BOCC to Take up Several Items of Significant Public Interest on Tuesday

BRADENTON — Manatee County Commissioners will take up several items of high public interest during an upcoming meeting scheduled for Tuesday. Agenda items include discussions on such topics as the removal of fluoride from the county’s public drinking water, a building moratorium in eastern Manatee County, a local short-term rental ordinance and the adoption of amended BOCC procedures.

All but one of the seven commissioners requested specific items be added to Tuesday’s agenda. The commissioner items will be heard after the meeting’s consent and regular agenda items have been completed.

Here’s a list of the commissioner items scheduled for Tuesday and who requested them:

Commission Chair George Kruse
Adoption of Resolution No. R-25-013, establishing amended and restated Board Procedures

At a recent special meeting of the BOCC, Kruse—who, in Dec., was unanimously appointed to serve as commission chair—provided a “State of the Chair” presentation.

During the presentation, Kruse outlined his priorities as chairman, proposing changes to board meetings and procedures. Kruse’s proposed changes included revised meeting agenda publication deadlines, increased public comment time limits for quasi-judicial items, restrictions on the addition of “last minute” items to the agendas, and increased agenda item information ahead of meetings, among other things.

Kruse provided the county administrator and his fellow commissioners a drafted copy of the suggested revisions at the special meeting held earlier this month, and on Tuesday, a resolution that would officially adopt the changes will be put before the board for a vote.

A redlined draft detailing the changes was attached to Tuesday’s meeting agenda and can be reviewed here. 

TBT’s Editor Dennis Maley wrote positively of Kruse’s board procedure proposals in a recent column, which you can read here.

Commissioner Amanda Ballard
Discussion regarding Discontinuation of Community Water Fluoridation in Manatee County

Public debate concerning the fluoridation of public drinking water has increased nationwide after Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—President Donald Trump’s nominee to oversee the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—made public statements questioning the practice’s safety.

Kennedy, a former presidential candidate who has long advocated anti-vaccine positions, took to social media in November to announce that the Trump White House would “advise all U.S​. water systems to remove fluoride from public water” on January 20.

While the Trump administration has yet to issue the blanket directive when asked about Kennedy’s social media pronouncements of impending action, Trump told NBC News he had not spoken to Kennedy about fluoride yet, "but it sounds OK to me. You know, it's possible."

Kennedy’s opposition to water fluoridation came after a federal judge issued a controversial ruling in September that said that levels of fluoride added to public water by local authorities across the United States could pose health risks—especially to children.

Within weeks of Kennedy’s public statements raising concerns about the fluoridation of public water, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo—who shares some of Kennedy’s skepticism of COVID-19 vaccine safety and effectiveness—recommended Florida communities should end the practice of adding fluoride to water.

According to information provided on the Florida Department of Health’s website, a majority of Florida’s communities actively fluoridate their water—though in recent weeks, some Florida communities have taken action to reverse the policy.

But as the Bradenton Herald recently reported, medical and public health experts point to limitations within the studies that are being used to justify the ending of water fluoridation—including conclusions based on the effects of higher fluoride levels than are used in Manatee County.

The United States Public Health Service began recommending fluoride in water in 1962 to reduce tooth decay. The practice of fluoridation had already been administered in some areas of the country going back to the 1940s.

The American Dental Association supports the practice, stating on its website, “The ADA unreservedly endorses the fluoridation of community water supplies as safe, effective and necessary in preventing tooth decay.”

The CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics also agree that the benefits of adding fluoride to water outweigh the risks.

Despite some scrutiny over the existing scientific data and what it may reveal in terms of risk, Florida Health News summarized the science as “compelling but with limitations.”

Commissioner Ballard’s agenda item is advertised as a “discussion” on the topic, but nothing would restrict the commission from taking any action on Tuesday.

Citizen activists who believe Manatee County should end its practice of adding fluoride to water have taken to social media in recent days to encourage other residents who share their views to attend Tuesday’s meeting.

“Adding fluoride is a county-level decision, so please show up and speak at the Manatee County BOCC meeting on January 28 so we can end this dangerous practice,” read one such public Facebook post.

A retired physician, District 5 Commissioner Bob McCann is the only sitting commissioner with a background in medicine.

Commissioner Bob McCann
Further discussion on Moratorium for District 5

Having run on a platform that included a need to examine the feasibility of implementing a residential building moratorium within certain areas of the county—including in his District 5—Commissioner McCann has raised the topic multiple times since his election in Nov.

McCann has argued that a temporary moratorium is needed to slow growth so that the increasing impacts of over-development can be addressed, including infrastructure upgrades, traffic congestion, and stormwater improvements.

Based on public statements, some of the inspiration for McCann’s proposal is rooted in his belief that the county needs to thoroughly investigate the cause and possible solutions to address significant flood inundation experienced following storm events last year.

Commissioners Carol Felts and Jason Bearden have made statements during BOCC meetings signifying that they might be open to supporting such an action.

President and CEO of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch—the parent company of Lakewood Ranch—recently told the East-County Observer that while he was “elated” that commissioners are taking drainage concerns seriously, he was “dismayed that one of the tools being considered is a moratorium.”

