Clearwater City Council Meeting - November 20, 2025: Service Awards, Platting Code Updates, Sewer Rate Adjustment, and Attorney General Letter Controversy
Clearwater City Council Meeting - November 20, 2025
The Clearwater City Council met on November 20, 2025 at 6:00 PM in the Main Library Council Chambers. The meeting included service awards, approval of routine consent items, public hearings on code amendments, a second reading of sewer rate adjustments, and a contentious discussion regarding a councilmember's letter to the Florida Attorney General about the Garden Avenue property dispute with the Church of Scientology. All votes were unanimous.
Consent Calendar
- Approved minutes of the November 6, 2025 meeting.
- Authorized purchase orders and contracts for gas leak surveys, tennis/pickleball court refurbishment, aquatic facility renovations, PRIME information management, FDOT speeding grant, Axon drone packages, undergrounding utility ILA with PSTA, water quality monitoring ILA, street resurfacing, EMS agreement, 2026 council meeting schedule, and legal representation. (Items 6.1-6.3, 6.8-6.10, 6.12 were approved without discussion.)
- Items 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7, and 6.11 were pulled for individual discussion and later approved unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Speaker on 6.4 (PRIME agreement): Criticized the agreement, stating it is meaningless because Pinellas County Sheriff's Office handles all 911 dispatch, and alleged Clearwater Police corruption. Urged a no vote.
- Speaker on 6.5 (FDOT speeding grant): Argued traffic enforcement is sloppy and discretionary, citing past incidents. Claimed no safeguards against misuse. Urged a no vote.
- Speaker on 6.6 (Axon drone package): Opposed surveillance equipment, stating it is "wrongful mass surveillance" and violates free speech. Urged a no vote.
- Bill Joneson on 6.7 (PSTA ILA): Requested a pause to underground all power lines along Myrtle Avenue between Chestnut and Cleveland, using CRA funds, to set a higher standard for downtown development.
- Speaker on 6.11 (2026 meeting schedule): Criticized the lack of public comment periods on the schedule and suppression of free speech, referencing past town hall disruptions.
- Speaker on 8.1 (sewer rate adjustment): Expressed concern about the $6.01 increase, asking for a five-day grace period and automatic text notifications. Highlighted the impact on low-income residents, calculating $5 million+ per month from 70,000 households.
- Mr. Haluva on 8.1: Criticized the sewer rate restructuring, reclaimed water availability fees, and recycling charges, calling Clearwater Utilities a "publicly operated criminal organization."
Discussion Items
- Service Awards (4.1): Lisa Perkins, 35-year employee at CGS Energy, was honored for her dedication and community service.
- Civic Champion Award (4.2): Eleanor Lida received the award for her positive impact, volunteerism, and leadership in the East Gateway area.
- Consent Agenda Pulled Items:
- 6.4: Deputy Police Chief Michael Wallace explained the PRIME payment net of $77,216 after reimbursement.
- 6.5: Deputy Chief Wallace described the $75,000 FDOT grant for overtime enforcement with an education component.
- 6.6: Staff explained the Axon Sky Hero package replaces end-of-life equipment with a five-year warranty.
- 6.7: Public Works Director Marcus Williams noted the PSTA amendment is a pass-through for CSX/Duke work.
- 6.11: City Manager Jennifer Clark presented the 2026 schedule, removing the strategic planning session due to date conflicts; moved the April meeting to April 20 and 23.
- Public Hearings:
- 7.1 (Platting code amendments): Lauren Matske, Planning and Development, presented ordinance to move final plat approval from council to Community Development Coordinator, per SB 784. Unanimous recommendation from the Community Development Board.
- 7.2 (Development review processes): Matske presented ordinance updating timeframes per SB 1080, including notification requirements, 120/180-day approval deadlines, and codifying existing practices. Unanimous board recommendation.
- Second Readings:
- 8.1 (Sewer rate adjustment): Council discussed the necessity of rate increases due to aging infrastructure and a $1 billion wastewater treatment plant consolidation project. Staff noted they are seeking grants and will adjust rates if projects are delayed. Councilmember Manino expressed sympathy for residents. City Manager Clark offered to follow up with the speaker on resources.
- 8.2 (Advisory board restructuring): Passed without discussion.
