More than 60 Rubonia residents give Manatee County officials an earful

RUBONIA -- Rubonia residents let Manatee County officials hear it Tuesday night.

"That's the reason we are here tonight," Rubonia resident Alfred Smith said. "We are frustrated. We are glad you are here to hear our frustrations. We want to do it the right way. We are one of the oldest communities here in Manatee County and we probably look the worst of any community in Manatee County. I don't understand that. If the demographics were different in your area, would it look like this?"

More than 60 residents filled the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Rubonia to air frustrations to an array of county officials, including Ed Hunzeker, county administrator; John Barnott, Building and Development Services Department director; Brenda Rogers, Community Services Department director; Cheri Coryea, Neighborhood Services Department director; Charlie Hunsicker, Parks and Natural Resources Department director; Charlie Bishop, Property Management Department director; Bob Smith, Public Safety Department director; Ron Schulholfer, Public Works Department director; and Mike Gore, Utilities Department director.

A lack of paved sidewalks, the closed community center, the condition of ditches and what residents call a poor drainage system are among Rubonia resident concerns.

Commissioner Larry Bustle, who represents Rubonia, promised to meet with residents but, since he is recovering from a minor stroke, commission Chairwoman Betsy Benac led the meeting in his place. Commissioners Carol Whitmore, John Chappie and Charles Smith also attended.

"We wish we could go out to neighborhoods and put in sidewalks, streetlights, stormwater but we just don't have the money to do it," Hunzeker said Tuesday.

George Helmer, who has lived in Rubonia since 1946, called Rubonia "the forgotten stepchild" of Manatee County.

"It is time you start paying attention to us," he said. "We don't want to be ignored anymore. We are taxpayers and by God we've been here a long time and we are going to be here a lot longer. We aren't going to give up."

With people speeding through Rubonia, particularly along Bayshore Road, Rubonia Church of Christ Minister Alfonso Thomas Sr. said something must be done now, pointing to a 9-year-old boy killed in July when hit by a car while riding his bicycle.

"Something needs to be done right now," Thomas said.

"Some of these tragedies wouldn't have happened. Our lives matter. These are human beings over here. ... We are just asking for you to do the right thing."

In regard to the community center, the county is soliciting invitation-to-negotiate offers, Benac said it is an opportunity.

"We don't want to impose something," she said. "It doesn't work. We know that. ... We are listening. We don't have the ability to solve all the problems. We are going to continue to work with you. I wish I could say there was more. Please continue the conversation."

Claire Aronson, Manatee County reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7024 or at caronson@bradenton.com. Follow her on Twitter @Claire_Aronson.

This story was originally published July 29, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "More than 60 Rubonia residents give Manatee County officials an earful."