Treasure Island is adding two new code compliance inspectors, expanding a bureaucracy still working through a backlog of complaints tied to hurricanes Helene and Milton, while quietly preparing to roll out a new surveillance system aimed at short-term rentals.

With the new hires, every district in Treasure Island will now have its own dedicated inspector, city officials said. The move comes as the code compliance team fields five to 10 new complaints a week on top of hurricane-related cases still working their way through the system nearly two years after the storms hit.

Anna Bartenstein, a code compliance inspector who currently splits her time across two districts, said much of her job comes down to enforcing measurable standards — like grass height. “So a lot of it is measurable. Like, for example, if the grass gets past 10 inches. And that’s been a large issue, especially with the rainy season here,” she said. Under the expansion, Bartenstein will be responsible for just one district instead of two.

James Dixon, the city’s code compliance supervisor, said the additional staff will handle both fieldwork and the paperwork-heavy process of building cases for hurricane-related violations that may end up before a magistrate. “Preparing those packages and evidence packages require a lot of work in office and with the new complaints that are coming in and new responsibilities with the new ordinances that we’ve implemented, we need help to get our cases through,” Dixon said — an acknowledgment that new ordinances, not just storm damage, are driving the added government payroll.

Perhaps the more notable development is what’s coming next: the city plans to deploy a system called Deckard that will scan thousands of rental listings to flag properties operating outside permitted zones. For property owners already navigating a patchwork of local rental rules, an automated enforcement tool combing through listings marks a significant escalation in how aggressively city hall polices what residents do with their own property.

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