Board of County Commissioners Work Session/Agenda Briefing 10-22-26

The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners’ work session/agenda briefing on October 22, 2026, reviewed the county’s CDBG-DR recovery programs and Census 2030 preparations. Pinellas Recovers reported $24.5 million in expenditures during the last fiscal year and more than 1,400 approved applications representing an estimated $122 million. Commissioners discussed resident difficulties navigating eligibility and documentation, and staff said they would provide further program and spending projections. A $126 million reallocation to the City of St. Petersburg was being finalized with HUD and the city; the county expects to return with related agreements and an action-plan amendment. Proposed small-business, nonprofit, planning, and infrastructure initiatives are targeted to launch before year-end, subject to final program policies. The presentation cited $53.4 million for county infrastructure projects and $47.7 million for joint county-city projects. Staff described county-led construction oversight and federal procurement and compliance requirements; no contract awards or procurement votes were taken. Staff also said businesses that had closed after being in operation at the time of the storms may generally apply, with final eligibility rules still being developed.

The Census 2030 briefing outlined address review and public outreach planning; commissioners discussed past outreach spending of a few hundred thousand dollars annually and possible coordination with municipalities, but no funding decision was made. The agenda briefing also covered upcoming zoning matters and a budget realignment request without substantive spending details. Commissioners discussed a proposed process for placing topics on agendas, but the transcript records no vote or procurement action. The meeting later recessed for a closed attorney-client session on pending litigation.