St. Pete Beach City Commission Meeting Summary – September 9, 2026

The St. Pete Beach City Commission met on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. The agenda listed 6:00 p.m., but the Mayor called the meeting to order at 7:54 p.m. (a discrepancy between the agenda and transcript). All five commissioners were present: Mayor Tate, Vice Mayor Robinson, Commissioners Marriott, Causey, and Maldonado. The commission approved consent items, advanced a green-building code change, continued a wastewater-fee ordinance, approved reclaimed-water fee changes, adopted stormwater assessments, and continued three lift-station conditional use permits to November 2, 2026.

Consent Calendar

• The commission unanimously approved the consent agenda, including:
  • Approval of the August 25, 2026 City Commission Work Session and Regular Meeting Minutes.
  • Authorization for the City Manager to execute the Services Agreement with Angelides Inc. for the Shuffleboard Clubhouse Replacement project, not to exceed $165,000.
  • Authorization for the City Manager to execute the Services Agreement with AutoSol for the SCADA Conversion capital project, $360,320 for the initial year and not to exceed the annual budgeted amount for years two through five.
  • Authorization for the City Manager to execute the Services Agreement with Vision Built Group, LLP for the Hurley Park Bathroom Remodel, not to exceed $84,121.
  • Resolution 2026-31 amending Personnel Rules and Regulations, Section 3.15, Uniforms, Dress and Appearance.
  • Acceptance of the Pinellas County 2025 National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System Annual Report and adoption of Resolution 2026-32, the 2025-2026 Local Mitigation Strategy Annual Update.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Michael Peza, 103 24th Avenue, Pass-a-Grille, said his rebar inspection was cancelled on August 21, 2026, and the city had not made meaningful progress. He said he relied on a building permit issued in February 2026, incurred substantial costs, and was being treated inconsistently because other homes in the same zone 2AE area, leeward of the Lima line and within 300 feet leeward of the CCCL, were allowed to proceed. He asked the city to treat him consistently and fairly and to allow his project to move forward.
• Paul Stein, 285 42nd Avenue, opposed moving wastewater fees to a flat rate, saying flat rates encourage water waste and shift burdens to residents and snowbirds. He commended the city’s roadshow outreach.
• In the quasi-judicial lift-station hearing, Brian Leach, 135 44th Avenue, said residents living next to proposed Lift Station #7 did not want a utility structure in the middle of the park. He presented a petition signed by about 14 nearby residents and said staff’s cited November 6, 2025 neighborhood feedback was gathered when many residents were not in their homes. He urged staff to consider alternatives and, if the project proceeds, to use Alternative 1 rather than the currently proposed Alternative 2.
• Tim Polanowski, 386 Bell Point Drive, questioned whether the full lift-station project was fixing a real problem, described the hurricane risk as a 1% annual chance, noted that a large tree could fall on the new structure, and suggested spending about $150,000 now on needed repairs while deferring about $700,000 per station for elevated generators.
• Gregory Primer, 3957 Moody Street, president of the Bell Vista Civic Association, said the association’s more than 100 members were 100% against the proposed structure, called it too large for the small park, and suggested considering a shade structure or pavilion design with the generator on top.
• Al Bobulas, Pass-a-Grille Marina and 630 Corey Avenue, said the current plan for Lift Station #4 would prevent truck/trailer access and marina loading, remove another public parking space, and place an oversized structure in a highly visited sunset area. He asked the city to delay the project and develop a more compact design.

