Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/336863
In the past week, discussions between city and county staffers assigned to put together options for a shelter broke down when they began talking about funding approaches, the News Leader learned. Barwin has concerns about the county's proposal for the city's split. "It's like saying, 'Here, take the whole burden and 50 percent of the costs,'" he told the News Leader after the joint meeting. He has advocated for the Pinellas Safe Harbor model. That Clearwater facility is funded and run by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, with annual contributions from the Cities of Clearwater and St. Petersburg of about $100,000 each towards the $1.6 million annual operating budget. Pinellas County paid 100 percent of the capital costs. A QUERY On Monday, County Commission Vice Chairwoman Robinson brought up the issue of an apparent rift at City Hall. She repeatedly asked the city commissioners how they are going to handle the concerns about site selec- tion that Barwin has raised publically, points that Robinson says run counter to the policy direction provided by the three majority City Commission votes in favor of constructing a shelter in the city. "If the city wants to move forward, I would like to know we are not going to experience two different conversations," Robinson said. "I have asked several times, but I have not heard from them," Robinson added later in the meeting. Former County Commissioner Jon Thaxton, who works with the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, listens to the discussion. Behind him is former Sarasota Police Department Capt. Paul Sutton, who has worked with homelessness issues in the community. Photo by Norman Schimmel Sarasota News Leader June 27, 2014 Page 43