|
News From the City of Treasure Island • July 31, 2024
City Hall • 10451 Gulf Blvd. |
|
 The Sanding Ovations Masters Cup, one of the most anticipated events in Florida, is pleased to announce the theme for 2024 - "The Gallery of Sand."
This year's theme is inspired by the artistry and creativity found in museums, murals and galleries around the Tampa Bay area. Sand sculptures are masterpieces that showcase the talent and skill of the sculptors who create them, not just temporary sculptures on the beach.
“This year’s theme enables us to highlight the quality of sand sculptors that Sanding Ovations brings in from all over the world. These artists are world champion sculptors who create sand sculptures worthy of being in any gallery,” Sanding Ovations founder Dan Doubleday said.
Sanding Ovations is Treasure Island’s signature event and is one of the driving forces behind the city's position as one of the most popular beaches in the country. This free event consists of epic sand creations, seven days of live music, food and non-food vendors, a kite festival and one of the best fireworks displays of the year. Sanding Ovations combines the celebration of the beautiful sandy beaches of Pinellas County with the international element provided by the sculptors and the visitors that come from all over the world.
“Treasure Island has one of the widest beaches on the west coast of Florida. This is a perfect setting for a gallery,” Doubleday said. “The quality of Treasure Island’s sand enables the sculptors to create very difficult, gravity-defying pieces of art.”
The 2024 Sanding Ovations Masters Cup will take place Nov. 21-24 with an encore weekend Nov. 30 through Dec. 1. Admission is free, making it an accessible and enjoyable event for everyone.
For more information, sponsorship opportunities and to stay updated on the latest event details, visit SandingOvationsMastersCup.com.
|
|
 The Treasure Island City Commission will hold a meeting on Friday, Aug. 2 at City Hall to review the proposed FY25 budget. You can attend in person or watch a live stream:
Click here for more information.
|
|
 At a Special City Commission Meeting on July 30, Ordinance 2024-03 was approved, eliminating the requirement for hotels and motels to have at least 50 rooms in order to have a bar or restaurant on the premises. This requirement, dating back to 1949, limited additional services in these establishments that could otherwise be allowed through special exceptions.
By removing this requirement, smaller hotels will have the opportunity to expand and increase their revenue streams while maintaining sustainable business practices. Bars will still be limited to ten percent of the building's floor area and any new services will be carefully reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Board for potential impacts on neighboring properties. This change is expected to increase consumer spending at these locations without causing significant issues.
|
|
 Congratulations to Treasure Island resident Agnes Abbott on reaching an incredible milestone - her 100th birthday! Mayor Tyler Payne and the City Commission issued a special proclamation to celebrate Agnes. Mayor Payne even attended Agnes's birthday party on July 30 to wish her a happy birthday and present her with a key to the city. 100 years is epic in itself and may this special milestone be filled with joy and accompanied by loved ones who celebrate your remarkable journey - cheers to you, Agnes!
|
|
 Effective July 29, parking on the side streets of Sunset Beach in Treasure Island will no longer be free. Visitors must now use the ParkMobile app to pay for parking.
Key highlights of this change include:
- No new parking spaces have been created. Where it was legal to park in the past, it will continue to be legal, costing $5 per hour using the ParkMobile app.
- Side-street parking rates apply 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.
- Visitors are asked to pay close attention to signage. Some side streets allow parking on both sides of the street 7 days a week. Other streets only allow parking on one side of the street on weekends and holidays.
- Residents can purchase up to two Treasure Island City Parking passes for $45 per year and go online to add their visitors' license plates to their accounts to avoid residential visitors from having to pay the ParkMobile rate.
- City parking lots offer a lower hourly rate of $3.75.
- Special consideration by parking enforcement will be given to construction, pool and lawn maintenance vehicles.
- Parking enforcement officers will utilize License Plate Reader Technology to monitor compliance, with fines of $60 per violation for parking infractions.
This program, being tested in Sunset Beach, aims to encourage visitors to use city parking lots first and ensure public safety. These rules exist for public safety purposes, ensuring emergency vehicles can access all roadways. This allows residents to have unobstructed access to their driveways and property.
Feedback can be directed to Commissioner Dickey at adickey@mytreasureisland.org.
The City of Treasure Island appreciates the cooperation of residents and visitors in adhering to these new parking regulations.
|
|
 Join us next Wednesday, Aug. 7, for Waterside Wisdom Wednesdays, a short series of one-hour educational conversations designed to educate the community about our environment and beautiful Treasure Island beach. The next session will be presented by Keep Pinellas Beautiful.
The class begins at 9 a.m. at Sunset Vista Park.
For questions, contact recreation@mytreasureisland.org.
|
|
 Speaking of Waterside Wednesdays. Treasure Island summer campers flew the coop this morning to learn about birds at a Waterside Wednesday chat with the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary at Sunset Vista Park.
|
|
 Take me out to the ballgame! A group of Treasure Island summer campers attended today’s Rays game at Tropicana Field. Assistant Parks and Recreation Director Mike Baker was able to catch a foul ball and gave it to one excited camper to keep as a souvenir.
|
|
 Planning a visit to City Hall. The visitor's parking lot is located on the northeast side of the building (to the right of the main entrance). The first hour of parking is free during normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
For more parking information, visit MyTreasureIsland.com/Parking.
|
|
 My Safe Florida Home grant program is now open and accepting applications for home-strengthening improvements! Terms of the grants require homeowners to provide $1 for every $2 from the state, meaning homeowners must pay $5,000 on a $10,000 grant.
For more information about eligible activities and grant applications, please visit the website at www.MySafeFLHome.com.
The schedule for applying is:
- July 1-15: Low-income homeowners age 60+
- July 16-30: Low-income homeowners
- July 31-Aug 14: Moderate-income homeowners age 60+
- Aug 15-30: Moderate-income homeowners
- Aug 31: All other eligible homeowners
|
|
 We are entering the peak of hurricane season. Don't be caught off guard. Get storm ready. Visit MyTreasureIsland.com/StormReady for all the information you need.
|
|
 Residents of Treasure Island will no longer be able to tune in to Spectrum Channel 644 to watch city meetings or for updates. Due to new regulations allowing cable companies to charge city governments for cable channels, the city decided to discontinue broadcasting on this channel. To remain fiscally responsible, the city has opted to focus on streaming city meetings live on our website or through platforms such as Facebook Live and YouTube Live. While it may be a change for some, this shift in broadcasting allows for greater accessibility and flexibility for individuals to stay informed about their community.
|
|
 Questions about Elevate T.I.? Submit any questions you have online and have our team answer them. Visit ElevateTI.com and click on the "Submit Question Here" button at the top of the page.
Why Elevate T.I.? CLICK HERE to check out this short video on our YouTube page.
|
|
|
|
|
