Pinellas County Extends State Of Local Emergency, Approves 2021 Federal Legislative Program

From the Pinellas County Government:

April 27, 2021

The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday extended the State of Local Emergency for COVID-19 and approved its 2021 Federal Legislative Program, among other action.

The Board extended its State of Local Emergency for COVID-19 through May 7. The declaration retains the County’s eligibility for FEMA reimbursements for COVID-related expenses. It also keeps in effect a County ordinance requiring face coverings within public places and certain restrictions within restaurants and bars.

The Board will consider repealing or amending the ordinance during its May 11 hybrid in-person and virtual meeting. Residents have multiple options for offering public comment.

Federal Legislative Program

The legislative program outlines the Board’s federal priorities for the upcoming year. Board priorities include:

• National Flood Insurance Program

o Support a long-term extension to the program that ensures financial stability while not pricing out policy holders. This includes premium discounts for private and community-based mitigation efforts.

o Oppose the new “Risk Rating” 2.0 system until more details of the program are released.

• Beach Nourishment

o Request that that Army Corps of Engineers reevaluate its Perpetual Storm Damage Reduction Policy, which requires 100 percent of beachfront property owner easements for areas landward of the Erosion Control Line within the planned Sand Key Nourishment project.

o Request funding for design and engineering of the Treasure Island, Sand Key and Long Key federal beach nourishment projects.

• Transportation Infrastructure

o Support reauthorization of the FAST Act, which provides funding for transportation, highway and transit programs.

o Support strategies that address the Federal Highway Trust Fund’s declining revenues to fund future transportation needs.

o Request that the new FAST Act reestablishes the federal discretionary bridge program that expired in 2005; and continue support for Advanced Traffic Management Systems.

o Request infrastructure legislation that includes support for new discretionary grant programs to harden and enhance transportation and other public infrastructure; supports local projects that address sea-level rise and storm surge issues; and addresses the needs of public water infrastructure systems.

• Offshore Oil Drilling

o Support an extension to the current moratorium on oil drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico within 125 miles of Florida, set to expire in 2022.

• COVID 19 federal support for local governments

o Support continued direct, flexible funding for local governments to assist with critical local response efforts to COVID-19.

o Support the timely federal reimbursement of FEMA public assistance funding and the development of clear and consistent reimbursement guidance and policies.

This press release was produced by the Pinellas County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.