Latest news with #DowntownPartnership
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
St. Pete debates downtown 'Clean and Safe' program as calls for police, safety services surge
The Brief St. Pete city leaders are debating a new Clean and Safe Program for downtown. Residents, business owners, and city council members are weighing in on funding, homelessness, and safety concerns. The proposal will head to a full council workshop for further debate. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - St. Petersburg city leaders are taking a closer look at a proposal that would bring extra cleaning crews, safety ambassadors, and homeless outreach to the downtown core. New questions are surfacing, though, about funding, priorities, and how best to serve vulnerable populations living on the streets. What we know The Clean and Safe Program would launch as a pilot focused on Beach Drive, Central Avenue, Williams Park, and surrounding areas. READ: City of St. Petersburg to launch yearlong planning effort for rapidly growing District 2 During the city's Public Services & Infrastructure Committee meeting on Thursday, city staff said the program would supplement existing city services by adding daily sanitation, graffiti removal, power washing, and increased visibility downtown. "As our downtown continues to grow in popularity," District 6 councilwoman Gina Driscoll told the committee, "it's time for us to make some adjustments in the way that our day-to-day operations happen in the city to meet those needs that come with today's popularity." The push for additional safety downtown comes less than three weeks after a deadly stabbing outside a popular downtown restaurant. Police say a man behaving erratically was involved in a violent confrontation that ended with him being stabbed and killed. No charges have been filed at this time. By the numbers Police calls for service downtown have more than doubled over the past two years. According to city data, the number of calls rose from about 5,600 in 2023 to over 12,000 in 2024. If current trends continue, calls could top 20,000 this year. What we don't know While there's broad agreement that downtown St. Pete is seeing more people, more activity, and more strain on services, council members were divided on how to pay for the proposed program and whether homeless outreach should be part of the first phase. "I want to make sure the center of the conversation is our unhoused population," said Corey Givens Jr., who represents the city's 7th district. "Granted, we want to support businesses and keep downtown clean, but we also want to make sure that we are providing those transitional living services to our unhoused population." The initial version of the proposal included homeless outreach as a second phase, but multiple council members pushed back, calling for those services to be front and center. "If we don't have a real conversation about that, we're completely missing the mark," councilwoman Brandi Gabbard told the committee. READ: USPS warning customers of 'brushing' scams Dig deeper The Downtown Partnership outlined several possible funding sources, including: A special district assessment on downtown property owners. Expanded parking meter revenue from nearby districts. Potential renegotiation of CRA funds with the county. Private donations or sponsorships. City administrators said their preference would be for downtown property owners to fund the program directly. "The challenge we have in St. Pete is that the bulk of the property in our downtown area is residential, which is a good thing," explained Jason Mathis, CEO of the Downtown Partnership, "but it also means that you have a very limited amount of commercial property to generate these funds." Several council members expressed concern about creating inequities by diverting citywide tax dollars into one neighborhood. Click to open this PDF in a new window. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source This article is based on public discussions during the June 12 Public Services and Infrastructure Committee meeting, city council transcripts, city-provided data, police information, and previous FOX 13 reporting. Quotes are taken directly from council members, administrators, and members of the Downtown Partnership who participated in the public meeting. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Axios
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
California Gov. Newsom tells cities to ban homeless encampments
Gov. Gavin Newsom asked cities Monday across California to ban homeless encampments, releasing a template policy he hopes they'd adopt but stopping short of conditioning funding on their doing so. Why it matters: Newsom, who's widely expected to run for president in 2028, is continuing to embrace a tougher approach on homelessness — reflecting increased voter acceptance and a Supreme Court ruling a year ago that cleared the way for cities to crack down on encampments. State of play: The governor released a model ordinance for cities to adopt, a policy that's generally in line with the one San Diego implemented nearly two years ago. Monday's movefollows his executive order issued in July, ordering state agencies to clear encampments and asking cities to do the same. What they're saying: During a press conference, Newsom would not say that cities risked losing discretionary state homeless funds if they pass on the model ordinance, but he said it is a "preview of expectations moving forward." He's now saying publicly what he had been telling cities privately, he said. "Tents and encampments, it simply cannot continue," he said. "It's not human to let the status quo continue." By the numbers: Downtown San Diego was home to 2,104 homeless residents in May 2023, two months before San Diego passed a broad prohibition on encampments. Last month, that number had fallen to 902, per the Downtown Partnership's monthly count. Between the lines: Many of those encampments relocated to property under the jurisdiction of Caltrans, the state's highway agency, like a large, well-established camp just outside downtown near the city's safe camp site. Frustration with the state's inability to clear those camps has led Mayor Todd Gloria to co-sponsor a bill, SB 569, with state Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas) to push the state to clear encampments on their property. "The state needs to do better in preventing and removing encampments from land that the state has control over," Blakespear said in a release announcing the bill. Zoom in: In his State of the City speech earlier this year, Gloria said the city receives 300 calls a month about encampments on state property, and demanded Caltrans to either take action or let the city do it, but he opted against challenging Newsom Monday.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Downtown seeks community input on Master Plan
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The Downtown Partnership is seeking the community's input on its Experience Downtown Master Plan, which will solidify plans for making Downtown Colorado Springs a thriving place to visit and work. The community can share their input via an online survey, which the Downtown Partnership said is one of the first steps in a year-long process. 'We need your participation to ensure this is a community-centered plan,' the Downtown Partnership said. 'By listening closely to community input and building on past efforts, we will make an actionable plan that includes all of us.' The survey can be taken before March 5, and the data gathered with then be used to develop an action plan. The final Master Plan will encompass land use, parks, trails, waterways, mobility and connectivity, and more. In addition to gathering input, community engagement will also come in the form of open houses and events in the spring and summer. The Downtown Partnership will also be hosting stakeholder interviews and focus groups including business owners, property owners, homelessness service providers, neighbors, arts and culture organizations, and more. You can find additional resources and information regarding the Master Plan at the link above. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
