How Sarasota government leaders will tackle homelessness has loomed as likely the largest policy issue in a city election to be decided next week. At the same time that county officials are meeting with Robert Marbut, a consultant hired jointly by the city and county to discuss homeless solutions, the city this week budgeted more than $200,000 to hire a homeless coordinator to implement a separate Housing First plan originating from city staff under City Manager Tom Barwin.

Stan Zimmerman, District 3 candidate and incumbent, said he was anxious to talk with the county about a plan, but is committed to the city effort. He wants any policy to recognize a difference between the situationally homeless and vagrants. “Go to a Walmart parking lot at 3 in the morning and you will find single mothers with two kids in the back seat. They are homeless,” he said. “Go to a vagrant and they are happy living in the mangroves.” He is running on a platform that he opposed having a new come-as-you-are shelter in the city, which he calls politically impossible, and feels such a shelter would only serve to warehouse homeless people. 

Shelli Eddie, District 3 candidate, said she is pleased the city and county are both once again discussing the issue, and wants the two governments back at the table together. “The issue is still going to be whether we can afford it,” she said. Any plan must take into account the specific needs of the community around it. With a plan focused on provided housing, she said questions still remain on what sort of service is provided. “We need to look at the type of housing—permanent or transitional,” she said. 

Eileen Normile, District 2 candidate and incumbent, said the fact the city walked away from discussions on a come-as-you-are shelter should be viewed as a relief. “Thank god we are not sitting with buyer’s remorse and an $8-million expense,” she said. A Housing First approach, she said, should focus primarily on getting the chronically homeless into permanent housing, and that rather than a shelter, the homeless should be sent to a centrally located triage center to be directed toward appropriate social programs. Having that center in the middle of the county should benefit communities like Venice and North Port.

Liz Alpert, a candidate for District 2, said there does need to be a place for the chronically homeless to go, but stopped short of endorsing a Marbut-style shelter. “I don’t know that a come-as-you-are shelter is what we necessarily need,” she said. “We do need a temporary space for people until they figure out where to go. Whether that is part of existing agencies, or whether it is in the city or county, I prefer wherever it’s going to do the most good, It’s got to have some access to the services.” She wants to work with agencies in the region and discuss what room exists for more beds—and whether services could locate around a shelter elsewhere.

The Sarasota City Election is scheduled for Tuesday. The winners of the District 2 and District 3 contests will each be sworn in to four-year terms on the board. 

The Table Creekside is offering a Mother’s Day Brunch fit for the Queen in your life with tasty treats for every palate. I had the pleasure of previewing the menu in advance of this Sunday’s celebration. Have you made a reservation for your mom yet? The Table features indoor and outdoor dining with water views; there’s even a gondolier floating by dressed in traditional garb waiting to serenade you after your meal. Highlights include perfectly cooked filet mignon served with mushroom strudel sure to inspire poetry and butter-poached lobster with Caribbean polenta cakes. If you have a sweet tooth, you have to try the stuffed French Toast Panini, which looks like cinnamon buns but is stuffed with candied Washington apples, triple cream brie and caramel Nutella. Chef Pedro Flores presents Argentinian sausage that makes all other sausage immediately seem unworthy and banana caramel quinoa pancakes that have me questioning why I’ve ever wasted calories on flour pancakes. For $15, you can have unlimited mimosas (traditional, pear and peach) to complement your meal but I suggest you also try one of the new specialty cocktails–I’m partial to the pineapple, cilantro, jalapeno flavors of the Mauna Loa.  

The Table Creekside, 5365 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941-921-9465

Achieva Credit Union announced Tuesday it signed a definitive agreement to acquire Calusa Bank, a Florida state-chartered bank in Sarasota and Charlotte counties with $165 million in assets. This would be the first acquisition of a bank by a credit union in Florida, and the seventh nationally. This merger will bring Achieva’s total number of branches to 24 and total assets to $1.3 billion.Established in 2007, Calusa has four branches in North Port, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda and Venice. All four branches will continue to operate as branches of Achieva after the sale is finalized later this year.

“As we expand our presence on the Gulf Coast, we are excited to be able to offer Calusa Bank customers the tremendous benefits that come from being members of Achieva Credit Union,” said Achieva CEO Gary Regoli. “We are also looking forward to becoming an integral part of these great Florida communities. Being strong partners in all the communities where we have members is a big part of who we are as an institution.” 

Achieva Credit Union

Sarasota County has become the first community in Florida to join a network of more than 250 cities and communities worldwide working to become more livable for people of all ages through Age-Friendly Sarasota. The age-friendly designation, which was presented by the World Health Organization and AARP, makes Sarasota County one of more than 50 communities across the United States and the first in Florida in the global network. The Board of County Commissioners of Sarasota County is scheduled to present a proclamation today announcing the initiative. 

Age-Friendly Sarasota