Litter crews and hospitality ambassadors will work downtown St. Petersburg seven days a week from Jan. 1. City Council approved the $650,000-a-year contract 7-1.

Crews paid by the city will pick up litter, empty trash cans, pressure wash sidewalks and help visitors find their way in downtown St. Petersburg seven days a week, starting Jan. 1.

City Council approved the contract 7-1 on Thursday. It goes to Williams Park Partnership Inc., which the agreement lists as doing business as the St. Petersburg Downtown Improvement District. Council member Richie Floyd cast the no vote, according to the council’s action-taken agenda for Nov. 5.

What the city is paying for

The council report in the Nov. 5 agenda packet sets out the costs:

Item Up to
Start-up and mobilization, one time, through Dec. 31, 2026 $78,000
Scheduled services, each year $630,000
Unscheduled services, each year $20,000
Total for the three-year service term $1,950,000

The first term ends Dec. 31, 2029, and there is a two-year renewal option. The city can end the contract for convenience on 90 days’ written notice.

The money comes from the city’s Parking Revenue Fund. The report says the fund will receive revenue in fiscal 2027 from additional downtown paid parking locations.

What the crews will do

The agreement’s scope of services splits the work in two.

Hospitality and safety outreach, which the agreement says must make up most of the outreach work:

  • greeting visitors, students, workers, residents and businesses
  • giving directions to downtown destinations and venues
  • answering questions about businesses, government offices, libraries and events
  • providing a visible presence at downtown events when asked
  • reporting maintenance problems to the city

Cleaning and maintenance:

  • picking up trash and litter on sidewalks, in parks, on rights of way and in other public spaces
  • emptying and maintaining public trash cans
  • pressure washing sidewalks and other busy areas, without letting wastewater into storm drains
  • cleaning and checking wayfinding kiosks
  • litter pickup, basic landscaping and tree trimming in medians and bulb-outs
  • cleaning up after listed special events by the next calendar day

The deployment plan in the packet runs crews across a 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. window in early, mid and late shifts. Litter and trash removal, trash can service and hospitality work happen daily. Targeted pressure washing and detailed cleaning of parks, plazas and transit areas happen weekly.

The service zone is mapped in the agreement. Its outer streets include Dr. M.L. King Jr. Street, Bayshore Drive and Beach Drive, and crews must work both sides of those boundary streets.

How the contractor was picked

The city’s procurement department sought proposals on Jan. 23, 2026, and received three. One was ruled incomplete. A four-member staff panel scored the other two:

  • Williams Park Partnership Inc.: 83.75 out of 100
  • InfinityCX LLC: 54.38 out of 100

The panel then asked the top bidder for a best and final offer and recommended the award on April 17.

Also decided Thursday

The action-taken agenda records several other votes:

  • Greenwood Cemetery. The council voted to start a local historic landmark application for the cemetery at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street South and 11th Avenue South, in the Historic Roser Park neighborhood. The resolution says the owner, the Greenwood Cemetery Association, supports the designation.
  • Enoch Davis Center. The council asked the City Attorney’s Office to draft an ordinance naming the auditorium at the center, 1111 18th Ave. S., the Reverend Watson L. Haynes II Auditorium.
  • Coquina Key Park. The council banned motorboats from the park’s lagoon. Read our story on the lagoon rule.
  • Density and building heights. The council set a public hearing for Thursday, Dec. 3, on Ordinance 655-H. It would raise maximum densities, intensities and building heights in three zoning districts outside the Coastal High Hazard Area. It would also change references to the Central Avenue Activity Center to the SunRunner BRT Activity Center.
  • Year-end budget. A public hearing on Ordinance 653-H, the fiscal 2026 year-end budget adjustments, is set for Thursday, Nov. 19.

What it means for you

  • From Jan. 1, expect uniformed crews downtown every day, cleaning and giving directions.
  • Spot a problem downtown such as overflowing trash or a broken kiosk? The crews report maintenance issues to the city. You can still report it yourself; see who to call at City Hall.
  • Trash pickup at your home does not change. See our trash and recycling guide.
  • Want to weigh in on the density and height changes? The public hearing is Thursday, Dec. 3. See our building permits and zoning guide.