PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — St. Pete Beach recently hired a beach manager to protect the city's largest tourist attraction and to serve as a liaison between the hotels, visitors, code enforcement and deputies.

"It only makes sense to have a beach manager to protect their most important asset and make it sustainable and enjoyable for all," said Beach Manager Ayako Ruckdeschel, 54. ​"This is what brings all the tourists here, supports the economy." 

One of Ruckdeschel's main duties is overseeing the sand dune system that provides a natural means of protecting the beach.​

What You Need To Know

  •  The new beach manager began in October

  • The beach manager is also responsible for making sure everybody follows the rules

  • Smoking, styrofoam, bicycles and micro-mobility are also prohibited on the beach

  • The beach manager has no code enforcement capability

"My goal is to keep people out of the dunes," she said. "So, that they can exist naturally and not be damaged."​

For the past 6 years, Ruckdeschel worked as the city's aquatics supervisor, before being promoted to Beach Manager in October. St. Pete Beach is the first Pinellas County coastal city to create the new position with a $58,000 annual salary.​

"I'm very fortunate that they have had the foresight to create this position," she said. "I enjoy getting out, being an outdoors type person. Also, interacting with the public."

The beach manager is also responsible for making sure everybody follows the rules on the beach, although Ruckdeschel has no code enforcement capability. Instead, if a violation warning goes ignored, she would call a Pinellas County Sheriff's Office deputy or the city's code enforcement to respond.

Ruckdeschel said, a rule that has been on the books but not enforced year-round has been hotels leaving cabanas on the sand overnight. Something she intends to change.

"At the end of the day, we're going to ask them to remove all the cabanas," she said. "What we would like them to do is bring it out as needed."

Ruckdeschel said putting cabanas on the sand as needed frees up precious beach space. The beach manager said she understands enforcing the rule creates a lot more work for the hoteliers.  

"To be honest, it's a lot of additional work for them, but I think it's for the good of the whole beach," she said. "So everybody can use the beach equally." ​

Other regulations Ruckdeschel will be looking out for include proper permitting for weddings, no dogs or feeding birds and no alcohol, glass or plastic straws on the beach.  

Fishing is allowed as long as it's not interfering with swimmers and anglers can only use one pole.

"We require the fisherman to hold the fishing pole in their hand," she said. "So, no longer being able to sit on the beach with the poles in the sand. Just three poles out there waiting for a bite."

"The fishermen are taking over viable space, we're getting very popular now and everybody is wanting to get a piece of the beach action." 

Smoking, styrofoam, bicycles and micro-mobility are also prohibited on the beach, according to Ruckdeschel.

"You're not allowed to ride a bike," she said. "Unfortunately." 

​Ruckdeschel said she's also there to educate the public, along with being a faster point of contact between beach businesses and the city. 

"Rather than calling city hall, they should probably reach out to me first," she said. "Where I could try to address any problems that they're having. Try to take care of it right then and there."