Longboat Key officials ask for resident cooperation while ramping up recovery

The town of Longboat Key and Florida Department of Transportation are asking residents to manage how much debris is piled up along Gulf of Mexico Drive. 

Citing five vehicle accidents in the last 24 hours, Town Manager Howard Tipton said in a YouTube video posted to the town’s website on Oct. 17 that the piles have become a hazard along the state-owned road and the town’s side streets. 

“We are asking the community, please do not bring anything else out to a street that is already full,” Tipton said in the YouTube video. “You are creating safety hazards for traffic.” 

Tipton added the FDOT will be making two sweeps of GMD, and residents should hold off on piling more debris until those pickups are completed. 

According to Tipton, the debris cleanup process will be a 90-day process with FDOT assisting in cleanup along GMD and the town’s private debris management contractors working along the side streets. 

A press release from FDOT also posted on Oct. 17 stated that vegetation debris piles should be separated from building materials, which includes wood, drywall and other trash.

Only properties on the state right-of-way along GMD are allowed to dump debris along GMD. If residents are caught transporting debris from other streets onto GMD, it could be seen as illegal dumping and result in fines, the release from FDOT said. 

“We want you to work with us. We are going to be out enforcing that no debris moratorium on GMD, so please work with us on that,” Tipton said in the video. 

Tipton also spoke about other town updates in the Oct. 17 YouTube video, including the town’s utilities. 

First, he said Florida Power & Light has completed electricity restoration for the island as of Thursday morning. If any residents are experiencing power outages at this point, Tipton said they should contact FPL directly since that could mean there is a problem with that specific property. 

Water and wastewater services have also been restored to the island, and the precautionary boil water notice has also been lifted. This means water is now safe to drink. 

The island is still experiencing low water pressure, which Tipton said is a result of damages from Hurricane Helene. These damages are expected to be repaired by the end of next week. Until then, Tipton asked residents to hold off on non-essential water usage, like filling pools or washing cars. 

“The good news is we are, again, in recovery mode. We take it a day at a time, and we’ll get there,” Tipton said.