The brown pelican, one of the very special residents of St. Petersburg. The constant watchman of our waterways.Photo ofAdobe Express Pro
The City Council of St. Pete has created a floodplain map to support the ongoing Stormwater Master Plan. Which sounds a bit Doctor Evil. It’s not as simple as Doctor Evil’s plans.
City of St Pete postcard announcement for new floodplain map, information and Zoom meeting date.Photo ofKathy LaFollett
The city sent postcards to all residents who could be within this new map. We received ours. It has a QR code for quick access. The map provides a link to dispute, agree or leave comments about your personal experiences with flooding at your address. There will be a live town hall meeting on Zoom to discuss this on April 12th if you’d like. You can get the details here.
Utility bills are rising and changing so furiously that it’s hard to keep up, know why it’s happening, or where you can go to lower your bill or respond to their opinions. This article hopes to clarify what’s going on with your utility bill and how you can lower your water line item, online, with just a few clicks. Lowering the level will lower your water bill. So let’s go backwards to move forward.
A thriving downtown marina thanks to clean waterways and efforts to keep it that way or better.Photo ofAdobe Express Pro
On October 1, 2019, the City implemented a tiered billing structure for stormwater rates for single-family properties to replace the flat rate previously charged to all single-family residential properties. As with all great ideas, there are great add-ons. The Master Plan is a reaction to the master-sized sewage dumps in the Gulf of Mexico that created master-sized reactions against overdevelopment and the cost of living for non-developers. Things are getting tough downtown, and we’re all going to pay a price for our Mini-Me Miami construction lifestyle.
This is a multi-pronged deployment. Your invoice The city’s preferred zoning for residential development and controlled rent for residents. rainwater Sewerage systems. Aging infrastructures. A bold move, and not so bad considering the complexity of a city that is growing faster than some of its services. Something has to give, and not everyone will be happy. They know it, now you know it. These are growing pains. But as a good doctor once told me, “Get the bones right, and you’ll never know you broke your arm.” He was a good doctor. I hadn’t thought about my broken arm in decades.
The St. Petersburg water level line item represents the amount of square feet of water that flows into the hard space your property has affecting storm runoff into local waterways, the bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Level 1 is the least expensive, representing the least runoff on a property compared to Level 4 which is the highest. The city uses google maps to evaluate this information. It is surprisingly accurate. But things change at your property and you can apply for a reassessment to access a lower level. There is a tool to check the correctness of your assessment every time you are interested and, if necessary, request a review of the level.
For example: We had a 22 foot bay boat. We are dry dock in the backyard. We were rated at level 4. We were paying a premium for runoff. We sold the boat. I asked for a reassessment through the map and before the next bill they dropped us to level 3. This saved us money. Here is the map and application page. Just enter your address and see what they see.
Stormwater appeals and review map and form. Developed by ESRI, all rights reserved.Photo ofScreenshot by Kathy LaFollett with SnippingTool
St. Petersburg’s water infrastructure faces unique challenges as we are a coastal city with a subtropical climate. Heavy rainfall, vulnerability to storm surges and flooding, and tropical storms and hurricanes. Stormwater management is a priority in St. Petersburg. It affects our flood insurance, our environment, safety, health and structures. We are not Peoria, Illinois with old pipes that need to be replaced. We are an organism with great tourist growth and a population that needs defenses hardened by rainwater.
What are we getting for our money, the residents of St. Pete? A little, actually. The stormwater utility manages and maintains infrastructure that manages stormwater runoff and helps prevent localized flooding of roads and sidewalks. Ensure that the city remains accessible and safe during periods of heavy rain. A key aspect of this infrastructure is the storm drain system, which is separate from the sanitary sewer systems and the city’s sewage treatment plants.
The city’s multi-year capital improvement master plan targets critical improvements to the city’s water infrastructure while preparing for current and future growth and all of its changing environmental impacts. The city is playing catch-up and getting ahead of our community’s future. There is no Dr. Evil. There is a lot of work.
