[{"_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",6160256,"mediaKeyId","5450821-75e80c5d5fe472bd12e6eff22b777da0","parentId",5450821,"title","St. Pete Beach staff to draft noise ordinance revisions using relative-decibel standard after commission consensus","audioSeconds",1182,"startMs",4450000,"endMs",5632000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5450821-75e80c5d5fe472bd12e6eff22b777da0&start=4450&end=5632","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5450821-75e80c5d5fe472bd12e6eff22b777da0/thumbnail_4450000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6160256/St-Pete-Beach/Pinellas-County/Florida/St-Pete-Beach-staff-to-draft-noise-ordinance-revisions-using-relative-decibel-standard-after-commission-consensus","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6160256-599dd057d01be6cd31f80bd89829e77c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153102&Signature=lQcZX-ms9zOVUnh9MMbwlvkfOZKknY5KNoVuSQPH9yEWdCrJMFT5ZxvmHZVqGNRybEL2Loq-MWAkDXvHnIOENkm7U6er9~ygaYG0OKr7r5m1Ya3o~2F2VZA~0FpQDSxJnQbxvVWjBwk-OQve2gUT7Th6OjPfm2jvqudlxF4qnWH5VKn1e8LsfLdLgqNoiAa-cg3QXrJD9G0aVUmx41u8fROh7PZMz9dKURQrLzj7Bkhkune72hx7bzs~P~sJtZaBNlVyMqpHIXK~17We3Vs9tfBPx~YTtwA5FTz8xGBo7KNHISdEO2b2doaLvzQXCoVVQT3J4NJkaPWyUvPpcsr5Mw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of St. Pete Beach, FL","date","2025-07-23T11:52:13.783Z","article","City staff will draft revisions to the city’s noise ordinance after receiving direction from the St. Pete Beach City Commission to pursue a combined approach: retain absolute decibel limits and add a relative, receiving-property standard that compares a sound source to background ambient levels.

Planner Brandon Berry presented the concepts and said staff explored lowering the absolute receiving limits and a plainly-audible standard used elsewhere, but encountered enforcement and technical issues. Berry recommended a combined approach that pairs commonly measured absolute limits (the city currently uses 65 dB daytime / 55 dB nighttime) with a relative rule — for example, prohibiting a single sound source from exceeding the ambient level at a complainant’s property by more than a specified decibel difference. Berry cited Naples as an example where an absolute limit is paired with a maximum increment above ambient.

Operational details and enforcement: Berry described a typical enforcement technique: code officers take a baseline (background) reading at the complainant’s property, then approach the alleged source, ask that it stop for a short interval, and retake the baseline to measure the difference. \"They take the source present and then the background rating…they use that as justification,\" Berry said. The commission discussed a 5-decibel differential as a starting point; speakers noted that a 5 dB increase represents a perceptible, near-exponential increase in loudness and agreed the number is not linearly small.

Scope, hours and exemptions: Staff proposed enforcing the relative standard mainly during wind-down hours (staff proposed beginning enforcement at 7 p.m. through 7 a.m., extending the current 10 p.m. start to account for earlier evening impacts). The commission signaled support for including day-evening wind-down hours but asked staff to expect public feedback on the 7 p.m. start. The draft will exempt permitted special events and city-approved programming when those permits include noise conditions; staff also proposed standard technical conditions for outdoor music conditional-use permits (for example, lockboxes for volume controls and decibel monitoring) so applicants understand expectations up front.

Equipment, training and interagency operations: Commissioners asked about decibel meter availability and calibration. Staff said the city has two meters (one shared with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office) and that deputies and code staff receive training from the sheriff’s office. The commission asked staff to confirm meter calibration, citation procedures, and the process for escalating code violations to special magistrate or permit-review procedures when permits are implicated.

