BRADENTON, Fla. — An area of Manatee County known for its pristine water and breathtaking sunsets has some people unimpressed.
- Trash reported along the Palma Sola Causeway
- Commissioner has brought up issue at meeting, with police department
- More Manatee County headlines
Trash build up and some questionable water substances have been enough for at least one city commissioner to get law enforcement involved.
Some residents are also starting to raise complaints.
"It's lovely to see the horses on the beach. We realize it's a big novelty," said resident Elaine MacPhie. "But by the end of last year I could see horse droppings and feces in the water."
And it's not just the water. Trash along the Palma Sola Causeway is becoming a major issue.
"People are leaving a lot of trash on the causeway, which I don't understand," said Bradenton City Commissioner Gene Gallo. "It's such a beautiful place, it's so easy to pick up your beer cans or whatever."
The causeway has a lot of meaning to the commissioner. It's where he proposed to his late wife almost 30 years ago.
After receiving some complaints from his constituents, Gallo brought up the issue at a City Council meeting and to the Bradenton Police Department.
"We're patrolling at night, for nighttime activity, try to put a little bit of a squash on that," said Gallo.
The city has put up more signs along the causeway, reminding people that no overnight camping is allowed.
While some trash is not keeping people away from the beach, some visitors are staying out of the water.
"I put a stop to that (swimming in the water) after I found that my dog had a massive ear infection from swimming in the causeway last year," MacPhie said. "So this year our goal is to just walk the beach."
In addition to officers patrolling the causeway more often, the city does have a committee of volunteers to go out and clean the beaches.
The causeway's water gets tested every couple of weeks.
MacPhie said she didn’t know for certain what caused her dog's infection, but everyone seems to agree that Palma Sola is in need of a little extra care.