ST. PETE BEACH — City commissioners have adopted a 60-day emergency amendment to the local land use code to allow certain storm-damaged items — including air conditioners — to be replaced in properties that might otherwise be considered as “non-compliant”.

Senior Planner Brandon Berry said the move was intended to “promote the opportunity to address widespread health, safety and welfare issues anticipated as a result of Hurricane Helene (and) the local impacts of the Hurricane Milton.”

Berry noted that the amendment “may be extended under similar circumstances or made permanent through the standard amendment process.”

When replaced, equipment such as air conditioning compressors or pool spa filters and pumps must normally follow certain removal rules regarding their encroachment into yards. That won’t be true locally for at least 60 days thanks to the temporary code amendment, which passed unanimously.

Commissioners opted to seek legal advice regarding certain federal flood regulations before adopting another code amendment related to the elevation of nonconforming structures.

The 60-day provision “proposes to allow residential structures that have suffered significant storm or other damage to be elevated on site…whether or not they are in compliance.”

Commissioners will consider the second amendment to the code at their next meeting, scheduled for Tuesday.

Sewer problems

City Manager Fran Robustelli reported major equipment problems with the city’s sewer system during the two recent hurricanes.

“We don’t have a capacity problem, we have an equipment problem,” Robustelli said. “The St. Pete Beach sanitary sewer system consists of 21 lift stations that transport wastewater to the City of St. Petersburg Wastewater Treatment Plant. All wastewater collected at St. Pete Beach flows to Master Lift Station One, located at the end of Boca Ciega, before being moved off-island to the St. Petersburg Wastewater Treatment Plant.

During Hurricane Helene, “the control panels, including electrical and communications equipment, of eight lift stations were flooded by the storm surge (and) flood damage rendered these stations lift unusable,” she said.

The city manager said the damage would be covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency because the lift stations “were fully operational before the storm.”

During Hurricane Milton, “utility power was lost at all 21 lift stations due to high winds,” Robustelli said.

Power was restored to seven of the lift stations after storm conditions subsided, she added.

The backup generator at Master Lift Station One was damaged and repaired Saturday, officials said, and bypass pump systems were installed at the eight lift stations affected by Helene to restore operation of those facilities. On Monday, the city announced that sanitary sewer service to all neighborhoods was operational for normal use.

“So it was not a capacity issue,” Robustelli stressed. “Pump Station 1 was on the agenda – it’s a $6 million repair project, it’s at the end of its life. Basically it was so fragile that it led to huge electrical and lift station problems. We are currently in a makeshift situation, as we still have nine lift stations to repair and the construction of pump station 1 still needs to take place. This will remain on bypass while we carry out construction, which is approximately an 18 month project.

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