- Named Best Florida Newspaper In Its Class -
VOL 19 No. 50
September 25, 2019
Members of the ITPO pledged to support Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore’s plan to try and convince FDOT decision-makers to abandon their high-level bridge plans for the Cortez Bridge. BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com
ITPO members pledge support for smaller bridge
BRADENTON BEACH – Some of the Island’s elected officials are not letting FDOT replace the aging Cortez Bridge with a 65-foot fixed-span bridge without a fight. Manatee County Commissioner and long time Anna Maria Island resident Carol Whitmore appeared before members of the Island Transportation Planning Organization at a Sept. 16 meeting to ask for support in taking a stand against the 65-foot bridge. Though Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy was absent from the meeting, Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie and Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
FDOT wants to replace the Cortez Bridge with a 65-foot, fixed-span bridge.
SEE BRIDGE, PAGE 22
City Pier repairs temporarily delayed Repairs to the construction crane were needed before the replacement pilings could be driven. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA – A damaged boom line on i+iconSoutheast’s bargemounted crane has delayed the repairs to the new Anna Maria City Pier. The repairs are required in the wake of the construction company barge crashing into the pier walkway on Tuesday, Sept. 10. On Friday, Sept 20, i+iconSoutheast Project Director Paul Johnson informed Mayor Dan Murphy of the latest delay.
INSIDE NEWS 4 CALENDAR 12 OBITUARIES 16 REAL ESTATE 20-25 SPORTS 21 OUTDOORS 26 CROSSWORD 28
“During the crane inspection a damaged section of boom line was discovered. The crane and barge will be demobilized to have new boom line installed on Saturday at an offsite location with the goal of getting back to Anna Maria on Monday. We will then continue with the repairs,” Johnson stated in his email to Murphy. On Sept. 16, Murphy emailed city commissioners a copy of the preliminary report submitted by the scuba team that conducted an underwater inspection of the damage caused by the barge accident. Murphy’s email noted the divers’ report indicated the underwater damage was limited to the two pier pilings previously identified. The damaged pilings were removed SEE PIER, PAGE 22
Commissioners consider cost of living raise A motion to give city commissioners a raise died on a tie. Now they’re considering instituting an annual cost of living stipend increase for the mayor and commissioners. BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com
HOLMES BEACH – The issue of a raise for commissioners is being resurrected in Holmes Beach. After a motion to give future and future re-elected commissioners a raise died on a tie during an August meeting, Mayor Judy Titsworth brought the issue up again during a Sept. 10 work session with a twist – instead of commissioners voting on their
own raise in the future, she proposed instituting an annual cost of living increase in the monthly stipends paid to commissioners and the mayor. Commissioner Jim Kihm said he found it distasteful to have to have to vote for a raise that would affect him if he’s re-elected in November. “It was darn hard to sit here and ask for a raise,” Commissioner Carol Soustek said. She said it made her feel guilty and that while it’s nice to receive verbal recognition from the city’s residents, being a commissioner causes her to incur extra costs that the current $500 per month stipend doesn’t cover. At the direction of Titsworth, city Treasurer Lori Hill drafted a SEE COMMISSION, PAGE 22
ENJOY wood-grilled
ANNA MARIA puts financial bite
oysters on the half shell. In Food & Wine. 19
on noise ordinance violators. 5
Anna Maria Island, Florida
KNOW where to take your pets
when hurricanes threaten. 9 The Island’s award-winning weekly newspaper www.amisun.com