Sarasota County Commissioners narrowly approved a controversial map based on a suggestion of a long-time political operative and rejected a redistricting proposal drawn up by a paid consultant.

Meanwhile, angry citizens and leaders continued to criticize the fact commissioners are even choosing to redistrict ahead of the 2020 Census.

“The effort is a waste of time and money,” said Sarasota City Commissioner Shelli Freehand Eddie.

Still, a majority of county commissioners maintained the implementation of single-member district elections made it imperative to balance populations in the five districts before the 2020 elections.

“I know the laws,” said County Commissioner Nancy Detert, who as a state senator was involved in reapportionment of legislative and Congressional districts. “What I am looking for is what is legal—compact, contiguous districts.”

County Commissioner Christian Ziegler has consistently opposed redistricting, but said he would have gone along with one of the maps drawn by consultant Kurt Spitzer based on population estimates from the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research. Instead, commissioners approved a map Spitzer created based on an anonymous submission later revealed to be created by Bob Waechter, a former chairman of the Republican Party of Sarasota.

Now, Ziegler expects the county to be sued.

“I have been told by numerous people in the community that the Sarasota Democratic Party, the NAACP and the ACLU will come together and put forward a legal case,” he said. 

The map ultimately approved Tuesday moves the Democrat-rich Newtown community in north Sarasota from County Commissioner Mike Moran’s district to Ziegler’s. That means voters in the community won’t vote until 2022. It also means neither Democrat Fredd Atkins, who already filed to challenge Moran, or Republican Frank DiCicco, who challenged Moran in the primary four years ago, live in the newly drawn district.

R.N. Collins, a community activist who has closely scrutinized the numbers, says the data county commissioners worked with was flawed from the start. He found errors in the original BEBR figures, including census blocks with children living in large numbers but no adults, and said even with new data, there were still problems.

But Detert said no numbers will be perfect, and that even the decennial U.S. Census typically only sees a return rate of just over 70 percent. She said she believed the BEBR numbers were more accurate than Census figures, though Spitzer said Tuesday the Census figures are officially presumed to be correct. 

The Sarasota School Board on Tuesday unanimously approved a severance agreement with Superintendent Todd Bowden. The embattled district leader will stay on payroll through the end of the year, but remains on administrative leave.

But school officials seem in no rush to start a search for a permanent replacement. The board will start a search now for an interim superintendent. 

School Board member Eric Robinson said rushing to fill the position would be a mistake. “Doing it anytime soon is not in the best interest of district teachers or students,” he said.

School Board member Caroline Zucker stressed that board members need to restore confidence in the school system. That comes after months of struggles with a divided board and the superintendent. “We must show steadfastness in a time of upheaval,” she said. “This is still an A-rated school district.”

Bowden negotiated a separation with the county that provides him 20 weeks of pay and legal costs related to complaints about his handling of sexual harassment allegations against COO Jeff Maultsby, who left his position last month.

The School Board previously approved a controversial contract requiring a 4-1 vote to simply terminate Bowden.

Bowden ultimately drew the ire of the Sarasota Classified/Teachers Association, the Republican Party of Sarasota and the Sarasota Democratic Party, as well as remaining consistently on the outs with two School Board members, Eric Robinson and Bridget Ziegler.  

The chamber was already full at 8:50am, and the spillover room wasn’t far behind. Half the community organizations in Newtown turned out for Tuesday’s meeting, and a few of them were protesting outside. A crowded commission meeting, of course, is not terribly unusual for Sarasota, but this felt different: when public comments commenced, the first civilian to approach the microphone was Vice Mayor Freeland Eddie. On behalf of Sarasota’s unanimous City Commission, Freeland Eddie presented a scathing critique of the County’s voter redistricting plan, including a denunciation of the discriminatory effects that the new voter districts might have. The City Commission strongly recommends that the County consider waiting until the 2020 census to redraw the voting districts. She’s the first person to speak out, but certainly not the last. A former Sarasota circuit court judge claims that the commission has no legal requirement to redraw the districts before the census. Several members of the community complain about the lack of a sidewalk on Myrtle Street (the only way to get to Newtown’s Booker High School). They want representation on the County Commission. President of Sarasota’s Democratic Black Caucus Dee McFarland points out that redrawing the districts now would preemptively end the electoral campaign of Fredd Atkins, the former Mayor and North Sarasota candidate who's currently running to be a commissioner. “There are already candidates declared in these races,” she says. Head of the local NAACP, Trevor Harvey mirrors her sentiments. One Newtown resident, exasperated, asks “I don’t understand. What’s the problem you have with North Sarasota?”

