News From the City of Treasure Island • Sept. 6, 2023

40 Years of Service to Treasure Island!

An amazing achievement. The City Commission recognized Parks and Recreation Director Cathy Hayduke for 40 years of service with the city of Treasure Island.

Cathy started as a volunteer for the city when she was 13 years old: running errands for the Finance Dept, working with 4H & was a junior volunteer for summer camp. Cathy’s mom worked in the Finance Dept for 10 years before she retired in June 1983.

Cathy started her career with the Treasure Island in the Parks and Recreation Department as a Temporary Clerk Typist II – it was a summer job when she was 16 years old. Cathy also worked three summers as a camp coach, then began full-time as a Senior Clerical Assistant in the Parks and Recreation Department on Sept. 6, 1983. In just two years, Cathy became the Parks and Recreation Director on Sept. 18, 1985.

Cathy met her husband of 40 years, Phil, during her first summer as a camp coach. They were engaged by the second year as camp coaches; then married in May 1983, their third year working as camp coaches. Cathy & Phil’s wedding reception was at the T.I. Community Center. Her grandparents lived in Treasure Island and her family used to vacation here when she was a kid. They would stay at the Jefferson Cottages and Malloy Hotel. If you ask Cathy, she’ll tell you Treasure Island picked her and she has always been a champion for our beautiful beach community.

CONGRATULATIONS ON 40 YEARS OF SERVICE!

Idalia Cleanup Information For Residents & Businesses

FEMA Assistance:
The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that Pinellas County has been added to Florida’s Major Disaster Declaration, which makes our community eligible for federal assistance, including Individual Assistance.

Those impacted by Hurricane Idalia can visit disasterassistance.gov, download the FEMA app or call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). Residents who use TTY may call 1-800-462-7585. Disaster survivors who use 711 or VRS (Video Relay Service) may also call 800-621-3362. Lines are open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. local time, seven days a week. The information you share will be used to determine our needs for federal assistance here in Pinellas.

Disaster assistance may include financial help for temporary lodging, basic home repairs and other disaster-caused expenses. FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance teams will begin meeting with homeowners, renters and businesses that were impacted by Hurricane Idalia in Pinellas County on Monday, Sept. 4, 2023. They will go door to door in the affected areas. They will be wearing an official FEMA shirt or vest and have an ID badge displayed above their belt line. They can help people register for FEMA Individual Assistance or update any information for people who have already registered.

Issues in the City of Treasure Island:
Residents are asked to use SeeClickFix to report storm-related issues and other information. By utilizing the online or mobile reporting platform, residents can report non-emergency issues through a variety of service request categories. Visit MyTreasureIsland.com/SeeClickFix.

If you need assistance:

• Pinellas County partners with 211 Tampa Bay Cares, which residents can text or call to be referred to assistance for lodging, food, and other services offered by area non-profits.
• Crisis Cleanup can assist with damage from Hurricane Idalia, like cutting fallen trees, tarping roofs, cleaning up flooding damage and mold mitigation. The public can call: 800-451-1954 or visit crisiscleanup.org through Sept. 15.
• The Florida Baptist Disaster Relief Public Assistance program is available to help with cleaning out flood damaged houses, tarping and tree removal. Their phone number is 904-253-0502.
• Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay (RTTB) is now accepting applications from those affected by Hurricane Idalia for immediate recovery assistance. This includes mucking and gutting, chainsaw work and yard debris removal, roof tarping, and other time-sensitive needs. Residents seeking assistance are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to benefit from the resources available. Applications can be found at RTTB.org or by calling 813-878-9000.
• Florida Commerce has activated the private sector hotline at 850-815-4925 for businesses and the private sector to ask questions and get information. Inquiries may also be emailed to ESF18@em.myflorida.com.
• Residents who suspect local price gouging can report it to Pinellas County Consumer Protection at (727) 464-6200 or complete an online form at pinellas.gov/consumer. They are also encouraged to report it to the Attorney General’s hotline at 1-866-9-NO-SCAM.

