Longboat Pass Bridge Replacement
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
Agreed. I’ll put a letter of my own together to send to FDOT in support of alternative options for the bridge. At my next meeting with them I’ll bring this up as well.
Tal Siddique
County Commissioner, Manatee County
Longboat Pass Bridge Replacement
To: Jim Haft
Thank you, Jim. Tal: We are united in our message and look forward to your support. Happy to discuss further details any time.
Sarah Karon
Commissioner, Town of Longboat Key
Longboat Pass Bridge
To: Manatee County Commissioner Tal Siddique
Thank you again for coming to our LBK North meeting on March 19.
As we discussed at that meeting, LBK North is staunchly opposed to a high fixed bridge at Longboat Pass. The Longboat Town Commission is also opposed and reiterated its longstanding opposition in a letter to FDOT dated March 25 (see attached). Furthermore, the Bradenton Beach City Commission recently registered their opposition to a fixed bridge.
We are hopeful that FDOT will heed the unified opposition of the local governments and residents on both sides of the Longboat Pass. In that regard, we would appreciate whatever support the Manatee County Commission can provide to persuade FDOT to pursue a lower bascule bridge.
Please let us know if you would like a representative of the Town to make a presentation on this topic at an upcoming County Commission meeting.
Thank you again for your support and service to our community.
James G. Haft, Co-Chair LBK North
New Town Clerk
To: Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton
I did not know this – maybe add to new commissioner orientation.
BJ Bishop
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
New Town Clerk
To: Longboat Key Commissioner BJ Bishop
Yes, the Commission has to confirm my recommendation for the next Town Clerk.
It is the only Director position where this occurs.
Howard Tipton
Town Manager, Town of Longboat Key
New Town Clerk
To: Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton
Does our Commission have a role in hiring the next Clerk like Deland does? See email from Chris?
BJ Bishop
Commissioner, Town of Longboat Key
Cloudman – FLC 2nd VP Candidate Update
To: Longboat Key Commissioner BJ Bishop
As I reflect today on a few significant events that have occurred in the last few days of my life as an elected official and a member of the Florida League of Cities, I thought that I would share them with you as a member of the Nominating Committee.
Thursday marked the conclusion of six years of serving as a Trustee on the Florida Municipal Pension Trust Fund and, as the chair, representing that board on the Florida Municipal Investment Trust for this last year. The opportunity to serve our league in this capacity has given me a better understanding of the true extent of the Florida League of Cities beyond just what we see at conferences and events geared towards elected officials and advocacy. I am grateful for the privilege of being entrusted with stewardship of the fund, the chance to get to know members of the league’s dedicated employees and to form stronger relationships with the other trustees and elected leadership.
On Saturday, the DeLand City Commission conducted an all-day interview process to select our next City Clerk. We reconvened last night to make our final decision and to agree upon the negotiating process moving forward. While the selection of the top candidate was not unanimous, the motion to offer the position to that person was supported by all members of the board. The manner in which we conducted this exercise of civility, compromise and trust in each other brought me a great sense of pride and peace in our decision. The Florida League of Cities also played a role in our success through use of the new FLCity Jobs website, and the guidance and resources provided by Allison Payne, long-serving FLC staff member and Executive Director of the Florida Association of City Clerks.
I continue to find further value in the services and resources provided by the Florida League of Cities and the network of peers and professionals that comes from being an active member of the organization. I look forward to the next couple of months of the nomination process and welcome any questions and conversations as we go through this together.
Chris Cloudman
Mayor
City of DeLand
To: Longboat Key Mayor Debra Williams
Congratulations on your recent election as the new Mayor of Longboat Key. I would like to introduce myself to you as the Executive Director of the Mayors’ Feed the Hungry Program. The Town of Longboat Key has been a great endorser of our program for over 20 years. I look forward to serving the community along with you to help those in need.
As you may know, the Mayors’ Feed the Hungry Program is composed of volunteers from non-profit organizations, religious institutions, and concerned citizens serving Sarasota and Manatee Counties. We work together to schedule food drives, fund raising events and other activities that benefit our participating members that have food pantries.
