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The Wave
Your Pinellas County Government Newsletter
December 2025
| | A glance at people, programs & news from Pinellas County! | |
Brightening the holidays for kids in Pinellas County
Each holiday season, Pinellas County employees show their love for the community as they turn the courthouse into Santa’s workshop for the annual Holiday Bike Drive. This year, staff donated nearly $12,000 to buy 70 bikes and helmets for kids in our community. This holiday drive takes a full team effort to keep this 39-year tradition rolling. From our staff to our residents, Happy Holidays from Pinellas County!
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Dave Eggers to serve as BCC Chair in 2026
The Pinellas County Commission unanimously elected Commissioner Dave Eggers to serve as Chair for 2026. Commissioner Chris Latvala was also unanimously elected to serve as Vice Chair.
Eggers currently serves as Vice Chair under outgoing Chair Brian Scott and represents single-member District 4 in north Pinellas. First elected to the Board in 2014 and re-elected in 2018 and 2022, he has been an advocate for strong fiscal stewardship, infrastructure improvements, and community engagement during his tenure. Visit pinellas.gov for more about the BCC.
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Honoring a Legacy: Major General Fred. E Marquis, U.S. Army (Ret.)
Pinellas County, the City of Dunedin, family and friends gathered to honor the achievements and distinguished service of Major General Fred Marquis, U.S. Army (Ret.) at the unveiling of a plaque in his honor.
Marking the 35th anniversary of the Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail, this plaque celebrates the leadership and enduring legacy of a man who served his nation and served as Pinellas County Administrator from 1979 to 2000.
Fred Marquis supported the creation of the Pinellas Trail and presided over the conversion of the first five miles of the defunct Orange Belt Railroad line into a multi-use trail that is now a national model for urban greenways.
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Wrapping Up Sand Placement
Pinellas County’s big beach nourishment project is wrapping up! We're putting sand down on our final beach, Sunset Beach in Treasure Island, and then we'll be doing some vegetation planting early next year. Sand Key Beach (Clearwater), Belleair Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, Indian Shores, North Redington Beach, Redington Shores, Sunshine Beach and Upham Beach have all finished sand placement.
Check out what some of the beach mayors have been saying about the new sand. Here’s North Redington Beach Mayor Jay Super and Redington Shores Mayor Tom Kapper. You can also hear from Belleair Beach Mayor Dave Gattis and Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector.
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The Old Coachman Road Bridge is back and better than ever
The original bridge was built 100 years ago in 1925. We improved drainage and expanded the Alligator Creek waterway, where it flows through the new bridge. We also raised the bridge deck to provide more clearance, protecting the bridge and its approaches from being overtopped in storms.
| The new bridge is bigger, stronger and safer for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians alike. This project was completed with funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Impact Fees and the Penny for Pinellas. Learn more about projects that benefit from Penny for Pinellas funding. |
Palm Harbor has a new fire station!
Station 68 is built with modern safety and efficiency features, including expanded apparatus bays, improved decontamination areas, and state-of-the-art response technology. It was all designed to better serve the Palm Harbor community. Take a look around the station in a recent video.
| | Thank you to everyone who helped make the station a reality, including tourists and you! Funding for this facility came in large part from Penny for Pinellas, our voter-supported 1% sales tax that’s been reinvested in long-term projects like public safety improvements, roads, bridges, parks, flood prevention and fire stations, like this one. | |
From Tinsel to Tech: Where Does it Go?
When the holidays wrap up in a few weeks, find out how to properly dispose of your Christmas tree, holiday decorations and gift packaging with the Where Does It Go? Search Tool at Pinellas.gov/where. If you have a real tree, just select "Homes" and search “Christmas trees” for pickup and drop-off info. Don’t forget to remove all lights and ornaments! If you’re swapping out electronics this season, be sure to safely dispose of old batteries and devices. This webpage shows you how.
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Uncovering history at Heritage Village
Hurricane season is over, so we’ve uncovered the windows of our 28 historic buildings at Heritage Village. Come see what all the fuss is about as we get ready for our big 50th anniversary with events and celebrations next year.
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Volunteers needed to make every person count
On January 29, you can help shape how Pinellas County responds to homelessness. The annual Point In Time Count, led by the Homeless Leadership Alliance of Pinellas, gathers critical data on individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Pinellas County. This information is used by local, state and federal agencies to guide advocacy efforts and helps secure millions of dollars in funding for critical resources to help our most vulnerable neighbors.
We need volunteers to make this count successful. Shifts are about three hours, with options between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. A short training session will be provided ahead of time. Sign up and make sure everyone is counted.
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Join the Pinellas County Team!
We offer competitive pay, with salaries starting at $18/hour and above. Our benefits package, ranked among the top in the area, includes medical coverage starting at $13.09 per paycheck, participation in the Florida Retirement System, leave time starting at 15 days annual/sick leave in the first year, a wellness program, deferred compensation, tuition reimbursement, and more.
This month’s featured jobs include:
- Engineer – Transportation
- Parks Capital Improvements Manager
Learn more about what we offer and apply today at pinellas.gov/careers.
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