SKVA will be reimbursed for upkeep

The Siesta Key Village Association will receive a nearly $3,000 reimbursement from Sarasota County for expenses it has incurred while maintaining the upkeep of the Village since August.

The Sarasota County commission approved the reimbursement at its meeting April 11, following testimony by Mark Smith, a board member of the Siesta Key Village Maintenance Corporation, the entity that has maintained the Village since the contract with JWM Management expired in August.

Smith said the money the SKVA received from the county since then was for the exact amount of the vendor’s invoices, which left some additional expenses to be paid by SKVA. He presented paperwork detailing a variety of expenses — including bank fees, attorney fees, State of Florida Annual Corporation Report fees, accounting fees and IRS tax preparation fees.

Commissioners voted to pay $2,832.50 to the SKVA. Furthermore, Commissioner Nora Patterson also made a motion to authorize ordinance changes that would allow future invoices to be submitted directly to the county and payments to be reimbursed to third-party vendors, which was unanimously approved by the board.

The Maintenance Corp. formed in 2008. With a vendor, JWM Management, the entity oversaw maintenance and upkeep in the Village until the contract with JWM expired. Since then, the county has taken on the responsibility of maintaining the Village, and it appears this will remain the case for the near future.

A request for proposals from a vendor to take over these duties has been anticipated since the end of the contract. However, to date, no new vendor has been finalized.

“It’s been in procurement for a while now,” said Tom Maroney, general manager of business operations in the Sarasota County Public Works Department. “I hope it happens sooner than later. The county is responsible for procuring the contract, and then, the Siesta Key Village Maintenance Corp. will take charge of contract and make sure it is followed.”

Maroney said once a vendor is hired, it would be that vendor’s decision whether to subcontract out different aspects of the work. However, Smith said that first vendor would be the primary point of contact.

“It would be nice to just have one phone number to call,” Smith said. “It would make all of our lives easier.”