Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
A forum addresses ballot issues of longer term limits and the sale of property in the Narrows.
By SHEILA MULLANE ESTRADA
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 6, 2002
INDIAN ROCKS BEACH -- In the final preview for Tuesday's election, residents wanted the candidates' answers to referendum questions on the ballot.
Should commissioners' terms be lengthened from two to three years?
Should the city sell property in the Narrows to pay for the move of a waste treatment facility, thus freeing up the land for redevelopment?
The top two vote-getters among incumbents R.B. Johnson and Toby O'Brien and challengers Jeremiah Carmody and Jayne van der Voordt win seats on the commission.
Nearly 100 residents attended Monday's forum, sponsored by the League of Women Voters. The candidates agreed more than they disagreed.
Carmody opposes longer terms of office: "If commissioners are doing their job, the citizens will reward them by re-electing them."
He also opposes selling the city property at 201 Second St., and his comments drew audience applause: "We need to hold on to every square inch (of land) and should investigate other revenues to move the facility."
Johnson said he neither supports nor opposes longer commission terms, though "two years is barely enough time to get your feet wet."
As for selling the Narrows property, Johnson said the waterfront site "is not a good location" for a solid waste treatment facility. "We don't have to sell the property, but I would like to get that building off (the site) and use the waterfront better than we are now."
Van der Voordt is against longer terms: "A lot can happen in three years. It is a long time to live with a government you may be unhappy with."
She also opposes selling the waste treatment property but said moving the facility is the "ideal" solution for the town.
O'Brien said he "could go either way" on the commission term question, saying, "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to be a commissioner."
He said the referendum question on the Narrows property is poorly worded.
"The referendum only asks voters if the commission should look into selling the property, not whether or not we should sell it. Using it for docking, a marina, or commercial gateway into the city would be a great use of the property," O'Brien said.
The candidates also were asked what they envisioned for redevelopment of the "triangle" business district just north of the Narrows.
During the 1990s, the city began stronger code enforcement in the five-block area south of Walsingham Road between Gulf Boulevard and the Intracoastal Waterway and began a streetscaping program that totalled about $500,000 last year. The city is redeveloping nearby Chic-a-Si Park for passive use and as the site for the Historical Museum, currently near City Hall. The next phase of streetscaping is planned for 2006.
"I know we have spent a lot of money, but I see a lot of reward coming down there. We're so close, I'm really excited," said O'Brien, who called the project a work in progress to redevelop a "terribly blighted area of the city."
Van der Voordt said she would like to see the area become "a lesser level of John's Pass Village, where off-island people would like to come visit."
"I don't want a John's Pass, but it is a unique opportunity," said Johnson, who would like to see a mixed use of restaurants, businesses and residences.
Carmody said the city needs to avoid deficits and put the development into the hands of citizens.