Ways to help:

• You can register to help at https://www.volunteerflorida.org/volunteerconnect/.
• In response to the impacts from Hurricane Ian, Volunteer Florida has activated the Florida Disaster Fund. The Florida Disaster Fund is the State of Florida's official private fund established to provide financial assistance to our communities as they respond to and recover from times of emergency or disaster. Donations to the Florida Disaster Fund are made to the Volunteer Florida Foundation, 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and are tax-deductible. To contribute, please visit FloridaDisasterFund.org or text DISASTER to 20222.

Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program

The Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program is now available. The program makes $20 million available for businesses impacted by Hurricane Idalia.

Florida small business owners in need of assistance are encouraged to visit www.FloridaJobs.org/EBLto apply for the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program.

Who is eligible to apply? Businesses in Pinellas County are eligible to apply by the October 25, 2023 deadline, or until all available funds are expended.

What kind of loans are offered? The program, administered by FloridaCommerce, provides short-term, zero-interest loans, in an amount of up to $50,000, to small businesses that experienced economic injury or physical damage due to Hurricane Idalia. Loans approved through the Emergency Bridge Loan Program are intended to “bridge the gap” between the time a disaster impacts a business and when a business has secured longer-term recovery funding, such as federally or commercially available loans, insurance claims, or other resources. They are not grants and loans must be repaid by the approved applicant. FloridaCommerce administers the Emergency Bridge Loan Program alongside its fiscal administrator, Florida First Capital Finance Corporation.

Who can businesses contact for loan assistance? Visit www.FloridaJobs.org/EBL to learn more about the program, and view the lending guidelines and required documentation. Business owners who need further program information may call 833-832-4494 Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time.

Debris Collection

The city would like to apologize for any confusion regarding storm debris pickup. Communication can change in an instant after a storm due to different circumstances.

The city of Treasure Island has a small staff working as hard and fast as they can to pick up storm debris across the city. The reason the city is not picking up drywall is due to the fact much of the drywall that has been discarded is mixed in with other construction material that can’t be picked up because it will cause damage to city vehicles. Construction debris collection is also prohibited by city ordinance due to the damage construction materials pose to vehicles. Also, after an area is declared to receive FEMA assistance, the separation of trash types is required for FEMA reimbursement.

The first obligation is to collect garbage, vegetation, furniture/appliances, etc. The size of the pile will also determine what vehicle is needed. This also helps the city keep certain materials separated. Regular vehicles will pick up the smaller items while a claw truck will have to pick up bigger items.

We know everyone is working hard to get all the debris cleaned up and your properties back to beautiful. The city is working hard to accommodate everyone as there is a lot of debris that needs to be collected.

Thank you for your understanding.

For solutions on disposing of construction materials visit:
https://pinellas.gov/where-does-it-go-search-tool/

Bartoberfest 2023 - Vendor Registration Open

Hot Digity Dog! Vendor registration is open for this year’s Barktoberfest happening on Oct. 29 at John Morroni Dog Park at Rosselli Park in Treasure Island.

Become a Sponsor or Vendor

Treasure Island is proud to host the Sanding Ovations Masters Cup every year - one of the most family-friendly and creative competitions in the world. This event is made possible with the help of sponsors.

With sponsorship privilege comes a multitude of exposure for your business! Some key highlights include:

• Sponsorship logo pile, which remains on the beach until the first week of January 2024, maximizing exposure
• Access to Sponsor Tent with food & beverages
• Business logo on marketing materials – fliers, signage, website, social media and other opportunities

Learn more at https://bit.ly/3qEvSAI

Stay Storm Ready

Sept. 18
City Commission Meeting & Workshop
6 p.m. | City Hall Auditorium

Sept. 21
Planning & Zoning Board Meeting
2 p.m. | City Hall Auditorium

Meetings are streamed live online at mytreasureisland.com/citymeetings, on Spectrum Channel 644 and now on Facebook Live, facebook.com/cityoftreasureisland