Neighborhood News Bureau

Category: Government & Public Affairs

  • Where there’s a Will, there’s a way

    BY SAMANTHA PRITZLAFF
    NNB Reporter

    Winthrop “Will” Newton is vying for the District 7 City Council seat against Lisa Wheeler-Brown Nov. 3.

    Newton is currently the district vice president for Florida Professional Firefighters in Pinellas and Pasco counties. The job takes him to Tallahassee to negotiate with lawmakers on behalf of firefighter unions.

    “I’ve committed my life to keeping people safe and solving complex problems for more than two decades,” said Newton.

    Public safety is just one of Newton’s priorities. His campaign also focuses on education, new and growing businesses, youth programs and in supporting taxpayers’ interest in the on-going issue regarding stadium lease with the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.

    Both Wheeler-Brown and Newton share similar goals. However, they split on the Rays issue, in which Wheeler-Brown favors the team moving outside of St. Petersburg.

    City Council voted 5-3 last Thursday (Oct. 22) on a deal that would allow the Rays to potentially end their lease early and seek a stadium elsewhere, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The plan, if accepted by the Rays,  could cost the team $33 million if they left before 2020, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

    When it comes to moving forward with these priorities, Newton insists on his strong ability and desire to work, “collectively and collaboratively” with other City Council members.

    “My goal is to work with those folks that are on council, all of them, and in the end to be able to achieve those goals and priorities I’ve identified,” said Newton.

    Wengay Newton, Will Newton’s brother, currently holds the District 7 City Council seat and will step down after serving his two-term limit.

    When asked what he can bring new to the table, Newton says his track record and list of endorsements speaks for itself.

    “I’m a tough negotiator, but once we reach a point, I know when to extend my hand across the table and shake that person’s hand and say, ‘Hey, we have a deal,’” said Newton.

    Newton’s endorsements include former Mayor Rick Baker, current City Council members Bill Dudley, Amy Foster, Steve Kornell and Wengay Newton, along with Councilmember-Elect Ed Montanari. The Tampa Tribune, St. Petersburg Firefighters Association and the Suncoast Police Benevolent Association also endorse Newton’s candidacy.

    District 7 hosts many residents living at or below the poverty level in areas of Southern St. Petersburg, such as Midtown and Childs Park. For Newton, this election goes beyond the borders of District 7.

    “Any time one of the issues is improved, then we all are improved as a city collectively,” Newton says.

    As a native to St. Petersburg, Newton worked as a St. Petersburg fire fighter EMT for 23 years. He is also a former president of the Childs Park Neighborhood Association.

    For a complete list of all the candidates and poll locations, visit votepinellas.com.

  • City Council candidate forum at Enoch Davis Center Monday

    BY CARLY ROMANO
    NNB Reporter

    Residents can get a chance to grill candidates for city council tonight.

    The NAACP St. Petersburg Branch City Council Candidate Forum is at 7 p.m. at the Enoch Davis Center.

    Attendees are encouraged to arrive early in order to submit written questions for the candidates.

    All candidates running are expected to attend.

    District 1: Charlie Gerdes and Monica Abbott; District 5: Phillip Garrett and Steven “Steve” L. Kornell; and District 7: Lisa Wheeler-Brown and Winthrop “Will” Newtown.

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    If you go:

    What: NAACP St. Petersburg Branch City Council Candidate Forum

    When: 7 p.m., Monday, Oct. 26. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

    Where: Enoch Davis Center, 1111 18th Ave S

  • Referendum no. 2 asks voters to change district lines

    BY CARLY ROMANO
    NNB Reporter

    ST. PETERSBURG— Residents get the opportunity to vote on a referendum that could change district lines.

    Referendum question no. 2 reads:

    “Shall the City Charter be amended to provide that Council Districts do not need to follow voting precinct lines when it is not practical due to the need for the Council Districts to be compact and contiguous and the requirement that boundary lines follow centerlines of streets, railroad lines or other natural boundaries where possible?”

    “What they are proposing is to rather than follow voting precinct lines, putting along natural borders, is for those districts let that be natural border to make it more clear for constituency to reach out to the council members,” said Chan Srinivasa, City Clerk of St. Petersburg. “Because they don’t know which council individual is representing them in that particular district.”

