Letters to the Editor

+ Wireless communications antennas have evolved
Dear Editor:
Wireless communications with required antennas, whether standalone or atop tall buildings, is similar if not identical to other infrastructure requirements on the island. 

Electrical services with unsightly utility poles the full length of our island are tolerated by the population because they serve a purpose. The water tanks about mid-Key are ugly and commercial-looking but also serve a purpose. Mailboxes, road signs and bus stops on Gulf of Mexico Drive have a history of looking unsightly but are required to provide a service to our community.

Cell antennas have evolved over the years from ugly, commercial-looking erector sets with arms to friendlier, slender poles — much less obnoxious than the current infrastructure mentioned above. I would project that once the focus is no longer on the cell tower, it will blend into the landscape and go unnoticed six months, if not sooner, after installed. 

We are a democracy in which a majority rules. Seldom do we ever satisfy 100% of our population with every required action. Some blame others’ actions for their inability to accomplish an objective — for instance, like selling a home with perhaps the wrong location, amenities or selling price; others complain/object because they can’t or won’t recognize someone else’s problem; others object/complain to generate contention/animosity to sell newspapers.

Thankfully, over the years we have become one island. We have demonstrated that we can survive healthy discussions and then pull together for the betterment of our entire island and for all the people. 
There should be no doubt that there is, in fact, a problem with wireless data processing on the north end. It has been demonstrated factually with electronic measuring of signal strength. There have been more than 600-plus signatures collected from residents, guests and renters who have asked the town for help to solve the problem. We are not living in the 1980s.  Communications for business and family safety by staying connected is an absolute necessity.

The north end of our island should not be segregated from the whole by a few vocal people.
Barbara Sandford
Longboat Key

+ Effective communication is key to doing business
Dear Editor:
I live here full-time and run my business from this island. My business requires a lot of international travel, which means I need GSM cell-phone technology. GSM is the standard technology used by 83% of the world today. Some claim that Verizon, with its CDMA technology, works best here on Longboat Key. That I will not dispute, but it is not up to the town to decide which technology should be available on Longboat — it should be up to the marketplace. CDMA has limited availability in most countries outside of the U.S. and South Korea. 

Today the two providers of GSM in the U.S. are AT&T and T-Mobile. I have tried both carriers and their service is at best spotty and at worse non-existent. Just to receive reception at my home I need to run my mobile signal over my WiFi router and make calls via the Internet. When I need to download something that a client has sent me while I am out on a walk, at Publix or the bank, it can be near impossible to download. Most of the time I must wait until I get home to receive the file or message.

The lack of quality reception here affects residents and visitors more and more as the use of smart phones (iPhones, Blackberrys and Androids) increases every year. They are the fastest-growing part of the mobile-phone industry. These phones need better reception to speed up the downloading of data, which is more bandwidth intensive, thus requiring closer proximity to cell towers. 

Longboat is falling further and further behind our competition (Siesta Key and Anna Maria) in the battle for vacationers. Siesta Key and Anna Maria both have two distinct tourist seasons, while Longboat Key has one. Today’s vacationer is tomorrow’s property owner. The vacationers that Longboat is trying to attract — business owners, executives, high net worth individuals and affluent international travelers — all need to stay in touch with their businesses and investments on a regular basis. These individuals probably did not get where they are today by shunning the benefits of technology. A lot of what is causing this town to become less and less relevant for today’s vacationer will do nothing but suppress demand for properties in the future. I vote to have increased cell phone towers and a better future for Longboat Key.
Randy Buff
Longboat Key

+ Hiring Bullock was a mistake, get permanent manager now
Dear Editor:
Hiring the deputy administrator of Sarasota County as town manager may well be the worst move since the raise granted the departing town manager a few years ago.

It is bad enough that the town will be paying his salary for the next year, but to hire another tainted individual with a year contract is just plain crazy. Dave Bullock has already been marked for departure in wake of the Jim Ley scandal and now he is part of a federal age-discrimination charge by another county staff member.

Did no one at the town look into why this man was not going to stay at the county? Does the town plan to hire a full-time manager during the next year? If so, will the town be then required to pay three individuals for one position? It is time for the commission to “man up” and find a full-time manager and stop wasting town funds.
Thomas Jendrysik
Longboat Key