After opening remarks from Deputy Mayor Kanika Tomalin and City Council Chair Darden Rice, Kriseman spoke about forward motion on the Pier, an ongoing sewage and infrastructure crisis and the looming effects of President Elect Donald Trump.
Here are some highlights:
The good
Included among the positives over last year, he said, where a reduction in gun violence, a stronger financial position and improvements in public transportation.
Kriseman highlighted the efforts to improve conditions in the city's predominantly African-American, economically disadvantaged south side as well as the lives of black youth through the "Not My Son" initiative.
“Since that June kickoff, not a single teenager has killed or been killed in the city of St. Petersburg," Kriseman said.
The Mayor mentioned the widening of public transportation options, including a bike share “which will expand to 30 stations and 300 bikes.” Nearly 1,500 trips were taken the second month of the program with a total of 4,500 miles, he said.
Another accomplishment was the 2016 initiation of the Cross-Bay Ferry pilot program between St. Pete and Tampa with “more than 13,000 passengers in its first two months.”
The bad
During 2016, a major black eye for the Kriseman administration was the discharge of millions of gallons of sewage into the bay in the wake of major rain events. It'll probably be an easy talking point for any political opponents Kriseman has in his reelection bid, but he said planned upgrades to the city's wastewater system and a change in the water department's culture will help prevent future messes.
“We've had some big problems with our sewer system. We've had problems with the management, and we've had problems communicating the problem. This can't and won't continue,” Kriseman said.
A popular topic Kriseman's speech didn't touch on was the future of the Tropicana Field and the Tampa Bay Rays, given that the team's new stadium search is underway locally and across the bay.
Promises
If the Mayor is right, the new St. Pete Pier will be built by the end of 2018 and will represent an “outstanding” example of sustainability because, according to his words, it will be constructed to last.
Although the decision to tear down the four-decade-old inverted pyramid design caused controversy, Kriseman promised that the Pier and its district would serve as the most important public space in the city and as an equalizer to bring the community together.
“It will be worth it, St. Pete. It will be worth our time and our money,” Kriseman said.
Trump time
With only a few days left until Donald Trump’s assumption to the Oval office, Kriseman, a sharp critic during the the President-Elect's campaign, decided to close his presentation with “a few thoughts about the defining election” of last year.
Kriseman, who last year called St Pete as a “Trump free” state, said his criticism about the future president are not about politics, but more with his ideas and his policy proposals, namely his call to ban muslims from traveling to the U.S.
“I believe that the things he says and does are hurtful to St. Petersburg and to the wonderful people who call this place home,” Kriseman said.
This article appears in Jan 12-19, 2017.