The race for office is over, but three government officials in Bradenton Beach are on their marks, ready to start their terms and lead the city of Bradenton Beach forward — past a divisive election.
Mayor Bill Shearon, Ward 1 Commissioner Jake Spooner and Ward 3 Commissioner Ralph Cole were set to be sworn Nov. 16 at city hall, 107 Gulf Drive N. Each will serve a two-year term.
Shearon pledged before the Nov. 3 election that his first effort in his second term as mayor would be to advance the discussion about a moratorium on new home construction. While he will chair the meeting at noon Thursday, Nov. 19, the first agenda created with his input will be for the commission meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3.
“Until I’m sworn in, I’m just another citizen,” added Shearon, who sat in the audience at the Nov. 12 meeting of the ManaSota League of Cities at Longboat Key Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Road.
Shearon and Commissioner Jan Vosburgh support a moratorium. Commissioner Ed Straight asked city attorney Ricinda Perry Oct. 1 to review the details and write a moratorium ordinance as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Spooner, a past member of the Scenic Waves Partnership Committee, wasn’t waiting to tap into a developing issue.
A week after being elected in a walkover, Spooner was looking into the dispute over the city’s lease for the Historic Bridge Street Pier.
Spooner, owner of Bridge Street Bazaar and the Fish Hole Miniature Golf, both on Bridge Street, said he met with the owners of the Bradenton Beach Marina, who are threatening to sue over how the city handled the lease for the two small units on the pier. He wanted to know how Allan Bazzy and son Mike Bazzy propose to use the property if they were awarded a lease.
Spooner showed interest in the Bazzy proposal to manage the mooring field during the July bidding for the restaurant, saying he envisioned adding another unit on the pier for a mooring field manager.
Spooner called the mooring field “a really important aspect of the city that needs addressing.” But he said he learned the Bazzys are no longer interested in running the mooring field.
Spooner, who also is concerned about traffic congestion and inadequate parking in the business district, said he’s excited about serving on the commission. “I look forward to trying to make some positive changes,” he said.
Efforts to reach Cole by phone Nov. 12 were unsuccessful.