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State of The City Address By Mayor & Commissioners Friday, May 1 • 5 PM • City Hall Inaugural Beach Ball Concert - Horan Park 6 PM • The Sound Wave Band STATE OF THE CITY OF ST. PETE BEACH As of APRIL 1, 2015
Dear St. Pete Beach Residents: Upon assuming the duties of Mayor of St Pete Beach a year ago, I promised transparency in our City Government to earn the trust and confidence of residents.
s oes Pop G h c a e B 1, 2015 -1 April 10
In keeping with that promise, the City Commission and I will deliver a State of the City Address in City Hall on Friday, May 1, 2015 at 5 PM. The inaugural Beach Ball Concert will follow at Horan Park at 6 PM. We invite you to celebrate our City’s achievements of the past year and to explore the vision for our City’s future. The City Commission is accountable to keep you, the residents of this community, informed with accurate and reliable information as we represent your interests and serve as stewards of the taxes you pay to keep our city vibrant. Though our city has challenges, you can rest assured that you elected a capable set of commissioners to overcome the challenges and keep us focused on our vision. Health, safety, and welfare for our residents, businesses and visitors are the foremost priorities for the City Commission. With a “back to the basics” philosophy towards municipal responsibility, the City Commission strives to make wise decisions about budget and policy. Mayor Maria Lowe City of St. Pete Beach
HEALTH The City of St Pete Beach has an antiquated wastewater management system that required a complete overhaul. We are well on our way to revamping the system but there is more to be done. The replacements, updates and repairs for our sewer system are the greatest costs our city will bear in coming years. The goal is to implement an enduring solution funded with a well studied financial package of bonds, loans, and ongoing revenue from utility fees that our City can easily maintain in coming years. The Pumps: Our waste water system, commonly referred to as the sewer system, is comprised of 14 lift stations and 3 pump stations, which transfer waste water from the island through a subaqueous (underwater) pipe that connects through Treasure Island to be treated at a St. Petersburg treatment plant. Because we experienced a series of system failures, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the City of St Pete Beach entered into a Consent Order in which the city committed to a full restoration of our sewer system. Multiple lift stations have been completely updated with new pumps and cisterns to protect the emergency valves from corrosion. The Master Pump Station at Boca Ciega is fully operational and Pump Station 2 at 55th Ave is within a few months of completion. Pump Station 3 at Lazarillo Park was shifted forward on the schedule of repairs to update the pumps, force main, and electronics at that station as well. We understand the problems and we are fixing them! The Pipes: The lift and pumps stations use a combination of gravity and pressure to move waste water through the pipes. However, the pipes themselves are in a state of disrepair. We committed $750,000 for a complete Inflow and Infiltration (I&I) Study to help inform our priorities. Included is a cleaning of the pipes, video recording their integrity from the inside, and identifying the areas of disrepair so that we may then create a remediation and
maintenance plan. Again, we know the problem and we’re taking the right steps to correct the issues. Egan Park: The City of St Pete Beach has an obligation not only to the health of its people but to the health of its waterways. A tremendous step towards protecting our waterways is the implementation of the rain garden at Egan Park. Construction will start late spring to bring to fruition an environmentally sound solution to clay and storm water runoff from the baseball field and the roadways. Concurrently, the City is reviewing options for the boat ramps in that park to ensure safety for all. WELFARE The top three worst roads in the city are 1) Pass A Grille Way 2) Blind Pass (South of Corey Ave), and 3) Boca Ciega Drive. The City Commission is not just talking about the problems. We’re correcting them. We’re committed to improve the infrastructure, road surface and pedestrian systems on our two worst roads by investing in quality roadways for you to enjoy whether you are driving, biking or walking. Action, not words! Pass-A-Grille Way: Pass-A-Grille Way is scheduled for construction to begin in late June. The construction will be open trench construction, one lane at a time, to allow continued flow of traffic, as the City replaces the sewer lines, water lines, reclaimed water lines, gas lines, conduit for fiber optic cables, and underground electric lines. Blind Pass: The primary focus of Blind Pass construction is to establish a storm water system to help prevent flooding of our City streets. A series of baffle boxes will be installed at the intersection of Blind Pass and 73rd Ave to prevent debris from flowing into our waterways. A large capacity pipe will help direct water off of our city streets. While creating the storm water system underneath the streets, great effort and funds were dedicated by the City Commission
Photos top to bottom: Reclaimed water since 1992; old pipes; New cistern; Coral Reef Resort torn down for future new development; A room at Hotel Zamora - newest hotel built in 30 years; and La Casa Del Pane’s new home.
to beautify the street surface by under grounding utilities, creating a green space buffer, and installing a new sidewalk system for pedestrians. Not only will this create a safer environment for residents walking and biking, but it will also conform to the stated objectives of our comprehensive plan. SAFETY Fire: Improvements to our Fire Department to ensure rapid response for the Emergency Management System (EMS) calls and to further professionalize the department, include the creation of three District Chief positions (which are proving to be an incredible asset to the training, credentialization and professionalism of our firefighters), and 3 additional firefighter positions (1 per shift) at the Pass-A-Grille station to maintain response capability during construction. Trash: St Pete Beach strives to keep our beaches pristine. However, we have guests that are not always as conscientious. Over the summer, we experienced droves of visitors and their propensity for consumption as evidenced by their trash. The City committed funds to increase the number of trash cans available on the beach and the frequency at which those trash cans are emptied. While we have drastically improved our services, the numbers of visitors continues to increase. City Staff is monitoring trash accumulation to be proactive as we enter the summer holiday season. Help us by encouraging visitors to practice personal responsibility for properly discarding their debris!! Beaches: Amidst beach frivolity, our Sheriff enforces good order and discipline. The City Commission recognizes that our beach ordinances can be improved to make the Sheriff’s job easier so we have taken proactive steps to enhancing our policies. Last summer, the Commission took the first step toward understanding the dilemma of public/private ownership of our beaches by completing a beach survey that identified
the mean high water mark, which is often the deeded property line for private properties. Second, the Commission approved funds for the University of Florida to complete a comparative analysis of how other beach communities in our state write ordinances to protect the beaches and provide for public safety while respecting private property rights. The process has been time consuming, but our priority is to ensure that the beach ordinance is legal and effective once implemented. FUTURE OF THE CITY Comprehensive Plan: The future of our City is bright. In fact, it’s blazing bright!! For the first time in over a decade, our City has an effective Comprehensive Plan! Our entire City can be proud of the many participants who have, over the course of the last decade, worked diligently to ensure that our primary strategic document takes into account the needs of the residents and businesses alike. The City Commission had the pleasure of approving the settlement with the litigants who partnered with us, but the greatest gift to our City was the harmony and accord that the document represents as past feuds were set to the side to allow our City to advance! We can now invite new development and redevelopment!! With the Comprehensive Plan in place, the City is prepared to request that Pinellas County Commission fund our long planned Community Redevelopment District. We look forward to the County Commission supporting our City’s desire to remove the blighted areas of our downtown district so that our City can flourish! Library: During the budget process last summer, the City Commission committed to explore the possibility of modernizing our library to fully serve the vast, growing needs of our community. In conjunction with the City’s Small Area Study for the downtown district, a study was completed to determine the feasibility of relocating the library to the City Hall building. The library in this location would contribute to pedestrian accessibility, and would establish the library as a cornerstone for the East/West, sunrise to sunset, concept for Corey Avenue. The study proved positive for a vastly
Mayor Lowe runs with city firemen in the St Pete Beach Classic Race, January 2015; Youth Council; Verducci Italian Market readies to open; Heaven on Earth for Veterans; Surfing for Autism; and the new Shells Restaurant.
improved library in the current City Hall. At the same time, it was anticipated that City Hall could move to the old Police Station Building in order to create a “One Stop Shop” for municipal services. With the Recreation Department and Public Services Department already collocated, City Hall could serve as a welcoming beacon as commuters crossed into the City from Corey Causeway. However, the structural report for the old police department concluded that the most economical solution was demolition. Now, the decision must be made to build a new library on that site or a new City Hall. What do you think? Let us know your thoughts as we continue to explore best uses for our municipal properties. Leadership: You have elected a competent commission upon whom you can rely to write policy and set budget priorities to continuously distinguish our city as the best beach in the world! Your City staff partners with the City Commission to implement goals and objectives. New faces with fresh perspectives and optimistic attitudes now welcome you to our city departments. City Manager Wayne
Saunders brings a game-changing depth and breadth of leadership experience to city administration. City Attorney Andrew Dickman sets the tone for reasonable and fair-minded legal approaches. Jennifer Bryla now leads the Community Development Department; her immediate focus will be the newly effective Comprehensive Plan. New to the desk but not new to the City is Colette Graston who earned the promotion to Human Resources Director. The Fire Department welcomed District Chiefs Kilpatrick, Nifong and Gorham. Our City Government is only as good as the employees who serve us each day. We are grateful for their diligent service. VISION As your Mayor, I am dedicated to St Pete Beach being a healthy and safe environment for its residents while being the quintessential destination for the guests we host. The City Commission seeks to develop quality policy and be fiscally responsible with budget allocation. Still, we can’t be good representatives without your input and support. Please join us at the State of the City address on May 1st to learn more about what our future holds!!
Photos from top L: The Merry Pier’s new look; new beach access signs; Corey Avenue’s Sunday Market; Pool activities at the Aquatic Center; (center) aeriel of SPB Community Center complex; (R) Sunset Bell at Sunset Park
“Sunset Fest” West Corey Avenue
April 18th
Sunset Park, 2 hours. prior to Sunset