Editorial: Water quality comes before conferences

One reason that Sarasota County doesn't have a publicly financed conference center is simple: There has not been a cohesive, consistent public movement in favor of committing tax revenue to the construction, maintenance and operation of such a facility.

That is not to say the notion doesn't have its supporters. It would be, well, nice, to have a new venue capable of hosting large community-based events and tourism-related functions. Elements of the tourism industry have supported the idea. In fact, a conference center emerged as one of the Sarasota County Commission's priorities.

But support for a subsidized facility pales in comparison to the steady outcries for action to improve water quality and reduce the nitrogen levels that fuel the growth of inshore Florida red tides and other algal blooms.

And, although the private sector has not built a large facility, north Sarasota in particular has experienced rapid growth of banquet halls and meeting spaces.

The county commissioners have committed — perhaps over-committed — revenue from the so-called tourist bed tax. As a result, there is no politically palatable source of revenue available for a conference center.

The long, intense red-tide outbreak in the Gulf of Mexico that finally ended last year devastated marine life and put a whammy on the tourism economy. It raised the consciousness of governments, businesses and residents in Florida, and led many residents to question whether they exacerbated the problem. The answer is: yes.

The County Commission recently heard a substantive report from its staff on how the quality of treated sewage, stormwater runoff and septic tank discharges can be improved — with a particular focus on reducing the amount of nitrogen in the liquids. Excess nitrogen is partially responsible for a reduction in vital sea grasses and feeds algal blooms.

The staff cited three main contributors to nitrogen-laden waters: runoff from watersheds; septic systems in areas with high water tables or near waterways; and public wastewater-treatment plants.

Each area must be part of any comprehensive approach, but improvements in sewage treatment should be the short-term priority. The county already faces regulatory actions and a lawsuit over sewage-plant failures and, according to the staff report, upgrades would provide the best combination of return on financial investments and decreases in nitrogen loads.

The entire package carries an estimated cost in excess of $300 million. An advanced-wastewater treatment program alone would cost in the $70 million to $90 million range.

Those are big numbers, of course, but should be placed in perspective. Utility customers and taxpayers have long been let off the hook when they and their elected officials should have been investing in utility infrastructure. What's more, all three of the initiatives would likely be staged and financed over decades — mitigating the short-term financial impacts.

Nevertheless, Commissioner Nancy Detert summarized the situation accurately last week when she told her colleagues that a conference center should be placed on the back burner, and that water-quality improvements should be the priority. "The time is not right this year to deal with that," Detert said, referring to conference center financing. Exactly.

By the Herald-Tribune Editorial Board