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VOL 23 No. 42
June 14, 2023
Water taxi agreement disappoints Anna Maria officials
The Anna Maria City Pier cannot be used as a water taxi stop without a city commission-approved interlocal agreement. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
CINDY LANE | SUN
The Anna Maria City Pier is now in question as a water taxi stop location.
SEE WATER TAXI, PAGE 22
Condo inspection bill signed into law
The new state law requires condo owners to share in the structural inspection and structural repair costs. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed into law new state legislation that will impact condominium associations and owners. On June 9, DeSantis signed the legislation recently adopted by the Florida Legislature as Senate Bill 154 and House Bill 1395. Taking effect on July 1, the new law requires structural inspections of all condominium buildings three or more stories in height and at least 30 years old by Dec. 31, 2024 and again every 10 years thereafter.
In accordance with the Florida Building Code, the inspection requirement includes the most common type of condominium building on Anna Maria Island - three-story buildings with two elevated living levels and ground level parking below. The new law builds upon the state law previously created in 2022 with the adoption of Senate Bill 4-D. The legislation adopted in 2022 and 2023 is in response to the partial collapse of the 12-story Champlain Towers South condominium building in Surfside that killed 98 people in 2021. The new law applies to all qualifying condominium buildings in Florida regardless of location and it deletes the 25-year inspection requirement
SEE BILL, PAGE 21
Holmes Beach residents organize to fight garage A new effort dubbed Paradise Lost is bringing new resources to residents and city leaders fighting against a beachfront parking garage. BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com
HOLMES BEACH – A new effort is rising to fight a Manatee Countyand state-led plan to build a parking garage at Manatee Beach. The effort is being led by a group of concerned city and county residents who hope to convince state legislators to abandon House Bill 947, the local bill backed by Rep. Will Robinson Jr. to circumvent the city’s building regulations and land devel-
burger with a twist on Fathers' Day! 19
Anna Maria Island, Florida
opment code to allow a 1,500-plus space parking garage to be built at the county-owned property located in Holmes Beach. The bill passed votes in both the Florida House and Senate without opposition. As of press time for The Sun it had not been presented to Gov. Ron DeSantis for consideration. Legislators have until June 30 to present the bill. If the bill doesn’t get presented, it dies along with Manatee County commissioners’ immediate plans for the garage. If it is presented and DeSantis signs or ignores it, the bill becomes law upon signing or on July 1, whichever happens first. If he vetoes it, the bill goes back to the House for consideration during the next regular session.
SEE GARAGE, PAGE 24
APPLY FOR a sea turtle lighting grant
TREAT DAD to a
Page 21
ANNA MARIA – Mayor Dan Murphy and the city commission are not yet willing to sign a proposed interlocal agreement that would allow Manatee County to use the City Pier as a water taxi stop. The county hopes to start its Friday, Saturday and Sunday water taxi service using two covered pontoon boats shuttling between downtown Bradenton and Anna Maria Island this summer. The proposed route for the county-funded service includes multiple stops per service day at the City Pier, the floating dock next to the Bradenton Beach Pier and the Coquina South boat ramp in Bradenton Beach. During the June 8 city commission meeting, Murphy said he recently received the county’s latest draft of the interlocal agreement, which City Attorney Becky Vose had already briefly analyzed.
The Island’s award-winning weekly newspaper
for your beachfront condo. 11
NEW PARKING SPACES under Tingley
Library considered. 4
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