The state of Florida is stepping in to assist beach communities overwhelmed by a surge in permit requests following back-to-back hurricanes Helene and Milton. State Representative Linda Chaney revealed that nearly 700 requests for state support have been submitted, with 83% already fulfilled and the remainder in progress.
St. Pete Beach was one of the first municipalities to request significant help. Earlier this month, the state agreed to send 18 workers to support the city, but only 12 have been able to assist so far due to licensing challenges, according to Denise Sanderson, the city’s interim Community Development Director.
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“We’re facing significant hurdles finding staff with the proper licensure,” Sanderson said during last week’s City Commission meeting. She noted that the city still needs two code enforcement officers, one permit technician, and four building inspectors to meet demand.
The backlog has drastically slowed the permitting process. “Our goal is to issue 75 permits daily,” Sanderson stated. “But we’ve only managed 19 in a day recently. I want the commission and public to know we are fully committed to achieving our goal.”
Frustrated residents voiced their concerns at the meeting, urging the city and state to expedite assistance.
“I’ve worked my entire life for my beach home, and now I can’t even fix it to live there with my dad,” said Joe Medeiros. “Just let us repair our homes and go back.”
Cindy Berg added, “Having only 11 staff members handling permits for a city of this size is unacceptable.”
State Representative Chaney assured residents that efforts are underway to address the issue. She is drafting legislation to improve recovery funding procedures and educate officials on disaster response.
“Back-to-back hurricanes have taught us valuable lessons,” Chaney said. “I’ve already filed a bill to address some of the challenges we’re facing, aiming to improve recovery efforts for future disasters.”
Chaney encouraged other struggling municipalities to request state assistance. She also highlighted her collaboration with the Florida Division of Emergency Management, which embedded staff in affected beach communities to meet urgent needs.
St. Pete Beach spokesperson Marc Portugal announced that six additional state employees and outside contractors are expected to join the permitting office next week. Additionally, the city has hired a new building inspector who will start on December 9.
“These measures should help alleviate the current backlog and accelerate recovery efforts,” Portugal said.
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St. Pete-Clearwater Sun 
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