Representatives of multiple nonprofit organizations to be invited
On Wednesday, Feb. 11, the Sarasota County Commission will conduct a half-day workshop on its strategic policy this year regarding a Siesta Key beautification initiative.
That was the unanimous decision of the board members following a discussion during their regular meeting on Jan. 13 in Venice. The session this week was the first for the commissioners since they agreed on their 2026 Strategic Plan at a December 2025 retreat.
Commissioner Tom Knight had asked that the approval of the plan be pulled from the board’s Consent Agenda of routine business matters, so he could ask for his colleagues’ support in addressing the Siesta issue “sooner rather than later,” as he put it.
The applicable section of the 2026 Strategic Plan in the Jan. 13 agenda packet said, “Evaluate beautification needs, funding mechanisms, and maintenance responsibilities for Siesta Key and provide coordinated recommendations at a Board workshop.” The target for completion of work on that goal is Nov. 30, the document noted.
“I think our commitment to Siesta is important,” Commissioner Knight told his colleagues. “How are we going to move that forward?” Referencing his three terms as county sheriff, ending in 2020, he stressed, “Siesta was always in the news,” as one of the area’s primary destinations. “How do we get it that way again?”
Commissioner Mark Smith, a long-time Siesta resident, laughingly told Knight, “Thank you for stealing my commissioner report,” which he had planned for later in the meeting, when the board members bring up matters for their colleagues’ consideration. Smith added, “I was going to ask the board here for direction to [County Administrator] Jonathan [Lewis] to try to get this [discussion launched] in February.”
Then Smith suggested the potential of a half-day workshop, as the board already has a regular meeting set on Feb. 11 with what he indicated was a short agenda.
“I agree with both of you,” Commissioner Joe Neunder said. “Timing is certainly of the essence here.” Siesta residents “are very eager” to have a discussion with the board, Neunder added, noting that he had visited the barrier island over the commission’s holiday break, as he represents the southern part of the Key as part of his District 4 territory. “It is in some desperate need for attention,” he said of the island.
Neunder stressed that his and Smith’s constituents are eager for county discussions to begin.
“I think we’re all in agreement,” Commissioner Knight noted. The board members, he pointed out, “want to make sure” that Siesta continues in its long-held role of bringing in a significant portion of the annual Tourist Development Tax — or, “bed tax” — revenue each year. (See the related article in this issue.)
If the commissioners agreed to the Feb. 11 workshop, County Administrator Lewis cautioned, “My staff’s not going to have a lot to add by that date.” He then sought clarification that, given their discussion that morning, he understood that the workshop would be “more of a listening session.”
“Certainly,” Neunder said, the workshop “will be the opportunity to engage the public” and hear ideas. “I think this board is happy to listen and get things moving.”
Last year, a representative of a new organization, the Siesta Key Beautification Alliance, requested a $30-million county investment in the 2026 fiscal year budget — which went into effect on Oct. 1, 2025 — to enhance the island’s gateways and refresh infrastructure in an effort to help Siesta recover from the extensive damage it suffered from Hurricanes Helene and Milton in the fall of 2024.
The commissioners did not agree to that funding, especially given 2024 projections from the county’s Office of Financial Management showing multi-million-dollar gaps between county revenue and expected expenses in coming fiscal years. Last year, board members also commented on numerous occasions about their worries that state action will end up decreasing their property tax revenue in the future, with one or more referenda anticipated on the 2026 November General Election ballot.
In response to a Sarasota News Leader request, the spokesperson for the Siesta Key Beautification Alliance, Natalie Gutwein, provided the following statement about the Jan. 13 board decision:
“I appreciate the Board of County Commissioners recognizing just how important Siesta Key is — not only to those of us who live and work here, but to Sarasota County as a whole. Siesta Key is truly one of the county’s crown jewels and a major economic driver, which brings both opportunity and responsibility.”
She continued, “In the months after the back-to-back hurricanes, many — if not all — of the commissioners took time out of their schedules to come out to the Key, walk the island and Village, and spend hours with homeowners and business owners firsthand. That on-the-ground engagement helped verify the urgent infrastructure and beautification needs we continue to reference, and it has meant a great deal to the community to feel seen and heard at that level.
“After those storms,” Gutwein added, “the need for thoughtful, coordinated improvements has never been more apparent. At the same time, it’s important to acknowledge that it has been more than 18 years since the Village and surrounding areas have seen a comprehensive, long-term infrastructure investment.
“I’m incredibly encouraged,” she wrote, “to see residents, property and business owners, and the island’s organizations are all aligned with the county commissioners and staff. We all want a safer, more attractive Siesta Key, one that reflects its world-class reputation as a best beach destination.
“The February 11 workshop,” Gutwein continued, “will be an opportunity for our Board and the community to give their input and to be heard by the Board of County Commissioners, to help shape the recovery of Siesta Key. It’s been a long road to recovery, and we’re all excited to work together to restore our island to its world class status.
“Thank you for your time and consideration, as we all work toward the beatification of the island we all love,” Gutwein concluded the statement, directing that comment to the commissioners.
Deciding on the invitees
During the Jan. 13 discussion, Commissioner Teresa Mast suggested that it “would be very helpful to staff” if the board members proposed attendees for the Feb. 11 workshop, especially island representatives “really in the know,” as she characterized them. “There are very vital voices that have invested in that area for a long time that should be present so we can hear from them,” she said.
Smtih ended up making the motion to direct staff to schedule the half-day workshop to discuss the beautification of Siesta Key, and Neunder seconded it.
In regard to Mast’s suggestion, Smith named the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce; the Beautification Alliance; the Siesta Key Association; the nonprofit Protect Siesta Key, whose leaders, Smith noted, are “interested in all things Siesta Key”; and the Siesta Key Condominium Council.
When the News Leader this week asked for a comment about his organization’s being put on the list, Neal Schleifer, vice president of the Condominium Council, wrote in a Jan. 14 email, “I’m glad Commissioners are including the Siesta Key Condominium Council in the discussion, as I’ve been requesting. SKCC will be advocating for concerns and priorities important to its many members.”
Smith’s motion passed 5-0.
Following the vote, the commissioners also unanimously approved their 2026 Strategic Plan.