Electric Bicycle Regulations
To: Kelly Brown
Kelly, in researching this, I believe that Governor DeSantis vetoed this bill and it did not become law. Here is an article:
Florida E-Bike Speed Limit Bill Vetoed by Gov. DeSantis
Can someone clarify before I put this out on the CCNA website.
Jim Ludwig
Sarasota
Electric Bicycle Regulations
To: Sarasota City Manager Karie Friling
I hope your day is going well. Below is a summary of what will become effective July 1, 2026, as part of Florida Statute § 316.20655: Electric bicycle regulations. The full text is attached along with the penalty schedule for violations. Parks and Recreation will coordinate with the City Attorney’s Office to develop appropriate language for signage to be installed in parks that consistently experience issues related to the use of ebikes.
Summary: CS/SB 382 (Micromobility Device Act)
Purpose: CS/SB 382 updates statewide rules for electric bicycles and other micromobility devices, improves safety reporting, and establishes a task force to modernize Florida’s micromobility policies.
Key Components:
Safety Rules for Electric Bicycle Riders (Effective July 1, 2026)
• Riders must yield to pedestrians on shared-use paths not next to roads.
• Riders must give an audible signal (bell, horn, or verbal alert) before passing a pedestrian.
• On sidewalks or pedestrian zones, riders must not exceed 10 mph when a pedestrian is within 50 feet.
• These rules apply statewide, regardless of local ordinances.
Penalties for Safety Violations (Effective July 1, 2026)
• Violations of the above rules are noncriminal traffic infractions.
• Treated as nonmoving violations under Chapter 318, subject to monetary fines.
• No driver’s license points and no criminal consequences.
Crash Data Collection (Takes effect when bill becomes law)
• All law enforcement agencies (FHP, sheriffs, city police) must track any crash involving an electric bicycle or micromobility device.
• Crash records must include date, time, device type, and operator information.
• Agencies must submit their crash summaries to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) by October 15, 2026.
• DHSMV must publish a statewide crash report by October 31, 2026.
Micromobility Device Safety Task Force (Begins when bill becomes law)
• Established under DHSMV.
• Members include law enforcement, local governments, medical experts, safety groups, and industry representatives.
• Task force reviews the legal framework for ebikes and micromobility devices and recommends improvements.
• Must meet monthly and issue findings by late 2026.
No Licensing or New Vehicle Classes
• The bill does not create new licensing requirements, registrations, or new micromobility classifications.
• Early proposals to regulate Class 3 ebikes more strictly were removed.
Thanks, and enjoy your day!
Jerry Fogle
Parks and Recreation Director
City of Sarasota
Palm Ave parking garage
To: Colleen Dolly
Thank you for expressing your concern. The parking rate for the garages is per hour. In most instances, the rate is $1 per hour. (If you leave before the end of the first hour, you will not be charged. However, any length of time between 1 and 2 hours results in a $2 charge.)
I have been advised that a better approach to using the ParkMobile app is to add time, as needed, because — as you say — it doesn’t issue refunds for unused time. But your concern has been noted and will be taken into consideration as we monitor and reevaluate the parking program.
The City of Sarasota bases its parking charges on a variety of factors: expense of providing and maintaining parking, encouraging turnover of spaces so that all-day parking limits short term trips to shops and restaurants, recovering most of the costs of providing parking from people who park, rather than taxpayers. Clearly, Lakeland has chosen to balance those factors differently from Sarasota.
Karie Friling
City Manager
City of Sarasota
Palm Ave parking garage
To: Sarasota City Commission
I used this parking garage using ParkMobile app. I’ve used the app elsewhere on city streets. However in the parking garage on Saturday July 11th. The minutes were not available. You could park for 1 hour, the next choice was two hours. No choice for 1 hour 15 minutes etc.
On the streets the minutes are available.
I don’t appreciate rounding up to the next hour.
By the way in the City of Lakeland I use the same app. I set the estimated time I need for parking. If I don’t use all of my estimated time, I can tell the app that I am leaving and it charges me less! That feature is not available in Sarasota.
Getting too greedy, aren’t we?
Colleen F. Dolly
Sarasota
Palm Ave parking garage
To: Sarasota City Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch
Richard also sent me an email last night, as well. I have asked Steve to add this our discussion topics for our workshop in August. We will discuss and come up with some options for the Commission to consider.
Karie Friling
City Manager
City of Sarasota
New City Parking Rules – Non-metered spaces surrounding the Sarasota Opera House
To: Sarasota Opera House General and Artistic Director Richard Russell
Thank you Richard. Thank you for providing valuable perspectives on this. One of your exact issues was brought to my attention by a Theater-goer at FST: if they park at 7 p.m. in a 2-hour spot, have dinner, attend a show at 8pm… do they have to leave in the middle of the show at 8:45 p.m. to move their car?
We are having a. Omission Workshop on August 31 at 10am so your email is timed perfectly!
I’ve copied the. It’s Manager and Deputy City Manager on this email so they have your comments as well.
Jen Ahearn-Koch
City Commissioner
City of Sarasota
New City Parking Rules – Non-metered spaces surrounding the Sarasota Opera House
To: Sarasota City Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch
I am writing on behalf of Sarasota Opera to respectfully ask that the City revisit the recently extended hours for on-street timed parking, particularly as they apply to non-metered spaces.
The City recently extended enforcement for paid and timed on-street parking from 8 a.m. until midnight, Monday through Saturday, with Sunday enforcement beginning at 1 p.m. While I recognize that one objective of this change is to help generate additional parking revenue and support the Parking Division, the practical effect is different for non-metered spaces.
