[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6231207,"mediaKeyId","3434858-ef477fcbd4dba54bc2b878fbd81653e3","parentId",3434858,"title","Code enforcement seeks vehicles and urges targeted lighting enforcement as turtle season begins","audioSeconds",1214,"startMs",2538000,"endMs",3752000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3434858-ef477fcbd4dba54bc2b878fbd81653e3&start=2538&end=3752","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3434858-ef477fcbd4dba54bc2b878fbd81653e3/thumbnail_2538000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6231207/St-Pete-Beach/Pinellas-County/Florida/Code-enforcement-seeks-vehicles-and-urges-targeted-lighting-enforcement-as-turtle-season-begins","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6231207-5167ebfddd0b3547b238fa54e51f0b61/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154642&Signature=Gjsv1Z0moax7-p9cBF780-PvGTZwRp8~da~QECWheXIBlVk6Ix9LbPWh6~-0HAGXDpPW5yGToDti5lIFtr~4pGt4ciDBlVJGxvaAIwN13LW3hWGmgOgFAiiR5Lq84~e7mquouXzlLDnZqN2-WOgvKNRJPXDhxpPi7fcIIUemYjeF-9cCdjlBg1kpcaHx4JXFUZoo8p6TBsdWvrJyfswxNJWIyDo-vi1eZdE4AI0EY8k2RhqcywDaNXjdD~Ub8dghKxnUDeQHCNO-q9CP3D9-UtHm2VZJspcQ722a3wQzoPctELS~UfcTfwkCR2fDj7aFrT6fEQxJ4OFnKFaj-33j4w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of St. Pete Beach, FL","date","2025-05-22T02:12:49.39Z","article","St. Pete Beach code enforcement asked the Beach Stewardship Committee to support a budget request for additional equipment and described current turtle-season enforcement and outreach.

The matter matters because staff said more mobility and proactive outreach would improve enforcement of lighting, dune protection and prohibited beach behaviors during nesting season and as tourism rebounds.

Pete Doer, St. Pete Beach code enforcement manager, told the committee staff have been conducting proactive inspections and year-round beach work and that additional vehicles would allow more timely enforcement and inspections. “We’ve been doing inspections on the beach since 2016 when I got here,” Doer said. He said staff are already running night inspections and use specialized lenses (demonstrated at the meeting) to assess whether lights are turtle-friendly; he cautioned that adopting a full Florida Fish and Wildlife (FWC) model ordinance requiring on-property spectrometer readings would create enforcement difficulties because those measurements typically require placing equipment near private fixtures.

Doer asked that the committee support a budget request for two vehicles and a Polaris-type utility vehicle to access the beach and carry equipment. Committee members and staff discussed a preliminary cost range. The committee recorded a planning-level estimate in discussion — “not much, maybe $80 to a hundred thousand” for the package — and asked Doer to provide a written wish list with detailed cost estimates to the committee and city staff.

Committee members volunteered to deliver the detailed request to the city manager’s office and to advocate for the items in upcoming budget workshops. The committee also discussed non-capital items: distributing educational materials to condo managers and hotels, handing brochures to property managers when inspections occur, and coordinating with volunteer organizations and the county’s small-grant program for plant material and volunteer plantings.

On lighting policy, Brandon Berry, city planner, said the committee’s community meeting on the beach ordinance and lighting will be scheduled once the governor acts on pending state legislation (Senate Bill 180) that could limit certain local development-related rules. Berry said many lighting items that relate to maintenance (replacing bulbs with long-wavelength fixtures, shielding, reducing pole light spill) are less likely to be affected by that state bill, but staff will review the draft model ordinance and propose enforceable adjustments based on code-enforcement experience.

The committee asked staff to provide a prioritized budget list (equipment, vehicles, materials and outreach costs) and for code enforcement to propose minor ordinance language tweaks that would improve enforceability without requiring private-property spectrometer access. Public commenters supported outreach and urged quiet, targeted messaging to protect nesting turtles and flagged that some properties increased lighting after storm cleanup; speakers asked staff to continue distributing compliance resources to beachfront properties.