Some of the key initiatives include:
- Improvement and expansion of water treatment facilities: This ensures that the city can continue to meet the growing demand for clean water and adhere to strict water quality standards.
- Improvement of the rainwater management system: By improving drainage infrastructure and implementing green solutions, the city can mitigate localized flooding and protect local waterways from pollution.
- Modernization of waste water and sanitation systems: By improving sewer lines and wastewater treatment plants, St. Petersburg can reduce the risk of system failures and environmental pollution.
- Application of water conservation measures: Encouraging residents and businesses to adopt water-saving practices helps preserve the city’s valuable water resources and reduce stress on infrastructure.
- Climate change impact planning: The city is working to understand and address the potential effects of climate change on water resources and infrastructure, including sea level rise and increased storm intensity.
- Sustainable improvements and infrastructure planning: Improvements that support public transportation, public land use, and environmental protection.
By integrating water resource management with broader city planning initiatives, St. Petersburg can seamlessly deploy reliable services while preserving the natural environment for our healthy and vibrant future city.
How can we help reduce stormwater pollution?
- Limit the use of fertilizers and pesticides: Excessive use of chemicals leads to runoff containing high levels of nutrients, which cause algal blooms and harm aquatic life. You can refer to the guidelines provided by the Institute of Agricultural and Food Sciences (IFAS) at the University of Florida for the proper application of fertilizers and pesticides.
- Proper disposal of pet waste: Picking up pet waste and throwing it in the trash prevents harmful bacteria from entering local waterways. Dog poop is a big problem here. St. Pete was named the city with the most dogs in America. Estimated population of dogs; 38,000. A pile of dog poop averages half a pound. As for the math, one dog, one pound a day not picked up is 38,000 pounds of dog poo in our waterways, every day. Dog poop is a community health risk. Vaccinated or not, the CDC insists that all dog poop is a risk.
- Maintain your vehicles: Regularly checking and repairing fluid leaks helps prevent oil, lubricants and brake fluid from ending up in our waterways.
- Washing vehicles at commercial car washes: these facilities treat and recycle water, minimizing the release of pollutants into the environment. Really. Building codes require that car washes be built to control what comes out of the car and its water works.
- Installing rain barrels or rain gardens: These features help capture and filter stormwater runoff, reducing the number of pollutants that reach local waterways. And no, they don’t add to your level assessment.
- Keep trash and yard waste out of storm drains: Leaves, grass clippings and trash clog storm drains, exacerbating flooding and contributing to water pollution. Dispose of garden waste properly and protect rubbish bins to prevent litter.
- When you’re out and about, pick up any trash you find. Every choice we make affects a choice to be made later.
Our city of St. Petersburg’s ongoing efforts to improve its water infrastructure and manage stormwater are essential to the safety, health and environmental integrity of our community. The multifaceted approach will create a resilient and thriving urban environment for all of us, and all, to come. The city is tackling unique challenges because we are a unique place. I love our area. I love our city. We are lucky to share a very special way of life here.
To St. Petersburg from Tampa. You can’t miss what’s so special about it coming at you at 55 MPH.Photo ofAdobe Express Pro
It is important to understand the reasons for changes to our utility bills. We have the right and the ways to see what is coming and proactively affect our personal part to preserve and prepare our lifestyle and community ecosystem. We play a key role in preserving our city’s valuable natural resources and fostering a sustainable future for all. There is no city of Saint Petersburg. There is only our city of Saint Petersburg.
So, while the work ahead may be complex, strong, intrusive, expensive and full of growing pains, remember the wise words of my good doctor: “Straighten the bones and you’ll never know you broke your arm” . Embrace the changes that make us stronger, lend a hand to keep our city clean, stay involved and be ready to take action. We need to know the plans clearly, so that we can clearly know which plans to debate and which plans to support. There is good and bad in everything. The next Zoom meeting is a great place to start learning the plans.
We can grow well, or we can grow badly. It is up to the residents to set the bar and the barriers to future plans.Photo ofAdobe Express Pro
