City-owned grocery store debate stalls in St. Pete

City officials continue working to address persistent food insecurity issues in South St. Petersburg. Reaching a consensus on potential solutions presents another challenge.

A city council committee, as stated in the Nov. 13 agenda, initially planned to have a second discussion regarding “municipally-owned grocery stores in food deserts.” The meeting ended with members voting against providing the One Community Grocery Co-op with a $50,000 capacity-building grant.

Councilmember Richie Floyd said he was open to supporting the cooperative or other nonprofits. However, his new business item – subsequently passed to Councilmember Brandi Gabbard – “drifted so far from what its original intent was that I think we need to reset the conversation.”…

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