Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth called in her report to The Islander July 11.
She was in her car and delighted to be taking time off from city hall to drive to the mainland to buy supplies to clean her home, which she was only able to move back into that day.
That’s right, the mayor and wife of a contractor had to wait almost 10 months to have her home remediated and remodeled after last year’s two hurricanes.
And it’s been that tough for a lot of folks across Anna Maria Island, in Cortez and beyond since Hurricane Helene flooded the island with saltwater and brown muck and Milton blew away so much of in its path.
Titsworth’s home is situated on a private road on the bayfront behind Waterline Resort.
It had a famous Southern rock musician as its owner back in 1978-81 — Gregg Allman. And some of us longtime islanders recall the days when Allman called Holmes Beach home.
His son Elijah Blue caught the school bus with my kids and Gregg was kind enough once to stop by my daughter’s soccer team carwash at Huffine’s service station — where Jessie’s Island Store and gas station are now. I recall he drove over in his black Corvette and gave the soccer girls a $100 — and asked that they “not” wash his car.
Apparently, he was protective of the car’s finish.
Back to earth, Titsworth said she’s looking forward to attending Commissioner Dan Diggins’ June 15 town hall — after press time for The Islander — 5:30-7:30 at the Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach.
Diggins said June 11 that he wanted to hear from constituents on city taxes, the budget and stormwater tax and improvement plans — and whatever might be on their minds.
Finally, Titsworth said she’s committed to imposing sign regulations on the beach, where businesses that rent cabanas are staking out claims on prime spots near beach accesses with unattended cabanas, hoping someone contacts them to rent the cabanas at the spec locations.
In Anna Maria, Mayor Mark Short emailed The Islander July 11 with news that the “demo work on the pier is complete, another step in the right direction as we work towards the rebuild.”
He also noted that the city’s request for proposals for the construction of a new pier walkway is expected to be released by the end of next week.
In other news, at a July 10 meeting, commissioners adopted an ordinance regarding garden tools and holes on the beach.
“Our ordinance aligns with the county and Holmes Beach in that no garden tools are permitted and holes cannot be more than 1 foot deep,” Short said.
Also at that meeting, Waste Management made a request for the city to amend its existing contract.
Short said WM wants the city to change the collection schedule, which currently provides for trash, recycling and yard debris collection on Mondays. On Thursdays, trash is picked up again.
WM would like, effective Oct. 1, to collect yard debris on Mondays, trash on Tuesdays and Fridays, and half the city to recycle on Tuesdays and half on Fridays.
Short said the commission will discuss the request at its next meeting on July 24.
— Bonner Joy