Peter Boland

Education St. Pete/Pinellas long-struggling public school system needs full support from the City and City Council. A degree of focus must be given to the issues parents face at home so that better outcomes can be achieved. The achievement gap must be targeted and shortened. The city should work with the county to attract the best school teachers and include them in affordable housing plans. A city liaison needs to participate in all available school board activities. Neighborhood associations should be pipelines into Parent-Teacher Associations to improve outcomes for pupils in St. Pete. Programs like Former Mayor Baker’s “Doorways” program must be revisited so that can better connect local businesses to the city’s schools. Housing We must also remember that the most affordable housing is the housing that already exists. We are in a unique pickle in Pinellas relative to housing, it will require unique solutions. We need to protect our current housing stock, build up with shrewd density strategies, accelerate and simplify the permitting process, and attract high-paying jobs that can make everyone’s housing more affordable. Environment / Energy Tampa Bay and it’s Inlet waters are at the absolute core of what make this city so special. Educating our residents, visitors and students about the importance of environmental friendly practices, conservation and stewardship are pivotal to the long term health of the Tampa Bay estuary and our most valuable asset, our waterfront. The environmental disaster of 2015-2017, when the city dumped up to 200 million gallons of waste in our waterways, must never happen again. Implementation of a rebate program to replace private laterals must take place. Improper disposal of sewage sludge should never become an option to prevent treatment plant overloads during an extreme weather event. Re-opening of Albert Whitted sewer plant must be revisited. Housing The future requires more housing, with less office space development, for the modern family and future St. Pete. Infrastructure / Transportation Albert Whitted Airport is a uniquely special asset to our City that can be a large economic driver for our city. It’s a historic aviation site, that needs to be preserved. Albert Whitted should be expanded, not developed, drawing in superior air traffic and improving the power of its economic engine. Infrastructure / Transportation The government’s primary responsibilities are public safety and infrastructure. We’ve all traveled over uneven sidewalks and roads with potholes and have seen flooded streets. The city needs to stay on top of sewage, storm drainage, water runoff, roadways, bridges, electrical grid, codes, and more. The government has to have an efficient, well-run, clean, and safe city for its citizens. Taxes / Budget St. Pete’s City’s budget has exploded in recent years. Every single department will be analyzed and scrutinized with a business-like mindset for the best possible outcomes and optimum efficiency. No department will be pushed to improve. Staff will be held accountable, prudent, and praised often for saving taxpayer dollars. Criminal Justice / Public Safety We must continue to modernize SPPD and fund them to retain and attract the best officers and most dutiful public servants in America. With all our public services, we must strive to be the best, most agile, and adept. The biggest role of government is public safety. We in St Pete should have the most highly trained police force in the nation that is also the best compensated. Public surveillance cameras should be installed in high crime & dense areas. Petty crimes will be addressed, criminals will be prosecuted. We need more cameras and more highly paid officers. Also, we must prioritize being a friendly police force as part of the police culture, welcoming the countless visitors that come to enjoy the Sunshine City. The City Council must work closely with Chief Holloway to ensure officers are being held accountable and praised & rewarded consistently for their excellent service to our community. Housing Our success and geography have caused an affordable housing problem in St. Pete. The only way to attain affordable housing in a county that is 99% built out, is to build up, with a keen eye towards density and preservation of existing housing stock. The greater the housing supply that addresses the appropriate demand will yield stabilization and lower the housing prices. Zoning also needs to be analyzed to allow more multi-family units in neighborhoods (triplexes, duplexes, garage apartments, small-scale apartment buildings) where it is appropriate while maintaining the character of our neighborhoods.