County budget grows to contain Key noise

Peace and quiet for residents living near Siesta Key Village is worth $21,060 — the annual cost to enhance scrutiny for sound-level violations.

Sarasota County commissioners voted Aug. 22 to approve 10-to-15 overtime hours for a code-enforcement officer who will canvass the county on weekends. Kevin Burns, the employee Sarasota County Code enforcement Manager Sandra Jones chose for the job, has experience analyzing sound signals with U.S. Army Military Intelligence and the National Security Agency, according to a county memo.

Sarasota County Director of Planning and Services Rob Lewis said he would be in touch with Siesta Key Village Association President Russell Matthes to schedule educational chats with area merchants. Some violations come from simply not knowing the specifics of the ordinance, and Lewis told SKVA members during a meeting in early August he wants to bring in a code enforcement officer this fall to solve that problem.

The hours were added largely due to complaints from Siesta key residents about excessive noise in the Village, which is most severe during the weekends. But, Burns will patrol for all types of violations throughout the entire county, said Sarasota County Administrator Randall Reid.

Barbetta said he wanted to make sure Siesta residents who pushed for increased enforcement know it wasn’t designed specifically with the Village in mind. He encouraged self-policing the district, as well. 

“There are violations in the Gulf Gate area,” Barbetta said. “It’s not just the noise concern, we have people building things on the weekend, thinking we’re not out there watching.”

Commissioners expect the overtime necessity to wane as more weekend citations are issued. “Now they know there’s a dedicated person out there watching and they know there’s a chance to get themselves in hot water,” said Sarasota County Commissioner Jon Thaxton.

Reid presented an option to hire a part-time code enforcement officer to commissioners July 9, which would have cost the county between $36,000 and $58,000 annually. The overtime alternative is nearly half the price and wouldn’t leave the county stuck with additional staff if weekend enforcement efforts are successful in reducing violations in the long term, Sarasota County Commission Chairwoman Christine Robinson said.

Lewis will be collecting data on the areas and types of violations comprising weekend citations, and give monthly reports to commissioners.

“It’s like speeding,” Patterson said. “Every once and a while you have to rattle somebody’s cage to let everyone know about the activity.”