TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager
TITLE: Approve and Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Emergency Site Use Agreement Between the School Board of Sarasota County, Florida, and the City of North Port, Florida, for use of Suncoast Technical College North Port Campus Located at 4445 Career Lane, North Port, Florida, 34289, During Certain Declared Public Emergencies.
Recommended Action
Option 1: Approve and authorize the City Manager to execute an Emergency Site Use Agreement between the School Board of Sarasota County, Florida, and the City of North Port, Florida, for use of Suncoast Technical College North Port Campus located at 4445 Career Lane, North Port, Florida, 34289, during certain declared public emergencies.
City Commission Options
Option 1: Approve and authorize the City Manager to execute an Emergency Site Use Agreement between the School Board of Sarasota County, Florida, and the City of North Port, Florida, for use of Suncoast Technical College North Port Campus located at 4445 Career Lane, North Port, Florida, 34289, during certain declared public emergencies.
• Pros:
o Provides needed space for staging of emergency resources pre- and post-disaster to expedite response efforts.
o Allows for out of area resources to be based and available locally.
o Suncoast Technical College North Port Campus (STC) has multiple controlled access points, ideal for security, traffic management, and distribution set-ups.
o STC has a large parking lot, suitable for emergency site use including: staging areas, bases, camps, and recovery resources.
o The location off Toledo Blade and US 41 provides easy access for out-of-area support.
o North Port has limited publicly owned spaces for staging and housing resources. An agreement with STC expands North Port’s capabilities to respond to and recover from disasters.
o Protects the City of North Port in the usage of this site during a disaster by establishing clear liability requirements and responsibilities
• Cons: The City loses some autonomy by utilizing a facility not owned by the City of North Port.
Option 2: Deny approval of the Emergency Site Use Agreement between the School Board of Sarasota County, Florida, and the City of North Port, Florida.
• Pros: STC may still be used to stage resources for the County, which could be allocated to the City, but may be distributed to other jurisdictions in South County.
• Cons:
o Without access to STC as a pre-planned staging site, the city has fewer large, known, pre-vetted locations where it can concentrate trucks, equipment, and staff when a disaster pushes demand beyond what the new Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and existing City yards can handle.
o North Port may have to rely more heavily on sites and resources outside City limits or in less optimal locations, which can increase travel time, fuel use, and response delays into affected neighborhoods.
o Opens the City to potential liability when utilizing the site without a pre-established Agreement.
Background Information
The City of North Port is vulnerable to both natural and human-caused disasters that necessitate the rapid establishment of reliable emergency sites. Historically, the City has lacked sufficient public infrastructure to fully support the staging and housing of critical disaster response and recovery resources. As a result, the City has relied heavily on Suncoast Technical College North Port Campus (STC) located at 4445 Career Lane, North Port, FL 34289, as an emergency support site, typically through just-in-time coordination and informal, verbal understandings rather than through a formalized Agreement.
During Hurricane Ian in 2022, STC served as a primary staging location for North Port’s resources and was utilized as the site of the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center, helping to connect residents with vital federal assistance. In 2024, as Hurricanes Helene and Milton approached, the North Port Emergency Operations Center’s pre-incident planning specifically incorporated STC as a key resource staging location. Following Hurricane Milton, STC was again instrumental, serving as an emergency fuel site and providing free fuel to residents of the City of North Port at a critical time.
Approval of a formal Agreement between the City and the School Board of Sarasota County (School Board) will institutionalize this existing practice and significantly improve the City’s readiness posture. Such an Agreement will streamline the establishment and activation of emergency sites; reduce uncertainty during rapidly evolving incidents; and strengthen the long-standing operational relationship between the City and School Board. In addition, it will provide a clear legal and administrative framework governing the City’s use of STC facilities during emergencies, thereby protecting both parties’ interests while enhancing North Port’s overall disaster resilience.
The Emergency Site Use Agreement between the School Board of Sarasota County, Florida, and the City of North Port, Florida, for use of Suncoast Technical College North Port Campus located at 4445 Career Lane, North Port, Florida, 34289 has been reviewed by the City Attorney and is legally correct as to form.
The Emergency Site Use Agreement between the School Board of Sarasota County, Florida, and the City of North Port, Florida, for use of Suncoast Technical College North Port Campus located at 4445 Career Lane, North Port, Florida, 34289 was provided to the City Clerk’s Office on August 20, 2026, for signature, subject to City Commission approval.
Strategic Plan Pillar
Disaster Response and Recovery Management
Financial Impact
There is no rental or space use fee charged to the City of North Port for use of the facility as a disaster site under this Agreement. However, the City may be responsible upon activation of the Agreement to reimburse the School Board of Sarasota County for the cost of utilities at the site for the timeframe utilized. Additionally, the City shall be responsible for any surface improvements and site restoration that was made at the site for the purpose of City use.
Procurement
Not applicable.
Attachments:
1. Agreement
Prepared by: Stacy Aloisio, Emergency Manager
Department Director: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager