MANATEE COUNTY, FL (June 11, 2024) – The Manatee Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) is continuing their funding of important initiatives across the county, including transportation, natural resources, parks and recreation.
The board appropriated $2,500,000 of grant revenues from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in the Highway Capital Projects fund for design work on the expansion of the Fort Hamer Bridge.
$15,602,024 was appropriated to fund the Emerson Point Land Expansion acquisition project as approved by the BOCC on May 28. An additional $6,668 will go toward funding a new Ranger at Emerson Point. The board also approved $696,500 in funding for improvements at the newly acquired Crooked River Ranch Preserve.
Manatee County has been awarded a grant through the Tampa Bay Environmental Restoration Fund (TBERF) for the Lake Manatee Watershed Improvement Project on Duette Preserve in the amount of $172,709. This will go to match County funds in projects along the north fork of the Manatee River.
The BOCC committed $673,000 to enhance signage and fund further expansion and operations at the Bradenton Area Convention Center in Palmetto. They also earmarked $103,507 for a new shade structure at the Tom Bennett Park splash pad.
Public Works will use $173,500 from reserves in the Stormwater Management fund to engineer a Real-Time Flood Forecasting (RTFF) and Early Warning System for the coastal fringe areas of Manatee County.
Property Management crews will be using $419,000 to fund roadway beautification projects and median improvements in the Southwest County Tax Increment Financing (TIF) area which includes the mainland West Coast, eastward to US301, and from the City of Bradenton’s southern boundary to the Manatee-Sarasota County line.
Commissioners approved a grant application from Public Safety to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for the Portable Clinical Care Pilot Project with an estimated award of up to $650,000 annually. The three-year pilot project would provide basic primary care, including lab draws, infectious disease testing, harm reduction services and documentation of best practices and would operate alongside the Community Health Program of the EMS Division, enhancing its ability to address infectious diseases and chronic conditions among people experiencing homelessness and reducing the need for acute and costly care.