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BIG-C moves ahead on beautification funds
By BOB McCLURE
| Article published on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009 |
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INDIAN SHORES – Members of the Barrier Islands Governmental Council are moving forward on their request for Penny for Pinellas funds from county officials following a meeting Dec. 9 with Pinellas County Planning Director Brian Smith.
Smith, who is acting as the county contact for beach communities in their effort to receive $35 million in new Penny funds for beatification of Gulf Boulevard, said the 11 towns and cities need to unify their efforts and show county commissioners how the money will be spent.
Smith suggested a chart showing each town’s proposed disbursement and how each community would use the money.
Beach communities were originally promised $35 million from the new Penny in 2008 and the agreement was passed by the County Commission. Then, in June, county officials said that amount would be dropped 25 percent due to a drop in revnue stream and payments would not start until 2013.
Recently, BIG-C officials suggested to county leaders they go back to their original disbursement promise and start the payments in 2011. BIG-C officials pointed to the fact that county sales tax revenue didn’t drop as much as previously projected six months ago
BIG-C president Jim Lawrence met with Smith within the last month, leading up to the meeting last week with the full BIG-C membership.
“I’ve been talking to most of the county commissioners and I haven’t found any that are opposed to (returning the amount to $35 million),” said Lawrence. “I’m confident they will support it but we’ve got to present an argument showing the need.”
Smith said he wanted to get an idea of how each town or city plans to spend its allotment and make a presentation to the County Commission at a county workshop or discussion session some time in April.
“Right now, we’re just defining how the money is going to be spent,” said Smith. “Once (commissioners) buy it, you’ve got the money in the bank and you can do with it what you want.”
The disbursements, based on miles of beach frontage, will be broken down like this: Clearwater, $6.7 million; Belleair Beach, $2.1 million; Belleair Shore, $795,554; 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.
Three communities have presented information to the BIG-C as to how they plan to use their funds. Two of the communities – Clearwater and Indian Shores – are seeking reimbursement for recent capital projects and North Redington Beach is set to go with its proposals. The other eight beach communities are still formalizing how their allotments will be spent.
Clearwater is seeking reimbursement on its streetscape projects on Clearwater Beach, which included sidewalks in the Mandalay area and its Beackwalk on south Gulf Boulevard. The reimbusement would cover about 70 percent of the $9 million cost, according to Assistant City Manager Jill Silverboard.
Indian Shores is seeking partial reimbursement of its $6.3 million outlay for underground utilities.
North Redington Beach wants to use its funds for underground cross wires on Gulf Boulevard, solar-powered flashing lights at crosswalks, palm trees and enhancing monument signs on Gulf Boulevard.
Belleair Beach wants to install mast arms on traffic signals and build cross walks, while Indian Rocks Beach wants to underground utilities from the Indian Shores line north to the traffic light at Walsingham Road. Further undergrounding north would be done in segments.
Redington Shores proposes to underground 21 cross wires on Gulf Boulevard, beautify Beach Trolley stops and build one more crosswalk.
Redington Beach would like to put power lines underground that cross Gulf Boulevard, do crosswalk enhancements and eliminate power poles on the east side of Gulf Boulevard.
Madeira Beach hopes to build crosswalks, put power lines across Gulf Boulevard underground and put landscaping in the medians.
Treasure Island has plans to underground utilities on Gulf Boulevard in three segments, install pedestrian-activated signals, decorative street lighting, renovation to the Central Beach Trail and improve street drainage along Gulf Boulevard.
Smith said he hoped to put together a draft version of the chart by the next Big-C meeting in late January and finalize it prior to presentation to county commissioners.
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Article published on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009
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