Bradenton Times News Articles

Members of the group CLUCK showed up to Tuesday's BOCC work session with kids in tow, wearing their yellow shirts and carrying a basket of eggs to ask commissioners to consider allowing residential chickens in their yards. They said they were there to dispel the myths surrounding the "backyard chicken" movement, with hopes to convince Manatee County Commissioners to amend the ordinance that prevents them from putting fresh eggs on their breakfast table.

"Sweepstakes cafés" or "internet casinos" are back in the spotlight after the Allied Veterans scandal, which led to the resignation of Florida Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll last week. At Monday night's meeting, Palmetto City Commissioners voted to extend their moratorium on new operations for another year, in anticipation that the issue would be resolved by the state legislature in this session. Currently, there are two such businesses within city limits.

At Monday's City Commission meeting, the board approved extending the current moratorium on internet sweepstakes cafes until April 30, 2014. In other business, the board voted to amend the definition of their recreation ordinance, to include a dance studio among other recreations like martial arts. Kojacks Ribs, on U.S. 41 and 17th, will soon return to its original owner and open as a Greek family restaurant.

It's a busy week for local government boards until Friday. On Monday, a Palmetto City Commission Workshop will lead into a regular meeting. The Manatee County Board of Commissioners will hold a workshop meeting on Tuesday when they will look at backyard chicken ordinances, and the Bradenton City Council will convene in City Hall on Wednesday. The Port Authority will have its monthly meeting on Thursday.

The Manatee County Planning Commission voted in favor of approval for a plan to increase development sites at the planned Raven Crest development on SR 64 in northeast Manatee County. Several citizens appeared before the commission to state concerns about flooding, as the development sits on higher ground which has historically drained toward the west, where there is no county-maintained drainage site. 

The Rye Road Subdivision is coming back before the county commission and citizens are no more happy with the new plan for the phase, than they were with its predecessor. Rye Road LLC is seeking to add 23.4 acres and 50 additional sites to the project, in addition to the 100 which were already approved by the county commission last June. Residents young and old say it threatens their way of life, while setting up neighbors for potential conflict as a new "cookie-cutter" development clashes with agricultural land ... and all the clucks, moos and oinks that come along with it.

At Thursday's Manatee County Planning Commission meeting, commissioners voted to recommend two applications against strong public opposition. The 50-unit expansion of Rye Road LLC and a seven-unit expansion of Raven Wood, both of which are in Northeast Manatee County near Grayhawk Landing, were met by neighboring residents concerned over density and flooding issues. 

At Wednesday's Bradenton City Council meeting, board members approved first readings of two ordinances: one that would add to the city's regulations involving disposal of public-safety hazard material and another that adds to regulations pertaining to the construction of private roads. Approval was also given for requests of operation and alcohol licensing of a prospective piano bar on Old Main Street. All agenda items were passed unanimously, with no public comment or board discussion.

At Tuesday's BOCC meeting, commissioners approved to adopt Resolution R-13-052, an ad valorem tax exemption referendum to be placed on the ballet in a special election to be held on June 18, 2013. Supporters say it is another apparatus for their economic tool box, which will bring development investment. Opponents call it a public gamble that, too often, does not pay off.

Despite strong public opposition, Manatee County Commissioners voted 4-3 to hold a referendum on a special June 18 ballot on whether to increase the local sales tax by ½ percent to fund indigent care programs that are currently funded by a declining corpus from the proceeds of the county's sale of Manatee Memorial Hospital that is expected to be depleted by 2015.