Dunedin commissioners will decide Thursday, Sept. 3, whether to permanently ban motorized watercraft launches from the Causeway. The same meeting includes the city's first public hearing on the fiscal year 2027 tax rate and operating budget, plus a 7% marina slip fee increase.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at Dunedin City Hall, 737 Louden Ave.

Causeway watercraft ban

The marquee item is the second and final reading of Ordinance 26-08, which would prohibit launching motorized watercraft from the south side of the Dunedin Causeway. Kayaks and canoes would still be allowed.

The commission voted 4-0 on July 23 to advance the ordinance after more than three hours of public testimony, according to St. Pete Catalyst. Pinellas County confirmed in writing that the decision rests with Dunedin.

The Causeway has been closed to motorized launches since 2024, when Hurricane Milton damaged the shoreline. Pinellas County expects repairs to finish by December. City staff said creating a formal launch area would require permitting, accessibility upgrades and ongoing costs that user fees would not cover.

Fire Chief Michael Handoga reported two jet ski fatalities since 2020 at the July 23 hearing, according to Tampa Bay Beacons. Separately, June 2 workshop minutes showed the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office logged 80 personal-watercraft incidents between Jan. 1, 2022, and April 30, 2026.

Mayor Maureen Freaney called it "a safety decision before it's environmental" at the July 23 hearing, saying the Causeway is sometimes called "the wild, wild west."

City Manager Jennifer Bramley said in June that since the closure, the city has seen a resurgence of seagrass and native wildlife, according to a city information page on the ordinance. Parks and Recreation Director Tony Mulkey said seagrass recovery from boat scarring can take a decade.

Opponents have pushed back. At the July 23 hearing, Adelle Carpenter said the launch site has been used for 40 years and called the safety rationale "an invalid excuse," as Fox 13 reported. Nick Wadell, general manager of Cycle Springs PowerSports, urged the commission to address individual behavior rather than ban access outright.

Alternative public and private ramps are available two to 12 miles from the Causeway, city records show.

Budget and millage rate

Sept. 3 doubles as the first of two required public budget hearings. Commissioners will consider Resolution 26-12, setting the tentative FY 2027 millage rate, and Resolution 26-13, adopting the tentative operating and capital budget. The specific millage rate and total budget figures were not available in published documents as of Aug. 29.

In a June 4 op-ed, Mayor Freaney wrote that Dunedin has not raised its millage rate since 2016, even as operational costs have climbed. The budget comes with a looming question: Finance Director Les Tyler told commissioners that Florida's Amendment 3, a property-tax exemption expansion on the November ballot, would cost Dunedin about $4.7 million in its first year and $7.6 million annually after that, Tampa Bay Beacons reported.

City Manager Bramley said a contingency plan for Amendment 3 would be ready in September, after the budget is adopted.

A second public budget hearing is scheduled for Sept. 17 at 6 p.m.

Marina fee increase

Resolution 26-17 would raise Dunedin Marina slip fees by 7%, effective Oct. 1. The city's August manager report listed 30 slip vacancies across four size categories, with no wait list for 25-foot slips. Bulkhead construction at the marina is expected to wrap up in October.

The consent agenda includes a $326,672 contract with FTE Drilling USA of Myrtle Beach, S.C., for a new production well at Amberlea Park, and ratification of a $95,985 emergency purchase to replace two leaking 4,600-gallon bleach tanks at the wastewater treatment plant.

Residents may speak on any agenda item. Individual speakers are limited to three minutes. The full agenda is available at dunedin.gov.