The Dunedin City Commission voted unanimously, 5-0, at its September 3 meeting to adopt an ordinance prohibiting the launching of motorized watercraft on the south side of the Dunedin Causeway.
The ordinance passed its second and final reading after the City Commission voted 4-0 to move it forward at the first public hearing on Thursday, July 23, following public input.
Commissioners initially provided consensus direction at its June 2 workshop, asking staff to move forward with drafting the ordinance to address environmental and safety concerns.
The ordinance only prohibits the launching of motorized watercraft from the south side of the Causeway and will not affect the operation of motorized watercraft in the Intracoastal Waterway or St. Joseph Sound. The launching of motorized vessels is already prohibited on the north side of the Causeway, west of the drawbridge.
Public Safety and Environmental Concerns
Public safety was the primary concern raised by residents during the September 3 hearing. Banning Causeway beach launching and retrieval of motorized watercraft lowers the risk of collisions with kayakers, paddleboarders and other people in the water.
According to Dunedin Fire Chief Michael Handoga, there have been two Jet Ski fatalities since 2020. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office has also reported 80 Jet Ski-related incidents between January 1, 2022, and April 30, 2026.
The ordinance also addresses environmental concerns. The Dunedin Causeway has been closed since 2024 due to damage that occurred during Hurricane Milton. Pinellas County is actively repairing the damage and expects construction to be completed by December. While the Causeway has been under repair, the ecosystem has been thriving.
"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," said City Manager Jennifer Bramley. "The parking issues are no longer there, the trash issues are no longer there."
Because there are no paved ramps on the south side of the Causeway, the public has had to launch directly from the shoreline.
"Shoreline launching has a lot of negative effects on the environment," said Director of Parks and Recreation Tony Mulkey. "It can take 10 years for boat scarring to recover in a seagrass bed. And those seagrass beds are vital for the flora and fauna of the sound and the waterway itself."
Pinellas County Sheriff will be enforcing the ban. The first interaction is a warning issued by the County Sheriff's Office. If an individual violates the ordinance again, they will receive a class 5 citation, which costs $93 if uncontested, or $138 if contested. Additionally, the City has the option to issue a municipal citation of $500 for repeat offenders, and deputies may also pursue trespassing charges, which could ban an individual from the causeway for a set period, such as a year.
With the ordinance now adopted, the public will be directed to launch from public and private boat ramps located between two and 12 miles from the Causeway.
The ordinance received support from Pinellas County, the Causeway and Coastal Waterway Committee, Dunedin Windlasses and Dunedin Youth Sailing, HOAs representing resident communities on the Causeway and environmental groups, including the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and Sierra Club.