Residents plan to contribute 250 volunteer hours to initiative
The homeowners association of Paradise Cove on south Siesta Key is one of 15 neighborhood organizations that recently received grants from the Sarasota County Commission so they can undertake a variety of projects.
Altogether, the grant requests totaled $103,859.60, but a county memo included in the June 3 meeting packet explained that only $99,000 was available in this fiscal year. Thus, the memo said, the county’s Neighborhood Initiative Grant Advisory Committee “recommended reducing each of the 15 grant amounts on a percentage basis for the total amount not to exceed budgeted funds.” County staff made the adjustments at a rate of 4.7%, the memo added, so the total that the County Commission approved ended up being $98,978.20.
As the applicants are required to contribute to their initiatives, as well, a county chart said that the total value of the projects as originally proposed was $223,385.79.
As the June 3 commission meeting already was running long — thanks to about an hour of comments during the Open to the Public period that morning — plus an unscheduled board discussion about a South County issue — Commissioner Teresa Mast suggested that she and her colleagues did not need a staff presentation prior to taking a vote on the grants.
She made the motion to approve them, and Commissioner Ron Cutsinger seconded it.
During the Open to the Public comment period that morning, Neal Schleifer, a Paradise Cove representative, told the board members that he wanted to offer his support for the Neighborhood Initiative Grant Program, and he praised the leadership of county staff member Erin Sommerville, who is the liaison to the Neighborhood Initiative Grant Advisory Committee.
“In difficult times,” Schleifer continued, “this is a program where the county truly works in partnership with neighborhoods for the benefit of residents and the county, as model projects, staff and Extension agents lend expertise to problems the neighborhoods are trying to solve, matching funds are provided, and the neighborhoods contribute finances, planning, labor and accountability.”
Schleifer noted of the grant program, “It’s open to all communities and overseen by an advisory council [whose members ask] tough questions.
“At a time when communities are struggling financially and facing increasing costs, improvements to the environment, water quality and habitat benefit everyone,” Schleifer pointed out.
“This is a program where the county really gets it right,” he told the commissioners.
The staff memo in the June 3 agenda packet explained that the County Commission “created the Neighborhood Initiative Grant Program (NIGP) in 2002. The program’s goals are to preserve and enhance neighborhoods by providing opportunities for communities to identify areas for improvement, and to strengthen the community through collaboration and volunteering,” the memo added.
“The NIGP is a competitive 50/50 matching grant program,” it continued. Neighborhoods may provide their 50% match through cash, donations or volunteer hours credited at $20 per hour, it pointed out.
“The maximum amount a neighborhood can request is $10,000.00,” the memo said.
“Applicants work with staff prior to submitting an application,” the memo continued, to ensure that their proposed projects meet “the guidelines for public benefit, state and county regulations and those of the grant program.”
After staff receives an application, the memo pointed out, staff reviews it and verifies the project details. “Staff then provides the Neighborhood Initiative Grant Advisory Committee (NIGAC) members copies of the application, as well as staff’s written comments. The NIGAC evaluates the information and scores the application regarding public benefit, community strengthening, community need and community support,” the memo said.
A final report must be provided to staff after the completion of each project, within one year of the grant award, the memo further explained.
The Paradise Cove Condominium Association applied for a $10,000 grant for the removal of invasive species; the organization planned to put $21,000 toward the work, along with 250 volunteer hours, a chart in the agenda packet showed.
Fourteen homes will be affected by the undertaking, the chart noted.
Details of the plans
The application summary included in the agenda packet explained that the Paradise Cove Association plans to hire a tree service to remove Australian pines, while the volunteers will take care of pulling out the Brazilian pepper trees and other invasive species on the property. The growth of mangroves will be promoted in place of the invasives, the application added.
“Pine needles will be raked and removed,” the application continued, noting, “The original project was planned in phases over three years to remove Australian Pines on the south pond, but the community did so much work in 2024 (32 removed instead of 16) that it’s ahead of schedule, and all Australian Pines on the pond’s banks will be removed in the second phase,” along with five Australian pines on the north side of the condominium complex site.
“The results will be very dramatic,” the application pointed out.
“A third phase could remove the remaining 10 Australian Pines from the property!” the application said. “This didn’t seem possible when the project began with 100 Australian Pines. Volunteers would also like to begin planting the bank of the pond beyond the mangroves with native plants and groundcover.”
The application further pointed out, “Removal of invasive species and improved habitat is a goal of Sarasota County, so the project will benefit the greater community as well as the neighborhood. Fewer pine trees and cones will mean fewer invasive trees in the future. The pine needles are a nuisance to everyone, so all welcome their removal.”
It also noted, “Removing all the Australian Pines would be a good model for the greater Sarasota County community. Removal of invasive Brazilian pepper reduces its propagation in the local and greater neighborhood. Invasive removal resulted in less damage to the community and neighbors during the 2024 hurricanes Helene and Milton. It also protected the pond [on the property], which improves flood control. Native plantings enhance the neighborhood and promote a healthier environment throughout the County. Mangroves improve pond and lake water quality and sustain wildlife. All pond water ends in the bay, so the project helps improve water quality and benefits all.”
The project plans won a county staff score of 86.86 out of 100, the application showed.