Backroom Talk

Bourbon disclaimer

Before the July 27 Belleair Beach budget workshop officially got underway, Vice Mayor Lloyd Roberts felt obligated to warn everyone.

"Just so you know beforehand," he said while joining remotely, "I participated in three bourbon distillery tours. So from a liability standpoint, anything and everything I say cannot be used against me."

Fortunately for the city clerk, no disclaimer form was required.

A full house

Safety Harbor City Commissioner Jacob Burnett couldn't hide his excitement July 20 during a discussion about replacing the lights at the city's Little League fields.

"First off, so happy to see everybody here," Burnett said, glancing at a chamber packed with parents and young ballplayers. "Most of these meetings are kind of boring with not very many people in the audience. I love it when we have folks in here, and especially kids."

The youngsters stayed remarkably patient while the adults debated bulbs, budgets and baseball.

Dress for success

Not every municipal debate involves budgets and taxes.

Sometimes it's about what to wear.

During a June workshop on meeting procedures, Kenneth City Mayor Bob Arrison suggested council members consider dressing more professionally, noting meetings are starting to be televised.

He acknowledged attire couldn't be required — only encouraged.

Council member Donald Kinney agreed. You can't legislate fashion, he said, but a little common sense never goes out of style.

Out of Sync

Largo City Commissioner Curtis Holmes has had enough of poorly timed traffic signals.

"I'll tell you what, I am so sick and tired of running from red light to red light," Holmes said during a discussion July 14 of traffic along East Bay Drive. "I've heard this from the county for years and years and years that we've got these signals synchronized. And they are not."

Mayor Woody Brown couldn't resist.

"I don't always say this," Brown quipped, "but I agree with Commissioner Holmes on the traffic light timing."

Proceed with caution

Trying to untangle Belleair Shore's complicated erosion control line dispute, Town Commissioner Michael Tolbert acknowledged he'd been leaning on artificial intelligence for research.

Then came the disclaimer.

AI, he said in an email to the town attorney, "can be dangerous."

Even artificial intelligence would have a hard time arguing with that.

It stinks

When it comes to plain talk, Belleair Beach City Council member Frank Bankard rarely leaves anyone guessing.

Discussing the city's noise and nuisance ordinance on July 6, he offered this assessment:

"I think the ordinance stinks."