The League of Women Voters of Manatee County Government Committee observes Manatee County Commission meetings for items of interest to citizens and the League and notes adherence, or lack of adherence, to good governance procedures and the Sunshine Law. The following are the major points from the board’s regular meeting on 1/23/2024 observed by Ruth Harenchar.

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Link to Agenda and Meeting Video

Commissioner Van Ostenbridge participated virtually.

Invocation led by  Reverend Sam Rainer, West Bradenton Baptist Church

Port Authority

Public Comment from Glen Gibellina that the Port Authority should invest in renewable energy like other ports in the country have done. He asserted it would pay for itself over time.

Consent Agenda approved 7-0.

Awards/Proclamations

• 2023 Employee of the Year and adoption of Proclamation designating “Paul Panik Day”. A county employee since 1988, Mr. Panik is currently Environmental Program Manager – Groundwater Section with the Natural Resources Department.
• January 2024 Employee of the Month to JoLynn Schmitgen, Maintenance Data Coordinator in the Utilities Department. The presentation included her duties, outstanding work in the sewer department and why it is important. 
• Proclamation designating February 2024 as “Black History Month in Manatee County”. Luther Wilkins of the Manatee NAACP accepted the proclamation.  
• Proclamation designating January 9-February 3, 2024, as “Gulf Coast Games for Life in Manatee County. These games have many events. The oldest male participant is 91 (golf) and the oldest female is 97 (swimming).

Presentations

Manatee County Water Quality Program - Charlie Hunsicker, Director, Natural Resources Department, gave a presentation highlighting the Natural Resources Department's successes in water quality maintenance and improvement, the partnerships with other organizations to help achieve their mission of quality water and future plans. Some items highlighted were testing, regulations, conservation acquisitions, habitat restorations, and other water-related programs and issues in Manatee County.

Selected Citizen Comments- Future Agenda Items

• Andra Griffin commented that she wanted to have Commissioners “turn the phones back on”, that is, people should be able to call in citizen comments. She also complained that Manatee County Sheriff investigators have been replaced by Child Protective Services (CPS) investigators, alleging that multiple CPS investigators have lied in the past.
• Glen Gibellina showed a flyer where, in Taos, affordable homes are made from old tires. He complained that Commissioners are not transparent to the public and that Commissioners wasted almost the $500,000 on the Impact Fee study that they refused to implement.

Commissioner Responses/Comments on Citizen Comments – Future Agenda Items

Ballard pointed out that last year, the Florida Legislature mandated that CPS investigators must do all child protection investigations. Manatee County was one of the few counties using Sheriff personnel and was required to switch.

Consent Agenda approved 7-0

Public Hearing Items #31, 32, 33 were all approved 7-0 

Regular Administrator Item #34 approved 7-0

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Item #35 Appointment of Five Applicants to the Library Advisory Board  

Tammy Parrott, Library Services Manager, explained that the Commissioners had previously voted to expand the Library Advisory Board from 5 to 9 people. Three of the current members of the Library Advisory Board terms expire on January 31, 2024. Commissioners need to fill a total of seven openings. 

Ms. Parrott said she wasn’t personally familiar with any of the candidates but said in reviewing their credentials, they were qualified to serve on the Library Advisory Board.

Van Ostenbridge contended that the applicants were not like-minded with the County Commissioners and made a motion to not fill any of the openings with the current applicants and to re-open the search for candidates. Although not filling the openings would result in a lack of a quorum and nothing could be passed, Van Ostenbridge stated he would rather have no meetings than accept the current candidates.

Kruse said the search was well advertised and the slate of applicants were qualified. He further stated that every Commissioner had plenty of time to persuade someone they knew who was like-minded and no such people applied. After pushback, Kruse suggested that they at least reappoint the two current members before the expiration of their terms. Ms. Parrott noted that they still would not have a quorum.

Public Comment

• Andra said she supported Van Ostenbridge’s motion because she did not support having any libraries at all.
• Glen said the Commissioners were insulting their own employee (Tammy Parrott) who said the applicants were qualified.

Motion passed to reopen applications 6-1; Kruse voting no

Regular Items #36 and #37

• #36 Adoption of Resolution R-24-026, budgeting and appropriating legally available funds for a Catalytic Loan to Community Assisted & Supported Living, Inc. (CASL); Approving and Authorizing Loan documents consistent with the executed Loan Term Letter, dated January 9, 2024; and Adoption of Budget Amendment Resolution B-24-051 – District 4     
• #37 Execution of Catalytic Loan Agreements between Manatee County and Community Assisted & Supported Living, Inc. (CASL), a Not-For-Profit corporation for the acquisition of a 43-Unit commercial development to be redeveloped into a 60-unit mixed-use Affordable Housing development located at 8110 Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34243, in the principal amount of $1,750,000 - District 4  

Passed 7-0.

Kruse made a comment that the Community and Assisted Supported Living (CASL) project is a great one. This project will be 60-unit housing for low and moderate-income residents. He also stated that a “Catalytic Loan” is the same as Gap Financing. This was the third time since Commissioners banned Gap Financing that they have voted exceptions. Kruse said they should reconsider the ban on Gap Financing.

GOVERNANCE

Link to Good Governance Guidelines

The meeting was well run, and participants were civil.

The point of having a citizen’s advisory board is for the County Commission to make more informed and better decisions by voting in citizens with varied backgrounds and expertise in the topic of the board. The county benefits from this valuable council because the advisory boards can examine issues more closely and give them the time and expertise the county has neither the staff time nor funds to acquire. If the commissioners will only put citizens on the board they know will look at things just the way they do, or they ignore the advice of the experts in the advisory committees, such as the wetlands decision, it is hard to justify the need for the advisory boards at all. All commissioners except Kruse appear to believe the advisory commission, instead of being staffed with those with the expertise to advise wisely, should be staffed with those that will give them the answer they want. Bearden commented they should only “appoint people aligned with the BoCC.”

At virtually every meeting, a citizen asks for reinstatement of call-in citizen comments. The impact of the current inability of people to call in severely hampers critical citizen input. Attending in person is not something easily done by most and could require an entire day of attendance, as meeting times have varied considerably. 

Click here or information on how to phone or email the commissioners. 

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