News Briefs

+ Fire Rescue Chief presents awards
Longboat Key Fire Rescue Chief Paul Dezzi presented awards Dec. 16 to three members of the department. Deputy Chief Sandi Drake received the Officer of the Year Award. Firefighter/paramedic James Reynolds was named Firefighter of the Year. The Chief’s Award went to volunteer President Jorge Alvarez.

+ Two turtles released from Lido Beach
Two loggerhead turtles nicknamed Faith and Felicity were released Dec. 16 near the northern lifeguard tower after rehabilitating at Mote Marine’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital. The turtles were initially malnourished and suffering from lethargic loggerhead syndrome, an illness of unclear origin that can immobilize loggerheads, when they arrived at the hospital.

+ Commission moves forward on pension study
The Longboat Key Town Commission reached consensus at its Dec. 15 workshop to move forward with a resolution that provides additional funding to expand its pension-plan study to include the firefighter pension plan. In January, the commission authorized funding for a study to analyze costs for alternatives going forward for both the general employee and police officer pension plans.

+ Town advertises PZ&B director position
The town is now advertising the position of Planning Zoning & Building director formerly held by Monica Simpson. The advertisement lists the annual pay range as $76,024 to $117,728 and requirements such as a bachelor’s degree in planning, architecture, engineering, building construction or related field and a minimum of eight years in building construction, land development or planning with at least three years in a supervisory or public administrative position.

+ Town Hall to close Dec. 26 for Christmas
Longboat Key Town Hall will be closed Monday, Dec. 26, following Christmas Day and will re-open at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27. Trash collection will not be impacted by the Christmas holiday.

+ Town receives proposals for wireless study
The town received five proposals ranging from approximately $8,000 to $55,000 from companies across the United States in response to its request for qualifications sent out in November for a wireless communications study. A committee consisting of Public Works Director Juan Florensa, Police Chief Al Hogle, MIS Director Kathi Pletzke, Town Planner Steve Schield and a Manatee County telecommunications specialist ranked the Minnesota-based TE Connectivity as its top choice followed by the Tallahassee-based RCC Communications. The proposal submitted by TE Connectivity listed a cost of $36,284, although negotiations have not begun.