Rays' new St. Pete ballpark plan set for discussion today

The St. Petersburg City Council has “consequential back-to-back meetings” this week as Mayor Ken Welch’s staff tries to close a deal to build a new Rays ballpark. Council members will meet today at 9am ET for a daylong workshop to discuss “about a dozen agreements related to the proposed stadium and its partial financing” by the city. The council will go over agreements that would “enforce how a new baseball stadium would be built, paid for and operated.” They will gather again tomorrow for a 4pm meeting, where they will “take the first official votes on the project.” Tomorrow's action would set up the City Council for final votes on the project, currently scheduled for July 11. Today's workshop is “open to the public but there is no opportunity for public comment" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 6/11).