Manatee County Commissioners on Tuesday passed a resolution declaring a local state of emergency.
The resolution will allow county officials to pay government staff overtime and coordinate special purchases to deal with red tide.
The state of emergency is scheduled to be in effect until the end of the day on Aug. 28. But, it can be extended if necessary.
Click here to read the resolution.
County workers in Manatee County spent the past weekend surveying areas where red tide clean-up will be necessary. It was announced Friday that efforts would be extended from the Gulf coastline to smaller canals and waterways.
On Monday, contractors began cleaning up sections of the county with the most dead fish. Total clean-up efforts are expected to cost roughly half a million dollars.
More than 150 tons of red tide-related waste have been removed from public parks and beaches in Manatee County.
Residents with questions about red tide and clean-up efforts can call the Manatee County red tide hotline daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 941-749-3547.
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