LWV Manatee County Commission Notes: 8/19/25

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 August 19, 2025.

Link to the Agenda

Invocation Pastor Brock Patterson, Longboat Island Chapel

Pledge of Allegiance, Meghan Thorpe, Senior Budget Analyst and Navy Veteran

Announcements

Updates to Agenda - August 15 and August 18, 2025

Commissioner McCann introduced a motion to continue Item 35, to cease negotiations to terminate the contract for construction of the Lakewood Ranch roundabout at University Parkway and Legacy Boulevard, because it violated the agreed upon guidelines for the agenda process. He noted that Chad Butzow from Public Works was not in attendance and that the late posting didn’t allow citizens adequate time to prepare and make comments. Commissioner Kruse defended the agenda process saying that all the commissioners have at one time or another introduced a commissioner agenda item after the agreed upon deadline.

Motion failed 3-4, with Commissioners Felts, McCann, and Bearden voting to approve.

Port Authority

Denise Stufflebeam, Senior Director of Business Administration and Finance, and Dan Fitzpatrick, Director of Planning and Project Development, presented the Port of Manatee budget for fiscal year 2026. Notable was the move to no longer use a third party for cranes, which will result in upfront costs but will increase capacity and expand rail car capacity along with berth improvements resulting in increased revenue for Seaport Manatee.

Consent Agenda

Approved 7-0

Select Citizen Comments (Consideration for Future Agenda Items)

• Pat asked the Board to consider being a host city for sporting events for disabled athletes.
• John requested that the Board consider including young people in discussions about issues, such as the curfew, which will impact them. 
• Caroline requires a wheelchair for mobility and relies on the county Handi bus. Their regular hours of operation are 5:30am to 8:30pm. She requested an extension for evening activities weekly or bi-weekly.

Commissioner’s comments

Commissioner Rahn asked the Chair to propose a Youth Council task force and Kruse said that Rahn can take the lead.

REGULAR

Public Safety

Item 33. Adoption of Resolution R-25-162, adopting the Local Mitigation Strategy Plan 2024 Update - Matthew Myers, Chief of Emergency Management   

PowerPoint Presentation 

Matt Myers gave a brief overview of the 5-year hazard mitigation plan for the county, which will be approved by FEMA on 9/1. The plan is a commitment to reduce risks from natural and man-made hazards

The current 2024 Update Summary focuses on several key areas: demographic statistics and vulnerable population analysis, revised Threat Hazard Identified Risk Assessment (THIRA) incorporating recent hazard events and climate projections, and integration of lessons learned from recent disasters affecting the region. 

Motion to adopt passed 7-0

Property Management

Item 31. Environmental Lands Management and Acquisition Committee (ELMAC) Advisory Board Appointments -Debra Childs Woithe, Environmental Lands Division Manager    

Woithe stated the 17-member committee had 4 openings with specific requirements. The County Attorney D’Agostino moderated the nominating process per open seat with the vote for each position called for each by the Chair as follows:

• Chamber of Commerce: Michael Burton, nominated by Kruse - Approved 7-0
• Agricultural Science: Kate Horne nominated by Kruse - Approved 7-0
• Natural Science Education: Chris Kennedy nominated by Siddique - Not approved 2-5; Rob Brown nominated by Felts - Approved 5-2
• Banking or Real Estate: Ruth Lawler nominated by Kruse - Approved 7-0

Public Safety

Item 32. Adoption of Resolution R-25-145, approving FY25/26 Opioid Impact Grant Funding Program Recommendations – Andrew Kunkel, Opioid Response and Policy Coordinator   

Follow Up Opioid Impact Grant Presentation Draft.pptx

Andrew Kunkel reviewed that the opioid settlement funds for Manatee County are a total of $40 million over 18 years. The goal of the recommendations is to invest wisely for future impact. County staff from Community and Veterans Services and subject matter experts from University of South Florida reviewed the 28 grant applications and scored them. Of the 17 eligible programs, 6 were recommended for funding in fiscal year 2026. Services were in the areas of prevention, response, and recovery efforts for a total of $1 million for the fiscal year. 

Citizens’ comments

• Representatives and beneficiaries from organizations not funded - Hand Up to Victory, Live Tampa Bay, Boys and Girls Club of Manatee County, Help Us Help You, and Manatee County Medical Society - described their organizations’ services.
• Dan Minor, Harvest House CEO, thanked the county for the funding, which he said will be used for scholarships for women to enter a recovery program and receive mental health services which reduces recidivism.
• Kathleen Cramer, Executive Director of Turning Points, said that although their program doesn’t do opioid treatment, they provide services to connect people to stable housing through Helping Up Mission.

Motion to adopt resolution R25-145  Approved 7-0

Kruse reminded attendees of the non-profit organization funding workshop on Wednesday morning at 9am.

