WELCOME BACK: What you missed

If you’re like many Longboaters, you fled town for the summer.

When you left, the “Lights Out” posters were just beginning to dot the Key in preparation for turtle-nesting season. Casa del Mar held a mere five Guinness World Records for the world’s tallest cotton plant. Bruce St. Denis was town manager. Dr. Murray “Murf” Klauber’s appeal of bankruptcy rulings surrounding The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort was still pending. The Longboat Key Club and Resort’s proposed $400 million Islandside redevelopment project faced three legal challenges. Dogs knew their place on the island — and it wasn’t on the beach.

As usual, we turned our lights out for the turtles this summer. Casa del Mar scored its sixth world record. But that’s about it for the “business as usual” category.

This summer we had four — yes, count ’em, FOUR — town managers. A judge ruled in favor of Klauber in the long-standing battle for the Colony, and both sides will come together this week to attempt a resolution during a mediation conference. The Key Club is down to just two legal challenges. And after hearing dog owners bark all summer long about the possibility of allowing dogs on part of the beach, the Longboat Key Town Commission has formed a committee to explore the idea.

Suffice it to say, Longboat Key was a happening place this summer. So, sit down, grab a cup of coffee, and get caught up on all that happened while you were away from May through October.

MAY
+ Colony gets continuance
The Longboat Key Town Commission extended a continuance of the town’s tourism abandonment requirement for The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort to Dec. 31, 2012. Without the extension, the town could have stripped the resort of 85 of its 237 units if the resort was not operational by Aug. 15, because units were built on the property before town code limited tourism units to six per acre.

+ Two nests found on first day of season
Two Key turtle nests were found May 1, the first day of nesting season. A veteran Longboat Key Turtle Watch volunteer reported that it was the first time in recent memory that nests were found on the first day of season on the island. They were the first of 275 nests discovered on Longboat Key during the six-month season.

+ Community center discussions move forward
Commissioners agreed to hire a design professional to combine a 2003 recreational facility designed by architect Lisa Wannemacher, of Wannemacher Jensen Architects, with a 2009 Sarasota County park plan and combine the two into a single project. The commission also directed Town Manager Bruce St. Denis to begin the five-month process of hiring a design professional in accordance with the state-required consultant selection process, leaving open the possibility of a March 2012 referendum. A selection committee later recommended Wannemacher’s firm to assist in the development of a community center at Bayfront Park.

+ DCA doesn’t object to Key Club-related amendments
The state’s Department of Community Affairs had no objection to the Comprehensive Plan amendments the town proposed relating to the Longboat Key Club and Resort renovation-and-expansion project, eliminating one of the Islandside Property Owners Coalition’s key arguments against the project. IPOC has since dropped its DCA appeal, but two challenges remain in Sarasota court. Arguments in the writ of certiorari challenge will be heard Wednesday, Nov. 16.

+ Colony Lender acquires ownership share
Colony Lender LLC acquired a 15% interest of The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort’s recreational/resort assets previously owned by the Carolyn Field Trust. Colony Lender also owns an 80% interest in the Colony property because it already owned bank loans belonging to longtime Colony owner Dr. Murray “Murf” Klauber.

+ Town Commission ratifies firefighter contract
The Longboat Key Town Commission ratified a contract with its firefighters — one that expired five months later Sept. 30. As part of the agreement, the town agreed to continue counting vacation and sick leave as compensation when determining a payout amount for retirees. The contract remains in effect while the town and firefighters continue with negotiations on a new three-year contract.

+ Town creates wildlife brochure
The town created “A Citizen’s Guide to Nuisance Wildlife” to inform residents about how to keep critters away from their residences. The guide warns residents about actions such as leaving trashcans out overnight and overfilling birdfeeders that can draw unwanted animals like raccoons. The guide is available at Town Hall.

+ Observer Group acquires Pelican Press
The Observer Group Inc. acquired the 40-year-old Pelican Press from the Milwaukee-based Journal Community Publishing Group Inc. The purchase increased the number of newspapers The Observer Group publishes to six. 

JUNE
+ FDOT signs off on sign removal
The Florida Department of Transportation agreed to remove 68 signposts and 49 signs from the Gulf of Mexico Drive right of way after residents complained about the number of signs. FDOT completed the removal of most signs in October.

+ Rare wasps create buzz on Longboat Key
Residents Matt and Margaret Callihan discovered rare Caribbean cicada killer wasps nesting at their Sabal Cove home. The breed had never been observed before in the Sarasota area, and the discovery prompted Lafayette College biology professor Chuck Holliday, an expert on cicada killer wasps, to fly to the area from Easton, Pa., to check out the breed.

+ Commission urges budget cuts
The Longboat Key Town Commission told Town Manager Bruce St. Denis to make budget cuts after receiving a preliminary budget that included a $223,601 budget deficit and proposed 2.6% millage increase.

+ Consultant praises town’s comprehensive beach plan
Beach consultant Dr. Kevin Bodge praised the town’s Comprehensive Beach Management Plan, which requires a minimum beach width of 130 feet and that sand be added to town beaches every six to eight years. The commission spent $15,000 for the review to evaluate the town’s plan and its engineer, Coastal Planning & Engineering Inc.