Ending: Code enforcement will provide a written funding request and an enforceability checklist for proposed lighting rules; committee members offered to carry the funding request to the city manager and to help coordinate outreach to hotels and condo managers.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Beach Stewardship Committee - May 21, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","St. Pete Beach code enforcement asked the Beach Stewardship Committee to support a budget request for additional equipment and described current turtle-season enforcement and outreach.","taxTitle","St. Pete Beach, Pinellas County, Florida","taxId",48406,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6231212,"Pinellas County plans dune plantings at Pass-a-Grille but says permits and Army Corps issues slow larger renourishment",1129,1006000,2135000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3434858-ef477fcbd4dba54bc2b878fbd81653e3&start=1006&end=2135","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3434858-ef477fcbd4dba54bc2b878fbd81653e3/thumbnail_1006000.jpg","/articles/6231212/St-Pete-Beach/Pinellas-County/Florida/Pinellas-County-plans-dune-plantings-at-Pass-a-Grille-but-says-permits-and-Army-Corps-issues-slow-larger-renourishment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6231212-a94f4b8e1ae65348c293708ef8a7fa59/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154642&Signature=GhidAgJP4BzG6vpx~Ty9U9ed5AwlTjs~yo0YHRzJxo4ScMdsSroVhL9FGnQ3ki4MbG-Qg2FQTAzPy7f6Mp4KEZEfiC~fNkPSJgmDsm1RjmeJaAfoiOOWjgBJlrUcn8xv5O9qO-CvJ~wLhdXKbfEAnp90ApcsYyxoOsHpqq~VlGnrGpv~HMy2nBrmqhziUUw9~e7Ovw1mS7rLIMqjQzKcfiF75888ctsRQ8~k5V7~tmSzaExRwryc8wDe9vn664p4SgJoCaTQTj9UnPt-v7lBswBkeeFwK2GggBzs08gc8wmlTs2dO6HtDgJZxVJSdcZbcWDc6lrkVUbt7bUgBkUKmw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pinellas County Coastal Management told the St. Pete Beach Beach Stewardship Committee it has a scope of work and survey ready to plant dunes at Pass-a-Grille but cannot start until required coastal permits are issued.

The update matters because the dune lost in recent storms remains exposed and county staff said planting is the fastest available measure to stabilize sand and protect habitat and nesting areas while larger renourishment plans continue to be negotiated.

Zach Westfall, with Pinellas County Coastal Management, told the committee the county rebuilt a dune using overwashed sand and now intends to plant native species to stabilize it. “We do not have a permit to do the planting,” Westfall said. He described two permitting paths the county has considered: a CCCL permit or renewal of the county’s joint coastal permit used for beach placement.

Westfall said the county has completed a survey of the area to be planted and has a vetted scope of work that includes a wider variety of native species than were used previously — “upwards of about 10 to 11” plant types, depending on nursery supply — and that the county will go out to bid once permits are in hand. He added the county is trying to bundle this work with other nearby county projects to save costs.

The presentation noted a small county grant program that can seed local plantings: Westfall said the county’s CO (community outreach/CO giveaway) program has about $5,000 available and that, at current prices, that amount can purchase roughly 3,000 sea oats. He encouraged local groups to consider volunteer plantings coordinated with county staff and said volunteers and local nonprofit partners have supported past plantings.

Westfall also addressed the longer-term issue of federal beach renourishment. He described a multi-year stalemate with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over easements and conditions required for Corps-managed nourishment projects and said the county plans to proceed with a county-led project while continuing talks with the Corps. “It’s been a 13 year stalemate, unfortunately, with the Corps,” Westfall said, adding that the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 included language to restore prior Corps practice but that implementing guidance and agency direction remain outstanding.

On schedule, Westfall told the committee the county’s current permit window for renourishment work would expire in March 2026 and said the county is moving as quickly as it can on bids and funding applications, including requests that would use tourist-development (bed) tax revenue, local government funding requests and possible state special appropriations.

Public commenters asked for clarity on where planting will occur and on the status of walkover (beach access) repair RFPs; Westfall and committee members confirmed the dune planting is limited to areas where the county placed overwashed sand (first through 16th avenues in the Pass-a-Grille fill template) and that RFPs for walkovers were in process.

The update did not include a formal vote. County staff listed next steps as obtaining the required state coastal permit, finalizing the bid package, and seeking funding; the county asked local groups to coordinate volunteer planting efforts and offered to share grant-application information with the city.

