By looking at the larger picture it may be possible to discover more effective means for maintaining area beaches that benefit several adjoining communities.
It is generally accepted that inlets passes and coastal channels adversely affect beach erosion. One has only to look east from the Longboat Pass bridge to see large sand accumulations just east of the pass. Most people who have stidied the rapid deterioration of the beaches at the north end of Longboat agree that the strong tidal currents in the pass have a profound effect on beach erosion.
One proposed solution is to construct a jetty at the north end of Longboat to trap sand before it is sucked into Longboat Pass. This will probably help to some degree but sand will still be swept around the end of the jetty and into the pass due to the strong near shore currents.
Hillsboro Inlet approached this problem by constructing a "weir" at the end of the jetty nearest the shore. The weir allows sand to pass through into a holding area where it is then returned onto the beaches using a small dredge instead of being allowed to form shoals at the outer tip of the jetty. Hillsboro Inlet is a success story.
Longboat Key might be well served by reaching out to the City of Sarasota, Manatee County and Sarasota County to see if we share common problems and commom solutions. An area solution may lower the cost of beach maintenance through economy of scale and a shared permitting process.