[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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",6146799,"mediaKeyId","5524529-eb49651ec2586f7f0b162f6c829314ab","parentId",5524529,"title","County staff propose clearer noise rules, single-affidavit enforcement and direct citations for transient noise","audioSeconds",1668,"startMs",2440000,"endMs",4108000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5524529-eb49651ec2586f7f0b162f6c829314ab&start=2440&end=4108","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5524529-eb49651ec2586f7f0b162f6c829314ab/thumbnail_2440000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6146799/Pinellas-County/Florida/County-staff-propose-clearer-noise-rules-single-affidavit-enforcement-and-direct-citations-for-transient-noise","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6146799-7f77736536bb30fdffbae4932f47acfd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770934601&Signature=WJp9XyDS25QFl9o2VKwrOoReIupCMR~3hawD1uTlREfszhNGm88oYoGRnC1lke-nEP96J4UVs~yPJ9NG77BknpCWBaYedVMomE1Aw6sonjwMcNP-HEEjPorN6LgeFDJNg6czVYoiafHyKYt6ezYhyY4LhUL5SYELx9HaXPHcRkava8h8CUnosP0OkNFJsTn2BuYCUoES5tXlBkWp-MAuCRA24xBr27iAhXgeeEXKQG36j9AS~ekwNROJDcsgXDGapDOXWs756XQn~EsfWc7paGEjGitRdYPtgUPmuKgtXVmCNUCeuJXY41wnG4UVFXwXK1m6aWceOFpaPWui~0M~zg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Pinellas County, FL ","date","2025-08-01T04:34:11Z","article","Pinellas County code enforcement and the county attorney's office on Thursday presented proposed updates to the county noise ordinance designed to clarify enforcement standards and expand tools for immediate response to transient, disruptive noise.

The changes matter to residents who report recurring loud-party, construction or landscaping complaints and to businesses that use outdoor amplified sound; staff said the revisions aim to reduce legal ambiguity that has led judges to dismiss some past cases. Jude Reason, housing official and code enforcement manager, told commissioners the revisions add required definitions for \"itinerant or transient\" noise and for \"irreparable and irreversible\" disturbances so enforcement staff and judges can more readily identify complaints that require immediate action.

Under the proposed updates staff said quiet hours remain 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday and all day Sunday; some separate ordinances (for example short-term rentals and some alcohol-serving venues) may have more restrictive hours. Jude Reason said the ordinance will continue to treat amplified advertising and certain categories of loud and raucous activity as prohibited during quiet hours and clarified that yelling, shouting, whistling or singing used in the context of parties or gatherings can qualify as \"loud and raucous.\" The presentation said the county will now accept one affidavit from an affected party for after-the-fact complaints that meet the \"itinerant/transient\" or \"irreparable/irreversible\" definitions; previously enforcement relied on two affidavits from affected citizens.

Reason said the sheriff's office remains the first responder for in-the-moment complaints and that deputy reports and body-worn camera footage can be used to support later county enforcement; code enforcement will continue to handle follow-up cases, notices and citations. He noted that for noise found to be \"itinerant or irreparable\" county enforcement can proceed directly to a citation or to a hearing without the prior seven-day notice that earlier rules required. The county attorney's office and code staff said the clarified language is intended to reduce case dismissals in court for lack of specificity.

Commissioners and staff discussed quiet-hour inconsistencies across county ordinances. Short-term rentals currently reference a 10 p.m. start time; staff said those ordinances remain more restrictive where already adopted. Commissioners asked about ordinary activities such as residential lawn mowing on Sundays and staff replied that while the ordinance covers all-day Sunday as quiet hours in the noise code, enforcement is discretionary and will turn on reasonableness and repeated, documented disturbance rather than a single short activity. Jude Reason told the board, \"If it is irreparable and irreversible, we can go directly to a citation or a hearing, where a magistrate or a judge can hear the case and assess a penalty for what can't be undone.\" (From the transcript.)

Staff told the commission they expect to return with a formal ordinance in September and asked for feedback on quiet-hour alignment across related county codes; no changes were adopted at the work session.