The controversy, if you haven’t been following the local coverage, is around the unpopular new maps developed by a consulting firm called Spitzer and Associates, at the behest of the County Commission. The second map in the initial presentation, the genealogy of which is still found in both map 4 and map 4.1, places 10,000 residents from a heavily Republican precinct into District 1, which includes Newtown and several of Sarasota’s colleges. The effect of this shift is to transform the voting district which includes Sarasota’s largest black and Latino populations from moderately Democratic to moderately Republican. Not only that, but the map was submitted anonymously by Bob Waechter (who was charged with election tampering in 2012), and that fact was only revealed after it was discovered by the public. Even the population estimates that the maps are based on have suffered repeated criticism—they’re based solely on property appraisal data, as no census data was available. In short, the process of redrawing the voting district maps has not been well received by the public.

Perhaps the most shocking public comment came from the independent scholar and activist R.N. Collins, the man responsible for deflating the methodology of the county’s first population count. If the legal case for redrawing the district maps is based on the idea that the population distribution of the county has changed more than 10 percent, he has serious doubts that the population data provided by Spitzer and Associates is any more accurate than the 2010 Census. In fact, he claims, they didn’t even take into account any data after the year 2016. SRQ verified his claim with data provided by the original statistician hired by Spitzer and Associates. That statistician, Richard Doty, confirms with SRQ that “If the property appraiser’s data was missing some of the newest construction, we have no control over that and there was insufficient time to redo this work with more recent data. But new construction only reflects a portion of the growth since 2010.” 

Public comments continue for over three hours. At the end, the Commission decides to move forward with map 4.1, with a 3-2 vote in favor. With a laugh, Nancy Detert asks Kurt Spitzer of Spitzer and Associates whether the redistricting process ever ends in anything other than a lawsuit. In his experience, lawsuits are actually fairly rare. When asked by SRQ about his plans, the NAACP’s Trevor Harvey responds that “we have to figure what the next steps are for us as a community. Some of those approaches may be filling some sort of litigation, but it’s a conversation that still needs to happen.”

Teens across Sarasota County have access to transformative programs designed to help them explore future career paths at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County’s state-of-the-art workforce development facility, the Tom & Debbie Shapiro Career Resource Center. Located at 3100 Fruitville Road, the Tom & Debbie Shapiro Career Resource Center houses a variety of programs designed to foster a new generation of community leaders and industry professionals who are fully prepared to work and thrive in a competitive job market. Programs available for teens include, but are not limited to, college and career prep, entrepreneurial training, leadership development and vocational training with focus areas in hospitality and culinary arts, automotive technology, coding, plumbing, carpentry and music and video production. Classes are led by trained professionals, business partners and field experts. The facility opened in 2016 thanks to lead support from Board member Tom Shapiro, and wife Debbie Shapiro. Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County will honor the couple’s visionary leadership and impact on November 23, 2019, at its annual Champions for Children gala. Visit bgcsarasota.com for more information. 

Image courtesy of The Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County

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Bayside Pet Resort announced a fundraising event for HSMC at the Sarasota Polo Club on Sunday, February 16, 2020. The appropriately titled event, “Love is in the Air!”, will include dozens of dog athletes catching air and splashing into a 20,000 gallon pool for a dog dock diving competition! A Premium VIP $25 ticket will give the attendee access to viewing the dog dock diving pool and the ability to watch a polo match from the relaxing environment of the mid-field polo pavilion. Additionally, Thunderbug, the Tampa Bay Lightening mascot will be in attendance to support HSMC and will be available for photos with the family! Kids under 5 and all dogs are FREE! The event ticket also includes: special offers from vendors, dog treats for dogs dressed in a love-themed costume, food, a private, full bar (cash), entertainment, visits with search and rescue organizations and more. Bayside Pet Resort Marketing Coordinator, Ashley Sweeney, shared, “Bayside Pet Resort is thrilled to support the HSMC mission of helping all animals throughout our community. The concept of this event is to bring the community together, in a fun way, and help bring awareness to the important efforts of HSMC. We are proud to donate the cost of this event so all sponsorships and ticket purchases can go directly to further the HSMC cause.”  $25 Premium VIP Tickets are going fast. Tickets found at LoveisintheAir.Today 

GATES Construction has completed the expansion of Quality Life Center of Southwest Florida. Quality Life Center is located at 3210 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., in Fort Myers. Designed by GMA Architects & Planners, the new addition features 6,000 square feet of space for a teen education center. In addition to the educational areas, the building includes a new commercial kitchen for healthy cooking demonstrations and educational training as well as an events center that will be available for use to outside businesses. The building will also house the Youth Rise Enterprise initiative which involves the development of business opportunities to meet community needs, sustain QLC programs, and develop business-consciousness in youth participating in the program.  Quality Life Center recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony before their Annual Gala Event, which was for the first time, in the new building addition. Over the last 29 years, Quality Life Center has been instilling values of discipline, integrity, and self-sufficiency by developing the potential of underserved populations in Southwest Florida with afterschool, early learning and teen leadership programs. More information on the capital campaign for the expansion of the Quality Life Center is available at qualitylifecenter.org. 

