It’s time to phase into a new normal.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the first phase of his plan to reopen the state April 29, only a day before the Florida Department of Health reported 1,000 new positive cases of COVID-19.
There were 36,078 confirmed cases and 1,379 deaths reported in the state as of May 4, including 619 cases and 59 deaths in Manatee County. At least 20 people in the state died every day during the month of April.
DeSantis’ reopening plan included allowing elective surgeries to resume, as well as opening state parks, retail stores and restaurants. Such businesses are restricted to 25% capacity and restaurants must keep dining tables indoors and outdoors at least 6 feet apart to respect social distancing guidelines.
Schools, bars, hair salons and fitness centers remained closed in the governor’s first phase. Long-term care facilities remained closed to visitors.
The state’s safer-at-home order expired May 4, but limitations on certain nonessential businesses and activities are extended in phase 1. He also said gatherings of 10 or more people remained prohibited and encouraged residents to wear face masks in public.
The plan did not include Dade, Palm Beach and Broward counties, which DeSantis said were operating on a different timeline than the rest of the state.
Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy expressed gratitude for residents’ cooperation during the state’s safer-at-home order in an April 30 email to The Islander.
“The city officials, the staff and our (Manatee County Sheriff’s Office) deputies of Anna Maria thank our residents and business owners for having been so cooperative, creative and adaptive in accepting the changes to our laid-back lifestyle,” Murphy wrote.
The mayor said the state’s 25% capacity restriction on restaurants and retail stores would be enforced similarly to how the city has enforced the state restrictions on vacation rentals.
“Much of this will be self-enforced by the business owners or, if that fails, on a code enforcement complaint-driven basis,” Murphy wrote. “We have great confidence in both our business owners and residents that they will continue to do what is right and comply.”
People who witness violations of the state’s orders in Anna Maria can email a complaint to code enforcement manager Debbie Haynes at depclerk@cityofannamaria.com.
Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth wrote in an April 30 email to The Islander that code enforcement officers and the Holmes Beach Police Department would handle efforts to enforce the state order.
However, she did not detail how they would complete the task. In the past several weeks, HBPD officers and code enforcement employees have monitored known vacation rental properties for potential violations.
Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie did not respond to an April 30 email, as well as a phone call and text message May 1 from The Islander.
Vacation rental restrictions
Another part of DeSantis’ plan to reopen included addressing vacation rental activity.
DeSantis’ March 27 executive order prohibiting vacation rental activity and advertisements was set to expire May 1, but he extended it for the duration of the first phase of his reopening plan. He did not provide a timeline for when the second phase would be released, but said April 29 that it could be weeks.
The state order prohibits new vacation rental reservations and check-ins of fewer than 30 days, as well as restricts advertisements of availability. Violators may be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor and vacation rental property owners may have their licenses with the DBPR revoked.
Hotels, motels, inns and resorts are excluded from the order.
Titsworth said short-term rental restrictions should be considered on a weekly basis.
“I look to the health official to give me this direction which is why it needs to be reconsidered on a weekly basis,” Titsworth said.
Titsworth enacted an executive order prohibiting vacation rental check-ins and advertising through May 7. The state order supersedes the city’s for its duration, but the city order remained in place.
One violator of the state order was identified April 27 in Holmes Beach, according to a HBPD police report. The renting party, as well as the owners of the rental, were issued notices to appear in court and reported to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
So far, five violations of the state order have been identified in the city since its enactment.
In Anna Maria, Murphy said his city had gained compliance from most violators of the state order without penalties and only issued notices to appear in court and reported violators to the state as a last resort.
He said two violators failed to comply with the city and were given notices to appear in court and reported to the DBPR.
Murphy did not state a preference for when vacation rental restrictions should end.
However, the mayor previously said that if DeSantis dropped the state order, the city could avoid an influx of renters by keeping his March 24 emergency order prohibiting new vacation rental reservations through June 30.
While Murphy’s order remained in place, he said the state’s extended order superseded his. So, the city’s emergency order would take a backseat for the duration of the state’s order.
In Bradenton Beach, police Lt. John Cosby told city commissioners at an April 28 meeting there were no vacation rental issues to report and the situation remained “pretty much status quo.”
In other developments, a couple of Anna Maria commissioners suggested the city encourage residents and service industry people to wear face coverings.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in its guidelines, has recommended face coverings in public and some U.S. municipalities, including Indiantown in Florida, have enacted policies requiring residents to wear face masks in public.
Murphy said he was not considering such a policy but at a May 1 commission meeting, two commissioners asked that the city urge people to wear protective gear.
Commissioner Mark Short said since restaurants could reopen some dining May 4, the city should urge businesses to encourage face masks.
However, he added, an executive order requiring the practice would be unnecessary.
Commission Chair Carol Carter said that while the health department reported no COVID-19 cases in the city as of May 3, many workers reside off the island. Countywide, the rate of positive cases was 15.7%. — above the state average.
“We have a lot of people coming and going that work in those restaurants and retail establishments,” Carter said.
Titsworth said she urged Holmes Beach residents to wear face masks in public, but did not address whether city policy should require their use.
County measures
Not everything is about the beach.
County commissioners unanimously voted April 28 to modify meeting procedures to allow both physical and digital quorums for public meetings so they can continue to use telecommunications technology such as Zoom to meet during the COVID-19 pandemic and other emergencies.
Commissioners also unanimously voted to write Gov. Ron DeSantis asking him to lower the population threshold for governments to receive emergency funding under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
The CARES Act requires a municipality to have a population of at least 500,000 people, which leaves Manatee County — with 403,253 residents — just short of claiming emergency funds for coronavirus countermeasures.
— Ryan Paice