Ending: Commissioners recognized the need to balance business activity and residents' quiet, asked staff to continue coordination with the sheriff's office and the county attorney, and reserved further rule changes for the formal ordinance hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of County Commissioners Work Session/Agenda Briefing 7-31-25","oneSentenceSummary","Pinellas County code enforcement and the county attorney's office on Thursday presented proposed updates to the county noise ordinance designed to clarify enforcement standards and expand tools for immediate response to transient, disruptive noise.","taxTitle","Pinellas County, Florida","taxId",2867,"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},6146804,"Pinellas County staff review CRA expirations, propose stricter county limits on TIF contributions",2256,180000,2436000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5524529-eb49651ec2586f7f0b162f6c829314ab&start=180&end=2436","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5524529-eb49651ec2586f7f0b162f6c829314ab/thumbnail_180000.jpg","/articles/6146804/Pinellas-County/Florida/Pinellas-County-staff-review-CRA-expirations-propose-stricter-county-limits-on-TIF-contributions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6146804-fec226be4eb9f17f27bf2fb516bc1940/orig.mp4?Expires=1770934601&Signature=Whi6IYz3hMkN6A99yGHBfOEcCguby~fwpov4PrCeKzaONFibVnwsBSQr9qoV~~CC9Ku-n8LO3fPfl46TVEQhFhP0mRpybZzahRSQntSqKl-EMAyZNWdLMjuAjPYpLSn-IsX7KTIlJjF7Dc-K40tdDcW66Evgz3IXCeYi1qBGeQWmfzui3aFKU90t8ebtxbUwrYLIctY3p4IUhbrHPw4iUpu~gbKpW8ih4R4J4Bt63kcfNZ~XqMqwjbTRUeOO7JsRcbgwN6JGIhdSTzoECI-h~qvk3zubZE7PvggB78p5-JYjvO0mbnZ61QaYdqq1lW5k3ZVn9bMAWhEphoWIue1GMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pinellas County housing staff on Thursday walked commissioners through the county's Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) policy, the remaining lifespans of existing CRAs and how the county determines its tax-increment financing (TIF) contributions. Rebecca Stonefield, housing and community development, summarized the policy changes and an inventory of current CRAs.

The presentation matters because dozens of CRAs direct incremental tax dollars away from the county general fund for local redevelopment; the schedule and size of those TIF flows affect the county's future budgets and planning. Stonefield told the commission the county now caps the initial lifespan of any newly established CRA at 20 years and reserves the right to require a midterm review for long-lived CRAs.

County staff said the county's current CRA policy stems from a 2017 directive to standardize how CRAs are evaluated, and that the county narrowed eligible TIF expenditures and lowered maximum CRA lifespans compared with older practice. Stonefield explained historical context: before 2002 state law allowed CRAs to exist up to 60 years, the state later limited that to 40 years, and the county's policy now limits initial CRA terms to 20 years, with the potential for additional time on return requests but not to exceed 40 years overall. She said county policy also now ties higher county matches to plans where a majority of the CRA budget is devoted to county priorities such as housing affordability, mobility improvements and job creation.

Stonefield provided a fiscal snapshot: based on FY 2023-24 payments, the county paid about $24.5 million to CRAs and noted that FY25 payments are a few million higher. She said roughly half of current CRAs will sunset in the mid-2030s and that five of seven CRAs that are at the county's higher 95% contribution level will be eligible to sunset by the mid-2030s; two others (Clearwater North Greenwood and Lowman) have later expirations but are scheduled for midterm review in the early 2030s.

Commissioners pressed staff on practical effects. Commissioner Flowers asked whether updates to the county strategic plan would affect CRAs already approved; Stonefield responded that existing CRAs must follow their adopted ordinances and redevelopment plans and that changes normally surface during amendments or midterm reviews. Flowers also said he wanted the county attorney to review whether approved CRA funds are payable if the project that justified the CRA does not proceed; he told the meeting, \"I've asked the county attorney's office to take a look at that.\" Commissioner Eggers supported the midterm review approach and sought clarification about debt-related limitations; staff said some CRA ordinances prohibit lowering a TIF while indebtedness exists and that those provisions will be examined during midterm reviews.

Staff noted there are two tools to increase the county share of TIF: a base contribution set by CRA type (the county's highest base in policy is 70%) and a county priority match that can increase the county share up to an additional 25 percentage points when a redevelopment plan commits a set portion of its budget to county priorities. Stonefield reiterated that any county TIF that is used must be in alignment with an approved redevelopment plan brought to the Board of County Commissioners for approval.

The presentation included a line-by-line inventory of CRAs, their contribution levels and sunset dates; staff recommended scheduled midterm reviews for older CRAs and highlighted that some CRAs include ordinance language that restricts the county's ability to adjust TIF if indebtedness is outstanding. No regulatory or funding changes were adopted at the work session; staff will return with additional analyses if commissioners direct follow-up work.

