Mayor Ken Welch launched the St. Pete Agile Resilience (SPAR) Plan in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. How to fund the program remains an issue. Photo: City of St. Petersburg.
St. Petersburg residents must decide how they prefer to pay for critical upgrades to storm, waste, and drinking water systems amid increasing environmental threats.
A bond issuance, funded by a new property tax, could finance up to $600 million in St. Pete Agile Resilience (SPAR) projects. However, that requires voters to approve a ballot referendum in November. If approved, property owners would pay an additional $96 annually for every $100,000 of taxable value.
The alternative is to charge the average utility customer an additional $486.12 annually. Administrators outlined the more cost-effective bond proposal, which would provide immediate funding to accelerate projects that increase resiliency, to city council members at a committee meeting on April 23.
While there is a consensus on the benefits of a bond issuance, Mayor Ken Welch’s administration is still determining which projects are feasible and deserve prioritization. Some council members expressed concern with that process, the referendum’s language, and the city’s potentially confusing messaging to voters.
“The constituent that is going to vote on this – that is ultimately going to be responsible financially for this – doesn’t interpret everything it has taken the last hour for us to even understand,” said Councilmember Deborah Figgs-Sanders. “I just want to be mindful of the terminology we use.”
City officials will discuss a communication plan on May 14, and the full council must approve the ballot question at a later date. The draft version currently states:
“Shall the city finance storm resilience improvements, including but not limited to, floodwater protection, stormwater pump stations, drainage infrastructure, as well as wastewater collection and treatment facilities, drinking water distribution and supply facilities, by issuing general obligation bonds in one ore series, not exceeding $600,000,000, bearing interest not exceeding maximum legal rates, maturing not more than 30 years from each issuance date, pledging the city’s full faith, credit, and unlimited ad valorem taxing power?”
The city could install flood gates to help prevent extremely high tides from inundating flood-prone neighborhoods. Photo: City documents.
Stormwater and wastewater infrastructure would each receive 42% of the funding. The remaining 16% would go toward drinking water infrastructure, although those proportions are subject to change.
Public Works Administrator Claude Tankersley noted that the city has already completed some SPAR projects. Those include installing flood barriers at the Northeast Water Reclamation Facility and a sewage lift station, and drainage improvements along 9th Avenue and 37th Street North.
Multiple other SPAR initiatives, such as a citywide private lateral rebate program and a $35 million effort to enhance infrastructure reliability at the low-lying Northeast Water Reclamation Facility, are underway. Tankersley said the bond issuance would allow the city to “undertake large-scale resiliency upgrades now, rather than delay projects to pay as you go through utility rates.”
“While pay as you go avoids interest payments, it does carry a high risk of inflation, construction delays, and in many cases, higher total costs due to rising material and labor prices,” Tankersley explained.
He also noted that not all property owners are city utility customers. Tankersley said using a combination of those fees and property taxes to fund a total of $2.7 billion in proposed SPAR projects through 2050 would ensure the cost is distributed equitably.
Potential drainage investments include upsizing pipes and culverts, widening ditches, and creating new bypass routes. The administration is also considering expanding capacity in canals, creeks, and ditches and installing new stormwater pump stations.
Tankersley said the city is exploring flood gate systems that use structural barriers to prevent extremely high tides from inundating flood-prone neighborhoods like Clam Bayou and Shore Acres. He called those the “most ambitious” potential SPAR projects.
To reduce drinking water disruptions during severe weather events, the city could replace aging storage tanks, elevate critical treatment equipment, and install permanent generators to protect against power outages. Tankersley also highlighted several upgrades that could reduce sewer backups and overflows.
“I think it would be helpful to be clear and use examples of things we’re already doing, and get away from talking about what we might do,” said Councilmember Gina Driscoll. “So, the story that we tell about what this is going to be for, the more prescriptive it can be, the more restrictive it can be. The more accountability we show that will be there, the better the chances of getting this passed.”
Driscoll and several of her colleagues also took issue with a map in the presentation that pinpointed locations of SPAR projects. Councilmember Brandi Gabbard noted that 95% of her district is within a Coastal High Hazard Area, yet accounts for just 8% of the proposed initiatives.
Administrators explained that many projects would benefit multiple districts downstream. Councilmember Richie Floyd said wastewater upgrades will have a nearly citywide impact, which maps should reflect.
“I care what the radius is, what the area is of our residents who are going to be helped by this,” Driscoll said. “That is the story that needs to be told over and over and over again.”
A map highlighting near-term St. Pete Agile Resiliency (SPAR) projects. Red stars denote those funded by general obligation (GO) bonds and federal disaster relief funding, and purple stars indicate those funded through utility fees. Image: City documents.
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