If you would like to learn more about our program, I will be happy to meet with you to share all the great things we are doing. Or you can visit our website at https://mayorsfeedthehungry.org/
Once again, congratulations on your new position as Mayor.
N. Scott Biehler
Executive Director
Mayor’s Feed the Hungry Program
New Longboat Key website
To: Longboat Key Commission
We are excited to announce that the Town’s brand-new website has officially launched, and we invite you to check it out for yourself. Head over to the new site, https://www.longboatkey.org/ to enjoy a fresh new design, discover up-to-date department information, and stay in the loop with important Town updates, all right at your fingertips.
If you haven’t signed up for Town e-notifications yet, now’s the perfect time! By subscribing, you can stay informed about Town events, Commission and board meetings, public notices, and much more. Notifications are available via email, text, or both, giving you the flexibility to choose what works best for you. Just scroll down to “Helpful Links” at the bottom of any page on the website and click “Email Notifications” to get started.
For those already receiving e-notifications by email and would like to add text alerts, simply visit the website, and follow the same process. Select both email and text options to expand how you receive updates. And don’t forget, after signing up, make sure to confirm your subscriptions by clicking the link in the confirmation email that will be sent to you.
We hope you find the new website user-friendly and helpful, and we look forward to keeping you connected with everything happening around town!
Tina Adams
Fire Administration & Communications Manager/PIO
Town of Longboat Key
Meet and Greet
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
As part of the national search for the next President & CEO of the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation, the Search Committee has identified exceptional finalist candidates who will be visiting Bradenton for the final stage of the process.
Members of the business and community leadership network are invited to attend a Meet & Greet Reception to connect with the finalists and help welcome them to the community. This informal gathering provides an opportunity to introduce candidates to Bradenton’s leaders and for attendees to learn more about the individuals being considered to lead the organization’s next chapter of economic growth and regional collaboration.
Meet & Greet Reception
• Date: Monday, April 13
• Time: 4 – 7 p.m. ET
• Location: SCF, 26 West Center, 5840 26th Street, W., Bradenton, FL, 34205, Suite 214
This will be an in-person event, and the identities of the finalists will be shared at the event rather than in advance.
Candidates will be introduced individually at the start of each hour, with no overlap between candidates. We encourage you to attend the full event to meet all candidates; however, if you are unable to do so, please plan to stay as long as your schedule allows.
Attendees will receive a brief bio for each finalist upon arrival along with a feedback form. Participants are encouraged to share their impressions, which will help inform the Search Committee as they move toward a final decision.
Confidentiality Reminder
All candidate information and discussions related to the search should be treated as strictly confidential. Protecting their privacy helps ensure the integrity of the process and the continued ability to attract top leadership talent to the Bradenton Area EDC.
Please keep an eye out for an invitation from Carole to follow. We hope that you will accept, and help provide valuable feedback during this process.
Chris Cianfaglione
Board Chair
Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation
Legislative Wrap Up
To: Longboat Key Commissioner BJ Bishop
Allen, Jason, and Sue have reviewed the legislation that potentially impacts the Town and have provided responses in red below. The good news, and you have to look for it these days coming out of Tallahassee, is that many of these items don’t apply to Longboat Key.
Howard N. Tipton
Town Manager
Town of Longboat Key
Legislative Wrap Up
To: Longboat Key Commission
The good news is of the Bills FLC was closely monitoring and lobbying the Legislature 14 went FLC’s way. Nine that FLC did not support passed, or FLC supported and failed.
HB1217 – Prohibited government Policies regulating greenhouse Gas emissions. FLC opposed and it passed.
HB1465 SB840- Land Use regulations for local governments (we called it the glitch bill) affected by natural disasters. This bill failed – so we are stuck not being able to amend our code or comp plan on land use issues.
HB1451 – Utility Services – does not affect us dramatically – FLC opposed but it passed.
R: We don’t provide utility services outside our boundary, so this has no impact.
HB1389 – Has limited impact on us. FLC opposed and it passed.