Ending: Commissioners expressed differing views about the county's role in CRA oversight and about the fiscal opportunity when CRAs expire. Staff said the inventory will support future budget planning and that midterm reviews will provide opportunities to reassess contributions and outcomes.","County staff updated commissioners on the county's Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) policy, showing many CRAs will sunset in the 2030s, explaining changes to maximum CRA terms and county contribution formulas, and noting annual payouts and midterm review opportunities.",{"_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},6146791,"County unveils final design for Nebraska Avenue: drainage, sidewalks and a roundabout at 16th Street",1950,7200000,9150000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5524529-eb49651ec2586f7f0b162f6c829314ab&start=7200&end=9150","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5524529-eb49651ec2586f7f0b162f6c829314ab/thumbnail_7200000.jpg","/articles/6146791/Pinellas-County/Florida/County-unveils-final-design-for-Nebraska-Avenue-drainage-sidewalks-and-a-roundabout-at-16th-Street","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6146791-df17bf1cc7e8ab00157fd918f6b3934e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770934601&Signature=g7sV6RLMM9iLkGxK-85n5zVmfcGAfpKSKP5ESAtF~9~Qkelyd~7CruN1TYdWlwAaAECOIxKuUzakzzyIPmSESICs5h5Wfi6I~Az6cu7XuS6~z0uMI~aAsln-fKFsqSsaIBmYvsFWMdavIW1hiUIjcSFo8Aj87tLRKEV~e3WUoPcSAGac5UbHo5KUTsqjmtqRvm0vWK4DJEFGfXtPPyJcODn~aKySCj05Qlv7miJIMpJtoCclTg7v43Un5q7jww40SuKP2-m1YGhjv~A5Ui4wCLNumT9wChh5E8kDxk891lIrsk765VYyz0I5tkZ8s1~AcayqqvNABEpA7Hb6WdUmvQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pinellas County Public Works on Thursday presented the final design for roadway and pedestrian improvements on Nebraska Avenue in Palm Harbor, including a new drainage system, widened sidewalks and a proposed roundabout at 16th Street to calm traffic near Palm Harbor High School and the YMCA.

The design matters for schoolchildren, downtown businesses and nearby homeowners because it changes traffic control, parking and sidewalk geometry in a busy corridor and because staff said the project addresses chronic flooding complaints and crash patterns. Kelly Hammer Levy, public works director, and Tom Washburn, transportation division director, reviewed the design and public outreach: the project limits are Westlake Boulevard to Alt 19, work will add 6- to 8-foot sidewalks on the north side and 8-foot sidewalks with angled parking through the downtown Palm Harbor commercial district, and drainage will move from intermittent sheet-flow to a formally designed curb-and-gutter system with both above- and below-ground storage.

Washburn recommended a roundabout at 16th Street and Nebraska, citing three constraints on alternatives: the intersection does not meet volume warrants for signalization, always-stop control would create excessive delay on Nebraska (which carries about 12,000 vehicles per day), and the roundabout would reduce approach speeds and crash severity. Washburn said the sixteenth-street approach carries roughly 700 vehicles per day and that the intersection sees concentrated pedestrian and bicycle activity during school arrival and dismissal periods. He described the roundabout as the traffic-calming alternative that best meets the project's stated goals.

Staff recounted outreach: a February 2023 public meeting elicited concern about tree impacts and resistance to a wide off-road trail; after redesign and supplemental meetings staff reduced tree removals (staff said roughly nine trees remain planned for removal) and reduced the proposed trail to a widened sidewalk alignment that meanders around existing trees where feasible. Staff also said the design incorporates pedestrian treatments including Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) at crossings and decorative intersection treatments consistent with the Downtown Palm Harbor master plan.

Commissioners raised questions about neighborhood buy-in and alternatives. Commissioner Nowakian said he had received petitions and continued opposition on Nebraska Avenue and urged more local engagement. Commissioner Reggers asked for clarification of tree impacts and asked staff to supply crash outcomes from other local roundabout installations when available; commissioners also requested a cost summary and sources. Staff said the project budget is approximately $11.5 million to $12 million, funded with traffic impact fees and the Penny for Pinellas program, and gave a preliminary schedule: finish design spring 2026, advertise for construction summer 2026, begin construction late 2026 and a two-year construction duration to late 2028.

