St. Pete City Council passes ordinance that would expand what sidewalks people can't set up tables at

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The St. Petersburg City Council passed an update to an ordinance that expands what sidewalks people aren’t allowed to set up tables on in the city in a 5-3 vote Thursday evening.

Council Members Deborah Figgs-Sanders, Ritchie Floyd and John Muhammad voted against the update to the ordinance. 

"We want to make sure that everyone can enjoy our city in the safest way possible," St. Pete City Council Member Gina Driscoll said.

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Several people spoke during the public hearing. Many stated they think the ordinance impedes residents’ freedom of speech. Others said the ordinance’s goal is to make the city more aesthetically pleasing for developers and visitors.

Some speakers also said they are also concerned that the ordinance could target marginalized people. Floyd agreed, saying while he doesn’t think this would happen right now, he has to look into the future and how possible future administrations may handle the ordinance.  

Driscoll asked city employees, including Fire Marshal Michael Domante, to clarify what she called misconceptions about the ordinance after people spoke during the public hearing.  

Domante said tables and other things could block access in and out of buildings in emergencies, and access to fire hydrants. 

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Driscoll said safety is the main reason behind expanding the ordinance that prohibits setting up tables and table-like objects on sidewalks in parts of St. Pete.

"People are allowed to set up tables in plenty of other places," she said. "We just want to make sure we keep the sidewalks clear for safety reasons in these areas that are busy and popular and have a lot of pedestrian traffic." 

The current ordinance, passed a few years ago, prohibits tables on sidewalks in parts of downtown, but since then, several other spots in the city have grown. The update includes parts of the EDGE District, the Pier District and the Grand Central District, among other areas.

"The pier is open now. That happened since the ordinance was first passed, and we're seeing a lot of activity in plenty of other areas around downtown," Driscoll said.

There’s an exception for people who have a city-issued permit for things like sidewalk retail shops, outdoor dining and the St. Pete Pier Marketplace vendors. 

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While the ordinance doesn’t regulate the content of speech or expressive activity associated with the tables, William Kilgore with the St. Petersburg Tenants Union said he’s concerned it will impede residents’ freedom of speech.

"We see it as a chilling effect," he said.  

"It would encompass people who are out here expressing themselves, sharing their talents with the community and making this city what it is: a quirky, interesting place," Kilgore said. 

Driscoll said the goal is education. Police will ask the person to move the table, and they won’t be charged unless they don’t comply. She said since the original ordinance was passed in 2019, only one person refused to move their table when police asked.

The update to the ordinance also states that when tables are on a right of way, it results in "economic and aesthetic harm by creating visual clutter."

"That is what their concern is. It's about keeping property values. It’s about keeping developer profits at maximum," Kilgore said.

Driscoll said that’s not the case.

"I’m really concerned about this safety more than anything else," Driscoll said.

The update goes into effect in five business days.