Sarasota County directs staff to develop Siesta Key master plan after residents press $250,000 engineering study

Sarasota County commissioners voted unanimously on Feb. 11 to direct county staff to develop a community/master plan for Siesta Key, create parameters for a task force of local stakeholders and return with funding and short-term priority recommendations after a string of presentations by residents and business groups.

The decision followed hours of testimony from the Siesta Key Beautification Alliance, the Siesta Key Chamber, the Siesta Key Association and other community groups urging an engineering-first approach. Natalie Gutwein, the alliance spokesperson, said the group spent about $35,000 privately to commission a concept study and asked the board to authorize an independent engineering feasibility study and involve local stakeholders in selecting the firm.

"Engineering must come before budgeting," Gutwein said, urging county direction rather than immediate project approvals. Mason Tush, chair of the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the island's economic importance to the county and cited a sharp tourism-tax decline, saying TDT revenue tied to Siesta Key was "down approximately 24% through part of fiscal year '25." He argued that coordinated county leadership was required to protect revenue streams that fund county services.

Speakers from neighborhood associations and condo councils described frequent flooding, aging lift stations and pedestrian hazards at locations including Beach Road, Midnight Pass and Stickney Point. Rick Monroe of the alliance said the island's average elevation of about 7 feet and recent FEMA map changes make near‑term resilience planning urgent. Dr. Veil Schleifer of the Siesta Key Condominium Council noted condo associations had incurred substantial rebuilding costs and asked the county to commit to stormwater mitigation once study results are available.

Commissioners used the workshop to coalesce around two near-term and longer-term steps: standing up a representative task force to refine priorities and scope, and launching a competitive, consultant-driven master/community plan that provides 2-, 5- and 10-year priorities and funding pathways. Commissioner Maston and others urged staff to seek funding options that avoid overreliance on the general fund and to identify potential state and federal resilience grants.

Commissioner Smith moved the direction to staff; Commissioner Nunder seconded. The board approved the motion by voice vote. County staff said they would return recommended parameters and procurement options at one or more future agenda items and break the work into phases where feasible.

The meeting did not commit specific construction dollars. The Siesta Key Beautification Alliance and allied groups asked the board to consider authorizing up to $250,000 for an independent engineering study to generate detailed cost estimates, phasing, permitting pathways and engineering designs; the board's directive requires staff to return with funding options and a scope for the master/community plan. The Siesta Key Village Maintenance Corporation, which oversees maintenance funded by a local PID, told commissioners it holds a fund balance in the hundreds of thousands that could address small repairs but is not sized for major capital upgrades.

What happens next: staff will prepare parameters for a task force and a proposed scope and funding plan for a community/master plan and return those items to the board for formal action, including any required budget amendments or procurement steps.