Dunedin reports debris removal complete, marina assessment under way; events and permit process updates announced

City Manager Jennifer Romley told attendees at a Dunedin boards-and-committees training that city crews finished storm debris removal in mid-December and staff are balancing rapid reopening of the marina with efforts to maximize FEMA reimbursement.

Romley said the city combined cleanup work for storms Helene and Milton — jokingly calling the two storms “Hilton” — and ran two passes of debris pickup, using Highlander Park as a laydown site where soil testing was completed before material was placed. "we here at the city of Dunedin, we we kind of combine both storms, Helene and Milton, and we call it Hilton," Romley said during her report.

Why it matters: the city flagged the marina as a high-profile, time-sensitive recovery item. Romley said the commission’s direction was to "get it open to the maximum extent possible safely and financially, responsibly," a position staff are implementing while awaiting eligibility determinations for FEMA reimbursement.

Details and next steps: Romley said a consultant, Kimley-Horn, completed a sign-and-seal assessment of the marina that itemized elements to repair or replace and identified what may be eligible for FEMA reimbursement. The city also contracted Tetra Tech for substantial-damage letters and returned early drafts for revision before distribution. Romley said staff expect to report more details as those assessments and applications progress.

Romley described site management for debris: Highlander Park was tested for soil composition before use; the city scraped and will replace contaminated soil if needed, then hydroseed and remove fencing at the end of February ahead of the Highland Games on April 4. She said a second laydown site was placed behind the Emergency Operations Center at Belcher but a planned third site was not needed.

Permitting and operations: Romley told committee members that the city moved to an electronic permitting system, EnerGov, to speed reviews and enable multidisciplinary simultaneous review. She said the city’s target turnaround for permits is one to two days and asked anyone who believes their permit is delayed to contact the building division or her office directly for staff follow-up.

Community events and preparedness: Romley previewed the State of the City on Feb. 27 and a Hurricane Expo on May 3 intended to distribute sandbags and demonstrate flood-mitigation tools such as tiger dams. She said the city aims to provide sandbags before hurricane season and noted 20–25 employees are assigned to sandbag sites during activations.

Public engagement and staff recognition: Romley thanked the city commission, staff, and volunteers for recovery work and urged committees to remain engaged as the city proceeds through assessments and reimbursement processes.

Ending: Romley asked for questions and said staff would continue to provide updates; attendees were also reminded to contact the appropriate divisions (building, clerk) for procedural or records requests.