By Rachel Brown Hackney A 12th Judicial Circuit Court judge dismissed a verified complaint the Siesta Key Association (SKA) filed against the City of Sarasota in early 2017, seeking to stop the dredging of Big Sarasota Pass to renourish about Read More
Sgt. Mruczek now Lt. Mruczek — and off the Key
By Rachel Brown Hackney During the October 2016 meeting of the Siesta Key Association (SKA), members greeted Sgt. Jason Mruczek, the new leader of the Siesta Key substation of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. As a deputy, Mruczek had worked Read More
Sarasota County voters will decide on Nov. 6 whether commission-proposed changes to citizen-initiated petition drives for Charter amendments become law
By Rachel Brown Hackney All eight speakers during an Aug. 29 public hearing argued against changes the Sarasota County Commission has proposed for the section of the county Charter that governs citizen-initiated petition drives. Nonetheless — with the addition of Read More
Casey Key couple wins Class II Emergency Variance to stabilize deteriorating cabana on the beach while they seek permanent solution to the situation
By Rachel Brown Hackney SarasotaNewsLeader.com It took just under 24 minutes on June 12 for the Sarasota County Commission to grant a Class II Emergency Variance to a Casey Key couple so they could stabilize a cabana at risk Read More
Public and developers should work to reach common ground on issues, such as environmental protection, Commissioner Moran tells SKA members
By Rachel Brown Hackney SarasotaNewsLeader.com One of Sarasota County’s newest commissioners has encouraged members of the public interested in protecting the environment and promoting positive growth in the community to work with developers to reach common ground. Commissioner Michael Moran Read More
Food trucks finally get relaxed regulations
By Rachel Brown Hackney SarasotaNewsLeader.com With changes having been made at their request in October, the Sarasota County commissioners on Nov. 8 unanimously approved a revised food truck ordinance that will eliminate restrictions between the mobile units and between the Read More
County Commission to vote on local mangrove ordinance
The shift in jurisdiction would take effect Nov. 1 if approved By Roger Drouin Sarasota County is continuing to pursue a change that would transfer jurisdiction from the state to the county in matters of mangrove trimming and monitoring throughout Read More
County staff’s failure to comply with direction for inlet management strategy leads to board concerns about revising policy
By Rachel Brown Hackney SarasotaNewsLeader.com Sarasota County never completed a beach and inlet management strategy — including an assessment of the nature and extent of coastal erosion and monitoring of the effectiveness of beach restoration initiatives — in spite of Read More
Sarasota County does not have enough hurricane shelters, the County Commission learns June 16, 2016
by Rachel Brown Hackney www.SarasotaNewsLeader.com Emergency Management staff continues to seek out potential locations, including private property Sarasota County does not have a sufficient number of hurricane shelters to handle all the people who might have to evacuate their homes Read More
Palms May be Tops with Tourists, but not all Locals Agree
By Robert Frederickson “I think that I shall never see A poem as lovely as a tree…” -Joyce Kilmer With all due respect to Mr. Kilmer, some Siesta Key residents might add this caveat to that sentiment: It depends Read More