This week’s letters to the editor.
June Johns
St. Pete Beach Pays Church $250,000
Editor’s Note: Although the City of St. Pete Beach did not respond to our reporter’s request for comment prior to publishing the article about the court-ordered payment of $250,000 to Pass-a-Grille Community Church, their lawyer did send us an email, via the City’s public information officer, for print.
The City did not violate any laws while enforcing its local codes. In order to avoid additional litigation and disharmony, the City and the Pass-A-Grille Beach Community Church made a pragmatic decision to resolve their differences and craft a settlement that gives the City, the Church and the public, clarity regarding the use of the Church’s private parking areas. The settlement is a good example of several competing interests being resolved with open and honest dialog. The City of St. Pete Beach is blessed with world-renowned beaches, but this geography comes with regulator and operational challenges. Balancing the City’s beach popularity with the rights of full-time City residents, houses of worship, and businesses is complex. The settlement between the City and the Church is a fair balance of many interests. The parties agreed to let the court decide the attorney fee amount, now being widely publicized, which were paid to the Church’s attorneys by the City’s insurance carrier. The City and the Church are working together under the terms of the settlement agreement. –Andrew Dickman, City of St. Pete Beach legal counsel
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