This Week in Local Government

On Tuesday, the Sarasota County Commission will vote on a rezone for another big chunk of the Lakewood Ranch Southeast project. 

Monday (02/24)

City of Sarasota community workshop (agenda)

Highlights: Presentation of a landowner’s petition for higher density and height on the North Tamiami Trail. This is supposedly for an apartment complex, but there is no site plan.

5:30 PM

Selby Library, 1331 First St., 2nd floor conference room, Sarasota

Van Wezel Purple Ribbon Committee (agenda)

Highlights: Public comment; another engineering report.

5:30 PM

City Hall chambers, 1565 First Street, Sarasota

North Port City Commission special meeting (agenda)

Highlights: Presentation by Sarasota Schools about planning for growth in North Port; discussion of referendum questions on borrowing after disasters, for new police headquarters, solid waster transfer station, and water treatment plant.

6:00PM

Morgan Family Community Center, 4970 City Hall Blvd. North Port

Tuesday (02/25)

Sarasota County Commission regular meeting (agenda)

Highlights: Annual reports of the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Oversight Committee, and of the Tourism Development Council and Visit Sarasota; additional funding for county jail expansion; $53 million in loans for two of the Housing Authority’s public housing projects; additional funding for Sheriff’s Department; state funding for Sarasota Fairgrounds; changing location and developer of a 165-unit affordable-housing project in North Port; action plan on how to allocate $210 million of HUD post disaster funding; approving a rezone for another big chunk of the Lakewood Ranch Southeast project.

9:00 AM

Sarasota County Administration Building, chambers, 1660 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota

City of Venice Council regular meeting (agenda)

Highlights: Presentation 2024 financial report and audit; multi-modal transportation plan update; presentation of the Floodplain Management Plan and mitigation projects.

9:00 AM

City Hall, Community Hall Room 165, 401 West Venice Avenue, Venice

Sarasota Hospital Board closed session (no agenda)

Highlights: Meeting closed to public; no agenda available.

9:00 AM

Old Board Room/Auditorium, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, 1st Floor, 1700 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota

Manatee County School Board regular meeting (agenda)

Highlights: School district’s 2025 credit rating; changes to residential attendance zones.

5:30 PM

Wednesday (02/26)

City of Bradenton Council regular meeting (agenda)

Highlights: Granting a property owner a special use permit to operate a medical clinic in downtown; proposal by a custom print business to use the City Centre Garage retail space.

10:30 AM

City Hall council chambers, 101 Old Main St., Bradenton

City of Sarasota community workshop (agenda)

Highlights: Rezone of 9 acres at 2046 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Way to “production – intensive commercial”. The city has agreed to sell the brownfield site to a Miami developer and his local partners.

5:30 PM

Robert Taylor Community Center, 1845 John Rivers St., Sarasota

Thursday (02/27)

None

Friday (02/28)

None

Monday (03/03)

City of Sarasota Commission regular meeting (agenda)

Highlights: Sarasota Housing Authority’s project portfolio; historical landmark designation for the Van Wezel Performing Arts Center; allowing developers additional public art options; selling three city-owned properties on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way for $201,000 to the African American Cultural Coalition;

9:00 AM

City Hall chambers, 1565 First Street, Sarasota