St. Pete Beach City Commission Meeting — December 16, 2025

The St. Pete Beach City Commission met on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. in Commission Chambers, 155 Corey Avenue. The Commission approved an amended agenda, honored firefighters, heard presentations on the Merry Pier Bait Shack and a proposed house relocation, adopted ordinances, approved conditional use permits and a Live Local Act tax opt-out, and discussed permit improvements and Pass-a-Grille land-use issues. All formal votes were unanimous (5-0).

Agenda & Consent Calendar

• The Commission amended the agenda to continue Item 5B (Ordinance 2025-21), Item 5E (Ordinance 2025-24), and Item 6D (Red, White & Booze settlement) to the January 13, 2026, regular meeting at 6 p.m. Discussion items on a dog beach, CRDA/height limits, 2026 meeting dates, and permit-process improvements were added. The amended agenda was approved unanimously.
• The Consent Calendar (Corey Avenue Sunday Market license renewal, Bonnie Traiman memorial tree/bench and Library Community Room renaming, and Hurricane Helene/Milton emergency expenditures) was approved unanimously. Mayor Petrella noted the city has spent $12.5 million on recovery and that the 13-page expenditure list included meals for staff who worked long hours after the storms.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Merry Pier Bait Shack: Aaron Hollenbeck, Carl Hollenbeck, Bill Lowry, John Cavanaugh (current leaseholder), and Amy Lowry urged the Commission to rebuild the bait shack. Speakers said the structure is sound, the $210,682 rebuild estimate was inflated, and the store provides about 80% of the leaseholder's pier income. A nearby business owner said the pier is vital to Eighth Avenue's economic health.
• House Relocation: Bill Lowry, Charles Jordan (historic-building contractor), Michael Pesa (homeowner), and Jay Anderson spoke. Lowry and Pesa accepted the time/cost constraints; Jordan disputed staff assumptions about insurability and code requirements; Pesa said the donation was intended to keep the house in Pass-a-Grille; Anderson emphasized the loss of historic homes.
• 804 Pass-a-Grille Way: Ruth Shiros, a nearby neighbor, stated she was 100% in favor of the proposed restaurant.
• General Comments: David Hubbard praised the tree-lighting event but said the charity auction and cancelled boat parade were poorly publicized. Kathy Garshaw requested clearer public tracking of priority capital projects. David Garcia (Government Affairs, Spectrum) thanked the city for partnership and said Ordinance 2025-24 was not intended to impact Spectrum.

Presentations & Recognitions

• Fire Department Proclamation: The Commission recognized Firefighter Paramedics Ty Ulevich, Max Lichtig, and Scott Burford for their August 21, 2025, response to a precipitous field delivery. Pinellas County EMS officials also commended them.
• Merry Pier Bait Shack: Public Services Director Camden Mills presented the options. A new appraisal valued the building at $210,000; the lowest code/FEMA-compliant rebuild bid was $210,682, excluding permits and engineering; demolition was bid at just under $66,000; insurance actual cash value had risen to $82,000; and available budget was $144,650. The structure is in a VE flood zone and must be flood-proofed if rebuilt. The Commission voted unanimously to rebuild the bait shack and directed staff to scale down the design and reduce costs.
• House Relocation to Pass-a-Grille Park: Staff estimated a relocated 1925 donated house would cost more than $650,000, take about 14 months to move and 10 more months to prepare for public use, and face a funding gap of roughly $475,000. The Commission reached consensus not to pursue city-funded relocation because of cost, timeline, and the homeowner's January 1, 2026 deadline. Staff were asked to document lessons learned and stay in touch about a possible private relocation.

Ordinances & Action Items

• Ordinance 2025-23 (Procurement Regulations): Approved unanimously with two amendments: removing a duplicate travel-expense exemption and clarifying that software upgrades/modification services, not all software purchases, are covered.
• Ordinance 2025-22 (Certified Recovery Residences): Adopted unanimously, creating Land Development Code Section 6.26.
• Ordinance 2025-25 (LDC Appeals): Adopted unanimously, amending Land Development Code Section 3.14.
• Resolution 2025-28 (Pump Station 1 CUP): Approved unanimously. Conditional Use Permit No. 25112 authorizes Phase I & II improvements at 0 and 8665 Boca Ciega Dr., including a new elevated generator in a 25-decibel enclosure, replacement odor-control equipment, a simulated stone wall, and landscaping. The generator will test about five minutes per month and can be scheduled during daylight hours.
• Resolution 2025-27 (804 Pass-a-Grille Way CUP): Approved unanimously. Conditional Use Permit No. 25133 authorizes open deck dining on the second and third floors of a new restaurant, with conditions prohibiting outdoor live music and requiring CUP review for operational/logistics changes. The restaurant will have about 159 seats, no amplified music, and operating hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Resolution 2025-29 (Live Local Act Tax Exemption Opt-Out): Approved unanimously. The city elected to opt out of the Live Local Act ad valorem exemption, contingent on the delayed 2025 Shimberg report; if the report shows ineligibility, the city will not file the resolution.

Items for Discussion

• Dog Beach: Commissioner Maldonado asked the Parks & Recreation Committee to study a proposed off-leash dog beach in Pass-a-Grille, including fencing, liability, ADA requirements, and costs. The Commission concurred.
• CRDA and Height Limits: Commissioner Maldonado requested a deeper review of the Community Redevelopment District (CRDA) and height/grade interpretations in Pass-a-Grille, particularly rooftop amenities, BFE, and consistency with the historic district. Staff said they would prepare a presentation; the transcript references a return 'by the first meeting of June,' which appears inconsistent with earlier discussion of a January timeline and may be a transcription error.
• 2026 Commission Meeting Dates: Commissioner Robinson requested moving the July 28 and August 11, 2026, meetings because of travel. The Commission agreed to use an electronic poll to find alternate dates.
• Permit Process Improvements: The Mayor proposed a 90-day and June 1 action plan including volunteer exit interviews, same-day permits for low-risk work, single-point-of-contact case management, consolidated reviews, proactive outreach, expanded in-person/evening hours, published timetables, website cleanup, and exploration of a new permit portal with AI-assisted review. Commissioners added suggestions for staff interviews, consistency, and reducing unnecessary permit requirements. The City Manager said staff would provide monthly updates.

Key Outcomes

• Unanimously approved: amended agenda; Consent Calendar; Ordinance 2025-23; Ordinance 2025-22; Ordinance 2025-25; Resolution 2025-28; Resolution 2025-27; Resolution 2025-29.
• Continued to Jan. 13, 2026: Ordinance 2025-21 (5B), Ordinance 2025-24 (5E), and the Red, White & Booze settlement/Amended Development Order (6D).
• Directed staff to rebuild the Merry Pier Bait Shack with a scaled-down scope and reduced cost.
• Did not proceed with the city-funded house relocation to Pass-a-Grille Park.
• Referred dog beach and CRDA/height issues for further study; agreed to consider 2026 meeting-date changes; directed staff to provide monthly permit-process updates.