Bullock bytes: Town manager sounds off

Dave Bullock sits down with the Longboat Observer to discuss town issues.

By Kurt Schultheis
| 6:00 a.m. June 24, 2015

Longboat Key Town Manager Dave Bullock discusses town issues with the Longboat Observer.

Longboat Key
News

Bullock’s annual two-week summer vacation

Town Manager Dave Bullock takes two weeks in late July/early August on a boat trip with his wife, Donna, for a fishing trip in the Florida Keys.

“We’re heading to Marathon (in the Florida Keys) and maybe the Bahamas if we can fit it in and want to pay for the extra gas,” Bullock said. “We take our 34-foot boat down there and spend two seeks fishing and scuba diving. Donna cooks up the fish. I have limited access to the phone and email and get to unwind.”

When asked if his trip has ever been cut short, Bullock doesn’t hesitate.

“Hurricane Charley in 2004,” Bullock said. “When I was working at the county, a friend called me at 7 a.m. and told me Charley was heading right for us. It’s the first time I was ever chased out once in 15 years. We left late Thursday and arrived back home right before Charley arrived on Friday. I felt Charley and its storms on my shoulder as we raced home the whole way to Sarasota.”

Fire Rescue Union negotiations:

“I appreciated the effort the fire union put forth in the last session held (on June 16). They are good guys and they have the interest of their membership at heart. We’ll work together to create a new contract. Our fire guys are the most reasonable fire union representatives I’ve ever encountered. The two topics they want to discuss (pension and wages) are the ones to be talking about.”

Bayfront Park:

“We have money and we’re moving forward now. It’s exciting. I’m writing up a request for proposal as we speak for a construction manager position that will oversee the project. To save money as the project goes along, the manager will oversee the design standpoint of the project to cut down on costs. Design and permitting of the project will take a few months. I would love to see dirt turning on the project this fall, but I think it will really start moving in December and January. It will take less than a year to complete the project. Sarasota County has been helpful and supportive of this project since 2007 when they bought the land and we appreciate their support.”

South end beach erosion:

“The south end residents prefer we use the New Pass dredging project to pump sand onto the beach from the Gulf rather than having an emergency sand project bring dump trucks from the road. Our coastal engineer predicts we will have a state permit in July and a federal permit in the fall. We will bid the project immediately and can renourish the beach during season because there’s no impact on the mainland to get the sand from the pass. If we don’t get the permits by October, we will sit with condo owners and managers and see what they want to do. The Longboat Pass dredging project is just awaiting the federal permit. It would be great if we could do both projects at the same time.”

Undergrounding:

We’re already getting inquiries from condos and residents who have questions. We will soon have an undergrounding tab on the town website and residents can click on their address to see how much the project will cost them. The great thing about direct democracy is the community will tell us what to do (through voting).

Town Center update:

I’m still meeting with the property owners and the players. I need a few months to talk to all of them, and we will see where we are with that process.

Wastewater pipeline:

Requests for proposals for companies to perform an evaluation of the wastewater pipe under the bay are due this week. We’ve been using Manatee and Sarasota county engineers to help us with this process and they’ve been very helpful. We need an assessment of the pipe before we move forward any further on its replacement. That’s the direction I’m following.