City News: Leonard Reid House, Earth Day, Van Wezel Broadway Season

City of Sarasota, Florida sent this bulletin at 04/14/2023 03:10 PM EDT

April 14, 2023

Hello Everyone,

The Spring Fling Festival & Parade was an amazing event last Sunday! It was everything we imagined and hoped for as the community gathered for the first springtime parade in Newtown in over 20 years. What a day to remember!

I was proud to lead the 2023 parade along Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Way and see the excited, smiling faces of families lining the street. It reminded me just how much I enjoyed this tradition when I was a kid growing up in Newtown and the importance of instilling traditions in our families and community.

Post-parade, the celebration continued with live bands, food and a whole lot of smiles and laughter. It was an incredible time – all because of the tremendous work behind the scenes of organizers, volunteers and sponsors. I personally would like to thank everyone involved, including my fellow City Commissioners who added the Spring Fling as a City co-sponsored event, with in-kind services provided. The support is greatly appreciated and recognized by the community. We look forward to the celebration happening again next year – and watching as it becomes a new tradition for families.

With humble regards,

Kyle S. Battie
Mayor

News and Updates

Leonard Reid House

A milestone was reached earlier this month when the City turned over the historic Leonard Reid house to the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition (SAACC), as a lease between the two entities began.

The house was moved in May 2022 from the Rosemary District to a City-owned parcel located at Orange Avenue and Dr. MLK Jr Way. Over the past year, the City invested in extensive site improvements preparing it for the SAACC, including land grading, landscaping, installing brick pavers for an outdoor seating area, constructing nine parking spaces, connecting utilities, improving the HVAC system, constructing sidewalks, and installing curbing and lighting. Last month, residents with the Amaryllis Park Neighborhood Association, SAACC and others volunteered their time and energy to add some nice finishing touches by mulching the area and picking up litter.

The home’s namesake, Leonard Reid, was a revered early Sarasota pioneer who helped establish Sarasota’s Black community, Overtown, now known as the Rosemary District. Reid lived much of his life in the house with his wife and two daughters.

It's exciting to be part of this project that celebrates the history and culture of Overtown. The Reid house is expected to open soon as Sarasota’s first African American arts, culture and history center. We’re proud of this partnership and look forward to being part of history when the center opens to the public.

Public Meeting: St. Armands Key Complete Streets

St. Armands Complete Streets public meeting

We’re hosting a public meeting Tuesday, April 18 to share updates on the St. Armands Complete Streets project and gather feedback from stakeholders. The meeting will take place in the City Hall Annex, 1565 First Street at 5 p.m.

While a consultant was selected at the end of last year to study and design the project, costs have risen sharply and the improvement project has been paused. During the meeting, City staff will present options on a path forward and hear from attendees on what level of improvements they would like to see on St. Armands Key.

A news release with additional information is available here.

The meeting will be live streamed via the City of Sarasota website www.SarasotaFL.gov on the Meetings Agendas Videos page. A video link for the live streaming will appear on the page shortly before the start of the meeting. A recording also will be available on demand following the meeting.

Sustainability

Earth Day - We’re looking forward to celebrating Earth Day Saturday, April 22!

This year, The Bay Park is hosting the celebration, including a tabling event featuring environmentally-conscious organizations in the area and what they’re doing to help protect Mother Earth. Our Sustainability coordinator, Jeff Vredenburg, will be on hand to discuss how we're actively planning for climate change and share ideas on how your family can be more energy efficient and environmentally aware. Join us at The Bay noon - 2 p.m. April 22.

Many other Earth Day festivities will be going on at The Bay from 8:30 a.m. – noon on April 22 in conjunction with the Patterson Foundation’s Suncoast Remake Learning Days presented by Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. Science experiments for the kids and grandkids will be offered as well as seed planting, hands-on learning about ecosystems, kid-friendly nature walks, kayak opportunities along the mangrove bayou and more. Hope to see you there!

GoodUse Program - We recently helped to award utility savings grants to several nonprofits through the Southface GoodUse program. Formerly known as the Partners for Green Places program, the GoodUse program is now managed by the Southface Institute based in Atlanta, with its very first satellite office located here in Sarasota.

Through GoodUse, local nonprofits are eligible to receive a grant for an energy audit conducted by Southface energy experts with a track toward money saving efficiencies. The idea is to help nonprofits reduce their operating costs so they can reinvest those savings into community services and their core mission. Our Sustainability coordinator was on the selection committee that reviewed applications and awarded grants recently to three Sarasota nonprofits: Project 180, Save Our Seabirds and the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition. Congratulations to all!

Interested in learning more about the Southface GoodUse program? Click here.

