Windfall has pet projects swarming

The $14.4-million St. Petersburg got from a Hernando County land sale is the subject of debate.

By BRYAN GILMER, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published March 19, 2002

ST. PETERSBURG -- City Council members wrestled Monday with how to use $14.4-million from a land sale in Hernando County last year.

The money comes from a voter-approved sale of 440 acres around Weeki Wachee Spring to state regulators to expand a preserve.

The proceeds must go for projects in parks, recreation, beautification and preservation, and already council members have ideas for voter-pleasing amenities in or near their districts.

Council member John Bryan has proposed using $150,000 for a new skateboarding area at Fossil Park. He and several other council members advocate building three new dog play areas, maybe using money from the sale.

None has been spent yet, and the original sum has earned $338,000 interest, city budget director Barry Lupiani said. He expects the principal to earn $650,0000-$750,000 per year.

"By the time we figure out whose pet projects go forward, we'll be up to a million dollars in interest," council member Virginia Littrell said last month.

The council is working on an ordinance limiting how to spend the money. Most of the eight council members think the $14.4-million should be an endowment, with the city spending only the interest. A draft of the ordinance says six of the eight council members would have to authorize spending from the principal.

But it would take only the regular majority of five votes to cut that restriction from the ordinance after a public hearing, City Attorney John Wolfe pointed out.

"The only way you're going to protect the principal is through the charter," Wolfe told the council Monday. Voters would have to approve a charter change through a referendum.

The draft also lets the council and the mayor propose projects to be funded by the interest. Residents would have to find an elected official to sponsor a project.

Bryan and Littrell talked about cutting the mayor out, saying the council should use the money for its own projects. Baker has proposed a new park on the shore of Lake Maggiore, and Littrell speculated the mayor wants to fund it with money from the land sale.

Baker later said he "hadn't really planned to do that." He has sent the council a memo urging it to establish the endowment.

A public hearing on the guidelines likely will be scheduled for next month.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright