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 key points from the board’s regular meeting on October 7, 2025.
Invocation Pastor Luke Stockeland, First Baptist Church of Bradenton
Pledge of Allegiance Melissa Bomar, Sergeant (E-5), Army Veteran
Announcements
Updates to Agenda – October 2, October 6
Awards/Presentations/
Awards
Presentation of the Team Member of the Month for October 2025 - Nick Patel
Nick is an IT Team Lead. He was praised for exemplifying a rare blend of technical expertise, unwavering dedication, and service-oriented leadership. Far more than an IT professional, he is the glue that holds numerous complex systems together.
Proclamations
Southwest Florida Honor Flight Day
The Honor Flight Network is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring America’s veterans by providing flights to visit war memorials in Washington. The Southwest Florida Honor Flight hub, serving a seven-county region that includes Manatee County since 2007, will be receiving a returning group of 85 veterans at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport at 8:30 p.m. on October 14. County residents are encouraged to welcome these brave men and women home.
Requests By Commissioners (Items to be pulled from Consent Agenda)
Items 4,7,8,9,10, 11, and 35 pulled by Commissioner McCann.
Citizen Comments (Consent Agenda Items Only)
Glenn commented on #39 where a Code Enforcement fine was reduced from $444,675 to $1,500. Glen noted that a Code Enforcement official showed up at his property recently harassing and threatening him.
Mark commented on #23, where the county was executing a construction contract for a Lake Manatee EMS when the county does not even own the land. Also, the location is inappropriate as it is conservation land and located by Lake Manatee.
Consent Agenda
Approved 7-0.
Select Citizen Comments (Consideration for Future Agenda Items)
Glen praised the Under One Roof project and pointed out that Manatee County has a money surplus. Since that surplus wasn’t being given back to taxpayers, the county should give it to nonprofits.
Dina was distressed that the BoCC had not yet established an Advisory Board for the animal shelter.
Mark was concerned about item #23 and how the staff does internal business – moving forward on a contract without having the land. He also asked that the Commissioner's schedules be made public.
At the end of public comments, Commissioner Kruse commented that commissioner calendars are public record and that the Board and staff had agreed that creating a short-term task force was the better option until the new animal shelter was operational.
Commissioner Felts was enthusiastic that the new Advisory Board, once formed, would encompass all animals, including domestic, wild, and commercial.
Items Removed from The Consent Agenda
Item 4. McCann asked County Attorney Pamela D'Agostino to go over the history and changes to the County Administrator’s contract. D'Agostino recited all the dates and changes since September 2023. She said the current changes were to correct Scrivener’s errors and discrepancies. Approved 7-0.
Item 7. Termination of land use agreement. Peter Morrow, Division Manager of Property Acquisition, explained that the county owned a small property within a larger group of properties due to nonpayment of taxes. Due to an outstanding $5 million bond payment, delinquent buildings, and other complexities the $0 sales amount was appropriate for the package deal to go through.
Kruse said people always push to have county get rid of surplus land.
Ed Vogler, attorney for property buyer Simply Dwell, a subsidiary of Neal Communities, gave reasons why the county should proceed with the deal.
Two citizens noted that the property transfer to a subsidiary of Neal Communities was a bad decision, especially in light of the Neal lawsuit against the county, and that the project is not for affordable housing.
Approved 6-1. McCann voted no.
Item 8. McCann expressed concern about giving developers, Colter Multi Family, a density change and/or other breaks normally reserved for affordable housing projects when it was felt the proposed target income level of residents, at 120% of area median income (AMI), is not affordable housing for most.
Bearden asked to revisit the whole plan/contract to include a range of affordable housing.
Siddique and Ballard said that they are too far into the process to revisit the contract.
Approved 4-3. Felts, McCann, and Bearden voted no.
Item 9. McCann stated his understanding from his personal briefing was the County contribution to the RiverFest Regatta was to be $100,000 each year, not $200,000. Elliott Falcione of the Tourism Bureau explained it was $200,000, and the benefit of the RiverFest Regatta was $8 million annually, and the event brought visitors into the urban core.
Mayor Gene Brown was very supportive of the contract and enthusiastic about the Regatta.
Approved 7-0.
Item 10. Staff presented a PowerPoint presentation on the Annual Impact Fee Report.
Approved 7-0.
Item 11. Staff member Bobbi Roy, Agenda Division Supervisor, explained why some changes to the calendar first set in January were necessary.
Approved 7-0.
Item 35. James Crutchfield, Deputy Director Public Safety, provided information on the Mobile Integrated Health Model program. This program provides medical care for individuals with known frequent medical needs. It’s a mobile, proactive approach that saves Emergency Room visits and dollars.
Approved 7-0.
Advertised Public Hearings - Legislative
Item 52. Adoption of Resolution R-25-168, vacating a portion of a Right-of-Way known as Sawgrass Road located in Palmetto, Florida 34221 - Eva Mejia, Senior Real Property Specialist, District 1
Approved 7-0.
REGULAR
Government Relations
Item 53 was an update on the community block grant status.
Public Safety
Item 54. Appointment of Two Code Enforcement Special Magistrates - Jodie Fiske, Public Safety Director
Walter Sowa and Ben Vitale, both incumbents, were reappointed.
Approved 7-0.
Utilities
Item 55. Execution of Agreement No. 25-R087167CD - Guaranteed Energy, Water and Wastewater Performance Savings Contract for Lena Road Landfill Methane Gas - Patrick Shea, Utilities Director, and Chris Collins, Utilities Deputy Director
Patrick Shea presented the 20-year contract for a private company, at no cost to the county, to build a plant to convert methane gas to line-quality gas. The county currently burns off methane gas at the Lena Road Landfill. When operational, the plant would produce enough gas to power 4500 homes. A portion of the money from the gas sold with be paid to the County.
