Residents angry that police chief could be setting a ‘trap’ for motorists

A couple of cities in Florida are known as speed trap cities — and soon, Holmes Beach may be added to that list, angry Anna Maria Island residents predict.

The speed limit on State Road 64/Manatee Avenue has been lowered to 25 mph for the stretch west of the Anna Maria Island Bridge, and lowered to 35 mph on the bridge, without any public input.

“This is an enforcement thing,” Anna Maria resident John Cella said. “The cars aren’t going fast anyway most of the time. They can’t go because they are all bumper to bumper. They are going to add Holmes Beach to that (list of speed trap cities).”

Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer made the decision about the speed limit reduction, asking Florida Department of Transportation to lower the speed. When contacted Monday, Tokajer declined comment until after Tuesday’s city commission meeting where commissioners will discuss the matter.

“It’s got people up in arms,” he said.

Said Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore, who also lives in Holmes Beach: “As the former mayor, I understand that the chief is in charge of traffic, but I would never ever lower the speed limit on a main thoroughfare without my commissioners being aware of it or voting on it and citizen input. There wasn’t any.”

Under new business on the Holmes Beach city commission meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday at 5801 Marina Drive, there is an agenda item “discussion relating to recent speed limit change on SR 64.”

On Feb. 6, City Commission Chairwoman Judy Titsworth sent an email to FDOT stating her opposition to the reduction. Titsworth could not be reached for comment Monday.

“This has resulted in a large public outcry and the commission has been receiving numerous calls in protest of this reduction as it is in their and in my opinion not warranted as this is not a high pedestrian area and there has only been one traffic incident involving a bicyclist and unfortunately it happened at 3 a.m. on the opposite, east, side of the bridge,” she said in the email. “This change was approached without public notification nor prior to a city commission meeting, therefore became effective without affirmative city commission action.”

In a Feb. 6 email from David Gwynn with FDOT to Holmes Beach Mayor Bob Johnson, Gwynn said they received the request from the police chief, who said the mayor was also in support.

Johnson could not be reached for comment Monday.

“Although our studies did not indicate a need to reduce the speeds, the context of the area along with the reports of safety problems from the Chief contributed to our reducing the speed limit,” Gwynn said in the email. “In years past, we would have been more likely to leave the speed limit near the existing speeds. However, we are becoming more sensitive to the context of each area and reducing speeds if it makes sense given the environment of the area.”

According to Holmes Beach code, the traffic engineer, who is also the police chief, should let the city commission know of all proposed traffic regulations.

“Determination of what constitutes a minor or major traffic regulation is left to the discretion of the traffic engineer,” the code states. “Before any proposed major traffic regulation shall become effective, it shall be conspicuously posted in the city hall for not less than seven days prior to a regular or special meeting of the city commission.”

After another speed limit was changed on Holmes Beach last year, city commissioners requested that the proposal be brought before the commission prior to making the change.

According to the minutes from the May 10, 2016 meeting, Titsworth said “if the speed limit is to be reduced again, she would like it brought before the commission prior to making the change. While Chief Tokajer is the traffic engineer, and can approve small changes, the City Commission has the option of addressing the change if felt to be a large enough change.”

As a result of the most recent speed limit reduction, residents say the traffic is already backing up.

“What we are seeing already is big backups,” Holmes Beach resident Anthony Rizzo said. “I personally witnessed rear end collisions. I’m actually seeing more reckless driving. Everyone I know out here is really upset about the change.”

The commission needs to reverse the speed limit change, Cella said.

“To me, it’s dangerous,” he said. “There have already been several accidents.”

In Titsworth’s email to FDOT, she asks for the procedure should a resolution be passed during the commission meeting to request FDOT to reinstate the previous speed limits.

“This same stretch of the road was just reduced last year by 10 mph which totals a 20 mph reduction in speed in a stretch of road that has had only one unwarranted incident and very little pedestrian traffic,” she said in the email. “Our Island becomes very congested in certain times of the year and I feel the 25 mph will contribute to even more delays and the congestion of traffic trying to come on and off the island. Although the Chief stated that he proposes on reducing speeds in all of Holmes Beach to 25 mph, this would have to be affirmed by the city commission and I am not aware at this time, that he would have their support.”

This story was originally published February 13, 2017 at 2:39 PM with the headline "Residents angry that police chief could be setting a ‘trap’ for motorists."