MANATEE COUNTY, FL (July 30, 2024) - The Manatee Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) is helping to brighten ballfields across the county as part of its continued funding of important initiatives.
Commissioners approved a total of $18,659,800 in retrofit and new lighting for Lakewood Ranch Park, Braden River Park, Blackstone Park, GT Bray Park, Buffalo Creek Park, Palma Sola Park, Greenbrook Park and the Premier Sports Campus.
The Bradenton Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (BACVB) will receive a transfer of $3,600,000 to fund furniture, fixtures and equipment, as well as additional construction costs for the Convention Center - Multipurpose Room project. An additional $900,000 will be transferred from reserves in the Tourist Development Tax fund to the Water Taxi Program.
Community & Veterans Services will receive nearly $200,000 in interest income to augment Affordable Housing Funds. $24,200 will go to Meals on Wheels Plus to provide home-delivered meal service for the State-funded Alzheimer's Disease Initiative program. That same organization will receive $13,500 to provide Adult Daycare service for the Community Care for the Elderly grant-funded program and $60,500 to provide home-delivered meal services for the State-funded Community Care for the Elderly Program. Commissioners also approved the annual funding ($6,626,567) for CareerSource Suncoast (the regional workforce service provider for Manatee County) through June 30, 2025.
Commissioners unanimously approved $68,420 in emergency funding for Genesis Health Services youth programming in Rubonia. An additional $663,196 in funding for was approved for non-profit agencies providing services in Aging Services, Career, Education and Employment, Disability Services, Homeless Prevention and Case Management, Legal Services and System Support. The BOCC also approved the Children's Services Advisory Board (CSAB)-proposed support for emerging and ongoing needs of children in our communities with funding to total $16,911,977.
“Sometimes, its just these non-profits providing a service,” said At-Large Commissioner George Kruse. “We just need to give them that little boost and a little bit of attention, and then they can take care of themselves.”
Manatee County has also agreed to reimburse the Foundation for Dreams up to $1,000,000 for the funding of maintenance improvements to property located at 751 Rye Wilderness Trail at Rye Preserve in Parrish. The 24-acre site is the former location of the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches but has not been occupied since February 2022. The Foundation will make improvements to the buildings and surrounding amenities that include the pool, playground, basketball courts and rope course.