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Residents press Pinellas Park on storm debris; Father Ken urges 'No' on Amendment 4
Summary
At the Oct. 24 meeting, residents described a large debris site and health concerns, and a local priest urged a 'No' vote on Amendment 4; city staff acknowledged cleanup challenges, pledged follow‑up and estimated cleanup could take weeks.
Pinellas Park, Fla. — Several residents used the Oct. 24 public‑comment period to press the city for faster cleanup of post‑storm debris and to voice concerns about an upcoming ballot measure.
Father Ken, who delivered the invocation earlier in the meeting, used his public‑comment time to urge voters to oppose Amendment 4, which he described as "deceptive" and said would repeal current laws protecting what he called "vulnerable expectant moms." He warned the amendment's language leaves terms such as "viability" and "health" undefined and said it would replace parental consent with notification, a change he described as harmful. "Amendment four repeals all common sense abortion laws enacted by our elected representatives...viability is not defined," he said.
Property manager Cadena told the council a large temporary debris/dump site across from 61st Street and near a city park was producing dust, mattress and furniture waste, and late‑night truck activity that has left tenants coughing and forced some residents indoors. Cadena said the site was affecting roughly 20 to 25 nearby homes and described damage to newly renovated rental units. She asked the city to provide updates and a point of contact.
A city representative responded that Pinellas Park is coordinating with neighboring municipalities to process debris from multiple storm sites countywide. The staff member said the city would clean the site, perform street sweeping, and that city managers would step up involvement; the official described an expectation that cleanup could take "about 90 days" but said crews were working to shorten that timeline and committed to follow up with the speaker if she provided contact information.
Virginia Thompson, another commenter, praised city staff and volunteers for cleanup efforts and urged residents to help where possible; council members and the mayor later echoed thanks to staff during the meeting.
What happens next: City staff said they will follow up with speakers who leave contact details and will continue debris collection and street‑sweeping operations as resources allow. Council members noted the breadth of regional debris challenges and asked staff to keep affected residents informed.
