yard flooding, but less than what is often seen during other heavy rain events.

“I don’t believe we had any calls for service or any type of distress calls,” Cosby said.

Cosby said some of the Gulf-side beach areas “took a pretty good hit” in terms of beach erosion.

HOLMES BEACH

A pass-through of Holmes Beach at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday revealed standing water covering the edge of Marina Drive, near city hall and the Island Branch Library, but the travel lanes were not completely submerged. Standing water was also covering portions of some of the adjacent side

When contacted later in the day, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said that city fared well during the storm.

“I was out all day and night until 5:30 this morning. We had some flooding by city hall around 3 to 4 a.m. After the rain stopped, the water subsided pretty quickly. We had minor overnight flooding and one tree down in the parking lot of Martinique North. We dodged the bullet,” Tokajer said.

ANNA MARIA

At approximately 8 a.m., Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy and Public Works Manager Dean Jones were touring the city and accessing the storm damage.

“So far, we’re looking pretty good. We’ve got some local street flooding in the areas that would normally flood – and it’s not saltwater flooding, it’s rainwater flooding. There’s no trees down. All of our major roads are clear, but there’s some outlying areas and backstreets where we’ve got some issues with flooding. Some of that we’ll be able to pump out and some we won’t,” Murphy said.

North Bay Boulevard, near the Bean Point beach access, was among the most flooded areas. The visit to the beach in front of the Sandbar restaurant revealed significant beach erosion had apparently occurred.

The new Anna Maria City Pier came through the storm unscathed.

CORTEZ BEACH

A mid-morning trip to Cortez Beach in Bradenton Beach revealed several people walking along the beach and few surfers in the water. Red flags were flying on the lifeguard tower and a member of the Manatee County Beach Patrol called a group of young men back to shore who had walked out to the end of one of the groins during the high surf.

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN The flooding along Marina Drive in Holmes Beach was limited to the edge of the road by the time the sun came up.

The new Anna Maria City Pier sustained no storm damage.

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN Due to high surf, these young men were asked to leave a beach groin at Cortez Beach.

5346 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach (941) 778-5788 | hurricanehanks.com Visit us for a cold one!

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PEOPLE FOR PRESERVE AMI

Greed is allowing this fragile habitat to be destroyed. - Janet K.

I love our Island and little city that is so far… unspoiled and one of the very few places that have turtles returning, birds laying, coyote’s living…sea grasses flourishing and no commercial high rises. - Doris S.

Please preserve this beautiful beach - Michelle A.

I love Anna Maria Island as it is. Let’s not ruin wildlife and vegetation. - Emily G.

I love AMI and I don’t want the beaches and dunes to be taken over by more housing. No building past the coastal line that has been enforced for years!! - Juliann B.

I love Anna Maria!!! - Laura G.

Preserve the island - Sarah R.

I would hate to see Anna Maria Island turn into another tourist trap. Preserve AMI! - Patrick C. I’ve gone here every year of my life, my family has a house on the island, and would like to see the island preserved. ABSOLUTELY NO HIGH RISES!!! - Matt R.

I want to preserve Anna Maria Island, and all of its wildlife. - Amber S.

“...Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” - ALBERT EINSTEIN - Karen N.

My family first moved to Miami in the 1920’s and I have wonderful pictures from that time. Please preserve the uniqueness of this island and old Florida! - Jan C.

I’m signing because I love beaches, and I’m supporting my friend. - Renee W.

Fight for the protection of beaches, islands, oceans, waterfronts, dunes, and any place near water sources as the lives of everyone and everything on this planet depends on it. Save Anna Maria Island!!!!!!! - Darby S. ANNA MARIA ISLAND LEAVE IT ALONE IT IS PERFECT JUST THE WAY IT IS!!!! - Susie C.

It’s the right thing to do. - Mark S.

Even a small rain sees it island flooded. We cannot let a bureaucratic error put our homes, as well as the dunes and wildlife nesting areas of Anna Maria further at risk by an inability to own up to a mistake. - David M.

JUSTICE FOR WE THE PEOPLE. SAVE AND PRESERVE OUR PRECIOUS NATURE AND ANNA MARIA ISLAND - Doria W.

As a native Floridian and advocate for our oceans and sea life, it is my duty to protect the islands and coastlines from the overcrowding of humans that produce more waste and garbage that pollute our oceans. - Sabrina S.

I want all AMI lovers to know about a Rogue FDEP decision that was ruled on june 7, 2021 and it will ruin our dunes forever !! - Wendy J.

TELL MAYOR DAN TO DO THE RIGHT THING!

SCAN TO WATCH VIDEO & SEND YOUR MESSAGE

WHERE‛S YOUR COMFORT ZONE?

Holiday crowds orderly; parking foes, not so much

BY KRISTIN SWAIN

SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – The Fourth of July has come and gone and with it came the expected increase in traffic, visitors and a continuation of the parking fight between Manatee County and city leaders.

