Clearwater Council approves Thursday ferry service funding, leases vessels amid public complaints about operations

The Clearwater City Council on Jan. 16 approved a funding amendment to expand ferry service to include Thursdays and separately authorized a lease agreement for ferry vessels, actions city officials said implement a multiagency grant arrangement intended to produce broader public-transportation access to the beach.

City Manager Dan Slaughter said the change adds a Thursday service to a grant the city pursued with the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority and the city of Dunedin and that the Thursday run increases costs by about $7,000. "We're really only allocating money for a Thursday service, and it cost them about $7,000 additional," Slaughter said.

The council voted unanimously to approve the funding amendment (agenda item 6.1) and later, after public comment and discussion, unanimously to approve the lease agreement with Clearwater Ferry for vessel purchase under the cited grant agreement (agenda item 6.8). Council members said the grants and lease fit a larger PSTA effort to expand transit options for hospitality workers and other residents who rely on public transportation.

Why it matters: City officials and the transit partner framed the expansions as part of a countywide public-transportation program that helps workers reach jobs on the beach. Council member Ryan Cotton noted the underlying subsidy schedule is time-limited: "Their new contract ... expires in September of 2028, ending all subsidies," he said, adding the agreement is designed so subsidies taper and the service is expected to become self‑sustaining in later years.

Public commenters, however, urged caution and criticized ferry operations and the use of public funds. A frequent critic who identified himself as Mr. Haluba told the council he could not "see the merit in this whatsoever," described low ridership and multiple negative online reviews, and urged the city not to subsidize operations that he said appear unprofitable. Christine Scott, another commenter, questioned contracts with nonprofit partners and whether public money is being recouped, saying the city should ensure revenue from other municipal investments is used for downtown revitalization rather than supporting loss-making operations.

Council members and staff responded that the city's decision is narrower than some public characterizations: the council was adding a Thursday run to comply with the terms of grant funding and a prior council's commitments, not launching a wholly new program. Vice Mayor David Albritton, who serves on the PSTA board, said many public-transportation services nationwide rely on grant support and that ferry service can provide important mobility for workers who cannot afford cars.

Ending: The council accepted public comment and approved both items. Officials said they will monitor ridership and subsidy levels during the contract period and reevaluate if or when the ferry operator is unable to grow ridership to the point of self-sufficiency.