In Anna Maria, the mayor is on vacation and Vice Mayor Charlie Salem, chairman of the commission, filled The Islander in on the current activities.
Salem noted that the first phase of the Pine Avenue Restoration project began with pavers being laid for the meandering sidewalk.
He said that the geotechnical work on the city pier is continuing and, at City Pier Park, the contractor poured the footers for a shade sail for the playground.
Salem also said in a Jan. 30 email to The Islander that the city has completed paving on the side roads, where the road base caved in as a result of the hurricanes in 2024.
In Holmes Beach, Mayor Judy Titsworth emailed The Islander Jan. 30 with “good news.”
She said, “Things are going great with the county. George and Tal have been great to work with, referring to districtwide Commissioner George Kruse and District 3 Commissioner Tal Siddique, whose district includes AMI. She said Siddique keeps her informed on items coming up on the county agenda that might impact us. “It has been years since we have had a representative looking out for the best interests of our citizens and I appreciate his hard work.”
Titsworth also said she’d been in conversation with Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, which oversees the Gulf Islands Ferry, and they are looking at adding a ferry stop at Kingfish Boat Ramp.
“Falcione asked if I had any objections and I told him I believe that Kingfish Boat Ramp is really the only location in our city that could accommodate this use and, as long as it doesn’t displace the local boaters who rely on this boat ramp, then I am all in,” the mayor wrote.
Titsworth added that she anticipates this added use for Kingfish is in the works at the county for future site plan consideration by the Holmes Beach city commission.
“I am so pleased that Kingfish Boat Ramp is back open after repairs were made due to damage sustained by both Helene and Milton. This was a huge effort and I thank the county for getting this done as quickly as possible,” she said.
Also from Holmes Beach, Sage Kamiya, city engineer and public works director, reported in a Jan. 30 email that in the past week the city completed debris removal at city field and restoration was underway.
I visited Anna Maria Island June of last year and had a great vacation, so relaxing and will be coming back. The article said the mayor of Anna Maria Island is on vacation which is funny to me considering in my eyes you are living a vacation! 😃. I live in Michigan where it’s cold 8 months of the year. And yes I ask myself every winter why I live here haha.