Welcome to LARGO TODAY , News from the City Manager. Stay up-to-date on the superior services the City of Largo offers to our residents, businesses and visitors to build the "Community of Choice in Tampa Bay."
THIS WEEK IN LARGO JUNE 28, 2019
The City of Largo would like to remind you that all City facilities will be closed on Thursday, July 4th in honor of Independence Day. Trash and recycling will not be collected on July 4th. View the  Collection Schedule to find your pick-up day.
NEW COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT SERVICE HOURS
The Community Development Department has made a change in the office hours for the Building Division customer service center and Planner on Call. The Building Division will close at 12:00 pm on the first Wednesday of each month, effective July 3rd. The monthly closure will afford the Building Division staff the opportunity to engage in regular training, team building opportunities, and staff meetings. This dedicated time will result in a well rounded, unified, highly functioning team with the ultimate goal of providing superior customer service and inspiring community pride. The Building Division inspection hours will not be changed, and will be available Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm. For more information, email permits@largo.com or call 727-586-7488 ext 7202. The Planner on Call hours will also be modified on the first Wednesday of the month. The hours are listed below.

Customer Service Hours:

Building Division Office
Monday – Friday
8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Wednesday
8:00 am – 3:00 pm
First Wednesday of the month
8:00 am to 12:00 pm
Building Division Inspection Hours
Monday – Friday
8:00am – 3:30pm

Planner on Call
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
First Wednesday of the month
8:00 am to 12:00 pm
By Appointment, call 727-587-6749, ext. 7301.
- Carol Stricklin
Community Development Department Director I 586-7490 I cstrickl@largo.com
GOODBYE TO SINGLE USE PLASTICS!
As of July 1st, single-use plastics such as straws, styrofoam, utensils, cups and other items are no longer permitted to be distributed on City property. Instead, ocean-friendly items such as compostable serve-ware must be used. This transition highlights our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment, supporting local business and providing equitable access to resources and the environment in order to ensure a sustainable future for generations. For more information, visit Largo.com/PlasticFree.
- Laura Thomas
Sustainability Coordinator I 586-7424 I lthomas@largo.com
WEB ADA PROJECT UPDATE
The Largo.com Web Team has been working meticulously since January to ensure our website becomes ADA compliant. In late May, the team held the first “Web Bites” workshop to focus on overall concepts for website ADA, including ADA principles, best practices and tips and tricks on how to make both HTML webpages and PDFs accessible. 
  • Several PDFs found in Largo.com's “Permits & Planning” section have been recreated as accessible documents, thanks to the hardwork of Dottie Mazzucco
  • Documents such as the Strategic Plan Quarterly Report and Meeting Notices, which would have taken countless staff hours to convert to an accessible document, have been made available as web ADA-friendly webpages
  • LargoArts.com, PlayLargo.com and LargoPublicLibrary.org have also made strides in web accessibility by using page headers, simplified language and easier to navigate content
  • Third-party vendors have been reviewed for ADA compliance
In August, the team will hold the next "Web Bites" workshop focusing on Document Accessibility, with the goal to be as web compliant as possible by January 2020. Communications sends a huge THANK YOU! to our web team members for their hard work on this massive project as we continue to deliver superior services via the City’s digital communications platforms.

- Lauren Fatkin
Web & Marketing Specialist I 587-6740 I lfatkin@largo.com
LARGO.COM/FLOODHAZARDINFO
In Pinellas County, everyone is at risk for flooding, and you may be in a flood zone, a storm surge area, or an evacuation zone. A few inches of water is all it takes to cause major damage to your home and your belongings. Largo.com/FloodHazardInfo, a new digital guide, has been recently launched to help you find important flood and hurricane information and resources and tips to keep you safe during a flooding event. Questions regarding flood zones, maps or need more information? Contact Largo's Floodplain Administrator at 727-587-6749 Ext. 7301 or FloodPlains@largo.com.

- Lauren Fatkin
Web & Marketing Specialist I 587-6740 I lfatkin@largo.com
KILL-A-WATT CHALLENGE
The Largo Sustainability Team wants to challenge you to participate in the 2019 Kill-A-Watt Campaign. To celebrate our commitment to 100 percent renewable energy by 2035, the Team is inviting all staff to reduce their energy use by switching off lights and powering down computers when possible for the months of July, August and September. The building with the greatest reduction in energy use will be crowned the winner and receive the victor's trophy! If you take the Energy Pledge, you'll also be automatically entered to win a $25 gift card each month of the contest.

Stay on the lookout for Sustainability Team members around the office- they are stocked with goodies and can reward energy-smart behavior at any time. Other energy improvements, like IT's new energy-smart computer prompts or 'turn out the light' reminders, are coming soon!

So who will be crowned the Largo Energy champion? Who will be all charged up when they win top prizes? Stay tuned in to find out!
- Diane Mulville-Friel
Planner I I 587-6749 I dfrie@largo.com
TREES - OUR SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPIONSHIP
When we talk about sequestering carbon, the urban forest is our best friend. Our Largo urban forest sequesters and estimated 49,702,000 pounds of carbon annually! But that is not all—it also intercepts 1,562,470,087 gallons of stormwater runoff and removes 49,400 pounds of particulate matter. But can we increase these numbers? The answer is “YES”.

