Summary
To: Town Commission
From: Town Staff
Date: 11/8/2017
______________________________________________________________________
Subject:
Title
Best of Belleair Community Award and Proclamation: Belleair Market
Summary:
With Hurricane Irma approaching the Tampa Bay area in September of 2017, several members of our community stepped up to help prepare, bolster, and support our town in ways that deserve recognition. For this, Belleair has created the “Best of Belleair Community Award” to honor those individuals and groups.
One of these awards, with respect to the Hurricane Irma response, goes to Belleair Market.
End
Body
Previous Commission Action: At its previous meeting, the Town Commission expressed its intent and readiness to honor parties that went above-and-beyond during Hurricane Irma.
Background/Problem Discussion: As Hurricane Irma prepared to make landfall in the Tampa Bay area, residents and members of the local community were understandably strained for resources and under a large amount of stress. To ease that burden, local café-meets-convenience-store, Belleair Market, rose to the occasion by providing supplies and a neighborly attitude before and after the storm.
Namely, Belleair Market remained open, selling water, propane, and other necessities as long as possible, and even after boarding up. On top of this, the market hosted several evening “tailgates” in their parking lot, which brought community members together in a time of need, opening as soon as possible after the storm. Belleair Market also provided free meals to Duke Energy employees who were working to restore our community, and generally proved to be a neighborly, empathetic, and diligent community partner to the Town of Belleair.
Belleair residents, employees, and elected officials alike are extremely grateful for these acts by Belleair Market, and for the comfort and fun distraction it brought to our community. As a thank you, staff has attached a proclamation thanking Belleair Market for such efforts, and is ready to present a framed copy of it, along with a personalized “Best of Belleair Community Award” to representatives from the store.
Expenditure Challenges None.
Financial Implications: None.
Recommendation: None.
Proposed Motion None.