“Who says government can’t act?”
That was the question posed by St. Pete City Council chair Charlie Gerdes Thursday morning after what turned out to be a feel good action by the board.
Annie Franklin, a South St. Pete resident, delivered a tearful plea to City Council asking for help getting a lock fixed on her home. It was broken after a fire erupted at another home at the end of her block.
Franklin described through tears that there was no smoke or flames coming from her home.
Firefighters sometimes are forced to breach homes neighboring other structure fires if there appears to be any chance the fire has spread. But this, City Council acknowledged, was a mistake.
City Council voted unanimously to appropriate up to $1,000 to fix Franklin’s lock and was taking immediate steps to have a member of St. Pete Fire and Rescue respond to her home to ensure it is secure.
Franklin’s husband passed away one month ago and she is a licensed foster care worker. Franklin said she was afraid because she was now alone in the home. She also worried she could lose her license to foster children if the problem wasn’t remedied.
“The sooner the better,” said City Council member Bill Dudley.
City Council usually has to schedule a public hearing in order to appropriate funds. But because the amount was so small city legal staff recommended opening the floor to any speakers in the gallery interested in commenting.
One speaker came forward not with concerns about the appropriation, but to offer to pay for the repair out of his own pocket if there was any problem funding it through the city.
Franklin was the first to speak during Thursday’s open forum. Her emotional plea followed by swift action surely stood as a good start to what is often a long day for City Council members.
