Treasure Island residents are frustrated with the city commission, blaming them for delays in the permitting process. Without permits, residents can’t repair their homes, which were damaged months ago in back-to-back hurricanes.

The commission decided to send substantial damage letters to people without permits, using all available data for the permitting process.

Residents pointed out that some people are already making repairs to their homes without waiting on the commission. They feel those trying to follow the proper channels are being punished by the commission’s lack of urgency.

Treasure Island neighborhoods look empty, with many “for sale” signs in yards. Dozens of residents attended the city hall meeting on Tuesday night.

“Our building department failed our community,” said one woman.

Many accused the commission of slowing down the permitting process. Even Mayor John Doctor accused the staff of misleading FEMA during their Jan. 10 meeting, which has prevented people from starting home repairs. The staff made a recommendation based on FEMA concerns about the permitting process.

“This motion is more for FEMA than for the residents,” said one resident. “We’re going over the same stuff again; it’s unacceptable.”

Corey Evans spoke during the meeting, mentioning he got his permit last week.

“We’re ready to rebuild, but the permitting process was really, really terrible,” Evans said.

Substantial damage letters, which determine the level of damage homes sustained, haven’t made the process easier. Commissioner Arden Dickey found data showing how the Pinellas County Property Appraiser’s values of properties skewed the damage assessments, revealing many inconsistencies.

City Manager Chuck Anderson wants to implement team processing models to issue permits faster.

“To be best prepared for this change, we need to focus on the 463 permits currently under review,” Anderson said. “That’s our backlog, and we need to clear it.”

The model would be available on Tuesdays and Thursdays at city hall, aiming to issue a permit before the customer leaves.

Some residents were very critical of Anderson and wanted the leaders to hear their concerns clearly.

“We’re almost four months since the storm, and the permitting process is collapsing under its own weight,” said one woman. “The number one priority is issuing permits; nothing else matters.”

They also expressed that after this experience, they will vote to make changes to the council in the upcoming election.

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(Image credit: WFLA)