Update: A detailed letter has now been shared with City Council explaining why a City-led, plan-first process is essential before any Gas Plant proposals move forward. [Read the full letter →]

Proposal-First Leaves City Council No Responsible Choice

St. Petersburg is approaching a major decision about the Gas Plant site — nearly 90 acres of publicly owned land at the center of the city.

So far, much of the public discussion has focused on developers, and dollars.

However, the more fundamental issue is governance.

Make no mistake: this is a once-in-a-generation public land decision with billion-dollar implications — and proposal-first is not how responsible cities make decisions of this magnitude.

If the proposal-first process continues, City Council will be placed in a position where it cannot responsibly do the job it was elected to do.

What City Council Is Elected to Do

St. Petersburg has a strong-mayor form of government.

Under this structure, the Mayor and City staff manage operations and make recommendations.

City Council has a different role.

Specifically, City Council exists to exercise independent judgment on behalf of residents — especially on major, irreversible decisions involving public land.

Council members are not elected to choose developers.
They are not elected to rank competing visions for an entire district. 
They are not elected to choose among developer-created visions before the City has adopted its own plan.

Instead, they are elected to approve or reject what the Mayor puts forward — based on an adopted City plan and clear public priorities.

That role requires a City-defined framework.  

Right now, that framework does not exist.

Why Proposal-First Is the Wrong Model

Proposal-first asks developers to define the future of the site before the City has adopted a site-specific plan to apply its priorities.  

That is not how smart cities operate.

In contrast, in successful cities, the sequence is clear:

• the City adopts a plan

• streets, parks, and public spaces are defined

• land is divided into parcels

• City Council approves that framework

• land is sold parcel by parcel, over time

Proposal-first reverses that order.

As a result, it shifts decision-making away from public planning and into private proposals. It forces City Council to react to developer visions instead of approving a City vision.

That is a structural failure — not a timing issue.

How the Current Process Undermines City Council’s Role

The Mayor has chosen to solicit proposals for the Gas Plant site before a City plan exists.

At this point, City Council has not been asked to approve anything.

However, if the process continues, Council will be asked to evaluate comprehensive proposals without having approved the framework that should guide them.

That places Council in a reactive role.

In practice, it will be asked to judge outcomes instead of policy.
Preferences instead of principles.
Proposals instead of priorities.

That is not independent governance.
It is delegation.

The Inevitable Result If Proposal-First Continues

If the proposal-first path continues, City Council will have no responsible choice but to reject any proposal that comes before it.

Without an approved City framework, Council cannot:

• measure proposals against City priorities

• protect public value

• ensure long-term public control

Rejection would not be anti-development.

Instead, it would be the only defensible act of governance.

Why City Council Needs a Community Advisory Council

City Council cannot do this work alone.

Under Florida’s Sunshine Law, Council members cannot privately deliberate, workshop alternatives, or learn together outside public meetings.

For that reason, a Community Advisory Council exists to fill that gap.

A CAC:

• works publicly

• studies options before decisions are locked in

• brings in independent national planning expertise

• provides a shared factual foundation for Council

The CAC does not select developers or negotiate deals.

It exists so City Council is not forced to decide blind.

What City Council Must Be Asked to Approve — First

Before any land is sold, City Council must be asked to approve:

• a City-defined plan for the Gas Plant site

• the public framework that governs development

• a parcel-by-parcel land disposition strategy

• how public value will be protected over time

Only after these approvals should land be sold — parcel by parcel — consistent with the plan.

Not proposals first.
Not visions first.
Not a single comprehensive deal.

Bottom Line

This is not about slowing development.

It is about doing it correctly.

Proposal-first is not how smart cities plan major public land. It prevents City Council from exercising the independent judgment voters elected it to provide.

The City must plan first.
City Council must approve that plan first.
A Community Advisory Council must inform that process.

Anything else leaves City Council with no responsible choice at all.

What Should You Do?

If you agree that proposal-first is not the right way to make a decision of this magnitude, now is the moment to support City Council members in doing the job they were elected to do.

City Council members need to know that residents support them in taking the following actions — publicly and clearly — in an upcoming City Council meeting:

• State that City Council will not consider or approve any proposal for the Gas Plant site before a City-defined plan is adopted

• Direct that the City develop a City-led plan first, including streets, parks, public spaces, and land divisions

• Require City Council approval of that plan before any land is sold

• Call for the formation of a Community Advisory Council to inform City Council and the public before irreversible decisions are made

Many Council members already understand that proposal-first is not how smart cities proceed. What they need now is visible public support so they can say so clearly and confidently — on the record.

They need to hear from hundreds, if not thousands, of residents.

Please email all City Council members by sending one message to:

jayne.ohlman@stpete.org

At the top of your email, please write:
“Please provide to each City Council member.”

Please also cc: homerunsmatter@gmail.com so there is a record of community support.

What to Say (in Your Own Words)

Short, personal emails carry the most weight. In your own words, consider explaining:

• Why you believe this is a once-in-a-generation decision

• Why City Council should approve a City-led plan before reacting to proposals

• Why a Community Advisory Council will help Council make an informed decision

• Why you support Council members who insist on doing this the right way

A Note on Form Emails

Identical or copied emails are easy to spot and carry less influence.
Even a few sentences written in your own words are far more effective than a form letter.