I live in Tampa and visit St. Petersburg quite often. Usually, you bump into the market on a Saturday morning or meet up with friends for lunch. That’s why I’m happy to see a new discussion there about cleaning downtown. It’s expired and when done correctly, it can add a huge addition to the vibrancy and charm of downtown.
The St. Petersburg City Council met recently to discuss downtown cleaners and safer methods. As envisaged, the so-called clean and safe programs will clean sidewalks, among other things, and provide outreach services to the downtown homeless population. The idea is to create cleaner, safer environments while better connecting homeless people with housing and social services.
I’m generally cautious about taking a big step in dealing with a single event. I also understand why the government-initiated homeless initiative is fearful that nothing more than harassing the poor people living on the streets. But downtown has been building up image problems for years. And there are ways to balance public safety without violating human dignity or rights. The trick here is to involve a wide range of players and carefully implement a thoughtful approach. Doing nothing seems to be the worst option. It simply ignores the obvious and makes the problem worse.
On a recent Saturday morning, I was shocked by the situation in downtown. Block Afterblocks include plastic cups, beer bottles, pizza boxes and other trash spilled from overloaded trash cans. Some groomed medians had no landscaping at all. There was an old cigarette butt and a line of sprinklers protruding from the dirt. Even in the morning, many people were flushing the sidewalk, so some bars and businesses didn’t even bother to clean up the garbage piled up on the door the night before. It was an ugly, stinky mess, not the first time. Some downtown construction sites have been better maintained.
This was not found in Williams Park, where some of the homeless people in downtown gather. This mess is left by paid customers in downtown just one or two away. It is also worth pointing out that the man who was killed by attacking the restaurant owner was not homeless. He has had a permanent downtown address since 2023, so it is necessary to distinguish between the issue of homelessness and the issue of mental crisis. That is the only way to address the security, aesthetic and humanitarian needs of our front door.
A clean and safe initiative could begin. This effort is neither novel nor Hercules. Hundreds of communities use similar schemes to glorify, secure and sell urban centres. Tampa, for example, contracts with nonprofits that use special assessments of area properties to fund downtown improvements. This brings a stern eye and a singular focus to downtowns where most city halls can’t match.
Of course, there are many ways St. Petersburg can fund similar programs through parking fees, redevelopment fees, or other government funds, through assessments of either downtown property, contributions, membership, or annual spending. I’m not very interested in how you make sausages. The key is to have a meaningful, committed and fair revenue stream, have the accountability to be responsible for programs and spending, and provide a ton of surveillance to residents, businesses and elected leaders.
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These programs provide local law enforcement with a broader pool of resources to help homeless people find stable housing and social services they need. It will build relationships that could help dismantle tensions on the streets, while creating a more welcoming pedestrian environment.
The city could also take smaller steps. Bars and restaurants should be more responsible for the garbage they generate. The average homeowner is not allowed to stack cans, bottles and take-out containers outside the facility, so why do you allow your business? The city should also implement a morning deadline for cleanups, encouraging public spaces to better maintain and property owners to become better neighbors.
Please don’t get me wrong. Downtown St. Pete is fun, clean and has a lot to do. The growth of the downtown housing market reflects the popularity of the region. And I always respected the city maintaining public access to its waterfront. However, downtown needs some care. Let’s see how Clean and Safe can move from the slogan to the better St. Pete.
