SH City Commission Meeting Tonight at 7:30

The Safety Harbor City Commission convenes tonight at 7:30 at City Hall for its regular bimonthly meeting.

And while there is no tree workshop scheduled to precede the meeting for the first time in a while, a glance at the agenda shows that trees will still be a topic of discussion tonight.

The commission consented to approve the proposed moratorium on removing trees in town during the previous workshop on October 7, and two days later, the Planning and Zoning board approved the proposal by a vote of 4-3.

Tonight the commission will vote on whether or not to pass Ordinance 2014-18 on first reading; if it’s passed, the ordinance will “impose a moratorium on the issuance of tree removal permits until April 1, 2015, or such a time that a comprehensive tree ordinance is adopted by the City Commission.”

The moratorium will not apply to permits requested for the removal of dead or diseased trees, as determined by Pinellas County, or any trees that pose a significant risk to the health, safety and general welfare of the public.

In addition to the tree issue, there are other items on the agenda that should be of interest to Safety Harbor residents, including:

• amendments to the FY 2014 and 2015 budgets
• a proposal to add three traffic calming speed humps on Seventh Street North
• a call for direction on the Charter Review Committee’s proposed changes to the city’s charter 
• a proclamation declaring Nov. 1, 2014 as “Extra Mile Day” in Safety Harbor

The Safety Harbor City Commission meets at City Hall, located at 750 Main Street in downtown Safety Harbor. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.