DSA shines light on tree issue

Last year, the city of Sarasota donated a live 22-foot tree to the Downtown Sarasota Alliance for its use as a decorated Christmas tree in Selby Five Points Park.

One year later, the tree stands unlit and undecorated 17 days before Christmas.

The Sarasota City Commission expressed frustration with the undecorated tree at its regular meeting Monday.

“Should we decorate it ourselves?” asked Vice Mayor Terry Turner. “I’m ready to go grab a ladder and get to work.”

Other commissioners laughed at the comment and also expressed a willingness to help decorate it.

At the Downtown Sarasota Alliance’s monthly meeting Wednesday, board members didn’t appreciate the comments made about the tree and expressed what they perceive as a lack of communication between the DSA and the city.

“I didn’t even know it was a DSA responsibility to decorate the tree,” said DSA Chairman John Harshman. “But if it is, it’s something we need to do for downtown.”

Harshman’s opening statement about the tree set off a half-hour discussion.

Longtime DSA member and past Chairwoman Eileen Hampshire said the tree was donated by the city, but that the DSA was charged more than $1,000 in insurance fees, electrician costs and permit fees last year to light and decorate the tree during the lighting event.

“We need a better arrangement with the city,” Hampshire said. “We do a lot for downtown, and this tree lighting costs us a lot of money.”

Although the city put the lights and decorations on the tree last year, it did so only because Public Works staff already had a lift at the tree in order to plant it.

DSA board member Paul Thorpe suggested the city could help the DSA decorate the tree again this year at a reduced cost or for free.

Further complicating matters, was the discovery during the meeting that the DSA owns the lights and decorations for the tree, but that the city is storing them in a city-owned facility.

Harshman suggested the DSA decorate the tree Dec. 15, when the DSA plans to hold its annual holiday party, but not make the decorating an event so they won’t be charged a city event fee.

Thorpe, however, said the tree needs to be decorated as soon as possible.

“This tree should be decorated before Thanksgiving from now on so we can flip the switch on Thanksgiving weekend,” Thorpe said.

Others agreed, and Harshman directed DSA board members to work with Deputy City Manager Marlon Brown to formalize how the tree-decorating procedure should work in future years.

Meanwhile, Thorpe said the DSA also has snowflakes and lights for Main Street light poles that never made it up this year, which prompted the group to take an inventory of all of its decorations. DSA wants to work with the city moving forward to create a uniform holiday decoration plan.

“Half of the lights around downtown are out or missing this year,” said DSA board member Tony Souza. “It just looks sad.”

Turner, meanwhile, told the DSA the city would be willing to work with the group. But Turner also expressed frustration with the tree-lighting fiasco.

“Years ago, St. Armands Circle took over its holiday tree lighting completely, and it was the city’s expectation and understanding you would be doing the same thing with Selby Five Points Park moving forward,” Turner said. “But we can work with you.”