CLEARWATER BEACH – Work continues on an interlocal agreement between 11 beach communities and Pinellas County that will open the door for $35 million in Penny for Pinellas funds for Gulf Boulevard improvements.
Indian Shores Mayor Jim Lawrence told members of the Barrier Islands Governmental Council on Aug. 25 that terms of the deal are virtually complete with payments to the beach towns scheduled to begin in October 2012. The payments will continue over a seven-year span through fiscal 2019.
“We’ll work it out in September and execute it in October,” Lawrence said of the agreement.
Pinellas County Administrator Bob LaSala, who was the guest speaker for the day, agreed and said final approval by the county attorney would be the last step.
“I think that’s a great idea,” he said, regarding Lawrence’s time frame. “Once we get it past the legal beagles and we make sure it’s in line with the intent of the Penny (for Pinellas), it will be ready to go.”
Treasure Island Mayor Bob Minning suggested getting a bond counselor to look over the language of the agreement to make sure it meets the criteria necessary for towns to use it for bonding purposes.
Lawrence said he knew of a bond counselor that could provide that service and would pursue it.
LaSala credited town leaders on the beaches for helping him realize the importance of the agreement, which dates back to 2007 when former county Commissioner Bob Stewart pledged the money.
“I give Nick (Simons), Jim (Lawrence) and the city managers on the beach credit for giving me a better appreciation of the significance of this project,” LaSala said. “One of the biggest pieces of our economy are our beaches and tourism, which this plays into directly.”
Due to tight economic times, the funding process will not begin until fiscal year 2013 and instead of being paid out over five years it will be distributed to towns over a seven year span.
“I think we’ve got the right solution in place under the (economic) constraints were working under,” LaSala said.
LaSala went on to say $35 million is a lot of money, or not a lot of money, depending on how you look at it. He suggested a unified effort by beach towns on projects, such as the undergrounding of utilities, to get the best results.
“Think in terms of a coordinated approach,” he said. “Its effects will be far more greater. Communicate and coordinate as much as you can with that money to have the biggest impact. You will lose an opportunity if you don’t go one step further.”
LaSala said the county stands ready to help with that effort but would leave that decision to the beach communities.
Lawrence said the proposed interlocal agreement calls for the county to pay out $3.5 million per year the first four years of the deal and $7 million per year over the final three years.
Lawrence said 11 sub-accounts would be opened by the county for each beach town and on Oct. 1 each year the deal is in effect the amount each town is to receive would be credited to its account.
Towns would still have to get approval each year on how the money would be spent, Lawrence said.
The primary stipulation is it has to be tied in to Gulf Boulevard and used for infrastructure.
The amount each city receives is based upon its frontage along Gulf Boulevard.
Clearwater will receive a total of $6.7 million; Belleair Beach, $2.9 million; Indian Rocks Beach, $4.1 million; Indian Shores, $4 million; Redington Shores, $1.7 million; North Redington Beach, $1.2 million; Redington Beach, $1.6 million; Madeira Beach, $3.3 million; Treasure Island, $3.8 million; and St. Pete Beach, $5.7 million.
In other action:
• Carolyn Fries, chief operations officer of Bioplex, an offshoot of the University of South Florida College of Marine Science, solicited the support of beach communities for a monitoring program for the Gulf coast. Fries said Bioplex would monitor chemical levels and the environmental impact to sealife from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The studies could be conducted as often as every two weeks or as infrequently as every year, depending on what the beach towns want. She said the cost to study Pinellas County’s 30 miles of coastline would be $15,000 per study, which she wants BP to underwrite. To get the grant from BP, Fries needs the support of beach towns or the BIG-C as an entity. The BIG-C representatives decided to move forward on the proposal.
• Indian Shores Councilor Bill Smith reminded BIG-C members that the Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association’s annual convention is Sept. 22-24 at the Clearwater Beach Hyatt. Smith urged as many BIG-C members as possible to attend.
• Clearwater City Councilor George Cretekos said federal cutbacks may affect the proposed Sand Key beach renourishment project in 2011. Renourishment is dependent upon 60 percent of funding from federal sources. If the funds are not found in time for 2011, the project will be delayed a year when the remainder of the federal money will be available, Cretekos said. Other funding comes from the State of Florida and Pinellas County tourist tax funds.
• Lawrence was named the BIG-C rep on the Pinellas County Tourist Development Council, replacing North Redington Beach Mayor Bill Queen whose term ended.
