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St. Petersburg Council

Proposal for long-term deal between St. Pete, Rowdies likely to go before voters

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The Tampa Bay Rowdies are ready for the big leagues, and it appears their shot will be coming sooner than later. Major League Soccer announced last month that the Rowdies and St. Petersburg will be one of 10 cities under consideration for an expansion team. Before that happens — representing a considerable boost for both the team and St. Petersburg — the Rowdies will need to show, among other things, a comprehensive stadium plan that ensures the club will provide…

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Cross-Bay Ferry, St. Pete bike share off to strong start

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If the first month is any indication, both of St. Pete’s experiments in novel ways to get around will be a success. According to figures provided to the St. Petersburg Council on Thursday, a total of 7,491 passengers rode the Cross-Bay Ferry during November. And riders have taken 1,378 trips using St. Pete’s bike share program. Both programs are a way to relieve traffic congestion for residents while also providing another attractor for tourists. The bike-share program, run by Coast…

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Proposal to limit outside money in St. Pete elections remains up for discussion

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After hearing from legal experts, St. Petersburg council members agreed to a future discussion about a proposal that would limit donations from so-called super PACs in city elections. Most council members support the idea. But, they were all cautious about the possible financial liability that could hit the city if the proposed ordinance was overturned in court. “Intellectually, I’m there,” Amy Foster said. “Certainly, I’m concerned about risk.” Charles Gerdes was equally cautious, saying, “I need some time to talk…

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St. Pete Council agrees to spend an additional $3 million to continue sewer repairs, replacements

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St. Petersburg City Council members agreed Thursday to renew a contract for the repair and replacement of the sanitary sewer system. The $3.3 million the council agreed to spend in 2017 brings the total to about $9.5 million the city has spent on renewal and repair of the system since 2013. The contract with All American Concrete is part of the city’s plan for the renewal and restoration of the wastewater collection system. The vote came on the heels of…

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St. Pete Public Works Director: Albert Whitted should not have been closed

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The head of St. Petersburg’s Public Works department told City Council members Thursday that he now believes the Albert Whitted sewer plant should not have been closed until the capacity at the Southwest plant had been increased. “I want to make it perfectly clear that it is my opinion, and the opinion of my plant operators [that] the Southwest plant should have been expanded before Albert Whitted was closed,” Claude Tankersley said. St. Petersburg City Councilmembers spent three hours Thursday…

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St. Pete Councilmember wants to consider reopening Albert Whitted sewage facility

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Steve Kornell says he wants to revisit the 2011 decision to close the Albert Whitted sewage plant and to take another look at the decision to move all biosolids to the Southwest plant. The reason? He doesn’t trust that city staff gave council full, unbiased information when members made those decisions. Kornell made the announcement Wednesday on his Facebook page: “I have placed a new business item on the agenda for the Oct. 6 city council meeting asking that city…

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I guess Kathleen Ford was right about one thing: St. Petersburg Council advised not to meet with baseball coalition

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The St. Petersburg City Council was advised this week not to meet with a coalition of businessmen and community leaders who are recommending that the Tampa Bay Rays need a new baseball stadium. Any discussions about a new stadium “should be between the Rays and the City,” City attorney John Wolfe and senior administrator Rick Mussett wrote Tuesday in a memo to the City Council. “No third party should be interfering” with the lease agreement on Tropicana Field, “and the…

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