Subject:
Title
Interlocal Agreement with the City of St. Pete Beach for additional time to complete the City’s portion of the Gulf Boulevard Improvement program pursuant to the Interlocal Agreement between the BIG-C beach communities and Pinellas County that expired September 30, 2026.
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Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval of the Interlocal Agreement with the City of St. Pete Beach to allow for additional time to complete the City’s portion of the Gulf Boulevard Improvement program outlined in the Interlocal Agreement between the BIG-C beach communities and Pinellas County that expired September 30, 2026.
• The Interlocal Agreement allows the City of St. Pete Beach up to September 30, 2027, to complete their project and submit for reimbursement.
• The agreement does not change the funding amount allocated to the City of St. Pete Beach for the project.
• The project is utility undergrounding within Gulf Boulevard for Phase I (75th Avenue to 55th Avenue) and Phase II (A is 55th Avenue to 45th Avenue and B is 45th Avenue to Pinellas Bayway).
• The inter-local agreements allocated funding to each barrier island city for utility undergrounding projects from the Penny for Pinellas III and IV.
• Of the $7,986,445.00 allocated to the project through the Inter-local agreement, $3,632,120.97 remains for reimbursement.
• Funding is included in the Capital Improvement Plan, in Fiscal Year 2027, in the Gulf Boulevard Improvements project (004200A).
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Strategic Plan:
Resilient Infrastructure and Environment
1.2 Maintain and enhance County infrastructure.
Prosperity and Opportunity
3.2 Provide and Promote tourism opportunities.
3.5 Foster Business Growth.
Summary:
Approval of this Interlocal Agreement will allow additional time for the City of St. Pete Beach to complete the utility undergrounding within Gulf Blvd as depicted in the Interlocal Agreement with the BIG-C beach communities that expired September 30, 2026. The expired Interlocal Agreement was funded by the Penny for Pinellas IV, and each city was allocated a certain funding amount to complete their projects. The eligible projects for reimbursement were included in the Gulf Boulevard Improvement Program “Improvement Plan”.
The County send a letter in February 2026 to each BIG-C member city as well as their City Managers/Administrators to inquire about the status of their project and to advise if additional time was needed. The City of Clearwater, St. Pete Beach and Town of Redington Shores all indicated additional time was needed to complete their projects. All the other cities indicated their last payment reimbursement was submitted.
Background Information:
The original Interlocal Agreement, approved by the Board of County Commissioners on July 10, 2012, provided funding for an amount not to exceed $35M from the Local Government Infrastructure Sales Surtax (“Penny III”), with an agreement expiration date of September 30, 2019. The agreement also provided for funding allocation to the individual Beach Communities based upon frontage on Gulf Boulevard. The BIG-C is responsible for determining the eligibility of projects within the Improvement Plan. The individual Beach Communities are responsible for project design, implementation, and on-going maintenance in perpetuity.
Resolution 19-55 was adopted August 20, 2019 to continue to provide funding to the Cities to allow them to complete work contemplated to be done under the expired agreement above through September 30, 2021.
A second Interlocal Agreement, approved by the Board of County Commissioners on October 20, 2020, providing a second amount of funding not to exceed $35M from the “Penny IV”, for a total of $70M towards the Gulf Boulevard Improvement Program with an expiration date of September 30, 2026. This Interlocal Agreement stated the funding assistance will be expended solely on undergrounding of utilities within Gulf Boulevard with two exceptions noted on Exhibit B. Exhibit B depicts a project for the City of Clearwater and for the Town of Indian Shores as their undergrounding projects were completed by this time.
Fiscal Impact:
Funding is included in the Capital Improvement Plan, in FY27, under Gulf Boulevard Improvements 004200A.
Staff Member Responsible:
Amy Davis, Community Coordinator
Partners:
City of St. Pete Beach
Barrier Island Government Council (BIG-C)
Attachments:
Interlocal Agreement with the City of St. Pete Beach
2nd Interlocal Agreement - Penny IV
Resolution 19-55 allowing for later payment for Original Interlocal Agreement
Original Interlocal Agreement - Penny III
City of St. Pete Beach Project Status
Gulf Blvd Undergrounding Funding Tracking as of September 30, 2026
County Letter to BIG-C Communities