Manatee County will insist on payment by someone for the May 14 family picnic that is part of the Anna Maria City Pier Centennial Celebration at Anna Maria’s Bayfront Park.
The Anna Maria Island Privateers are hosting the picnic from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. that day and plans are to serve food and refreshments at the park’s main pavilion, leading up to the City Pier fireworks display at sunset.
The fireworks, sponsored by the City Pier Restaurant and The Islander newspaper, will be shot from a barge in the bay that will be positioned north of the pier and just offshore of the park.
Public works superintendent George McKay told members of the City Pier Centennial Committee at their Feb. 28 meeting that the county wants an estimated $630 in fees for the city’s use of Bayfront Park.
A spokesperson for Manatee County administrator Ed Hunzeker’s office said there would be “no waiver” of the fee, estimated at $630, even though the city owns Bayfront Park.
“The county has to pay all its fees and all municipalities have to pay their fees in these difficult economic times,” the spokesperson said.
To waive the fee for one municipality would set a precedent, the spokesperson indicated.
“We’re still negotiating,” McKay said. “But it may need a push on the political side” to get the fee waived.
Anna Maria Commissioner Jo Ann Mattick said it was “outrageous” that the city would have to pay to use its own park.
“I can’t believe this. The city owns the property, and I don’t see how they have the nerve to do that,” Mattick.
“It’s outrageous. This is a unique situation. Are we going to have to come to the county every 100 years and ask if we can rent our own park?” Mattick asked.
“With all the tax dollars (Anna Maria Island) pays to the county, you would think we could get a waiver. We pay about 20 percent of the county’s property tax revenues, yet we have only 2 percent of the (county) population. It’s getting ridiculous,” Mattick said.
Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore, who was not at the meeting, later said she would contact Anna Maria Mayor Mike Selby and the county parks and recreation department to see what she could do for the city, but could not make any promises.
“If it’s a waiver of the fee, it would have to be voted on by the (county) commission, but I’m happy to help,” said Whitmore, a former Holmes Beach mayor.
Manatee County Commissioner John Chappie, whose district includes Anna Maria, said he has put discussion of the fee on the county commission’s March 15 meeting agenda to determine if there is support for a fee waiver or reduction.
While Manatee County parks and recreation director Cindy Turner did not return phone messages, calls were referred to Hunzeker’s office.
Anna Maria leases Bayfront Park to the county for $1 a year. In return, the county is required to pay for all upkeep, maintenance and repair of the grounds and equipment, and ensure compliance with all city, state and federal regulations for the park and accompanying shoreline.
The reason for the fee is buried in the last paragraph of the article. Why? Seems to me AMI ought to take pride in the park by taking care of the upkeep rather than passing on that responsibility to a different govt. entity.