Town seeks $76,500 in Manatee WCIND funds

The town of Longboat Key is seeking up to $76,500 for the 2011-12 fiscal year in West Coast Inland Navigation District (WCIND) funds for police and fire/rescue marine operations in the Manatee County portion of the island.

According to an Aug. 16 letter Mayor Jim Brown wrote to Manatee County Commission Chair Carol Whitmore, the amount would include $55,000 for police and $21,500 for fire rescue.

According to Brown’s letter, the town currently has a partnership with Sarasota County WCIND for capital and operating expenses that allows communities in Sarasota County to support each other’s marine operations. Funding is provided on a reimbursement basis, so Sarasota County pays only for actual hours on the water. The town is seeking a similar partnership with Manatee County.

“The majority of our Public Safety marine efforts take place in the Manatee County portion of Longboat Key,”  Brown wrote. “In fact the single location that requires most of our time is Greer Island (Beer Can Island) which is actually a County-owned property located on the South side of Longboat Pass.”

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected].