Beaches notebook

By Times staff and correspondent reports

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 16, 2001

Madeira Beach needs new attorney for city

MADEIRA BEACH -- The city is searching for a new attorney.

Richard Harrison resigned his post last week in a letter to city officials, saying his family obligations conflicted with his work for the city.

Harrison, from the Tampa firm Allen Dell Frank & Trickle, was hired in March to replace former City Attorney Andrew Salzman, who represented Madeira Beach for four years.

The city decided in December not to renew its contract with Salzman, citing problems with his legal advice. Commissioners feared his occasional lack of attention to Madeira Beach caused serious problems, particularly in the city's legal wranglings with former Commissioner Tom Saxon.

City Manager Mike Bonfield said the City Commission likely will consider other top candidates who applied for the job when it went to Harrison, namely Gulfport City Attorney Tim Driscoll and Dunedin City Attorney Tom Trask. Hiring either of those lawyers might require Madeira Beach to change its meeting schedule, Mayor Tom DeCesare said. Gulfport, Madeira Beach and Oldsmar all meet the first and third Tuesday evenings of each month.

Redington Shores

A major street repaving program and public park improvements highlight the $2-million budget approved Monday by the Town Commission.

The final 2001-2002 budget and 1.68 millage rate, unchanged from the current year, were approved unanimously. Because of increased valuations of homes and businesses, the town's property tax rate will generate an additional $55,834 in revenues.

In addition to spending $250,000 for street repaving and $100,000 for parks, the town plans to spend $50,000 for further improvements to the new town hall, $40,000 for sidewalks, and $37,000 for beautification of traffic islands and bus stops.

The town will host a recycling rally and town picnic at Constitution Park. The party will take place from 1 to 6 p.m. Oct. 13. Residents are asked to RSVP by Oct. 5. They are also asked to bring proof of residency to the picnic. To RSVP or volunteer to help with setup, call 397-5538.

Redington Beach

Because the town budget was substantially revised Tuesday to include money to eliminate repeated neighborhood flooding, final passage has been delayed until Tuesday.

The $928,801 budget includes $100,000 to match a possible future grant or begin replacement of shallow ditches (swales) to divert water from residents' front yards and driveways.

Town officials estimated about 30 homes on 164th Street and Redington Drive are affected most by the flooding and will be first on a prioritized project list. The town eventually plans to replace most swales with French drains -- porous pipes that allow standing water to collect and either percolate into the ground or drain into the town's regular storm water drainage system pipes that discharge into the Intracoastal Waterway.

Some property owners are renting homes for weeks and sometimes days at a time -- an activity that residents and some commissioners say is illegal business.

"We're concerned about the overall quality of life in town," resident Linda Wilson said. "People on vacation are here to party and have a good time. This is not conducive to the kind of town we are,"

Redington Beach is primarily a residential community with a few hotels and apartments at the northern end of Gulf Boulevard. Town ordinances prohibit the operation of most home-based businesses.

But how the town can or should regulate these "short-term rentals" is uncertain. The Commission plans to study how other towns regulate home rentals. Among the suggestions under consideration are limiting the number of rentals and requiring residents to register renters at Town Hall.

Gulfport

The Teen Council of Gulfport is sponsoring Race Equality Day Wednesday to promote equality and racial harmony.

Business owners, residents and civic groups are invited to participate in the event, called "Linking Hands." Race Equality Day festivities will take place at 6 p.m. Sept. 19 at Clymer Park.

Among the highlights of the event is a poster display at the park's gazebo. Churches, civic groups, schools, families and individuals are invited to make posters depicting what racial equality means.

Posters should be submitted by Tuesday on standard-size poster board (22 inches by 28 inches) -- but no smaller than 12 inches by 18 inches -- to the Gulfport Recreation Center, 5730 Shore Blvd. S.

The National League of Cities is coordinating this second annual day of recognition in a nationwide campaign to promote racial equality. The campaign is being conducted in conjunction with 49 state municipal leagues, as well as member cities and towns throughout the United States.

For more information about Race Equality Day events nationwide, visit the National League of Cities Web site at www.nlc.org. For information on Gulfport's local event, contact Marivel Guttierez, recreation supervisor with the city, at 893-1068.

Treasure Island

The Fire Department's annual Safety Fair, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 6, is moving to a new location. The event, which also is hosted by the South Pasadena Fire Department and the Treasure Island Volunteer Fire Department, is scheduled to take place at the Roselli Park baseball field on the Isle of Capri, just north of 116th Avenue.

Firefighters and volunteers will provide information about fire safety, smoke alarms, proper use of fire extinguishers, emergency medical services, installation of child safety car seats, drowning prevention, bicycle safety, disaster preparedness and boating safety.

Displays about Bayflite helicopter, the county's 911 emergency system and the city's Community Emergency Response Team will be included in the fair. In addition to its emergency vehicles, Treasure Island also will display its antique fire truck.

Police officers will hold a bicycle rodeo, free bicycle registrations and host police bicycle and K-9 demonstrations. Children should bring bicycles and helmets to participate in the rodeo. Lunch and snacks will be available.

Six members of the Fire Department recently completed a four-day, 36-hour training program on installing child safety seats. The newly certified car seat technicians will be available to install seats or see if they meet current safety standards.

"We have had a number of requests for this," said Chief Charlie Fant. "It's a service we're offering now."

Fant said at least one member of each shift should be on duty every day to handle the requests.

Anyone interested in having their car seats inspected or installed should call 547-4590. The fire station is at 180 108th Ave.

- Staff writer Amy Wimmer and correspondents Sheila Estrada and Kathy Saunders contributed to this report.

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