Outcome and next steps: Commissioners agreed by consensus to have staff draft ordinance language implementing the combined absolute/relative standard, to address enforcement procedures and to standardize technical permit conditions. No final ordinance was adopted at the meeting; staff will return with language for formal consideration and public input.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Commission Meeting - July 22, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City staff received commission direction to pursue amendments that pair an absolute decibel standard with a receiving-property, relative-decibel test (example: no single source exceeding ambient by more than 5 dB), expand enforcement windows to include wind-down hours and standardize technical conditions for conditional-use permits.","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},6160260,"St. Pete Beach approves $21,720 study to test CRA eligibility for resiliency-focused tax-increment financing",2905,921000,3826000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5450821-75e80c5d5fe472bd12e6eff22b777da0&start=921&end=3826","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5450821-75e80c5d5fe472bd12e6eff22b777da0/thumbnail_921000.jpg","/articles/6160260/St-Pete-Beach/Pinellas-County/Florida/St-Pete-Beach-approves-21720-study-to-test-CRA-eligibility-for-resiliency-focused-tax-increment-financing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6160260-ae344ac434a149df8c7726604611463f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153102&Signature=OM-5FM-1VmE2tpzo4M2zkF-W~0rg0445KJzqlTC6kK5mKFqCpg66dH2tHbY~iI-GbVkyGoAWmx-bEhpMV5HSjrBppokcO~70tA7NgZQfpnvTQMQpAVTb3qHoTKu7pZF6a6R-YCwFreva7msYt0ZZi0bUjRFNTIwTCyxGbfOf0FegH1KE8NnZQ4-pKhgVfKXm9BOaZbb8Cr~Yq0yKhHHkDYvGQYvk-P2BcsHj8rI7XVXxMYwhbB0uDX5EEj-EBFyJBKrta8AwZ-QZVZTH8AAhDXgjmmzQ4Ky4LC7eXDqNrpGR5ryfpC1Q0VQ5hqks0bhyjCd~1ylurGlEYCLStz-CAg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The St. Pete Beach City Commission voted to authorize a $21,720 contract with Stantec to prepare a finding of necessity (FON) and related study examining whether part of the city qualifies for a community redevelopment area (CRA) that would use tax-increment financing to fund resiliency and infrastructure projects.

Laura Canary, community development director, described the request as an early, statutory step to document whether an area meets the blight criteria in Florida law and to assemble evidence for a potential CRA. \"The primary purpose of tonight's discussion is to get your approval to move forward with a finding of necessity to assess whether we even come close to being considered for a CRA designation,\" Canary said.

City planners described the proposed study area as a contiguous band along Gulf Boulevard bordered roughly by 8th Avenue on the north and 30th Avenue on the south; staff said the initial boundary aligns with more than 22 planned capital improvement projects and can be adjusted during the process. Gil Martinez, senior planner, told the commission the proposed CRA would be “resiliency based” and aimed at hardening infrastructure vulnerable to sea-level rise and climate-driven flooding.

How TIF would work: Staff and outside presenters explained that tax-increment financing captures the growth in property-tax revenue above a base year within the CRA and reinvests that increment in the district. Martinez presented an illustrative projection showing how a district could generate increment over a five-year horizon with a county participation share; Canary and staff explained the county must agree to participate before county tax revenues are shared back into a CRA trust fund.

Stakeholder input and concerns: Community commenters and commissioners raised recurring concerns about eminent domain, property impacts, and community buy-in. Resident Deborah Schechner asked whether the CRA could force property sales and whether eminent domain remained a tool. City attorney staff and community development clarified that Florida law and recent legal/legislative developments prevent CRAs from using eminent domain to acquire property for redevelopment; acquisitions must be voluntary. Schechner also urged community workshops and explicit discussion of potential downsides to property owners.

County participation and timing: Canary said the county’s participation rate is typically conservative at 50% for planning purposes but can range higher (up to about 95% in other jurisdictions); she said the city will need to negotiate interlocal agreements with Pinellas County and align CRA projects with county funding priorities. Commissioners debated whether to pause community outreach until results of the FON are in; staff recommended preparing an informational workshop during the study to gather early feedback without raising expectations for immediate redevelopment.

Vote and next steps: The commission authorized the Stantec contract to complete the FON and study by motion; the roll call recorded a 4–1 vote with Commissioner Robinson voting No. Staff said the FON would document conditions and could be used to inform grant applications, a redevelopment plan, and potential interlocal agreements with the county. If the FON supports designation, the next steps would include a redevelopment plan, public engagement, and separate local actions to adopt a CRA and establish a trust fund and governing board.

