Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: Are St. Pete’s license plate cameras tracking more than you realize?

And check out Open House in Parkridge - 11-2pm on the St. Petersburg Patch calendar

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Saturday August 29th Patch AM
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Good morning to you St. Petersburg! Catch up on our news and events right here. Keep reading to stay in the know. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • Are St. Pete's license plate cameras tracking more than you realize?
  • Is Mei worth the splurge on St. Pete's 3rd Street South?
  • Why St. Pete's buried water pipes could cost billions to fix

Also on today's calendar: Open House in Parkridge - 11-2pm and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: What has a neck but no head? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Saturday: An afternoon thunderstorm, with a high of 91 and low of 79 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
  • Sunday: An afternoon t-storm or two, temps: high: 89, low: 78.
  • Monday: Mostly cloudy with a t-storm, with a high of 90 and low of 81 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. St. Petersburg residents raise privacy concerns over Flock license plate cameras – [your]NEWS (yournews.com) — St. Petersburg residents pressed city leaders Thursday over how Flock license plate cameras track vehicles, who can search the data, and how long it's stored. Police Chief Anthony Holloway says officers use the system only for investigations and don't monitor it constantly, and he's planning a future meeting to explain the technology as the city weighs privacy concerns against crime-fighting benefits.
   

2. New restaurant Mei puts on a flashy debut in St. Petersburg (tampabay.com) — A new fine-dining spot called Mei is now open on 3rd Street South in St. Petersburg, bringing a high-end, French-and-Japanese-inspired menu and a $175 chef's counter tasting option. Locals can expect a small, seasonal menu, upscale prices, and standout dishes like oysters, beef tartare, and dry-aged duck, all in a sleek, transformed former fast-casual space.
   

3. St. Pete's aging pipes carry a $3.4 billion price tag (stpetecatalyst.com) — St. Petersburg faces about $3.4 billion in water and wastewater work through 2050, much of it to replace aging underground pipes across the city. Officials told council members that how quickly projects move will depend heavily on utility revenues, as they weigh resilience, regulatory demands and which upgrades must happen first in the next St. Pete Water Plan.
   

4. St. Pete approves utility rate hikes (stpetecatalyst.com) — St. Petersburg residents will see higher water, wastewater, stormwater, sanitation and reclaimed-water bills starting Oct. 1 after City Council approved multiple utility rate hikes. Officials say the increases will help fund hundreds of millions in aging infrastructure and rising costs, while some council members push to shift more burden to new development and explore alternative funding like bonds and property taxes.
   

5. The case for bringing Pinellas County's fishing piers back (stpetecatalyst.com) — Pinellas leaders are debating whether to restore lost fishing piers, with St. Pete Pier and Pier 60 highlighted as iconic examples of how waterfront access shapes community life and tourism. A tourism council member wants to explore funding options, including tourist development taxes, while recent Safety Harbor pier repairs show both the costs and benefits of rebuilding these gathering spots.
   

📸 Around St. Petersburg

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Panera Bread Company posted a job opening for Team Member in Pinellas Park. Apply here.
  • Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, Inc. posted a job opening for ADC Processing Associate (Pinellas Park) in Pinellas Park. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near St. Petersburg here.

Ok St. Petersburg! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: A bottle (Thank you Netty W. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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