Town of Longboat Key officials and residents told Sarasota County representatives during a joint meeting on Nov. 10 that repeated flooding on St. Armands Circle has left businesses shuttered and homes damaged, and asked county leaders to prioritize remediation through a Resilient SRQ grant request for up to $25 million.

The most detailed public comments came from Chris Golia, president of the St. Armands Residents Association, who showed photographs from an June 2024 storm and said the area’s drainage hardware and pumps had failed. "Our streets don't drain," Golia said, pointing to a damaged flap valve and to outdoor restaurant seating under water in the pictures. He said pumps had required temporary trailers and generators from the county to clear water after storms so power could be restored.

Carl Schoelstahl, president of the Lido Key Residents Association, and resident Andrew Vak corroborated the accounts, citing commercial vacancies and long recovery times. Vak summarized local counts and estimates: "A 100% of the businesses on Saint Armand's were flooded with both storms. 65% of the homes on Saint Armands were flooded from the storms," he said, and described older drainage pipes that "need to be replaced." Vak added that of roughly 144 businesses on St. Armands Circle, only 101 were open at the time of his remarks.

Town staff framed the request with broader damage figures and operational impacts. Isaac Brown, assistant town manager, said the town had performed about 3,000 substantial damage assessments, issued more than 2,000 storm‑related permits, and reported extensive public‑ and private‑sector losses during the 2024 storm season. Brown provided two separate figures during the presentation: an earlier estimate of roughly $217 million in combined public and private losses across the area and a later municipal budget impact figure of about $27.5 million for the town alone, including nearly $20 million in beach and dune damage.

Town manager Howard Tipton said the town "strongly supports the $25,000,000 ask" for St. Armands Circle and handed a formal letter to the county commissioners requesting that as much of the town’s list as possible be funded. Tipton emphasized St. Armands’ role as a tourism and county‑wide economic contributor, saying the islands supply customers and business to firms across Sarasota County.

Sarasota County commissioners and staff heard the testimony during the public‑comment portion and the town’s presentation; the meeting did not record a formal county vote on the request. County staff involvement and coordination with FDOT and the City of Sarasota were referenced during the town presentation because some roads and facilities are under state or city jurisdiction.

Next steps mentioned on the record included the town’s submission of a written letter to county commissioners and the county’s continued coordination with city and state partners as the Resilient SRQ application proceeds. The transcript does not record a county vote or a formal commitment to allocate the requested funds.

Notes: The town’s request was presented as a funding ask to county decision‑makers; the transcript attributes the funding figure and the town’s support to town staff (Isaac Brown, Howard Tipton) and to public speakers (Chris Golia, Carl Schoelstahl, Andrew Vak).