Longboat Key News and Sarasota City News encourages Letters to the Editor on timely issues. Please email to: letters@lbknews.com or mail to PO Box 8001, Longboat Key, FL 34228. We also print letters sent to Town Hall that address Longboat Key issues. We reserve the right to edit.
TLBK SDE Letter and Information and TLBK SRL Letter
To: Longboat Key Plans Examiner Neal Mazzei
Thanks so much Neal. Thank you for keeping me in loop!
BJ Bishop
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
LBK – Budget Good News
To: Longboat Key Town Attorney Maggie Mooney
Great news. Please thank Dave for me. We are fortunate to have his crew.
BJ Bishop
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
LBK – Budget Good News
To: Longboat Key Town Commission
I just wanted to share a quick update. I heard from David Ramba this afternoon that the Town’s $1,500,000 appropriation made it into the final budget executed by Governor DeSantis today and was not vetoed! This is great news for the Town’s subaqueous force main project! Congratulations! Many thanks to David Ramba and his team for all their efforts getting this appropriation across the finish line!
Maggie D. Mooney
Town Attorney
Town of Longboat Key
LBK – Budget Good News
To: Longboat Key Commission
Attached please find the Budget Conference Legislative Report from your lobbyists at Ramba Consulting for the 2025 Legislative Session.
The good news is that LBK’s Subaqueous Force Main (SF 1377) (HF 1650) received funding of $1,500,000 nonrecurring General Revenue in Line 1555 (See pg. 310 of the GAA).
Unfortunately, LBK’s other (smaller) appropriation request, for resilient Control Panel Upgrade (HF 2482) (SF 1665) did not make it into the final conference report.
Given the political tensions and disputes during this Legislative Session, LBK was fortunate to have the subaqueous appropriation included in the budget. However, we cannot celebrate yet. We still need to wait to make sure that the $1.5 million appropriation is approved by Governor DeSantis. David Ramba and the lobbyists at Ramba Consulting will continue to monitor this for LBK. We will keep you posted on any developments in this regard.
I want to acknowledge all the work and effort by the Commissioners who advocated to our local delegation members in both counties on the importance of the Town’s appropriation requests. Your individual relationships with our local delegation members make a difference. The Commissioners’ efforts along with David Ramba and his team’s advocacy helped ensure that LBK’s critical project and infrastructure made it into the proposed budget. Great work everyone!
Maggie D. Mooney
Town Attorney
Town of Longboat Key
NEST items for you
To: Deborah DiCarlo
I appreciate your kind words and yes, please do keep in touch. So happy that your church is partnering with Paradise Center, great for our community!
Sarah Karon
Commissioner
Longboat Key
NEST items for you
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
Thank you so much for your response, Sarah. It explains a lot because the church I go to is the Longboat Island Chapel, and the person I talked to may have heard about that collaboration. I think she got the renewed relationship between the Paradise Center and the Chapel conflated with the North End community center. So interesting how these conversations take place and how decisive the context is.
As you probably know, the first generation of the Paradise Center found its home at the Longboat Island Chapel years ago. So it’s actually a bit of a homecoming! Reverend Brock is indeed committed to our community here on Longboat.
Thank you so much for bringing clarity to the situation. I’ll continue to reach out as I hear things that need clarification from you and appreciate that you represent our north end interest so well.
Thanks for your help,
Deborah DiCarlo
Longboat Key
NEST items for you
To: Deborah DiCarlo
Thank you for your work on the NEST project. I remain hopeful regarding the Chiles property, but there’s nothing concrete in the works. As far as I know, the town has no plans in mind with the Paradise Center as regards programming the eventual space (wherever we land), but I wouldn’t be surprised if some general conversations have taken place as folks dream up possibilities. Currently, the Paradise Center plans to move into the Longboat Island Chapel thanks to their kind invitation. It will be wonderful to have them with us on the North End and I am so impressed by the church’s proactive, neighborly invitation. Let me know if you would like to discuss further, I’m available.
