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© St. Petersburg Times, published March 10, 2002
Indian Rocks Beach proposes to sell a tract of public park land at the southern end of the city. It is a referendum question for theTuesday city election.
The charter was amended by overwhelming public support in 1992 to ensure that beach access and recreational lands (always in short supply) cannot be sold without a referendum. Any such referendum deserves to be fully explored, documented and discussed, pro and con, to protect the public assets.
The single referendum question consists of two subjects tied into one question:
Moving the sanitation department out of the city to a possible but not certain location about 10 miles away, with unspecific costs to meet sanitary and environmental standards there. This question alone merits concern.
Conversion of the land use and its zoning from public use to commercial to attract a developer who would build a facility such as a large restaurant as an addition to the tax revenue base.
The city admits to being woefully short of recreational areas. The city is, in fact, shoe-horning skateboarding and dog-run facilities (needed) into its few park locations.
As a former mayor who is still actively concerned, I ask for analysis by a citizen group such as the recent Land Acquisition Committee before any final decision.
Please, let's vote "no" now and reconsider after re-examination of priorities, lease-out of land and lease access to alternative lands -- subjects of importance but not publicly reviewed currently. And I do plead for press coverage so that citizens may become informed about the full details.
-- James J. Driscoll, Indian Rocks Beach
As a former member of the city of St. Petersburg Police Department, I took a lot of pride in my position as a police officer, a role model and an educator. Resigning from the St. Petersburg Police Department was one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make in my life.
On Jan. 6, 2001, I was involved in an incident that caused much turmoil. I would like to extend a sincere apology to my family, friends and the citizens of our community. I have learned a great deal from my experience. I hope that other officers will use my situation as a guide in the right direction. Most of all, I praise God for his guidance and blessings.
-- Antonio T. Garner, St. Petersburg
EDITOR'S NOTE: Antonio T. Garner was found not guilty of attempted robbery in December. However, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of making a false report to police and was sentenced to one year of probation and 150 hours of community service. He was also required to pay court costs and write a letter to the editors of two local newspapers apologizing for making the false statement.