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From the Desk of Sarasota
City Manager Tom Barwin
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PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Trees along Main Street from Gulfstream Ave. to U.S. 301 soon will be twinkling with decorative white lights, thanks to a partnership between the Downtown Improvement District and the City. This week, outdoor lighting technicians including Jacob pictured here, scaled ladders and strung lights around 203 trees on Main Street. Following a few tests to ensure the lights are functioning properly, the trees will be lit 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily through the holidays creating an inviting, festive atmosphere for all visiting our special downtown. Looking forward to strolling Main Street and taking it all in!
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This Week's Items to Know:
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1.
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Farmers Market - Returns to Lemon Ave. 10/26 With the Lemon Avenue Streetscape construction zone on the move and now located south of State Street, the popular Farmers Market will return to its usual location on Lemon Avenue this Saturday, Oct. 26.
In July, when the improvements started along Lemon Avenue, City staff coordinated with the Farmers Market and Executive Director Phil Pagano to ensure the market would remain convenient, walkable and accessible for the 10,000 visitors who patronize it every Saturday. During the past few months, booths have been set up on First Street adjacent to City Hall with local vendors selling fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables and an array of handcrafted items.
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The Farmers Market will vacate First Street and return to Lemon Avenue Oct. 26.
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With the improvements completed on Lemon Avenue at Main Street and State Street, the area is ready for the Market to return! We hope to see you at the old location with a fresh new look including wider, curbless sidewalks, new foliage and attractive brick medallions in the intersections. Strolling the Market will give you a sneak peek of how the length of Lemon Avenue from First Street to Pineapple Avenue will look and feel.
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2.
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Bobby Jones Golf Club - Park Master Plan Survey If you haven't done so already, we encourage you take our online survey regarding the future of park land at our historic municipal golf course.
With the City Commission deciding to set aside approximately 50 of  the 300 acres of green space that is the Bobby Jones Golf Club, we're gathering community input on how to reimagine that 50 acres as park land.
What should be the most important goal of this recreational area, which serves as an important regional watershed that cleans stormwater and attracts wildlife? Should there be walking and hiking trails? An observation tower? Fitness circuit? Picnic areas? Birding opportunities? Light recreation such as disc golf, bocce, badminton, etc.? Answers to these questions and more will help guide us on the path toward a renewed Bobby Jones.
The survey consists of 14 questions and should take just a few minutes to complete. It will be available through Nov. 20.
Don't forget - We'll host another community input session Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. at Bobby Jones Golf Club clubhouse, 1000 Circus Blvd. We'll continue to listen to your thoughts on the future of this wonderful green space, and our consultant will share possibilities and ideas being explored.
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3.
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Public Art - Citywide program starts Jan. 1 Our Planning Department, which oversees the City's Public Art program, is busy preparing for the expansion of the program citywide, as approved by the City Commission recently.
Established 30 years ago, the public art program has been limited to
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'Jumping Fish' by Jeffrey Laramore is a recent addition
to the City's public art collection.
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the downtown area. Developers are required to provide a public art contribution in the form of approved artwork or a defined financial contribution, which ultimately funds public art, such as the sculptures in the City's new roundabouts.
Starting Jan. 1, 2020, the program will expand throughout the city limits for multi-dwelling structures, mixed-use or commercial developments with a construction value exceeding $1 million. For this new program, the developer contribution will be one-half of one percent of the project construction cost.
The City currently owns 57 unique artworks, and each reminds us why our special city has garnered a reputation for embracing the cultural arts. We anticipate the upcoming changes will double the public art program, offering many exciting opportunities to introduce public art to residents and visitors in new and different ways. One idea we may tease out in the future is an "Arts in the Parks" program, providing sculptures and cultural arts offerings in our public parks.
Questions? Please contact our Public Art staff liaison David Smith: 941-263-6462.
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Procurement - Reverse Trade Show Continuing efforts to increase and diversify our vendor pool, the Procurement team hosted a business outreach event this week to help unlock the mysteries of government purchasing.
For the second year, the City hosted a "reverse trade show" in
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The 'Reverse Trade Show' was held at the
Sarasota Municipal Auditorium.