Bearden was concerned that the project was high-risk.
Approved 5-1. Bearden voted no; McCann absent.
Reports
Public Works
Item 56. Update on the Bradenton-Palmetto Connector Alternative Corridor Evaluation Study - Clarke Davis, Deputy Director, Public Works
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) staff presented the study to date focusing on how to improve traffic flow across the Manatee River.
Note: in the study the names of the proposed bridges are Corridor A (DeSoto bridge with elevated flyover and express lanes), Corridor B (proposed alternate bridge along 9th St E), and Corridor D (proposed alternate bridge following 27th St E through Historic Braden Castle). FDOT presented schematic options for Corridor A, DeSoto bridge with an elevated portion/option.
Rahn asked if the elevated portion could be tolled. FDOT said “tolling is not off the board.” When Rahn asked about the implementation time, it was stated that none of the project is funded but the time frame is likely similar to Gandy Blvd.
Citizen Comment
Barbara said the public wanted the Corridor A option with an elevated portion. Corridors B and D would impact too many homes.
Commissioner Agenda Items
Item 57. Discussion regarding naming a road after Charlie Kirk - Bearden
Bearden requested a discussion regarding naming a Manatee County Road after Charlie Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA, who died in a shooting on September 10 in Utah. Bearden proposed four possible roads in the county for renaming.
There was much discussion over how to proceed with such a request; the difference between officially renaming a road versus giving a section of a road an honorary name, and how to get public input on the issue.
Bearden made a motion to approve the naming of a road in Manatee County as Charlie Kirk Boulevard. Chairman Kruse pointed out that the supporting materials for this item in the final agenda specifically stated that no action was requested. Kruse asked how many commissioners would agree to entertain Bearden's motion.
Approved 7 to 0.
Commissioner Siddique offered a friendly amendment for the commissioners to direct the county attorney to work with staff to prepare a resolution to name a future 51st St. segment from 53th Ave. to the El Conquistador Parkway expansion a memorial road in honor of Charlie Kirk and to schedule a public hearing.
Citizen Comment
Approved 7 - 0.
Item 58. Meals on Wheels Plus Investment Request – Ballard
Commissioner Ballard made a motion to spend $175,000 from the board's discretionary fund to provide four large trucks of food for Meals on Wheels Plus.
Kruse pointed out the new fiscal year started only seven days ago and this is a big chunk of the $500,000 in the board's discretionary fund for the entire fiscal year. Going forward, he said the commissioners need a better system for deciding who receives the discretionary funds, rather than forcing their hand to fund whoever comes first before the board. Siddique said he would not support the motion because the funding agreement is not written in a way to incentivize the organization to find matching dollars.
Maribeth Phillips, President and CEO of Meals on Wheels, explained the food will be used to serve 100 food banks and pantries. Donations have decreased while the needs of the community have increased.
Approved 6 to 1. Siddique voted no.
Item 59. Regulating Simulated Gambling Devices in Manatee County
Siddique made a two-part motion that the County Attorney’s Office review the Marion County code prohibiting simulated gambling devices and prepare a draft ordinance modeled after Marion County, with any edits based on research that the County Attorney’s Office legally recommends. The motion also stated that the County Administration provide the County Attorney’s Office with technical assistance and policy-decision guidance upon request throughout the drafting, prepare the appropriate business impact estimate, and bring forward the proposed ordinance to the Board for consideration at an advertised public hearing.
Kruse expressed concern about the commissioners trying to over-regulate.
Citizen Comment
Keith urged the commissioners to vote no on the motion stating such a proposal would result in a patchwork of inconsistent rules and would negatively impact legal arcades.
Approved 4 to 3. Felts, McCann, and Kruse voting no.
Item 60. Marine Corps Ball Sponsorship - Siddique and D’Agostino
Siddique made a motion to spend $10,000 from the Board's reserves to purchase sponsorship at the annual Marine Corps Ball organized by Valdez Veteran Alliance Services. The money would pay for two county staff members from the Veterans Services Division to attend the event, the county name to be used on promotional materials, and sponsorship of veterans and their spouses to attend the ball.
County Attorney D'Agostino pointed out that the motion also details that the expenditure of these funds would serve “a proper and valid public purpose” because it would highlight the county's support of veterans and raise awareness about county programs that serve veterans. If the board agreed to these findings, the expenditure on the funds would be legitimate.
Approved 6 to 0. Kruse was absent.
GOVERNANCE
Link to Good Governance Guidelines
The League notes some lapses in their own agreed-upon procedures:
We commend Chair Kruse for noting the item to name a memorial section of road was listed as a discussion item and therefore no action should be taken. We concur with Commissioners Kruse and McCain that the public should be part of the process.
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san.gander
Naming a road or portion of a road for Charlie Kirk is too political and very divisive... it appears that the proposal by the County Commissioner is a deliberate and intentional political move that will create dis-harmony, and provide some incitement to vandalous acts. Charlie Kirks views were and remain highly controversial and are heavily weighted to one side of the divided political spectrum in our country. *** It is the equal of, and as controversial as ripping colored rainbow bricks, or painting over Rainbow Pride and Black Pride memorials and murals. It is not prudent to build one-sided political memorials at this time. Like one old and wise Supreme Court Justice once said about free speech... goes something like, one is not allowed to yell FIRE in a crowded theatre. Should be apply to such "political taunting" probably meaningless memorial gestures.
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