Commission will consider oil spill plans

The Longboat Key Town Commission will review and discuss a local response plan in case oil from the leaking Deepwater Horizon well in the Gulf makes its way to Longboat Key at its regular workshop at 1 p.m., Thursday, May 20.

Town Manager Bruce St. Denis believes creating a specific plan will help identify the best strategies for the town, which could then be adopted with the counties’ oil response plans.

The town’s beach engineer, Coastal Planning & Engineering, is being asked to develop the local response plan.

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

Consider forwarding to its Monday, June 7 regular meeting for formal action:
• An interlocal agreement that represents various local governments and the School Board of Manatee County.

• A resolution that gives the town manager authority to spend funds and take emergency action in the event a hurricane is looming and a quorum of the commission is not available this summer.

• A resolution that allows the town manager to use commission contingency funds for an environmental cleanup of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

• A resolution that cancels the July and August workshops and the August regular meeting.

• A request for authorization to execute a fleet maintenance agreement with Sarasota County for the Longboat Key Fire Rescue Department’s vehicles.

Consider forwarding to its Monday, June 7, regular meeting for first reading:
• An ordinance that changes the start of regular workshops from 2 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Consider forwarding to a special meeting at 5:01 p.m., Thursday, May 20, for immediate formal action:
• A resolution that allows for a budget transfer of $150,000 from the commission contingency fund to the town attorney budget and the other town attorney budget.

• A resolution that relocates phase II infrastructure surtax funds from the utility fund to the beach account to pay for a $5 million emergency beach project on the north end of the island.

• A resolution that reallocates $2.7 million to the beach fund to pay for a $5 million emergency beach project on the north end of the island.

Consider forwarding to a special meeting at 5:01 p.m., Thursday, May 20, for first reading:
• An ordinance that transfers $800,000 from the phase II infrastructure surtax funds from the utility fund to the beach capital projects fund to pay for a $5 million emergency beach project on the north end of the island.

• An ordinance that transfers $1.5 million from the unbudgeted allocated funds in the beach capital projects fund to the emergency beach project account.

Review:
• Results of a sand search performed by beach engineer Coastal Planning & Engineering, which is looking for sand sources for the town’s 2011-12 beach renourishment project.

• Preliminary budget information for the 2010-11 fiscal year.

Discuss:
• The potential for implementing the town’s Vision Plan and a possible review of the town’s Comprehensive Plan.

• Potential economic development opportunities for Longboat Key.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].