With everything going smoothly in Holmes Beach, Mayor Judy Titsworth took a break from city business and attended the Mile 0 Fest, a premier festival that celebrates Red Dirt and Americana music in Key West with her twin, Jeannie Bystrom, and very likely lots of Holmes family members.
Titsworth chimed in with a fun photo, but didn’t say to share. Sorry.
In Anna Maria, Mayor Mark Short also took time for a vacation, with plans to return Feb. 3.
Before he left, he reported the temporary pier on the Tampa Bay waterfront adjacent to the Anna Maria City Pier — a project planned by the county to accommodate the Gulf Islands Ferry — was removed, although weather delayed the project.
We anticipate it will be completed next week, Short said.
The temporary pier was mostly constructed of barges.
But, according to Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, the temporary barges were removed via the state since they were no longer needed for hurricane recovery.
“We wanted to keep the barges in place until the mid-section of the Anna Maria City Pier was replaced but the rental cost of the barges was approximately $500k per month to lease,” he said in a Jan. 20 email to The Islander.
At this point, the water ferry will be a two-stop system, running between downtown Bradenton and the Historic Bridge Street Pier in Bradenton Beach.
Falcione added that the county is working with the Anna Maria mayor to support the replacement of the mid-section of the pier walkway, while also looking at other landing options on Anna Maria Island.
Short also noted the paver installation on Pine Avenue from North Shore to the west of Gulf Drive was set to begin Monday, Jan. 27.
And, he said in a Jan. 23 email, as far as the city pier is concerned, a request for proposals for demo work was issued but it will be a few weeks before it is contracted.
He said the city commission agreed Jan. 23 to change the times of commission meetings. The first meeting of the month will begin at 10 a.m., with the second meeting of the month beginning at 1 p.m. — changing from 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
He also said the city is taking applications for Citizen of the Year and the nomination form is available at the city’s website and its Facebook page.
Lastly, Short reported the city commission approved the hiring of Amber Larowe as city clerk. She is currently the city clerk for St. Pete Beach and she will start work in Anna Maria in late March.
City clerk and treasurer LeAnne Addy asked to narrow the scope of her duties to the treasurer and, when Larowe comes on board, Addy will step down as clerk.
Holmes Beach recovery progresses
In summary, Sage Kamiya, city engineer and public works director, said Jan. 24 in an email to The Islander that the city finished hauling the debris off city field.
Restoration of the field will continue next week.
Also, Kamiya noted, the city finished the stormwater improvement project at the 63rd Street boat ramp in the Seaside Gardens area. He said the project, including the installation of a tidal check valve near the boat ramp, will improve flooding conditions there.
According to Kamiya, the public works building also is nearing final renovation after flooding with nearly 4 feet of water from Hurricane Helene. He wrote, “Staff has diligently worked in and around this since the storm and are anxiously ready to get our office and work space back to normal!”