Belleair Shores commission approves Forward Pinellas interlocal agreement amendments

Whit Blanton, director of Forward Pinellas, told the Town of Belleair Shores Commission on Sept. 17 that the regional planning body’s membership and interlocal agreement had been reviewed under state and federal rules and that the governor had approved a recommended reapportionment plan. After Mr. Blanton’s presentation, Commissioner Tolbert moved to approve amendments to the interlocal agreement; Vice Mayor Storie seconded and the motion passed by unanimous voice vote.

The amendments formalize the membership and reapportionment that Mr. Blanton said are required by law. Forward Pinellas currently includes 13 board members representing eight municipal governments, the Pinellas County Commission and the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, according to Mr. Blanton’s summary to the commission.

The approval was taken as a single voice-vote motion. The commission recorded no roll-call tallies in the minutes; the meeting attendance listed Mayor Blume, Vice Mayor Storie and Commissioner Tolbert as present. No amendments or separate conditions were added during the discussion.

The commission’s approval means the town will be a signatory to the amended interlocal agreement as written; town staff did not raise conditions on the record during the meeting. The approval was one of several routine motions the commission acted on during the meeting, including adopting the agenda and approving prior meeting minutes and the August treasurer’s report.

The commission did not request additional study on the Forward Pinellas amendments at this meeting. Forward Pinellas is the regional planning agency that coordinates transportation and land-use planning across Pinellas County municipalities; Mr. Blanton summarized its role for the commission before the vote.

Next steps: the amended interlocal agreement will be processed consistent with Forward Pinellas’ procedures and the governor’s reapportionment plan.