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St. Petersburg council adopts leak‑adjustment and meter policies after wave of post‑storm overcharges
Summary
After months of public complaints about large post‑hurricane water bills, the St. Petersburg City Council unanimously approved three resolutions creating leak‑adjustment relief for flood events, procedures for high reads on mechanical meters, and updates to the Utility Bill Review Committee. Council also authorized a Stantec utility rate analysis to inform longer‑term fixes.
Public outcry over unusually large water bills after Hurricanes Helene and Milton led the St. Petersburg City Council on Thursday to adopt a package of measures intended to speed customer relief and improve meter handling.
Residents described bills that jumped from typical amounts into the thousands after the storms, and asked the council for more oversight and easier routes to replace or test meters. "Imagine my surprise when I received my utility bill in December of $1,439.31," said Michelle Dudley, a resident who addressed council during open forum. John Chin, who spoke later during the H3 agenda item, told the council his household readings showed implausible usage ("My bill is showing a usage of 13,000 gallons") and urged the city to make meter replacement easier.
The new counci…
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