MANATEE COUNTY, FL (May 14, 2024) – The Manatee Board County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) has continued to fund important initiatives across the county, including community organizations, public safety, transportation and support services.
During the regular BOCC meeting today, commissioners committed to investing $175,000 a year in for the Sleep Baby Safely Initiative of Manatee. This initiative aims to provide clear and consistent messaging on safe-sleep practices to all who care for infants.
Commissioners approved a $568,760 investment at Braden River Park for backstop installation. The BOCC also approved $2,925,000 in funding for design work on parking garages at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, Premier Sports Campus and Manatee Public Beach. State Housing Initiative Program (SHIP) Loan monies of $138,026 were appropriated for SHIP program funding and program administration.
Commissioners approved appropriation of a $1,002,421 of grants to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for the FY23/24 Criminal Justice Data Transparency (CJDT) Implementation Assistance Program. A parcel at 616 67th Street Circle E. is set to be purchased for $4,400,000 to permanently house the District 3 facilities of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. This property was previously rented by the County.
“Your BOCC is committed to a vision focused on our residents’ well-being,” said Manatee County Commission Chair Mike Rahn, “from bolstering law enforcement to fostering safer neighborhoods on a local level.”
A long sought $5,000 purchase of property at 719 37th Street East, Palmetto, will allow for further improvements at the Mendoza/Ellenton-Gillette Road intersection. The Board also appropriated $1,286,141 of grant revenue in the Transit System fund from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for the new Public Transit Grant agreement (PTGA) for the FY2023/2024 State Transit Block Grant program award with a local match of $1,286,141. An additional transfer of $151,437 was approved to reserves in the Transportation Trust Fund from the Transit System fund to reduce reliance on the Transportation Trust Fund.
A $3,000,000 grant from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in the Highway Capital Projects fund will go toward the four-lane improvements project for the Fort Hamer Bridge for design and permitting. $630,000 will be earmarked to cover the cost of upgrading the current Legacy Traffic Count Stations, which are used to collect traffic data such as traffic volume with speed and vehicle classification.