Sarasota commissioners endorse Option A, direct staff to prioritize stormwater maintenance and dredging

Sarasota County commissioners voted unanimously Sept. 5 to advance “Option A” on the county’s proposed stormwater rates and directed county staff to accelerate maintenance, finalize permitting for Phillippi Creek dredging and produce a prioritized sediment-management plan before asking residents for a rate increase.

The decision came after several hours of public comment — much of it from residents whose homes flooded in 2024 — and presentations by newly appointed stormwater director Ben Quartermaine and consultant Steve Sua. Quartermaine told the commission he will focus on transparency and data-sharing, and Sua urged clearer separation in county code between stormwater (drainage and flood conveyance) and navigational waterways (boating access).

Quartermaine, the county’s new stormwater director, said the department has created an interactive public map that will link work orders and completed maintenance so residents can see where and when work is performed. "Transparency. I believe that the more data that I can share, that we can share to the public, the better off we all are," Quartermaine said during the presentation.

Why it matters: Residents and community groups told commissioners the county’s maintenance shortfalls contributed to repeated flood damage. Multiple commenters asked the board not to raise assessments until the new department completes a prioritized list of maintenance, dredging and capital projects and until independent financial questions are answered. At the meeting’s end, the board approved moving forward with Option A — the document set staff recommended for the Oct. 10 public hearing — rather than adopting the larger rate proposal now.

What commissioners and staff said

Steve Sua, the…