St. Petersburg Daily Brief: Grand Prix weekend, ballot talk, and community notes

Grand Prix weekend is in full swing downtown

Downtown St. Petersburg is operating on race-weekend rules as the Firestone Grand Prix uses the waterfront street circuit through Sunday. Organizers are reminding drivers and residents to expect detours, limited access in parts of the core, and heavier-than-normal congestion around peak race times.

• Racing continues today with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race scheduled for Saturday, and the IndyCar season opener set for Sunday.
• Transit deals are also part of the plan, including a PSTA group pass (up to four riders) advertised for $3 via the Flamingo Fares app promo code ‘CREW’ during race weekend.

Possible November ballot questions: Port St. Pete leases and stormwater funding

City leaders are weighing what could become two major questions for voters in November. One proposal would allow longer leases at the city port to support expansion plans for a maritime and defense technology hub focused on coastal resilience. Another proposal discussed would add a property tax aimed at accelerating large-scale water and stormwater system investments.

These items are still moving through the city process, but the conversation signals that big infrastructure and waterfront land-use decisions may soon land directly with voters.

St. Petersburg police officer resigns after internal violations finding

A St. Petersburg police officer resigned after an internal review found he violated department rules related to sharing protected information connected to an explosives investigation tied to a Tampa casino incident. Officials said the finding was serious enough that termination was on the table if he had not resigned.

Quick community calendar: relief shopping and neighborhood meetups

If you want a lower-key counterbalance to race weekend crowds, a local events roundup highlights hurricane-relief fundraising shopping at the Garden Club of St. Petersburg and several small community gatherings across St. Pete and nearby Gulfport.

Sources

• https://stpetecatalyst.com/what-to-know-about-this-weekends-firestone-grand-prix/
• https://www.gpstpete.com/component/sppagebuilder/page/39%3FItemid%3D
• https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/st-petersburg-voters-may-decide-175400988.html
• https://patch.com/florida/stpete/officer-who-shared-confidential-info-suspect-resigns-st-pete-police
• https://thegabber.com/things-to-do-feb-26-march-5-in-gulfport-st-pete/