BELLEAIR BLUFFS – Belleair Bluffs has made a deal to improve lighting on West Bay Drive from Indian Rocks Road to the location of the new causeway bridge.
Robert David, director of public works, said that such a lighting project would cost the city from $600,000 to $700,000 if it were not being done in conjunction with the building of the new causeway and bridge.
By pigging back onto the county plan to install the lights, Belleair Bluffs is paying for an upgrade only, Mayor Chris Arbutine explained, the cost of which is put at $140,000 to $150,000
There are no written agreements or binding contracts to be signed yet, but as a matter of being in the exploratory stage, and Arbutine said meetings have been held with the county and Mayor Rudy Davis of Belleair Beach.
Everybody appears to be on board. Arbutine sought a consensus Monday night of the City Commission so all parties could go ahead on a basis of understanding.
He got the consensus, but in the process, John Tabor, a resident who was exercising a sort of droit de seigneur as it were, questioned the idea of a consensus.
Tabor, a former commissioner, plays a supernumerary role with commission members, as an older, experienced, smarter, more loaded with wisdom resident who must check the decisions of the “youngsters” elected by the people to legislate the city’s business.
In other action, the commission made cosmetic changes in the language of some ordinances in a meeting that lasted less than 20 minutes.