Sarasota County may create a new department that focuses on stormwater, with the goal of addressing concerns about a repeat of last year’s floods from Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton.
Sarasota already has a stormwater division. It's based inside Public Works, which also manages roadways.
After months of hearing from people whose homes flooded, many of whom have been unable to return home, Commissioner Joe Neunder said it is time to do more.
“For those of us that get out in the community, it's heartbreaking. You know, we need to act today. We need people that are doing stormwater only, 24/7, 365,” he said at a June 3 county commission meeting.
The commission voted unanimously to task county administrator Jonathan Lewis with coming up with a plan to separate stormwater from Public Works.
ALSO READ: Homeowners along Phillippi Creek say Sarasota County must act fast to avoid a repeat of 2024 floods
In a statement issued after the meeting, Lewis said county staff is now working on developing “scenarios to create a Stormwater Department. In those scenarios, it will detail the staffing, funding, functions, assets, and logistics of eliminating the Public Works Department and creating two departments — one a Stormwater Department, and most likely, the other would be a revamped Transportation Department.”
Lewis added: “There are many steps involved in the process,” but that some initial information should be ready to present to commissioners by July.
The Sarasota Stormwater Department is funded with $27 million annually through assessments related to property tax.
Critics, including some county commissioners, have questioned what the county is doing with that money. There's a widespread perception among residents that not enough proactive maintenance is being done.
Others say having stormwater within Public Works makes it hard to hold county officials accountable.
Residents whose homes flooded along Phillippi Creek have grown frustrated with the slow pace of action toward dredging. Others point out that the county’s well-funded effort is not headed by a stormwater engineer.
In May, the county held its third stormwater workshop since the 2024 hurricane season ended. It featured several hours of presentations by Public Works Director Spencer Anderson.
“We have no accountability for the lapses of last year, no plan for the coming season, and no one in charge with the expertise to prepare and protect us,” Sarasota resident Tom Matrullo wrote in a May 31 letter to commissioners, which he also posted online.
“Mr. Anderson might be an excellent public works official, but during the last workshop, as I sat through three hours of his talk with no other perspectives in the room, it seemed that the Board was being deprived of key ideas and action plans that a competent stormwater engineer would provide.”
The commissioners voted unanimously to move forward on separating stormwater from Public Works.
“I feel very strongly that it should be an independent department,” said commissioner Mark Smith, “with a subject matter expert heading it up.”
