Short-term vacation rentals throughout the county to be focus of Feb. 21 program of Sarasota County Council of Neighborhood Associations

Discussion to include representatives of neighborhood and condominium associations, as well as local government leaders

CONA has moved its programs to the second floor meeting room in the Fire Station at 2070 Waldemere St. in Sarasota. Image from Google Maps

On Friday, Feb. 21, the Sarasota County Council of Neighborhood Associations (CONA) will present a program on what the nonprofit notes in a news release are “the varied and complex issues” related to short-term vacation rentals.

Melanie Goddard, vice president of CONA and president of Gulf Gate Community Association, will make a presentation on the topic and then moderate a discussion among representatives of neighborhood and condominium associations, as well as local government leaders. Among the expected participants are Chris Goglia of the St. Armands Residents Association; Art Levin of the One Watergate Condominium Association; Lourdes Ramirez of Siesta Key; Venice City Councilman Jim Bennett; Sarasota City Commissioner Hagen Brody; North Port City Commissioner Jill Luke; and Gretchen Schnieder of the City of Sarasota staff. Further, a local media representative who has researched and published relevant articles will participate, the release notes: Cooper Levey-Baker, senior editor of Sarasota Magazine.

Goddard will present information provided by staff involved in county regulation and enforcement of short-term rentals, the release notes.

Additionally, candidates for the local primary races are invited to take advantage of the half-hour networking session prior to the meeting, the release says. That period will begin at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will open at 7 p.m. “with an opportunity for those candidates to speak for a brief time,” the release adds.

Their remarks will be followed by brief updates about neighborhood issues, along with a monthly update regarding the development of conservation easements for the county-owned “Quads” parcels adjacent to the Celery Fields Quads and for part of the city-owned Bobby Jones Golf Course.

“Because of holidays and speaker calendar conflicts, this meeting and the March meeting are off-schedule, being held a week later than the new monthly meeting schedule for CONA,” the release points out. CONA will resume its normal schedule in April, the release adds.

CONA meetings are conducted at the Sarasota County fire station located at 2070 Waldemere St. in Sarasota.

Parking for is available on the site. “Please do not park in spaces reserved for the firefighters,” CONA leaders ask. Overflow parking is across the street, in the private lot of the nursing home — which has been under renovation — just north of the firehouse, the release adds.

The Feb. 21 CONA program will focus on neighborhood concerns about short-term rentals, the release points out.

See www.conasarasota.org/meetings.html for more information about CONA and the topics it has tackled.

1 thought on “Short-term vacation rentals throughout the county to be focus of Feb. 21 program of Sarasota County Council of Neighborhood Associations”

  1. I will attend Pelican Cove condo Assn has sent letters to our representatives as well as to Galvano and Oliva about this bill, using the wording from the statewide condo and association . I’ll bring a copy of that letter with me.

    Ruth Brandwein, Chair
    Government and Neighborhood Relations Committee
    Pelican Cove Condo Assn.

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