Discussion Items

• Ordinance 2026-15 (first reading) – Green building requirements in the Community Redevelopment District: City Planner Brandon Barry presented an amendment to Land Development Code Section 39.9. The city has required two green certifications in the CRD since 2008, but the FDEP Florida Green Lodging Program has been discontinued. The proposal keeps a LEED or Florida Green Building Coalition certification requirement, allows LEED Gold to satisfy both certifications, adds alternative standards, and for detached single-family homes substitutes the Florida Energy Conservation Code plus ENERGY STAR certification. Staff said only about 50 to 75 properties in the CRD are affected, about three single-family homes are under permitting, and certification review can cost in the low five figures. Commissioner Marriott declared a conflict because he owns a CRD home and is in the permitting process, and he abstained. The first reading was approved 4-0.
• Ordinance 2026-16 (second reading) – Wastewater fees: Public commenter Paul Stein objected to a flat-rate structure. City and finance staff explained that the structure includes a capacity-based entry tier and usage tiers, plus commercial connection fees based on meter size. The printed ordinance appeared to contain a strike-through error inconsistent with the intended tiered structure. The commission unanimously continued the second reading to September 21, 2026, to correct the language.
• Ordinance 2026-17 (second reading) – Reclaimed water fees: The ordinance amends the Appendix A fee schedule for reclaimed water system fees and updates equivalent residential units for multifamily, commercial, and public use properties. No public comments were offered. It was approved on second reading unanimously.
• Resolution 2026-26 – Stormwater service assessments for FY2027: Finance Director Devin Schmidt said there are no rate changes for FY2027. Tier 1 has been in place since 2010 and funds stormwater program costs; Tier 2 was established in 2015 to pay a bank note for capital projects and is assessed by impervious surface area. The related debt matures May 1, 2030. Staff said the city can revisit rates next year and may rescind or bond against the second assessment after 2030. The resolution was adopted unanimously.
• Lift Station Conditional Use Permits – Resolutions 2026-27, 2026-28, and 2026-29: The three resolutions would authorize conditional use permits for rehabilitating Lift Station #7 at Belle Vista Triangle Park, Lift Station #10 at Fisherman’s Park at the end of Corey Avenue, and Lift Station #4 in the 20th Avenue street end east of Pass-a-Grille Way. Staff said all three are in the FY2026 budget and would elevate electrical controls, build platforms for elevated generators, and make underground and site improvements. Proposed structures are roughly 15 feet wide, 10 to 15 feet deep, and 13 to 14 feet above grade. Staff said Lift Stations #4 and #7 repump other stations, Lift Station #10 serves many customers and a fire station, and after Hurricanes Helene and Milton the city spent more than $850,000 on emergency protective measures and bypass pumping. FEMA grants of about $92,000, $265,000, and $151,000 are approved for the three stations, and additional discretionary grant applications are pending. Staff noted roughly $200,000 has been spent in design, the construction package has been awarded, and delays could raise costs. Residents opposed the projects due to visual scale, loss of park space, parking and access impacts, and inadequate community outreach. Commissioner Causey suggested stronger landscaping or architectural treatment; Commissioner Maldonado suggested murals and stakeholder engagement; Commissioner Marriott opposed additional city spending on beautifying one park; Vice Mayor Robinson said the structures are a necessary evil and minimal aesthetic spending was acceptable; Mayor Tate said another month or two of outreach would not jeopardize the project. The commission unanimously continued all three resolutions to the November 2, 2026, meeting.

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda approved unanimously.
• Ordinance 2026-15: first reading approved 4-0; Commissioner Marriott abstained due to a declared conflict.
• Ordinance 2026-16: second reading continued to September 21, 2026, by unanimous vote.
• Ordinance 2026-17: second reading approved unanimously.
• Resolution 2026-26: adopted unanimously; no stormwater rate change for FY2027.
• Resolutions 2026-27, 2026-28, and 2026-29: all three lift-station conditional use permits continued to November 2, 2026, by unanimous votes; staff were directed to conduct additional community outreach and explore design, aesthetic, and operational alternatives.
• The commission voted 4-1 to extend the meeting to 10:15 p.m.; Commissioner Marriott dissented. The meeting was then adjourned.

City Clerk, City Manager, City Attorney, and Commission Reports

• The City Clerk had no report.
• The City Manager delivered a joint statement with the Pinellas County Property Appraiser’s office about 2026 property values. Key points included: the Value Adjustment Board petition deadline is Friday, September 11, 2026; filing is online or in person, costs $50 per parcel, and must be received by the deadline. Under Florida’s calamity provision, repaired homes are restored to their pre-storm assessed value adjusted by CPI, not treated as new construction. Property owners were urged to review their property record, contact the property appraiser’s office, and file a VAB petition if they disagree with their 2026 value.
• The City Attorney had no report.
• Commissioners thanked State Representative Linda Chaney for funding, reported positive feedback on storm drain maintenance, reminded residents of 9/11 remembrance events at Bay Pines and the American Legion Post on St. Pete Beach, and Vice Mayor Robinson asked staff to inspect drains at the corner of 71st.