The sign above was recently installed at Lido Beach in preparation for the many boat racing fans who attended the July 4Suncoast Charities for Children Sarasota Power Boat Grand Prix.

This year’s races were seen around the world via television and by thousands of fans up close and personal on Lido. An unprecedented effort was also made on race weekend to successfully protect sea turtle and bird nests on shore as well as manatees and dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico. Thanks to all involved for another great event and all of the extraordinary measures to protect our wildlife.             

But, the boat races are a one weekend per year event on one beach. As all SRQ readers are aware, our region has been blessed with several of the world’s finest beaches.  Each is special in its own way. Each is enjoyed with much delight 365 days of the year.

Since Steve Leatherman’s (aka Dr. Beach) 2011 rating of Siesta Key Beach as the Best Beach in America, Sarasota County has invested about $21.5 million to expand and modernize Siesta Key Beach amenities.  Our weekly Sarasota employee volleyball games are held on Siesta beach most Friday evenings. We all love Siesta Key Beach.  The south portion of Siesta Key was also stabilized through beach re-nourishment earlier this year.

Like Siesta Key beaches, all of our area beaches require tender loving care.   All of our shorelines must remain buffered and stable not only for beach enjoyment but to protect homes, businesses, roads and our infrastructure.  As sea levels are predicted to rise, we are going to continue to face even greater beach and shoreline protection challenges over the next 50 years.  

The awesome Venice Beach was last re-nourished in 2015.   In cooperation with the City of Sarasota, the pristine Longboat Key Beach is in the middle of being re-nourished this year. To finish the Longboat re-nourishment, sand will be recycled to Longboat from the New Pass channel (between Longboat and Lido) where it has naturally accumulated.  

The family oriented Lido Key Beach is now in serious need of stabilization and re-nourishment.   This past May, Tropical Storm Colin took about 30 feet off of much of the shoreline. At South Lido, the Gulf could soon be crashing up onto buildings.

Although some question and criticize the Army Corps of Engineers over their role in beach stabilization, they are the best experts available and in place to manage this ongoing responsibility. They have the best data, computers, software and by far the most experience in providing guidance in maintaining America's shorelines and beaches. We are hopeful a permit will be issued in the near future to stabilize/renourish Lido Key Beach.  

Unfortunately, it seems few trust government anymore on anything.  I hope this mantra ends someday. We might remind ourselves from time to time that our government did put a man on the moon, played a vital role in advancing the internet, and generally does a decent job regulating our safety in many ways, including aviation, food and drugs, and in Florida, shoreline protection. If we can't trust the US Army Corps on guiding us or helping protect and preserve our shoreline, well who can we trust on a subject of this magnitude? 

Although I have had very positive experiences with the Corp’s work, careful scrutiny of what they and the state suggest and permit is warranted. Public input is taken seriously as well and is built into the shoreline maintenance process.  

In the weeks ahead, the City of Sarasota will be proposing an enhanced cities and county partnership to better monitor, protect and maintain Longboat, Lido and Siesta beach shorelines.  

This new initiative will provide much greater transparency regarding our shoreline protection efforts and attempt to marry local expertise and interest with powerful new state-of-the-art technology now available to us.  

We all need to be partners and assure ourselves and all beach and boating aficionados that all of our special beaches, including Siesta, Lido and Longboat, and boating channels, will not be harmed by shoreline protection efforts that wisely reuse local sand.

New technology allows us to synthesize weather events, shoreline changes, shoal data and boat channel monitoring, in near real time. These breakthroughs will allow us to work together locally to perfect our local, state and federal partnerships to maintain all of our beaches in a timely, responsible and cost effective manner for decades to come.

Great communities work together to work through issues like this to get the best possible results for all. See you at the beach!

Tom Barwin is city manager for the City of Sarasota. Forward any thoughts you may have on this or related subjects to:  thomas.barwin@sarasotagov.com