The commissioners also vote for an after-hours curfew for minors.
By Noah Vinsky
Original Air Date: August 6, 2025
Host: The Manatee County Commissioners have opposed Senate Bill 180 since its passage in June. It prevents communities affected by hurricanes from enacting stricter building standards. Last week, the board discussed joining a lawsuit against the bill. Now, it’s opting for a legislative fix. The board also moved forward with adopting a youth curfew for parts of the county. WSLR’s Noah Vinsky has the details of Tuesday’s meeting.
“Say no to SB 180”
Noah Vinsky: Provisions in Senate Bill 180 have hindered Manatee County’s efforts to restore wetland barriers and raise impact fees. On Tuesday, the Board of County Commissioners agreed to join the fight to get language in that law changed. Pasco County, about 80 miles north of Manatee, intends to send a policy proposal at a Florida Association of Counties conference next month. It sought the support of nearby counties like Manatee, also garnering support from neighboring Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties.
Hurricane trajectories from 2022-2024
The counties want to change a provision in the bill that restricts “more burdensome or restrictive” amendments to the land-use plan of counties that have been within 100 miles of the track of a hurricane for one year. The legislative fix aims to limit this provision to only hurricane-damaged property, which would allow for communities to build back after storms. Chairperson George Kruse has been a vocal opponent of Senate Bill 180.
George Kruse: This doesn’t preclude us from supporting other policies by other counties, but I think this makes sense. We should be supporting any efforts to fix Senate Bill 180, this being one of them.
NV: The board floated the possibility of joining a lawsuit to get the bill repealed during last week’s meeting. The plaintiffs are trying to tweak some of the restrictive language in the bill or get it repealed entirely. Board member Carol Ann Felts supported joining Pasco County’s proposal, saying any fix to Senate Bill 180 is a good fix.
Carol Ann Felts: I think that we can go forward with any measures in which we could have a productive dialogue about the intent of this bill, about the ramifications of this bill, and working with other counties to see what we can do about making it right.
NV: The commissioners also moved forward with the adoption of a youth curfew for unincorporated areas of the county. It comes after what the commissioners called a rise in crimes committed by youth in Manatee County. Omar Edwards is the Associate Director of the Manatee County School District. He called on the commissioners to pass the ordinance while speaking at a Bradenton Kiwanis Club meeting last week. He was at the commission meeting on Tuesday voicing his support for the curfew.
Omar Edwards
Omar Edwards: This ordinance is a no-brainer. It will work. But laws and statutes aren’t written for the people that don’t break them. All the statutes we have are based on a reason that they need to be.
NV: The curfew makes it illegal for a minor to be in a public place from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Thursday and 12 a.m. through 5 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The ordinance passed with a 6-1 vote. Kruse was the lone dissenter. He questioned the effectiveness of the curfew.
GK: It’s not going to do anything. All we’re doing is setting more rules for people. The first penalty is a written warning. The second one’s fifty bucks. Know who doesn’t care about written warnings? People who are out after hours to commit crimes.
NV: There are exceptions to the ordinance. That’s if the minor is with a parent, traveling to or from work or participating in a school or religious function.
Noah Vinsky for WSLR News.
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