What the study will not do: Canary emphasized that the FON and the contract do not approve any specific redevelopment or redevelopment plan, and they do not, by themselves, change zoning or authorize property acquisition. The study is an information and eligibility exercise required under Florida law.","The city authorized Stantec to prepare a finding of necessity (FON) and study for a potential community redevelopment area (CRA) centered on Gulf Boulevard and nearby blocks; the study would document “blighted” infrastructure conditions and evaluate tax-increment financing (TIF) options to support resiliency projects.",{"_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},6160266,"St. Pete Beach commission approves first reading of $16 million emergency bridge loan ordinance",713,196000,909000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5450821-75e80c5d5fe472bd12e6eff22b777da0&start=196&end=909","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5450821-75e80c5d5fe472bd12e6eff22b777da0/thumbnail_196000.jpg","/articles/6160266/St-Pete-Beach/Pinellas-County/Florida/St-Pete-Beach-commission-approves-first-reading-of-16-million-emergency-bridge-loan-ordinance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6160266-1a1d7df9d3db9e4ac3ffe54f818bdcbc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153102&Signature=OUOZggRWl266rKiPEKPlz2M2GrFqEcuMYJDh825xIB31hFdA-PcF8oOecxMbAIbYfssacX8aLHO5VufDtxc~qShjJIfa0eQxNi-FWHohDJPXz5ZZ7W2Y2CUm3njAskxJ909~qH-wIdFq-g9hI4GeSuq-pU1bEpIuGv5vRZlaTZjhkQ9TrmgDjVjuV39MoXnQmuV3thww0u-T3vJyBdjtTnAurafRqee1cwIQLhfpz2vb5IFKTEa2IkJxeeZwvkGHP-ZkqbrLbyVLmCQX6JYb4foJAX2PGuyOpRDDA13iaM5emVosb8LVwXd5QccRklYm4eTJnVSVXdo6LURv42UmKw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City Commission of St. Pete Beach on first reading approved Ordinance 2025-15 to authorize the city to apply for and accept an emergency bridge loan from the State of Florida Department of Commerce of up to $16,000,000 to cover operating cost shortfalls linked to hurricanes Helene and Milton.

City Finance Director Devin Schmidt told commissioners the loan is intended as a cushion for the general fund and the wastewater utility to address revenue shortfalls and cash-flow needs arising from storm impacts. \"This borrowing would really serve as a cushion for the city to work through our effects, in the general fund and in our wastewater utility,\" Schmidt said, adding that draw requests would be made in arrears and only after the finance director documents a shortfall.

The loan is expressly for operating costs, not capital expenditures, Schmidt said. Repayment is limited to legally available non ad valorem revenues — excluding ad valorem (property) taxes — and the promissory note would be limited obligation debt under the loan agreement. Schmidt said the ordinance delegates authority to the mayor and city manager to execute agreement documents and promissory notes and sets the loan term at up to 120 months with a 0% interest rate until maturity.

Why it matters: Commissioners and staff explained the city drained reserve balances while responding to recent storms and that FEMA reimbursements can take years to arrive. Jeff Larson, the city’s financial adviser, described the loan as a no-interest tool that still requires repayment of principal and recommended budgeting for repayment within the city’s annual process. \"It's not free,\" Larson said. \"You gotta repay the principal in a bullet amount or over time; you can prepay it.\"

How it works and next steps: Schmidt said any unused portion would be applied to prepay the state loan and a repayment plan would follow once the city determines how much was used after fiscal year 2026. The state requires proceeds to be held in a separate account and limits use and investment consistent with the loan agreement. City staff reported that the documents have been reviewed by bond counsel and state officials and that the city expects to close the loan in August if proceedings continue.

Roll-call and action: A motion for the ordinance’s first reading carried unanimously. The city clerk recorded votes of Yes from Commissioner Robinson, Commissioner Rizznicki, Commissioner Maldonado, Vice Mayor Marriott and Mayor Petrillo.

Discussion vs. decision: The commission’s approval at this meeting was for first reading only; staff described administrative steps and delegated authority to execute loan documents if the loan proceeds. No increase in ad valorem taxes was authorized or required by this ordinance. Repayment obligations will be funded from non-ad-valorem revenue sources as described in the ordinance.

Budget and fiscal context: Staff said the loan is intended to be a short-term liquidity tool while the city awaits reimbursements and evaluates its long-term budget effects; the finance office will recommend a repayment schedule to fit annual budgets. Larson suggested sweeping monthly interest earnings off the separate loan account to use for near-term revenue shortfalls before repaying principal.

Public comment: There were no public comments on the loan at the hearing.

What remains open: Final loan terms — including the specific principal the city will borrow — will be determined by the city manager with advice from the financial adviser and bond counsel. The ordinance remains subject to final reading and adoption in subsequent meetings.","The City Commission approved first reading of Ordinance 2025-15 to authorize a state emergency bridge loan of up to $16 million to cover operating cost shortfalls tied to hurricanes Helene and Milton; loan terms limit repayment to legally available non-ad valorem revenues and carry 0% interest for up to 120 months.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

St. Pete Beach staff to draft noise ordinance revisions using relative-decibel standard after commission consensus

St. Pete Beach approves $21,720 study to test CRA eligibility for resiliency-focused tax-increment financing

St. Pete Beach commission approves first reading of $16 million emergency bridge loan ordinance