After a brief lull in the flurry of claims and settlements under the Bert Harris Jr. Act, Anna Maria city commissioners voted Feb. 23 to approve nine more settlement offers.
More than 100 Bert Harris claims have been filed against Anna Maria since its vacation-rental ordinance went into effect in April 2016. Of the 112 claims filed, 49 have been resolved and 63 are pending.
The Bert Harris Jr. Private Property Protection Act of 1995 allows property owners to seek relief if they can prove a government action lowered the value of their property.
Claimants must provide appraisals to establish value and settlements, in lieu of a cash payments, the city can offer to either fully or partly restore the rights that existed before the prohibitions. The city has 150 days to respond to claims submitted.
One of the most contested portions of the city VRO involves limiting occupancy in vacation rentals to eight people.
City attorney Becky Vose presented occupancy settlements for eight of the nine settlement offers, three with conditions regarding proposed construction and two occupancy settlements that would not kick in until May 2020.
For a property at 9802 Gulf Drive, Vose recommended the city offer no settlement, based on the property’s location in the commercial zone.