Dunedin's City Commission will hold its first public hearing Thursday, July 23, on a proposed ban on motorized vessel launching along the Causeway's south side. The ordinance is part of a broader coastal effort that could include a living shoreline restoration project endorsed by Pinellas County.

At the Tuesday, June 2, City Commission workshop, County officials told commissioners they would support "some kind of living shoreline/restoration of the south side" of the Dunedin Causeway and might make funding available, according to the meeting minutes. No specific dollar amount has been identified.

All five commissioners voiced support: Mayor Maureen "Moe" Freaney, Vice Mayor Robert Walker, and Commissioners Jeff Gow, Tom Dugard, and Steven Sandbergen.

City Manager Jennifer Bramley has pointed to the environmental rebound since the Causeway closed to motorized launching after Hurricane Milton damaged it in October 2024.

"During the time that the Causeway has been closed to motorized watercraft launching there has been a resurgence of seagrass, a resurgence of the native wildlife," Bramley told commissioners. "The parking issues are no longer there, the trash issues are no longer there."

Pinellas County expects Causeway repairs to finish by December 2026. Parks and Recreation Director Tony Mulkey told commissioners that shoreline launching can scar seagrass beds so severely they need a decade to recover.

Fire Chief Michael Handoga reported two jet ski fatalities at the Causeway since 2020. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office logged 80 jet ski-related incidents between January 1, 2022, and April 30, 2026. Pinellas County had more than 12,000 registered Class A jet skis in 2023, second only to Miami-Dade statewide.

The proposed ordinance would amend Section 54-32 to prohibit launching motorized watercraft on the south side. It would not restrict motorized vessels in the Intracoastal Waterway or St. Joseph Sound. The north side, west of the drawbridge, already bans motorized launching.

The vessel ban ordinance has a confirmed first public hearing at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 23, at Dunedin City Hall, 737 Louden Ave. A second hearing is expected in August or September. Whether the broader shoreline restoration will also appear on that night's agenda was not confirmed as of Tuesday, July 15; the formal agenda had not been posted.

A WMNF report published Monday, July 14, referenced a "shoreline stability project" under review at City Hall. City records don't use that name, but the description matches the living shoreline effort discussed June 2.

Residents can weigh in at the July 23 meeting in person, via online public comment on the city website once the agenda posts, or by emailing [email protected].