SPD: 10 new officers sworn-in

Chief Rex Troche held a swearing-in ceremony for 10 officers at the Robert L. Taylor Community Complex, at the end of last month. This group went through more than 10 weeks of Agency-Specific Training, learning the ins and outs of being an officer in the City of Sarasota. They will begin the Field Training Program and work side-by-side with a senior officer for several months. You can watch the swearing-in ceremony on YouTube and view photos on the SPD Facebook page.

The City of Sarasota increased the Sarasota Police Department’s staffing from 180 to 190 full-time sworn officers in June 2022. While some law enforcement agencies in our country struggle to fill openings, the Sarasota Police Department is not facing these issues. Thanks to a social media campaign targeted in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, SPD was able to fill positions/hire qualified candidates to join the agency’s ranks.

Recruiters Enrique Nazario and Jack Carter work hard to find the best and brightest candidates to enhance the police department’s dedicated workforce, hiring 30 new employees in 2022 and close to 12 already this year.

Currently, 11 recruits are in the Police Academy. Upon graduating, this new class will begin their Agency-Specific Training, and the Sarasota Police Department Patrol Division will be nearly fully staffed.

Congratulations all! Thank you for your service to our community and be safe.

SPD Podcast: Now available!

Recently in City News, we shared that Chief Troche would soon launch a podcast as another way to communicate with the community.

The inaugural episode of “Chat with the Chief: A Podcast” is now available on your favorite platform, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music and YouTube – or just click here.

The Chief’s first Chat features the Traffic Unit and the officers’ varied work. (Spoiler alert: They don’t just write speeding tickets!) Tune in while you’re in the car, taking a walk, exercising or just relaxing.

We hope the podcast provides a better understanding of SPD operations and the dedicated individuals behind the badge who protect our community. Thanks to Chief Troche and his team for initiating the podcast!

Van Wezel: 2023-24 Broadway season announced

The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall recently announced the 2023-2024 Subscription Series. It features the biggest Broadway season yet, with six Tony Award®-winning shows, seven Van Wezel Premieres, an array of masterworks in the World Music series, and a variety of subscriber specials sure to delight fans of all ages.

Headlining the season is the smash-hit musical Hamilton. The 11-time Tony Award®-winner, including Best Musical in 2016, will be presented on the Van Wezel stage for two full weeks.

There will also be two other full-week runs of Broadway hits, the eight-time Tony Award®-winner, including Best Musical in 2019, Hadestown, and the Tony Award®-winner for Best Choreography, Ain't Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations.

The Broadway Series also includes the movie turned stage production Pretty Woman: The Musical, the superstar hit The Cher Show, the timeless story of Little Women, the fearless new musical based on Alanis Morissette's world-changing music, Jagged Little Pill, and the hilarious stage spectacle, Shrek – The Musical.

The World Music Series features Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (for ages 18 and up), Paul Taylor Dance Company and The Academy of St Martin in the Fields with Joshua Bell.

Subscription packages can be reserved online at www.VanWezel.org, by calling the Box Office at 941-263-6799 or by visiting the Box Office Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Finance Award

Popular Report for Fiscal Year ending 2021

Congratulations to our Finance team!

They were recognized recently by their peers for producing an easy-to-read budget report for the public. This is the ninth consecutive year the team has earned the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA). The award is a significant professional recognition and highlights the City’s continued commitment to transparency with the annual budget.

The Popular Report distills a lengthy, comprehensive financial report into a brief report presented in layman’s terms. For those interested in learning about the City’s budget but do not have a government finance background, it’s a very helpful resource. GFOA judges evaluated the report on many criteria including reader appeal, understandability and creativity.

The award was earned for the Popular Report for Fiscal Year ending September 30, 2021. The Finance team also earned two other significant professional awards for the same fiscal year: Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Reporting and the Distinguished Budget Presentation. With the three awards, GFOA named the City of Sarasota a “Triple Crown” winner for 2021. Congratulations on this impressive professional honor!

Parks & Recreation: Lifeguards & camp counselors needed

The City of Sarasota Parks and Recreation Department is NOW HIRING lifeguards and camp counselors. Have fun while you work in an exciting, enriching, and active environment!

Seasonal and part-time positions are available:

Summer Camp Counselor - Oversee campers and lead all camp-related activities within the Summer Camp, a 10-week day camp for children between ages 6 and 12.
Summer Camp Specialist - Perform specialized work conducting and directing recreational programs and activities and promoting good relationships with neighborhood and activity groups.
Lead Summer Camp Counselor - Supervise camp staff and participants and oversee the daily operation of all camp-related activities.
Seasonal Lifeguard / Junior Seasonal Lifeguard - Enforce all safety rules and regulations at the City's recreational pools.

Visit www.SarasotaFL.gov/Jobs to view full job descriptions and start your application.