The Sarasota County School Board last week reached a deal with the teachers’ union, promising raises for its effective educators and setting a $12 minimum wage for other district employees. The conclusion of talks ended more than a year of negotiation.

“I’m delighted that an agreement has been reached,” said Sarasota County School Board Chair Jane Goodwin. “Now our teachers and staff can feel confident that we appreciate the hard work they do each day for students.”

The final deal promises a 3.25% raise in salary for teachers rated as “effective" and a 4.25% increase for those evaluated as “highly effective.” Meanwhile, non-instructional employees for the most part will get a 3.75% increase in salary.

The district also agreed to a $12 minimum wage for all district employees, something that means many bus drivers, teacher’s aides and other district personal will see salary increases of as much as 33%.

Union leaders credited interim Superintendent of Schools Mitsi Corcoran for helping bring negotiations to a conclusion.

“Mitsi single-handedly turned the atmosphere around and brought bargaining to a reasonable conclusion for both sides,” said Barry Dubin, executive director of the Sarasota Classified/Teachers Association, in a statement released on social media..

The deal also comes months after the district parted ways with Superintendent of Schools Todd Bowden, who had butted heads with the union during contract talks.

The district remains in the searching process for a permanent superintendent, and officials happily dispensed with union friction, ultimately settling on a contract similar for teachers to one they have worked under for the past two years.

“Both sides worked hard to reach an agreement, and we would like to thank each bargaining team for their hard work and dedication to seeing this long process come to an amiable conclusion,” reads a joint statement from the district and the union.  

Photo courtesy Sarasota Classified/Teachers Association: Sarasota's Rally For Teachers.

A mother/daughter dream team is making waves in Sarasota to spread the good word of the vegan world. Daughter Kim Bohstedt and mother Diane Mantel hope to bring the vibrant local community together, get some animals adopted and support small businesses—all through their new vegan pop-up market dubbed Upbeet + Rooted. The bubbly duo say they will have 20-30 vendors and makers set up, including plant-based foods, natural skincare/hair products, as well as locally-made items such as candles, jewelry and ceramics. Snack provisionists include the O & A coffee cart, a vegan bread baker, a vegan cheesemonger, a vegan cotton candy maker and even a vegan hot dog stand. Among the fleet of health, beauty and wellness vendors, expect to find an apothecary, an herbalist, a tarot card reader, a hair salon, a CBD provider, and a woman providing ear seeds—used to stimulate pressure points in your ear as a type of acupressure or acupuncture focused on the ears. 

Upbeet + Rooted is also in the works of opening its own apothecary and grocer, “with all vegan/plant-based products we believe in, many from vendors/artisans we have met personally through our pop-ups!” shares Bohstedt. “We plan on hosting meetups, workshops and classes,” she says. “We want to show people how they can incorporate plant-based items into their lifestyle. We want to educate and provide products that have clean ingredients. Stay tuned!”

The first pop-up market event will be Saturday, March 7, from 10:00 am — 3:00 pm, at The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime, 821 Apricot Ave., Sarasota. Dogs welcome.  

Photo courtesy of Upbeet + Rooted

Link to register for the free event.

The Bay Park Conservancy (BPC) will celebrate the start of construction on the Mangrove Bayou Walkway with a public groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, January 31. The Mangrove Bayou Walkway, one of the many environmental preservation, enhancement, and sustainability projects in The Bay Park, is the next step in the journey of bringing Phase 1 of the park to life. The new walkway, which will be completed this summer, will loop around the mangroves and coastal wetlands located adjacent to the Great Lawn, north of Boulevard of the Arts. This multi-million-dollar project involves removing exotic vegetation, enhancing native vegetation, and installing 10-foot rubberized pathways around the perimeter of the mangrove bayou. 

Initial funding was catalyzed through the generosity of Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, with a goal and vision to restore the mangrove bayou, and an endowment fund to ensure its care in perpetuity. Additional support comes from donors and the City of Sarasota. Further development of Phase 1 will continue following Sarasota City Commission approval of the Phase 1 Site Plan. For more information, visit bayparkconservancy.org. 

Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP is pleased to announce that Patrick J. Duggan will present at the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce on January 29, 2020. Patrick will speak on the topic “Recent Changes to Overtime Pay Exemptions – What Employers Need to Know,” which will outline recent changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act’s overtime exemption rules and offer practical guidance for your business to ensure that you are in compliance. Experienced in both state and federal courts, Patrick practices employment law and litigation on behalf of management in a variety of complex workplace and business disputes. He also represents employers in pre-litigation matters before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Department of Labor (DOL), and the Florida Commission on Human Relations. Having a passion for sharing his knowledge, Patrick is a frequent lecturer and trainer on a variety of employment-related topics, and consistently drafts, reviews, and enforces employment policies and handbooks, employee contracts, restrictive covenants, and severance agreements. 

Photo courtesy of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP

Comcast is seeking Florida entrepreneurs to apply for the inaugural class of SportsTech, its new global accelerator for sports technology startups.Up to ten startups will be selected to participate in the three-month custom-tailored program that will be held in Atlanta in August 2020. Sportstech is designed to provide sports tech startups with the resources and relationships to succeed by giving them access to a broad international consortium of advisors, a custom sports tech curriculum shaped by industry experts, and investment capital. SportsTech partners Partners include three of Comcast NBCUniversal’s sports brands – NBC Sports, Sky Sports and Golf Channel – alongside NASCAR and two US Olympic sports organizations: U.S. Ski & Snowboard and USA Swimming.  Comcast Ventures, the company’s San Francisco-based venture capital arm, will round out the partnership. Each partner will serve on an advisory committee that influences the innovation priorities of SportsTech, and each will provide startups with direct access to strategic industry relationships, mentorship, and partnership opportunities. 

Interested organizations can find more information and apply for the inaugural class at comcastsportstech.com. The deadline to submit an application for SportsTech is May 15.  The selected startups will reside in Atlanta for the duration of the program, operating out of SportsTech’s flagship location at The Battery at SunTrust Park. 

Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant, City of Palmetto, was elected Chair of the Sarasota/Manatee MPO Governing Board. Mayor Bryant previously served as the 2019 MPO Vice Chair. Commissioner Liz Alpert, City of Sarasota was elected Vice Chair of the MPO Board. Commissioner Alan Maio, Sarasota County, was elected to serve as the Chair for the Sarasota County Transportation Disadvantaged Local Coordinating Board. Mayor John Chappie, City of Bradenton Beach, was elected Chair of the Public Transportation Task Force."I am looking forward to continuing to work with the board, MPO staff, the FDOT and of course our incoming Vice-Chair Mayor Liz Alpert. The confidence the MPO board has shown in selecting me as their Chair is appreciated." Bryant said. For more information on the Sarasota/Manatee MPO, visit mympo.org or call 941-359-5772.