Commissioners press staff on how much an STR program would cost and who should pay

Manatee County staff told the Board that staffing and vendor choices strongly drive program cost. Stephanie Charles summarized vendor and jurisdiction comparisons: City of Sarasota uses a hybrid approach with suspensions for repeated violations (but had not yet suspended operations), Bradenton reported lower vendor costs but fewer units, and Pinellas initially underestimated staffing needs. Staff showed a vendor (Granicus) estimate and an 11‑position staffing model that together could push year‑one costs near $1.5 million when building inspections, vehicles and overtime are included.