City, county can't reach resolution on downtown CRA dispute

The 75-day period the city and county of Sarasota set to resolve the ongoing dispute about the downtown Community Redevelopment Area has come to an end, and no resolution has been reached.

County Administrator Tom Harmer reported to the Board of County Commissioners that the agreed upon 75-day time frame, in which the city manager and county administrator would meet and report back to their respective boards to find a solution, ended July 10.

The dispute centers on the expired downtown CRA, which was a program in which tax revenue from the downtown area from both the city and the county would be reinvested into the same area. When the CRA expired in 2016, and the city claimed it was still owed $4.7 million from the county — and threatened legal action if the money wasn’t received.The county rejects that claim.

“At the end of the 75-day period, we’re not in a position where we’ve met a resolution and the city has not formally confirmed that they are no longer pursuing [legal] action,” Harmer reported to commissioners.

The city’s requests

After meeting three times in May and June to discuss ways to resolve the issue, City Manager Tom Barwin sent a letter to Harmer June 20, outlining the city’s six requests for financial partnerships, to which Harmer responded July 5.

1. Marion Anderson Brownfield Assistance

First, Barwin asked that more than $400,000 remaining in a grant that was given to the Marion Anderson Brownfield Assistance Interlocal agreement — reached in 2012 — be extended and modified. The county granted the city $500,000 to use the funds before December 2017, but are asking that the funding be extended to the city through December 2022.

Harmer responded that he would support the city’s request to extend the agreement, pending more information to be presented to the board.

2. Newtown CRA

Second, the city requested the county reset the Newtown CRA base year, and agree to participate in funding the project with 30 payments from the county. Barwin’s letter called this “a win-win option as no upfront funds will be necessary from the county budgets, therefore not straining the county budget or reserves.”

Harmer replied he would recommend the County Commission support the base year reset. He would not recommend the commission contribute annually for 30 years.

3 & 4. Community Grant Fund

Next, Barwin requested the county partner with the Sarasota County School District, the city and the private sector to fund a job training facility, and that the county gives up to $1 million in grants to support business development and building restoration in North Sarasota.

To this, Harmer said the requesters were too general in nature, and the County Commission would need more information to even consider funding the projects. Additionally, he reminded Barwin that the commission previously said it would not set aside any funding from the Community Grant Fund for city projects specifically.

5. Robert L. Taylor Community Center

Barwin’s fifth request was that the county restore funding to support the Robert L. Taylor Community Center’s operating budget at $350,000 per year, with annual increases of 3%.

Harmer replied he would not recommend the commission provide this funding.

6. Former police station site

Finally, Barwin wrote to Harmer the city would install a small park and manage a 50-space public parking facility on the former Sarasota Police Department property on Ringling Boulevard while retaining the property for at least 36 months, while the county considers purchasing it.

Harmer suggested the city move forward with parking plans to relieve congestion in the downtown area, and the county will work toward ultimate transferral of the property.

The county’s response

In his letter back to Barwin, Harmer first asked for formal confirmation that legal action will not be taken against the county, but had not received that confirmation by the County Commission meeting July 11.

Commissioners thanked Harmer for his response after his report, and said they supported what he told the city manager.

Commissioner Charles Hines asked elected officials at the city to hear what the county is proposing — that the city bring the commission project proposals for discussion.

“The city manager does not seem to hear that, so I’m speaking directly to elected officials,” he said. “I can’t tell them what to do but I’m asking them to hear what we’re saying. We’re not saying no.”

Hines and other commissioners were also opposed to the idea of providing long-term funding for projects like the Newtown CRA before any resolution is reached from the last longterm project they were in with the city.

“Anything that’s a long-term partnership is of the table until we come to a satisfactory resolution,” said Vice Chair Nancy Detert.  

Commission Chair Paul Caragiulo voiced concerns that the mediation process has turned into a source of entertainment, and said he was “very disappointed in the overall behavior” from the city.

With Caragiulo's comments, the County Commission moved on to the next agenda item with no resolution reached on the topic.