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Contractor and residents press Largo commission on permitting delays, policing and alleged drug houses
Summary
During public comment at the Oct. 21 meeting, a general contractor described repeated problems with the city permitting portal and urged more support for permitting staff; another resident accused local police of failing to act on alleged drug houses and credited sheriff's deputies for later enforcement.
Several residents used public-comment time at the Oct. 21 Largo City Commission meeting to press the city on customer service and public-safety concerns.
Ian Wilson, who identified himself as a general contractor, said he spends time working in many municipalities but called Largo’s permitting and business‑license portal “almost in navigable” and described having to spend six to seven hours to renew a business license he expected to complete online. “I could not renew my license online,” Wilson said, adding that the city’s portal required multiple in‑person trips and that he has reported problems to department leadership without satisfactory resolution. The mayor and city manager acknowledged the complaints and asked the city manager to investigate the permitting system and reported user experience issues.
Resident Greg Gardner offered stronger allegations about ongoing criminal activity in his neighborhood. Gardner alleged several nearby properties became “drug houses” beginning in 2018, named specific addresses and individuals he said were involved, and said Largo Police Department responses were inadequate; he said he later sought sheriff’s assistance, and that deputies executed a raid that removed suspected dealers. “A quiet, peaceful Adrian Avenue became a hellhole within just six short weeks,” Gardner said during public comment. Those are residents’ allegations and the commission did not take formal enforcement action during the meeting; no Largo Police Department response was presented in the session record.
Commissioners and the city manager responded to the permitting complaint by agreeing to investigate and report back. The meeting record shows no immediate operational action on the policing allegations, which were presented as claims by a resident during public comment.
