Pinellas County Commissioners are gearing up for a public discussion of a countywide domestic partnership registry early next week.

And Dunedin officials are planning to lend support for its passing during Thursday's city commission meeting, starting at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.

Tom Trask, city attorney, and Denise Schlegel, city clerk, present a draft resolution expressing city support for a countywide domestic partnership registry ordinance to be read during a public hearing for the first time on Jan. 15.

"There are a significant number of residents within Pinellas County, and specifically within the City of Dunedin, who maintain important personal, emotional and economic relationships with persons to whom they are not married," draft Resolution 13-03 states.

The county provision would allow, in part, domestic partners — gay and straight — to make health care decisions for each other, including for end-of-life care, among other things. 

"Their proposal looks to be very positive as I read it, and I look forward to hearing from my colleagues on the Commission," City Commissioner Ron Barnette wrote recently in the comment section on Dunedin Patch.

Related Coverage:

• Pinellas Domestic Registry: What's Dunedin Saying?
• Should Florida Counties Allow Domestic Registry?
• Commissioners Offended By Domestic Registry Comment