[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6123725,"mediaKeyId","2688691-2ad91c709011ac987c53f45968487fab","parentId",2688691,"title","Votes at a glance: Safety Harbor commission, March 17, 2025","audioSeconds",3029,"startMs",1363000,"endMs",4392000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2688691-2ad91c709011ac987c53f45968487fab&start=1363&end=4392","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2688691-2ad91c709011ac987c53f45968487fab/thumbnail_1363000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6123725/Safety-Harbor-City/Pinellas-County/Florida/Votes-at-a-glance-Safety-Harbor-commission-March-17-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6123725-fdf5b75845922e571840eec5e7fe32fb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445498&Signature=NrDqRtd6x~~Lf8-Mg-ZFlpSKi8EIJWxF0vIeA6i~aqMMzBMZn0diHOWAukstkrBiN3ntqe77AOcM7s2ZynSgytTxHre4OUPSZ7zi7TywgG6yoCHnP6VK2iu6pFZow0MazUau1OCc8tlZ7DP-xHbIPkWVV0t3KIxmKDNQULVcE56rTJCU7maqDKDWGBW4nMl48~G9g~YyZ9K9aHLaw1ICub5yV4DRP0s9tyy128-o6MW30zapN5DX9d5svV4BKCxerATDhisLiwmRWaiGEApeG1ZJkQCxSs-YJVSVv6DQ0bYfUwp6NEyrJQv4XrPuyLDd2qY6XB8eA7FxaFGrH~Oenw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Safety Harbor, FL","date","2025-03-18T12:45:38Z","article","The Safety Harbor City Commission took the following formal actions at its March 17, 2025 meeting (motions passed by voice unless otherwise noted):

- Consent agenda (5 items): Approved minutes for Feb. 24 and March 3; renewed continuing contracts for architectural and engineering services for one year (March 2025–March 2026); approved a vulnerability assessment grant agreement revision; approved disposal of Public Works vending machine asset #10560; and approved purchase of a 2025 utility truck from Allen J Automotive Management for $86,000 to replace Truck No. 230 in the Water Division. Motion passed 5-0.

- Sidewalk waiver: Approved sidewalk-waiver request for 675 Cohen Lane (case 2025-04-SW); applicant to pay $2,400 into the sidewalk fund in lieu of building a sidewalk. Motion passed 5-0.

- Compensation and benefits analysis, phase 1: Adopted phase 1, authorizing a 5% adjustment to pay rates for full-time and part-time employees, adoption of an updated pay-grade structure and the addition of Juneteenth as a paid holiday. Commission vote 5-0. Staff estimated the six-month FY25 cost at $259,715 in salaries and $84,667 in benefits (total $344,382); the commission had previously allocated about $300,000 for midyear implementation and asked staff to present FY26 budget scenarios.

- Planning & Zoning Board appointments: Reappointed four members whose terms expired; commissioners noted at least one board member is a property owner within the CRD as required by code. Motion passed 5-0.

The Commission also announced that the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) would meet immediately following the commission meeting.

All items above were recorded in the meeting minutes and individual agenda items have associated staff reports on file with the city clerk.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","3-17-25 City Commission Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Key actions from the March 17 Safety Harbor City Commission meeting, including approval of routine consent items, a utility truck purchase, sidewalk waiver, adoption of compensation phase 1 and reappointments to the Planning & Zoning Board.","taxTitle","Safety Harbor City, Pinellas County, Florida","taxId",59324,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6123730,"Commission approves sidewalk-waiver request for 675 Cohen Lane; owner to pay into sidewalk fund",229,1409000,1638000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2688691-2ad91c709011ac987c53f45968487fab&start=1409&end=1638","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2688691-2ad91c709011ac987c53f45968487fab/thumbnail_1409000.jpg","/articles/6123730/Safety-Harbor-City/Pinellas-County/Florida/Commission-approves-sidewalk-waiver-request-for-675-Cohen-Lane-owner-to-pay-into-sidewalk-fund","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6123730-010001eaea691f31758fcc67695ebd5e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445498&Signature=gpnRkZvKq5U04Yxg5BIDr-3UUkprvr5WRyxv4C8VTKnvPUjrH~VtIN24JuPE6-73h6uH~-~H43hg0kncdDDfF2mdJPS97qDQrHP1CWucrznjhYC7Rg~AYbvkqlz9Ud6vxoBFseZercVUomuxem3fM34lGUgiOAxt0z5jGhuyH0j18lGFfViiwTHPivnNNUMIzV2PhHU5Q06nStA-ntTJmRW~1P5yLmHcF75Qo8PfAUVtlNIHfTTA7hryJzOnqmqqig0UdjlbQ5OWt4~sd6p4s6bLP9C36oU7OO3JRE7-nETrZmbpGwRuLQrZeLWuus97AqbCghyuiQgDuz9bVqs1DQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Safety Harbor City Commission on March 17 approved a sidewalk-waiver request for 675 Cohen Lane (case 2025-04-SW), allowing the property owner to build a roughly 600-square-foot rear addition without constructing a new sidewalk along the street frontage. The motion passed on a 5-0 voice vote.

City planning staff presented the application. Derek Reeves, assistant department director, said the addition triggers the city's sidewalk requirement under the land development code (section 152). Staff cited an exception in the code for subdivisions in which at least 80% of built lots lack sidewalks and the construction is not included in the city's five-year capital improvement program. Reeves said Cohen Lane is a short, dead-end street with 12 lots; 11 are developed and the street currently has no sidewalks. Staff recommended approval with the condition that the applicant pay the calculated fee into the city’s sidewalk fund.

