As Sarasota County Commissioners continue to entertain redistricting this year, a growing number of elected officials in cities cast shade on the plan.

“It’s spending taxpayer money to accomplish, evidently, their own goals,” says North Port City Commissioner Jill Luke.

She wants the North Port Commission to send a letter to county commissioners asking for redistricting to be delayed until after the 2020 Census. Otherwise, the already political process will hurt trust within the public.

Sarasota County Commissioner Nancy Detert pushed for an immediate redistricting in response to passage of Single-Member Districts, asserting if voters start electing commissioners only within their own commission district, the county needs to make sure the districts are nearly the same population.

But critics say that’s a way to get around the single-member district and allow commissioners to choose their own constituencies in advance of the 2020 elections. Redistricting will take place again in 2021 regardless, when county officials get official census numbers instead of state estimates.

The Venice City Council this week already voted to send a letter to commissioners demanding they stop the early redistricting plan now. 

Mayor John Holic said it’s a waste of resources to hire a consultant to estimate county population when the Census Bureau will provide a more accurate count in less than two years. But he also stressed the redistricting fiasco was already disrupting local politics.

“Very few people can file for the next election because they don’t know the district where they are going to be living,” he says. “This is a great way to keep people out of the county process and make sure someone is selected who they want to fill the position.”

Not every Venice Council member supported sending a letter. Councilman Bob Daniels worries the move will fray already strained relations between city ad county government. “I don’t know how this will be viewed,” he says. “It could be just another thing we are asking for, and the list we have already is pretty long.”

Luke, though, applauded Venice for taking action and hopes other cities like her own do the same. The process looks transparently like a snub of the will of voters, she says. In fact, county commissioners might save their own political skin if they “heed our warning,” Luke says.

“If you look at single-member districts, 60 percent voted for it,” she says. “And the support for this was all over the county. They may be hurting themselves if they do something like this.” 

Although "Savor Sarasota" may be nearly over, at Ophelia's on the Bay- it's only just begun. Sarasota Foodie's favorite summer food phenomenon will be ending on the 14th but Ophelia's has extended their promotion through the end of September. Offering a variety of seafood, meat, and vegetarian options; the menu provides visitors with a 3 course meal ranging from a plethora of delectable island flavors and seafood classics with a modern twist. Whether you're in the mood for a fresh filet of coconut and macadamia-encrusted mahi mahi or craving a rack of orange blossom honey bbq ribs, Ophelia's dedication to offering only the freshest ingredients (Florida-grown fruit and vegetables and international seafood flown in daily) is apparent throughout their Savor Sarasota menu specials. And if you have room for any more, don't forget to satisfy a sweet tooth with Executive Pastry Chef Josh Draken’s sumptuous silky bourbon island vanilla bean panna cotta. 

Ophelia's on the Bay is a member of Nosh, SRQ magazine's content marketing program for local restaurants. 

Ophelia's on the Bay | 9105 Midnight Pass Road, Siesta Key | (941) 349-2212

Ophelia's on the Bay

The Venice City Council approved a zoning amendment that gave a green light to Sarasota Memorial’s development plans for its new Venice hospital. The 65-acre site at the intersection of Laurel and Pinebrook roads near I-75 had been zoned for a shopping center. With this vote, the City Council unanimously approved SMH’s request to allow a hospital and related health care facilities to be built on the site. The health system broke ground on the hospital campus in April and obtained permits to begin land clearing and deep foundation work. On May 7, the Planning Board approved SMH’s site and development plans pending approval of the zoning amendment.

Construction is expected to take two and a half years with a total project cost of $437 million. The initial development covers 48 acres on the eastern side of the parcel and includes: a five-story, 365,000-square-foot hospital, with 110 private rooms and 28-bed emergency center; a two-story, 60,000-square-foot medical office building; related support structures and service area; and an adjacent parking garage and surface parking lots. The hospital will offer a full array of medical and surgical care, including: Cardiology Unit/Catheterization Lab; Critical Care/Intensive Care Unit; Emergency Care; Labor & Delivery/Post-Partum Unit; Laboratory/Diagnostic Testing; Oncology; Orthopedics;; Imaging/Radiology; Urology and more.