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conjunction with the
Sarasota Bay Area Chapter of the National Institute of Government Purchasing, offering helpful insights on how to do business with local governments. 70-80 businesses attended and had the opportunity to meet one-on-one with representatives from the City of Sarasota, City of North Port, Manatee County, Sarasota County, Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, Sarasota Schools and the Town of Longboat Key.
Three informative lectures also were offered, including the basics of how to do business with local governments, how to approach the request for proposal process, and what should and should not be included in a business agreement.
Congratulations to the Procurement Division for another successful outreach campaign.
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Bee Removal Keeping the City running 24/7/365, our staff handles myriad issues, and sometimes we encounter unique situations all in a day's work. Last week, one such event arose on the
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The bees were safely relocated.
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Bayfront that quietly created...well...a buzz.
Jan Wiercinski, a Crew Leader II and electrician in the Public Works Department, was on the Bayfront troubleshooting a streetlight circuit in the area. Upon closer inspection, he noticed bees flying to and from the base of the light pole. Turns out, the busy bees had created a hive inside, causing the streetlight to malfunction.
What to do? We called professional bee wranglers who carefully extracted the bees in a swift, no-kill operation. The queen bee was smoked out, then the remaining bees followed her into a container. We're pleased to
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A 10-pound honeycomb was removed from the streetlight. (Photos courtesy Florida Bee Removal.)
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report the bees have been safely relocated outside the city limits by Florida Bee Removal, the first company in Florida to offer bee relocation services 57 years ago.
During the operation, which took less than an hour, an impressive 10-pound honeycomb was removed from the base of the light pole! Believe it or not, it was a fairly small extraction for the beekeepers, but the hive certainly was big enough to cause some temporary lighting woes.
Many thanks to Jan for spotting the trouble, handling it quickly and ensuring the bees now have a home more conducive for their busy activity.
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Bike to Work Day - 11/1 We'll be wrapping up Mobility Week with Bike to Work Day next Friday, Nov. 1!
We'll explore the possibilities of safely bicycling to work in an urban area, by taking an easy 2.5-mile bike ride -- and we'd love for you to join us!
The group ride will be fun and slow-paced with a police escort by the SPD bicycle unit. We'll meet at Payne Park at 7:30 a.m., then the group ride starts at 8 a.m. and returns to the park by 9 a.m.
The City is co-hosting the event with the Florida Department of Transportation's Commute Connector, which will have information available at the park about mobility options and how to leave the car behind, perhaps by walking, biking, taking transit or carpooling.
If you haven't registered for Bike to Work Day yet, there's still time! Visit
EventBrite where you can sign up online. The ride is free. Just bring your bike (and preferably a helmet) and an open mind about transportation and getting around town. See you there!
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Van Wezel: Tickets on Sale Now!
Neil Berg's 50 Years of Rock & Roll: Part III
Friday, Nov. 1
Tickets
Roy Orbison & Buddy Holly - The Rock 'N' Roll Dream Tour
Monday, Nov. 4
Tickets
Dwight Yoakam
Straight No Chaser: The Open Bar Tour
Sunday, Nov. 17
Tickets
Latin History for Morons
Tuesday, Nov. 19
Tickets
Cirque Dreams Holidaze
Friday, Nov. 22
Saturday, Nov. 23
Tickets
Dave Koz and Friends Christmas Tour 2019
Friday, Nov. 29
Tickets
Sebastian Maniscalco: You Bother Me
Saturday, Nov. 30
Tickets
The Book of Mormon
January 7-12, 2020
Tickets
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020
Tickets
Johnny Mathis - The Voice of Romance Tour
Thursday, April 16, 2020
Tickets
The Bachelor Live on Stage
Thursday, May 7, 2020
Tickets
To purchase tickets over the phone call 941-953-3368 or stop by the Box Office at 777 N.Tamiami Trail.
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Thanks for reading this week's edition. If you'd like to receive Weekly Briefs directly to your inbox, click 'Join Our Mailing List
' below or send us an email at
CityNews@SarasotaFL.Gov
Tom Barwin
City Manager
941-954-4102
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