Stormwater

St. Petersburg, Florida voters are choosing between incumbent Mayor Ken Welch and former Gov. Charlie Crist in a nonpartisan race, with both candidates registered Democrats. The contest centers on affordability, stormwater infrastructure, and redevelopment of the 86-acre Gas Plant District, former home of Tropicana Field. Crist favors tax and spending cuts and wants to revisit the site's redevelopment plan with an eye toward bringing the Tampa Bay Rays back. Welch defends his existing developer-led plan emphasizing mixed-use housing, and warns of looming infrastructure costs. Crist led in the August primary and in a pre-Election Day poll. Polls close 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Harris County commissioners approved a partnership with University of Houston researchers to study floating vegetated islands aimed at improving stormwater quality at a county detention basin. The islands, installed this spring at the Stormwater Detention Basin in Reverend William and Audrey Lawson Park, are made of recycled plastic holding native wetland plants whose roots dangle into the water to absorb sediment, nutrients, and other pollutants before they reach bayous.

The three-year, $500,000-plus study is largely funded by a state environmental grant, with the remainder covered by a 2018 flood control bond. Officials hope results could guide wider use of the islands at detention basins region-wide.

Charleston Mayor William Cogswell has proposed requiring developers to conduct broader traffic studies before projects are approved, a change announced at an Oct. 6 State of the City meeting on Johns Island that drew a packed, applauding crowd frustrated by worsening congestion. Currently, developers must analyze traffic only at a project's immediate entrances and exits; the proposal would expand that scope to the surrounding area, giving the city's technical review committee more authority to require fixes if a road is already failing. Officials liken the approach to the city's strict stormwater rules and to a concurrency bill Charleston wants state lawmakers to pass, which would require infrastructure to be ready before development proceeds. Existing property entitlements limit how much growth the city can restrict outright. Cogswell also highlighted planned roadway upgrades and new amenities for Johns Island, and noted a Nov. 3 transportation sales tax referendum that would fund mobility improvements or otherwise lead to higher property taxes. Residents offered mixed reactions, with some calling for even stronger protections.

Harris County has been granted a one-year "final extension" by HUD, through the Texas General Land Office, to complete flood mitigation projects funded by $1.1 billion in Hurricane Harvey recovery money. The county had faced a deadline within roughly five months that risked losing $35 million tied to a single project, the Dinner Creek stormwater detention basin, which remains about a year and a half from completion.

Records show more than $600 million in projects were at risk of missing key deadlines; the extension reduces the number of at-risk projects from 18 to seven. More than 50 projects statewide, including Galveston's South Shore Drainage project, benefit from the additional time. Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham voiced "grave concern" over delays from the Harris County Flood Control District, saying the county "needs shovels, not scapegoats." County officials say they are reviewing the extension and will provide details at the next commissioners court meeting.

The St. Petersburg, Florida City Council voted to raise utility rates for residents, with increases for potable water, stormwater, wastewater, reclaimed water, and sanitation services taking effect Oct. 1. City officials said the higher rates are needed to fund essential operations and routine maintenance across the city's utility systems.

The vote was not unanimous, and public comment at Thursday's meeting was uniformly opposed, with residents citing strain on fixed incomes. Depending on water usage, monthly bills are expected to rise between $8 and $14. Council Member Gina Driscoll pushed to skip a year of increases, while Council Member Copley Gerdes argued that delaying upgrades would risk infrastructure failure. The city reviews utility rates annually, and Driscoll noted that future rates could be affected by the outcome of a property tax amendment on November's general election ballot.