With hurricane season starting June 1, we encourage you to spend some time getting ready. 

There are many actions you can take now before a storm approaches.

• Assemble a disaster kit for you and your family, including pets. As you gather non-perishable food items, drinking water, prescription medications and other necessities, please keep in mind you should have enough supplies for ten days depending upon the severity of the storm and available resources and support. Your kit should also include a flashlight and hand-crank radio to continue receiving up-to-date information, if the power goes out.

• Conduct an insurance checkup and review your coverage. Did you know there is a 30 day waiting period for flood coverage? Don’t wait until it’s too late.

• Know your evacuation level and have a plan in place on where you will go if you have to leave your home. You can find your evacuation level online.

• Keep your vehicle’s gas tank at least half full throughout hurricane season. That way you’ll be ready for a possible evacuation and avoid waiting in long lines before a storm. 

• And, don’t forget -- now is the time to safely trim your trees to reduce the risk of branches clogging storm drains, falling on your home and/or pulling down electrical lines.

Check out the Sarasota County All-Hazards Disaster Planning Guide here.  It includes helpful information on evacuation centers, assembling a disaster supply kit and a checklist to help you be ready.

Before, during and after a storm, City Manager Marlon Brown and the City's Emergency Manager and Communications team receive regular briefings from the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the National Weather Service, and coordinate closely with government agencies throughout the region to make determinations regarding evacuation center openings, school closures and more. 

We encourage everyone to be storm-ready and sign up for Alert Sarasota to receive timely updates via text, phone call or email. City of Sarasota residents should register for City of Sarasota notifications to receive messages specific to our area.

Also, monitor local media, visit www.SarasotaFL.gov and follow the City of Sarasota's social media channels including Twitter, Facebook and Nextdoor for updated information. 

The annual Memorial Day parade will be held Monday, May 29 starting at 10 a.m. at Main Street and Osprey Avenue and will travel westward to lower Main Street, where it will end at Gulfstream Avenue.  At approximately 11 a.m., a ceremony will be held at Chaplain J.D. Hamel Park.

This year’s keynote speaker will be retired Navy Capt. Richard Petrucci.  He was a naval aviator for 25 years with four squadron tours prior to retiring in 1986. He joined Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Marietta, Georgia as senior engineer, then moved to the Sarasota area where he became the Sarasota Military Academy’s first math and science department head. He has accrued over 7,800 hours total pilot time and was awarded the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award for 50 years of flying without an accident.

The Memorial Day holiday honors those who died during military service.  We are grateful to those who served for our freedoms and the sacrifices they and their families made for our nation.  

Please note:  City administrative offices will be closed May 29 for the national holiday. Garbage/recycling/yard waste will be collected as usual.  

All terms for both the Independent Police Advisory Panel and the Police Complaint Committee members expire soon and applications are now being accepted.

The Independent Police Advisory Panel was established by the City Commission in 2011 to help ensure police accountability and transparency. It advises the City Commission on administrative law enforcement policies to foster public confidence with the department. The IPAP is comprised of a chairperson and six members. 

The Police Complaint Committee focuses on the processing of complaints against the department’s officers. The Committee reviews reports on completed investigations of complaints and how they were resolved.The PCC also is comprised of a chairperson and six members.

On the Advisory Board webpage, click the 'Apply' button to submit your application now.

Each seat is a 3-year term with a maximum of three terms.

Attention parents of toddlers!  Arlington Park & Aquatic Complex is seeking feedback to determine the best time of day to host "Parent and Me" group swim lesson classes in June and July. "Parent and Me" swim lessons are for ages six months through two years.

Survey participants will receive one free "Parent and Me" swim lesson in May.