HB927 – local land planning & development putting qualified contractors in the system. FLC opposed and it passed. We will need our Planning & Zoning office to give us an opinion of the impact this will have on LBK.
R: Does not apply to the Town, only to municipalities with 10,000+ population.
HB399 – Land use and development regulations. FLC opposed and it passed. Again, need feedback from Planning & Zoning office on impact to LBK
R: Some impact to the Town, including:
Revision of certain building permit fees that have a flat-fee component + a cost per $1,000 of construction value. The Statute amendment prohibits fees being based on a percentage of construction costs, site costs or project valuation. Affects approx. 13 building permit fees.
Not applicable- allows for administrative minor special exceptions for large destination resorts. Large destination resorts = if it has (1) 5 contiguous acres owned and controlled by the same business entity; (2) 500 guestrooms; and (3) an average occupancy rate of 70% over the past 3 years.
Not applicable- allowance for composting facilities to expand
Limited Impact- Requirements for Comp Plan & LDR’s to have measures for mitigating incompatibilities associated with residential development. Mitigating measures are included. In recommendations of denial, will need to include written findings stating why mitigating measures are inadequate & that feasible mitigation measures do not exist.
No impact- requires that manufactured housing may not be denied in a mobile home park.
No impact- requires off-site constructed residential dwelling units to be permitted as of right in any zoning district where single-family detached dwellings are allowed.
No impact- defines what compatibility standards can be adopted in LDRs.
HB925 – Clerks of the Court. FLC opposed and it passed. Clerk’s office may provide any impact this has on LBK.
The revenue we receive from court fines is very low. Presuming this revenue is all subject to the reduction, prior year collections were $29,190. A 22.6% reduction is $6,597.
FY26 revenue so far is $10,656 which would be $2408 reduction.
HB1085 – Local government cyber security – FLC supported and it passed. Jason in IT may be able to provide impact on LBK
We have reviewed HB 1085 and its requirements under the Florida Local Government Cybersecurity Protection Program.
LBK already aligns with the program’s key areas, including cybersecurity data-sharing readiness, incident response coordination, and adherence to state-supported security practices.
We maintain compliance with existing Florida cybersecurity statutes (F.S. 282.3185), including employee training, policies, and baseline controls.
Our current cybersecurity currently uses state-provided tools and services, although this year was very limited in what we were awarded.
HB 1085 does not create any operational gaps for us, and we are in compliance with its current requirements.
SB1134 – Official actions of local government. FLC opposed & it passed. Clerk’s office may be able to help us understand impact on LBK.
HB145 – Sovereign Immunity. FLC opposed and it passed. We were able to drop the numbers a bit, but Finance will have to give us the dollar figure LBK will be impacted.
R: PRM is aware but we don’t have an estimated impact on premiums. We can expect an increase.
We are awaiting the dates of the potential special sessions – Budget, Redistricting and Property Taxes.
BJ Bishop
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
ManaSota League of Cities
To: Longboat Key Vice Mayor Penny Gold
The former ManaSota League Executive Director confirmed that the presentation would be at the MSLC meeting on May 14th. The meetings start at 9:30 a.m. and I would presume it will be at the top of the agenda. If I receive more information, I’ll let you know.
Trish Shinkle
Town Clerk
Town of Longboat Key
2026 Home Rule Hero Award
To: Florida League of Cities Brenda Jones
Thank you very much for the recognition. I’ll do my best to be there for the presentation, once a date is set.
Penny Gold
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
2026 Home Rule Hero Award
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Penny Gold
I am delighted to notify you that the Florida League of Cities has selected you as a recipient of the 2026 Home Rule Hero Award! Your steadfast dedication to defending local self-government, both before and during the 2026 Legislative Session, continues to inspire and set a standard for local officials statewide. Your contributions are essential to the League’s advocacy efforts and pivotal to our success. To publicize your award, a press release template is attached.
FLC typically presents Home Rule Hero awards at a local/regional league meeting. I have reached out to the ManaSota League of Cities to find out if there is an upcoming meeting that we can attend to present you with your award. I will contact you once a date has been determined. Let me know if you have any questions and thank you for all your efforts this year!
