BELLEAIR BEACH - Wanted: One council member. Ten months work guaranteed. Apply at City Hall.
The City Council set up the procedure Monday night to fill the seat left vacant by Ken Lucci's resignation, submitted the day after the March 14 election.
That election saw two newcomers swept into office and a ticket of what was thought in some quarters to be front runners go down to emphatic defeat.
Former Mayor Mike Kelly was part of that three-person entry and he ran dead last in the race, a development that some observers said sent a strong message.
Also losing were Donna Durante and Marvin Behm.
Behm showed up Monday night to collect a little doo-dad emblematic of his "dedication and service" to the city and included in his remarks a paean to Councilmember Stan Sofer - "Sorry I couldn't nominate you for vice mayor."
A loss at the polls interfered with that opportunity but Sofer repaid that quid with his own quo much later in the meeting when the question came up of how to fill the Lucci-created vacancy.
Sofer's idea was to award the position to the losing, but next highest vote getter in the election - right; it was the aforementioned Behm.
That silly idea never even reached the digestion stage by Sofer's colleagues who instead devised a plan to advertise the opening, collect applications and then vote in some sort of ballot style among the council at the May 1 council meeting.
While citizens over the years might have wondered what the Park Board ever does as it observes ever deteriorating park sites in the city, there was a re-awakening at Monday's meeting as the revivified board demonstrated it has been hard at work.
Wanda Schwerer, secretary of the board, narrated a computer slide presentation of a survey the board took. The results have enabled it to set a course for its work.
That drew high praise from Mayor Rudy Davis who said, "For the first time in the recent history of this city we had a group go out and find out what the feelings of the citizenry are."
The board is headed up by the modest and retiring Wayne Ayers and other members are Deb Riley, Sandy Winioski and Kathy Mortensen. Ed Wisnioski is a hard working volunteer with the group.
The council spent more than half an hour interminably discussing fences and hedges, their conformation and location and wound up all of that by tabling the issue, in hopes of collecting more definitive information.
Also approved was an ordinance that conforms city law with FEMA regulations and a measure that no longer requires a city employee to affix parking stickers to vehicles.
Residents and anyone living in the city as a renter will be able to put the sticker on once having qualified for it. This includes stickers for residents, renters for the accesses in Belleair Shore and parking at the marina.
Of course, parking at the marina is for the general public from anywhere to satisfy federal requirements on beach replenishment. Belleair Beach's strand on the Gulf is a public beach. Anyone can enjoy it.
But boat owners have designated, specific spots and the stickers are for those places.