Craig Says Citizen Plea on Sidewalks in Largo Being Pursued by Cityby Leo CoughlinLARGO – According to City Manager Mac Craig, the city is working to solve a problem on 8th Avenue NW that has triggered long-term complaints from a resident there. The resident, Harry Ploger, has communicated in a variety of ways with the city, including e-mails, and recently he complained that his e-mails had been blocked by the city. That was not entirely true, Craig said. Ploger also said that two commissioners, Harriet Crozier and Rodney Woods, responded to his pleas at one point and visited his neighborhood. He said the pair told him “No problem – we’ll get it done,” or words to that effect. He said nothing has come about as the result of their visit. Crozier and Woods did not respond to queries regarding Ploger’s assertion that they had visited his street and promised action. Ploger’s main complaint seems to be one concerning safety... He wants sidewalks on the street. He says he has sent the city “$1,000 each year” as a contribution for sidewalk construction. Just last week, Ploger sent a message to City Hall that described the lack of safety on the street – “This morning I watched as a young mother struggled to roll her baby carriage with baby in it through the ruts and weeds along our street. Traffic was heavy, including a very large truck which, when placed in the narrow south span, just missed her by a foot or so and he was sailing along...” The road is a continuation of Mehlenbacher Road running east and west that forms the border of Belleair Bluffs and Belleair before continuing into Largo and across Clearwater-Largo Road. Ploger says he started asked that something be done on 8th Avenue NW in the vicinity of 12th Street NW four years ago. He complains that “We were supposed to see sidewalks in 2008.” Craig said that “The project that he is interested in is much larger than just sidewalks. It is a significant drainage/sidewalk project complicated by the fact that the city owns the south side of the road and the county the north side.” While Craig explained that there is a project to fix the situation in 2010-2011, the county has “sidewalk monies but does not have the funds budgeted to design the stormwater aspect of the project.” But, Craig cautioned, the project can only proceed if funds are available and this could be a problem in these times that cities are strapped for funds. He also said that “Mr. Ploger has been made aware of this for some time.” Despite Ploger’s peppering the city with e-mails, Craig said he recognizes that Ploger is a concerned citizen about the sidewalk problem on his street. Craig denied that any e-mails had been blocked, although such action is not unknown by city officials. Ploger sent an e-mail Monday to city officials in which he made highly critical comments. That e-mail was blocked. Craig said that Ploger had sent long e-mails to him and City Commission members about the “economic situation of the nation and how hard it was for a person to start a trucking firm and keep it running for 30 years while the employees did not work as hard and just enjoyed the results of the owner’s hard work.” He said there have been several e-mails in recent months that contained nothing about city business. “I was asked to stop this type of information from coming to the city system,” Craig said, although he did not identify who made such a request. “Mr. Ploger can always e-mail me or call at any time,” Craig said. As to money Ploger has sent the city to help pay for the project he has been pleading for, Craig said Ploger has sent two checks for $1,000 each. “Both times he has received a letter response from the Finance Director advising him that his donation could not go to the sidewalk project and that he could choose to have the check returned or placed as a donation in the General Fund,” Craig said. Craig said the project is estimated to cost more than $500,000. He said in the absence of Ploger’s response, the $2,000 was placed in the general fund.
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