More than 1,070 residents from Sarasota/Manatee joined the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s in the fight to end Alzheimer’s disease at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota/Manatee. Participants raised more than $172,755 to support the care, support and research programs of the Alzheimer’s Association, leaving them 60% shy of their goal of $436,000. Fundraising will continue through December 31, 2019. “Alzheimer’s is destroying our families, our finances and our future,” says Ryan Smith, Alzheimer’s Association Development Manager. “It’s time to end it. Saturday was a beautiful day filled with support, strength and passion to end this disease. We thank the Sarasota/Manatee community for participating in this year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Sarasota/Manatee and we hope to see everyone, and more, next year!” Two-time CMA Award nominee, Lulu from 92.1 CTQ welcomed Walk participants and served as emcee for the morning’s festivities. Edward Jones Financial Advisor Laura Lynch was also in attendance and a part of the opening ceremony. The moving ceremony also featured several local families affected by Alzheimer’s disease, such as Ed Patterson who held the blue flower, signifying his current battle against the disease. The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Visit www.alz.org or call 800-272-3900.

Laurel Civic Association successfully raised more than $50,000 to meet the terms of The 50-50-50 Challenge, a pledge made by the William E. Schmidt Foundation to match donations up to $50,000 made in 50 days to recognize the 50 th anniversary of Laurel Civic. By the November 5, 2019 deadline, Laurel Civic had raised $58,191, unlocking the $50,000 from the Schmidt Foundation as well as an additional $10,000 from Gulf Coast Community Foundation for meeting the goal. The inaugural gift of $10,000 was made by Stephen and Janine Marrone. Additional gifts were made by the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, the Allen Wirtz Nobbe and Jo Bowen Nobbe Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Venice Presbyterian Church, and individual donors in the community. “Laurel Civic has been helping families for decades,” said Michael D. Fluker, Executive Director of Laurel Civic. “What began as an association to help bring streetlights and city water to the community has grown into a valuable resource to help low-income families meet the challenges in their lives. This was an extraordinary opportunity to provide Laurel Civic with much needed resources to continue to provide valuable programs to adults and children in the community. We are so grateful to everyone who committed to helping us reach our goal.”  This year, Laurel Civic marks the 50th anniversary of its founding and the 30th anniversary of its incorporation as a not-for-profit community organization that provides services to low-income families and at-risk children through programs that educate, provide positive social interactions, and lead to self-sufficiency.

For further information, contact Margaret Ann Behrends at Laurel Civic, 941-483-3338 or mabehrends@laurelcivic.net 

Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy, Inc. (SMART) is pleased to announce they have received a $3,000 grant from the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund of the Manatee Community Foundation. The grant will be used to provide partial and full scholarships for therapeutic riding and equine assisted learning sessions to children with disabilities in the Lakewood Ranch area. “We are honored to be a part of such a giving community,” said Dee Danmeyer, executive director of SMART, and are so grateful to the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund for their continued support of our mission.” Lakewood Ranch Community Fund is a fund of Manatee Community Foundation. Established in 2000 by the Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, the Fund has awarded more than $1.3 million to impact the arts, human services, education, animal welfare, the environment, civic engagement, and health-related causes. 

Gulf Coast Community Foundation recently awarded nine Leveraged Grants totaling $462,000 for a range of major nonprofit programs and services. The funding will support regional efforts to fight hunger, provide safe housing for struggling single mothers, expand trauma-focused services for children, and more. The nonprofits that received funding are:

All Faiths Food Bank - $25,000 to support the 2020 Campaign Against Summer Hunger.

All Star Children’s Foundation - $100,000 to provide trauma-focused services for children in the foster-care system who have suffered child abuse and neglect.

The Bay Park Conservancy - $150,000 to support the design, implementation, and activation of Phase One of The Bay Park on Sarasota Bay.

Centerstone Florida - $40,000 to support the Twelfth Judicial Circuit’s Comprehensive Treatment Court, a jail-diversion opportunity for adults with mental-health or co-occurring mental-health and substance-abuse disorders.

Easterseals Southwest Florida - $40,000 to integrate back-office systems as part of its collaborative partnership with InStride Therapy, which will enable the organizations to increase their therapy services and revenue.

Education Foundation of Sarasota County - $40,000 to support the Local College Access Network, a collaboration to increase college access, attainment, and success for Sarasota County youth.

Gulf Coast Partnership - $22,000 to create a landlord-engagement program to help provide safe housing to women suffering from homelessness, particularly women who have been victims of violence.

United Way of Charlotte County - $25,000 to support a collective-impact consultant to assist low-income, female-headed households in accessing a variety of services from United Way-funded agencies.

Virginia B. Andes Volunteer Community Clinic - $20,000 to support a clinic services director to increase access to healthcare for uninsured senior women in Charlotte County.

The Gulf Coast Board also approved $266,000 in Community Grants, which are smaller grants of $10,000 or less that benefit local nonprofit programs, events, and fundraising activities. A full list of grant recipients is available on the Gulf Coast Community Foundation website at GulfCoastCF.org.