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Letter to the editor

Clearwater wants plan to market new boat slips

By Times Staff Writers
Published December 5, 2007

CLEARWATER - City officials say they need a marketing campaign to help fill the 129 boat slips built as part of an $11-million project near Coachman Park.

Construction crews won't begin work on the voter-approved slips until at least April, but city leaders said they want the marketing plan in place well before then. They also want to begin collecting deposits to make sure those on the waiting list will commit.

Bill Morris, director of the city's marine and aviation department, said he's not worried about a lack of interest. He said the project already has a waiting list 400 names long "and I anticipate filling those slips."

Mike Donila, Times staff writer

CLEARWATER

City working on buying beach site for parking

City officials hope they can strike a deal with Lucca Development of Illinois to buy an almost 1-acre parcel about two blocks from the beach for a parking garage.

Lucca plans to build a $125-million condominium project called Marbella on South Gulfview Boulevard. As part of the project, it also wanted to build a 400- to 500-space parking garage on Fifth Street between Hamden and Coronado drives. But with condominium sales slow, Lucca now wants to sell the Fifth Street parcel to the city for $3.5-million, but it needs its lenders to approve the plan.

If that deal doesn't work, city officials say they will have to consider building a parking garage on its southernmost parking lot next to the where the Adam's Mark Hotel was on Clearwater Beach.

Mike Donila, Times staff writer

Disbarred lawyer willbe sentenced in fraud

Disbarred Clearwater lawyer Graham Kligerman is scheduled to plead guilty this month to federal charges of stealing more than $1-million in a multistate equity-skimming fraud.

But "Mr. Kligerman did not keep one penny of the money for himself," said Tampa lawyer Dennis Hernandez, who represents Kligerman.

Instead, authorities say, Kligerman, 33, gave the money to clients of his legal practice, a diversion that two years ago led the Florida Supreme Court to disbar him.

Federal prosecutors accuse Kligerman of diverting money from a series of fraudulent real estate transactions for which he was hired as the closing agent. He has agreed to plea guilty on Dec. 18 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, wire fraud and mail fraud and one count of wire fraud, according to a plea agreement filed in U.S. District Court in Tampa. The conspiracy charge carries up to five years in federal prison and the wire fraud charge carries up to 20.

Jose Cardenas, Times staff writer

Renowned motivational speaker visits chamber

The Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce has scored a coup by bringing an internationally recognized motivational speaker to address its upcoming membership forum.

Robert Stevenson, author of How to Soar Like an Eagle in a World Full of Turkeys, will speak at 7:30 a.m. Dec. 13 at the Harborview Center, 300 Cleveland St.

To reserve a seat or corporate table for Robert Stevenson's talk, call (727) 461-0011, ext. 224 or visit www.clearwaterflorida.org. The reservation deadline is 5 p.m. Dec. 11. The cost is $30 for chamber members, $40 for nonmembers.

Eileen Schulte, Times staff writer

INDIAN ROCKS BEACH

City manager walks away from new job

City Manager Steve Cottrell, who abruptly resigned last week after less then five months on the job, said he should never have taken the job in the first place.

"I took the job against my better judgment, and now I regret making that decision," he said.

"The commission has treated me like a piece of dog meat."

Cottrell, whose resignation will be effective Jan. 26, is the fourth city manager to serve the city in about as many years.

"His management style just didn't fit," said Mayor Bill Ockunzzi, who said the community particularly did not like Cottrell's proposals to levy new taxes and fees.

Sheila Mullane Estrada, Times correspondent

[Last modified December 5, 2007, 06:38:27]