Beach Stewardship Committee asks City Commission for more public review before second reading of beach ordinance

The St. Pete Beach Beach Stewardship Committee voted at its meeting to advise the City Commission to provide an additional round of public feedback before the ordinance’s second reading on March 10.

The recommendation followed more than an hour of public comment from hotel owners and managers who said they had little advance notice of the ordinance’s first reading and raised detailed concerns about proposed setbacks, daily removal of chairs and cabanas, enforcement practices and potential economic impacts.

Ayako, the committee’s staff liaison, presented the ordinance portion of a draft goals document and noted the second reading date. “Someone need to present these recommendations, provide a summary of the committee’s recommendations to the city commission in advance of the second reading which is going to be taking place on, March 10,” she said during the presentation.

Hotel operators described operational and financial risks they say the draft ordinance could cause. Joe Smith, identifying himself as owner of the…