Bill Cropsey Citizen's Academy 2019 Graduates at Fire Station 53

Bill Cropsey Citizen’s Academy 2022

The City of Safety Harbor is now accepting applications for the 2022 Bill Cropsey Citizen’s Academy. Sessions are scheduled on Tuesday evenings (from 6:00p.m. to 8:00 p.m.) and will begin on April 19, 2022 (some live sessions/some via Microsoft Teams). The Bill Cropsey Citizen’s Academy takes place over a seven-week period and will be limited to 25 participants. Academy applicants will be chosen on a first come, first served basis with preference given to Safety Harbor residents.

The Bill Cropsey Citizen’s Academy will tour key facilities, learn about the challenges facing Safety Harbor, interact with City leaders, discover ways to get involved with local government, and learn about the essential functions of a municipal government agency.

Submission deadline is Friday, April 1, 2022. Applications are available on-line at: cityofsafetyharbor.com/citizensacademy. Call Human Resources at (727)724-1555 x1401 with any questions.

Residence with free street tree in front yard

Street Tree Program 2022

The City of Safety Harbor is continuing the Annual Street Tree Program. City residents can sign up to have a free shade tree planted in their front yards. All requests will be reviewed to ensure the selected tree is appropriate for the requested location and will not conflict with utilities.

Available trees include: Southern Live Oak, Eastern Red Cedar, Bald Cypress, and Winged Elm. The trees will be planted by the City; however, applicants are responsible for watering the trees during the establishment period. A tree watering schedule will be provided to each applicant.

The deadline to apply is February 15, 2022. A waiver is required at the time of application. Applications and waivers can be downloaded from the City tree page: cityofsafetyharbor.com/774/tree-protection

Dec 21/Jan 22 Junior Mayor with Mayor Ayoub

Junior Mayor of Safety Harbor

Leeland P. is a Safety Harbor resident whose philanthropic practices earned him the title of Junior Mayor for December 2021 and January 2022.

Safety Harbor’s residents, animals, and marine life benefit from his efforts by providing a cleaner, safer, and more habitable environment for all.

Leeland is responsible for helping support a healthier and greener environment by choosing to collect trash and other debris along the bay that otherwise land in our oceans causing harm to marine life, coral reefs, and birds who may consume or become tangled in litter.

As a model volunteer and citizen of Safety Harbor, Leeland has a promising and bright future ahead of him.

Developing Fire Escape Plans

The adage “failing to plan is a plan to fail” is a sobering reality if your household is unprepared for emergencies. Your Safety Harbor Firefighters would like to offer a few basic principles to arm your family with a new fire drill plan to kick off the new year. Begin by ensuring everyone above a reasonable age can dial 9-1-1 and provide the emergency dispatcher with your home address. Confirm your address numerical is visible on the house, mailbox, or curb so first responders can quickly locate your residence.

Now that you have facilitated a timely emergency response, it’s time to develop your fire escape plan. We recommend sitting down with family members or roommates to create a map of the house that includes doors, windows, and each level, if applicable. Your plan should describe a primary and secondary exit from each room. Encourage children to respond to activated fire alarms and test doors with the back of their hand, emphasizing a hot door is not a viable escape route. This drill is an opportunity to observe your kids maneuver windows and screens to escape without adults’ help. The final step is to agree upon a meeting place in the front of your home where emergency crews can easily account for all occupants.

Practice your fire escape plan twice a year and encourage expedient egress. Remember, when the fire alarm sounds get low, go, and stay out; never return inside for people, pets, or things.

Board & Committee Applicants Wanted

Have you ever thought about wanting to help make the City a better place to live, work, and play? The Clerk’s office is seeking applicants for various Boards and Committees, all of which greatly benefit from your contribution as a Board Member. Applications are wanted for:

• Board of Appeals
• Code Enforcement Board
• Diversity Advisory Board
• Finance Advisory Committee
• Library Advisory Committee
• Parks & Recreation Advisory Board
• Planning & Zoning Board
• Public Art Committee

If you’d like more information on each Board or Committee and how you can apply to help serve your City, please visit www.cityofsafetyharbor.com/52/boards

City Meetings & Events

Library Advisory Committee 1/11 7pm
Board of Appeals/Planning & Zoning Board 1/12, 6:30pm
Finance Advisory Committee 1/13, 6:30pm
All City Facilities Closed - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 1/17
City Commission 1/18 7pm
Code Enforcement Board 1/19, 7pm
Diversity Advisory Board 1/27, 6pm

3rd Friday Street Celebration (Main Street) 1/21, 6-10pm
Truck-N-Play Day (Waterfront Park) 1/22, 10am-1pm