City Commission Roundup: Aug. 20, 2012

The Safety Harbor City Commission met on Monday, Aug. 20th, and it addressed a number of important issues that will impact the community.

Some of the more heavily discussed items on the agenda concerned storm water damage to properties along area creeks and potentially higher storm water rates to cover repairs.

According to city officials, flooding from Tropical Storm Debby collapsed retention walls and fencing in backyards of homes located along Bishop Creek, especially in the North Bay Hills and Harbor Hills subdivisions.

The city applied for $150,000 in emergency funds from FEMA to repair the serious damage to at least six properties, of which it received roughly half of the money. That allowed contractors to fix the damage, a project that is nearly complete.

But the work immediately raised the question of why certain homeowners receive assistance from the city while others do not.

"To what extent is the city going to continue to be responsible for repairing private property along Bishop Creek, or any other creek for that matter, through Safety Harbor?" Mayor Andy Steingold asked. 

Although he expressed concern for the property owners, Steingold pointed out that it would be very costly if the city had to pay for damage to every home that got damaged along the city's 13 miles of creeks.

"This is going to get into the millions at some point as we continue to repair walls along all the creeks," he added. "The commission needs to take a stance one way or the other to determine what it will get involved with in the future."

Commissioner Cliff Merz concurred, saying it is a "perpetual problem", and asked if perhaps the city should look into purchasing properties along the creek line.

That suggestion elicited even more concern from the mayor.

"When you set a policy of purchasing homes, that's a pretty dangerous policy to set," he said. "I understand where you're coming from but...if you buy a house on a creek, and there's a wall, there's got to be some level of responsibility."

The commission ultimately decided to put off a decision until it receives a policy proposal from the city attorney.

Other items on the agenda included:

• Raising storm water utility rates from $5.00 to $7.25 per household per year, a move that would add nearly $1 million to the fund. After hearing that the current rate does not adequately cover operating and capital costs, the commission agreed to approve the ordinance by a vote of 4-1, with Mayor Steingold the only one opposing. The rate hike will take effect on October 1, 2012.
• Allowing golf carts on designated streets in the city. While Commissioners Nancy Besore and Nina Bandoni were in favor of looking into the feasibility of the proposal, it was ultimately shot down by a vote of 3-2, with Mayor Steingold, Vice Mayor Ayoub and Commissioner Merz voting against pursuing the issue further.
• Earmarking nearly $36,000 for new meter reading equipment to replace outdated hardware and software, a motion that was unanimously approved by the commission, 5-0.
• Redevelopment plans for the 34-acre property on the corner of SR 590 and McMullen Booth Road, where the Firmenich plant now sits. A mixed-use development, complete with offices and a 296-unit apartment complex, has been proposed for the site, which is currently zoned for office and industrial use. The commission agreed to wait until traffic, tree preservation and other studies are completed before voting on the project.

Note: In the future this column will appear shortly after the commission meeting. It was delayed this month due to coverage of Tropical Storm Isaac.