The applicant, identified in the meeting as Howard Smith, was present. Commissioners asked whether other nearby lots had previously received waivers and discussed the neighborhood’s development history, which dates to county-era plats from the 1960s and includes shared easements. Staff said the one remaining lot on the street is still developable.

Under the commission motion the property owner must make a one-time payment of $2,400 into the sidewalk fund in lieu of construction. The waiver was advertised as required and staff concluded the request meets the waiver criteria in the code. The recorded vote was 5-0 in favor.","The commission approved a request to waive sidewalk construction at 675 Cohen Lane tied to a 600-square-foot rear addition, citing a largely unbuilt sidewalk pattern on the dead-end street; the property owner must pay $2,400 into the city's sidewalk fund.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6123735,"Safety Harbor commission votes to adopt phase 1 of pay study, approves 5% market adjustment",2498,1639000,4137000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2688691-2ad91c709011ac987c53f45968487fab&start=1639&end=4137","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2688691-2ad91c709011ac987c53f45968487fab/thumbnail_1639000.jpg","/articles/6123735/Safety-Harbor-City/Pinellas-County/Florida/Safety-Harbor-commission-votes-to-adopt-phase-1-of-pay-study-approves-5-market-adjustment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6123735-dc5f68dfcd9258ec0b9ab041118f75cb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445498&Signature=QO6zFHff4WKp2L~b7aXwZDYN4M5rWxPCbpPJMP4D~gTtxScqxSFHrhS9gpBos5ceAHaFrXHudw3OGZrEMXLhLUREw2RRYSufkk3rBl0ZxY0LPj6zfqhiYTReMGflBBTBL7sp~DexaQ4sPnVsUkLn9jo5ItWkaJEMs4Zma69ByqpFtyDT9q3tH0EfG3c4QtS0qgGdk6SBPXX5IRJste1AZLSkCuNZVUgQw5N51EdAwQ-bg2xa0aiIDcPnQipY27yzeIxudAuKNmCxdHWv1AYbk91kC2bHefV3FBlfVX5CFYqihPYBYj3Zr1RIqCzRBssAa9PPt-GA7tXzQyTLFU2ijw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Safety Harbor City Commission on Monday voted 5-0 to adopt phase 1 of a citywide compensation and benefits analysis, approving a 5% market adjustment to the city pay plan, adding Juneteenth as a paid holiday and adopting an updated pay-grade structure effective as early as March 30, 2025.

City Human Resources Director Michelle Posowitz presented the phase 1 implementation after consultants PayPoint HR delivered a compensation and benefits study in 2024. Posowitz said the immediate action increases pay rates across all full-time and part-time positions, elevates any employee paid below a new grade minimum to that minimum, and aligns the pay plan “with the market as recommended.” She told commissioners the six-month fiscal 2025 cost of the change is an estimated $259,715 in salary increases and $84,667 in associated benefits, a combined total of $344,382; the commission had previously earmarked about $300,000 for midyear implementation and staff said the difference can be offset in part by current vacancies and attrition.

The vote followed more than an hour of discussion in which commissioners pressed staff on budget impacts, the number of pay grades and whether targeted adjustments for hard-to-fill departments would be preferable to a citywide increase. Vice Mayor Steingold and others said the 5% adjustment is a ‘‘step in the right direction’’ to make Safety Harbor more competitive with neighboring jurisdictions; several commissioners asked staff to return with options for phased or department-specific actions as part of the FY 2026 budget process.

Renee, Public Works Director, told the commission her division currently has 54 full-time equivalents and about 14 vacancies, and that nearby cities are hiring similar workers for substantially higher pay. A Water and Sewer foreman identified in public comment as Viscola described losing a recent hire after a year of training because the worker could earn roughly $5 an hour more elsewhere. Commissioners cited those examples as key reasons for moving now.

Staff explained funding mechanics to the commission: the quoted FY25 cost reflects a six-month, midyear implementation estimate; as vacant positions remain unfilled, the near-term payroll impact will decline. City leaders said they plan to include further compensation phases and policy changes in the FY26 budget conversation and to consider targeted adjustments where recruitment pressures are highest.

Discussion vs. formal action in the record: commissioners debated the scope of the pay-grade structure, the number of grades (staff proposed 25 grades) and the tradeoffs between consolidation of grades and flexibility to adjust hiring rates. The formal action before the commission — adoption of phase 1 as presented, including the 5% market adjustment and the Juneteenth holiday — carried on a 5-0 recorded vote.

The commission directed staff to: return with budget options for FY26 that could fund subsequent phases, examine targeted pay adjustments by department (notably public works), and continue work on classification and promotional policies to reduce pay compression. The commission also requested clearer budget scenarios for full-year costs and for alternative phase schedules.

The action concludes the first implementation step of a process that began when the commission authorized a compensation and classification study in November 2023, contracted with PayPoint HR in early 2024 and received the consultant’s reports last November. Commissioners said they want more detailed options before the July budget adoption but indicated political support for closing market gaps to retain and recruit staff.","The City Commission on March 17 approved phase 1 of a citywide compensation plan that raises base pay rates by 5% for all full- and part-time employees, adds Juneteenth as a city holiday and adopts an updated pay grade structure; commissioners and staff said the change aims to slow turnover but warned about future budget impacts.","actionData","errors"]

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Votes at a glance: Safety Harbor commission, March 17, 2025

Commission approves sidewalk-waiver request for 675 Cohen Lane; owner to pay into sidewalk fund

Safety Harbor commission votes to adopt phase 1 of pay study, approves 5% market adjustment