+ Firefighter pension issues debated after investigation
The Longboat Key Firefighters Pension Board discussed how to proceed after a $50,000 forensic investigation of its pension by Benchmark Financial Services President Ed Siedle suggested that pension board investment consultant Morgan Stanley Smith Barney may have breached its contract with the pension board by making improper trades and accepting money from managers with whom it works. Board members suggested sending out a request for proposals to interview other investment consultants as well as Morgan Stanley to make sure that the board had the best consultant moving forward but agreed to hold off until Morgan Stanley officials could answer questions about its practices.

JULY
+ Dogs to get beach access?
Nelson Goldner suggested in a July email to Vice Mayor David Brenner a trial period that would allow dogs on the beach — one that could possibly extend from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m., allowing the beach to remain dog-free during the day, and would allow dog owners to prove that they’re willing to clean up after their pets.

“Most people feel that their dogs are integral parts of their family, and their social and physical needs are important to everyone in the family,” he wrote.

Vice Mayor David Brenner, who raised the issue in June of why leashed dogs are permitted in Joan M. Durante Park but not in other town parks, asked Town Manager Bruce St. Denis to put the item on an upcoming workshop agenda in the fall.

“If there is a group of people who really feels strongly about it, we should look into it,” said Brenner, noting that he is not a dog owner.

+ North Shore beach access re-opens in time for Fourth of July
The North Shore Road beach access re-opened July 1, in time for the Fourth of July weekend. The access had closed for a $4.5 million north-end emergency beach project that brought approximately 133,000 cubic yards of sand to the severely eroded area. The access has since closed again for a seawall construction project.

+ Observers named top-three Florida weeklies
The Longboat, East County and Sarasota Observers were named the top-three weekly newspapers in the state in the Florida Press Association’s 2010 Better Weekly Newspaper Contest, with the Longboat Observer taking the first-prize award in the General Excellence category. The Observer Group received a total 27 awards at the FPA’s annual convention July 1.

+ Euphemia Haye chef appears on ‘Hell’s Kitchen’
Euphemia Haye sous chef Jamie Gregorich made her TV debut July 18 on the season nine premier of FOX’s “Hell’s Kitchen,” which stars famed British TV personality and chef Gordon Ramsay. Gregorich was eliminated Aug. 15 from the reality TV competition.

+ Casa del Mar cotton plant sets resort’s sixth record
Casa del Mar won its sixth title for the World’s Tallest Cotton Plant at a July 15 measuring ceremony for Guinness World Records. This year, the plant measured in at exactly 32 feet.

+ Judge reverses Colony bankruptcy rulings
U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday reversed the actions and rulings on August 2009 Colony Beach & Tennis Resort bankruptcy rulings made by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge K. Rodney May. Longtime Colony owner Dr. Murray “Murf” Klauber had appealed the rulings, which eventually led to the eradication of his hotel partnership with the Colony Beach & Tennis Association. In his rulings, Merryday sided with Klauber in his claim that the association was required to make assessments to keep up with the common elements of the property.

+ Fire destroys Westchester unit
A July 28 fire destroyed a first-floor unit at Westchester condominium and caused smoke damage to the five units located directly above it. The fire caused damages of approximately $600,000.

AUGUST
+ Pharmacy walks away from plaza negotiations
Walgreens walked away from negotiations to anchor Whitney Beach Plaza after plaza owners were unable to agree on the terms of a lease. Brian Kenney, principal of the Boston-based Juliani Kenney Investment Capital LLC, which owns the shopping center, said at the time that he hopes to bring a convenience store to the site. Kenney later confirmed that he is working to bring a 90- to 120-unit hotel to the north end of the island.

+ Judge validates $16 million beach bond referendum
Sarasota 12th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Lee Haworth issued a ruling Aug. 3 validating the town’s $16 million beach-bond referendum. Although voters approved the project in March, the results were considered invalid because of an advertising error made by the Town Clerk’s office.

+ Beth Callans Management closes first week in August
Beth Callans Management closed its doors during the first week in August after it was unable to make payroll at the end of July. Many of the 80 properties — approximately half of which are on Longboat Key — that the company managed then began canceling their contracts. Med Plaza Ltd., the company’s landlord, filed a lawsuit in Sarasota County court claiming the management company owed $93,558.72 in unpaid rent.

+ Crowd brawls at Overlook Park
An Aug. 7 brawl at Overlook Park led to four arrests and three breach of peace charges, two simple assault charges, one simple battery charge and one resisting/obstructing a law enforcement officer charge. The fight allegedly began when a teen on a Jet Ski confronted boaters about littering and the boaters responded by throwing rocks and shells at him.

+ Prudential Palms offices close
Prudential Palms Realty closed its offices on Longboat Key, Siesta Key, St. Armands Circle, downtown Sarasota and South Sarasota County. The company’s new model includes two Sarasota offices while leaving its Lakewood Ranch presence as is.