- City Attorney Reports: Councilmember David Albright disclosed he sent a letter to the Florida Attorney General requesting an opinion on whether the city owns the Garden Avenue right-of-way or if it is a platted right-of-way subject to vacation without fair market value, related to the Church of Scientology's application. Councilmembers criticized the lack of transparency and circumvention of the city attorney's 30-page memo. The city attorney stated he learned of the letter on Monday. Councilmember Cotton cited Florida Statute 16.01(3) allowing any municipal officer to request an opinion. Other councilmembers expressed disappointment, with Vice Mayor Teixeira calling it "knocking on the same door we all agreed to shut." Mayor Rector and Councilmember Cotton engaged in heated exchanges. Albright defended his right to seek personal clarification, stating he was not representing the city.
Key Outcomes
- All votes were unanimous.
- The 2026 meeting schedule was approved without the strategic planning session; staff will bring back a date.
- The sewer rate adjustment (Ordinance 9854-25) was adopted on second reading, increasing minimum monthly wastewater rates.
- Two code amendments (Ordinances 9856-25 and 9857-25) were passed on first reading, updating platting and development review processes.
- The Community Resiliency and Leisure Services Advisory Board and Sister Cities Advisory Board changes (Ordinance 9855-25) were adopted on second reading.
- The council took no action on the Attorney General letter; it remains a personal request from Councilmember Albright.
Meeting Transcript
This time I'll call order the November twenty twenty twenty-five city council meeting of the City of Clearwater, Florida. This time I'd like to announce that if you'd like to address the council tonight to please complete a comment card, comment cards are located by the clerk, seated to Ride of the Dais. When called to speak, please hand your card to the clerk. And then remain standing afterwards for the Pledge of Lee's good evening. Helps us good counsel to listen politely to others as they share their points of view, always striving to serve the greater good. Amid all the calamity, the conflict, the confusion that just screams for our leaders' attention. We pray our council members will be filled with your spirit so they may serve with a special love. A special love of a community that includes measures of safety for all of our citizens and visitors. Guide and inspire them, we pray, with the words of St. John the 23rd. In essential matters, let there be unity. In non-essential matters, liberty. And it all matters. Let there be charity. We ask this in your glorious name, Father. Amen. Thank you, Father Spray. Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. Before we uh proceed further in tonight's meeting, I'd like to introduce our journey tonight to my very far left. We have Deputy City Clerk Nicole Spray. To her right, we have our city clerk, Rose Marie Cole. Good evening. To her right is our city attorney David Margolis. Good evening. His right is Councilmember Ryan Cotton. Good evening. To my left is Councilmember Mike Manino. Good evening. To my right is Councilmember David Albrut. Good evening. To his right is Vice Mayor Lena Techier. Good evening. And to her right is City Manager Jennifer Clark. Good evening. Yeah, we'll move to item 4.1 on the agenda, and that is November Service Award. We have one tonight, and that is our 35-year employee award. And for that, I'd like to call for Lisa Perkins from CGS Energy. Lisa began her career at CGS Energy, formerly Clearwater Gas System as a temporary accounting clerk and was officially hired as a full-time accounting clerk November 26, 1990. In 1995, she was promoted to a customer service representative in the gas sales office assisting in new customer counts. In 1997, she transferred to the customer service department, and in 1999, she returned to the gas division as the LP customer service representative. She handled all LP customers in 20 municipalities in two counties. She supported drivers, field crews, and customers alike. She was promoted to customer service specialist in 2015, taking on the CGS festival tracking previously handled by her supervisor, and taking over the LP billing detail previously handled by a UCS. After a job audit was done in 2020, she was promoted to senior customer service representative. For over 25 years, Lisa served as the LP gas expert, answering any and every question related to LP Gas until the sale in 2023. She now serves as customer service representative too, continuing to grow and learn along the way in all departments. Lisa's dedication has not gone unnoticed. She's been named the City of Clearwater Employee of the Month three times, and in one exceptional year, 2002, was honored as both the City Employee of the Year and the CGS Employee of the Year. Lisa continues to represent CGS Energy with enthusiasm and heart across a variety of charitable events and committees. She has served as the member of the City Achievement Awards Committee for 25 years since its inception in 2000 and was the coordinator for the annual food basket drive for the last 17 years and was the chairperson for the United Way Day of Caring for 20 years.
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