News Briefs

+ Town interviews planning consultants
An evaluation committee, made up of employees and board members from the town of Longboat Key, interviewed two planning consultants Tuesday, Dec. 11, to be hired to help the town revise its codes and Comprehensive Plan. The process will rely heavily on community input.

Representatives from both Strategic Planning Services and ACP Visioning & Planning answered questions from the committee in charge of making a recommendation to the Longboat Key Town Commission.

Both companies believe the town’s codes need to be changed to promote redevelopment and a variety of community meetings and web-based outreach to seasonal residents needs to be performed.

The companies also believe extensive research is needed to see how much business and commercial property the island can realistically maintain.

+ Town accepting Toys for Tots donations
The Longboat Key Police Station and Longboat Key Town Hall are looking for toy donations for Christmas.
Toys for Tots bins are located at Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Road, and the Police Department, 5460 Gulf of Mexico Drive.

+ Correction
Longboat Key Town Commission candidate Larry Grossman never reviewed plans submitted by Longboat Key mayor and architect Jim Brown when he worked for the city of Alexandria, Va., planning office.

Meetings & Agendas
• Firefighters’ Retirement System Special Board Meeting — 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 17.
• Town Commission Regular Meeting — 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 7.
• Zoning Board of Adjustment Regular Meeting — 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 10.
• Code Enforcement Board Regular Meeting — 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 14.
• Planning and Zoning Board Regular Meeting — 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15.
All meetings take place at Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Road, unless otherwise noted.