Although the race for Seat 4 has been quiet thus far, candidates Carlen Petersen and Don Casey disagree on proposed charter revisions.
By JENNIFER FARRELL
Published February 26, 2004
CLEARWATER - This year, ballot questions are proving to be more controversial than the candidates.
The race for City Commission Seat 4 has been uncharacteristically quiet. But differences of opinion are emerging over a list of proposed revisions to the city charter.
In fact, one of the most striking differences between commission candidates Carlen Petersen and Don Casey is their opposing stances on the proposed changes.
Petersen, 49, a former city of Chicago attorney and head of the city's Community Development Board who now sits on the national board of the YWCA, supports every amendment recommended last year by a 12-member citizens group, including a controversial provision to spark downtown redevelopment by expanding Coachman Park.
Casey, 66, a retired Pinellas County schools administrator and former coach, opposes a change that would allow increased dredging of Stevenson Creek. He says he is not sure about improvements for the downtown waterfront or three other ballot questions related to the sale, lease and donation of city-owned land.
"I think we need to look at them real close," Casey said Tuesday night during a candidate forum in Clearwater Beach.
Despite heavy rain, about 65 people attended the forum, sponsored jointly by the Clearwater Beach Association, the Island Estates Civic Association, the Sand Key Civic Association and the Clearwater Beach Chamber of Commerce.
After Casey and Petersen fielded questions posed by moderator Jay Keyes, members of the Charter Review committee explained their recommendations for the March 9 election.
Among the most controversial proposals is a provision to build city-owned boat slips, docks and an amphitheater on the downtown waterfront by Coachman Park. A second part of the question asks voters to allow a parking garage just south of Cleveland Street tucked under the new Memorial Causeway bridge along the waterfront. The garage would replace parking spaces at the base of the Harborview Center, making room for an expanded Coachman Park.
Tuesday night, former city commissioners Art Deegan and Marvin Moore criticized the waterfront plans and other proposed changes, characterizing them in a separate presentation as poorly worded and a grab of power from the people.
"I'm voting no on everything," Moore said. "They're trying to take away my rights."
Wednesday, Casey said he opposes the ballot question relaxing restrictions on Stevenson's Creek dredging because he fears it would be too expensive in the long run. He said he has not made up his mind on the waterfront or property issues.
"I don't really have an opinion," Casey said. "I'm still studying those."
But he echoed Deegan's complaint that many of the proposed amendments include more than one issue.
"A lot of them have too many questions in them," Casey said. "Some of them I may be for and yet against others."
Petersen, meanwhile, said each of the recommendations makes good sense. She supports improvements at Coachman Park, saying they will serve as a catalyst for the struggling downtown.
As for dredging at Stevenson's Creek, Petersen said the proposed amendment will smooth the process.
"It's something that needs to be done to improve the creek and surrounding neighborhoods," she said.
Unlike Casey, who remains undecided, Petersen backs other questions on the ballot that would give the city new flexibility in leasing public property and donating public property to nonprofit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity to build houses without asking permission from voters each time.
"They've been well thought out," Petersen said. "They came forth with good faith and with good intentions.
Casey and Petersen both support a question that would boost the term of office for city commissioners from three to four years.
