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West Nile Virus detected in north Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco
Pinellas County Mosquito Control has seen increased transmission of mosquito-borne West Nile Virus through its sentinel chicken illness detection program and is urging residents to protect themselves and their loved ones from mosquitoes and prevent mosquito breeding.
Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County (DOH-Pinellas) has issued a Mosquito-Borne Illness Advisory due to the increased activity. West Nile Virus has been detected in sentinel chicken flocks throughout the state, including in Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties. In Pinellas County, positive tests have come from Oldsmar and east Tarpon Springs, initiating enhanced mosquito treatments such as additional truck fogging, aerial larviciding, and ground inspection for additional breeding locations.
Pinellas County Mosquito Control additionally works closely with the Florida Department of Health to monitor cases of mosquito-borne illness activity in our county and respond with mosquito treatment to reduce the risk of the illness spreading. If you believe you have a mosquito-borne illness, please immediately call DOH-Pinellas at (727) 824-6932.
“Our staff are working long hours across the county to apply preventative treatments for mosquitoes,” said Alissa Berro, section manager for Pinellas County Mosquito Control and Vegetation Management. “We’re forecast to get a lot of rain this weekend, so it’ll be important for residents to dump standing water after it accumulates – that’ll take away mosquito breeding grounds.”
The best way for residents to prevent mosquito bites is to follow the 3 Ds:
Residents are encouraged to use screens on open windows and doors to prevent mosquitoes from entering their home.
Visit https://pinellas.gov/mosquito-control/ for additional resources, including a public treatment map that displays recent and upcoming treatments to an area.
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Communications Department 333 Chestnut Street, Clearwater, Florida 33756 (727) 464-4600 • www.pinellas.gov
Our Vision: To Be the Standard for Public Service in America.
Stacy O’Donnell
Executive Aide, Commissioner Dave Eggers
Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners
315 Court Street, Clearwater, FL 33756
sodonnell@pinellas.gov
Office (727) 464-3276
All government correspondence is subject to public record law.
TBFB members, associates, friends, and family: the 2025 hurricane season has begun. Activity is increasing in the tropics. Tampa Bay Free Beaches encourages all Floridians to prepare their businesses and homes during the next few weeks to be prepared. Let us all be ready and be safe this hurricane season. ➡️ Review DBPR’s Hurricane Guide:
➡️Always stay alert and keep up to date on any topical activity.
National Hurricane Center
Stay Safe Out There
Residents can prepare for storms by picking up 10 bags per vehicle
Pinellas County will host self-serve sandbag events at two County parks on Friday and Saturday, June 13 and 14, to help residents prepare for the 2025 Hurricane Season.
Residents can also check with their municipalities or check the list below to see if there are more convenient options for them.
Temporary sandbag sites at John Chesnut Sr. Park, 2200 East Lake Road S, Palm Harbor, and Walsingham Park, 12615 102nd Ave., Seminole, will be open from noon to 6 p.m. on Friday, June 13, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 14, or for as long as supplies last. Residents can fill up to 10 bags per vehicle, and staff will be on hand to help elderly or disabled residents. Bags will be provided, and a limited number of shovels will be available.
Pinellas County also offers self-serve sandbag filling sites in the same County parks for storms that are forecast to approach the County, but pre-storm lines can be long, and all sandbag operations will shut down 48 hours ahead of anticipated landfall. Residents who are interested in obtaining sandbags are encouraged to prepare early by participating in this event.
Sandbags are only effective against flooding less than 15 inches. Many people saw more than two feet of storm surge flooding during Hurricane Helene last September. A growing number of companies are offering alternate flood barriers. Residents in surge- or flood-prone areas are encouraged to research those options.
Chesnut and Walsingham parks will remain open during the sandbag events. Pinellas County is not offering pre-filled sandbags.
Municipal residents
Most Pinellas County Government offices under the County Administrator will be closed Thursday, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth. Offices of the Property Appraiser and Tax Collector will also be closed.
Offices of the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller and Supervisor of Elections will be open during their normal hours. The courts of the Sixth Judicial Circuit (Pinellas and Pasco) will conduct their regular schedules.
Parks & Conservation Resources
The administration office, Heritage Village, Brooker Creek Environmental Education Center and Weedon Island Cultural and Natural History Center will be closed.
Animal Services shelter
The offices and adoption center at Pinellas County Animal Services will be closed.
Building Services
Pinellas County Building Services office locations will be closed, and inspections will not take place.
Contractor Licensing
Pinellas County Contractor Licensing office and the Pinellas County Construction Licensing Board will be closed.
Human Services
Pinellas County Human Services office locations will be closed.
Solid Waste Disposal Complex
The Disposal Complex/Scalehouse will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Administration Building, Household Hazardous Waste Center and Swap Shop will be closed.
Utilities
The Business and Customer Services Call Center and the lobby at 14 S. Fort Harrison will be closed. Customers can make payments online and can reach the answering service at (727) 464-4000 for emergencies.
Normal County operating hours will resume on Friday, Jun 20.
Please click on the link below to understand the devastating effects on the Florida economy if the current House plan in Florida goes through.
