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Yahoo
a day 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
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
What needs to be fixed at the Trop? St. Pete City Council demands clarity.
ST. PETERSBURG — A lot needs to be fixed at Tropicana Field since Hurricane Milton destroyed its roof, but the St. Petersburg City Council wants to know exactly what repairs are required and up to par for Major League Baseball standards. As the Tampa Bay Rays' landlord, the city is responsible for repairing the Trop, according to the agreement it has had with the team since 1995. But since the Trop is slated for demolition, council members only want to repair what is absolutely necessary to get the team playing in the dome for 2026. City officials asked the council Thursday to approve $900,000 to have contractors create a list of everything that needs to be done at the Trop, excluding the roof. This could include damages to inside and outside metal wall cladding, drywall, floors, ceilings, suites, audio and visual and broadcast equipment. Then, the city can decide what needs to be repaired in order to get the Rays back in the Trop. The contract says the Trop must be repaired to Major League Baseball's standards. City Administrator Rob Gerdes said key elements include making the roof material acoustically sound, fixing the lighting and improving the field conditions. Representatives from the city, the Rays and Major League Baseball have been meeting weekly to discuss what needs to be done. The council voted unanimously to approve the funding. But some members, including supporters of the deal to build a new $1.3 billion stadium and surrounding development, wanted more clarity. 'I'm really surprised that at this point in the game, we do not have a definitive list from MLB on what is required,' City Council member Gina Driscoll said. 'That is the only thing that keeps us from overspending unnecessarily.'