According to McCann’s agenda item coversheet, he will likely seek board support for a motion on Tuesday. His motion could include a directive to staff to research legal sufficiency and prepare a draft ordinance to bring back to the board for its consideration in Feb.

Commissioner Tal Siddique
Discussion on drafting an ordinance for Short-Term Vacation Rentals and Discussion of Musgrave Property

Commissioner Siddique represents Manatee County’s District 3, which includes west and northwest Bradenton as well as Anna Maria Island.

On Tuesday, Siddique is prepared to seek board support to direct county staff to draft an ordinance that would enact local regulations for short-term rentals.

While section 509.032(7)(b), Florida Statutes restricts local governments from making regulations that prohibit short-term rentals, it does permit local governments to regulate certain aspects of short-term rentals, such as licensing, registration, and setting other restrictions.

Siddique’s agenda item’s coversheet outlines numerous potential regulations or restrictions for area short-term rentals, including a registration requirement, inspection, occupancy limits, parking requirements, noise/conduct regulations, and advertising restrictions.

Siddique requested that a second item regarding the county-owned Lena Road property, also known as the Musgrave Property, also be added to Tuesday’s  meeting agenda.

Originally approved for purchase by the commission in 2020, the then-future plan for the site was to create a central county complex serving multiple public purposes, including to support the expansion of the county landfill. However, in Sept. 2022, the commission approved then-county administrator Scott Hopes’ request to “surplus” the acreage so that it could be sold.

Based on the limited information provided with Siddique’s agenda item, it appears the commissioner intends to re-open the matter for discussion and to seek information or update on current county plans for the landfill and the development of a county complex.

Commissioner Jason Bearden
Fire Watch Veterans safe place training and certification    

Bearden’s agenda item provides little information, only stating that the action requested is a “discussion with HR staff.”

Using Google, TBT was able to locate the website of an organization that serves Veterans called The Fire Watch.

According to its website, The Fire Watch is, “Florida’s fight to end veteran suicide. We are building a life-saving network of community members and organizations trained to identify the warning signs of veterans in crisis and to direct those veterans to the help they need. To date, no city, county, or state has systemically reduced its veteran suicide rate. Modeled after CPR, our effort is the first of its kind in the country.”

There is no further information provided with Tuesday’s meeting agenda as to whether Bearden will be seeking board support for any measure, directive, or initiative on the subject.

Commissioner Mike Rahn
Discussion Regarding Non-Profit Agency Funding for Our Daily Bread 

Commissioner Rahn will be seeking board support to direct county staff to engage with the local nonprofit Our Daily Bread to secure a requested $30,000 in public funding support.

Background information provided in the item’s coversheet details that the nonprofit’s program, which served area homeless and those who are at risk of homelessness, previously received funding of $17,850 through Manatee County’s Community and Veterans Services’ Adult Human Services section.

Board Appointments

Besides the items added to the agenda by commissioners, the board will also take up several other items including citizen appointments to the Tourist and Development Council (TDC), the Children’s Services Advisory Board, and the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee.

Commissioners will appoint one elected government official and one hotelier to the TDC. Applicants for board consideration include; City of Palmetto Commissioner Daniel West and  Longboat Key Commissioner Debra Williams, as well as hoteliers Anthony Derusso, Damien Hernandez, Shawn Kaleta, and Lisa Varano.

Commissioners will be tasked with filling seven vacant positions on the Affordable Housing Committee. The full list of applicants up for consideration can be reviewed here.

The vacancy on the Children Services Advisory Committee is for a representative of the Florida Department of Children and Families. Only one applicant meeting the criteria has applied for the position.

Additional Agenda Items of Note

• Consent agenda item to approve an amendment to the agreement with HDR Architecture Inc., authorizing an additional $465,160 for work, equipment, planning, etc., for the design of the Manatee County Animal Services Adoption Building.  (item number 14)

• Department of Public Safety update on Manatee County Indigent Healthcare (item number 51)

• Update on Manatee County's Opioid Response efforts, including approval of the Opioid Funding Community Investment Program (item number 52) 

To access all upcoming Manatee County Commission meeting agendas, click here. For a direct link to the Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, regular meeting agenda, click here.

Tuesday’s meeting will convene at 9:00 a.m., in board chambers located on the first floor of the Manatee County Administration Building. 1112 Manatee Avenue West, Bradenton. 

Citizens wishing to provide public comment on any of Tuesday’s agenda items, or future agenda items, may do so in writing, in person, or by phone.

Written public comments can be submitted online at www.mymanatee.org/comment.

To participate in any public comment session by phone, citizens can dial 1-(888) 788-0099 or 1-(877) 853-5247 and enter Meeting ID Number: 811 8149 8805 (followed by the pound symbol “#”).

If participating by phone, callers must push star (*) followed by the number 9 to raise their hands. Once invited to speak, callers must push star (*) 6 to unmute themselves.

Manatee County Commission meetings are available for live viewing on www.mymanatee.org/mga and on Manatee Government Access (MGA) Spectrum Channel 644, Frontier Channel 30, and Comcast Channel 20 (within Manatee County).

Meetings live streams are also available on the county’s YouTube channel.