News Briefs

+ Harmer officially takes county administrator job
The Sarasota County Commission voted unanimously Tuesday during a public board meeting to name Thomas Harmer as Sarasota County administrator. Harmer, who has served as interim county administrator since October 2013, will be paid $190,000 annually.

“I am honored that the county commissioners have placed their trust in me to maintain Sarasota County’s reputation as an excellent service provider,” Harmer said in a statement. “Managing the day-to-day business of the county and responding to citizens in a timely manner are some of the most important things we, as government employees, can do.”

+ Efforts to remove Chalk Fest art from streets continue
The company tasked with removing artwork from the Sarasota Chalk Festival believes it has a solution for scrubbing the streets in Burns Square without causing damage, and is waiting for city approval to begin.

Gorilla Kleen has sponsored the Chalk Festival and removed the artwork from the streets for the past three years. This year, artists created a challenge for the company by using water-resistant binders and sealers to protect their artwork from the rain. Some of the art was removed in December, but others remained as Gorilla Kleen worked with the city to develop a plan to clean the streets.

Gorilla Kleen president John Cloud said he tested a potential cleaning technique to remove some artwork on Sunday morning, with positive results. He said the city was pleased with the outcome, but would run a friction test to ensure that it did not affect roadway safety.

+ Downtown circulator test drive sees improved results
Undeterred by a disappointing initial test drive, a group examining the viability of a downtown circulator gave a potential vehicle a second try on Tuesday — with vastly improved results.

The six-passenger golf cart-style electric vehicle, provided by the Sarasota company Cruise Car Inc., lasted about 10 hours during its test drive along a proposed circulator route this week. Bill Kics, a contract manager with Cruise Car, said the company was able to make the vehicle last nearly twice as long as the original test earlier this month after adjusting its computer system and electric motor.

The circulator is the brainchild of Downtown Sarasota Alliance board member Peter Fanning and Downtown Improvement District Operations Manager John Moran. The proposed 4.5-mile route focuses on servicing people staying at hotels adjacent to downtown, which includes covering Main Street from U.S. 301 to the bayfront, and Palm Avenue from Ringling Boulevard to Cocoanut Avenue.

Meetings & agendas

City Commission meeting — 2:30 and 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, Commission Chambers, City Hall, 1565 First St., Sarasota.

Sarasota County Commission meeting — 9 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19, Commission Chambers, Sarasota County Administration Center, 1660 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota.