Saint Petersburg City Council voted on Thursday, October 8, 2020, to remove certai land use restrictions in areas prone to flooding during a Category 1 hurricane event. The controversial move pitted environmentalists and eco-conscious residents against City  administrators and developers. The relaxed regulations will allow development along the City’s shorelines and flood zones within proximity, yet builders must adhere to more stringent codes requirements. Read more here: https://stpetecatalyst.com/kriseman-coastal-high-hazard-area-approval-helps-build-city-of-the-future/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Spark%2010-9-2020&utm_content=Daily%20Spark%2010-9-2020+CID_7e60e582b3f549b624d260317dcf8008&utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software&utm_term=Kriseman%20Coastal%20High%20Hazard%20Area%20approval%20helps%20build%20city%20of%20the%20future

The Foundation for a Healthy St. Pete The Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg seeks to address health disparities, advance population health, and achieve health equity in Pinellas County.

Socially conscious citizens who want to explore the work, vision and mission of the Foundation are encouraged to get engaged in bridging the gap of health inequities in the City. Currently , the Foundation has launched an initiative to bring awareness to their work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The attached PDF explains how to get involved. Join the Race Equity Movement (1).pdf

Visit the Foundation's website here: https://healthystpete.foundation/

For nearly a year, the City of Saint Petersburg has offered private homeowners in select neighborhoods the opportunity to inspect their lateral line (the sewer line that connects the home to the City main) and participate in a rebate program for repair/replacement costs. Greater Pinellas Point is included in the rebate initiative. Interested? First, click the PDF graphic to see if your home is in the pilot area. Then, follow the link to the City's website to see the homes that qualify for the rebate pilot program. Flyer_Lateral Line (Greater Pinellas Point) 02[13363].pdf

https://www.stpete.org/water/lateral_lines.php

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose financial challenges for families and individuals, and especially senior citizens on a fixed income.

If you are able to donate to a City of Saint Petersburg or Duke Energy customer assistance program, please consider doing so. Links to these programs are included below. If you know a senior citizen who is struggling to pay essential services, please also share the senior-specific program below. Be safe to be well out there! 

SENIOR CITIZEN PROGRAM

Seniors may call the state Area Agencies on Aging at 1-800-963-5337. 

CITY OF SAINT PETERSBURG PROGRAM 

 https://www.stpete.org/billing_and_collections/utility_billing/utility_assistance_program_form.php 

DUKE ENERGY PROGRAM

 https://www.duke-energy.com/Home/Billing/Special-Assistance 

What is the issue with the 2016 Coastal High Hazard Area (CHHA) revision? The debate is over revising City land use restrictions to compensate for the doubling in the size of the CHHA since 2010. With the 2016 re-evaluation and declaration of flood zones in Pinellas County, Saint Petersburg's CHHA now encompasses some 41% of the entire city.

This means areas that were not previously limited to developer requests to increase density (residency/businesses) are now at risk of being denied which has far-reaching implications for homeowners and businesses which impact the economic future of the city. 

This like is a PDF summary of theCHHA: http://www.stpete.org/planning_zoning/docs/CHHA_Summary_December172019.pdf

This link is a Saint Pete Catalyst article where proponents and opponents discuss the implications of the CHHA: https://stpetecatalyst.com/political-party-with-adam-smith-the-raging-coastal-high-hazard-area-debate/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Spark%209-16-2020&utm_content=Daily%20Spark%209-16-2020+CID_be9edce745517738e4b656b263d6002c&utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software&utm_term=Political%20Party%20with%20Adam%20Smith%20The%20raging%20Coastal%20High%20Hazard%20Area%20debate

Pardon our dust! Blue Sky Communities has begun demolition of the Bay Breeze Motel at 3900 34th St S in the The Skyway Marina District. Blue Sky, a prolific developer of quality affordable housing units in several Florida cities, plans Avery Commons, 65 one and two bedroom units that will incorporate the Bay Breeze site and another across-the-street site off 39th Ave S (behind Dunkin Donuts). 

‘Affordable’ pricing for the units will be based on the tenant’s earnings as a percentage of the area median income. 

Meanwhile, also in the booming Skyway Marina District, three luxury apartments of varied styles and sizes are well underway, lending to a promising transformation of the landscape along the southern stretch of US19. Check it out here from our friends at St. Pete Rising! 

https://stpeterising.com/home/2020/8/6/aerial-st-pete-skyway-marina-district-is-rising-in-south-st-pete?format=amp

The City of Saint Petersburg has some of the most beautiful coastline in the state. As a city that is likely to be impacted by drenching storm systems and powerful hurricanes, where and how much commercial and private real estate development becomes a very serious matter. In this article, CM Brandi Gabbard addresses facts and misunderstandings about how the revised Coastal High Hazard Area (CHHA) impacts future development and density in surge zones. 

https://stpetecatalyst.com/community-voices-clarity-on-the-coastal-high-hazard-area/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily Spark 8-12-2020&utm_content=Daily Spark 8-12-2020+CID_385e1ab512f7ecd984988822797475d5&utm_source=Email marketing software&utm_term=Community Voices Clarity on the Coastal High Hazard Area

From the Florida Department of Health (DOH), August 5, 2020

Beware of contact tracing or testing scams. Our colleagues at the health department in Jefferson County shared that some of their residents are getting fraud calls from someone claiming to work with them. The person is asking for personal information such as a Social Security number. Never provide personal information when someone calls regarding COVID-19 tests or contact tracing! Public health will only ask for your date of birth for confirmation if you have been tested. If a call or text seem suspicious, ask for the caller's name and the name of the supervisor. Hang up and give us a call at (727) 824-6932. Our staff can confirm if the caller is a state employee.

Whether schooling from home or on campus, school supplies are still necessary for students to participate in the learning process. Here is a link to the Florida Department of Revenue website that details what is and what is not exempt from State tax, August 7 through August 9, 2020. 

https://floridarevenue.com/backtoschool/Pages/default.aspx