Newsletter 94

NEWS FROM THE SUNCOAST

EXPERTS CALLED TO WATER SUMMIT

A summit hosted by the county to address issues afflicting local waterways and what it’s doing to reduce pollution in the watersheds is set for June, the county recently announced. The summit, which will address efforts the county and surrounding jurisdictions have made to create cleaner water, as well as ongoing efforts to reduce water pollution and toxic red tide, comes after the area faced the longest documented toxic red tide event since the 1940’s, according to Florida’s Fish & Wildlife Commission officials. To read more on this story, courtesy of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, please click here: Water Summit in June

MOTE, FGCU TEAM UP TO STUDY RED TIDE

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium and Florida Gulf Coast University signed an agreement recently to start a partnership that addresses impacts of harmful algal blooms to Florida’s environment, economy and quality of life. The memorandum of understanding sets the framework for future collaboration on an issue that pummeled the region last year with a widespread red tide bloom that lasted 18 months. Mote and FGCU will collaborate on: Improved understanding of dynamics and forecasting of harmful algal blooms; developing effective and ecologically-sound mitigation technologies to decrease the adverse effects of harmful algal blooms; and joint appointments of instructional and research faculty for undergraduate and graduate courses, procurement of funding for research and implementation of cooperative research projects. Click here if you want to read more: Mote, FGCU Team Up

WASTE IN THE WATER

More than 900,000 gallons of raw sewage flowed into Sarasota Bay after a violent December storm forced open a city pipe. Summer rain in Daytona Beach and equipment failure in Jacksonville each prompted more than a quarter-million gallons of human waste to spill from sewers last year. In Boca Raton, a pressurized pipe gushed out nearly 50,000 gallons of untreated wastewater, while another 55,000 gallons spewed from a DeFuniak Springs manhole into nearby Bruce Creek. These sewage spills are emblematic of failing waste-water systems across Florida, which is grappling with aging infrastructure and no clear solutions for finding a fix. Please follow the jump for more on this story: Sewer Crisis

RELIEF AT LIDO

An emergency project to replenish the rapidly diminishing shoreline at Lido Beach with more sand is complete. The city recently wrapped up an emergency renourishment project that started last November and added an average of 40 to 80 feet of shoreline to parts of critically eroded Lido Beach. The project used approximately 205,000 cubic yards of sand from New Pass to protect structures including the Lido Beach Pool & Pavilion from the Gulf of Mexico, which posed a serious threat to the popular tourist destination. The project cost of $3.9 million was shared by the city, Sarasota County, the state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. There’s more on this story here: Lido Beach

FOCUS ON SARASOTA GROWTH

In case you didn’t notice, construction activity remains rampant in the city of Sarasota, especially in and around the downtown area. The city’s first quarter 2019 "Development Report" identifies 84 projects either under construction, in development or completed within the last 12 months. Thirteen new projects were added this quarter to the 24-page report, some of which are still in the talking or planning stages. The city says 48 projects are in development, 29 are under way and 7 were recently finished. All of the completed and new developments citywide are expected to add 1,416 apartments, 1,860 condos or townhomes. 1,297 hotel rooms and 748,597 square feet of commercial space. Click here for more: Sarasota Growth

HARNESSING THE SUN IN MANATEE

Florida Power & Light Co. recently unveiled plans to build another mega-solar project in Manatee County. FPL’s drive to hasten the closure of two 1970s-era-fossil-fuel generation units and modernize now features the construction of the world’s largest solar-powered battery system – four times the capacity of the largest battery system in operation. The future FPL Manatee Energy Storage Center will have 409 megawatts of capacity – the equivalent of approximately 100 million iPhone batteries, the company stated in the announcement. The utility plans to begin serving customers in late 2021, and the stored energy will come from an existing and neighboring FPL solar power plant in Mantee County. There’s more here: Manatee Solar

VACATION RENTAL FIGHT FLARES UP

State leaders are looking to take away the authority of cities and counties to regulate vacation rentals, a preemptive push that is strong opposed by many local officials. Single-family homes that are rented out for a week or two – have been a hot-button issue for years in many Florida beach communities, including those in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Neighbors often complain about noise, trash and other problems from the rental homes, and many local governments have enacted ordinances aimed at reining in short-term vacation rentals. Click on the link for more: Vacation Rentals

PSST: LIFE IS GOOD HERE

Sarasota ranks as one of the top places to live in the United States, and is the highest-ranked Florida city, according to a new list compiled by U.S. News & World Report. The publication ranked the 125 largest metropolitan areas and found that life’s good in Sarasota, placing the city at No. 18 overall and ahead of every other city in the Sunshine State. Austin was ranked at No.1. Please click here for more on this story: Sarasota is Best