Waiting is the hard part.
But Manatee County’s prospects of docking the Gulf Islands Ferry service at the Anna Maria City Pier may have improved.
The mayor of Anna Maria is determined to bring the service to the city, but it’s still unclear when a deal between the county and the city will be struck.
Mayor Dan Murphy told commissioners Aug. 3 that, despite reservations with previous versions, he approves of the county’s revised interlocal agreement that would allow the Gulf Islands Ferry service to include the city pier on its route.
However, Murphy said the proposed changes to the city pier to accommodate the service are unacceptable.
The county has inked interlocal agreements with the cities of Bradenton and Bradenton Beach, but not Anna Maria despite almost a year of negotiations.
Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and the man tasked by the county to lead the ferry service efforts, initially told city officials that fare for island employees would be free.
The BACVB and the ferry service are funded by tourism tax dollars.
Affordable fare for island employees became a central part of city officials’ support for the venture since they hoped the service would provide a cost-effective alternative for island workers to commute to their jobs.
The city’s first proposed terms for the agreement included:
- Fares between Anna Maria and Bradenton to be subject to city commission approval;
- The county will shoulder legal liability for the ferry;
- The county is to cover the cost of any improvements needed at the city pier to accommodate the service, as well as the cost of maintaining those improvements.
After some back-and-forth, the county rejected many of the city’s proposed changes, including the provision giving fare approval to the city.
In March, the city limited its fare terms commission approval for island workers’ fares.
Many of the city’s other terms, such as requiring the county to pay the cost of improvements and maintenance, remained in its revised proposal.
However, the county’s latest revision, which was presented at the Aug. 3 city meeting again lacked some of the city’s terms.
The latest version of the agreement has six terms, which include:
- Any water ferry route must include the city pier for both departure and arrival from downtown Bradenton. Eliminating that route would constitute grounds for terminating the agreement;
- The county will ensure accessibility under the U.S. Americans with Disabilities Act, which guarantees access to public resources for disabled people, by constructing improvements to the city pier dock;
- The county will shoulder the cost of creating ADA-compliant dockage and subject the city to subsequent maintenance costs;
- The county will maintain legal liability of the ferry service, including that due to negligence or intentional acts by its operator;
- The county is to provide a detailed plan and costs, subject to city commission approval, for any required ADA-related improvements to the pier;
- The annual budget for the ferry service is subject to county commission approval and the annual budget for maintenance of ADA-related improvements falls to the city.
While Murphy said in July that the county’s proposed agreement was lacking, he said Aug. 3 that most of the city’s issues with the agreement had been resolved in the latest revision.
He said there were still issues, but the agreement was headed in the “right direction.”
“It’s the right thing to do. I just believe it’s in its infancy,” Murphy said. “And I don’t want to see it die. I strongly recommend that we give it serious consideration.”
Improvement plans
Nevertheless, the city can’t approve anything until the county hammers out its improvements plans, according to Murphy.
The county submitted plans to install a floating dock perpendicular to the pier’s existing boat landing, with railing along the edge of the T-end closest to the dock.
The proposed floating dock would be anchored with wooden piles and access would be through a gate with a lock where it connects to the pier landing.
The proposed improvements would cost about $300,000 and require permitting from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, according to Murphy.
City officials expressed displeasure with the county’s proposal, which Murphy said county engineers created without consulting the city.
“I hate this,” Commission Chair Mark Short said of the county’s proposed changes.
Several aspects of the proposal drew their ire, such as the floating dock’s wooden piles — the pier has reinforced concrete piles — a locked gate to secure the dock and the addition of a railing at the T-end.
Murphy said that the cost of such improvements should be kept to a minimum in case the city wants to terminate its agreement with the county.
He also said the county’s plans would require extensive permitting, which could delay the ferry launch, which is planned now to be at the end of the summer.
Murphy said he met Aug. 1 with Falcione and County Commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge and told them the county needed to submit new plans and keep it “short, simple and sweet.”
He recommended getting rid of the proposed floating dock and docking the water taxi along the pier’s existing landing, and/or modifying the ferries to accommodate the landing.
Murphy added that Van Ostenbridge directed Falcione to return to the city with a new proposal, but he had yet to see it.
“I expected to have a last, best agreement for you today, but we’re still waiting,” Murphy said. “I think it will come to fruition.”
There was no public comment.
The commission will meet next at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, at city hall, 10005 Gulf Drive.
Directions to attend the meeting via Zoom can be found on the city’s website, cityofannamaria.com.
More about the Gulf Islands Ferry service…
Manatee County has been working for years toward providing a water taxi service to increase multi-modal access to the island, where issues with roadway traffic continue to mound.
The service will feature two 50-foot catamarans operated by Clearwater-based Gulf Coast Water Taxi, which will staff each of the 49-passenger vessels with two crew members.
The county plans to initially operate 10:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Friday-Sunday, ferrying passengers between downtown Bradenton and the Anna Maria City Pier.
Future stops are planned for Bradenton Beach at Coquina Beach and the Historic Bridge Street Pier.
The initial trip — between Anna Maria and Bradenton — is estimated to take 35 minutes. A one-way trip will cost $5 for children ages 4-12 and $6 for people age 55 and up. Children under the age of 3 ride free.
Everyone else will pay $8 for a one-way ticket.
Passengers will be allowed to bring beach gear on the ferries with them, as well as service animals and “leashed, well-behaved pets … as long as they do not bother other guests,” according to a Gulf Islands Ferry fact sheet.
The service can also accommodate groups, as long as arrangements are made at least two weeks ahead by emailing kristi@gulfcoastwatertaxi.com.
The ferry service is “anticipated to launch later this summer,” according to a July 13 county news release.