Sarah Karon
Commissioner
Longboat Key
NEST items for you
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
First, I want to thank you for your contributions to establish a north end community center. You may know that I am the NEST team lead for exercise activities at the north end center.
We have collected several exercise related suggestions from residents of the north end neighborhoods, and I’ve had a few of discussions along these lines. You may have seen the results of the data we collected.
Someone at my church, mentioned that you are discussing the programming of the north end space with the folks at the Paradise Center.
Can you confirm that please? If this is the case, will you include me in such discussions, or bring me up to date on what has taken place?
I know it is still early days in the discovery and feasibility study of the purchase of the Chiles property by Mantee County, so I suspect any discussions you had were very preliminary.
We can meet and SIPs for a conversation or simply have a phone call. I want to ensure we are collaborating on programming and make you aware of the item we already have on the schedule. I look forward to hearing from you,
Deborah Di Carlo
Longboat Key
Senate Bill 1622
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
Thank you Sarah. Good to know that you discussed it at the town meeting.
“property lines extend into water” seems to be a miscalculation. As I understand it, the next time the erosion control lines are redrawn, this might be addressed. However, if the town is able to negotiate a return to customary access by taking over that sea wall we might get somewhere. Eminent domain perhaps? We should try to move the needle while the legislature seems to recognize public beach access.
Patricia DeChiara
Longboat Key
Senate Bill 1622
To: Patricia DeChiara
We discussed this topic with legal counsel in Town mtg today, the common use approach will not work in this case — wrong county size (population), plus property lines extend into water. Sorry I can’t be sharing more optimistic feedback!
Sarah Karon
Commissioner
Longboat Key
Senate Bill 1622
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
Worth a try. The place is still a disaster. We did walk on west side of seawall at low tide recently. The amount of sand is amazing. Only good fishing now is on north side of wall
Cyndi Seamon
Longboat Key
Senate Bill 1622
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
I would suggest asking LBK to draft a customary use ordinance for beach access at all points on the island. Maggie Mooney didn’t want to butt heads with Ohana over right to walk across seawall when high tide prevented walking below the wall but maybe with new owners something can be decided that survives whoever currently owns that property.
Laurel Gilbert Phillips
Longboat Key
Senate Bill 1622
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
Great news this morning! Can we leverage this regarding Ohana?
Patricia DeChiara
Longboat Key
Senate Bill 1622
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
Guess it’s good news the common use issue even came up at the town meeting but if Maggie Mooney weighed in then rest assured the private rights of owners over public good was uppermost in her mind. No headway to be made there but still a debatable issue and a private agreement can be made with Ohana- as attempted before- why not push for this?
Laurel Gilbert Phillips
Longboat Key
Senate Bill 1622
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
Agree with Pat and Laurel Now should be a good time to negotiate a win/win deal with owners.
Paul Hylbert
Longboat Key
Congratulations
To: Longboat Key Commissioner BJ Bishop
I look forward to that as well! I really appreciate your kind words and encouragement.
James Clinch
Assistant City Manager
City of Venice
Congratulations
To: City of Venice Assistant Manager James Clinch
I was thrilled when I saw your appointment as Town Manager in the Herald Tribune this morning. Congratulations! Look forward to seeing you at many FLC events in the coming years.
BJ Bishop
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
Celebrating Sewer Department Achievements & Recognizing Outstanding Crews
To: Sarasota City Mayor Liz Alpert
I am proud to write to you on behalf of the City of Sarasota’s Sewer Department to highlight our team’s accomplishments so far this year. Under the exceptional leadership of our supervisor, Torrance, our department has continued to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of our sewer systems—work that may not always be visible but is absolutely vital to the health and functionality of our city.
This year, our crews have tackled extensive maintenance, emergency repairs, and infrastructure improvements with professionalism and dedication. Their hard work prevents disruptions and protects our community’s sanitation and environmental well-being.
I’d like to take a moment to recognize our outstanding Crew Leaders—Patrick, Richard, and Roson—for their tireless efforts in guiding their teams and maintaining high standards. A special shout-out goes to Patrick’s crew, who have consistently gone above and beyond:
– Jesse – Skillfully operating the Vaccon truck, keeping our lines clear.