+ Florida League of Cities report: Pension costs among highest
A Florida League of Cities report showed that the town of Longboat Key is one of just six cities in the state of Florida in which required pension contributions exceed 50% of police payroll costs. The town is also one of 19 Florida cities in which required firefighter pension costs exceed 35% of payroll costs, according to the report.

SEPTEMBER
+ St. Denis resigns after 14 years as town manager
The Longboat Key Town Commission accepted the resignation of Town Manager Bruce St. Denis in a Sept. 19 special meeting that took place three days after St. Denis submitted his offer. Earlier in the summer, Mayor Jim Brown approached Town Attorney David Persson about his sense of growing disagreement between the commission and the town manager. Persson began polling each commissioner and then relayed his findings to St. Denis, who made his decision after meeting with commissioners individually. St. Denis received a severance package totaling $268,364.81, including one year’s salary and benefits and payout for unused vacation time. The commission then appointed Longboat Key Police Chief Al Hogle as acting town manager.

+ Longboat Key native injured in shark attack
Longboat Key native Charles “C.J.” Wickersham was injured in a bull-shark attack that occurred Sept. 24 during a spearfishing trip off of Anna Maria. Wickersham lost at least half of his blood in the attack and received approximately 800 sutures. He returned home after more than a week at Bayfront Medical center and was later featured on a “Today” show segment about the attack.

+ Commission approves 1.8872 millage rate
The Longboat Key Town Commission unanimously approved a millage rate of 1.8872 mills for the fiscal year 2011-12. The decision holds the rate flat from the prior fiscal year. The final budget approved by the commission after multiple meetings included a $52,400 budget surplus.

+ Colony Association board selects Club Holdings
The Colony Beach & Tennis Association voted unanimously to select the Broomfield, Colo.,-based Club Holdings LLC for the redevelopment of The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort. Club Holdings will present its plan to unit owners later this year and must receive approval by at least 75% of unit owners to move forward.

+ Police nab three Longboat burglary suspects
Longboat Key police arrested Juan Antonio Houston, 23, Jeremy Le’Edwin Smith, 19, and Montel Drayton, 18, all of Bradenton, and charged them each with one count of residential burglary, following a string of break-ins that included at least nine vehicle break-ins and two residential burglaries, both of which occurred in Emerald Harbor.

OCTOBER
+ Commission gives deputy administrator one-year contract
The Longboat Key Town Commission voted Oct. 3 to award David Bullock, who has served as Sarasota County deputy administrator since 1997, a one-year contract. Bullock will receive $180,000 salary and 17.8% of annual salary in deferred compensation.

+ Colony ruling supports damages for Colony Partnership
U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday directed a bankruptcy court to decide whether The Colony Beach & Tennis Association should return possession of units to the Partnership that ran the Colony and recommend damages of $7,751,470 or recommend an award of $20,646,312 with no return of units. The judge also remanded the dispute over a recreational lease to bankruptcy court to recommend an amount of damages owed to Klauber and other lessors. The association immediately appealed the rulings. The judge also ordered the parties into mediation, where both sides say resolution is likely. The mediation conference has been scheduled for Nov. 12.

+ P&Z recommends cell tower Outline Development Plan
The Longboat Key Planning & Zoning Board voted at its Oct. 18 meeting to recommend an ordinance for an Outline Development Plan for a proposed 150-foot stealth tower at Longboat Island Chapel. The board was scheduled to also consider an application for a special-exception use of the chapel property and a site-plan amendment at the meeting but canceled the related quasi-judicial hearings as a result of an appeal filed the day before by Grand Mariner owners Ralph and Sheri Trine, who say that construction of the tower would impact unit sales.

+ Town Commission forms dogged committee
The Longboat Key Town Commission agreed to form a committee to explore issues related to allowing dogs limited access to a small portion of the beach. Max Goldner, a 5-year-old Wheaton terrier started the discussion in July when he enjoyed the beach on Long Island, N.Y., so much that his owners, Nelson and Laurin Goldner, suggested the idea. The idea was embraced by many pet owners but drew concerns from others about health issues and the impact on birds and sea turtles.

+ Hogle out as acting manager; Simpson on leave
The Longboat Key Town Commission voted 5-2 Oct. 17 to remove Police Chief Al Hogle from the role of acting town manager over concerns of his handling of employee allegations that Planning Zoning & Building Director Monica Simpson was verbally abusive to employees and created a hostile workplace. The commission then voted to appoint Susan Phillips, assistant to the town manager, as acting town manager for the two weeks until David Bullock assumed the role of interim town manager. Simpson remains on paid administrative leave as an investigation continues.

+ Hogle, St. Denis apply for county administrator
Longboat Key Police Chief Al Hogle and former Town Manager Bruce St. Denis were among 45 applicants for the position of Sarasota County administrator. St. Denis remains one of eight candidates for the position.

+ Convenience store to open in former 7-Eleven site
Longboat Hardware owner Reed Savidge announced plans to open a convenience store, Quik-n-Easy, in the former 7-Eleven site at 4032 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Savidge hopes to open the store later this month.