Unless you’ve been invited, you’ll have to wait to find out what happens in the upcoming Urban Land Institute study of Anna Maria Island.
At the Feb. 18 Coalition of Barrier Island Elected Officials meeting at Anna Maria City Hall, 10005 Gulf Drive, the mayors of the three island cities and town of Longboat Key discussed whether or not they should intervene on behalf of the public. Citing remarks from citizens about limits on press coverage during the upcoming ULI study, the mayors discussed the options of making events open to the public or keeping them private.
“We’ve already been open to the public in all of our planning,” said Holmes Beach Mayor Bob Johnson. “I think the people from the institute should be allowed privacy to conduct their study.”
Planning meetings focused on the ULI study have been taking place since December 2014. Committee members were selected from island citizens who were tasked with creating a book about Anna Maria Island, an island tour route, and scheduling interviews for more than 100 island residents.
The planning meetings were open to the public.
Bradenton Beach Mayor Bill Shearon said he didn’t think there was any benefit to having press attend the interviews or aboard a tour bus. “If there were two or more elected officials, then yes, the press would have to be there — it’d fall under the Sunshine Law. But there won’t be two elected officials, and I don’t think having the press there would be beneficial to the study either,” Shearon said. “It could tank the process.”
Longboat Key Mayor Jim Brown and Vice Mayor Jack Duncan were present at the meeting. Longboat held a ULI study in 2013.
“Honestly, I think none of our press were interested in the slightest,” said Duncan. “They had gotten so bored at the meetings that by the time the actual study came, none of them made a fuss about not going.”
Holmes Beach Commissioner Carol Soustek spoke up, adding that the ULI representatives had made the initial request for no press at the study events. They said they didn’t want people to feel intimidated or under pressure to say “the right thing” during the interviews.
That was enough to close the discussion. Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy asked for a consensus among the group. The three island mayors unanimously agreed to keep the study events private.
The $130,000 study and associated events are being funded by Manatee County beach concession revenues.
The ULI study kicks off with a private sponsor’s dinner at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, at the Bridge Street Bistro, 111 Gulf Drive S, Bradenton Beach.
The study is sponsored by the three island mayors.
The private tour of the island is set for Monday, Feb. 23. A public reception is at 5 p.m. at CrossPointe Fellowship, 8605 Gulf Drive. Everyone is welcome to attend.
For more information about the study and events head to www.amiuli.com.
You didn’t mention the list of invited interviewees published online at http://www.amiuli.com Three newspaper people are on the list. Won’t they be reporting on the panel their own experience?
NO. I declined, and as far as I know, the Islander staff member who signed up is NOT a reporter. — Bonner