Safety Harbor resists county's cost-share demand for Mullock Creek repairs; seeks better terms
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Summary
Public Works Director Franette Cooper told the commission that emergency repairs to Mullock (Mullet) Creek at Meldrum Street are underway but that Pinellas County is asking Safety Harbor to share the cost of permanent improvements, proposing the city pay roughly 62.8% of the project.
Safety Harbor's public works director told the City Commission on Nov. 3 that emergency repairs to Mullock Creek at Meldrum Street were underway but that Pinellas County has asked the city to enter a cost-share agreement for permanent repairs.
Franette Cooper said the city entered an emergency repair agreement after storm damage and contracted AMI Recycling and Services for $376,076 to protect nearby city infrastructure. She said the county later informed the city that permanent repairs could proceed under the county's open-channel conveyance maintenance program but only with a shared funding agreement; the county proposed a split in which the city would pay about 62.8% and the county 37.2% based on jurisdictional breakdown of the full creek length.
Cooper told commissioners that permanent repairs are not in either the city's or the county's capital improvement programs and that emergency repair costs have been submitted to FEMA for reimbursement. She said the county may require a deed transfer of the parcel after permanent improvements are completed.
Commissioners pressed staff on whether the city should accept any deed transfer of county property that would saddle the city with long-term maintenance costs. Several commissioners expressed reluctance to take ownership without the county's bringing the parcel up to standards and without a clearer funding commitment; one commissioner suggested negotiating payment over time if a transfer were to occur. Several asked staff to obtain more precise cost estimates for permanent repairs and to coordinate with other municipalities facing similar county approaches.
Why it matters: The creek sits between privately maintained and city-maintained reaches; its failure can endanger roadways, utilities and private property. The commission did not approve any transfer or cost-sharing agreement at the meeting; staff was directed to pursue clearer cost estimates and further negotiation with the county.
Sources: Presentation and Q&A with Franette Cooper, public works director (Nov. 3, 2025).