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.
High Tide
To: Chris Udermann
We left town this morning and I missed getting to your area to observe. Tip, can you send Chris the info he is asking for. I have been in front of Chris’s house during high tide and also rain events and it floods during both. The storm drain in this area usually hurts versus helps. Can we investigate if there are any short term fixes before we improve the whole area. Mike Haycock
Vice Mayor
Town of Longboat Key
High Tide
To: Longboat Key Vice Mayor Mike Haycock
Thanks for sharing Vice-Mayor. I’ve copied Public Works leadership to review and evaluate and they’ll be in touch with Mr. Udermann.
Howard N. Tipton
Town Manager
Town of Longboat Key
High Tide
To: Chris Udermann
Mr. Udermann, sorry for the slight delay in response.
There is a Duckbill valve that is located in the drainage box at the corner of Russell St and Bay Side Dr. This is the big concrete box with the manhole cover that collects all the water, from all the inlets in your area. That old valve is not functioning very well, as you have observed. In addition we have the reset the pipes that go out into the bay. I am meeting with a contractor, on Monday that is interested in accomplishing this for us. Prior to my response to you, I wanted to line something up, so I could respond with a course of action. If, this contractor does not work out, we will be reaching out to others.
Any pictures you can provide will help in the next steps of the long-term resiliency/drainage improvements goals that the Town has for the Village and other areas within the Town. We can use them in the Grant process, both current and future. They help show the nuisance flooding that we experience. As you are probable aware our Design Consultant (Kimley Horn) recently had Hyatt Surveying out there to gather data, to support updating the Stormwater Analysis. This survey data will also be used in the future design/permitting efforts for the phases of the project that would provide for longer term relief. We have multiple grant applications in review by the agencies for the Village. If received, they will provide the needed funding the bring the initial phases through design and construction. I hope this email helps explain some of the efforts we are taking, both short and long term.
Charles Mopps
Program Manager/Assistant Public Works Director Public Works
Town of Longboat Key
Visit Sarasota County
To: Longboat Key Commission, Sarasota City Commission
Happy September! Hope this month is off to a great start for you and your business.
Below are the July tourism numbers for Sarasota County for July, comparing 2024 to 2023.
Visitors were 149,800 compared to 153,370 in 2023
Visitor direct expenditures were $141,012,900 compared to h$145,328,800 in 2023
Lodging occupancy was 63.6% compared to 68.4% in 2023
Lodging average room rate was $249.80 compared to $242.96 in 2023
There were 267,300 room nights sold compared to 285,500 in 2023
A few notes about this month:
Visitation decreased year over year for July 2024 (-2.3%) and remains lower for the fiscal year (-8.5%).
Direct spending decreased year over year for the month (-3.0%) and is slightly down for the fiscal year (-1.5%).
An increase in ADR year over year (+2.8%) and a decrease in occupancy (-7.0%) led to a mitigated decrease in RevPAR (-4.4%) compared to July 2023.
A shorter length of stay and a larger travel party size resulted in the decrease in visitors being less than the decrease in room nights.
Fiscal YTD visitation from Canada remains elevated when compared to 2023 (+4.0%).
The Fiscal YTD percentage of visitors from the Midwest and Northeast have increased compared to FY 2023, while the percentages of visitors from Florida and the rest of the Southeast have decreased.
While we have you via email, we’d like to ask you to save the date of November 19th for our Annual Indicators and Insights Summit being held at The Ora from 8am – noon. Breakfast will be served.
You can learn more, and register to attend here: https://visitsarasotacounty.ticketspice.com/visit-sarasota-county-indicators-insights-summit.
As always, if there is anything you need from us here at Visit Sarasota County, please do not hesitate to let me know.
Erin Duggan
President/CEO
Visit Sarasota County
St. Regis sea turtle lighting
To: Longboat Key Town Clerk Trish Shinkle
It appears the St Regis still has lighting issues. White lights in photo from what might be the Monkey Bar. Photo 7820 is from a nest by Seaplace looking south to white lights. I plan to attend your commission meeting this coming week.
Cyndi Seamon
Longboat Key Turtle Watch
St. Regis Lighting
To: Longboat Key Town Commission
I know everyone is excited about the opening of the St Regis. It’s received a lot of positive press in the last weeks. Most of it well deserved. I personally have enjoyed watching the development over the past few years.
My concern today is the lack of compliance to turtle season lighting regulations on the part of the St Regis and Marriott Corporation. Obviously, fining is not an impetus for them to change their ways. I am disappointed in the St Regis’s lack of respect for the wildlife and the beach on which they’ve chosen to erect their property.
What is being done on the part of the town of Longboat Key to pressure the St Regis to make the necessary lighting changes? Turtle season goes until October 31.
Has any thought been given to the regulation of lighting when the condo owners move in?
Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Dianne Frank
Longboat Key
St. Regis Lighting
To: Dianne Frank
Thank you so much for your letter. I have been frustrated, as well, with the lack of compliance at