Community Corner
Board of County Commissioners Accepts $8.7M Cares Act Funding For St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport
Pinellas County's main airport estimates it has lost $4.7 million to date.
June 2, 2020
The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday accepted an $8.7 million federal CARES Act grant for St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport to offset economic damages resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Find out what's happening in Clearwaterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Title XII of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provides about $10 billion to support U.S. airports experiencing severe economic disruption. Pinellas County’s main airport estimates it has lost $4.7 million to date. The funding must be expended within four years.
This grant is separate from $170 million in CARES funding the County previously received to provide direct relief to individuals, small businesses and others impacted by the pandemic.
Find out what's happening in Clearwaterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In other action Tuesday, the Board:
• Extended its State of Local Emergency for COVID-19 to June 12. Pinellas County remains aligned with “full Phase 1” of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Safe, Smart, Step-by-Step Plan for Florida’s Recovery. Specific County guidance can be found here.
• Received an update from County Administrator Barry A. Burton about plans for an expansion of the Pinellas CARES programs. The County is gathering input from community partners about how to use the remainder of the $170 million fund to help residents hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The current Pinellas CARES programs provide assistance for individuals to pay for overdue rent, mortgages and utilities, as well as one-time grants for qualifying small businesses. These programs remain open for new applications through June 30. More information can be found at this website: https://covid19.pinellascounty.org/where-to-get-help/.
• Authorized previously approved Capital Project Funding agreements for $300,000 with Tampa Bay Watch for construction of the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center at the new St. Pete Pier and for $350,000 with Florida Holocaust Museum for renovations.
• Postponed a public hearing to consider an amended vessel exclusion zones ordinance for Fort De Soto Park to late July or early August to give county staff adequate time to seek input from interested groups and individuals.
This press release was produced by the Pinellas County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
