A year later, Sheriff still misstates post-hurricane reentry requirements

One year ago, the Guardian found that all 12 local government agencies we surveyed incorrectly stated that a special permit would be required for reentry after a hurricane. Many of them still do, including the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), the agency responsible for the program. At issue is PCSO’s Emergency Access Permit (EAP) program. The EAP program is PCSO’s…

State rep misstates her past, is accused of abandoning her district

State Rep. Kathleen Peters (R – Treasure Island) announced last week that she was running for a seat on the Pinellas county commission in 2018. In covering this announcement, SaintPetersBlog.Com reported that Peters had campaigned for the state house in 2012 on “repairs and improvements to Pinellas County’s failing sewer system.” However, Peters made no mention of…

Van pool program costs 82% less than buses – but does it reduce congestion?

TBARTA, the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Agency, operates a little known commuter van pool program involving about 100 vans. It’s a form of transit that costs much less per passenger mile than other forms of transit, but there is little evidence that it reduces traffic congestion. All transit agencies that receive funds from the Federal Transit…

Despite lots of free rides, Pinellas transit ridership plunge continues

Multiple and extensive free ridership programs across PSTA’s network in April failed to stem the the ridership plunge at this beleaguered Pinellas transit agency. As the Guardian reported last month, PSTA ridership for its fiscal year is at a 10-year low. PSTA offered “free rides to the beach” from downtown Clearwater during all of April, free rides on…

Pinellas County agency sued over Sunshine Law, meeting notice violations

TampaBayGuardian.Com today filed a lawsuit against the Pinellas Business Technology Services Board (BTS), alleging Sunshine Law violations and other statutory violations. The civil complaint seeks to void three BTS meetings, including tomorrow’s meeting. BTS head Marty Rose resigned on April 27th amid growing criticism from county administrator Mark Woodard. The problems at BTS have a direct impact…

No Tax For Tracks leader runs for seat on Pinellas County Commission

Barbara Haselden, the leader of the 2014 No Tax For Tracks effort to defeat a 1% sales tax increase for light rail in Pinellas County, has filed to run for the Pinellas county commission in District 6. The seat is currently occupied by John Morroni, who has said he will not run for re-election in…

Pinellas Sheriff sued over public records involving post-hurricane re-entry

The Guardian today sued Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri after he refused to provide records detailing the “lawfulness and/or constitutionality of PCSO’s Emergency Access Permit (EAP) program.” That program provides for re-entry to the barrier islands after an evacuation,  e.g. due to a hurricane. Gualtieri’s refusal came in response to a public records from The Tampa…

Congestion-creating Pinellas bus project not funded in federal budget

President Trump’s  “budget blueprint” for fiscal year 2018 calls for halting funding to transit capital projects (so-called “New Starts”), with the exception of projects that already have grant agreements in place. It also appears that no new grant agreement will be signed in 2017. Cato Institute transportation policy analyst Randal O’Toole reported on these budget implications in his…

Rowdies referendum passes 7 to 1 in St. Pete

As expected, the referendum on a lease expansion for Al Lang Stadium passed today in St. Petersburg. The Tampa Bay Rowdies want to sign a 25-year lease with the city in order to begin an $80 million renovation to the stadium. Voter approval was required first. As approximately 7:05 P.M., the Pinellas Supervisor of Elections released…

Ferry’s purpose unclear in official docs, Kriseman “Ferry’s Godfather”

The 6-month Cross Bay Ferry pilot project ends on April 30. But what is the stated public purpose of the heavily taxpayer-subsidized Cross Bay Ferry (CBF) that justifies spending public funds on it? It turns out that the answer to this and other questions were never clear to government agencies from the onset. The Guardian has previously reported…