A little more than a week after Election Day and the Anna Maria Commission was moving forward.
Commissioners Dale Woodland, Carol Carter and Doug Copeland were sworn back into office at the Nov. 12 commission meeting at city hall.
The incumbents were re-elected Nov. 3, defeating political newcomers John Damato and Penny Naylor.
Woodland received 404 votes. Carter earned 393. Copeland had 388 votes.
Naylor and Damato received 151 and 190 respectively.
As new two-year terms began, each commissioner was looking to ways to improve the city.
Copeland wants to find a way to make Pine Avenue more pedestrian friendly by adding bike paths and crosswalks.
He is starting his second full term as a commissioner.
He said with the increasing number of tourists visiting Anna Maria it’s the commission’s duty to ensure safety.
Carter is interested in the preservation of green spaces and parks.
“We’ve done a lot of work in Gulffront Park and I’d like us to start the final process there,” she said. Carter also wants to ensure the completion of Anna Maria City Pier Park at Bay Boulevard and Pine Avenue.
Public restrooms are being constructed at the park.
Woodland, a 12-year commission veteran, said he wants to tackle parking.
“Code enforcement is one thing,” he said. “But we really need to find a permanent solution and get some relief for our residents.”
The three all agreed the short-term vacation rental ordinance needs to be finalized.
For Naylor and Damato, losing the race seems to have been a win.
Damato said he learned a lot about the city and its people. He said he heard some good and some bad claims, but he loves Anna Maria.
“I don’t know if I’m going to run again,” he said. “If I do, I think I’ll do things a little differently. Either way, I’ve gotten a lot of support from a lot of different people.”
He said he hopes to be involved in the city.
Naylor said she’s looking forward to getting back to work. She said her main goal was to have her voice heard and bring a new thinking to Anna Maria’s political table.
“With, luck somebody picked up on it,” Naylor said of her ideas for compromise.
Commissioners serve two-year terms and are compensated with a $400 monthly stipend.
To be eligible to run for public office in the city, a person must be a resident of the city for at least two consecutive years and must continue to live in the city while in office.