City's beach wheelchair repaired and back in service, staff says

City staff told the Sarasota accessibility advisory committee that the EcoRover beach wheelchair was repaired and returned to service after a sheared power-delivery cord required a $500 fix.

Staff said the damage was not user-caused and was repaired from an incidental-damage line in the board fund (budgeted at $1,500 annually). The chair has had 11 riders since the last meeting. Board members asked about staff time per reservation; staff said each booking typically requires about an hour (30 minutes to prepare and transport out, and 30 minutes to return and clean).

The committee thanked staff for the prompt repair and noted the beach wheelchair is a visible, widely appreciated service. Staff said she keeps maintenance tools (such as an air blaster) in her vehicle to help with routine field troubleshooting and will continue to monitor usage and maintenance needs.