Anna Maria Islanders’ battle against the potential consolidation of their three municipalities continues to rage on.
While many have spoken out via petition and protest, Holmes Beach Commission Chair Terry Schaefer delivered his message May 15 directly to state Sen. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton.
Rep. Will Robinson Jr., R-Bradenton, proposed last year for the Manatee County legislative delegation — which includes Boyd — commission a Florida Office of Program Policy and Government Accountability study into the potential consolidation of the three island municipalities.
Boyd and the delegation unanimously backed Robinson’s proposal.
OPPAGA has been working on the study since last November and completion is expected by July.
In the meantime, islanders like Schaefer have been voicing opposition to potential consolidation — but Schaefer got access to one of the legislators behind the study.
Schaefer said he hoped to get 20 minutes with Boyd at a May 15 meeting at the senator’s Bradenton office but they ended up talking for about 40 minutes.
“We had a very open, candid and — I believe — productive meeting,” Schaefer said. “I really appreciated his demeanor during the meeting.”
Schaefer said they first went over the history of the city’s conflicts with Manatee County over municipal parking changes and the lead-up to the ongoing consolidation study.
He informed Boyd about the city’s parking enhancements over the last couple of years, which consist of mapping and marking almost every roadside public parking space with signed ropes and bollards to better identify those spots to motorists.
Boyd committed to visiting the city to check out the improvements, according to Schaefer.
“I invited him to come out and take a look for himself, just so he could see what the city has done and what the city is prepared to do if it’s necessary to further improve parking,” Schaefer said.
One of the most controversial aspects of the OPPAGA study is that its results will be provided to state legislators but not the public.
OPPAGA is exempt from Florida’s Government Under the Sunshine Law, which guarantees public access to most government documents and meetings.
That means it will be up to state legislators to share the OPPAGA report on its completion.
Schaefer said they did not speak about whether Boyd would share the report with the public.
Nevertheless, Schaefer said he walked away happy with the meeting.
“I had a very positive feeling after the meeting that we have an open, and hopefully more productive, dialogue with the senator,” he said.
People can learn more about how to oppose island consolidation on the “Save Florida Home Rule” Facebook page.
The page also provides prewritten letters of opposition ready to print and deliver to Boyd and Robinson.
Such letters also can be found at the Anna Maria Island Coffee Shack, 5500 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, which will collect signed letters for future delivery.