Pier, Red Light Cameras Separate Council Candidates

Not many issues separated District 2 and 6 city council candidates Wednesday night at a forum held at the Sunshine Center. All candidates, in varying responses, said they supported urban farming, sustainability, mass transit, etc.

Where candidates had differences were for the often-controversial issues: the St. Petersburg Pier and the city’s red light camera program.  

Incumbents Karl Nurse and Jim Kennedy voiced their support for the “imperfect” red light camera system the city has in place.

Nurse said he has been a proponent of fixing the system instead of scrapping it. New Florida laws regulating violations on right turns and yellow light times have helped, he said.

“The net effect of that is to reduce the number of tickets in half,” Nurse said. The program, Nurse said should be, “discouraging red light running without digging people who frankly we should not ding.”

Kennedy, who was the council member who brought the item before council before its implementation, said the cameras are working and are making intersections safer.

He said city traffic reports show the number of repeat offenders of red light camera violations is small and the most dangerous crashes, t-bone collisions, are also decreasing.

“This is an evolving idea and the statue has changed,” Kennedy said.

Challengers for Districts 2 and 6 voiced their opposition to the program calling it a money grab by the city.

Kennedy’s lone challenger in District 2, Lorraine Margeson, said if elected she would vote to kill the program entirely.

“The red light cameras (would) be going away,” Margeson said. “I am a proponent of canceling the contract.”

“I’m not a proponent of red light cameras,” said District 6 candidate Sharon Russ. “I’m not a proponent of any money taken away from hard working people.”

District 6 candidate Trevor Mallory said the red light cameras have made intersection less safe because drivers are more concerned watching the pedestrian/crosswalk timer instead of the flow of traffic.

“Is it really about the money or is it about the safety,” Mallory said.

The “Lens”

Nurse, who originally voted for the “Lens” design, said he has been an advocate for a public vote on the project for nearly a year now.

“I voted a year ago to allow the citizens to vote on this,” Nurse said at Wednesday’s forum. “I voted to reduce or cut off funding over the last several months. I don’t think the lens works.”

Russ said the issue has been divisive for the city and has unnecessary division in the community.

A major Stop the Lens advocate, Margeson has been campaigning for almost a year to help stop the Michael Maltzan pier design.

“Vote yes to stop the Lens,” she said Wednesday.

Mallory said the now closed St. Petersburg Pier should be renovated.

“Remodel it and let's get it back open. Those businesses that were ran out of there, lets get them back to work,” Mallory said.

Kennedy said he supports the “Lens” because he supports the process that was used to choose a new pier.

“I believe that some of the criticism has been harsh just because people don’t like the design,” Kennedy said.  “(I have) a real concern if we don’t go forward with the ‘Lens.’ I think stagnation is potentially a bad thing for our city.”

Other Topics Discussed

• Increasing Community Gardens:

“This is a really important initiative,” Margeson said. She said the city needs to ensure gardens are in areas “where it’s reasonable and were it’s going to be used in a safe and productive manner.”

• Lower the penalty for small amounts of marijuana

“I’m concerned about the effect that an early record has on our youth but I’m also concerned about making sure there is still ramifications for inappropriate or illegal conduct,” Kennedy said.  “(We need to) make some things more where the punishment fits the crime.”

“We waste an enormous amount of energy (arresting) for possession of small amounts of marijuana,” Nurse said. He said the police should focus on “widespread” property crime in the city rather than giving many teens a record for pot possession.

“Marijuana is not legal and I don’t like to see young youth get high (on) any type of drug,” Mallory said. However, he said the current punishment for small amounts of marijuana are too high and give offenders an unnecessary record. 

• Mass Transit

“I completely support a transit referendum,” Russ said. For my district and the people that live in my district, traveling across the county from St. Pete to Clearwater is a two-hour commute. We should support a transit system which would move our city forward in this modern era.”

When's the Vote?

A vote on the District 6 race will happen on the Aug. 27 primary ballot while District 2 candidates will appear on the November general ballot.

Wednesday night’s forum was moderated by the League of Women Voters and was sponsored by the Council of Neighborhood Associations and St. Pete Patch.