– Shannon – Managing the dump truck with precision and efficiency.
– Chris – Handling the utility truck and supporting critical operations.
– Isaac – Expertly operating the excavator machine for complex tasks.
This team exemplifies dedication, teamwork, and pride in their work. Their efforts ensure that Sarasota’s sewer systems remain reliable, safeguarding public health and the environment.
While our work may not always be glamorous, it is essential to the daily lives of our residents. We are honored to serve Sarasota and contribute to its continued success. Thank you for your support of our department and the critical services we provide.
Christopher Purdy
Maintenance mechanic 1
Sarasota Sewer Department
City of Sarasota Sewer Department
To: Christopher Purdy
Great news this morning! Can we leverage this regarding Ohana? Thank you to all of you for your work for the city day in and day out. I am so grateful we have such a fantastic staff! Thanks for letting me know.
Liz Alpert
Mayor
City of Sarasota
Grant Drive, Lido Key
To: Sarasota City Mayor Liz Alpert
Time permitting, please give me a call. I am on a job site this morning but plan to be in the office all afternoon. Wish to discuss a solution for the parking on Grant Drive on both holidays, and weekends. This situation has escalated out of control.
You could never get a fire truck down our street on a holiday or weekend. I am not sure all of the EMS vehicles could get down the street, either.
The mailman cannot deliver mail as almost mailbox is blocked.
Driveways are partially blocked making it very difficult to maneuver out of many of the driveways. People are parking their vehicles on the homeowner’s property.
I suspect you are aware of these concerns and if not, Officer Trip Swank can validate the these concerns. He has been with the Sarasota Police Department for twenty plus years and he is keenly aware of the aforementioned. I discussed this smatter with him on April 19th over the Memorial Day weekend, at length.
William D. Pigozzi
American Development & Construction, Inc.
Longwood, Florida
Grant Drive, Lido Key
To: Bill Pigozzi
I am copying the interim city manager and deputy city manager so that they can address this situation with you.
Thanks for contacting me.
Liz Alpert
Mayor
City of Sarasota
TLBK SDE Letter and Information and TLBK SRL Letter
To: Longboat Key Plans Examiner Neal Mazzei
Thanks so much Neal. Thank you for keeping me in loop!
BJ Bishop
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
TLBK SDE Letter and Information and TLBK SRL Letter
To: Longboat Key Plans Examiner Neal Mazzei
Really appreciate all the help. Sent to Elevate. Shannon and I look forward to finally getting back into our full-time home – one of the seven 1920 cottages in the Village which we dearly treasure and have no intention of ever demo-ing. We have Rusty and Christine Chinnis to thank for bringing us to the LBK cottage when I was in my last year/retiring from the military, and we feel quite fortunate to live here.
Jim Lince
Longboat Key
TLBK SDE Letter and Information and TLBK SRL Letter
To: James Lince
Your GC, Chris with Stray Cats, was able to get your permit application submitted this afternoon so it is under review, and I’ll do what I can to expedite the process from here. I have attached your SDE Letter and backup information as well as a TLBK Severe Repetitive Loss Letter which you put you hire on the priority list for the Elevate Florida Program as requested.
If you don’t already have one, we will need a copy of a FEMA 50% Appraisal to go with your permit application prior to any permit issuance.
I hope this helps, and thank you for your patience with the process. Please feel free to call if you have any additional questions.
Neal Mazzei
Plans Examiner
Town of Longboat Key
LBK – Budget Good News
To: Longboat Key Town Attorney Maggie Mooney
Great news. Please thank Dave for me. We are fortunate to have his crew.
BJ Bishop
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
LBK – Budget Good News
To: Longboat Key Town Commission
I just wanted to share a quick update. I heard from David Ramba this afternoon that the Town’s $1,500,000 appropriation made it into the final budget executed by Governor DeSantis today and was not vetoed! This is great news for the Town’s subaqueous force main project! Congratulations! Many thanks to David Ramba and his team for all their efforts getting this appropriation across the finish line!
