BELLEAIR — The town’s recreation department is fully staffed and rolling into its busiest stretch of the year, with summer camp registration open and a Summer Kickoff Sip and Slide event scheduled for Friday, May 15.
After years of staff turnover, facility repairs and other issues that hampered what has long been a vital part of this tight-knit community, the rec division is back to full strength under new department manager Kelly Flowers Bonefas. Last month’s Springfest drew a record 450 attendees to the Dimmitt Community Center field.
“There’s a lot going on,” Bonefas told the Town Commission during an April 21 update.
The Sip and Slide runs from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 15 at the Dimmitt Community Center field. Because of the region’s severe drought, the slides will stay dry, Bonefas said.
“Due to the current water restrictions, we pressed pause on the splash part,” she said, “but the party will still be held as planned.”
Sponsored by the Belleair Community Foundation, the event will feature bounce houses, rock walls, a water balloon toss, a DJ and food and beverage vendors, including beer and wine. Attraction wristbands cost $5.
The 10-week summer camp program follows, running June 1 through Aug. 7 for children entering first through seventh grade. Activities are grouped by grade level. This year’s retro theme promises throwback games and “rad activities,” according to the town’s website. Registration is available at townofbelleair.com/summercamp, and spots remain open.
“Summer camp is coming up, and we are fully staffed,” Bonefas said. “We’ve hired all of our summer camp counselors, and we are really excited about that.”
More pickleball?
Bonefas said the surge in pickleball’s popularity has prompted the department to consider expanding court space.
The town has three tennis courts, one of which is striped for two pickleball courts. Families sometimes wait hours for a turn, she said.
“We have explored expanding the pickleball courts onto another tennis court, so two of the three tennis courts would have pickleball lines,” Bonefas said. A resident has offered to fully fund the expansion, and the department is evaluating the cost and impact.
“Pickleball is here to stay,” she said.
Bonefas also encouraged residents to complete a community survey mailed with the last two utility bills and posted on the town’s website. The survey will help shape future programming and special events, she said.
Public meeting set on Belleair Creek
Town Manager Gay Lancaster told commissioners that residents have raised concerns about maintaining Belleair Creek, also known as Rattlesnake Creek, and preventing flooding along it. But the town’s options are limited, she said.
Belleair has little right-of-way along the creek, Lancaster said, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Southwest Florida Water Management District bar work on the banks without a permit.
“We just don’t have right-of-way access to the creek,” she said.
A project the town explored a few years ago carried an “astronomical” cost, Lancaster said. The 3,500-foot creek runs from Roebling Road behind the Belleair Country Club to Clearwater Harbor, according to the Pinellas County Water Atlas.
After consulting county and state officials, Lancaster said, the town believes residents along the creek own the adjacent property, though ownership of the streambed itself is unclear.
She proposed a public meeting with affected property owners and other interested parties to clarify rights and responsibilities. Commissioners reached consensus, and Lancaster said the meeting would likely be held in mid- to late June.
Right-of-way ordinance
Town Attorney Jay Daigneault presented an ordinance updating the town’s right-of-way regulations, which he said had been left out of his recent overhaul of the code of ordinances because of shifting federal and state laws.
“Over the last five to six months, we’ve had a lot of issues related to rights-of-way,” he said.
Lancaster said the town has fielded numerous complaints about a large company working in local rights-of-way. The proposed changes, including a 72-hour notice requirement and door hangers for residents in affected areas, are meant to give the town “maximum teeth,” she said.
“The teeth are small, and they are weak,” Lancaster said. “But as many teeth as we can put into it, we will.”
The next Belleair Town Commission meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 19.