By Mike Brassfield, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
CLEARWATER — The City Council expressed support Tuesday for a plan hatched by Pinellas County Sheriff Jim Coats and St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster to open a large homeless shelter near the Pinellas County Jail.
That idea has gotten some criticism, but Clearwater officials think it's a worthwhile step that will help combat a growing problem with homelessness. They're even willing to support the plan financially — to a point.
On another front, Clearwater is also getting ready to launch its first "street outreach team," pairing a police officer with a social worker to deal with homeless people around downtown. St. Petersburg and Pinellas Park already have such teams. Clearwater plans to start one in January or February.
City officials also want to try to persuade church groups to stop feeding homeless people on the street, because they think that ...