Maggie D. Mooney
Town Attorney
Town of Longboat Key
LBK – Budget Good News
To: Longboat Key Commission
Attached please find the Budget Conference Legislative Report from your lobbyists at Ramba Consulting for the 2025 Legislative Session.
The good news is that LBK’s Subaqueous Force Main (SF 1377) (HF 1650) received funding of $1,500,000 nonrecurring General Revenue in Line 1555 (See pg. 310 of the GAA).
Unfortunately, LBK’s other (smaller) appropriation request, for resilient Control Panel Upgrade (HF 2482) (SF 1665) did not make it into the final conference report.
Given the political tensions and disputes during this Legislative Session, LBK was fortunate to have the subaqueous appropriation included in the budget. However, we cannot celebrate yet. We still need to wait to make sure that the $1.5 million appropriation is approved by Governor DeSantis. David Ramba and the lobbyists at Ramba Consulting will continue to monitor this for LBK. We will keep you posted on any developments in this regard.
I want to acknowledge all the work and effort by the Commissioners who advocated to our local delegation members in both counties on the importance of the Town’s appropriation requests. Your individual relationships with our local delegation members make a difference. The Commissioners’ efforts along with David Ramba and his team’s advocacy helped ensure that LBK’s critical project and infrastructure made it into the proposed budget. Great work everyone!
Maggie D. Mooney
Town Attorney
Town of Longboat Key
NEST items for you
To: Deborah DiCarlo
I appreciate your kind words and yes, please do keep in touch. So happy that your church is partnering with Paradise Center, great for our community!
Sarah Karon
Commissioner
Longboat Key
NEST items for you
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
Thank you so much for your response, Sarah. It explains a lot because the church I go to is the Longboat Island Chapel, and the person I talked to may have heard about that collaboration. I think she got the renewed relationship between the Paradise Center and the Chapel conflated with the North End community center. So interesting how these conversations take place and how decisive the context is.
As you probably know, the first generation of the Paradise Center found its home at the Longboat Island Chapel years ago. So it’s actually a bit of a homecoming! Reverend Brock is indeed committed to our community here on Longboat.
Thank you so much for bringing clarity to the situation. I’ll continue to reach out as I hear things that need clarification from you and appreciate that you represent our north end interest so well.
Thanks for your help,
Deborah DiCarlo
Longboat Key
NEST items for you
To: Deborah DiCarlo
Thank you for your work on the NEST project. I remain hopeful regarding the Chiles property, but there’s nothing concrete in the works. As far as I know, the town has no plans in mind with the Paradise Center as regards programming the eventual space (wherever we land), but I wouldn’t be surprised if some general conversations have taken place as folks dream up possibilities. Currently, the Paradise Center plans to move into the Longboat Island Chapel thanks to their kind invitation. It will be wonderful to have them with us on the North End and I am so impressed by the church’s proactive, neighborly invitation. Let me know if you would like to discuss further, I’m available.
Sarah Karon
Commissioner
Longboat Key
NEST items for you
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
First, I want to thank you for your contributions to establish a north end community center. You may know that I am the NEST team lead for exercise activities at the north end center.
We have collected several exercise related suggestions from residents of the north end neighborhoods, and I’ve had a few of discussions along these lines. You may have seen the results of the data we collected.
Someone at my church, mentioned that you are discussing the programming of the north end space with the folks at the Paradise Center.
Can you confirm that please? If this is the case, will you include me in such discussions, or bring me up to date on what has taken place?
I know it is still early days in the discovery and feasibility study of the purchase of the Chiles property by Mantee County, so I suspect any discussions you had were very preliminary.
We can meet and SIPs for a conversation or simply have a phone call. I want to ensure we are collaborating on programming and make you aware of the item we already have on the schedule. I look forward to hearing from you,
Deborah Di Carlo
Longboat Key
Senate Bill 1622
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
Thank you Sarah. Good to know that you discussed it at the town meeting.
