Excerpts heard at the March 9, 2010

St. Pete Beach council meeting

“I can come up and tell you it’s my 25th birthday and you are not going to tell me otherwise.”-Rosemary Manning, on the city commission’s discussion of whether or not to swear people in during quasi-judicial procedures. Manning said people taking an oath would be more likely to think carefully and tell the truth when they speak.

“I think it’s about running a meeting.” -Commissioner Christopher Leonard on recent problems at quasi-judicial proceedings and the need to update the commission’s quasi-judicial procedures. Leonard said after a recent hearing he got many phone calls from people who could not believe what was happening at town hall.

“Criminal have used a taxi cab (unbeknownst to the driver at the time) as an escape method and gone all the way up to Clearwater.” - Carol Vallee of BATS Taxi, on the commission’s discussion of regulating taxis. Vallee answered the commission’s questions on how taxi logs have been used by the city police and for tourists to retrieve lost items.

“(Its) played in such a manner that senior adults and young people can play together and not kill each other.” -Carol Walker, on praising the activities and staff at the community center. Walker described the fun she has playing pickle. It’s half tennis, half ping-pong, she said.

“If they shutter us for one day, we lose the trust and it reverts back to the original owners.” -Spencer Lucas on the possibility of closing the Gulf Beaches Museum because of county budget troubles.