We are beginning the holiday recess and we are coming to the end of 2022. Now is a good time to look back at what’s been accomplished and, more importantly, now is a good time to look ahead at what’s to come.
Your Manatee County BOCC is starting to focus on the next two years with a new Board and a new set of ideas coming onto the dais. We’ve seen a major change in the Board of County Commissions these past two election cycles and that change is reflected in the priorities of the Board.
These past two years we’ve taken a hard run at workforce housing. ADU’s were finally passed as were expanded incentives such as half-dwelling units, modifications to Livable Manatee and a cut in costly regulations such as minimum parking ratios and setbacks.
We have cut your millage rate twice by a total of 0.5 mills; the largest two-year cut in recent memory, if not ever. We have further reduced the burden to the citizens’ pockets by ending our red light camera program and making all MCAT transit Fare Free for an 18-month pilot program.
The BOCC has focused on the future, and catching up where we’ve previously been lacking, by bonding nearly $250 million toward finally getting much-needed infrastructure projects underway. We’ve created a TIF district in Parrish to accelerate their downtown core investment, started Piney Point on a path to closure and finalized the long overdue contract with our hard working EMS team.
From right-sizing your government for efficiency to looking ahead at needed expansions in boat ramps, parks and trails to working ever closer with our municipalities toward the common goal of providing a better quality of life for everyone, this Board is moving our county forward.
Each Board member comes with their own priorities and focus. Looking ahead, my personal attention will once again be given to macro issues such as (a) future development, (b) workforce housing, (c) the Manatee County workforce, (d) our parks and trails and (e) our water and utility systems.
Future Development
Manatee County needs to finally acknowledge our comprehensive plan and future land use map are severely outdated. While they were well done at the time 30 years ago, they no longer reflect the current state of our county. We need to hire consultants, schedule public meetings and get these both up-to-date to better reflect the development that has occurred these past three decades and strategically plan for the future developments to come.
We also need to continue our partnership with City of Bradenton (and hopefully the City of Palmetto) to revitalize our downtown core markets. Creating incentives for in-fill, urban development will energize the downtown areas and steer development back west where services, employment and transit exist along major corridors.
Finally, we are about due to receive our updated impact fee study. This will be a major process for the BOCC in 2023 and it needs to better reflect the growth needs of our county.
Workforce Housing
We’ve been making great strides in our efforts to encourage and deliver workforce housing over the past two years. There is much more work to be done to ensure our teachers, first responders, young professionals and service workers can enjoy and remain in our shared community.
The BOCC will continue to work on our Veteran Housing initiatives as well as the development (finally) of a true Community Land Trust. Both of these projects have been seeing great progress and we’ll hopefully have more to share in the near future.
I will be working to correct our “density bonus” program to ensure it provides the right community benefits in exchange for the development benefits being granted. This will include in-lieu payments for additional density when developers elect not to provide the required housing and a close look at questionable programs such as the mixed-use bonus. Other programs to be looked at include transferable development rights and conservation easements out east for developable unit banks to ensure protection of surrounding lands.
Our Workforce
With changes in how people and companies are working, Manatee County needs to continue to focus on growing our higher-wage workforce and continue to provide the services needed for the future. We need to work even closer with our strong EDC and look to creating a regional employment market with Sarasota so that we can collectively compete with the larger counties to our north. A nearly one million person region with multiple universities, growing airport and deep-water seaport is much more attractive than a 400,000 person community when companies are assessing their relocation or expansion options.
We need to work with community organizations to encourage the retention and growth of our young professionals through education, mentorship programs and lifestyle options that will make our region desirable to these young, skilled workers. Having a talented workforce will make for a more dynamic economy and will further help in recruiting new employers.
We need to continue our efforts to expand high-speed broadband, not just to individual homes and businesses, but through mesh networks across our river walks, parks and outdoor areas to meet the needs of a more flexible work environment.
Finally, as the new Chair of the Seaport Manatee Port Authority, I will be working closely with the Port, the EDC and the county to better utilize this important economic driver and to continue seeking out better connectivity to the Port area. This is an under-tapped area to grow our wage base and diversity our economy.
Parks and Trail Systems
Manatee County has amazing outdoor parks and preserves but they are presently concentrated to the west and nearly entirely disconnected. We need to further develop and expand active recreation parks throughout the county as these provide a substantial quality of life benefit to everyone.
We have been working hard on finally breaking ground on the future east county Greenway Trail System. The plans are being finalized to allow for complete connectivity between Sarasota’s Legacy Trail and Hillsborough’s trail system to fill the present gap in the creation of a true regional system. As this progresses, we are working with various partners and the MPO to further develop east-west connectivity to allow for a countywide system for safe and efficient commuting, exercise and recreation.
Water and Utility Systems
As our representative board member for the Peace River Water Authority, I spend a considerable amount of time working with our utilities department looking to the future. We all know we have substantial growth in our region and our systems need to keep up to avoid future issues.
We as a board need to understand that the growth, maintenance and improvements to our current systems and services need to be monitored and funded before they become an issue, not after. To minimize environmental issues and create long-term savings, we need to get ahead of demand today. This may lead to tough decisions about funding but the long-term costs of ignoring it far outweigh the more reasonable costs of confronting it today.
We will be making many utility system decisions in 2023. We need to focus on the maintenance and expansion of our water supply. We need to focus on the upgrade and expansion of our sewer and wastewater systems. We need to look to the lift station issues we confronted during Hurricane Ian and see how we can harden them going forward. Finally, we will be assessing and finalizing our future waste hauler contract and determining the best options for the best rates for the county in order to continue providing quality service at the best price we can.
There is a lot to cover in 2023 but I believe this Board is up to the task. While I have my opinions and priorities, I am looking forward to hearing the opinions and priorities of my other board members once we come out of recess and hold our strategy work session.
More importantly, I’m looking forward to hearing the opinions and priorities of all of you. Beginning this year, I will be doing monthly townhalls throughout the county. I will be utilizing our library system as they are located in each district, which makes them more accessible to everyone. These will be informal opportunities to ask questions, give opinions or simply discuss whatever is on your mind or in the papers.
I have been working with our library staff to narrow down the small windows of availability between meeting space and schedules. Each townhall will begin at 6:00pm and will run for as long as you have questions or comments. Below is the finalized, confirmed schedule beginning at the South Manatee Branch Library on January 18th and ending with a start of summer recess meeting at Central Library in downtown Bradenton on June 21.
Come to one or come to all. I look forward to seeing you at one of our great library branches in 2023!
January 18, 2023
South Manatee Library
Bradenton, FL 34207
February 22, 2023
Island Library
Holmes Beach, FL 34217
March 22, 2023
Rocky Bluff Library
Ellenton, FL 34222
April 26, 2023
Braden River Library
Bradenton, FL 34203
May 10, 2023
Palmetto Library
Palmetto, FL 34221
June 21, 2023
Central Library
Bradenton, FL 34205
I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season and a very Happy New Year! Get some much needed rest because we’re set to have a busy year ahead. It has been great working with and for you all in 2022 and I look forward to getting back up on the dais to continue making Manatee County a great place to live, work and play in 2023 and beyond!
If you guys were really interested in hearing from the public, you wouldn't have gotten rid of call-in comments. Eliminating call-in comments forces those of us who are not retired or stay-at-home parents to have to either take time off or send a written comment that you will still probably ignore.