Meeting today
To: Longboat Key Mayor Debra Williams
Thanks for your response. Please keep me in mind. Have a wonderful summer break. You all deserve it. Thank you for all that you do for us!
Dee Greer
Longboat Key
Meeting today
To: Dedrea Greer
Thanks for your email and for your interest in serving the Town. Your application will remain on file with the Clerks office and will be considered for future vacancies on other boards and committees if you wish. As always we welcome and encourage residents to attend our meetings and get involved. We are on recess for July and August, perhaps we’ll see you in September.
Debra Williams
Mayor
Town of Longboat Key
Meeting today
To: Longboat Key Mayor Debra Williams
I just watched yesterday’s meeting. I had read the document and thought it was well written.
Please keep me in mind if I can help on any other committee. Love this island!
Dee Greer
Longboat Key
Meeting today
To: Dedrea Greer
Thank you for your kind words and for attending yesterday’s meeting. Our staff and commissioners are dedicated and focused on serving the community, and your positive feedback is welcomed and appreciated.
Your long history on the island, especially after the loss of your condo, speaks volumes about your dedication to our community. We appreciate you volunteering to serve on the charter committee. We will be making the appointments at our next meeting on 6/29.
Debra Williams
Mayor
Town of Longboat Key
Meeting today
To: Longboat Key Mayor Debra Williams
I so enjoyed attending the meeting today. All of our town officials seemed very competent, and it was wonderful to watch you work as a team. The speakers were very prepared and extremely interesting in their presentations.
Thank you for considering me to be a part of this. When I sent in my application, I said any way or committee that I can serve on would be an honor. Please know that I am a full-time resident on our beloved island and have owned property on and off since the 1980’s. My condo was completely destroyed in the last hurricane, but I survived it all and cherish every day I have here. Thank you and everyone that serves this community for all their hard work!
Dedrea (Dee) Greer
Longboat Key
DSCA Data Briefing Book
To: Longboat Key Mayor Debra Williams
Today the Annual Financial Report (AFR) was due to the State of Florida. We have certified this report on your behalf. I have attached a copy. Let me know if you have any questions. Enjoy your summer.
Sue Smith
Finance Director
Town of Longboat Key
DSCA Data Briefing Book
To: Longboat Key Mayor Debra Williams
Our organization put quite a bit of time into assembling this information. It was initially intended as a briefing book of sorts for incoming City Manager Karie Friling.
The briefing book has received some encouraging feedback and has now been shared more broadly, including with County Commissioner Mark Smith. My goal yesterday was to make mention of its existence in the hope there is some helpful information in it.
In large part, I assembled the information myself. As I worked on the draft, I kept remembering material I had developed over the past five years that seemed worth including, with updates as needed.
One of the overarching goals, as you noted, is that Longboat Key, the City of Sarasota, and Sarasota County share many core priorities, especially during a challenging time. My hope is that, even when there are disagreements over implementation, starting from a largely shared vision and set of facts can make those conversations much easier.
I did leave a hard copy of the briefing book with Allen Parsons. I’m sure it would be available for you to borrow and share. It is much easier to thumb through in hard copy, including the approximately 70-page appendix.
I did note that one commissioner mentioned there is already close cooperation between City staff, commissioners, and Longboat Key. I agree that there is ongoing dialogue on transportation, including through the MPO process. But as you will see, my Sarasota 101 effort is about much more than transportation. That is where I personally see room for more communication, particularly with both municipalities having new incoming city/town managers. In this regard, I look forward to the tentatively planned joint city/town commission meeting in late September.
Thank you again for taking the time to write.
David Lough
Sarasota
DSCA Data Briefing Book
To: David Lough
Thank you again for speaking at our Longboat Key Town Commission meeting yesterday. Our Town Manager shared the DSCA Downtown Sarasota 101 briefing book you referenced, and we appreciate having that resource. As you noted, we share core priorities – protecting quality of life and strengthening storm resiliency among them – which makes this information especially relevant to us.
Debra Williams
Mayor
Town of Longboat Key
DSCA Data Briefing Book
To: Longboat Key Commissioner BJ Bishop
David is a wonderfully active, informed, and an engaged resident in the downtown of the City of Sarasota but also the City in general. We don’t always see eye-to-eye, which is beside the point, but he cares about the community, he does his homework (and then some), and is respectful. We can agree, disagree, discuss, debate, and walk away respectfully. Let me know if you want to chat more. PS – As a side note, during Covid, he was an invaluable help in accumulating statistics for us. I’ll never forget that.
Jen Ahearn-Koch
City Commissioner
City of Sarasota
DSCA Data Briefing Book
To: Sarasota City Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch
This gentleman came to LBK today – briefing book he brought is attached. Do you know him? Is this accurate info?
BJ Bishop
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
DSCA Data Briefing Book
To: Longboat Key Commission
Here’s the link to the resource that Mr. Lough referenced in his remarks today. While I haven’t read it cover to cover, there is some excellent data and observations that are worth your time to review in advance of the joint meeting with the City of Sarasota in late September.
