Commission delays beach decision

The Longboat Key Town Commission delayed its decision on any sort of a beach project until Thursday.

At its regular meeting Monday night, Commissioner Phillip Younger suggested the town ask the voters to approve a single $15 million referendum that would incorporate structures for the north end and allow for sand to be extracted from a future natural gas pipeline corridor at the bottom of the Gulf.

If approved, the project would build structures to stop the erosion on the north end and provide sand for both the north end and other erosion hotspots island-wide.

Younger believes an island-wide beach project at a cost of about $35 million is not necessary at this time.

Because the town must move its municipal election from March 8 to March 15 because of scheduling conflicts with the Longboat Island Chapel polling location, the town now has until Friday, Jan. 7, to approve any beach referenda questions for the March ballot.

Town attorney David Persson suggested — and the Town Commission agreed — to postpone a decision until a special meeting at 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 6. At the meeting, the commission will review Younger’s suggestion with beach engineer Coastal Planning & Engineering. The commission also will debate a suggestion by Commissioner David Brenner that the town hold off on any beach project until a second opinion by another beach engineer can be produced.

For more information, pick up a copy of the Jan. 6 edition of The Longboat Observer.

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

Authorized:
• The town manager to acquire tasers and taser training for all police officers at a cost of $27,000. The funding will come from a law enforcement trust fund.

Reduced:
• The fines and costs arising out of Code Enforcement Board administrative orders for two cases to $500.

Forwarded to its Feb. 7 regular meeting for second reading and public hearing:
• An ordinance that provides for a budget transfer of $41,000 to fund the Manatee County trolley portion of the island’s trolley route.

• An ordinance that codifies ordinances adopted through the Dec. 5 regular meeting.

• An ordinance that proposes rate increases for wholesale water and wastewater rates being charged to the town by Manatee County.

Passed:
• A resolution that provides for a $100,000 study that will explore other options for the town’s three pension plans.

• A resolution that changes the date of the town’s municipal election from March 8 to March 15. The Longboat Island Chapel is unavailable on March 8.

Approved:
• A revised 2011 Town Commission meeting calendar that needs to be amended because of the new March 15 election date.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].