About Beyond the Beach: The Sarasota County Government Podcast
Welcome to Beyond the Beach: The Sarasota County Government Podcast. Join us as discuss our beautiful community, exploring the initiatives, programs and people that make Sarasota a wonderful place to live, work, and play. In this podcast, we will go beyond the sun and sand to uncover the heart of Sarasota County. Whether you're a resident, a visitor, or just curious about what makes our community special, this podcast offers a unique perspective on all things Sarasota. Tune in and discover what's happening "Beyond the Beach."
Beyond the Beach: Protecting Sarasota County’s Parks, Preserves and Natural Lands
Host [Host Name] interviews Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources' Brie Ondercin and Hannah Turbiville about protecting natural lands and expanding recreational opportunities.
31 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT
Every Storm Is Different: Staying Prepared for Hurricane Season
Emergency Management Chief Sandra Tapfumaneyi shares vital preparedness strategies for hurricane season, detailing Operation Readiness and evacuation decisions.
8 May 2026TRANSCRIPT
Talking Trash: Household Hazardous Waste Edition
Sarasota County Solid Waste Director [Guest Name] explains safe disposal of household hazardous waste and the new Venice Chemical Collection Facility.
25 Feb 2026TRANSCRIPT
Episode 12 - A Look at Breeze Transit
In this episode of Beyond the Beach, Sammi and Lisa sit down with Miranda Lansdale from Breeze Transit to share what you need to know about getting around our community by transit. The Breeze network includes fixed bus and trolley routes, on-demand rideshare zones and paratransit services. In 2024 these combined services provided over 2.3 million rides! Listen as we discuss hot topics like the transit ambassador volunteer program, Breeze Academy training classes and the story behind the tran...
17 Oct 2025TRANSCRIPT
Episode 11 - A Look Into the Sarasota County Historical Archives
In this episode of Beyond the Beach, Sammi and Lisa are joined by Josh Goodman, Historical Resources Manager for Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources. Listen along as they visit the History Center Memory Lab for a ghoulish look at some of the county’s most unique and surprising artifacts. From circus memorabilia to early medical tools and antique toys, discover how these spooky pieces help tell the story of Sarasota’s past. Listen now and learn more about the Sarasota Cou...
4 Sept 2025TRANSCRIPT
Protecting Sarasota’s Lands and Natural Legacy: Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of ESLPP
In this episode of Beyond the Beach, Sammi and Lisa talk with Brie Ondercin and Tony Clements about Sarasota County’s efforts to protect and manage natural lands through the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program (ESLPP). This fall, join us for a 10-week celebration honoring 25 years of Sarasota County’s Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program (ESLPP). From guided nature walks to interactive programs, each event highlights the beauty, history and conservation succe...
18 Jun 2025TRANSCRIPT
2025 Hurricane Season is Here with Sandra Tapfumaneyi
Sammi and Lisa interview Sandra Tapfumaneyi, Sarasota County Emergency Management Chief, about the historic 2024 Hurricane Season and preparing emergency plans for the 2025 season.
30 May 2025TRANSCRIPT
Episode 8 - Learn Sarasota County History with History Center Manager Josh Goodman
Josh Goodman, Sarasota County Historical Resources Manager, explores Sarasota County's rich history and the resources available through the Sarasota County History Center in an interview with Sammi and Lisa.
25 Mar 2025TRANSCRIPT
Talking Trash with Solid Waste Collection Operations Manager, Oland Stokes
In this episode of Beyond the Beach, we’re diving into Sarasota County’s Fresh Start with a Cart! Lisa and Sammi are joined by Oland Stokes, Collection Operations Manager, to discuss the upcoming changes to solid waste services starting March 31, 2025. Learn more about the county’s transition to automated garbage collection, including cart sizes and service details. Plus, we’ll touch on storm debris recovery and how the county ensures a smooth cleanup after hurricanes. Tune in to get th...
21 Feb 2025TRANSCRIPT
Resilient SRQ: Sarasota's HUD Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery Program
Steve Hyatt and Emily Blaine, of the Resilient SRQ team, discuss the $201.5 million HUD Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program for Hurricane Ian recovery with hosts Sammi and Lisa.
17 Jan 2025TRANSCRIPT
New Year, New Career: Explore Opportunities with Sarasota County
In this episode of Beyond the Beach, Lisa and Sammi sit down with Heather "HD" Deyriuex, Workforce Planning Manager for Sarasota County, to discuss exciting career opportunities in local government. Now is the perfect time to start the year fresh with a new career and explore diverse job paths.Additionally, Lisa and Sammi discuss some of the interesting roles with Sarasota County with Bob Benzsenyi, landscape supervisor, who shares his journey overseeing the county's mowing team.Start your ca...
12 Dec 2024TRANSCRIPT
Get Festive with Upcoming Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Events
Sarasota County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Director Aaron Carson shares the diverse and festive events happening at Sarasota County's parks and beaches over the coming months.
20 Sept 2024TRANSCRIPT
Upcoming Events and Programs with Sarasota County Libraries
In this episode, we sit down with Katie Dow, Programs and Partnerships Manager for Sarasota County Libraries, to highlight the exciting events and initiatives offered through Sarasota County Libraries.One Book, One Community: Dive into the county-wide reading program, where Sarasota residents are encouraged to read the same book. This year’s top five book contenders include Remarkably Bright Creatures and The Art Thief.Off the Page Literary Festival: Get a sneak peek at this November’s litera...
25 Jul 2024TRANSCRIPT
Inside Emergency Management with Sandra Tapfumaneyi
In this episode, we sit down with Sandra Tapfumaneyi, Sarasota County's Emergency Management Chief to discuss how we can prepare for hurricanes and other emergencies. With a wealth of experience, including serving as Chief of Lee County Emergency Management and Incident Commander during Hurricane Ian, Sandra shares her invaluable insights and lessons learned from managing some of the most catastrophic hurricanes in recent history.In this episode, you'll learn:Hurricane Ian Lessons: Key takeaw...
11 Jul 2024TRANSCRIPT
Meet the Communication Interns
What makes Sarasota County such a fantastic place to live, work, and play? Join hosts Lisa, Sammi, and Ken as they share their personal connections to the area and discuss their favorite parts of Sarasota County. They are joined by the summer communications interns—Lin, Xinyu and Sabrina—who bring fresh perspectives and exciting projects like animations promoting water conservation and videos that highlight staff and events. We make it fun with a trivia guessing game and share the enrich...
Inside a recent episode
Every Storm Is Different: Staying Prepared for Hurricane Season
Published 31 Jul 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] So we encourage people and have information next to the polls about where they can go to get more information. But we want people to go to the polls. There is an indicator on there that shows the depth of storm surge from Helene as well as Milton. And they can really see how tall it is. you know, six feet and how tall 10 feet of storm surges. And then we hope people will be able to then go to the National Hurricane Center page and find those maps when we do have a storm that's approaching so that they can remember, okay, so 10 feet was this tall and it was in the red area. So if I see red on the map in my neighborhood, I know that I'm dealing with a massive amount of water. […]
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