Staff have identified 6,000 vacant planting sites on public land in Largo. More trees equals greater carbon sequestration and greater stormwater interception. Trees are one of our most effective tools in environmental sustainability efforts and have one of the highest rates of return on investment. For every $1 invested, trees return $3 in environmental benefits.

Recreation, Parks and Arts Department Director I 587-6720 I jbyrne@largo.com
SMALL SCALE APPROVAL
On June 19th, a small scale approval was issued for a 3.39 acre industrial site located at 7265 Ulmerton Road to allow site modifications to include reconfiguring and enlarging the rear parking lot, installing landscaping, constructing a new purified water system enclosure, and to install a new transformer.

- Carol Stricklin
Community Development Department Director I 586-7490 I cstrickl@largo.com
MEETING UPDATES
US19/ROOSEVELT SPECIAL AREA PLAN JUMP OFF
The City of Largo Planning Division is excited to kick off the long range planning initiative with consultant, Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. (KHA) on the US19/Roosevelt Boulevard Special Area Plan (SAP). The intent of the SAP is to incentivize catalytic change with in the area of the US19 and Roosevelt Boulevard activity center and mulitmodal corridors and to create an economically viable urban destination. On Tuesday, June 25, 2019, KHA hosted the “Jump-Off” Meeting at City Hall in the Community Room, and involved a multi-departmental City Project Team, Advisory/Review Team, and staff members from Forward Pinellas and Pinellas County, Planning Department. The meeting began with interactive polling and led into KHA presenting the scope, schedule, boundary definition, the SAP’s relation to the Gateway/Mid County Master Plan, data needs, and the next steps. With the end goal of a successful SAP in mind, ideas were being shared, expertise exchanged and collaboration filled the room. Upcoming activities include a City Commission Work Session in the fall to discuss the study area boundaries, and opportunities for public input.

- Carol Stricklin
Community Development Department Director I 586-7490 I cstrickl@largo.com
2019 JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION
Economic Development staff attended the 2019 Juneteenth Celebration & Fish Fry at the Greater Ridgecrest YMCA on June 22nd and met with residents and others in attendance to talk about Largo. The program included speakers on what is Juneteenth and words of encouragement, and presented Achievement awards to several students from the community. In addition to contributing towards the fish fry, City staff also donated single-use plastics for the event!

- Carol Stricklin
Community Development Department Director I 586-7490 I cstrickl@largo.com
NEIGHBORHOOD INFORMATION MEETING
A Neighborhood Information Meeting was held on May 22nd to discuss redevelopment of a site located at 10125 Ulmerton Road with hotel, retail and restaurant uses. The property totals approximately 3.9 acres and is located in a Commercial General (CG) District on the City of Largo Future Land Use Map . All property owners and residents within 500 feet of the subject property were invited to attend the meeting. Carlos Yepes of Belleair Group was present to discuss the project and respond to questions and concerns. Planning Division staff was also present to answer questions from the public.

The meeting was attended by three residents from the City of Largo. The questions and concerns raised by attendees included stormwater run-off, lighting, landscaping and maintenance, fence types and locations, parking, traffic impacts, and project timeline. Mr. Yepes indicated that construction is expected to begin by September 1, 2019 last approximately 10 months. Staff stated that the final site plan submittal will be available to be viewed by any interested parties.

- Carol Stricklin
Community Development Department Director I 586-7490 I cstrickl@largo.com
UPCOMING EVENTS
4th OF JULY CELEBRATION
Come see one of the best firework shows in Pinellas County at Largo's 4th of July Celebration in Largo Central Park. On July 4th beginning at 6pm , family and friends can enjoy great food, entertainment and activities for all ages, followed by a spectacular fireworks show starting at approximately 9:15pm. Enjoy DJ Phil Pasek, from Fast Breaks Entertainment, a pie eating contest, video game truck, face painters, balloon artists, family games inflatables and more.
Admission to the event is free and activity wristbands will be available for purchase on-site (cash only). For the safety of everyone, no alcohol, coolers, pets, personal fireworks or sparklers are permitted in the park.

Largo Central Park is located at 101 Central Park Dr, Largo 33771. Limited on-site parking will be available for $10 (cash only). For more information about our 4th of July event, call  727-587-6740 ext. 5014 or visit LargoEvents.com.

In addition to Largo's Fourth of July fun, planned activities, this will be the City's first plastic free event! To create an ocean-friendly Largo and in support of Largo City Commission's vote this January, single-use plastics items will not be used by the city or our vendors. These efforts are part of the City’s sustainability goals as outlined in the Largo Environmental Action Plan (LEAP) and support the City’s Strategic Plan initiatives. Visit Largo.com/PlasticFree for more information about the ordinance.

- Joan Byrne
Recreation, Parks and Arts Department Director I 587-6740 I jbyrne@largo.com

JOIN OUR TEAM
Are you interested in helping to build the community of choice? There are great opportunities from interns to engineers. Largo provides outstanding benefits and a modern wellness program. Join us as we serve the community by providing superior services that inspire community pride. The City of Largo is a great place to work, naturally!
MISSION: Provide Superior Services that Inspire Community Pride

VISION: To Be the Community of Choice in Tampa Bay

VALUES: INTEGRITY | COLLABORATION | PASSION | CREATIVITY