The Sarasota City Commission held a special meeting on February 10, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 3:19 PM to discuss and select six finalists for the city manager position from a pool of 38 semi-finalists. After extensive deliberation, including a straw poll, discussion of candidates, and ranked-choice voting, the commission narrowed the list to six finalists. They also approved funding for travel for finalists and a plus-one, and appointed an interim city manager.
Good morning. I'd like to call this special meeting of the February tenth city commission to order. And first we will have the invocation by the city auditor and clerk Bruce. I think it's a flag of the United States of America. Thank you. Are there any changes to the order of the day? No, Mayor. Okay, may I have approval of the agenda? Move to approve. Second. Moved by the Vice Mayor, seconded by Commissioner Batte. We're gonna do this vote. Yes, this is working today. Commissioner Alper, could you hit your button for me one more time? Hitch a button for me again. I don't know if you hit it or not. Thank you. Thank you. The vote is unanimous. Thank you very much. And the uh agenda is accepted. Um at this point, I'm going to ask the clerk to recite the pledge of public conduct. Thank you, Mayor. We may disagree, but we will be respectful to one another. We will direct all comments to issues. We will not engage in personal attacks. Okay, thank you. And now we will uh have uh comments by the public and the per uh we only have one person at this point who's requested to speak. Martin Hyde, would you join us? Um, Martin, do you need to overhead? Not for this one. Okay. Uh that'll be fun, but no, you uh you stay there. This is my better slide anyway. So that is my better side. So uh I uh remain Martin Hyde. I uh still don't live in the city looking after my mother there. Um I'm here with uh my friend here uh to talk briefly about the 7.1 million dollar land purchase you made 20 months ago, which has cost this city five hundred thousand dollars in lost interest income, which is building at twenty-five thousand dollars per month. You purchased uh this uh land with a uh business plan, which you may recall I described at the time as a financial suicide note. Here we are today with a uh financial chalk line around the remains of 7.1 million dollars in taxpayers' money. The uh foundation money that was earnestly guaranteed and promised, hasn't materialized, neither has a plan or a design. Panic stations, thrashing around in the uh financial quicksand, hastening the uh demise instead of cutting your losses. We are now told that the city is reviewing an unsolicited bid from a company who's never built a high rise, who want a further seven million dollars from the city, and to keep all the rental income for 30 years to save those of you that aren't financially literate. That's effectively 72 million dollars out of taxpayers' pockets over 30 years. Their resume includes conversion of a motel on 41 into so-called efficiencies with no kitchens. And uh I thought therefore I I I'd bring this as a reminder, please accept it uh as camel mascot uh with my compliments to represent the proverbial horse designed by committee, uh, which deal clearly is simply put. It's time to get out of the development business and to get back into the business of city governance. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Hyde.