St. Petersburg City Council puts $2 million behind a cleaner downtown

The service area includes Williams Park, sections of Central Avenue and the waterfront business district. nbsp;(Bill DeYoung / St. Pete Catalyst )St. Petersburg is committing up to $2 million over three years to keep downtown cleaner, even as city officials brace for difficult budget decisions following last week’s election.The city council voted 7-1 Nov. 5 to approve an agreement with Williams Park Partnership Inc. for daily cleaning, maintenance and hospitality services across roughly 226 acres of downtown. Vice Chair Richie Floyd cast the lone dissenting vote.The agreement authorizes up to $1.95 million in services through December 2029, plus $78,000 in startup costs. The program is scheduled to begin Jan. 1, with nine full-time positions planned for litter collection, sidewalk cleaning, visitor assistance and other maintenance.The service area stretches from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street toward the waterfront, covering parts of downtown between Fifth Avenue North and Sixth Ave