Howard N. Tipton
Town Manager
Town of Longboat Key
DSCA Data Briefing Book
To: Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton
The data related briefing book, referenced by David Lough who spoke at the Open to the Public portion of the commission meeting this morning, is linked-to here in case the Commission is interested in viewing it.
Allen Parsons
Director Planning, Zoning & Building Department
Town of Longboat Key
Thank you
To: Omar Franco
Do you have the contact info for the FEMA rep who spoke to us? His card vanished from my bag.
BJ Bishop
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
Thank you
To: Longboat Key Commissioner BJ Bishop
Hey BJ – it was great spending time with all of you as well. And yes – Shannon is a big part of our team. I thought it was a great trip as well and am happy to hear you thought so too. Please let me know how we can ever be of any help.
Omar Franco
Senior Director, Chair Government Law and Lobbying Practice Group
Washington, DC
Thank You
To: Senior Director Omar Franco
It was wonderful to get to know you a bit better on this trip. Loved our time at dinner Tuesday night. Shannon was fabulous with us. I hope we see more of her. I believe this was one of our most successful fly-ins and your team was a great part of that. If I can ever be of any help please do not hesitate to contact me.
BJ Bishop
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
Sarasota Chamber of Commerce
To: Longboat Key Mayor Debra Williams
As artificial intelligence continues to reshape industries across the globe, understanding its impact on creativity, innovation, and the workforce has never been more important.
On Tuesday, July 14 from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce will host our next State of the Community luncheon featuring Dr. Davis Schneiderman, President of Ringling College of Art and Design. Dr. Schneiderman is a nationally recognized leader at the intersection of artificial intelligence, higher education, the arts, and creative practice.
His presentation, What Happens When Creativity Meets Artificial Intelligence?, will explore how AI is transforming art, design, and creative professions while highlighting the critical role of human judgment, ethics, and ingenuity in navigating this rapidly evolving landscape.
Dr. Schneiderman brings decades of leadership experience in higher education and has emerged as a national voice on the ethical, creative, and educational implications of AI. As Principal Investigator of HUMAN (Humanities Understanding of the Machine-Assisted Nexus), a $1.2 million Mellon Foundation initiative, he has helped shape conversations around preparing students, professionals, and organizations for an AI-driven future.
In addition to this timely discussion, attendees will enjoy lunch from The Carlisle Inn and the opportunity to connect with fellow business and community leaders.
I hope you’ll consider taking part in this important conversation as we explore one of the most significant forces shaping our future.
Ed Hill
Vice President
The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce
Sea Horse Beach Resort Permit
To: Longboat Key Plans Examiner Neal Mazzei
Thank you for the quick response and for your support!
Sam McCarter
Director Finance and Business Operations
Sea Horse Beach Resort
Sea Horse Beach Resort Permit
To: Sea Horse Finance Director Sam McCarter
Given the site-specific safety related balcony situation of your project, I consider your revision request to revise your existing permit scope of work to include as an acceptable proposal.
Please have your design professional of record for this project, in concert with your contractor of record, officially revise your job description scope for the existing permitted plans to include incidental siding repair/replacement to facilitate the completions of your project that is obviously necessary I consider incidental to your project. I’ve copied in Marie, our Permitting Manager, as well as our two Permit Technicians Kevin and YaYa so we are all on the same page moving forward with the permit revision to your project. Please remember to also send your plan revision request to Roalando Gomez with the FDEP Office. Let me know if you have any questions.
Neal Mazzei
Chief Plans Examiner & Floodplain Manager
Town of Longboat Key
Sea Horse Beach Resort Permit
To: Longboat Key Plans Examiner Neal Mazzei
As you may recall, the Sea Horse recently completed the first stage of a permitted balcony replacement. We will continue to replace balcony sections as occupancy and finances allow. Your offices advised us that the permit (BC-ALT-26-0015).
Sam McCarter
Director Finance and Business Operations
Sea Horse Beach Resort
Sea Horse Beach Resort Permit
To: Longboat Key Plans Examiner Neal Mazzei
As you may recall, the Sea Horse recently completed the first stage of a permitted balcony replacement. We will continue to replace balcony sections as occupancy and finances allow. Your offices advised us that the permit (BC-ALT-26-0015) may remain open for the duration of the project as long as the proper steps are taken to keep it “active”.
In the course of the balcony project, we found it necessary to add some Hardie board siding to the exterior of the building around the balcony area to aesthetically address the balcony brackets and areas marred by the balcony installation. Since the siding is integral to the completion of the balcony project, we would like to amend the original project to include the siding.
Could we please work with your office to do this? Amending the permit (rather than opening a new one) will allow us to coordinate the reviews and approvals of both workstreams, be more cost efficient, and likely save us considerable time. The time factor is especially important as hurricane season progresses. Not only will we have to work around potential storms, but the Hardie board siding provides an additional layer of protection from the driving rain, wind, and potential storm surge. Thank you for your consideration.
Sam McCarter
Director Finance and Business Operations
Sea Horse Beach Resort