For a holiday weekend, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said it was fairly quiet, with no major incidents taking place and a lot of people on the beach, particularly families.

Each day of the four-day weekend, from Friday to Monday, brought an average of 32,078 vehicles onto Anna Maria Island through Holmes Beach, Tokajer said.

The two additional parking lots that Manatee County leaders, particularly County Administrator Scott Hopes and Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge, insisted on opening at the Island Branch Library and Anna Maria Island Elementary School, were used over the weekend, Tokajer said.

Despite discussions to the contrary, Tokajer said county leaders opted to open the lots to the public at the last minute for the holiday weekend, amending the temporary use permit application provided by the city in order to strike some requirements from the agreement.

They did so without consulting Holmes Beach leaders in a move that disappointed city representatives.

In contrast, county officials required Holmes Beach city leaders to sign an agreement for a temporary use permit at Manatee Beach to host two recent COVID-19 vaccination clinics without amending the document.

Mayor Judy Titsworth said she’d been under the impression that city and county leaders would be working together to address parking and traffic issues. By striking some of the requirements of the agreement, she said she felt the county’s representatives weren’t respecting or addressing resident concerns related to additional parking, such as more trash at lots and beach ends and a lack of lifeguards and restroom facilities.

She said one thing she hopes county leaders take away from the situation is remembering that Holmes Beach residents also are Manatee County residents and are some of the people the county’s officials were elected or appointed to represent.

MCGUINNESS: Building official last to inspect Surfside condo

FROM PAGE 1 McGuinness said, was in the process of conducting the required inspections and tests for its 40-year recertification, due before the end of the calendar year. Though he said he had not received any of the required paperwork for recertification prior to the disaster at the Collins Avenue property, McGuinness told Surfside town commissioners that he believed the required inspections were largely complete.

To qualify for recertification, the building’s owners or association must complete all required inspections with a third-party firm, present them to the city’s building department for review and complete any required repairs before obtaining the certification for the building. Though the recertification program in Surfside is mandated by Miami-Dade County regulations, it’s up to the town’s building department to oversee the recertification process for buildings in their jurisdiction.

In a July 3 story, Fox News reported that the manager of the Champlain Towers condominium association complained by email on June 21 that the Surfside building department was stalling needed repairs at the tower, with McGuinness failing to respond to a May email concerning a parking plan for construction to repair the concrete slab underneath the pool deck. McGuinness responded to the email just hours before the building partially collapsed, according to the report. Engineering experts working with the Miami Herald stated that after review of photos and video of the building collapse the partial collapse could be due to the pool deck failing, falling into the garage below and pulling part of the building down with it.

An investigation into the tower’s June 24 partial collapse is ongoing along with an around-the-clock search for those still missing in the disaster. Ahead of Hurricane Elsa, the remaining portion of the Champlain Towers South building was imploded to keep the site as safe as possible for rescue workers and help them access previously unstable areas to search for the missing. As of July 9, 78 people were confirmed dead in the collapse and 68 were still reported as missing in the Surfside disaster.

Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said an outside engineering firm is investigating the wreckage of the south tower along with its sister buildings to make sure those are still safe for residents and workers to occupy.

Investigations into the collapse also are being conducted by the U. S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology to determine what caused the partial collapse of the structure and what can be done to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

The Sun reached out to the city of Surfside’s building department and McGuinness for more information on recent inspections at Champlain Towers South, however, no response to emails, phone calls and text messages was received.

Prior to taking the building official position in Surfside, McGuinness worked for the city of Holmes Beach from March 23, 2015 until March 18, 2019 when he officially handed in his letter of resignation to Mayor Judy Titsworth. At the time of his resignation, McGuinness was being disciplined by the mayor.

In a discussion with The Sun, Titsworth said that while she could not speak to the circumstances surrounding McGuinness’s departure from the city, she would not consider hiring him back if given the opportunity. While she said McGuinness has a good understanding of the Florida Building Code, Titsworth added she was not happy with his performance and that personality conflicts caused a problem.

“It just wasn’t a good fit,” she said.

More recently on Anna Maria Island, McGuinness made headlines for his erroneous approval of a lighted sign and LED board at the Anna Maria Beach Resort on Gulf Drive prior to his departure from the city. His issuance of a permit for the backlit sign and message board against the city’s codes prohibiting backlit signs in residential neighborhoods has resulted in a lawsuit against the city from the resort’s owners and months of city commission discussion related to changes to the Holmes Beach sign ordinance to somehow accommodate existing backlit signs in residential areas. An update to the ordinance has not yet been approved by commissioners. The case in Manatee County Circuit Court is still pending.

KRISTIN SWAIN | SUN Then-Holmes Beach Building Official Jim McGuinness shows forum attendees how many codes the department's employees must learn and enforce during a 2017 building department forum.

2021