\u200bThe plan\u2019s recently completed<\/a> first phases, as highlighted at a Dec. 11 city council meeting, prioritized community feedback, understanding vulnerabilities and assessing city infrastructure. Councilmember Brandi Gabbard, who championed the initiative, noted that \u201cthis has been quite an undertaking to get to this point.\u201d<\/p>\n \u200b\u201cCountless residents devoted immense time and energy over the last 18 months to develop the action plan,\u201d Gabbard said. \u201cThey did so, remember, even under unimaginable stress and upheaval in their own lives due to the impacts that each participating neighborhood experienced during Hurricanes Helene and Milton.<\/p>\n \u200b\u201cThey used those events as a catalyst to create a movement of change in our community about how we invest in our infrastructure going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n \u200bThe action plan is one of multiple initiatives under the Resilient St. Pete umbrella. Maeven Rogers, director of sustainability and resilience, credited the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council (TBRPC<\/a>), Jacobs Engineering, Gabbard, Councilmember Mike Harting, Rep. Lindsay Cross and the residents who joined a series of walking tours for their collaborative efforts.<\/p>\n \u200bRogers said those \u201clived insights\u201d were invaluable and helped \u201cground this work in real community needs.\u201d The action plan\u2019s story maps encompass nine neighborhoods: Childs Park, Kingston Street South, Riviera Bay, Old Pasadena, Bartlett Park, Coquina Key, Bonita Bayou and Harbordale.<\/p>\n \u200bThose areas have a \u201cunique relationship with the water,\u201d Rogers said. \u201cSome are low in elevation, adjacent to the coast or contain major drainage ditches and lakes.\u201d Other neighborhoods can still participate in the program.<\/p>\n \u200bThe TBRPC coordinated walking tours, and community leaders described their environmental vulnerabilities. Engineers and administrators used gathered feedback to confirm and refine technical data.<\/p>\n \u200b\u201cThese nine neighborhoods were selected as the first focus areas because they show some of the most consistent and well-documented flooding challenges in the city,\u201d Rogers added.<\/p>\n \u200bThe action plan\u2019s platform includes six informational categories. Those include an introduction, community voices, flood risks, pathways to resilience, long-term goals and a glossary.<\/p>\n \u200bNeighborhood story maps detail the type and frequency of flooding threats and at-risk infrastructure. Rogers said the pathways to resilience section offers residents the tools needed to advocate for solutions.<\/p>\n \u200b\u201cThis is a list that needs ongoing building and identification of projects,\u201d she continued. \u201cIt will change as community feedback comes in.\u201d<\/p>\n \u200bA \u201clooking forward\u201d section highlights current neighborhood projects, defines the city\u2019s strategy and identifies flood hazards to mitigate. Rogers noted that resilience planning, and attempting to predict future threats, is a \u201cmassive undertaking.\u201d<\/p>\n \u200bThe plan\u2019s final two phases encompass adaptation and integration. Rogers said those aspects are \u201cwhere assessments meet real-world solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u200bFor example, the city is now elevating critical equipment at the Northeast Water Reclamation Facility. Rogers described the adaptation process as \u201cunderstanding the issue, choosing the hazard we want to design for and determining whether the return on investment makes sense for our level of risk tolerance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u200b\u201cThis is not just a plan that will sit stagnant,\u201d Gabbard emphasized. \u201cThis is the beginning of how true action will follow to ensure that St. Petersburg is a thriving coastal community long into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n \u200bHer words rang true minutes later when council members unanimously approved a contract to launch a long-awaited dredging project in Riviera Bay. Residents highlighted the issues, exacerbated by Helene and Milton, during the walking tours.<\/p>\n \u200bThe city will dredge Canals 11 and 12 from around 4th Street North to discharge points in Tampa Bay. However, officials must first navigate complex<\/a> state and federal permitting processes.<\/p>\n \u200bBrejesh Prayman, director of engineering and capital improvements, said a \u201cbase understanding\u201d of requirements gleaned from the project will \u201chelp us develop a repeatable process in the future.\u201d AtkinsR\u00e9alis USA, Inc. will complete the necessary studies and surveys.<\/p>\n
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