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© St. Petersburg Times, published January 20, 2002
TREASURE ISLAND -- This year likely will be the last that city volunteers get free bridge passes.
Unless officials can conceive an equitable way to thank all of their volunteers, a majority of city commissioners said they will vote Tuesday to eliminate the practice.
Commissioner Stephanie Lavino raised the issue of gift bridge passes during a December meeting, asking her colleagues to offer to the city's cablecasting committee the same gratuity enjoyed by dozens of volunteers serving on other civic boards.
When commissioners refused, several members of the cablecasting committee resigned.
Those former members, some of whom had donated hundreds of hours taping commission and city meetings, said they were offended. Some volunteers received passes even though their boards never met last year.
City Manager Chuck Coward, who said he thought commissioners had established policy on the free passes about 15 years ago, acknowledged Tuesday he found no previous resolution.
Mayor Leon Atkinson and Commissioner Barbara Blush pushed instead for a resolution to abolish the free passes for anyone other than city employees and some retirees.
"I think everybody should be treated equally and fairly," Blush said.
Commissioner Mary Maloof agreed: "If one group is going to get it, every volunteer group should get it."
Commissioner Butch Ellsworth suggested that the city set better criteria for distributing the passes or eliminate the practice.
Commissioners raised the price of annual bridge passes from $20 to $30 in December to increase revenues and discourage tourists and short-time visitors from buying them. The city gets more money from drivers who pay the 50-cent tolls.
In a memo to commissioners, Coward said about 288 volunteers were eligible for free passes this year. He figured that another 49 volunteers were not offered the passes because they didn't serve on official city committees or boards, even though many were appointed by commissioners.
To date, the city has distributed 271 free passes to volunteers.
In his report, Coward suggested that commissioners establish a policy to consider how much time volunteers have donated to the city.
"This can be expressed in either hours or meetings," he wrote. "Above a certain level might qualify, below that level might not."
But commissioners didn't think city staff members should be making decisions about who volunteers enough for a pass.
Instead of free passes, Commissioner Maloof suggested that the city make sure all volunteers are invited to the annual appreciation gathering.