BCC approves 2022 State Legislative Program

The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners approved its 2022 State Legislative Program on Tuesday, laying out the Board’s guiding principles and priorities for the 2022 Florida Legislative Session. 

Priorities include: 

• Support legislation that extends the Special Act requiring non-voluntary annexations of property within East Lake Tarpon to be approved by a community referendum.
• Supports the continued use of Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) at pedestrian crossings to ensure the safe crossing of pedestrians on our roadways.
• Support legislation that allows local governments to create local solutions to identify, inspect and repair damaged private sanitary sewer laterals.
• Support efforts that afford local governments that own WTE facilities the opportunity to seek additional revenue to offset solid waste enterprise expenses and capital costs.
• Request funding for the High Point Community Park, a partnership between Pinellas County and the Pinellas County School District to provide recreational access to students at High Point Elementary School and the High Point community.
• Request state support of the County’s efforts to secure federal funding for the construction of the Dunedin Causeway.

A new guiding principle is included in the program to support innovative funding strategies that address the declining revenue source of transportation funding to adequately address future transportation needs. For more information, visit https://pinellas.gov/lobbying-and-advocacy-a-public-policy-of-open-government/ on or after Dec. 8. 

In other action Tuesday, the Board:

• Adopted minor changes to Commission districts based on recommendations by the citizen-led Pinellas County Redistricting Board. The Commission considered several alternatives to ensure district boundaries reflect population changes from the 2020 Census. The Redistricting Board held a series of public meetings, including four input sessions, this fall before sharing recommendations with the Commission. For more information, visit the Redistricting Board page.
• Approved a moratorium of up to one-year on the expansion of commercial locations that engage in the retail sale of cats and dogs in the County. During the moratorium, the Board intends to further evaluate options to regulate pet sales.
• Approved an award of bid for the Oakwood Drive Bridge Replacement Project in Harbor Bluffs. The Penny for Pinellas project consists of replacing the existing bridge over Stephanie’s Channel with a new bridge with utility, sidewalk and storm drainage improvements.
• Approved a one-year Local Arts Funding Agreement with Creative Pinellas for marketing the County as a vibrant arts community and cultural destination. Most of the $978,360 in funding will come from the Tourist Development Tax Fund.