“property lines extend into water” seems to be a miscalculation. As I understand it, the next time the erosion control lines are redrawn, this might be addressed. However, if the town is able to negotiate a return to customary access by taking over that sea wall we might get somewhere. Eminent domain perhaps? We should try to move the needle while the legislature seems to recognize public beach access.
Patricia DeChiara
Longboat Key
Senate Bill 1622
To: Patricia DeChiara
We discussed this topic with legal counsel in Town mtg today, the common use approach will not work in this case — wrong county size (population), plus property lines extend into water. Sorry I can’t be sharing more optimistic feedback!
Sarah Karon
Commissioner
Longboat Key
Senate Bill 1622
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
Worth a try. The place is still a disaster. We did walk on west side of seawall at low tide recently. The amount of sand is amazing. Only good fishing now is on north side of wall
Cyndi Seamon
Longboat Key
Senate Bill 1622
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
I would suggest asking LBK to draft a customary use ordinance for beach access at all points on the island. Maggie Mooney didn’t want to butt heads with Ohana over right to walk across seawall when high tide prevented walking below the wall but maybe with new owners something can be decided that survives whoever currently owns that property.
Laurel Gilbert Phillips
Longboat Key
Senate Bill 1622
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
Great news this morning! Can we leverage this regarding Ohana?
Patricia DeChiara
Longboat Key
Senate Bill 1622
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
Guess it’s good news the common use issue even came up at the town meeting but if Maggie Mooney weighed in then rest assured the private rights of owners over public good was uppermost in her mind. No headway to be made there but still a debatable issue and a private agreement can be made with Ohana- as attempted before- why not push for this?
Laurel Gilbert Phillips
Longboat Key
Senate Bill 1622
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
Agree with Pat and Laurel Now should be a good time to negotiate a win/win deal with owners.
Paul Hylbert
Longboat Key
Congratulations
To: Longboat Key Commissioner BJ Bishop
I look forward to that as well! I really appreciate your kind words and encouragement.
James Clinch
Assistant City Manager
City of Venice
Congratulations
To: City of Venice Assistant Manager James Clinch
I was thrilled when I saw your appointment as Town Manager in the Herald Tribune this morning. Congratulations! Look forward to seeing you at many FLC events in the coming years.
BJ Bishop
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
Celebrating Sewer Department Achievements & Recognizing Outstanding Crews
To: Sarasota City Mayor Liz Alpert
I am proud to write to you on behalf of the City of Sarasota’s Sewer Department to highlight our team’s accomplishments so far this year. Under the exceptional leadership of our supervisor, Torrance, our department has continued to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of our sewer systems—work that may not always be visible but is absolutely vital to the health and functionality of our city.
This year, our crews have tackled extensive maintenance, emergency repairs, and infrastructure improvements with professionalism and dedication. Their hard work prevents disruptions and protects our community’s sanitation and environmental well-being.
I’d like to take a moment to recognize our outstanding Crew Leaders—Patrick, Richard, and Roson—for their tireless efforts in guiding their teams and maintaining high standards. A special shout-out goes to Patrick’s crew, who have consistently gone above and beyond:
– Jesse – Skillfully operating the Vaccon truck, keeping our lines clear.
– Shannon – Managing the dump truck with precision and efficiency.
– Chris – Handling the utility truck and supporting critical operations.
– Isaac – Expertly operating the excavator machine for complex tasks.
This team exemplifies dedication, teamwork, and pride in their work. Their efforts ensure that Sarasota’s sewer systems remain reliable, safeguarding public health and the environment.
While our work may not always be glamorous, it is essential to the daily lives of our residents. We are honored to serve Sarasota and contribute to its continued success. Thank you for your support of our department and the critical services we provide.
Christopher Purdy
Maintenance mechanic 1
Sarasota Sewer Department
City of Sarasota Sewer Department
To: Christopher Purdy
Great news this morning! Can we leverage this regarding Ohana? Thank you to all of you for your work for the city day in and day out. I am so grateful we have such a fantastic staff! Thanks for letting me know.
