Federal government awards $173K to city of St. Pete to keep the lights on at fleet management

As part of $2.9 million in federal funds to be distributed to local governments in Florida impacted by Hurricane Ian in 2022, the city of St. Petersburg has been awarded just shy of $173,000 for its Fleet Management Facility Generator Project.

The overall funds are targeted toward 19 communities to help recover from the hurricane, which made landfall in the Fort Myers area more than two years ago. Funds are being distributed as part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Hurricane Ian Hazard Mitigation Program, which requires local governments to match up to 25% of awarded funds.

The funding is earmarked for projects aimed at building, rehabilitating or expanding infrastructure services that need support or recovery.

St. Pete’s funding will be used to support the city’s installation of a 600kW generator and related necessary equipment and labor to provide electrical service to the city’s Fleet Management facility during power outages, according to city spokesperson Alizza Punzalan-Randle.

“Resiliency and strengthening infrastructure against future disasters is a guiding principle of the (Ken) Welch administration and we look forward to implementing this funding,” she said, adding thanks to the state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency for their support.

Of the 19 localities receiving funding, 11 are using funds to purchase and/or install permanent generators.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant and Disaster Recovery Program is the federal agency allocating funds.