Ending: County staff asked the committee to share interest in volunteer planting and to notify the county when its small grant application window opens. The committee and public urged prompt permitting and clearer public web links to beach-health testing and project status.","Pinellas County Coastal Management told the St. Pete Beach Beach Stewardship Committee it has a scope of work and survey ready to plant dunes at Pass-a-Grille but cannot start until required coastal permits are issued.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6231202,"Spring enforcement data show alcohol and dog citations; committee weighs proactive outreach and signage",554,3728000,4282000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3434858-ef477fcbd4dba54bc2b878fbd81653e3&start=3728&end=4282","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3434858-ef477fcbd4dba54bc2b878fbd81653e3/thumbnail_3728000.jpg","/articles/6231202/St-Pete-Beach/Pinellas-County/Florida/Spring-enforcement-data-show-alcohol-and-dog-citations-committee-weighs-proactive-outreach-and-signage","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6231202-e2dff8067dbe1d130bbbe26c100f3161/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154642&Signature=aK4VxV7vj0f6J1djNepf7KDgqlFqw1DGoJslJOwJzn2RrjBnUbks1hkUanl4KqxaDTQFu5wN7r2pon4esaF~57lAf531hnaBGzsRyO0pdugOG-QZvJsai7u5EZUFjKMO-g4F5EPycrZ1~3JhjBmAks8dQNmSyAspoKb3CdN3yMwTHVumZaWQYR10hQCEeZ5HdrCIsT3e8c-dp6Og0JcyUXZy8wVzjHcKMwQNGiE39jWzY4t81349FDRYFXh-v9oBW7MUL5r-vTFE4XOlflZ47NDFFrPgt2W0elYUn1V70vRupmquSPbVo2B6OYxtbaERKydk8906eh88IHvoJ-Oh~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff and the sheriff’s office presented counts from a Feb. 14–April 30 enforcement campaign and the Beach Stewardship Committee discussed ways to convert enforcement into proactive outreach to hotels, condo managers and visitors.

The issue matters because public-safety and wildlife-protection complaints — including alcohol use, dogs in prohibited areas, broken glass and dune damage — show continued demand for patrols and clearer, proactive public messaging as visitation patterns change.

Committee materials summarized enforcement results for the campaign period. The presentation identified three large categories of contacts: alcohol on the beach, dogs (on-leash and off-leash), and glass on the sand. Committee discussion cited the summary totals shown during the meeting: roughly 303 contacts or enforcement actions for alcohol on the beach during the reporting period, 71 for dogs (various leash categorizations) and 47 for glass on the beach. Staff stressed that spring-break conditions and some large resorts being closed during the period affected the counts.

Committee members and public commenters discussed signage and targeted outreach. Presenters noted that electronic signage at the Pasadena Bridge and posted signage at public access points exist but that signs alone do not fully deter behavior; members recommended a proactive campaign to equip hotels and condo associations with materials and to hand out informational cards during inspections and at reopening. The committee also discussed a 0-tolerance enforcement posture that included increased patrols, social-media notices and posted signage, and credited the sheriff’s office for stepped-up enforcement during peak periods.

The committee asked staff to coordinate with the sheriff’s office and public-services sign shop to ensure electronic signage and posted access signs highlight seasonal protections (no fireworks, no dogs in nesting areas, no glass) around high-risk dates such as the July 4 weekend. The sheriff’s office manages the rotating electronic message sign and staff agreed to ask for a special message about nesting skimmers and fireworks for the holiday weekend.

Ending: Staff will provide the committee with the full enforcement report and will work with hotels and condo managers on a proactive outreach campaign (signage and handouts). The committee encouraged continued partnership with volunteer groups to protect nesting skimmers and sea turtles.","City staff and the sheriff’s office presented results of a recent enforcement campaign (Feb. 14–Apr. 30) showing citations and warnings for alcohol on the beach, dogs, and glass; the committee discussed signage, hotel outreach and summer holiday messaging to reduce violations and protect skimmer and turtle nesting areas.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Code enforcement seeks vehicles and urges targeted lighting enforcement as turtle season begins

Pinellas County plans dune plantings at Pass-a-Grille but says permits and Army Corps issues slow larger renourishment

Spring enforcement data show alcohol and dog citations; committee weighs proactive outreach and signage