St. Pete Beach staff outline permit backlog, substantial-damage process and help options after storms

Denise Anderson, interim director of Community Development for the City of St. Pete Beach, told residents at a Feb. 4 town hall that the department has received about 2,500 permit applications and issued more than 1,600 permits as it works through post-storm recovery.

Anderson said the city is tracking inspections and working to reduce review times while complying with FEMA requirements. She urged property owners and contractors to keep thorough records for SISD (substantial or non-substantial damage) reviews and any future audits: "Keep good records. However you arrived at that number that ultimately went on your SISD or permit application, just make sure you're holding those documents in a file," she said.

Why it matters: Substantial-damage determinations can force elevation or demolition under federal flood rules. The city emphasized both speed and FEMA compliance — balancing residents' desire to return homes quickly with the need to preserve the community’s floodplain compliance and insurance benefits.

City capacity and timelines City staff said permit-review times have improved from pre-storm backlogs. Before the hurricane the department sometimes took about 90 days from submission to final permit; staff now report being roughly a week behind on getting permits into the review queue, while review-cycle times are typically under a week once an application is in review. The department has 11 plans examiners onboard and is adding inspectors and contract staff. Anderson said volunteers trained to assist owner-builders have helped reduce intake delays.

On staffing, Anderson said: "We have asked for an additional 10 personnel to come in. I'm hopeful that they'll be…