Council gives go-ahead on widening Laurel Road

“All we need now is the money to build it,” he said.

That was the second reason he was at the Council meeting.

State Rep. James Buchanan and state Sen. Joe Gruters have agreed to sponsor funding bills in the House and Senate, Neal said, but the Legislature will only fund half of the estimated $16 million cost of four-laning and other improvements.

Legislators will want to see the city is committed to contributing the remainder, assuming other funding sources can’t be found, he said.

So he asked the Council to adopt a resolution of support he can take to Tallahassee.

It voted to do that, after making clear the funds would come from county mobility fees, which means the county has to approve spending them.

Money will be available from fee collections through 2025, City Manager Kathleen Weeden said.

If the funding comes together, Neal said, construction can begin this year.

Other business

Also on Tuesday, the Council:

• Voted to annex the parcels known as Laurel Road Assemblage East and West; amend the comprehensive plan’s future land-use map to change the designation of 1651 Laurel Road East and 1881 Laurel Road East from Sarasota County Medium Density Residential to Venice Mixed Use Corridor, and 1101 Twin Laurel Blvd., 1099 Twin Laurel Blvd. and 2399 Laurel Road East from Sarasota County Moderate Density Residential and Office/Multi-Family Residential to Venice Mixed-Use Corridor; and change the zoning designation for 1651 Laurel Road East and 1881 Laurel Road East from Sarasota County Open Use Estate 1 to Venice Commercial, General, and 1101 Twin Laurel Blvd., 1099 Twin Laurel Blvd. and 2399 Laurel Road East from Sarasota County Open Use Estate 1 (OUE-1) and Office, Professional, and Institutional to Venice Commercial, General.

• Heard first reading of ordinances to change the future land use designation of 2901 Curry Lane from Moderate Density Residential to Commercial and the zoning designation from Residential, Multi-Family 1 to Commercial, General.

• Adopted a budget amendment.

• Accepted utilities and improvements at Vistera Phase 1A.

• Created a utility rate stakeholder’s work group.

• Adopted an amended policy for board appointments.

• Approved a request to place a plaque at Founders Way to recognize the Hospital Volunteers of Venice.

• Heard a presentation on affordable housing from United Way of South Sarasota County.

• Continued an appeal of a site-and-development plan amendment for pickleball courts at the Venetian Golf & River Club to the March 14 Council meeting.

• Approved a grant agreement with Sarasota County for the West Coast Inland Navigation District Waterway Development Program Project Agreement for the Venice Police Marine Patrol.

• Authorized the mayor to sign the Federal Emergency Management Agency Florida Division of Emergency Management Hurricane Ian agreement.

• Authorized the mayor, city attorney and city engineer to sign the Mirasol Town Center Phase 2 final plat.

• Recognized 2022 Holiday Card Winner Kinzley Cuellar, a fifth grader at Venice Elementary School.

• Recognized 2022 Employee of the Year Mike Deneweth, Technical Systems coordinator in the Information Technology Department.

• Presented a certificate to Council Member Dick Longo for completion of the 2022 Institute for Elected Municipal Officials.

• Swore in police officers Ryan Keogh and Justin Lorenz.

• Approved nominating Steve Carr to the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization Citizen Advisory Committee.

• Held a private attorney-client meeting regarding Neal Communities of SWFL v. City of Venice.

The video and audio recordings of the meeting are at VeniceGov.com at the “Meetings” button.