Homeless shelter showdown

County Administrator Thomas Harmer submitted a report to the Sarasota County Commission on the proposed location of a downtown Sarasota homeless shelter Tuesday, which highlighted an ongoing spat between county and city commissioners over where such a facility should be located.

County commissioners, drawing on a report submitted last year by nationally recognized homelessness expert Dr. Robert Marbut, whom the county commissioned to study homelessness in the area, are pushing for a “come as you are” homeless shelter to be built in downtown Sarasota.

Sarasota city commissioners and many downtown residents and business owners are largely against such a move, claiming the presence of a homeless shelter downton would likely attract more homeless to the area and exacerbate an already visible scar on an area that touts itself as an art and tourism destination.

County commissioners Tuesday accused some Sarasota city commissioners — City Commissioner Susan Chapman was the only one identified by name — of intentionally stalling the selection of a site for the downtown homeless shelter.

“There is a clear path by the administration in the city to sabotage this process,” County Commissioner Joe Barbetta said Tuesday. “It’s becoming a political football, and it’s just not proper. I think they're insulting Dr. Marbut ... and they're insulting the public.”

Barbetta ultimately threatened to pull county funding from the downtown homeless shelter project if the city  continues to dodge choosing a site for the facility.

“I'm really getting fed up with this whole situation,” Barbetta said. “The city thinks they have this under control and I’m tired of being beat up trying to help. We’re just running into a brick wall with the city... it’s just a horrible situation.”

Other county commissioners echoed Barbetta’s frustrations, but some said the city commission’s opposition to the downtown homeless shelter was not unanimous, and there was still room left for a compromise.

“We shouldn’t categorize this as the will of the city,” Commissioner Nora Patterson said.

Commissioner Carolyn Mason added: “Knowing that opposition is out there — we see it, we hear it, and we keep going forward.”

Contact Nolan Peterson at [email protected]