The Lake Sarasota Community Blog

The Sarasota County Commission has cut impact fees in half on building permits issued before Feb. 1, 2013. The vote was 4-1, with Commissioner Jon Thaxton dissenting. The effect on the Bee Ridge Corridor Improvements is yet to be determined. The work on the Low Impact Road Plan was set to begin in 2014. Full story here

The Sarasota County Commission will consider cutting impact fees collected from builders and developers in the belief that this could stimulate new development. The Commission will meet at Venice City Hall on Wed., Jan. 26 at 1:30 p.m. to hold a public hearing on the issue. The Bee Ridge Neighborhoods Committee is concerned that a sharp reduction in impact fees could force a significant delay in the Bee Ridge Corridor improvement plan . The county is considering nearly a 50% reduction in the fe es. Members of the Committee plan to attend the hearing to voice their concerns, and urge anyone interested in seeing Bee Ridge Road East of I-75 become a wider, safer, more beautiful artery to consider attending or writing to the commissioners . Venice City Hall is at 401 Venice Ave.: View Larger Map The Commissioners ' email addresses are below. Contact Commissioner Carolyn Mason cmason @scgov.net Contact Commissioner Joe Barbetta jbarbett@scgov.net Contact Commissioner Christine Robin

As always, Ted obtained the monthly Sheriff's report and analyzed the data for us. Since we did not have a monthly meeting where this information would be presented, it's posted below. The next scheduled meeting is Thursday, March 10. The indication that the incidence of burglaries was up for the month (10 reported thefts) is consisted with the Sheriff's report on crime countywide. As always, volunteers are needed for Citizen's Patrol. Contact Ted at 941 379-0758. === Here is the Sheriff's Dept. report for December, 2010. We had a sharp increase in incidents over November. It may have something to do with the Christmas Holidays (school vacations, presents left in cars, etc.). Here is the data: Total number of incidents: 16 Vandalism: 4 Burglary: 2 Theft: 10 Juvenile Disturbances: 0 By times reported: Vandalism: 12 Noon -- 12 Midnight Burglaries: 11:30 a.m. -- 3:00 p.m. Thefts: 6:30 a.m. -- 2:30 p.m.

Regional Collaboration Initiative Announced The DEAL, a major regional collaboration initiative was announced today by three of Southwest Florida's biggest players: Schroeder-Manatee Ranch Inc. (SMR), developer of the award-wining master-planned community of Lakewood Ranch; State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota; Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice, Florida's largest community foundation . ( MORE ) Public Notice: Neighborhood Stabilization Program 3 The city of Sarasota's and Sarasota County's Neighborhood Stabilization Program 3 (NSP3) applications have been posted for public review and comment. ( MORE ) Smile and say cheese for libraries' 'Snapshot Day' Sarasota County libraries will participate in "Snapshot: A Day in the Life of Florida Libraries" on Tuesday, Jan. 25. The statewide project will illustrate the importance of libraries for Florida's citizens through collection of statistics, stories and photographs, and also how much

Government sets schedule for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday Most Sarasota County government offices will be closed Monday, Jan. 17, in observance of the national holiday that celebrates the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ( MORE ) Sarasota County gets 'AAA' general obligation rating from Standard & Poor's Standard & Poor's Rating Services for the first time has given Sarasota County's general obligation debt a rating of "AAA." Only 66 other counties in the country have achieved S&P's highest rating. ( MORE ) Free community association leadership conference Sarasota County Neighborhood Services invites residents to attend a free community association leadership conference scheduled 8:30 a. m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5, at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota, 1000 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota. The county will have an information table at the event and is partnering with Becker & Poliakoff, which is hosting the conference. The forum

Curious about what's happening at the Benderson Rowing facility? Or the construction of the Honore, Cattlemen, and Fruitville corridors? Or the Celery Fields park? For an update on a large set of coordinated planning efforts centered on Fruitville Rd. and I-75, have a look at the Civics 101 blog . Update: See also Matt Lewis's slides of his presentation.

Free seminar offered on ways to overcome overeating In The Sarasota County Wellness Coalition is sponsoring a free seminar, "Understanding and Overcoming Overeating and Overweight," on Tuesday, Jan. 18, from 1-3 p.m. at the Laurel/Nokomis School Media Center, 1900 East Laurel Road, Nokomis. ( MORE ) Aging with Dignity and Independence Are you an older adult, or do you work, live or interact with older adults? If so, you are invited to share your stories as part of a community initiative to discover what contributes to aging with dignity and independence. SCOPE, the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee and The Patterson Foundation are looking for your feedback with the goal of developing innovative and technological ways for older adults to age with dignity and independence. There are two ways to participate: · Attend a community forum from 2-3:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 10, at North Sarasota Library, 2801 Newtown Blvd., Sarasota · Visit www.scopexcel.org , and click on t

From the Herald Tribune : Florida expands foreclosure mediation program The Associated Press Published: Saturday, January 8, 2011 at 7:21 a.m. Last Modified: Saturday, January 8, 2011 at 7:21 a.m. TALLAHASSEE - Pre-foreclosure cases are being added to an experimental mortgage foreclosure mediation program that operates in six of Florida's 20 court circuits. The Collins Center for Public Policy, a Tallahassee think tank, runs the program and announced the expansion Friday. Government-backed mortgage giant Fannie Mae has directed its loan servicers to participate in the pre-foreclosure mediation. Program director Ned Pope call it a "game changer" that will save homeowners, lenders and the courts time and money. The program operates in two circuits covering 10 western Panhandle counties and four circuits serving Miami-Dade, Hardee, Highlands, Polk, DeSoto, Manatee, Sarasota, Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee and St. Lucie counties.

From the Sheriff's Office: 2010 Crime Statistics Year-end statistics are still being finalized, but there is good news to report. Violent crime is down for 2010, as are nonviolent crimes such as larceny and motor vehicle theft. Burglary, however, is on the rise largely due to the prescription drug problem that is prevalent throughout Sarasota County. Calls for service remain steady at about 90,000 for the year, with some 10,000 arrests being made. The complete report will be posted online soon, so be sure to check under the Public Interest tab for Crime & Accident Statistics and choose Uniform Crime Reporting .