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/740992-analysis-house-tourist-development-tax-plan-would-criple-floridas-economy/
Before You Go: Before you hit the door for the weekend. Here are a few things that are happening on America's Best Beaches. St. Pete Beach is proposing rules for signage at local businesses. This may impact how you do business. First Reading is Tuesday at the 6pm Commission Meeting. Summary Here Boaters Take Note - The Governor recently signed the Boater Freedom Act - prohibiting law enforcement from boarding your vessel without probable cause. Read more HERE A Reminder that the storms impacted us in countless ways. Bittersweet that St. John Vianney's held its last graduation ceremony this week. The school is not reopening after sustaining devastating storm damage. More HERE Treasure Island Residents have new rules when it comes to elevating their property. Read all about the latest Terrain Modification news. The Chamber Leadership Institute still has a few openings. Don't miss this incredible opportunity for personal & professional growth. MORE HERE As always, your Chamber is here to serve. Never hesitate to reach out via phone, email or stopping by our office right on Gulf Blvd in St. Pete Beach #BuyBeachesFirst
Before You Go:
Before you hit the door for the weekend. Here are a few things that are happening on America's Best Beaches.
Immediate ReleaseMay 23, 2025
Media ContactJohn Carkeet, Public Information Coordinator
(321) 514-8462
jcarkeet@pinellas.gov
Pinellas: Some Parks amenities remain unavailable due to storm damage
Entering Memorial Day weekend, Pinellas County Parks & Conservation Resources wants to remind residents and visitors that some park amenities are temporarily closed or have limited access due to damage from last year’s hurricanes. The County is working with its contractors to complete repairs as soon as possible.
All other County parks, preserves, trails and beaches continue to welcome the public daily from 7 a.m. to sunset.
Visit pinellas.gov/parks or call (727) 582-2100 for the latest updates.
Pinellas: Water system maintenance to begin May 19
Temporary switch to chlorine disinfection improves water quality
· Semiannual water system maintenance program begins Monday, May 19
· Routine switch from chloramine to chlorine improves water quality.
Pinellas County Utilities will temporarily change its water disinfection process to chlorine from Monday, May 19 through Saturday, June 7. During this time, drinking water may smell or taste slightly different but there will be no impact to water pressure or service.
This semiannual switch temporarily changes the method of water treatment from chloramine to chlorine disinfection to improve water quality and minimize the potential for any future problems in the water system.
Kidney dialysis patients should not be impacted but should contact their dialysis care provider for more information about chlorine disinfection and how it affects their treatment. Fish owners should not be affected if they already have a system to remove chloramines but should contact local pet suppliers with any questions.
There have been no indications of significant bacteriological contamination problems in the system, and the water will continue to meet all federal and state standards for safe drinking water. Pinellas County Utilities water customers will benefit from this, as well as customers in the cities of Clearwater, Pinellas Park and Safety Harbor.
For more information, please visit pinellas.gov/utilities or contact Pinellas County Utilities Customer Service at (727) 464-4000.
Communications Department333 Chestnut Street, Clearwater, Florida 33756(727) 464-4600 • www.pinellas.gov
As Pinellas County develops their spending plan for the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds, they would like to hear from our business community. Below there is a link to a survey looking for input on your unmet needs. Please take a few minutes to respond. Please also see the schedule for local public meetings as another opportunity to provide direct feedback to Pinellas. Business/Economic Hurricane Impact: Please take a minute to complete the survey at the link below by Monday, March 10th. Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HurricaneDisasterImpactandRecoverySurvey The County has scheduled the following public meetings for residents and business owners to provide their input and feedback. South County – April 7th | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Lealman Exchange 5175 45th Street North, St. Petersburg, FL 33714 Mid County – April 10th | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM City of Dunedin – City Hall 737 Louden Ave, Dunedin, FL 34698 North County – April 24th | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Harbor Hall/White Chapel 1190 Georgia Avenue, Palm Harbor, FL 34683 Board of County Commissioners – May 6th 333 Chestnut Street, Palm Room Clearwater, FL 33756 CDBG-DR Action Plan information will be shared and tracked on County CDBG-DR Website: https://pinellas.gov/cdbg-dr/
Last updated on January 30, 2025
Hurricanes Helene and Milton
Overview of Allocation
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) directly awarded Pinellas County funding to support long‐term recovery efforts following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. These funds are designated to primarily benefit low- and moderate-income households and communities. Each CDBG-DR activity must address a disaster-related impact (direct or indirect), be a CDBG eligible activity, and meet a CDBG national objective.
$813,783,000
Total Pinellas County CDBG-DR Direct Allocation
CDBG-DR funding supports disaster relief, long-term recovery, restoration of infrastructure and housing, economic revitalization and mitigation in the most impacted and distressed areas, according to HUD. These funds are designated to primarily benefit low- and moderate-income households and communities.
No program allocations have been made at this time.
Pinellas County will announce opportunities for public input on developing an action plan for these funds in the near future. Identifying how to best use the funds and starting programs to distribute them is expected to take several months. Stay tuned for more information. Additional questions, contact Matthew Spoor, Pinellas County Administration, recovery@pinellas.gov, 727-464-4600
I have been provided the dates for the public hearings and wanted to provide you with the information.
Pinellas County CDBG-DR Public Hearings
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
South County – April 7th
Lealman Exchange
Ray Neri Room
5175 45th Street North
St. Petersburg, FL 33714
Mid County – April 10th
City of Dunedin – City Hall
Commission Chambers
737 Louden Ave
Dunedin, FL 34698
North County – April 24th
Harbor Hall/White Chapel
1190 Georgia Avenue
Palm Harbor, FL 34683
Tampa Bay Free BeachesPost Office Box 951Palm Harbor, FL 34682
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