Brenda Jones
Legislative Coordinator
Florida League of Cities, Inc.
New Town website
To: Longboat Key Commission
We are launching our new website tomorrow which should be a fresher, more user-friendly experience. And no, it is not part of an April Fool’s joke. Please let me know if you have any feedback or suggestions regarding this new launch.
Howard N. Tipton
Town Manager
Town of Longboat Key
New Town Website Launch – March 31
To: Longboat Commission
The Town’s IT Department, along with several staff members, have been working hard to finalize our new website. We’re excited to share that the updated site will go live tomorrow, March 31.
Following the launch, please take a few moments to explore the new layout and familiarize yourself with your department’s page. If you notice any inaccuracies, kindly notify your department head or designated page coordinator. Should any technical issues arise, please report them to the IT Department for review.
If you wish to take a peek at the new website, click on the following temporary link: Longboat Key, FL | Official Website, this will change after 10:30am tomorrow morning when we go live.
Thank you for your support as we roll out this exciting update!
Your Communications Team
Tina Adams
Fire Administration & Communications Manager/PIO
Town of Longboat Key
Request for dismissal of parking citation and review of Sarasota policy affecting Disabled Veteran plates
To: Sarasota City Mayor Debbie Trice
I wanted to send this to Mr. Polzak but could not find an email address. Can you please help?
Steve Carlson
Sarasota
Request for dismissal of parking citation and review of Sarasota policy affecting Disabled Veteran plates
To: Steve Polzak
My name is Steve Carlson. I am a 100% disabled veteran and my vehicle displays a Florida Disabled Veteran license plate issued under section 320.084, Florida Statutes.
I am writing to request dismissal of a parking citation I received in a City of Sarasota-owned parking garage, and to request immediate legal review of the City’s position regarding parking fees charged to vehicles displaying qualifying Disabled Veteran plates.
After receiving the citation, I went to the parking office at City Hall and was told that the disabled veteran parking benefit does not apply to city garages and that I am still required to pay the ticket.
That position appears inconsistent with Florida law.
Section 316.1964, Florida Statutes, provides that a state agency, county, municipality, or agency thereof may not charge a parking fee to a vehicle displaying a Disabled Veteran plate issued under section 320.084. Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles also states that disabled veterans with a “DV” plate are exempt from paying parking fees statewide. The statute includes limited exceptions, such as certain event parking facilities, but I do not understand a general city-owned parking garage to fall outside the law.
I respectfully request the following:
Immediate dismissal of my parking citation.
Written clarification of the legal authority Sarasota is relying upon if the City believes it may charge parking fees or issue citations to qualifying Disabled Veteran vehicles in city-owned garages. Review and correction of any City parking policy or staff guidance that conflicts with Florida law, so other disabled veterans are not wrongly cited in the future.
This is not only an issue of a single ticket. It is a matter of whether disabled veterans in Sarasota are being denied a benefit provided under Florida law.
I am prepared to provide a copy of the citation, photographs of the vehicle and plate, and any additional information needed for review. I would appreciate a written response at your earliest convenience.
Steve Carlson
Sarasota
Meeting Minutes
To: Sarasota City Commission Reporter Jamese Johnson
Thank you Jamese.
Shayla Griggs
City Auditor and Clerk
City of Sarasota
Meeting Minutes
To: Sarasota City Clerk Shayla Griggs
Thank you! The correction has been made! Have a great weekend!
Jamese Johnson
Commission Reporter
City of Sarasota
Meeting Minutes
To: Sarasota City Vice Mayor Katherine Kelley Ohlrich
Received. Thank you. We will review suggested corrections.
Shayla Griggs
City Auditor and Clerk
City of Sarasota
Meeting Minutes
To: Sarasota City Clerk Shayla Griggs
Ms. Griggs – In reading minutes of the March 2, 2026 City Commission meeting I have one change to offer as follows: At 3:03:27 PM please add the words “seconded by” with the motion what was made by Commissioner Ahearn-Koch and seconded by Vice Mayor, Ohlrich.
Kathy Ohlrich
Vice Mayor
City of Sarasota
