Appalled by immigration sweeps
To: Editor
Polls tell us that the majority of Americans are appalled by the brutal, indiscriminate, Trump administration immigration sweeps. Horrified by this spectacle, I am calling on area citizens to send the message to our sheriffs – Rick Wells in Manatee and Kurt Hoffman in Sarasota—that we expect our immigrant neighbors to be treated humanely and with dignity in all interactions. Yes, our county sheriff departments are now forced to work with ICE, but they can continue to set a high standard for how our deputies conduct themselves.
Readers, we are all affected by this injustice, both immigrants and non-immigrants. We all know, care about, and depend on hardworking migrants. A rude awakening is coming when we are suddenly confronted with the need to do the hardest daily work.
Heads up:
Time to buy a lawnmower, condo owners.
Time to learn carpentry if you’re remodeling.
Time to clean your own house; care for your own elderly relative.
Time to learn compassion, if you call yourself a member of any faith tradition.
Louise Machinist
Sarasota
Request for Recent Elevation Certificates and Substantial Damage Letters
To: Longboat Key Plans Examiner Neal Mazzei, Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton
As conveyed, I as the property owner was going off of apparently bad information that a permit was not required for interior repairs due to Hurricane damage. Unfortunately, I now know that was for emergency repairs only (and even then a permit needs to be submitted within 24 hours), and this situation will be brought into compliance immediately. There was no intention of doing work that required a permit.
I’m certain this is what I was told by more than one person when all the contractors were working up and down the street, but that was the early days after the hurricane and I appreciate being corrected, and it being caught at this juncture. It’s been a very long year dealing with all of this and I appreciate the town and all you do for us.
Jim Lince
Longboat Key
Request for Recent Elevation Certificates and Substantial Damage Letters
To: Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton
I spoke with James Lince this morning and my SDE Inspector has already been there for the inspection. I am awaiting any storm damage photos to justify any SDE letter from the TLBK.
Just an FYI, there are no permits issued for all the rebuild work being done as of this writing. I advised him that he needed to have a Level 3 Alteration master permit secured by his GC “Stray Cats” along with listing their electrical, mechanical and plumbing subcontractors immediately today or we will have to place a Stop Work Order at the property for unpermitted work by days end.
Neal Mazzei
Plans Examiner
Town of Longboat Key
Request for Recent Elevation Certificates and Substantial Damage Letters
To: Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton
I have attached a letter from Jim Lince who received this letter requiring substantial damage letter by July 1. We received one as well, so I imagine many on LBK have the same issue.
Please be sure staff is up to speed on this.
BJ Bishop
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
Request for Recent Elevation Certificates and Substantial Damage Letters
To: Longboat Key Commissioner BJ Bishop
Our home at 760 Longboat Ct. in the village, (like many others on LBK) was substantially damaged in Helene. We’ve also been flooded 4 times in the last five years.
We applied to Elevate Florida.
We are seeking a substantial damage letter from LBK, and/or any documentation on the elevation and damages from the Hurricanes so that we can obtain the correct priority from Elevate Florida.
We would appreciate it if you could help us with the correct POC, or forward on our behalf, as the suspense for the letter is by July 1st. This is the first notice we received of this requirement.
Thank you very much for any assistance.
Jim Lince
Longboat Key
GMD Clean-up
To: Longboat Key Mayor Ken Schneier
Sir, I responded to him directly.
Charles Mopps
Public Works Director
Town of Longboat Key Public Works
GMD Clean-up
To: Lawrence Brown
Thanks for your timely note. After removing most of the large debris from Longboat, FDOT has recently begun a clean-up effort for the grass and plantings along the GMD Right of Way. At our budget meeting this week, the Commission also supported a plan to fix the common areas along Bay Isles Road, most of which were destroyed by the storms. I have copied this correspondence to Public Works Director Charlie Mopps in case he has anything to add.
Ken Schneier
Mayor
Town of Longboat Key
GMD Clean-up
To: Longboat Key Mayor Ken Schneier
Whose responsibility is it to clean up the area along GMD between Bay Isles Pkwy and Bay Isles Rd? There are large dead limbs and palm fronds along with underbrush that needs to be cleaned up and removed. It really is a detriment visually to our beloved Longboat Key which we all love!
The hedges along Bay Isles Pkwy have recently been trimmed, but the palm fronds and dead underbrush are still there and have been there as an unsightly mess even before Helene wiped us out. Also, the area west of City Hall that joins The Neptune condos is strewn with undergrowth, dead trees, dead palm fronds, etc that inhibit new growth and do little except trap rain water which in turn leads to stagnant growth and has become an environmental wasteland.
Thank you Mayor Schneier for your leadership of LBK. I look forward to your response.
Lawrence Brown
Longboat Key
Stub ups
To: Longboat Key Assistant Town Manager Isaac Brownman
Isaac ,we are aware of this NEI light malfunctioning and have ordered parts for replacement.