    If approved the changes would not take effect until a redistricting commission is established, said Srinivasa.

    “Normally they are done around the time censuses are done,” he said.

    The City Council does not have the power to change lines. The Citizens Redistricting Commission only has the power to do so, which is composed of nine members. The mayor and each council member appoint members from the community, non-elected officials, who are residents of the district they represent.

    The districts would consist of contiguous neighborhoods using the centerlines of streets, railroad lines and other natural boundaries.

    “The boundaries shall follow voting precinct lines to the extent that it is practical,” according to the referendum.

    Ordinances referencing Referendum Questions on the ballot will be made available at all polling locations during the election for individuals who need clarification.

    Residents questions the lack of effort to educate voters about these potential changes.

    “I have received several phone calls regarding dissection of referendum questions,” said Maria Scruggs, president of the NAACP’s St. Petersburg branch.

    Scruggs is not alone.

    “I think it would be responsible of district leaders to ensure their constituency, educate or make awareness on changes of ballot questions,” said Brittany Harris, a St. Petersburg resident. “The irresponsibility on part of city leaders to make sure, that me as a voter, actually understands what exactly is being put on the ballot, because I believe that is part of being a public servant, gives me the impression that there could be some ulterior motives.”

  • Seagrass beds, Tampa Bay water quality and St. Pete Referendum No. 1

    BY DANIELLE VON DREELE
    NNB Reporter

    St. Petersburg residents are reasonably concerned with the city’s questionable water supply. The history of Tampa Bay’s warm, shallow waters is murky with pollution from dredging, industrial emissions and wastewater. A question up for vote on the city election Nov. 3 is addressing the issue with increased protections to seagrass beds.

    Referendum question No.1 asks residents to decide if the City Council should be allowed to establish permanent development restrictions over city-owned, aquatically-located lands near North Shore Park. The restrictions would prevent any development or construction projects near or on the area’s seagrass beds. These protections are intended to support and enhance seagrass beds that can be used to improve the city’s water quality and surrounding ecology.

    Tess Chibirka, a volunteer at the Suncoast chapter of the Florida Sierra Club, said that poor water quality is a result of overdevelopment.

    “That’s great that our city is growing, but we don’t have enough infrastructure to handle it,” said Chibirka.

    Currently, any decisions regarding the placement of protections on seagrass beds must be approved through a referendum. Christian Haas, a member of the Old Southeast Neighborhood Association, said if the referendum passes, the City Council will no longer have to wait annually for each election to add future protections for seagrass beds.

    “Every time they (City Council) want to change (add protections), they have to go through referendum,” said Haas. “This is a permanent reservation, so changes can happen without a city-wide referendum.”

    Researchers are noticing a correlation between seagrass bed populations and water quality. Carlos Frey, an engineer for the City of St. Petersburg, says seagrass beds and water quality benefit from each other in different ways.

    “One of the things that we use as a measure of our success is the amount of seagrass out (in Tampa Bay),” said Frey.

    According to Haas, seagrass beds filter out toxins in the water and aid in erosion and filtration. The Bay’s water clarity also allows for sunlight to reach seagrass beds rooted deep below the surface.

    “Seagrass needs light,” said Nanette Holland O’Hara, the Public Outreach Coordinator for the Tampa Bay Estuary Program. “If it doesn’t get light, it can’t grow.”

    Groups like the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and The Nitrogen Management Consortium are already working to increase the number of seagrass beds in the Bay. According to O’Hara, the amount of seagrass beds grew from 20,000 acres in 1990 to 40,295 acres this year. The number exceeds the 38,000 acres of seagrass that existed in the 1950s.

    The ordinance for the referendum does not clarify which parts of North Shore are protected. While some speculate the referendum only applies to seagrass beds between the Coffee Pot Bayou Canal and the Pier, Haas believes the initiative will affect the city’s overall water supply.

    “It doesn’t help a specific district, it helps all of St. Petersburg,” said Haas.

    Though referendum one may enhance the city’s water quality, the full impact of the ballot will only be determined when its perimeters are clearly established.