Welcome to LARGO TODAY, News from the City Manager. You can find a copy of this edition and previous eNews at Largo.com/LargoToday. Stay up-to-date on the superior services Largo offers residents, businesses, and visitors to build the "Community of Choice in Tampa Bay."

-Maggie Paluch, Acting City Manager

• Tue, Aug 22 | Community Meet & Greet with City Manager Candidates | Central Park Performing Arts Center
• Wed, Aug 23 | City Manager Candidate Interviews | Largo City Hall
• Thu, Aug 24 | Downtown Business Meeting | Holiday Inn Express & Suites



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COMMUNITY MEET & GREET WITH CITY MANAGER FINALIST

Tuesday, August 22 | 6-7:30pm | Central Park Performing Arts Center

The Largo City Commission has identified four dynamic candidates to be considered for Largo’s next City Manager. Candidates have diverse resumes with experience serving various communities and organizations. Input and feedback from community members is a valuable part of this comprehensive interview process and the Mayor and City Commission want to hear from you.

The City will host a Community Meet & Greet that is open to the public on Tuesday, August 22, from 6-7:30pm at the Central Park Performing Arts Center. Candidates will provide a brief introduction and will then be available to meet community members. A printed or digital candidate overview will be provided to those that attend. Community Outreach Team Members will be available to speak with community members about their overall experience interacting with the candidates and their resumes. Light refreshments will be served. 

LARGO'S NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECT MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM

Largo’s Neighborhood Grant program provides matching grants of up to $3,000 to support neighborhood projects that advance local beautification, sustainability, and community pride. The application is open to all Largo residents and Largo-serving community groups. Applicants can match the city’s grant with funds from their local association or with just their own volunteer hours! 

2022-2023 Successful Projects:

• Penthouse Groves Association: landscaping*
• Woodrow Park Resident: free little library
• Rothmoor Estates Association (55+ community): landscaping*
• Villas Capri Association: fence and landscaping* updates
• Ridgecrest Elementary Parent-Teacher Association: landscaping*

2023 Active Applications:

• Palm Hill Country Club Association (55+ MHP community): garden club updates
• Local Artist: painted crosswalk at Largo Central Park Drive

2023 Pending Applications:

• Tall Pines Resident: free little library
• MiddleCreek Association: landscaping* 

*The City connects applicants interested in landscaping projects with Largo’s parks team, arborist, and UF/IFAS Extension Office to ensure projects are following Florida-friendly practices and prioritizing Florida-native plants. 

SPRUCE UP LARGO

September 16 is National Cleanup Day and we want you to team up with the Largo Recreation, Parks & Arts Department to enhance our crown jewel, Largo Central Park and the Largo Central Park Nature Preserve. Groups will paint, plant flowers, remove invasive species, clean up trash, and more. Breakfast, refreshments, and a t-shirt will be provided. Pre-registration is required.

McGOUGH NATURE PARK WINS LOCAL AWARD

Nature’s Food Patch in Clearwater announced on July 8 that McGough Nature Park was the winner of the June 2023 "Ban the Bag" campaign. 

Yacinia Colacchio, Ambassador & Promotions Manager for Nature’s Food Patch, said they began the “Ban the Bag” Campaign on Earth Day of 2008. Since that time, the store no longer uses plastic shopping bags. In an effort to encourage customers to bring their own reusable bags for their groceries, Nature’s Food Patch offers a 5¢ donation per bag to a different charitable organization each month.



For June 2023, they received 4,679 bags for a total donation of $233.95 for George C. McGough Nature Park.

The check presentation picture was taken on Wednesday, Aug 9 at McGough Nature Park. Yacinia sent this statement the next day, “It was such a pleasure to spend part of the day at “Turtle Park” with you, Donna, and the rest of the volunteers yesterday. Thank you for coordinating our little field trip. We had a great time learning about the resident animals and feeding the turtles.” 

DOWNTOWN LARGO BUSINESS OWNERS MEETING

The City of Largo will again host the monthly Downtown Business meeting for Largo businesses and commercial property owners on Thursday, August 24. This month, the meeting will be held at and sponsored by the Holiday Inn Express & Suites located at 210 Seminole Blvd from 9:30am to 10:30am.

As the opening of the new Horizon West Bay and City Hall moves closer to completion, the city is striving to enhance communications and explore opportunities for collaboration with downtown business owners. Based on input from the last meeting, the City’s Planning Division will be available to discuss and take questions regarding the current codes and land use designations intended to foster a thriving urban core.

Join Mayor Woody Brown and other city representatives as we discuss downtown construction projects, development policies, local events, and all things important to downtown business owners. Representatives from Largo Police Department will also be in attendance to field questions about last month’s topics of safety and homelessness.  

TAKE THE TAX RATE SURVEY

Each year, your priorities help determine how tax dollars are spent within the City of Largo's Annual Budget. For Fiscal Year 2024, City leaders are currently finalizing a proposed budget totaling nearly $234 million of investments in our community. Community feedback received throughout the year and during annual budget sessions informs city decision-making so that we can advance the vision to be the Community of Choice in Tampa Bay, Naturally! 

This brief poll focuses on the City of Largo's Property Tax / Millage Rate for Fiscal Year 2024. A new property tax rate will be adopted on September 18. Property taxes help pay for City services including Police, Fire Rescue, Parks, Recreation, and Emergency Management. Share your perspective through a 5-minute survey. The survey closes on August 28.

HOUSING FOR ALL COMMUNITY SURVEY

HOUSING FOR ALL is a new initiative for the City of Largo that will explore opportunities to encourage and realize a wide variety of housing types throughout the city. With rising costs, now is a critical time to set City policies and standards to ensure the housing supply meets the needs of a variety of households and supports a high quality of life for our community. Help us better understand the community’s housing needs and preferences by taking the Housing in Largo Community Survey. Respondents can be entered to win a $50 gift certificate (opt in at the end of the survey). To view the community forum presentation from July 24 and to find other updates and information on this initiative, visit the Housing for All website on Largo.com.

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT UPDATES

Black Rifle Coffee Company Project Cancellation

On March 15, 2023, the City of Largo issued a Development Order for the property located at 4535 East Bay Drive (Parcel ID: 31-29-16-10820-000-0010). The Development Order authorized the development of a 2,765-square-foot drive-thru Black Rifle Coffee Company establishment. The property owner subsequently applied for permits to demolish the existing 2,590-square-foot drive thru building and to develop the site in accordance with the scope of the approved Development Order. Prior to construction commencing, the property owner was notified that Black Rifle Coffee Company no longer intended to move their operations into the proposed facility and intend on canceling the project. At this time, the site’s existing building remains in place and the ownership group has since begun marketing the property.