Liz Alpert
Mayor
City of Sarasota
Grant Drive, Lido Key
To: Sarasota City Mayor Liz Alpert
Time permitting, please give me a call. I am on a job site this morning but plan to be in the office all afternoon. Wish to discuss a solution for the parking on Grant Drive on both holidays, and weekends. This situation has escalated out of control.
You could never get a fire truck down our street on a holiday or weekend. I am not sure all of the EMS vehicles could get down the street, either.
The mailman cannot deliver mail as almost mailbox is blocked.
Driveways are partially blocked making it very difficult to maneuver out of many of the driveways. People are parking their vehicles on the homeowner’s property.
I suspect you are aware of these concerns and if not, Officer Trip Swank can validate the these concerns. He has been with the Sarasota Police Department for twenty plus years and he is keenly aware of the aforementioned. I discussed this smatter with him on April 19th over the Memorial Day weekend, at length.
William D. Pigozzi
American Development & Construction, Inc.
Longwood, Florida
Grant Drive, Lido Key
To: Bill Pigozzi
I am copying the interim city manager and deputy city manager so that they can address this situation with you.
Thanks for contacting me.
Liz Alpert
Mayor
City of Sarasota
TLBK SDE Letter and Information and TLBK SRL Letter
To: Longboat Key Plans Examiner Neal Mazzei
Thanks so much Neal. Thank you for keeping me in loop!
BJ Bishop
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
TLBK SDE Letter and Information and TLBK SRL Letter
To: Longboat Key Plans Examiner Neal Mazzei
Really appreciate all the help. Sent to Elevate. Shannon and I look forward to finally getting back into our full-time home – one of the seven 1920 cottages in the Village which we dearly treasure and have no intention of ever demo-ing. We have Rusty and Christine Chinnis to thank for bringing us to the LBK cottage when I was in my last year/retiring from the military, and we feel quite fortunate to live here.
Jim Lince
Longboat Key
TLBK SDE Letter and Information and TLBK SRL Letter
To: James Lince
Your GC, Chris with Stray Cats, was able to get your permit application submitted this afternoon so it is under review, and I’ll do what I can to expedite the process from here. I have attached your SDE Letter and backup information as well as a TLBK Severe Repetitive Loss Letter which you put you hire on the priority list for the Elevate Florida Program as requested.
If you don’t already have one, we will need a copy of a FEMA 50% Appraisal to go with your permit application prior to any permit issuance.
I hope this helps, and thank you for your patience with the process. Please feel free to call if you have any additional questions.
Neal Mazzei
Plans Examiner
Town of Longboat Key
LBK – Budget Good News
To: Longboat Key Town Attorney Maggie Mooney
Great news. Please thank Dave for me. We are fortunate to have his crew.
BJ Bishop
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
LBK – Budget Good News
To: Longboat Key Town Commission
I just wanted to share a quick update. I heard from David Ramba this afternoon that the Town’s $1,500,000 appropriation made it into the final budget executed by Governor DeSantis today and was not vetoed! This is great news for the Town’s subaqueous force main project! Congratulations! Many thanks to David Ramba and his team for all their efforts getting this appropriation across the finish line!
Maggie D. Mooney
Town Attorney
Town of Longboat Key
LBK – Budget Good News
To: Longboat Key Commission
Attached please find the Budget Conference Legislative Report from your lobbyists at Ramba Consulting for the 2025 Legislative Session.
The good news is that LBK’s Subaqueous Force Main (SF 1377) (HF 1650) received funding of $1,500,000 nonrecurring General Revenue in Line 1555 (See pg. 310 of the GAA).
Unfortunately, LBK’s other (smaller) appropriation request, for resilient Control Panel Upgrade (HF 2482) (SF 1665) did not make it into the final conference report.
Given the political tensions and disputes during this Legislative Session, LBK was fortunate to have the subaqueous appropriation included in the budget. However, we cannot celebrate yet. We still need to wait to make sure that the $1.5 million appropriation is approved by Governor DeSantis. David Ramba and the lobbyists at Ramba Consulting will continue to monitor this for LBK. We will keep you posted on any developments in this regard.