Commissioner Agenda Items

Item 34. Reimagine Central Library - Commissioner Siddique

Commissioner Siddique has been working with elected officials in his district, Friends of the Library, and staff concerning the future of the Central Library. He wants Central to have up-to-date technology and fit current use patterns. He motioned, based on a staff estimate, to allocate $250,000 for a study to reimagine the Central Library as well as to direct staff to develop that plan.

Commissioner Kruse, Felts, Bearden, and Ballard thought that directing money to a study was premature.

Citizen comment

Donna reminded the Board that there is a 12,000-signature citizen petition to keep the Central Library in its current location.

Motion failed 2-5 ,with Commissioners Siddique and McCann voting for approval.

Item 35. Motion to direct staff to (1) cease negotiations to mutually terminate the University Parkway and Legacy Boulevard Roundabout Reimbursement Agreement and (2) continue with the existing Roundabout Reimbursement Agreement -  Commissioner Rahn

Commissioner McCann gave a lengthy and detailed statement about the Florida Bar’s ability to discipline a lawyer who votes to allow a violation of the Sunshine Law. He did not want to lose his bar card. He did not state what the alleged violation was or by whom.

McCann said he would introduce three “subsidiary motions” to counter Rahn’s motion based on his reading of Robert's Rules of Order, which allows a motion to be postponed with a majority vote on a subsidiary motion.

McCann motioned to postpone consideration of Item 35 to ensure county was in full compliance with state law. 

Ballard questioned the source of the violation. McCann said that at a meeting Chad Butzow, head of Public Works, had stated that there weren’t any opposing public comments on the roundabout and therefore there didn’t need for additional public notice.

First motion failed 3-4 with McCann, Bearden and Felts voting to approve.

McCann’s second motion was to postpone consideration of Item 35 until a formal legal opinion could be requested from the County Attorney or another legal source. Pamela D’Agostino, Manatee County Attorney, said that only the Board must comply with the meetings section of Sunshine Law; directors and other staff must comply with the public records section. 

Second motion failed 3-4 with McCann, Bearden and Felts voting to approve.

McCann introduced a third motion to postpone Item 35 indefinitely to cure a potential sunshine law violation.

Third motion failed 3-4 with McCann, Bearden and Felts voting to approve.

Citizens’ comments

• Carol brought forward a Motion to Compel, handing the legal document to the Clerk, saying that the residents wanted all Discovery in the matter of the reimbursement agreement with Rex Jensen of Lakewood Ranch. 
• Four citizens stated that the process wasn’t transparent.

Rahn’s original motion was approved 4-3 with Felts, McCann, and Bearden voting no.

Commissioner Comments

Commissioner Siddique criticized Kruse for not doing a better job of controlling the meeting.

Commissioner Rahn stated that he and his constituents were not represented when he could not vote in a previous meeting that he attended virtually. Technical difficulties had prevented him being heard. McCann said Rahn was wrong in his interpretation of the law on how virtual attendance works when it comes to quorums and voting.

Commissioner Kruse noted that the best option regarding what the Commissioners want to do with the comprehensive plan revision on wetlands is to let the courts decide. The worst-case scenario is the Governor suspending all 7 Commissioners and putting the Governor’s own puppets in place – naming the commissioners defeated in the last election and former commissioner Satcher as the likely replacements. Since the Thursday Land Use Meeting included discussion actions challenging SB180, Kruse used his Chairman position as authority to cancel the meeting.

GOVERNANCE

Link to Good Governance Guidelines

Concerning the Lakewood Ranch roundabout:

• There was clearly a gap in transparency, clarity, and communications when the original contract approval for the roundabout at University and Legacy was on a consent agenda, with the description as transportation, not roundabout. It was already known that a vocal contingent of citizens opposed it. The current controversy and potential lawsuit is a result from the original placement of the contract approval in consent agenda and an incomplete and unclear description in the agenda.
• Commissioner McCann’s actions at the very beginning of the meeting, rather than waiting for discussion when the item came up for discussion and vote, failed. Yet, it was repeated at the end with a series of subsidiary motions on the floor led to discussion without progress, almost two hours in total. Though he claimed to be giving voice to his constituents it only served to cause confusion.

The contentious nature of the meeting, the accusations, and questioning of motivations doesn’t lead to the productive camaraderie necessary for good governance.

The League commends the county on their process of using staff and experts for assessing grant applications for opioid settlement funding. A number of non-profits that failed to get funding might benefit from a county-run workshop on best practices for writing grant applications.

We commend Commissioner Siddique for proposing improvements to the Central Library. However, rather than jump to requesting a $250,000 study, Commissioner Siddique would do well to request a future BoCC presentation on the January 2021 report of a library master plan completed by Godfrey Associates, Inc. that was included with his agenda item.