Portable shower-restroom trailer combination rentals in Anna Maria, Florida.

Anna Maria doubled its stormwater fee as hurricane repairs mounted

Anna Maria’s stormwater fee doubled from $2 to $4 per 100 square feet after commissioners voted for the increase on Aug. 28, 2025. Mayor Mark Short said the city had identified more than $15 million in stormwater-related repairs, much of it tied to damage from the 2024 hurricanes.

The money was meant to help tackle immediate drainage problems, including swales and 19 WaStop valves that the mayor said were broken or needed repair. The higher rate was a funding step, not a claim that the repairs had already been completed.

Two contractors bid to remove the damaged City Pier walkway

Ten contractors attended an April 23, 2025, walkthrough for the damaged Anna Maria City Pier walkway. When the city opened proposals May 16, only two had arrived on time: one from Washington-based Ballard Marine Construction and another from Michigan-based Quality Marine Construction.

Quality’s price was $239,500. Ballard’s was $2,197,658.15, almost ten times higher, The Islander reported. Two later submissions, from Tangerine Group and Underwater Engineering Services, were rejected for missing the deadline. The job concerned what remained of the walkway Hurricane Milton destroyed the previous fall. Removing it was a step toward reconstruction with superior materials, rather than the reconstruction contract itself. Commissioners were scheduled to discuss the bids May 22.

Final T-end repairs kept Anna Maria’s pier rebuild moving

By August 2026, Anna Maria’s City Pier was expected to reopen that fall after about two years closed. WWSB reported that the rebuilt walkway used pilings said to extend roughly 50 feet deeper than the earlier repair. Businesses at the north end had felt the gap: Cool Beans owner Morgan Bryant told the station that visitors needed a reason to make the trip, while Brian Seymour said his new PIERadise restaurant would return to the pier.

The city’s remaining T-end work moved forward in September, when commissioners authorized a $436,192 contract with Southern Cross Contracting. The Anna Maria Island Sun reported that the scope included replacement public restrooms, other building repairs and roll-up doors protected by hurricane-rated shutters. Because the project replaces the pier’s permanent restrooms, a portable restroom trailer could be part of the temporary setup while that section is under construction.

An October 22 commission packet showed the work was still being adjusted: it included a draft $16,790 change order for missing roof blocking. The document labels it a proposed change, so it does not establish that the added work had been approved.

Anna Maria began clearing and regrading stormwater swales after the hurricanes

After Helene and Milton pushed sand and debris into Anna Maria’s stormwater system, the city contracted Sarasota-based C-Squared CGC to clean and regrade 11,000 linear feet of swales—shallow channels that collect runoff. In October 2025, Mayor Mark Short said crews would begin that month, prioritizing areas with serious localized flooding or swales known to limit water buildup.

Short’s initial list covered the backs of properties along North Shore, North Bay, Pine, Spring, Magnolia and South Bay. He outlined specific stretches, including North Shore from Newton to North Bay and North Bay from North Shore to Crescent.

By April 2026, the city reported the work was about 95% complete. Its newsletter named North Bay Boulevard, Spring Avenue, Magnolia Avenue, Jacaranda Road and South Bay Boulevard and said the repairs were intended to improve drainage and reduce localized flooding.