Lawmakers applaud St. Pete’s emergency preparation efforts

Sweeping new legislation dictates how local governments must prepare for and respond to natural disasters. St. Petersburg already has most of its mandates in place.

Local Sen. Nick DiCeglie used lessons learned from a devastating 2024 hurricane season to create Senate Bill 180. The legislation became law July 1 and encompasses permitting procedures, debris collection, repair guidelines, resource coordination and construction crane safety.

City council members dedicated part of an extensive Legislative Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations Committee meeting Thursday to SB180. They also celebrated the local delegation’s bipartisan success amid a chaotic session, and lawmakers returned the praise.

“I appreciate this presentation on how the city, in less than a month, is already looking at how you’re implementing some of these changes,” said Rep. Lindsay Cross. “I think it’s really helpful to see what you already had in place compared to your plans to make improvements or adjustments as a result of this bill.”

DiCeglie said he paid “very close attention” to St. Petersburg’s storm preparedness and recovery efforts and wanted to incorporate many of those aspects into SB 180. He also repeatedly singled out beach communities for lacking comprehensive plans to mitigate a disaster.

However, as Building Official Don Tyre noted, “we can always do better.” The post-storm permitting process remains a challenge for both officials and residents.

SB 180 requires local governments to reopen building departments for at least 40 hours a week “as soon as practicable” following a storm. Tyre said his team was conducting new construction inspections in three days.

The city also has an annually updated disaster operations plan and opened multiple remote permitting locations, both of which are now mandated. Officials are developing a web page with frequently asked questions and publishing a storm permit recovery guide to align with the legislation.

An online platform for substantial damage letters will soon launch, and administrators have already contracted with private vendors to augment permitting staff. The city averaged 2,648 monthly applications before Hurricanes Helene and Milton; that number subsequently soared to 5,918.

Tyre said the average wait time at the downtown office is now three to six hours, and “sometimes there’s 200 people in the line.” Administrators have waived $2.5 million in permitting fees, representing $264.7 million in construction value.

An influx of permitting applications remains an ongoing issue. Image: City documents.

Tyre said the entire team works overtime, and he will present a $2 million contract to hire additional private reviewers next week. He will also request qualifications from other firms to “give us some flexibility and more staff if we get hit by another storm.”

St. Petersburg already meets most disaster planning requirements, even though SB 180 focuses on county efforts. Amber Boulding, emergency management director, awaits state guidance related to training hours.

The city has five pre-authorized debris collection areas and hopes to have “at least one more larger site.” Boulding said neighboring municipalities ask to share St. Petersburg’s resources, and “it’s hard because the whole county is just so dense.”

SB 180 streamlines the process to determine if structures are substantially damaged and prohibits local governments from requiring detailed repair cost estimates. Tyre said the city has always relied on International Code Council data to determine the square-foot price.

“It’s allowed us to not reject as many projects, and those have to come back around and be resubmitted,” Tyre explained. “So, it’s freed up staff time.”

While a locally-sponsored bill to repeal the state’s ban on municipal ordinances related to tower crane safety failed in the session, SB 180 provides new regulations for hoisting equipment on construction sites.

An example of a tower crane bolted to a building at the 3rd and 3rd construction site in downtown St. Petersburg. Image: City documents.

Tyre called the legislation a “good first step” after a crane at the Residences at 400 Central site slammed into a neighboring office building downtown during Milton. Developments must now feature a hurricane preparedness plan for inspection at all times.

Contractors must complete a specific list of requirements within 24 hours of a storm’s anticipated impact. The Florida Building Commission will establish universal best practices by Dec. 31, 2026.

City officials will request crane engineering drawings and a copy of the hurricane preparedness plan before vertical construction commences. They will also incorporate wind speed limits, 145 mph to 155 mph, and other pertinent information into an interactive public map.

However, residents have fewer crane-related issues to worry about this year. Tyre noted that 400 Central, St. Petersburg’s tallest building, no longer needs the equipment.

Just two cranes rated to withstand 145 mph winds at the 3rd and 3rd development on 3rd Avenue South will remain in the city by Aug. 1. The new legislation requires contractors to bolt the equipment to its associated building.

“Well, this has been a fantastic collaboration,” said Councilmember Brandi Gabbard. “Our staff, our administration, our delegation, our council members – this is what working together looks like.”