- Named Best Florida Newspaper In Its Class -
VOL 20 No. 17
February 5, 2020
Vacation rental bills progressing at varied paces State legislators are again trying to take away cities’ home rule rights when it comes to regulating vacation rentals. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
Traffic shifts cause Gulf Drive delays JAKE SPOONER | SUBMITTED
The Gulf Drive traffic shifts that began early last week near Sixth Street South, south of the Bridge Street intersection, continued when the new week began. Gulf Drive traffic traveling in both directions is temporarily being shifted to the west. This results in southbound traffic being redirected onto the unpaved Cortez Beach parking lot. The traffic shifts are part of the Manatee County Force Main 1 pipeline replacement project. When contacted Monday, Bradenton Beach Police Chief Sam Speciale said the police department did not receive advance notice of the traffic shifts. “The way they redirected the traffic has caused some issues with tractor trailers that couldn’t make it through there. This time of year, any type of work on Gulf Drive is going to affect traffic in a negative way,” Speciale said, noting he did not know when the traffic shifts would end.
TALLAHASSEE – Two bills filed by Florida legislators during the 2020 legislative session seek to strip local governments of their ability to regulate vacation rentals. As was the case in recent years, with no success, the matching House and Senate bills again seek to give the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) the sole authority to regulate short-term vacation rentals. This year’s efforts also include a new twist – providing the state and DBPR the sole authority to regulate vacation rental advertising, with a focus on online rental platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO. To become state law, matching bills must be adopted by the House and Senate during the 60-day legislative session scheduled to end on March 13. SEE BILLS, PAGE 32
Anna Maria enacts scooter moratorium Anna Maria’s temporary scooter moratorium does not impact electric bikes or scoot coupes. JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA – The city now has a six-month moratorium in effect prohibiting the rental or use of small electric scooters and other micro-mobility devices. The temporary moratorium took effect Thursday, Jan. 23,
INSIDE NEWS 4 CALENDAR 7 OUTDOORS 22 RESTAURANTS 27 REAL ESTATE 28-33 SPORTS 34 CROSSWORD 36
when the City Commission unanimously adopted Ordinance 20-860. The moratorium gives the city 180 days to develop its permanent micromobility regulations. The moratorium temporarily prohibits the rental and use of motorized scooters whether they are privately owned or made available commercially through an online reservation. The moratorium does not apply to electric bicycles or scoot coupes. During the moratorium, the city will not process or issue any permits for micro-mobility
hubs or the offering of for hire micro-mobility devices and/or motorized scooters. The city ordinance notes city staff is aware that in other cities public safety and welfare has been negatively impacted by the unregulated use motorized scooters. The moratorium will terminate 180 days after its adoption, unless the city commission rescinds or extends its. When discussing the moratorium, Anna Maria officials also raised questions about SEE MORATORIUM, PAGE 29
MAGDA EHLERS/PEXELS.COM | SUBMITTED
Small electric scooters and other micro-mobility devices are temporarily prohibited in Anna Maria.
AMI Garden Club
CORTEZ Commercial Fishing Festi-
Fashion Show delights sellout crowd at Roser Community Church. 11
val will benefit FISH Preserve. 3
Anna Maria Island, Florida
PROPOSED fish farm in Gulf
prompts skepticism, criticism. 22
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