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VOL 14 No. 22
March 26, 2014
Dredging ends, new beach sparkles The contractor, Great Lakes Dock and Dredge, has been used for all but one of the Island’s large renourishments. BY TOM VAUGHT SUN STAFF WRITER | tvaught @amisun.com
BRADENTON BEACH – Life along the beach is returning to normal this week after the renourishment project ended two weekends ago. During the nighttime, Great Lakes Dock and Dredge picked up the pipes that ran along the beach and staged its renourishment dredge, generator boat and other floating equipment near Egmont Key. Bulldozers were still active on the beach tilling the sand and knocking down escarpments - little cliffs created by wave erosion. According to Michelle Pfeiffer, spokeswoman for the project, the final portion of the project
along Cortez and Coquina beaches was done in 11 days. They put down roughly 165,000 cubic yards of sand, at a cost of about $5.5 million. Pfeiffer said the staging area for equipment at Manatee Public Beach should be cleared by the end of this week or early next week. At the Manatee Public Beach lifeguard tower last Friday, Lifeguard/EMT Roberto Pena and Lifeguard Marshall Greene were keeping an eye on the growing crowd of beachgoers. There was a lot more beach for them to survey. “They built this sand up so it is higher,” said Pena. “North and south of here, the beach was extended further into the Gulf.” Jim Romig, of Des Moines, Iowa, was sitting near the, Anna Maria Beach Café where people were lined up for a late breakfast or an early lunch. When asked if he knew about the renourishment, he said yes. “In fact, it was a renourishment that got us to discover Anna Maria Island,” he said. “We used to go to Lido Beach, and one year they said there would be a beach renourishment so we decided to find another place. We ended up renting a threebedroom house on Magnolia Avenue for the price see dredging, page 51 PHOTOSFROMTHEAIR.COM | SUN
City spends more than it makes The recently released 2012-2013 audit of the city budget reveals continued overspending. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT
BRADENTON BEACH – City officials overspent their budget over the last two years by more than $600,000, according to a report prepared by auditor Randy Dillingham. At a work session last week, Dill-
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ingham said the city’s expenditures exceeded revenues by $266,314 in the fiscal year from Oct. 1, 2012 to Sept. 31, 2013, and by $386,012 the fiscal year before that. “That’s been two years of excess expenditures,” he told commissioners. “If you add those together, you’re close to $600,000.” Five years ago, the city had $1.8 million in its general fund. Two years ago, the balance was $1.5 million. Last year it was $1,000,050.
“At this rate we’d basically be out of cash in two or three years,” said Mayor Bill Shearon. At the close of the recent fiscal year, the net worth of city assets was $8.1 million, down $272,057 from the previous year. On the bright side, the city brought in $200,000 unexpected revenues last year and has no debt obligations. The Tingley Library fund is in good shape, see BUDGET, page 51
bridge Tender Inn
embraces past and future. 14
Anna Maria Island, Florida
At this rate we’d basically be out of cash in two or three years.” Bill Shearon Mayor
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Readers’ Choice results are in. 21-36 What’s this? A gondola to the
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