Jackson Falconer
PALMETTO – During Tuesday's meeting, the Manatee County Council of Governments received information on the upcoming session for the Florida Legislature, an update on the county's handling of its opioid crisis, and an update on the Fort Hamer bridge project.
1. Call to Order and Welcome
Vanessa Baugh, Chairman, Board of County Commissioners
2. 2016 Legislative Preview
Nicholas Azzara, Information Outreach Manager, Manatee County
"Unlike last session, when the Senate President and House Speaker announced their priorities, there was nothing like that this year," said Azzara, referencing the breakdown between the two chambers last year on Medicaid expansion. He noted that a lot of legislative priorities went undone because "last session blew up so acrimoniously," and that "a lot of uncertainty remains facing the state this year."
3. Interlocal Agreement for Public School Facility Planning-Annual Review Amy Anderson, Facilities, Sites and Planning Manager, Manatee County School District Manatee Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene announced that Anderson would be unable to make it due to being in a car accident, but was okay. She added that the review would be presented at the CoG's April meeting.
4. Opioid Epidemic Update by the Addiction Crisis Taskforce
Jessica Spencer, Manatee County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition
Spencer gave information on numbers for heroin and fentanyl deaths in the county for 2015, as well as efforts to combat illicit use of opioids. (
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5. Ft. Hamer Bridge Update Ron Schulhofer, Public Works Director, Manatee County
Trudy Jarina advised the Ft. Hamer Bridge project, which started in March 2015, is estimated to be completed in spring 2017, with an estimated cost of $32.5M.
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