They’re keeping beaches spick-and-span — bathrooms, water and sand.
At a June 23 meeting at the Center of Anna Maria Island in Anna Maria, the Manatee County Tourist Development Council heard reports about custodial service improvements at public beaches, the utilization of algae-collecting boats to clean waterways and the history and status of the Anna Maria Island Historical Society, which is seeking TDC funding to revamp its facilities.
Parks operation manager Carmine DeMilio gave a presentation on the fruits of the county’s decision to terminate its relationship with a private sector custodial service in January and take cleaning services in-house.
Trash cans and bathrooms at island beaches that had been cleared out and cleaned infrequently and unsatisfactorily due to increasing visitor use in recent years are now properly maintained, DeMilio said.
His team implemented higher standards than the previous custodial service and can respond more quickly to safety concerns and damaged fixtures.
The county has received compliments about the cleanliness of beach facilities and restroom and clean up complaints have decreased by 90%, DeMilio said.
The property management department also is implementing an online lost-and-found service that will utilize QR codes posted on signs at island beaches.
Following the custodial presentation, DeMilio reported on two Weedoo environmental workboats purchased in October 2021.
The 11-foot boats — complete with hydraulic arms for lifting algae blooms and fallen trees from the water — are akin to floating skid-steer loaders.
The vessels can be used to skim the water for dead fish and detritus that builds up due to red tide and remove invasive plants from waterways.
To date, the county park’s maintenance division has employed the boats about 20 times at various locations, including Holmes Beach’s Kingfish Boat Ramp, DeMilio said.
The Weedoos are the latest addition to the county’s beach-and-park cleanup fleet, which includes three tractor-mounted sand rakes.
Anna Maria Island Historical Society board member Barbara Murphy and Doug Copeland, who served on the TDC and as an Anna Maria commissioner, gave a presentation on the nonprofit society at the behest of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, which is considering a partnership opportunity with the museum as early as August.
“Our third-party research would tell us that it’s beaches, food and history that are the top three appeals to visitors,” BACVB executive director Elliott Falcione said. “So, we asked Barbara (Murphy) to come and give us an update and then our team will work with them.”
Copeland chronicled the history of the organization, founded in 1991, telling the TDC that the historical society-run museum, 402 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, hosts 600-800 visitors a month.
In March, more than 1,000 visitors toured the museum for the annual Heritage Day celebration and, in 2021, the Anna Maria Chamber of Commerce named the organization its nonprofit business of the year.
“With increasing traffic at the museum due to the reopening of the (Anna Maria City) pier, the development of businesses, the Green Village, the soon-to-be Mote Marine complex, the reimagining of Pine Avenue project and, when Elliott (Falcione) launches the water taxi … the museum expects to serve more visitors than in the past,” Copeland said.
“I hope you can see what a valuable resource the Anna Maria Island museum has become for the community and an attraction for our visitors,” he said. “The questions become: How do we enhance it going forward to better serve the community and make it more attractive for our visitors?”
Tourism update
Consultant Anne Wittine briefed the council on tourism, telling members that in April, a record 99,900 people visited the county.
Compared to April 2019, a pre-pandemic reference time frame, visitation increased about 20%, while economic impact increased about 36%.
Wittine, a director of quantitative research at Research Data Services, reported an 8.2% increase in the number of short-term rental units in the area. Despite the uptick in supply, the average rental unit commanded about a 23% higher rate than it would have in April 2019.
Compared to 2019, the county experienced massive growth in the number of visitors from the Northeast, up 57.8%, and Midwest, up 72.4%.
The number of in-state visitors to the area was down 31.8% from 2021 levels, a trend Wittine said reflected post-pandemic normalization.
Preliminary May reports from rental property managers indicate rates and occupancy numbers continue to top 2019 and 2021 levels.
“We are hearing lots of great comments,” Wittine said. “Considering gas prices and all of the things that are going on, we are not hearing from property managers that that is affecting their summer business.”
Know your TDC’s
In addition to making “bed tax” revenue spending recommendations, the TDC — a nine-member volunteer group comprising elected officials, hospitality property owners and citizens involved in the tourism industry — advises the County Board on tourist development projects.
Members include County Commissioner Misty Servia, chair, Vernon DeSear, Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant, Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown, Ed Chiles, Eric Cairns, Jack Rynerson, Jiten Patel and Rahul Patel.