Firm hired to process utility bills CLEARWATER – At its meeting on Oct. 18, the Clearwater City Council approved a $1.466 million contract to have Tampa-based Northeast II, Inc., doing business as TC Delivers, process and mail the city’s utility bills for the next three years. With the approval of both parties, two one-year extensions of the contract are possible.
The company will print and process all utility bills, add any inserts, affix postage and mail the bills, paying all costs for material, printing and postage. It also will pick up, process and affix postage to all outgoing mail from city departments.
The estimated cost of postage is $848,000 for the utility bills and $330,000 for the city departments’ mail. That will leave the company with $288,000 for its printing and mailing services.
Accident claim settled for $70K CLEARWATER – On April 5, 2011, near the intersection of Drew Street and North Saturn Avenue, a city vehicle driven by a city employee rear-ended another vehicle and pushed it forward into bicyclist Sandro Alvarez. Alvarez allegedly suffered herniated discs that caused pain in his back, head and neck.
His medical bills are approximately $90,000, with future bills estimated to be approximately $50,000. On Oct. 18, the Clearwater City Council unanimously agreed to settle his claim for $70,000.
Contract awarded for neighborhood improvements CLEARWATER – On Oct. 18, the Clearwater City Council unanimously approved the expenditure of $2,560,836 for the Hillcrest-Brookhill Neighborhood Traffic Calming and Storm Water Improvement Project.
“This project involves construction of traffic calming features in the Hillcrest-Brookhill community envisioned by community residents in the Hillcrest-Brookhill Traffic Calming Charrette and supported by a petition signed by owners of approximately 65 percent of the parcels in the project area,” a staff memo to the council explains. “The engineering plans were reviewed for faithfulness to their charrette vision by residents belonging to the Hillcrest-Brookhill Tech Team at the 30, 60, 90 and 100 percent milestones.”
The Hillcrest-Brookhill Homeowner’s Association supports the project, and the association has teamed up with the city’s tech team to keep residents informed via the association’s website, association meetings and personal contact.
The traffic calming features will include five mid-size traffic circles, five mini roundabouts, nine oval medians and landscaped bulb-outs. The construction is expected to take 501 calendar days or 358 construction days. When it is finished, the traffic division of the city’s engineering department will maintain the markings and signage, and the parks and recreation department will maintain the landscaping.
Affordable housing project approved CLEARWATER – The city and Pinellas County Habitat for Humanity Community Housing Development Organization, Inc., recently teamed up to create a community housing development organization for the purpose of buying three vacant parcels in the Stevenson’s Creek Subdivision and building new, single-family homes on them.
“Pinellas County Habitat for Humanity Housing Development Organization, Inc., is a Florida not-for-profit organization established to promote decent housing that is affordable to low to-moderate income families and to further the affordable housing mission of Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas County, Inc.” according to a city staff memo.
A previous agreement between the city and Habitat expired before the deal could be consummated, so, on Oct. 18, Habitat and the Clearwater City Council entered into a new, two-year agreement.
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