Cleanups need funding, too.
The Manatee County Tourist Development Council, meeting Oct. 18 at the county administration building in Bradenton, unanimously voted to recommend county commissioners approve funding to hire five full-time custodians to collect trash, repair picnic tables and keep restrooms clean and stocked at local beaches.
Currently temporary staff work at the two county beaches — Manatee Public Beach in Holmes Beach and Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach.
“When you have temps, you are just constantly training,” said Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
He suggested the TDC recommend the county approve tourist tax funding to hire five custodians.
Carmine DeMilio, the county’s park operations manager, attended the meeting to present the request.
His outline detailed the need: “We outsource our night restroom cleaning. …The work hours are 9:30 p.m.-6 a.m. The contracted services are not getting the job done and are certainly not meeting our standards. …Our residents and visitors deserve better. Restroom cleaning and trash removal is a dirty job but someone has to do it.”
But the TDC members didn’t need convincing.
“You don’t ever have enough people ever to clean high traffic areas,” said TDC vice chair Vernon DeSear, CEO of the Manatee Memorial Foundation.
DeSear motioned to make the recommendation and island member Ed Chiles seconded.
“I think this is a most worthy recommendation,” Chiles said. “With a permanent staff, you’re going to have more consistency.”
The new staffing, if authorized by county commissioners, would work at the Manatee and Coquina beaches, as well as Bayfront Park in Anna Maria and along the Palma Sola Causeway to “provide clean, safe and aesthetically pleasing restrooms and grounds.”
The TDC recommended county commissioners approve $416,213 for fiscal year 2021-22 and $348,214 for fiscal year 2022-23. The budget for this year already included $100,000 for custodial services, which could be applied to the new custodial program.
In other matters at the meeting:
- During public comment, Karen Riley-Love, owner of AMI Beach Weddings and founder of the Anna Maria Island Wedding Association, spoke about the importance of destination weddings to the area’s tourism industry.
Riley-Love, a contributor to The Islander, said trends suggest 2022 could be record-setting year for celebrating love — with destination weddings, vow renewals, honeymoons and celebrations of weddings that occurred in 2020 or 2021.
- Falcione offered sympathy to Liz Andricks, who works in the local hospitality industry at A Paradise Realty, and her family.
Andricks’ son, Timothy, 31, was fatally shot Oct. 12 in Bradenton. Law enforcement arrested Nicholas Koontz, 23, of Bradenton, who faces a charge of second-degree murder.
Falcione said, “Let’s just love on each other. It is easier said than done. …But if we can focus on that in our daily walk. And please, keep Liz and her family in your thoughts.”
- TDC officials reviewed stats and marketing plans.
The next meeting of the TDC, which recommends to the county board the spending from the 5% resort tax on accommodations of six months or less, will be at 9 a.m. Monday, Dec. 13, at the Center of Anna Maria Island, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria.
About the TDC
The TDC includes County Commissioner Misty Servia as chair, vice chair Vernon DeSear, Ed Chiles, Eric Cairns, Jack Rynerson, Jiten Patel, Rahul Patel, Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown and Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant.
For more information about the TDC, call Monica Luff at 941-729-9177 or email monica.luff@bacvb.com.