Manatee County Board of Commissioners Recap, May 11

BRADENTON -- The Manatee County Booard of Commissioners convened for a scheduled meeting

Travis Latimer, a building trades and property management worker, was honored as the "Employee of the Month" for May.
 
May 13, was recognized as R.E.D. Day (Renew, Energize, and Donate), an international day of service hosted by Keller Williams, who works closely with the Humane Society.
 
The week of May 16-22 was named Emergency Medical Services Week.

The week of May 8-15 was named National AmeriCorps Week.

The week of May 8-16 was named Tourism Week. Larry White was honored for over 20 years of working in the tourism industry.
 
The week of May 10-16 has been named National Salvation Army Week. Major Bob Parker was present to acknowledge this honor.

The month of May has been named Drug Court Month. It is the 21st anniversary of the Miami-Dade drug court, established in 1989, making it the first in America. Bradenton's drug court was established in 1997 and has an 83 percent success rate. It has helped to "reduce crime and keep people on track."  National Drug Court Day is May 20.

The month of May has also been named Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month.

The Manatee River Fair Association presented a certification of Appreciation to the committee for their work and involvement.

The biggest item on the agenda was the Manatee Beach Concession. Over two dozen local citizens addressed the board in favor of the current vendor, CafŽ on the Beach. The contract will expire July 20, at which time United Park Services (UPS) will assume operations.

UPS won the bidding process and had previously been awarded the new contract. A motion was made by Commissioner Whitmore and seconded by Commissioner Chappie to reconsider the bid of current tenant, CafŽ on the Beach. After intense debate, the motion failed 4-3. Commissioners Whitmore, McClash, and Chappie voted in favor; Commissioners Bustle, Hayes, Brown, and Getman voted against.

There was a brief presentation by Centec Equipment, a company that just recently bought land off of U.S. 301 and plans to open soon. The company refurbishes work equipment and then re-sells them on the open market.