Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Officials in Sarasota, Florida have thrown out a 100-year old rule against spitting in public, despite some concerns about public health.

Local officials in Manasota Key, FL tried to preserve the character of their community by putting height restrictions in place, but a thwarted developer has been awarded $500k for the limitations these restrictions imposed on his property rights.

If public participation is a goal, local government should work harder to make public hearings more user-friendly.

A planned public library in Sarasota County, Florida, has a garden-topped future ahead of it, as county officials plan to use the library's green roof as a test-run to determine if green roofs are a solution to Florida's stormwater runoff problems.

Officials in Sarasota County support the incorporation of what will likely be the state's fourth -- and largest -- local housing land trust.

Florida voters repealed a constitutional amendment to develop a state rail network, but the idea may survive.