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Ghovaee Seeks Full Term on Madeira Beach Commission

Housh Ghovaee | Madeira Beach City Commission | Politics

By ANNE LINDBERG, TB Reporter

Housh Ghovaee was appointed last year to fill out the term of Pat Shontz, who resigned. He is seeking to retain that seat in the March 14 election.

MADEIRA BEACH – Business owner Housh Ghovaee says he wants to serve on the Madeira Beach City Commission because he has a sense of duty to a city he loves.

“My love for America is greater than my love for self-preservation. That is why I want to do this,” Ghovaee said. “My love for America translates into my love for my city. Public service is something I strongly believe in.”

Ghovaee is seeking election to Seat 4 on the Madeira Beach City Commission, a position he was appointed to last year after Pat Shontz resigned amid a battle over two proposed developments. The battle has sparked several lawsuits and ethics complaints against elected and appointed city officials. His appointment provoked another suit that claimed the commission had violated the Sunshine Law when it appointed him.

Most recently, Ghovaee became the latest Madeira Beach official to have an ethics complaint filed against him. Ghovaee declined to disclose the gist of the complaint, saying only that it had to do with disclosure at the time he filled out the paperwork to apply for the commission. Paperwork, he said, that he filled out according to directions from the city clerk.

“There’s really no issue,” Ghovaee said. “There are many ethics complaints. They’re all being thrown out one at a time. This is just another sound bite … from people who really have no interest in the city.”

If elected, Ghovaee said, he wants to try to unite Madeira Beach through workshops, and public comment. He promises to meet with members of the public once every quarter. Ghovaee said he also wants to implement street beautification, extend a walking and jogging trail from Archibald Park to War Veteran’s Memorial Park, reduce the speed limit on 150th Ave to 30 mph from 40 mph, fix the medians on 150th Avenue so they are safer for traffic, work with the Florida Department of Transportation to replace old, discolored signs, improve drainage and work with city staff to improve zoning requirements for future developments.

Ghovaee, owner of Northside Engineering in Clearwater, is well known around Pinellas County.

He has lived in Pinellas for 38 years and in Madeira Beach for the past 13 years. Ghovaee has worked in civil engineering for 37 years and, 28 years ago, founded Northside Engineering in Clearwater. Northside Engineering has designed and permitted more than 5,000 projects including five in Madeira Beach:

— Marriott Courtyard, American Legion Drive
— Snug Harbour Condominiums, 150th Avenue
— Beach Club of Madeira, Gulf Boulevard
— Bellarte Condominiums, Gulf Boulevard
— Surf Style Shop, John’s Pass

Ghovaee has also served on more than 20 boards during the past 30 years. Among them are the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, the Southwest Florida Water Management District Anclote basin board, the Florida Holocaust Museum board, the Pinellas Park Chamber of Commerce Board (chairman), the Pinellas Pace Center for Girls board (including a stint as board chairman), the Juvenile Welfare mid-county board, the University of South Florida St. Petersburg College of Business board and the St. Petersburg College Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art board.

Ghovaee said that experience, leadership and knowledge make him the most effective commission candidate.

“I am not the new kid on the block,” Ghovaee said. “There is no learning curve.”

Ghovaee is being challenged by John E. Douthirt and David Allen Hitterman. The election is March 14. The last day to register to vote in the election is Monday (Feb. 13).

For information about Madeira Beach, go to madeirabeachfl.gov.

For voting information, go to votepinellas.com.

Housh Ghovaee | Madeira Beach City Commission | Election | March 14 Election | TB Reporter

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