The spaces immediately surrounding the Sarasota Opera House are not metered and are now time-limited to two hours until midnight, seven days a week. Many of our patrons utilize those spaces. Because patrons cannot pay to extend their time in those spaces, the two-hour limit now makes it effectively impossible for many attendees to use nearby on-street parking for evening and weekend matinee performances. A typical performance, along with arrival and departure time, exceeds two hours. Patrons who park in a non-metered space near the theater therefore risk receiving a citation even though there is no opportunity to purchase additional time.
This distinction is important. At a metered space, extended enforcement hours may generate additional revenue because a driver can pay for the time needed. At a non-metered space, however, the same rule does not create comparable revenue; it simply prevents patrons from reasonably using those spaces for cultural events that naturally last longer than two hours.
For Sarasota Opera, this creates a real access issue for our patrons, including many who are older, have mobility limitations, or are visiting downtown specifically to attend a performance. We have increasing parking challenges: fewer available lots for our valet parking service and therefore limited capacity, and capacity issues at the Palm Avenue Garage. Adding a further impediment risks discouraging attendance.
I respectfully urge the Parking Department, City staff, and City Commission to reconsider how the extended enforcement hours apply to non-metered timed spaces, especially those surrounding performing arts venues such as the Sarasota Opera House. Possible solutions could include restoring the prior 8 p.m. end time for non-metered spaces, or creating an evening and weekend exemption.
Thank you for your consideration and for your continued attention to the needs of downtown residents, visitors, businesses, and cultural organizations. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this issue further and work with the City on a practical solution that supports both the Parking Division’s goals and public access to the arts.
Richard Russell
General and Artistic Director
Sarasota Opera House
Code Enforcement and Infrastructure Concerns
To: Alexa Apple
Thank you for your email and for bringing this to our attention. I have copied the City Manager and the Deputy City Manager on this email to look into this matter and respond as soon as possible.
Jen Ahearn-Koch
City Commissioner
City of Sarasota
Code Enforcement and Infrastructure Concerns
To: City of Sarasota Code Enforcement and Zoning Department
I am writing to formally report multiple code compliance and neighborhood preservation issues in the Carolina Estates community. As long-term, law-abiding residents, we are deeply concerned about the negative impact these violations are having on our local infrastructure, safety, and property values.
Specifically, I would like to bring the following urgent matters to your attention:
Unpermitted / Illegal Construction: At 3245 7th St, unpermitted construction is currently underway in the backyard. This property was recently sold, and the structural additions being built do not appear to have the required city permits or setbacks.
Overcrowding and Infrastructure Strain: The residence at 3245 7th St is a single-family home of approximately 1,200 square feet with a 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom layout. It is currently being occupied by approximately 10 adults. This severe overcrowding places an unsafe and unsustainable burden on our local residential plumbing and waste infrastructure.
Illegal Multi-Family Conversions: We are noticing a troubling trend in Carolina Estates where traditional 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom small single-family homes are being converted into multi-room rentals. This bypasses local zoning laws designed to protect single-family residential zones.
Blight and Public Hygiene: There is currently an abandoned commercial shopping cart left on the street near this area, contributing to the blight and creating a safety and hygiene hazard for residents.
Neighborhoods without an HOA rely entirely on the City of Sarasota to enforce its own ordinances and protect private homeowners. We love our community and ask that please the city exercise its authority to investigate these unpermitted building activities and zoning violations.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter and for your dedication to keeping Sarasota’s neighborhoods safe, clean, and compliant. I look forward to your update on any investigation or action taken.
Alexa Apple
Sarasota
Tree removal
To: Sarasota City Director, Development Services Lucia Panica
Thank you Ms Panica. I’ve copied Ms. Brady on this email, Kelly Brown, along with the Tahiti Park President Ms Delpech (and request this be shared with the Gani Family who also inquired about this. I don’t have their email but they too knocked on my door and my husband was at home so he let me know they were also upset).
This was very disturbing, as I am sure you know, and I thank you for the follow-up, especially so late. I really appreciate it.
My questions are, per the statement “This matter will continue to follow the City’s enforcement process”:
What exactly is “the process”?
The timeline?
The fines?
How can the neighborhood be involved in understanding what is next?
How can we be proactive in making changes to prevent this from happening again? (Once a Grand tree is gone, it’s gone. So sad but preventable?)
How will they be held accountable?
As a special note:
Thank you to Ms. Hartley for responding Immediately! She is to commended and thanked! I was in a ManaSota League of Cities meeting and received a call from Ms. Brady about this … and I sent a text to Ms. Brady with Ms. Hartley’s contact info and apparently Ms. Hartley took the call from Ms. Brady and was on the spot in no time! And, in being there so quickly, possibly prevented more tree destruction (or so I was told). Amazing service… so thank you Ms. Brady for being engaged and Ms. Hartley for responding!
Thank you all again!
In the face of this very, very sad destruction, it is so heartwarming to know neighbors care alongside City staff! Lockstep!
Jen Ahearn-Koch
City Commissioner
City of Sarasota
Tree Removal
To: Sarasota City Commissioner Jen Ahearn Koch
At the request of City Manager Friling, I am providing the following information regarding the reported oak tree removal at 955 Whitakers Lane that was brought to the City’s attention by Ms. Veronica Brady. Our Sr Arborist, Jackie, received notification that a tree was being removed without a permit. Jackie immediately went out on site and observed that the tree was already removed. Contact was made with the owner of the tree company (who has a prior record of code violations) and a code case has been started for illegal removal. The property owner had an arborist report done in 2022 stating that the tree was in bad health but failed to apply for a permit. This matter will continue to follow the City’s enforcement process. Please let us know if you have any additional questions or need further information.
Lucia Panica
Director Development Services
City of Sarasota
