The Clearwater City Council held a work session on November 17, 2025, at 1:30 PM in the Main Library Council Chambers. The meeting opened with service awards recognizing employees for 20, 25, and 30 years of service, as well as the November Employee of the Month and the Bi-Monthly Team Award. The council then considered a consent agenda of routine items and discussed several ordinances and the 2026 meeting schedule. All consent items were approved unanimously, and two ordinances were passed on first reading with community development board review pending.
All items listed below were approved by unanimous consent without discussion, unless noted otherwise.
Agency. And we'll recess for just two or three minutes while we switch out some things here and get ready for the work session. This time I'll call call to order the November seventeenth, twenty twenty-five work session of the Clearwater City Council. This time we'll move to item two on the agenda, and that's our October service awards. So first I'd like to call forward Chris Malone from the public works department. Hello, sir. A Clearwater resident since nineteen seventy-one. Chris long aspired to get back to the community that shaped him. From St. Pete College, he received his associates of arts and associates of science degrees in an area of study, geographic technology, geographic communications, architecture, sustainability management, and business management with a Bachelor of Arts and Science and Management Organizational Leadership. That's a lot. That is a lot. Chris began his career with the city on October 17th of 2005 as a survey assistant one, where he played a key role in implementing trilateralization GPS technology. I apologize if I did not say that right. Collecting data from all 156 benchmarks citywide. His professionalism and technical aptitude quickly led to a series of well-earned promotions across departments. In May of 2006, he was promoted to development review technician in planning and development. In August of 2006, Chris was promoted to traffic engineering assistant in the engineering department, traffic division, and served as the primary permit preparer for five years of the city's Ironman events. In 2009, he hand-drawn detailed map of Clearwater Beach, became a permanent artwork posted on the Marina kiosk and was featured in the City Communications Net newsletter. From July of 2010 until today, Chris has been working in the Geographic Technology Division of Public Works and Engineering, where he went through a series of promotions from drafting and mapping technician, CAD and GIS technician too, to senior CAD and GIS technician. In December 2024, he took an additional responsibility as a lead worker of CAD and GIS Technicians Group. As an essential working during COVID-19, Chris led his GIS team while also supporting engineering permit reviews. For many years, he has become a public records research specialist and an archivist of city projects and plans set for engineering. Beyond his technical impact, Chris has played a central role in boasting employee morale, organizing every employee appreciation luncheon for engineering and public works. His recent leadership shined as lead move clear coordinator for the MSB renovations project and was recognized in June of 2025 as a citywide employee of the month for beyond the expectations of his role, demonstrating remarkable initiative and commitment. Recently, retired construction manager, division manager and landscape architect Tim Kurtz once said, Chris always goes the extra mile to present his findings in a clear and concise manner. There are many times that Chris has saved the day by finding the one document that clarified the issue. Chris's dedication, skill, and positive spirit have made a lasting impact on the City of Clearwater and all who work with him. Please congratulate Chris for 20 years of outstanding service. We look forward to celebrating many more achievements in years to come. Chris, you make Clearwater thrive. Thank you so much for having me of you. Thanks. Thanks, Joel. Thank you for his pressure. Thank you. Good night. So Assistant City Manager Bao, you may want to get the city manager water or gator, because she's got eight of these for you today. I do. She may want to keep her away. She's got a ways to go. Today we proudly celebrate and honor Cliff Patterson for 20 years of service in the field of aquatics with the city of Clearwater. For two decades, Cliff has dedicated his career to providing safe, high-quality aquatic programs that have touched the lives of countless community members. From the very beginning of his career, Cliff has been a trusted leader, mentor, and role model. Through teaching hundreds of children to swim, coaching summer pool team programs, and mentoring new staff, Cliff has not only helped individuals gain vital water safety skills, but also inspired future aquatics professionals. Many of those he guided credit Cliff with sparking their passion for serving others. Beyond his visible role on the pool deck, Cliff has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the success of Clearwater's aquatic facilities. Whether maintaining rigorous safety standards, improving operational efficiency, or adapting programs to meet the evolving needs of the community, his contributions have been essential in keeping our aquatics program strong, relevant, and impactful. Reaching 20 years in any profession is a noteworthy achievement. Reaching 20 years in aquatics, where responsibility for safety, education, and community engagement is so critical, is a remarkable achievement and is worthy of recognition.