ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- Several topics related to recovery from Hurricanes Helene and Milton dominated Thursday's city council meeting.
Council members heard from Florida Division of Emergency Management director Kevin Guthrie on issues including the "50 percent" rule requiring buildings with that much or more damage to be brought up to code. Guthrie says that because of St. Petersburg's and Pinellas County's density, placing travel trailers is not an option to house city residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed. That means FEMA and the state will be putting up residents in hotels. Guthrie says that means the city might lose some convention business as a result.
The panel also got two proposals totaling more than $6.4 million for waterproofing and remediation at Tropicana Field. They would include removing damaged items, containment to prevent further damage, leak diverters and negative pressure to keep unaffected office spaces, and floor and wall cleaning.
Council also got an update from staff on debris removal. Council chair Deborah Figgs-Sanders says city residents dealing with hurricane waste and other issues shouldn't feel that they've been forgotten. "If I had a truck, I'd move (debris) myself, or try," Figgs-Sanders said.
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