I want to acknowledge all the work and effort by the Commissioners who advocated to our local delegation members in both counties on the importance of the Town’s appropriation requests. Your individual relationships with our local delegation members make a difference. The Commissioners’ efforts along with David Ramba and his team’s advocacy helped ensure that LBK’s critical project and infrastructure made it into the proposed budget. Great work everyone!
Maggie D. Mooney
Town Attorney
Town of Longboat Key
NEST items for you
To: Deborah DiCarlo
I appreciate your kind words and yes, please do keep in touch. So happy that your church is partnering with Paradise Center, great for our community!
Sarah Karon
Commissioner
Longboat Key
NEST items for you
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
Thank you so much for your response, Sarah. It explains a lot because the church I go to is the Longboat Island Chapel, and the person I talked to may have heard about that collaboration. I think she got the renewed relationship between the Paradise Center and the Chapel conflated with the North End community center. So interesting how these conversations take place and how decisive the context is.
As you probably know, the first generation of the Paradise Center found its home at the Longboat Island Chapel years ago. So it’s actually a bit of a homecoming! Reverend Brock is indeed committed to our community here on Longboat.
Thank you so much for bringing clarity to the situation. I’ll continue to reach out as I hear things that need clarification from you and appreciate that you represent our north end interest so well.
Thanks for your help,
Deborah DiCarlo
Longboat Key
NEST items for you
To: Deborah DiCarlo
Thank you for your work on the NEST project. I remain hopeful regarding the Chiles property, but there’s nothing concrete in the works. As far as I know, the town has no plans in mind with the Paradise Center as regards programming the eventual space (wherever we land), but I wouldn’t be surprised if some general conversations have taken place as folks dream up possibilities. Currently, the Paradise Center plans to move into the Longboat Island Chapel thanks to their kind invitation. It will be wonderful to have them with us on the North End and I am so impressed by the church’s proactive, neighborly invitation. Let me know if you would like to discuss further, I’m available.
Sarah Karon
Commissioner
Longboat Key
NEST items for you
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
First, I want to thank you for your contributions to establish a north end community center. You may know that I am the NEST team lead for exercise activities at the north end center.
We have collected several exercise related suggestions from residents of the north end neighborhoods, and I’ve had a few of discussions along these lines. You may have seen the results of the data we collected.
Someone at my church, mentioned that you are discussing the programming of the north end space with the folks at the Paradise Center.
Can you confirm that please? If this is the case, will you include me in such discussions, or bring me up to date on what has taken place?
I know it is still early days in the discovery and feasibility study of the purchase of the Chiles property by Mantee County, so I suspect any discussions you had were very preliminary.
We can meet and SIPs for a conversation or simply have a phone call. I want to ensure we are collaborating on programming and make you aware of the item we already have on the schedule. I look forward to hearing from you,
Deborah Di Carlo
Longboat Key
Senate Bill 1622
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
Thank you Sarah. Good to know that you discussed it at the town meeting.
“property lines extend into water” seems to be a miscalculation. As I understand it, the next time the erosion control lines are redrawn, this might be addressed. However, if the town is able to negotiate a return to customary access by taking over that sea wall we might get somewhere. Eminent domain perhaps? We should try to move the needle while the legislature seems to recognize public beach access.
Patricia DeChiara
Longboat Key
Senate Bill 1622
To: Patricia DeChiara
We discussed this topic with legal counsel in Town mtg today, the common use approach will not work in this case — wrong county size (population), plus property lines extend into water. Sorry I can’t be sharing more optimistic feedback!
Sarah Karon
Commissioner
Longboat Key
Senate Bill 1622
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
Worth a try. The place is still a disaster. We did walk on west side of seawall at low tide recently. The amount of sand is amazing. Only good fishing now is on north side of wall
Cyndi Seamon
Longboat Key
Senate Bill 1622
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
I would suggest asking LBK to draft a customary use ordinance for beach access at all points on the island. Maggie Mooney didn’t want to butt heads with Ohana over right to walk across seawall when high tide prevented walking below the wall but maybe with new owners something can be decided that survives whoever currently owns that property.
