S2 Ep1545: THE BEACH BRIEF TBBC CEO Charlie Justice Updates on Issues, News & Events 2025-2026

Lunchtime Conversation host Nanette Wiser welcomed back Charlie Justice, CEO of the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce  (TBCC) for a look back at 2025 successes (Taste of the Beaches, Chamber Leadership Institute, ribbon cuttings for new and reopening businesses) plus issues, news and events on America's Best Beaches- our Gulf jewels.  Community/Chamber events here.👉 100+ businesses bounce back (Beachcomber, Jimmy B's, The Helm) plus newcomers like The Luce (former Postcard) coming in 2026. 👉 Focus is on Habitat - Home Ownership  and Affordable Housing in general. 👉TBCC issues include the Thunderbird property, beach toll proposal (St. Pete Beach), parking availability and oil drilling in our Gulf. Here are excerpts from his  most recent Beach Brief newsletters! Our partners at Visit St. Pete Clearwater are hosting multiple partner summits around Pinellas to share key tourism data, highlight VSPC priorities and opportunities for you to partner with our CVB throughout the year. One will be held January 13 at the Beach Theater on St. Pete Beach. Learn more and rsvp HERE Happy to hear that work is finally starting on the new Emergency Medical Services Building on North Redington Beach. They have had to deal with multiple delays beyond the storms to get this project underway. North Redington Beach, Redington Beach and Redington Shores will see improved response time and service with the facility. More about this facility and other NRB news can be found HERE Congratulations to Madeira Beach Interim Manager Clint Belk for hosting a well attended community gathering last weekend to discuss the best way forward on a newly acquired city piece of land. Dozens came together to talk about what's the best use for the $18 Million parcel at 150th avenue on the waterway. Bringing the community together early on and building consensus is a great way to go to ensure a successful completion. You can read more HERE We were disappointed to see that the city of Treasure Island rejected the ordinance which would have allowed the Thunderbird Redevelopment to move forward. Hopefully the community and city leadership can come together to decide the next step. We must allow our property owners, residential and commercial, to build back responsibly. Kicking the can down the road just delays our recovery. Several of our cities will be holding March elections. Every chamber has different policies on the role of the chamber during campaign season. I can tell you that while our chamber will never hesitate to speak up on policies or issues of importance to our members, we do not endorse candidates in contested races. We are grateful for those who offer themselves in service and want to partner with whoever is in office to move our communities forward. You can keep up on local elections via the Supervisor of Election's WEBSITE #charliejustice #tbbc #tampabaychamberofcommerce #americasbestbeaches #nanettewiser #stpete #stpetefl  #tampabay #radio #radiostpete #cityofstpete  #dtsp #downtownstpete