Lots of orders require enforcement.
Between state, county and some city orders, law enforcement on Anna Maria Island is addressing a bevy of safety measures to limit the spread of COVID-19.
But what happens in the cities when the measures are dropped?
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ safer-at-home order prohibiting nonessential travel and activity and an order limiting vacation rentals were set to expire April 30. After announcing a “Re-Open Florida Task Force” April 20, it was unclear as The Islander went to press whether DeSantis would extend the emergency order into May, as governors in other states have done.
While none of the cities reported problems with enforcing the state’s safer-at-home order, some vacation rental activity continued in April, requiring municipal response.
Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth wrote in an April 22 report that code enforcement officers found one person that week violating the state order by checking into a rental property for less than 30 days.
Holmes Beach police officers gave the renter a notice to appear in court, but the property owner was not reported to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations — per the state order — because the renter claimed to be a “government worker employed to the COVID-19 response,” according to the report.
As of April 24, four violators were found checking into rentals in Holmes Beach.
Titsworth wrote in an April 23 email to The Islander that each violator was given $250 citations and notices to appear in court, while the city reported three rental properties to the DBPR.
Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie wrote in an April 23 email to The Islander that the city had no issues with renter violations the week of April 20.
Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy told city commissioners in an April 23 teleconference meeting the city investigated 76 check-ins and 82 cases of vacation rental advertisements.
Murphy said 58% of the cases were found in compliance and another 20% were notified to comply.
Murphy said the city attempted to gain compliance in each case instead of immediately notifying the DBPR, but two rental properties were reported to the state.
“Reporting people isn’t necessarily the way you gain compliance,” he said. “Because you don’t know when (the state) is going to get around to it.”
Murphy suggested commissioners consider what restrictions they would want to keep in place after the state order expires.
He said commissioners could avoid an influx of vacationers by keeping his March 24 emergency order prohibiting new vacation rental reservations through June 30.
Other orders, expirations
Officials in the cities also must decide how to conduct public meetings following the expiration of the governor’s order easing the way for municipalities to use telecommunications.
The order suspended the requirement for a physical quorum to conduct public meetings and the three island cities began meeting over Zoom or other teleconference systems.
Murphy, in an April 23 email to The Islander, wrote that the city had not determined whether it would continue to hold meetings via telecommunications after the order’s expiration.
“Eventually we will return to normal, but not this week,” he said.
Chappie said Bradenton Beach would continue to comply with the state order, leaving unaddressed what happens with the pending expiration.
Titsworth said she would like to regain a sense of normalcy by June.
Also ahead are decisions about beach access.
County Commissioner Carol Whitmore, who lives in Holmes Beach, said at a meeting April 21 that the county should formulate a plan to lighten restrictions, including a strategy to eventually open public beaches. The county manages Bayfront Park in Anna Maria, Coquina Beach and Cortez Beach in Bradenton Beach and the Manatee Public Beach in Holmes Beach.
The county March 20 closed the parking lots at the county-run beaches.
The island cities further restricted beach access by limiting parking.
Titsworth said if the county reopened beaches, Holmes Beach still would restrict some parking to prevent an influx of beachgoers.
In Anna Maria, Murphy said, “The city commissioners and myself would evaluate many factors, all of which would be taken into consideration prior to making the city’s beach access points open to the public and/or adjusting our parking.”
Chappie said Bradenton Beach would follow the county’s directives regarding the beaches.
Parking? No parking
Based on a report distributed by Mayor Judy Titsworth, The Islander reported the city of Holmes Beach was reopening some beach parking the week of April 13.
The report stated the city would “be adding signage designating only the required beach access parking for federal beach renourishment funding. All other right-of-way parking will be designated no parking,” leading to the assumption there would be some parking available.
Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer told The Islander April 24 that parking on city rights of way, along city streets and at beach accesses remained closed.
“In the future, when we open the beaches, we will then place signs where parking will be allowed,” Tokajer said. “But that’s for the future, not for the present.”
Tokajer said the city voided about $350 in parking tickets due to the misunderstanding.