City council, mayor's office disagree on sewage issue

ST. PETERSBURG (FOX 13) - More than three months after St. Petersburg dumped millions of gallons of sewage, the city council and the mayor's office can't agree on a plan moving forward.

At a meeting Thursday evening, some council members were not happy with Mayor Rick Kriseman's plan to make upgrades to the city's southwest sewage plant.

Engineers hired by the city as consultants say reopening the Albert Whitted Plant is not feasible, because it was gutted when it was shut down a couple years ago - but some council members, including Ed Montanari, disagree - saying it offers a quick solution to add capacity. 

"I'm going to make a motion," Montanari said.  "Get Albert Whitted back online."

Gary Cornwell, City Administrator expressed frustration at the motion.

"He has just told you, he highly recommends against that, along with all of the other consulting engineers he has brought in," Cornwell said.   "We are never going to get anything accomplished if we don't move forward in some shape or form."

In the end they voted not to reopen the Albert Whitted, but some of the money needed for upgrading the southwest plant, remains in limbo.