ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Newly-inaugurated Mayor Ken Welch is ready to build "a path forward" with the city of St. Pete.
In one of his first public outings since recovering from COVID-19, Welch spoke about his plans for the community following the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade.
He called the parade's return a real "celebration of our city."
"As the first parade coming back from the pandemic, it was great to see the folks out — they were spread out along the route which is good to see. I saw quite a few masks as well," Welch said.
But more than a return to our typical events, the mayor said the parade signified progress for St. Pete.
“What I felt today was a real sense of hope, a real sense among folks that we are going to make those positive steps forward so that the entire community feels part of the progress of our city," Welch said.
He plans to start tackling the issues he talked about in his campaign, including rent prices and affordable housing. In addition to finding ways to stabilize rent, Welch explained that he's also working to put more affordable apartments on the ground.
“It’s all hands on deck on that issue," the mayor said.
Welch said the city is also working to protect the community against COVID-19 amid the most recent surge of cases. This includes efforts to make more testing available and continue the distribution of vaccines.
"Let’s follow the science. Let’s get vaccinated and boosted if we can. And continue to have those conversations, in a loving way, with folks who aren’t vaccinated about why it’s really the best thing for everybody," Welch said.
The mayor also mentioned the priority of the Tropicana Field site redevelopment plan, adding that he wants the progress to reflect “inclusive progress for our city going forward."
Welch became the city of St. Peterburg's first Black mayor on Jan. 6. You can read more about his plans in office here.
You can listen to his full MLK Day remarks below.