Commissioner Tal's December Update

Much to be thankful for this year

Hey Manatee County,

First and foremost I would like to wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy new year! My family and I thank you for your support throughout the election season. We started a grassroots campaign in October of 2023 that saw us walk the entire district, reach thousands of voters, and run it all on a shoestring budget. It was a rough campaign that saw developer-backed special interests outspending me 5-to-1, an aggressive negative campaign by my opponents, and multiple hurricanes. Thanks to you I am grateful for the opportunity to be your District 3 county commissioner!

First things first if you haven’t seen your debris picked up please report it at mymanatee.org/debris. This is the best way to get attention to your area in written form. During the November 19th meeting we received a briefing on the hurricane debris response (see the link below) where we covered the cost and highlights.

If you want an update on your permits for roofing repairs or other recovery efforts please email me at tal@mymanatee.org.

Outcomes from Board Meetings Thus Far

Up to this point we’ve had 3 meetings as a Board - 2 Land Use and one Regular.

Planning Commission Appointments

Up first were Planning Commission appointments. We successfully appointed District 3 resident Matt Bower & District 1 resident Alyssa Gay. A key point of my campaign was to bring in a new generation of leadership in Manatee County. I’m proud to have nominated Alyssa for the Planning Commission and seen her confirmed for the role. There will be many more opportunities for young people to have a say in local government to come and I look forward to your ideas on how we can make that happen. Matt Bower previously served on the planning commission and will bring his invaluable experience back to the board.

Workforce Housing

I motioned to direct staff identify options that will allow the market to bring more workforce (not section eight) housing to the urban core. One of your top concerns was affordable living for our workforce, especially in our tourism-heavy district, and I’m hopeful the new board will look at all options to improve housing availability for essential workers, first responders, and more.

Old City Hall/Wares Creek property

Going eastbound on downtown Manatee this is a fenced-in parking lot at the entrance of downtown but if you go far back enough in local history you’ll know this was the site of the City of Bradenton’s City Hall.

Aerial of Downtown Bradenton Looking East. 1977.

After the CoB moved their city hall to it’s current location on the Manatee River this property sat until Manatee County Acquired it in 2009. It was repurposed as a site to store and process dredge material from Wares Creek to prevent flooding in neighboring communities. A decision from the old board to sell the property for development complicated our effort to keep the creek maintained as obligated. After meeting with staff to identify options I was successful in pushing for a solution that keeps the creek maintained, finds us a solution to manage the dredge material, and works to restore the ecosystem of the Manatee River. You can listen to the discussion with the video link below:

Chipotle

I voted to approve a new Chipotle coming sometime in 2025-2026 at the corner of Manatee Ave. W. and 61st St. W. You may have seen one come to the southern end of my District on Cortez & 51st St W. I think this will make for a nice addition to Manatee Ave.

Board Appointments

Each year the BoCC appoints members of our board to key advisory boards and councils. Here is where I will be representing you:

• Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council

• BoCC - 2nd Vice Chair

• Tourist Development Council - Alternate

• CareerSource Suncoast Advisory Board

• Port Authority - 3rd Vice Chair

Florida Association of Counties (FAC)

FAC provides county commissioners the resources they need to be successful on the job as well as networking and continuing education opportunities. I completed my annual ethics training and new commissioner training. FAC provides county commissioners the opportunity to work together on a range of policy issues. I am proud to announce I joined the following FAC policy committees:

• Federal Policy

• Future Technology Committee

• Water & Environmental Sustainability

• Community & Urban Affairs

This opportunity will allow Manatee County to have a significant voice at the state level in directing policy that protects home rule and the issues important to you. My colleague, incoming chairman George Kruse, is a long-time FAC proponent and he’ll tell you many of the great ideas he’s brought back are because of the opportunities FAC provides. I hope to do the same.

The Road Ahead & My Priorities

Transparency in Government & a Strategic Plan

Looking ahead I will prioritize the health, safety, and economic opportunity of residents in the district. I am a big proponent of transparency and believe the best way Manatee County can achieve this is by adopting a Strategic Plan. This will outline the what we want to achieve as a county and clearly communicate the outcomes we wish to achieve. The end result will produce an an easy-to-read plan showing you what our priorities are and what metrics we will focus on. The Florida Chamber of Commerce has a great dashboard that highlights some of the things I want us to improve upon, such as job growth, but I also want it to focus on measurable outcomes from our infrastructure projects and key initiatives such as “Light Up Manatee” and “Under One Roof” to name a few.

On January 7th we will have the first of a series of workshops to address this issue. My goal is to work through the next year to adopt a 3-5 year plan that we review on an annual basis. In order for our county to run like a business we need to start operating like one and I believe by adopting a strategic plan we can make forward progress on transparency and accountability in local government.

Infrastructure Priorities

I’ll be focused on reviewing and re-prioritizing the infrastructure projects in our Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). Currently, our CIP has $5.3 billion dollars worth of projects with a much smaller portion dedicated to District 3. My goal will be to reevaluate all District 3 projects with a focus on reducing our debt burden, eliminating stalled projects that provide little value to our community, and seeking community input on infrastructure projects the community desires.

On a more general note you can expect me to emphasize new or improved street lighting, beautifying streetscapes, and adding crosswalks, sidewalks, and trails where possible to better connect our community. Projects like the expansion of 59th Street West, 51st Street West, and others will be reworked to protect property rights for residents while enhancing pedestrian safety.

Community Outreach

Already I have been working hard to answer your emails and calls directly but believe more is needed. I will be working to schedule town halls beginning in February with an eye towards using G.T. Bray, the Island Library, and more locations. If you’d like to host me for a town hall or get-together for your neighborhood please contact me. I am looking for opportunities to reach you as close as possible. You can get in touch with me over email or phone:

• Cell - 941.392.1740

• e-mail - tal@mymanatee.org

That’s all! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and I look forward to seeing you in the New Year!