Beaches notebook

By AMY WIMMER and SHEILA MULLANE ESTRADA

© St. Petersburg Times,
published July 15, 2001

New public works building opens

SOUTH PASADENA -- The city christened its new public works building Thursday at a noon barbecue, with public works employees running the grill.

The building expands the office and storage space of the city's public works department. With second-floor offices and a roomy garage on the base floor, the new building also includes facilities for employee training seminars. It even has a map room, where contractors and utility companies can chart their work on city streets and rights of way.

The city budgeted $250,000 for the public works building but hopes the project is completed under budget.

"We cut the cost on it quite a bit by doing some of the work ourselves," said South Pasadena Commissioner Wayne Barr, who oversees the public works department and its director, Gary Anderson. "It's on a residential street, and they made that building look like a residential home. You see no equipment -- everything's out back, and it's fenced."

The new building comes at the same time as another boon for the public works department. In next year's budget, the city has agreed to begin leasing its holiday decorations that prominently line Pasadena Avenue each year during December and January.

Previously, the city stored its decorations on the second floor of the already cramped public works building. Each year, public works employees collected the decorations and, like people in millions of households nationwide, spent hours checking the bulbs.

Often, workers stayed up half the night to mount the decorations during periods of thin traffic on Pasadena Avenue.

Under the new lease agreement, an outside company will install the decorations the city leases. "We've had some scary moments with our employees and drivers on Pasadena Avenue," Mayor Fred Held said.

Madeira Beach

The state has awarded $50,000 for a new playground at the Recreation Complex.

The grant will replace existing playground equipment, which should accommodate 55 to 60 children. The city has dedicated a portion of the money for playground equipment for disabled children. Shade trees also are in the works.

The complex, at 200 Rex Place, attracts an estimated 105 children for the Before-and-After School program. A 10-week summer camp provides various activities for about 150 children ages 6 to 12. The complex is popular with adult softball leagues and is home to the Gulf Beaches Little League.

Indian Rocks Beach

The city has received two state grants that will help pay for two recreation projects.

One grant of $63,750 will help finance an $85,000 skate park facility. The city will pay the rest.

The second grant is for the third phase of the Indian Rocks Beach Nature Preserve. The state and city will split the cost of the $100,000 project.

In phase three, the city will construct a park on 10th Avenue, along with a connecting boardwalk. The grants are from the Florida Recreation Assistance Program, sponsored by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Indian Rocks Beach likely will have to amend its grant for the Nature Preserve because it submitted its grant application before learning the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would pay for construction of boardwalks in the preserve. That $185,000 grant, settlement money from the 1993 oil spill in Tampa Bay, will pay for boardwalks in the park.

North Redington Beach

The commission left the town's property tax rate unchanged Thursday, while proudly emphasizing that the rate is the "lowest of all of Pinellas County's 25 municipalities."

The tentative tax rate could be lowered in final budget discussions but, under state law, cannot be raised. The millage rate of 1 means the owner of a home valued at $225,000, minus the homestead exemption, would pay $200 a year in town property taxes.

North Redington Beach

Semitrailer trucks are not wanted here -- at least for no longer than it takes to make a delivery.

Amid complaints that the trucks parked on Gulf Boulevard limit visibility and pose a danger to residents and drivers, the commission will ask the state Department of Transportation to ban the large rigs from parking anywhere on Gulf Boulevard within the town limits.

Town ordinances currently prohibit trucks and motor homes from parking on the boulevard between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. The proposed ban would not apply to personal motor homes.

Redington Shores

The proposed 2001-2002 budget and an unchanged property tax rate received the commission's tentative approval.

Mayor J.J. Beyrouti said that proposed operating increases are, in most cases, below the level of inflation. Capital projects include improvements to the town's parks, erecting a covered deck and handicapped access at the rear of the new town hall for citizens using the community room, covered trolley stops, new sidewalks, and the repaving of some streets.

The millage would stay at 1.68 per $1,000 of taxable assessed value. The owner of a home valued at $125,000, minus the homestead exemption, would pay $168 a year in property taxes.

The town's proposed budget and millage rate are scheduled to be approved at the commission's Aug. 22 meeting.

Redington Shores

The town's building inspector was fired Wednesday after city officials were warned that his lack of proper licensing violated state law.

When Bill Kropik was hired in February, the town knew he was not licensed but thought it could meet state law by enlisting supervisory help from a neighboring town, Indian Shores.

On Tuesday, Mayor J.J. Beyrouti said he was "alarmed" by a letter from Indian Shores warning the town that Kropik should not be allowed to perform any building inspection duties.

"It is our attorney's opinion that Bill Kropik should not function in any capacity as a building official," said Indian Shores Building Official Michael Nadeau. Removing Kropik from inspection duties would eliminate "the perception of unlicensed activity and eliminate any perception of aiding and abetting unlicensed activity on my part."

In voting unanimously to fire Kropik, some commissioners indicated they would be willing to rehire him if he gets the proper licensing. Meanwhile, Indian Shores has agreed to allow its building official to handle all Redington Shores inspections for an indefinite period.

Beaches chamber seeks volunteers

The Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce is seeking volunteers for all four of its offices -- in Indian Rocks Beach, Madeira Beach, St. Pete Beach and Treasure Island.

The chamber's office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The chamber is looking for volunteers who are interested in meeting tourists from all over the world and assist them in making their visit to the beaches pleasant.

Volunteer shifts are 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and 1-5 p.m.

Anyone interested can contact Rich Kitson at 360-6957, ext. 28.

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