City Hall Closed - July 3     City Hall administrative offices will be closed next Friday, July 3 in observance of Independence Day.  Please note:  There will be no change with the regular collection of garbage, recycling and yard waste.

Bobby Jones Golf Club, Lido Pool and the Children's Fountain will be open on July 3rd with regular hours.

The Robert L. Taylor Community Complex will have limited hours on July 3 (6 a.m. - 10 a.m.) and regular hours on July 4.

The Children's Fountain will be open on July 3 (10 a.m. - 7 p.m.) weather permitting and closed on July 4.

Powerboat Races - FREE Trolley Service    We're encouraging everyone planning to attend the upcoming Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix Festival at Lido Beach to get out of their cars and use alternate modes of transportation  --- walk, bicycle, car pool or take a free shuttle. 

On July 4 and 5, trolley cars will run between the Palm

SRQ Trolley cars will operate between the Palm Ave. Garage and Lido Beach Pavilion.

Ave. Garage and Lido Beach Pavilion from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.  It's hoped the free service will mitigate traffic and parking congestion on Lido Key and help make everyone's experience more enjoyable.

The free shuttle is being offered by Suncoast Charities for Children, thanks to generous grants from the Downtown Improvement District  and A.D. Morgan.

Please plan ahead!  Together, let's do our part to reduce traffic congestion and make the journey to and from the races as stress-free as possible. 

Water & Sewer Bonds:  'AA' Rating Affirmed    We have more good finance news to share!  Fitch Ratings affirmed the City's water and sewer revenue bonds at 'AA' with a stable outlook.

'AA' is a favorable rating and Fitch cites several reasons for it, including the Utilities Department's strong expected cash flow to fully fund the current 5-year capital improvement plan, declining debt, and systematically increasing rates making them comparable to neighboring municipalities.  The Utilities Department relies solely on user rates to fund improvement projects as well as personnel.

An 'AA' rating typically results in lower borrowing costs to fund new infrastructure improvement projects, if necessary.  Currently, the Utilities Department is carrying out an ambitious capital plan to maintain the City's aging infrastructure on a pay as you go basis.

Thank you to the City Commission for setting the policy that resulted in this 'AA' rating and to Utilities Director Mitt Tidwell, Finance Director John Lege and their teams for successfully carrying it out.       

Facebook - Employment Listings    The City's employment opportunities are now available on Facebook just as soon as they're posted to the City of Sarasota website.  Not only can you view all the current openings and job descriptions, you can share individual openings with your friends.  This is great news since we know how many people use Facebook for information sharing.

On the City of Sarasota Facebook page, look for the tab entitled 'Employment' directly under the cover photo.  Just click on that tab to have all the job openings right at your fingertips.  Check it out here.
 To modify the template of a social media page like Facebook takes a coordinated effort and patience.  Thanks to Sr. Communications Manager Jan Thornburg, Webmaster Bill Mallett and Human Resources Director Stacie Mason for visualizing this beneficial tool and shepherding it across the finish line by working with NeoGov, which hosts the City's employment opportunities online.

Similar employment tabs also will be installed on the City's other Facebook pages including the Sarasota Police Department, Robert L. Taylor Community Complex and Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.   

N. Water Tower Park - Exotic Vegetation Removal    Good progress is being made with the extensive removal of exotic vegetation in North Water Tower Park. Areas that have been inaccessible and clogged with potato vines and Brazilian peppers are now being cleared, creating an open space and reducing opportunities for unwanted activity in the park.  Crews should wrap up the vegetation removal by next week.  Then, work will begin on an improved drainage system which will help the park and nearby neighborhoods.

Thanks again to our partners at the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program and Sarasota County for collaborating with us on this much needed and anticipated revitalization project.

Lido Beach - Black Skimmer Stewards Needed    Our friends at the Sarasota Audubon Society are in desperate need of volunteer stewards to watch the black skimmer colony on Lido Key, especially during the busy 4th of July weekend.

Black skimmers are listed as a Species of Special Concern.  And, on popular beaches, like Lido Beach, their nests are vulnerable to human activity.

Volunteer stewards will be posted near the colony to keep a watchful eye on the roaming chicks and to educate beach goers that the skimmers are nearby and should not be disturbed. 

The black skimmer is very distinctive looking.  It's the only bird in the U.S. whose lower bill is longer than its upper.  It skims the water and dips down to snatch small fish near the surface.


The Audubon Society is hosting extra steward training sessions next week for those who may be interested in volunteering.  A short class will be held on-site on the north end of Lido Beach next Tues., June 30 and Thurs., July 2 at 8:30 a.m.

Volunteers are needed during the next few weeks, particularly in the evenings when the black skimmers actively feed.

For more information please contact Holley Short with the Audubon Society  at hshort@audubon.org