Also , the conduit is part of the Path Light project. Thank you.
Guy Matricciani
Construction & Facility System Manager
Public Works Department
Town of Longboat Key
Stub ups
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Gary Coffin
Thank you sir, I have copied the Public Works team.
Isaac Brownman
Assistant Town Manager
Town of Longboat Key
Stub ups
To: Longboat Key Assistant Town Manager Isaac Brownman
Of course.. I noticed on my walk last night the street light at GMD and Sloop is not operating properly.
Gary Coffin
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
Stub ups
To: Longboat Key Assistant Town Manager Isaac Brownman
Isaac, I spoke with the contractor regarding the stub ups at the sidewalk, he explained they were for the sidewalk light poles. He wasn’t the foreman but seemed knowledgeable. At Ketch and GMD OR GOA.
Gary Coffin
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
St. Regis yet again
To: Longboat Key Fire Chief Paul Dezzi
My only concern is what happens in an emergency…..they are currently parking on the north side of the hotel, sometimes for the entire length of the hotel.
John Bradbury
Longboat Key
St. Regis yet again
To: John Bradbury
We will visit today. Understand they can park slung the south side of the entrance..it allows for the fire department to enter. We will stop by today.
Paul Dezzi
Fire Chief
Town of Longboat Key
St. Regis yet again
To: Longboat Key Fire Chief Dezzi
I received this email regarding parking in the St. Regis fire lane. Can you please respond to Mr. Bradbury regarding this?
Debra Williams
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
St. Regis yet again
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Debra Williams
As you may know, the parking on the service road at the St. Regis is still usually jammed with cars…the other day the line stretched out across the walking path!
John Bradbury
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
New Tip Talk: Hurricane Season Preparedness with Fire Chief Dezzi
To: Longboat Key Assistant to Town Manager Savannah Cobb
Well done, good review of important info. The bumper tune was great also.
Gary Coffin
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
New Tip Talk: Hurricane Season Preparedness with Fire Chief Dezzi
To: Longboat Key Town Commission
The newest episode of Tip Talk is out now! In honor of hurricane season, Town Manager Howard Tipton sits down with Fire Chief Paul Dezzi to talk about how we can all stay prepared and safe this year.
Watch the full video here: Tip Talk – 2025 Hurricane Season
A few key reminders from the conversation:
Have a “Go Bag” ready with essentials to last 72 hours – don’t forget critical items like medications.
Evacuate when ordered – your safety is our top priority.
Pick up your re-entry decal now so you’re ready to return after an evacuation. Decals are available at all Town offices.
Stay safe, stay informed, and check out the new episode today!
Thank you.
Savannah Cobb
Executive Assistant
Town Manager’s Office
Town of Longboat Key
Mayor meeting on building codes
To: Longboat Key Mayor Ken Schneier
Blythe has provided below some additional thoughts for your meeting with Rep. McFarland. I do agree that the rebuilding we’re seeing now and will see in the near future should be at the elevated levels as the projections for the life of these properties (50 years) shows the greatly increased chance of flooding.
Howard N. Tipton
Town Manager
Town of Longboat Key
Thanks for your help — I hope this different perspective will help the mayor’s meeting.
To: Mayor Ken Schneier
I wanted to share some thoughts as you prepare for your meeting on building codes.
I believe time is of the essence. Following last year’s storms I believe a high percentage of non-conforming homes on north longboat will be torn down and new homes built on those lots. We need the building code changed now, so these new homes will be built to meet resiliency needs that are projected for the next 50 years, at a minimum. The need for resiliency is twofold. First, it protects the house and property and minimizes the damage, stress and financial drains associated with tidal and storm flooding. Second, it enables that town to raise infrastructure to appropriate heights, gradually over time as homes are rebuilt. If new homes are built at low grades then the town will never be able to raise infrastucture to elevations required to ensure public safety.
I am not sure if it is appropriate in your meeting to share that the sea level rise consultants provided an option for the town to exclude low lying neighborhoods from the town’s required levels of service (fire and rescue) — the inability to increase elevations will contribute to the reduction of town services to taxpayers and increase insurance rates. It would not look good if the state blocked towns from making improvements and therefore jeopardize the safety of residents and property owners).
With regard to the state code limiting restrictive building codes following hurricanes, it is my understanding that the freeze on building codes is to protect property owners. The idea being that homeowners will be able to rebuild (to current standards) The unfortunate alternative might be that a town changes the code in such a way that it will force existing owners to sell, since they cannot afford to rebuild at the new requirements, thereby changing the financial demographics of the neighborhood. With the adoption of the Miami Dade hurricane standards I feel that the state has already made the decision to require homes to withstand natural disasters, rather than allowing the building of disposable structures. So the big financial conundrum was already decided by the state.
