HOLMES BEACH: Opposes another

I also discussed the pitfalls of this pending legislation, including taking away our right to limit the occupancy of vacation rentals,” Murphy said.

“I met with the bill’s sponsor (Sen. Nick DiCeglie, R-St. Petersburg) and told him our concerns about ‘party houses’ and the catastrophic impact this bill will have on our Island community. Later, I met with Sen. Jim Boyd and State Rep. Will Robinson Jr. to discuss our concerns. My final meetings were with the House speaker’s office and the chairperson of the Commerce Committee, State Rep. Bob Rommel,” he said.

“As an Island community, we need to bombard the Legislature with our concerns through phone calls and emails. We can utilize the HomeRuleFL.com website to send instant emails to the legislators as the bill moves through the House and the Senate. We are at a very serious and critical crossroads with this bill. Failure to speak up now could have long-term negative implications on our quality of life on Anna Maria Island,” Murphy said.

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Inspections related to enforcement of the Florida Fire Code would not be impacted, such as those planned by officials at West Manatee Fire Rescue to begin this fall to address potential life safety issues.

Inspections of units related to the enforcement of the Florida Building Code would also be exempt.

City Attorney Erica Augello said the city’s lobbyist is working diligently to oppose the passage of the bill, which is currently in the state Regulatory Reform and Economic Development Subcommittee in the House. The House bill has also been referred to the Local Administration, Federal Affairs and Special Districts Subcommittee.

If the new bill passes in committees, it would need to make it through a vote on the Florida House floor before going to the Senate to go through the same approval process to reach Gov. Ron DeSantis’s desk for final approval before it becomes law. The bill states it would take effect on July 1. As of press time for The Sun, no vote had been recorded for the bill.