News Briefs

+ Deputies remove aggressive dogs
Sarasota County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris McGregor removed two dogs from a Siesta Key neighborhood after their owner could not be located.

Siesta Key Association President Catherine Luckner praised McGregor at the organization’s Jan. 3 meeting, noting the dogs were suspected of killing a neighborhood cat, and were known to be aggressive toward other pets.

Deputies responded to a tip about the canines’ location from a Waste Management employee.

McGregor said the dogs were friendly toward deputies when they were taken into custody.

Residents can report animal control problems to Sarasota County Animal Services by calling 861-9500.

+ Siesta beach wins more accolades
Stephen P. Leatherman, aka “Dr. Beach,” is putting Siesta Key in national headlines again. Leatherman has nominated Siesta Key in USA Today as one of the 10 Florida “best beach towns” — destinations that combine “sand, surf and a welcoming sense of community.”

Readers will decide the best beach town of the 10. Vote now by tweeting @usatraveland using the hashtag #fabeachtown with your nomination.
Voting ends Jan. 16.

+ Impact fee data delayed for months
Sarasota County Director of Transportation Clarke Davis resigned after revealing a calculation error in a road impact fee update planned for a public hearing this month.

Sarasota County commissioners nearly two years before the planned hearing directed staff to use current data to update building fees, but with Davis’ departure the time of the delay is at least three months, according to a letter from Davis to commissioners.

The data used for current road impact fees come from as early as 2005, according to a draft of the 2012 staff report on the update.