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Budget forces city to curb improvement projects
By Chris Opfer
BELLEAIR BEACH — An unexpected increase in costs related to the Harrison Avenue Bridge reconstruction project will force Belleair Beach to forego other planned improvements in order to remain under budget in 2009.
At a September 17 hearing, the city council adopted a final budget of $2.2 million for fiscal year 2009. The 2009 millage rate was set at 1.98 mills.
The Harrison Avenue project, originally budgeted for $175,000 based on information from the contractor performing the reconstruction, is now expected to cost the city approximately $380,000. “The numbers that we had were not true numbers,” Mayor Lynn Rives told the council at a previous budget hearing.
According to Community Services/IT Director Peter Cavalli, the expected cost of the project ballooned due to recently discovered problems with the bridge’s piling foundation.
Projects slated for postponement in order to pay for the bridge reconstruction include street resurfacing, landscaping at Bayside Park and improvement of the city’s storm water pond.
“I’m not going to lie to you, it’s going to force us to be very innovative in what we do,” Cavalli told the council.
Council member Richard Crowl believes the city should have borrowed money to cover the increased cost of
the Harrison Avenue project. “Generally, items of this magnitude should be financed or funded in advance over a period of time so as not to have such a hugely dramatic impact on what we do in a given year,” he said. “We’re choosing not to maintain the city up to the standards we’re used to rather than borrowing money,” he added.
Free parking continues
Visitors to Belleair Beach will continue to park free of charge.
The city council rejected a plan directing that nonresidents obtain a $50 yearly permit in order to park at Morgan Park, Municipal Marina and the new city hall facility. Instead, free visitor parking will remain available at the Municipal Marina lot.
In opting against the permit plan, the council cited federal beach renourishment funding obligations requiring that the city provide a certain amount of parking for nonresidents.
According to Council member Richard Crowl, the permit plan is too restrictive. “It’s clearly a subterfuge to keep
folks who don’t live here from getting access to the public parking that we’re contractually obligated to provide. I think it’s appropriate to make some parking spaces available for folks from neighboring towns to use the beach. It seems like a lot of work to keep fifteen people from going to the beach,” he stated.
Despite the federal requirements, Vice Mayor Stan Sofer is strongly in favor of the permit plan. “I think what we’re trying to do is take care of the property owners in the city, namely the condos. I think that it’s incumbent on us to do something,” he said.
While neighboring municipalities such as Indian Rocks Beach and Indian Shores offer metered parking, several
council members noted an upfront parking fee would likely lead visitors to seek beach access elsewhere. “There is a big difference between putting a few quarters in a meter and paying $50. It does seem kind of punitive,” Council member Rob Baldwin stated.
“We do have an issue here that we need to address, but I don’t think this is the right way to do it,” Council member Baldwin added
The council will continue to explore and consider parking options.
City to restrict garage sales
The city council appears to be in favor of amending the city code to restrict garage sales throughout Belleair Beach neighborhoods.
The amendment, introduced at the council’s Sept. 4 meeting, will require residents provide notice and obtain
authorization for all garage and estate sales throughout the city.
“In the past several months we have had several complaints of people actually bringing in by the truckloads of articles to sell at their homes so that is why this ordinance is on the agenda tonight,” City Manager Nancy McCollum informed the council.
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