BELLEAIR — City commissioners unanimously permitted the small print surrounding the refinancing of the city’s multimillion-dollar infrastructure mortgage Nov. 5.
The cash is to pay for the highway and drainage work that has been occurring for the final three years.
The city had borrowed $10 million for the infrastructure work that needed to be completed. On the time, commissioners lamented that over time there was no plan in place for the maintenance of the underground pipes and the drainage system. As well as, the city’s streets had been crumbling and there was no cash in reserve to pay for the repair.
As time went on, some commissioners, notably Tom Kurey, complained in regards to the tempo of the tasks. He identified that with rates of interest falling it is perhaps prudent to refinance the mortgage and add extra on to extra shortly get the work completed. That’s what occurred.
Refinancing was completed on the $eight million left from the unique mortgage and one other $four.6 million was added to it. Rates of interest had dropped from three.61% to 2.46%. The refinancing of the unique quantity means a saving of $550,000, in accordance with City Supervisor J.P. Murphy.
It is going to value the city $970,000 yearly to repay the mortgage by the due date of 2034.
Murphy says other than utilizing a number of the cash for enhancements to Belleair Creek, all the cash will go to highway and drainage work.
Police settlement permitted
Commissioners unanimously permitted the contract for the city’s police division, represented by the Fraternal Order of Police.
The settlement offers with pension and retirement advantages and shift differentials. Officers will get an extra 5% when working the night shift and 10% when working the in a single day shift.
The collective bargaining settlement had already been permitted by the FOP members.
Hearth chief report
Largo’s new fireplace chief, Chad Pittman, gave his first report back to the fee. Belleair has a contract with Largo to offer fireplace service. Pittman started by introducing himself.
“I’m a lifelong resident of Pinellas County,” he mentioned. “I used to be born in Tarpon Springs and nonetheless stay there.”
Pittman spent 26 years with the Particular Hearth District in Palm Harbor and rose to the place of deputy chief. A 12 months in the past, he utilized for the place of chief in Largo and obtained the job.
He indicated that there was a median of 150 medical calls every month within the Belleair space and mentioned the response time objective of seven minutes or much less was met each time. He mentioned in all of the stations in Largo reply to 27,000 medical calls within the metropolis.
In different information
• The fee agreed to proclaim Nov. 9 as Henry B. Plant Day in Belleair.
On that day, the Daughters of the American Revolution had been anticipated to unveil a plaque on the Belleview Inn.
It was again in 1897 that Plant constructed the Belleview Resort. The lodge subsequently hosted hundreds of vacationers to the realm from the north. It additionally hosted many celebrities and presidents.
• Commissioners unanimously agreed to nominate resident Tom Kane to the board of trustees for the city’s police officer retirement plan. Kane will serve a two-year time period and was appointed to fill the emptiness left by the resignation of Mayor Gary Katica from the board.
• Katica additionally paid tribute to veterans on the finish of the assembly. He wore a particular Air Drive/Korean Warfare veterans hat in the course of the assembly.
“I put on this hat solely within the month of November,” he mentioned. “It’s an emotional time for me.”
