Free Will Prep Available for Low-Income Veterans The Program Has a March Deadline

By Monroe Roark

A specific group of local residents will have access to some free legal services in the coming weeks.

Stetson University College of Law is partnering with the Community Law Program and the St. Petersburg Bar Foundation to provide free simple wills and advance directives for low-income veterans and spouses over 60. The Wills for Warriors program was offered previously but has not been available since 2020, according to those affiliated with it.

Those who qualify will receive individualized assistance from local professionals “who care deeply about veterans and aging individuals,” said one official.

The program will take place in March. Walk-in appointments are not available; applicants are invited to schedule appointments before March 15 by calling 727-562-7577. Appointments are limited, so they encourage early applications.

Wills for Warriors gets support from Stetson Law’s Center for Excellence in Elder Law, which was established to meet the increasing need for legal education and research in the field of law and aging, and to assist eligible veterans and their spouses in the development of such essential documents.

To qualify, applicants must be 60 or older and have low incomes and limited assets. Individuals who own real estate outside the state of Florida are not eligible to participate.

Stetson Law students and volunteer attorneys from the Pinellas County Community Law Program will assist the Center for Excellence in Elder Law with this program.

Stetson was Florida’s first law school and has trained lawyers since 1900.

Applicants Get a Do-Over Policy Change for Gulfport Boards

By Monroe Roark

A policy change is coming for future meetings of Gulfport’s Board of Adjustment and Planning & Zoning Board.

Vice Mayor Christine Brown reported to council that a recent Board of Adjustment meeting saw an applicant’s request receive a tie vote because at least one board member was absent or did not vote for some other reason. A tie vote means “no,” as far as the applicant is concerned.

“I didn’t know the tie doesn’t go to the runner,” Brown commented, using a long-time baseball analogy.

When asked for further details, Gulfport Community Development Director Fred Metcalf informed The Gabber that two such votes took place at the Jan. 11 Board of Adjustment meeting. One was a variance request for 2520 50th Street South to reduce the side yard setback and allow for the proposed construction of a 12-by-12-foot accessory structure. The other was a variance request for 2846 Skimmer Point Dr. S. to reduce the setback on one side for the installation of a proposed new dock.

Brown asked at the council meeting if a change could be made so that, if there is a similar situation in the future, the applicant could have the option of waiting until the next meeting to have his or her case heard. She also wanted to allow the applicant affected by this recent incident to be able to reapply without starting the entire process from the beginning, which can be a tedious and costly proposition.

City Attorney Andrew Salzman said it would be no problem to adopt that policy, and he received council consensus to proceed.

“The board can announce at the beginning of any meeting in which all of them are not there that an applicant has the option to wait until the next meeting,” said Salzman.

City Manager Jim O’Reilly said he would make sure the members of those boards were informed about the new policy.