Clearwater honors volunteers: staff reports 4,630 participations, 31.7 tons of litter removed

Kelsey Johnson, volunteer specialist with the City of Clearwater Parks & Recreation, presented the council with an overview of the city’s FY2025 volunteer program and recognized a roster of long‑serving volunteers.

Johnson told the council the volunteer program recorded 4,630 volunteer participations (not unique individuals) and 14,879.15 volunteer hours in 2025. She said volunteers collected 63,455.14 pounds of litter — roughly 31.73 tons — including post‑storm cleanups, and that valuing volunteer time at $16 per hour equates to about $238,066.40 in labor contributed to city operations.

The presentation highlighted Moccasin Lake Nature Park, where volunteers contributed more than 2,200 hours during the fiscal year and support a birds‑of‑prey program. Johnson also described partnerships and event support, citing the Big Cleanup Clearwater (776 volunteer participations) and the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational (485 participations). An on‑screen volunteer comment emphasized the educational and family benefits of working at Moccasin Lake Nature Park.

Mayor (unnamed) and council members presented awards to individual volunteers named during the presentation, including Jane Grossman (most hours at one‑time events), Dennis Beaker (community champion), Diane Ingram (longtime service) and others. Johnson invited award winners present to join for a group photograph and thanked volunteers for their contributions to parks, special events and public‑safety training exercises.

The council recessed promptly back to the agenda after the presentation. The city noted that a more detailed written report is available on request from Parks & Recreation.