Congressman Charlie Crist visited one of Pinellas County’s vaccination sites in Largo on February 1st to observe first hand how the Florida Department of Health and Pinellas County Government’s COVID-19 vaccination process is working. He had the opportunity to visit with and observe as two Pinellas County constituents received their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Fire paramedic crews from local municipalities are administering the vaccines at four public vaccination sites to seniors who are 65 years of age or older.

Vaccines for residents require an appointment and there is no waiting list. Seniors can create a registration account at https://www.patientportalfl.com or by calling (844) 770-8548. Creating an account does not guarantee availability of a vaccine appointment and seniors only have to create an account once. Every person needs their own appointment and vaccination sites are not able to schedule vaccine appointments. Residents are encouraged to schedule vaccine appointments online or by phone as vaccine shipments become available. More information can be found at https://covid19.pinellascounty.org/vaccines/

Congressman Crist was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Florida’s 13th District, in 2017; he was subsequently re-elected. Constituents can reach Congressman Crist’s District Office at (727) 318-6770. Congressman Crist maintains a year-round office at 696 1st Avenue North, Suite 203, in downtown St. Petersburg.

As part of the ongoing sewer replacement project in the Seminole Blvd and 8th Ave area, Engineering Services anticipates nightly single lane closures of Seminole Blvd from February 16 to March 12, 2021. The lane closure location will be approximately 500 feet south of the Seminole Blvd/8th Ave intersection. During this period, work will progress across Seminole Blvd in a westward direction with the first lane closures in the northbound traffic lanes, through the median, and concluding with the southbound lanes. The driving surface of the impacted lane will be restored daily by 6 a.m. to accommodate morning traffic.

To improve pedestrian safety and traffic operations, a new four-way stop was installed on February 1, 2021 along Ridge Rd SW at 6th Avenue SW. This replaced the two-way stop previously at the intersection. Advanced stop ahead signage is temporarily installed along Ridge Road SW warning motorists of the new signage.

The City’s United Way Campaign concluded on Friday, January 29, 2021. The Campaign met its 100% goal by raising $7,000 thanks to a tremendous level of generosity from City employees! A big thank you to this year’s United Way Campaign committee for all of their hard work organizing socially distanced fund raising events. Thanks to all who made this a successful United Way Campaign!

Resolution No. 2271 approved by City Commission on June 16, 2020 allowed for the waiving of all delinquent years’ business taxes if a business comes into compliance with their 2021 business tax receipt (BTR) and pays the current year in full. The BTR Amnesty Program ran from July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. 58 businesses took advantage of the program, with a total saving of $21,038.15 in back tax and penalties fees.

On January 27, a Development Order was issued to Jody Shirley of Jomar Development, Inc. for the property located at 193 14th Street NW with Parcel Identification Number 33-29-15-00000-130-1000. The property covers approximately 0.26 acres and is designated Residential/Office General (R/OG) on the City of Largo Future Land Use Map. The Development Order authorizes developing the property, which includes constructing two single-family attached dwellings, landscaping, and associated infrastructure improvements as depicted on the approved site plan.

Largo’s Engineering Department and Housing Division hosted a virtual neighborhood meeting with residents and stakeholders from the Washington Ave neighborhood. The purpose of the meeting was to provide an update to the neighborhood on the planned sidewalk and lighting project scheduled for construction this year. Four residents attended, as well as staff from the Housing Division, Engineering Department, Communications & Engagement and the project’s engineering firm Kimley-Horn. The residents were also were provided an opportunity to give feedback on other future improvements they would like to see in the neighborhood. The residents mentioned they would like to see more tree planting in the future, and have a neighborhood clean-up and/or “Paint the Block” event for additional improvements. The sidewalk and lighting project is planned to go to bid in March with construction completion by September 2021. This project is funded by Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), and aligns with the Housing Division’s mission to “Build Community by Investing in Housing, Neighborhoods and Supportive Services.”