Some want to see Phillippi Creek dredged for the first time in decades, due to a build up of sediment after the storms. Others want stricter building codes so new developments don't flood older neighborhoods.
But most everyone, it seems, wants some kind of assurance that the kinds of floods that swept Sarasota county in 2024 after a trio of hurricanes will not happen again.
"This has been 170 days of a nightmare," said Allison Cavallaro, whose home — along with more than 80 of her neighbors — flooded in the Laurel Meadows neighborhood of Sarasota.
"We feel like we have been overlooked and left behind," she said, adding that she is still unable to live in her house after it was inundated with water in early August 2024, during what was then Tropical Storm Debby.
During a four-hour stormwater workshop before the board of county commissioners, public works director Spencer Anderson and water engineer Steve Suau discussed a series of changes that could improve the county's response to floods and possibly prevent them.
"This is not a stormwater workshop where we are going to come out of here and say we are done. This is really just the beginning of a long journey to mitigate future flooding and improve water quality across the county," Anderson said.
Anderson said a list of changes deserve consideration, including increasing the capacity for Celery Fields to store water.
"Look at the Celery Fields. How can we retrofit the existing 444 acres to be a more protective floodplain mitigation site?" he asked.
The county also wants to hire more specialized staff and improve communication with residents.
Changes to building codes for new developments to account for increased flood risk from sea level rise and extreme rain fall should also be on the table, he said.
"We currently regulate to the 1% annual storm, that's 10 inches of rain in 24 hours or one day," Anderson said.
Changing that to a model that uses "climate based decision making" would increase the potential rainfall that can be expected, so that a 100-year storm could be considered one that dumps 18 inches of rain, for example.
"That might be what we have gotten in some areas from Debby. And if we were to regulate to that, those places maybe wouldn't have seen a problem. But that is a lot. It's a significant change for what we currently do," Anderson said.
Using technology to forecast floods a day in advance could also help, along with buying out more homeowners whose properties repeatedly flood, he said.
"Number 17 is probably one of the most significant ones — just no development in those high risk floodplain areas," Anderson said.
Raeanne Malone was among a number of residents who pointed to a build up of sediment in Phillippi Creek that they say needs to be dredged so water can flow freely again.
"Please consider dredging the creek before next storm season. The amount of sediment that is currently in the creek is just, it's mind blowing, really," Malone said.
The county commission took no action after Tuesday's meeting but officials said future workshops and meetings are anticipated in the year ahead to decide on which policies to change and how.
