News Briefs

+ Budget tool wins Public Technology Institute award
The town’s fiscal transparency website module received a 2013-14 Solutions Award from the Public Technology Institute in the Web management and e-government category.

The module went live in February and uses fiscal data that feed directly from the finance department’s database to display revenue and expenses to the public.

The tool also includes five years of current historical expenditure data, plus graphing tools and the ability to export data for further analysis. In April it was featured in Government Technology magazine.

To use the module, visit longboatkey.org and click on the “fiscal transparency” tab on the right side of the home page.

+ Commission rejects county solicitation ordinance
Reacting to an increase in homelessness and panhandling in Sarasota, Sarasota County is asking its municipalities to join a countywide ordinance that curtails solicitation on public rights of way.

Jon Mast, manager of Sarasota County Land Development Services, asked Longboat Key commissioners at their May 19 regular workshop to join in the ordinance that requires solicitors be no closer than 6 feet to the road and obtain a $265 permit for right-of-way use to stop people from approaching cars and begging for money.

Commissioners, however, unanimously declined to adopt the ordinance, expressing confidence in the town’s ban on panhandling, which falls under its pedestrian safety ordinance.

Town Manager Dave Bullock said Longboat Key is unique compared with the rest of the county.

“You have to hunt to find a homeless person here,” he said. “And we’ve never had an issue with solicitation we couldn’t handle. Besides, without medians, there’s really nowhere for someone to stand on Gulf of Mexico Drive with a sign begging for money.”

+ Census: Key population grew 1.14% in one year
Longboat Key’s population grew by just more than 1% between 2012 and 2013, according to the Annual Estimates of the Resident Population data the U.S. Census Bureau released last week.

The Census Bureau estimated the Key’s residential population at 7,082 as of July 1, 2013, an increase of 1.14% over its estimate of 7,002 for July 1, 2012. Between 2011 and 2012, the Census Bureau estimates the island’s population grew by 1.09%, increasing from 6,926 in 2011.

Meetings & agendas
Town Commission Colony Beach & Tennis Resort public nuisance hearing — 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 28, at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road

Town Commission regular meeting — 7 p.m. Monday, June 2

ULI Implementation Advisory Committee meeting — 2 p.m. Thursday, June 5

Code Enforcement Board meeting — 10 a.m. Monday, June 9

All meetings take place at Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Road, unless otherwise noted.