Also, more restrictive changes are already allowed; the Florida building code was changed in 2024, and some sections might be considered more restrictive. LBK, like all municipalities, adopted the new Florida building code and therefore adopted more restrictive building requirements. Now, the question is how to support local codes that are more restrictive that result from local knowledge, new scientific research and new building philosophies.
For LBK, the goal of increasing freeboard is to protect the home as well as the municipal infrastructure that supports the existence of the home and surrounding community. In our situation FEMA lowered the base flood elevation and therefore made the building code less than it was. Perhaps there is a way to word this hurricane law such that resiliency code changes are allowed; or more specifically any reduction in coastal base flood elevation by FEMA can be returned to previous elevations to ensure resiliency.
In our current situation the local government is well educated in understanding the topography or our island and where the endangered neighborhoods exist. In fact, the town adopted new building codes to allow increased freeboard, prior to the storms that flooded the island. Following last year’s storms, many non-conforming homes in low-lying areas cannot be repaired under the FEMA 50% rule and as a result are being rebuilt. These new homes will exist for 50 years and it is our desire to ensure they are not flooded by seasonal flooding. Therefore our town wants to see these homes raised out of the flood waters, along with our streets, utilities and storm drains. It is imperative for the safety of our residents that the town’s infrastructure be raised. The ability to do so is tied to raising the elevation of all new homes and businesses. The inability to make the higher freeboard mandatory will create unfortunate situations in the future when roads are raised to elevations higher than ground level of garages, or towns reduce safety services to neighborhoods with low elevation structures. I hope this point of view helps you prepare for your meeting.
Blythe Jeffers
Longboat Key
FEMA CRS Program
To: Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton
The Freeboard issue is that the Town was prohibited from requiring newly constructed structures to meet FEMA flood requirements, plus an additional mandatory ‘Freeboard’ height. This change would have essentially maintained the recently revised FEMA flood elevation requirements (which are now generally 2 feet lower than the prior FEMA flood elevations). If the Town would have been able to adopt this as a mandatory requirement, as opposed to an optional requirement, the Town could have garnered additional points as part of FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS) program. Communities that participate in the CRS program gain points for various management practices that exceed the minimum requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Additional points are awarded to communities that enact & enforce ‘higher regulatory standards’. These points then translate into CRS classifications, which among other benefits, provide increased flood insurance policy premium discounts as communities move into the different classifications. The Town is currently a Class 6 community, which provides for 20% discounts on qualifying NFIP flood policies. We are relatively close to achieving a Class 5 designation, which would provide for 25% discounts.
Allen Parsons
Planning and Zoning Director
Town of Longboat Key
SB 180
To: Longboat Key Planning and Zoning Director Allen Parsons
I have a call with Rep. McFarland next Thursday to discuss SB 180, the bill she sponsored in the House that further restricts any ordinances that tighten any zoning rules in areas affected by hurricanes. As you know, the predecessor law has already pre-empted our attempts to add boat widths to dock width restrictions to prevent canal blockage and to add required free-board height for reconstruction plans, in part to compensate for FEMA’s incredible 2-foot reduction of the sea level base elevation.
I am well-versed in the boat/dock issue (clearly unrelated to storms), but I would like help from you on the free-board issue. This does add a restriction, but it is so tied to resiliency here, it seems crazy to block this kind of modest rule change. Can you send me a paragraph that explains our proposal and why it should be allowed before the call? Thanks much.
Btw, I understand SB 180 has finally been delivered to the Governor for his signature and there is a letter-writing campaign to get him to veto it. Even if he signs it, though, we should begin to build a case for modifying this law in the next session.
Blythe Jeffers
Longboat Key
Road change
To: Longboat Key Mayor Ken Schneier
Allen shared the following in answer to your question: I did not see anything in the bill that indicated mandatory (or voluntary) name changes of features referencing the Gulf of Mexico were an obligation. The bill primarily addresses a series of boundary descriptions of gulf counties, agencies, coastal definitions, special coastal areas & other statutorily defined areas. In all of those definitional instances ‘Mexico’ was struck-thru & replaced with ‘America’.
We’ll look to FDOT for their guidance on what else the State wants to change regarding the roads.
Howard N. Tipton
Town Manager
Town of Longboat Key
Road change
To: Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton
Does anything in HB 575 or otherwise require a name change for GMD? Thanks.
Ken Schneier
Mayor
Town of Longboat Key
Road change
To: Longboat Key Commission
The Florida legislature has recently passed for implementation by the FDOT house Bill 575.
This bill, signed by the governor requires agencies to make changes from Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America.
I live on Longboat Club Road, I drive of Gulf of Mexico road daily.
I support the name change, can you please advise the timetable for compliance. I am not sure if the current name extents beyond the bridges at the north and south end of Longboat Key.
How do we proceed? I understand your privacy policy, I have BCC a number of residents that support this change.
George Reenstra
Longboat Key
