Sarasota city commissioner tests positive for COVID-19

Sarasota City Commissioner Kyle Scott Battie tested positive for COVID-19 at City Hall just before Friday’s swearing-in ceremony for the winning candidates in last week’s election, forcing him to participate in his first meeting as an elected official remotely.

Battie said he is in good spirits following the positive test. Although he has since begun to experience some symptoms, including a cough, Battie said he was surprised to learn he was positive after taking a rapid test. He said his experience showcased the safety measures the city has implemented for in-person commission meetings.

“They made every precaution and measure possible, in terms of making sure it’s safe for everyone,” Battie said.

The commission discussed its plans for in-person meetings twice in October, with Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch serving as the most vocal advocate for testing city officials in attendance. Commissioner Hagen Brody, whom the board selected as mayor at Friday’s meeting, expressed opposition to mandatory testing. The commission ultimately settled on procuring rapid tests that would be administered voluntarily ahead of meetings.

“I would feel much more comfortable sitting in a room with you all if I knew that 15 minutes before you stepped in that room, you tested negative,” Ahearn-Koch said at an Oct. 19 meeting.

The rapid tests are just part of the investments the city has made into coronavirus-related safety measures. To date, the city has spent more than $35,000 on items including:

• $20,089 for partitions at the commission table;
• $9,039.96 for four air purification systems;
• $4,952.64 for technology upgrades to facilitate remote input during in-person meetings; and
• $1,080 on rapid tests for two meetings, which cost $60 per person.

For Battie, who defeated incumbent Willie Shaw in the race for the District 1 seat on the commission, the timing of the positive test was deflating. Battie participated in the swearing-in ceremony from his office at City Hall. He was hoping the meeting would be a more jubilant experience, but he was glad the city had the capability to adjust to the circumstances.

“I was a little thrown by it, but we made it through,” Battie said.

Battie, who was not certain when he contracted COVID-19, said he was sharing his diagnosis because he felt an obligation to let the public know about the continued seriousness of the coronavirus.

“We need to be responsible and take whatever steps necessary to make sure that we stay safe and the people around us are safe,” Battie said.