bserver O LONGBOAT
You. Your neighbors. Your neighborhood.
SPECIAL
Look inside for your summer guide to arts and society events.
OUR TOWN
Thursday, JUNE 7, 2012
INSIDE
DIVERSIONS
Artist Matt Coombs paints himself into a corner. INSIDE
to be continued
Mote Aquarium hosts sea of people for World Oceans Day. PAGE 17A.
by Robin Hartill | City Editor
Overlay discussion delayed Now you know: The Longboat Key Town Commission will continue its overlay discussion for Whitney Beach Plaza Thursday, June 21.
Photos courtesy of Mary Lou Johnson, Mary Lou Johnson Photography
+ Buried beach beauties relax Local photographer Mary Lou Johnson captured this group of four cousins on the beach in the 6000 block of Longboat Key. Instead of being waist deep in the waves, these girls had fun on the beach waist deep in sand.
+ Harry’s helps LBK Turtle Watch Last week, the Longboat Key Turtle Watch received a check for its primary fundraiser, “Fiesta De Las Tortugas,” held in May, at Harry’s Continental Kitchens. Hal Christensen, manager of Harry’s Continental Kitchens, presented the $945 check to Turtle Watch members. Dry Dock Waterfront Grill, Lazy Lobster, Pattigeorge’s, Square 1 Burgers & Bar, Kay Thayer at the Longboat Key Public Tennis Center and Mary Lou Johnson Photography helped raise additional money by donating items that were raffled off. The proceeds support field work, education projects and sea turtle-related work at Mote Marine Laboratory.
Turtle tracks Week of May 27 through June 2
Nests...............................50 False crawls.....................35 2012 2011 Nests 125 62 False crawls 77 45
The size of the crowd Monday at Town Hall suggested that many residents knew last month’s Whitney Beach overlay district discussion would continue Monday night, because many audience members filled out forms indicating that they wanted to speak. At last month’s meeting, the
commission removed Whitney Beach references on first reading from proposed amendments to its Comprehensive Plan, eliminating the possibility of an overlay. At the Town Commission regular meeting Monday, following a motion by Commissioner Lynn Larson, the commission
CHECKS AND BALANCES
added Whitney Beach back into the amendments, allowing for an overlay, but deleted language that would have made heights of up to 55 feet possible. Removal of height guidelines means that the properties’ heights would be regulated by their underlying zoning — a maximum of 30 feet for three
included properties and 40 feet for two properties. When the amendments were approved on first reading last month, the commission heard from many Village residents who spoke out against the overlay, particularly the possibility of structures of up to 55 feet. On Monday, the commission
SEE PLAZA / PAGE 2A
by Robin Hartill and Kurt Schultheis | Observer Staff
Town manager presents balanced budget The budget presented does not include tax hikes for residents and cost-of-livingadjustments and merit increases for employees. SEE STORY / PAGE 2A Actual 2011-12 Budget 2011-12 Budget 2012-13 5,367,560 5,010,163 4,756,000 Beginning Balance Designated for Red Tide 0 50,000 50,000 0 250,000 250,000 Designated for Contingencies 0 1,000,000 1,000,000 Reserved for Pension 5,367,560 3,710,163 3,456,000 Unreserved Beginning Balance
$ Change -254,163 0 0 0 -254,163
% Change -5.07% 0% 0% 0% -6.85%
Revenues Taxes Franchise Fees Intergovernmental Charges for Services Local Business Tax Fines & Forfeits Miscellaneous Total Revenues Transfers: All Funds Total Revenues w/o Contingency Prior Year Surplus — Red Tide Prior Year Surplus — Contingency Total Revenues and Transfers
8,903,229 980,723 1,197,509 825,047 166,731 10,840 609,610 12,693,689 1,891,370 14,585,059 0 0 14,585,059
8,499,099 1,081,000 1,461,780 735,500 160,000 40,800 281,800 12,259,979 2,012,605 14,272,584 50,000 278,000 14,600,584
8,361,765 988,000 1,410,280 684,650 160,000 40,800 422,100 12,067,595 2,746,305 14,813,900 50,000 250,000 15,113,900
-137,334 -93,000 -51,500 -50,850 0 0 140,300 -192,384 733,700 541,316 0 -28,000 513,316
-1.62% -8.60% -3.52% -6.91% 0% 0% 49.79% -1.57% 36.46% 3.79% 0% -10.07% 3.52%
Expenditures Town Commission Town Attorney Other Attorneys Town Manager Town Clerk Human Resources Finance Department Information Technology Planning Zoning/Code Enforcement Police Department Fire Department Emergency Management Municipal Buildings Public Works Department Recreation Parks Department Streets Department Tennis Center Total General Fund Expenditures
39,368 412,394 80,556 645,648 324,663 111,833 497,356 657,444 581,151 2,265,741 3,987,114 24,964 134,792 478,266 72,654 81,696 507,134 497,467 14,942,456
34,000 384,800 62,500 369,539 320,094 107,268 485,232 665,526 535,203 2,296,941 3,833,205 19,550 115,000 548,526 35,755 85,095 502,289 426,093 14,596,784
30,150 347,000 62,500 352,280 317,291 106,951 485,096 611,892 508,907 2,165,390 3,716,692 8,500 110,875 536,873 34,143 80,050 485,246 469,000 15,113,900
-3,850 -37,800 0 -17,259 -2,803 -317 -136 -53,634 -26,296 -131,551 -116,513 -11,050 -4,125 -11,653 -1,612 -5,045 -17,043 42,907 517,116
-11.3% -9.8% 0.0% -4.7% -0.9% -0.3% 0.02% -8.1% -4.9% -5.7% -3.04% -56.5% -3.6% -2.1% -4.5% -5.9% -3.4% 10.1% 3.5%
INDEX Bridge Bites....... 21A Briefs....................4A
Classifieds ........ 26A Cops Corner....... 12A
Crossword.......... 25A Opinion.................8A
Real Estate........ 18A Weather............. 25A
Vol. 34, No. 45 | Three sections YourObserver.com