Holmes Beach and Manatee County have been in a kerfuffle for more than a year over parking restrictions in the island city.
Now, city and county officials plan to talk through issues that led to the conflict.
City commissioners reached consensus Jan. 25 to approve agenda items for a workshop with county officials to discuss intergovernmental issues, such as parking restrictions on residential streets.
The city implemented a park-by-permit system in the summer of 2020 to reduce parking along some residential streets when people flooded the local beaches as many other beaches in the state remained closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, soon after becoming elected in November 2020, County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge swore to withhold renourishment funds — and all other funding — from the city if it didn’t reverse the parking changes.
After much back-and-forth, county commissioners scheduled a Jan. 4 joint meeting with city officials to discuss the issue, but city commissioners balked at the date. They voted to postpone the meeting to March or April to take ample time to prepare.
The city compiled a list of items to discuss, including:
- County funding for beach patrol;
- Use of tourist development taxes;
- Adjustments to the county’s plans to redevelop Kingfish Boat Ramp;
- Funding from the West Coast Inland Navigational District for a full-time water patrol officer;
- Restoration of local water quality by seeding filter-feeding marine life, like clams and oysters;
- Dredging channels clogged with silt;
- Using American Rescue Plan Act money to fund new communication radios for Holmes Beach police officers.
Mayor Judy Titsworth said she also expects discussion on a county proposal to revise an interlocal agreement with the city to increase the required number of city-provided beach parking spaces from 500 to 1,000-1,200 — or “whatever magical number they decide they deserve.”
“They’re not happy that we finally have limits. They want us to still be an unlimited parking lot for everyone to use, but it’s obvious that we can’t for safety and public health,” she said.
Titsworth said the city is required by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to provide 324 beach parking spaces to receive renourishment funding.
“We don’t need any more parking. We’re already at capacity for what our beach can handle and the resources that our beach provides,” Commissioner Jayne Christenson agreed. “We’re going to destroy it if we add more people.”
Titsworth said she hopes all five commissioners will speak at the meeting to show solidarity.
“I would love for everybody here to be prepared to speak so they know we’re a united front,” Titsworth said.
A joint workshop is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, March 1, at the Manatee County Administration Building, 1112 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton, but Titsworth suggested the city request another postponement if it does not receive the county’s agenda items ahead of the meeting.
Council of governments to tackle water taxi, ‘hot topics’
The Manatee County Council of Governments was set to navigate discussions on a water taxi and Holmes Beach “hot topics.”
The meeting was set for 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 1, after The Islander went to press, at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, 1 Haben Blvd., Palmetto.
The council consists of county elected officials, as well as from island and mainland municipal governments.
People can watch the meeting on cable TV, as well as on mymanatee.org and they can participate via Zoom.
The agenda includes: city of Holmes Beach hot topics, affordable housing, school district capital projects and an update on a proposed water taxi between the mainland and the island communities.
Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth will open the meeting and welcome attendees.
The next council meeting will be Tuesday, May 3, also at the convention center.
— Lisa Neff