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City, county and community discuss Curry Creek maintenance; council approves maintenance action and seeks interlocal exchange
Summary
Staff updated council on Curry Creek maintenance responsibilities, an NRCS‑funded debris removal grant and early talks with Sarasota County about exchanging maintenance responsibilities; council approved the next maintenance action unanimously.
City staff reported on a multi‑party effort to identify ownership and maintenance responsibilities along Curry Creek and related channels and described plans to use a U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) grant for debris removal this fall.
John Kramer (acting city engineer) and stormwater engineer Steve Barrons presented a county map showing segmented maintenance responsibilities and noted the city currently performs quarterly maintenance on three creek segments — generally from the Legacy Trail Bridge to the U.S. 41 bypass. The city said the NRCS grant will reimburse up to about $360,000 for debris‑removal work on Curry Creek and Hatchet Creek; any construction or utility improvements required by future development are the property owner’s responsibility.
Staff also described ongoing, staff‑level talks with Sarasota County about an interlocal maintenance exchange that would shift responsibility for some Curry Creek segments and Deer Town Gully between the county and city; any final exchange would require approval by both governing bodies. Staff said the privately owned Sawgrass portion remains the property owner’s responsibility but acknowledged community concerns that leaving that segment out of a broader maintenance agreement could create a “weak link.”
Public comment and council action - Steve Carr, representing the Central Venice Coalition, urged the council to immediately add a 0.45‑mile Sawgrass segment to the city’s quarterly maintenance program to preserve continuous flow and reduce flood risk. He said Sawgrass would continue to maintain its internal banks but that the channel’s flow must be preserved for the benefit of the larger community. - Council Member Rachel Frank moved to approve agenda item 25‑0287 (the Curry Creek maintenance action); the motion was seconded by Council Member Rick Howard and passed unanimously. The council subsequently approved related items (25‑0288 and 25‑0289) by unanimous votes.
Ending: Staff said the NRCS debris removal work is expected to begin in the fall and that staff will prepare proposed terms if the city and county pursue a maintenance‑responsibility exchange. Council directed staff to continue coordination with Sarasota County and interested community groups.
