News Briefs

APRIL FOOLS —

+ Pocket park to become dog park
At a recent March meeting, the Sarasota County Commission discussed opening up more county parks to include dog-designated areas. And the most recent park added to that list is the proposed pocket park on Ocean Boulevard. The Siesta Key Village Association has voiced support of the creation of the pocket park in the past and discussed uses for the park at a March meeting. A representative of the County Commission will attend the next SKVA meeting to discuss plans for the park and ask members to vote on amenities they would like included, such as a dog-washing station and a doggie diner.

The park will be fenced in so that owners can let their dogs off leashes, but no person may be admitted entrance to the park without a pooch. Sheriff’s Office deputies will routinely visit the park to make sure that all dogs are playing fairly and not stealing one another’s toys, and officers will also monitor the decibel levels of the barking to make sure no ordinance violations are occurring.

+ Siesta bridges to close for maintenance
With the north Siesta bridge scheduled for maintenance work starting this summer, the Sarasota County Commission voted this week to do maintenance work simultaneously on the south Siesta bridge. The same company will perform both projects, thus, the county will save $500,000 in bridge repair costs.

“It’s like a two-for-one special,” said a Sarasota County official.

Maintenance work on the north Siesta Bridge will take place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and the bridge will be closed to traffic from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. from June 1 to Oct. 1.

The south Siesta bridge maintenance work will also take place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily and will be closed to traffic from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 1 to Oct. 1.

Drivers wishing to get on and off the island during closure times will have to find alternative transportation. The Sheriff’s Office will have a police boat stationed at the foot of each bridge during these times and can ferry across three people at a time.

+ Merchants needed to assist with upkeep
The request for proposals for the Siesta Key Village Maintenance Corporation contract are in — and they’re all too high, said Sarasota County commissioners at a recent meeting. In a money-saving measure, the commission voted to ask Siesta Key Village merchants to instead help clean up the Village on a rotating basis. Each merchant will be asked to perform at least 15 hours of maintenance each week; sign-up sheets will be posted at the Siesta Key gazebo.

Tasks include weed-eating around properties; repainting signs that are deemed hard to read; and planting flowers in the shape of “We’re No. 1” along Ocean Boulevard.