Laurel Gilbert Phillips
Longboat Key
Senate Bill 1622
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
Great news this morning! Can we leverage this regarding Ohana?
Patricia DeChiara
Longboat Key
Senate Bill 1622
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
Guess it’s good news the common use issue even came up at the town meeting but if Maggie Mooney weighed in then rest assured the private rights of owners over public good was uppermost in her mind. No headway to be made there but still a debatable issue and a private agreement can be made with Ohana- as attempted before- why not push for this?
Laurel Gilbert Phillips
Longboat Key
Senate Bill 1622
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
Agree with Pat and Laurel Now should be a good time to negotiate a win/win deal with owners.
Paul Hylbert
Longboat Key
Congratulations
To: Longboat Key Commissioner BJ Bishop
I look forward to that as well! I really appreciate your kind words and encouragement.
James Clinch
Assistant City Manager
City of Venice
Congratulations
To: City of Venice Assistant Manager James Clinch
I was thrilled when I saw your appointment as Town Manager in the Herald Tribune this morning. Congratulations! Look forward to seeing you at many FLC events in the coming years.
BJ Bishop
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
Celebrating Sewer Department Achievements & Recognizing Outstanding Crews
To: Sarasota City Mayor Liz Alpert
I am proud to write to you on behalf of the City of Sarasota’s Sewer Department to highlight our team’s accomplishments so far this year. Under the exceptional leadership of our supervisor, Torrance, our department has continued to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of our sewer systems—work that may not always be visible but is absolutely vital to the health and functionality of our city.
This year, our crews have tackled extensive maintenance, emergency repairs, and infrastructure improvements with professionalism and dedication. Their hard work prevents disruptions and protects our community’s sanitation and environmental well-being.
I’d like to take a moment to recognize our outstanding Crew Leaders—Patrick, Richard, and Roson—for their tireless efforts in guiding their teams and maintaining high standards. A special shout-out goes to Patrick’s crew, who have consistently gone above and beyond:
– Jesse – Skillfully operating the Vaccon truck, keeping our lines clear.
– Shannon – Managing the dump truck with precision and efficiency.
– Chris – Handling the utility truck and supporting critical operations.
– Isaac – Expertly operating the excavator machine for complex tasks.
This team exemplifies dedication, teamwork, and pride in their work. Their efforts ensure that Sarasota’s sewer systems remain reliable, safeguarding public health and the environment.
While our work may not always be glamorous, it is essential to the daily lives of our residents. We are honored to serve Sarasota and contribute to its continued success. Thank you for your support of our department and the critical services we provide.
Christopher Purdy
Maintenance mechanic 1
Sarasota Sewer Department
City of Sarasota Sewer Department
To: Christopher Purdy
Great news this morning! Can we leverage this regarding Ohana? Thank you to all of you for your work for the city day in and day out. I am so grateful we have such a fantastic staff! Thanks for letting me know.
Liz Alpert
Mayor
City of Sarasota
Grant Drive, Lido Key
To: Sarasota City Mayor Liz Alpert
Time permitting, please give me a call. I am on a job site this morning but plan to be in the office all afternoon. Wish to discuss a solution for the parking on Grant Drive on both holidays, and weekends. This situation has escalated out of control.
You could never get a fire truck down our street on a holiday or weekend. I am not sure all of the EMS vehicles could get down the street, either.
The mailman cannot deliver mail as almost mailbox is blocked.
Driveways are partially blocked making it very difficult to maneuver out of many of the driveways. People are parking their vehicles on the homeowner’s property.
I suspect you are aware of these concerns and if not, Officer Trip Swank can validate the these concerns. He has been with the Sarasota Police Department for twenty plus years and he is keenly aware of the aforementioned. I discussed this smatter with him on April 19th over the Memorial Day weekend, at length.
William D. Pigozzi
American Development & Construction, Inc.
Longwood, Florida
Grant Drive, Lido Key
To: Bill Pigozzi
I am copying the interim city manager and deputy city manager so that they can address this situation with you.
Thanks for contacting me.
Liz Alpert
Mayor
City of Sarasota