The campus is expected to generate hundreds of jobs during construction, and more than 500 employees will work at the facility when it opens. For architectural renderings, building animation and more information, visit the website below. 

SMH-Venice Updates

The Florida Veterinary Medical Association’s (FVMA) 2019 Veterinarian of the Year Award was presented to Bradenton’s Dr. Terry Clekis on May 17 at the 90th FVMA Annual Conference in Tampa. Last year in October 2018, Dr. Clekis and his disaster relief team deployed to the Florida Panhandle after Hurricane Michael to provide aid and assistance to victims of the storm. He showed outstanding leadership, service and dedication to the veterinarians and animals that were impacted.

Clekis is a 1983 graduate of the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. He purchased Braden River Animal Hospital in Bradenton in 2002 and later opened North River Animal Hospital in Parrish in 2017. Involved with the FVMA, Clekis has been chairing the Disaster Preparedness Committee since 2010 and a member of the Florida Veterinary Corps since 2013. In 2007, the FVMA awarded him the Gold Star Award. Clekis is also a board member of the Southeast Guide Dog Association, the Manatee County Humane Society and the American Heartworm Society. 

Braden River Animal Hospital

The Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority, operator of the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) has updated existing regulations regarding animals using the terminal facility. The new regulations do not affect trained service animals, which are always welcome at any time. Other non-service animals including pets, emotional support, and comfort animals must adhere to the policy.  The updated rules can be summarized as follows:

Non-service animals will not be allowed in the terminal building unless traveling with their owner. Non-service animals must be kept in an animal carrier while inside the terminal. If no carrier is available, the animal must be carried.  If the animal is too large to fit in a carrier or be carried, the animal must be kept on a non-retractable leash extending no longer than three feet from the owner. All animals must be housebroken. The owner is responsible for cleaning up and reporting any mess left by the animal. All animals must be under the control of the owner. 

Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport

element: Modern Mediterranean Grill in downtown Sarasota has launched its latest expansion of service, and the one-year old fine dining restaurant has now opened for lunch. Lunch guests will enjoy “starters” including charcuterie, salads and soups, with available additions of shrimp, salmon, and tenderloin of beef among others. And element’s “sandwich board” will include prosciutto on ciabatta, smoked salmon, spice rubbed steak and a serious eight-ounce Brasstown Beef burger. This new lunch service is offered Monday to Friday from 11am until 2pm, and Weekend Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 10am until 2pm. Through June 30, element is participating in the “Savor Sarasota” dining promotion with special three-course lunches for $16, and four-course dinners for $32. 

element: Modern Mediterranean Grill

The premier tracker for performance marketers, ThriveTracker, a tracker for performance marketers, has announced the appointment of Peter Varga Jr. to Managing Director. Varga is a 16-year veteran of the industry, developing key relationships with clients, providing guidance in the performance marketing space, and helping customers to optimize return on investment (ROI). As Managing Director of Thrive, Varga will oversee client relations, design and implement long term strategy for the tracking platform, manage sales efforts and lead Thrive’s team in creating customer experiences. 

ThriveTracker

Mainsail Lodging & Development has announced the installment of Deckchair Livecam Technology at each of their five Autograph Collection Hotels, including Waterline Marina Resort & Beach Club on Anna Maria Island. The new web cameras allow consumers to access live views and daily time-lapse video from anywhere in the world, in real-time and high definition.

Mainsail Lodging & Development is one of the first in the United States to install Deckchair to Autograph properties in both the US and Caribbean. Website viewers can spend time interacting with each of the properties at the website below. 

Waterline Marina Resort Webcam