News Briefs

+ Downtown parking garage update
The Sarasota City Commission agreed Monday to hold a discussion at its Dec. 5 regular meeting about the future of the State Street parking garage, which the city has agreed to build within the next four years.
Commissioners will discuss whether the city should change the bid process to allow city staff to issue an invitation to negotiate with potential builders of the future garage.
The city’s lowest of four bidders for the Palm Avenue parking garage retail space came in at $1.6 million.

+ St. Armands median project on schedule
A $450,000 St. Armands Circle median project is still on schedule to be completed by Thanksgiving, according to St. Armands Circle Business Improvement District Chairman Marty Rappaport.
Rappaport told those in attendance at Tuesday’s BID Board of Directors meeting that the project is moving along and all of the existing landscaping has been pulled out of the existing medians.
“It doesn’t look pretty right now and we are receiving a lot of complaints,” Rappaport said. “But we have to suffer through the next couple of weeks to get something that looked better than ever before.”

+ Veterans Day closings
The city of Sarasota’s administration offices will be closed Friday, Nov. 11, in observance of Veterans Day. The closing affects City Hall, the Federal Building and the Public Works Department.
Garbage and recycling collections within city limits won’t be impacted by the holiday.
The Sarasota Patriotic Observance Committee will host the annual Veterans Day parade starting at 10 a.m. Friday at the intersection of Main Street and Osprey Avenue. A ceremony will follow at 11 a.m. in J.D. Hamel Park at the intersection of Main Street and Gulfstream Avenue.
Parking meters and pay stations in downtown Sarasota are free on holidays.
For more information, contact Jan Thornburg, public information officer, at 954-2613.

Meetings & agendas
• ManaSota League of Cities Meeting — 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, City Hall, Commission Chambers, 1565 First St., Sarasota.
• Main Street Improvement Study Open House — 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 14, City Hall, Commission Chambers, 1565 First St., Sarasota.
• Board of Rules and Appeals Meeting — 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16, City Hall, Room 112, 1565 First St., Sarasota.
• Sarasota City Commission Regular Meeting — 2:30 and 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21, City Hall, Commission Chambers, 1565 First St., Sarasota.