Ending: Staff recommended proceeding with final design and continued coordination with property owners affected by the roundabout; the commission did not vote at the work session and asked staff to return with additional neighborhood outreach materials and comparative crash data for similar roundabout installations.","Public Works presented the finalized design for Nebraska Avenue from Westlake Boulevard to Alt 19: added sidewalks (6'8 feet), formal drainage systems, angled downtown parking, and a roundabout at 16th Street; staff identified an $11.5'$12 million budget and a construction schedule starting late 2026 with a roughly two-year duration.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6146796,"County proposes simpler tree mitigation and lower fees to encourage compliance and protect canopy",4462,4115000,8577000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5524529-eb49651ec2586f7f0b162f6c829314ab&start=4115&end=8577","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5524529-eb49651ec2586f7f0b162f6c829314ab/thumbnail_4115000.jpg","/articles/6146796/Pinellas-County/Florida/County-proposes-simpler-tree-mitigation-and-lower-fees-to-encourage-compliance-and-protect-canopy","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6146796-7115a787e37bfc9cfd34ea6238f3afb8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770934601&Signature=j8E66Q6tY5ylYL044hdyGM1KU2Em-5xMVuiJ-FAvN6Ow58UjTC~l4yKmrdHwkWlZ9fGAL7lNXSIC04ARABEL5EuUm8MmVx~XcZJ6WnD3XjvR9j7TJ8C4YwkmToB4VULPirgITjZHH7ySbh8ABIU5P8~FzPfczVm0Sx13XFyfYbvuCVRifWbA8Xe~1FBsMfyrHNXs9jxRFlzGftj4DWeBf21g1J52irYspt85k2Vag3jKSavG3lLwykEparqxffKuji19j66nJEFvgmK9KMRCWZDX-S4fwXgij-8gDEf4xSRVsYXx1LeujQPjGE7kpWtKIQltOJl7toICJAq7iXtPJA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pinellas County development services on Thursday proposed a comprehensive revision to the land development code sections that govern tree removal, mitigation and residential lot tree requirements, saying the current rules produce outcomes that discourage permitting and, in some cases, lead owners to rely on statutory exemptions.

The presentation matters to homeowners, builders and neighborhood groups because the county's new approach would lower some replacement counts, change mitigation math and set new payment-in-lieu rates intended to make compliance feasible on small residential lots while preserving the largest, healthiest trees.

Stacy Tippens, environmental division manager, and Kevin McCandrew, director of Building and Development Review Services, described recurring problems under the current code: inch-for-inch mitigation and a separate landscape minimum often require many new trees to compensate for small removals, producing replacement totals homeowners and contractors find impractical. Tippens showed an example where removing two trees totaling 40 inches in diameter under the current code could require more than two dozen 2-inch caliper replants; under the proposed methodology that same removal would require far fewer replants and a lower payment in lieu.

Key proposed changes discussed at the work session:
- Replace the current seven-category grading system with four tree-quality categories and recalibrate mitigation so larger, higher-grade trees require greater compensation while smaller or lower-grade trees require less.
- Offer a clear mitigation formula and options: onsite replanting, payment to the county tree bank, or a combination; staff proposed $500 per unplanted tree for commercial sites and a lower rate (presented as $300 per unplanted tree) for constrained residential properties.
- Reduce certain lot-level landscape requirements for small residential lots and add a cap so required trees do not grow unbounded with lot size.
- Allow credit for removing undesirable or invasive species when replacing them with native vegetative communities and double credit for some native community plantings under defined conditions.

Tippens said the proposed changes aim to encourage property owners to use the permitting process rather than rely on a 2019 statutory exemption for hazardous-tree removal that some residents have used in ways staff call improper.

Commissioners asked about tradeoffs. Commissioner Nowakian said he supports compliance incentives but urged staff not to \"give up too much\" and to make sure the county does not send the message that trees are less valued. Commissioner Scheer said the ordinance as written has at times felt like an overreach and suggested smaller thresholds or exemptions for very small removals; Commissioner Eggers asked whether staff and stakeholder groups had reviewed the draft, and staff said they presented to a development community advisory group (DECAG) and received favorable feedback.

Tippens said the code changes will go through the normal Land Development Regulation Commission and Planning Board (LPA) processes and could be adopted by the end of 2025 for an effective date in January 2026 if reviews go smoothly.

Ending: Staff emphasized the goal of preserving the largest trees and restoring native understory while making mitigation feasible on small lots; commissioners asked staff to continue outreach and return with draft ordinance language through the regular land-development code process.","Staff proposed a comprehensive rewrite of tree mitigation and landscape rules to reduce current inch-for-inch mitigation, introduce a four-tier tree rating, and set payment-in-lieu rates to encourage participation in the permit process and preserve large, high-quality trees.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County staff propose clearer noise rules, single-affidavit enforcement and direct citations for transient noise

Pinellas County staff review CRA expirations, propose stricter county limits on TIF contributions

County unveils final design for Nebraska Avenue: drainage, sidewalks and a roundabout at 16th Street

County proposes simpler tree mitigation and lower fees to encourage compliance and protect canopy