Manatee officials overrule public safety chief, vote to reopen county-owned boat ramps
Boat ramps in Manatee County will re-open Monday after the Board of County Commissioners went against a recommendation from the chief public safety official.
Board members discussed the item during Friday afternoon’s emergency meeting, voting 4-3 to re-open the ramps, which were closed as a precautionary measure two weeks ago. Commissioners Carol Whitmore, Stephen Jonsson and Betsy Benac voted against the proposal.
“I have serious concerns about the boat ramps,” said Commissioner Misty Servia, who raised the issue early in the meeting.
Public Safety Director Jake Saur announced that Manatee County boat ramps would close on March 26 after staff observed large gatherings near Beer Can Island. Under the county’s local state of emergency resolution, Saur had the authority to close them.
As they discussed reversing his course of action, Saur was not able to comment on the proposal during Friday’s meeting. Reached for comment after Friday’s vote, Saur said the board’s decision could send a “mixed message” about the county’s efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19.
“My hope is after the action by the board, the public continues to heed the message to social distance,” Saur said. “It’s unfortunate, at a pivotal point in our fight against COVID-19, that we could possibly send a mixed message that now is the time for the public to be at home. They should only be out for essential business.”
“We must all do our part to flatten the curve,” he continued.
The argument for reopening the boat ramps, commissioners said, stemmed from the fact that low-income residents have been denied access to the water for fishing and feeding their families. On top of that, boaters with access to private docks have not been restricted at all.
“If we could keep every boat off the water, that’d be one thing, but there’s too many boats on the water,” said Commissioner Priscilla Whisenant Trace. “I also know a lot of people who said they would’ve gone out and caught enough fish to take care of their neighbors and everybody.”
“I would vote to reopen the boat ramps. The thing of it is that then it’s up to the people to show that they’re responsible enough to do what they need to do,” Commissioner Vanessa Baugh said during the discussion. “The bottom line is I’d like to give citizens the opportunity.”
Joining Baugh, Servia and Trace in voting to reopen the ramps was Commissioner Reggie Bellamy.
When the boat ramp closures were announced, Saur explained that those areas had been closed because public safety officials found them to be popular gathering places where residents were breaking the social distancing guidelines set forth by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Benac, who serves on the Emergency Policy Group that made the recommendation to close the boat ramps, said she was also concerned that re-opening boat ramps could send the wrong message.
“I know people that love to get out on their boats. It isn’t fair, but I feel that because I’ve heard from the policy group, I could not change that,” said Benac.
County Administrator Cheri Coryea said county staff will need some time to mobilize and re-open the boat ramps. Employees will begin that process next week, and should have boat ramps open later in the day on Monday.
This story was originally published April 10, 2020 at 6:04 PM.
