Commission chooses slightly darker sand

The Longboat Key Town Commission chose a cheaper, slightly darker sand than the whitest sand option available at its regular meeting Monday night.

The cost of the sand option is unknown but is expected to be from $28 million to $35 million, or about $10 million to $15 million more than the town’s last renourishment project in 2006.

That 2005-06 beach project cost about $21 million.

The slightly darker sand will be placed all over the beach and doesn’t require another layer of sand in higher erosion spots, making the project cheaper because the town doesn’t need to extract sand from two separate sources.

Also at its regular meeting, the Town Commission upheld its decision to select Bradford Saivetz to its Planning and Zoning Board, despite objections from several members of the audience.

Saivetz has written several letters to the editor and spoke at the Longboat Key Club and Resort’s Islandside renovation-and-expansion hearing, in which he has opposed the project.

The Planning and Zoning Board will discuss code changes that affect the Islandside project at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 6, at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay isles Road.

Also at its meeting this evening at Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Road, the commission:

Formalized:
• Commission appointments to committees named in the town code or as required by outside agencies.

• Appointments for a new tree code subcommittee that will consist of three Planning and Zoning Board members and two commissioners.

Ratified:
• The appointment of firefighter lieutenant Michael Murphy to a new two-year term on the firefighter retirement system board of trustees.

Forwarded to its Thursday, April 5, special meeting for second reading and public hearing:
• An ordinance that provides for a budget transfer in the amount of $96,500 for funding equipment and tools for the town’s Fire Rescue Department purchased through infrastructure surtax funds.

Forwarded to its Monday, May 3, regular meeting for second reading and public hearing:
• An ordinance that establishes no parking near the Linley Street boat ramp from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

• An ordinance that amends the regulations of mechanical equipment into one section of the town code.

Adopted:
• An ordinance that amends a portion of the code enforcement code to bring it into consistency with state law.

• An ordinance that amends a town ordinance that created a conflict with an existing town ordinance addressing the anchoring and mooring of boats.

Passed:
• A resolution that allows the Citizen Tax Oversight Committee to continue to conduct an annual review of the expenditures made by the town from Sarasota County sales tax proceeds.

• A resolution that adopts the current version of the Manatee County Local Mitigation Strategy Work Groups and allows the town to be eligible for post disaster mitigation grant funds.

• A resolution for a budget transfer of about $100,000 to fund a pension study of the town’s three pension plans.

• A resolution that amends commission board appointment procedures to allow time for commissioners to meet applicants prior to considering appointments.

• A resolution that waives certain fees by Christ Church related to the construction of the new sanctuary being built at 6400 Gulf of Mexico Drive.

Appointed:
• Key resident Shannon Gault to the firefighter retirement system board of trustees seat vacated by Ron Vale.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].