The Sarasota County votes to move forward with separating Stormwater from Public Works and establishing it as its own department.
Francesco Abbruzzino, The Uncensored Report, LLC
Sarasota County
The Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) voted 5-0 during the Budget Workshop yesterday, July 1, to move forward with separating Stormwater from Public Works and establishing it as its own department. Public Works will now be reclassified as the Transportation Department.
The BCC first voted unanimously on June 3 to instruct the County Administrator to bring back to the board a presentation and proposal for the creation of a Stormwater Department.
Two additional motions passed 5-0, including directing staff to utilize the report from independent consultant Stephen Suau from Nov. 14, 2024, and provide the status of compliance for his recommendations for the BCC July 8 meeting; To table eliminating the City of Sarasota interlocal agreement for one year.
Sarasota County continues to work through scheduled maintenance while addressing emergency repairs throughout the stormwater system. Additional contractors have been acquired to assist with ditch excavations, pipe and structure cleaning, debris removal and other extraordinary maintenance throughout the county.
To watch the vote, visit the dedicated Stormwater webpage at www.scgov.net/Stormwater
