OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Clearwater City Council Work Session - February 2, 2026

Clearwater Municipal Meetings — Monday, February 2, 2026
BodyClearwater, Florida
SessionClearwater Municipal Meetings
DateMonday, February 2, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:34:38

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Thank you.

0:00

With that, we'll move to item six, and that is to adjourn the February 2nd 2026 meeting of the City of Clearwater pension trustees.

0:12

We assign the call in order the February 2nd work session of the Clearwater City Council.

0:20

And we will move to item 2.1 on the agenda.

0:25

Approve the Fifth Amendment to contract for sale for city-owned vacant land between City of Clearwater and Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas County and the Clearwater Neighborhood Housing Services for real property located at 1454 South Martin Luther King Jr.

0:38

Good afternoon, Council Mayor.

0:40

My name is Dylan Mayu.

0:41

I'm the housing manager, economic development and housing.

0:44

This agenda item is a request to approve the Fifth Amendment to the contracts for sale of city owned property located at 1454 South Martin Luther King Jr.

0:54

Avenue.

0:54

This is to be developed between Habitat for Humanity and the Clearwater Neighborhood Housing Services.

0:59

The project was awarded through RFP 43-22 and is consistent with council's original direction to increase uh affordable housing, homeownership opportunities in Clearwater.

1:11

The proposed development includes 24 townhomes.

1:14

Half will be restricted to 80% of area median income, and the other half will be restricted to 120% of area median income.

1:21

Council has approved several prior amendments to this agreement.

1:24

Each of those amendments were limited to extending the closing date to address pre-development issues such as site plan approvals, easements, utility coordination, and hurricane impacts from these storms in 2024.

1:40

The Fifth Amendment addresses timelines as well as a few other issues.

1:43

The current contract requires the developer to obtain all building permits prior to closing.

1:48

However, the under the city's development code, the final 50% of building permits cannot be issued until the final plat is recorded, and the final plat cannot be recorded until site work and infrastructure work has been completed.

2:01

As a result, the existing contract requirement creates a procedural conflict preventing the transaction from closing.

2:08

Staff obtained an update on the permit status.

2:12

A few outstanding comments remain.

2:13

Fees are still due.

2:15

However, uh full approval is is uh is uh is nearing.

2:19

Uh the proposed amendment removes the permit contingency, um, extends the closing date to June 30th, 2026, extends the project completion date to December 31st, 2028, and allows the assignment of the contract to the developer single single asset LLC.

2:38

It also specifies language that allows the city to revert ownership if the property of the property if the contractual timelines are not met, uh providing the city with additional protections by specifying default terms.

2:52

I also want to note that on January 26th, staff did meet with the developer and with Pinellas County.

2:59

The county indicated that their funding has been approved and that they will be ready to close within our new proposed timeline.

3:07

The remaining and final step is for the developer to obtain project financing.

3:11

After speaking with the developer, he did indicate or they indicated that the financing can be obtained.

3:16

Um they feel comfortable with the new timeline, the June 30th, 2028 deadline.

3:20

So with that, staff does uh recommend approval of the fifth amendment.

3:24

Happy to address any questions.

3:26

Yeah.

3:27

Any discussion on this agenda.

3:33

This one is okay.

3:36

No discussion.

3:37

Then thank you.

3:38

Okay.

3:38

Move to agenda item 3.1.

3:41

Approve a professional services agreement to the Instagio LLC doing business as Instego Agency of St.

3:48

Petersburg, Florida for sponsorship sales services for the City of Clearwater.

3:53

Thank you, Rose.

3:54

Good afternoon, Mayor.

3:56

Council Chris Cook, Parks and Recreation Senior Manager.

3:58

This item before you is to approve a professional services agreement with InstaGo LLC, doing business as Instago agency out of St.

4:06

Pete to provide services for sponsorship sales for Clearwater assets.

4:11

The agreement is the amount of 5,000 per month as a retainage fee, plus an additional 12% of gross sales from any sponsorships that are negotiated by and secured by InstaGo.

4:23

The initial term is for one year with four one-year renewable options pursuant to RFP 54-25.

4:31

This would authorize us to execute the agreement.

4:35

Background is in an effort to increase revenue for the city of Clearwater and specifically parks and recreation programs, facilities, and events.

4:43

Uh that we issued RFP 5425 for the sponsorship and naming rights services on August 5th.

4:50

September 9th, we received three responsive proposals.

4:54

The evaluation team consisted of members from finance, from arts and cultural affairs, and parks and recreation.

5:00

We reviewed and read all the proposals and unanimously agreed to award InstaGo agency for these services.

5:07

That notice was issued on October 2nd.

5:10

Since that time, we've been working with Samson, who's here with me today to develop uh this agreement that you see, which includes prop prospect identification asset identification for things ranging such as sponsorships, naming rights, presenting an official sponsorships, uh hospitality, and other related and approved uh city assets.

5:33

Uh included in this agreement are benchmarks that InstaGo and the city has agreed to, which will allow us to track and measure success as we go.

5:41

Instago and and and city staff, we've already been working collaboratively in preparation for this agreement.

5:47

We've provided a lot of information already that we've had and a lot of uh existing assets that have been identified to give us a head start if this agreement's approved.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Personnel Matters████████████████████████████28%
Public Engagement█████████████████████21%
Public Facilities█████████████13%
Public Safety████████8%
Water And Wastewater Management███████7%
Legal Affairs█████5%
Technology and Innovation████4%
Affordable Housing███3%
Community Engagement███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Clearwater City Council Work Session - February 2, 2026

The Clearwater City Council held a work session on February 2, 2026, at 1:30 PM in the Main Library Council Chambers. The meeting covered numerous consent agenda items, including housing development, sponsorship sales, security services, utility contracts, and grants. Key discussions focused on the appointment of an interim city attorney, restoration of public comment for non-agenda items, a resolution opposing offshore oil and gas drilling, and qualifications for a permanent city attorney. All consent items were approved unanimously.

Consent Calendar

  • Fifth Amendment to Contract for Sale of City-Owned Land (1454 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.): Approved. The amendment extends the closing date to June 30, 2026, and the project completion date to December 31, 2028, removes the permit contingency, allows assignment to a single-asset LLC, and specifies default terms allowing the city to revert ownership if timelines are not met. The project includes 24 townhomes, half restricted to 80% AMI and half to 120% AMI. (ID#25-13242.1)
  • Professional Services Agreement with Instigo Agency (Sponsorship Sales): Approved. A $5,000 per month retainage fee plus 12% of gross sponsorship sales, initial one-year term with four one-year renewal options. Includes a benchmark of $45,000 in revenue by the nine-month mark. (ID#26-00453.1)
  • Increase and Extension to Purchase Order with Sentry Event Services (Security): Approved. $86,000 increase for Year Four, extending the contract up to 120 days while a new RFP is finalized. (ID#26-00483.2)
  • Construction Contract with TLC Diversified (Lift Station Repairs): Approved. $5,000,000 annually for an initial term with three one-year renewal options. (ID#25-11524.1)
  • Work Order with McKim & Creed (Coachman Station Disinfection System Update): Approved. Not-to-exceed $243,454 for design and construction phase services. (ID#25-12934.2)
  • Award of Construction Contracts to TLC Diversified, Murphy Pipeline Contractors, and Applied Drilling Engineering (Water, Reclaimed Water, Well Repairs): Approved. $9,000,000 annually for a one-year term with three one-year renewals. (ID#26-00424.3)
  • Purchase Order to Ferguson Waterworks (Neptune Water Meter OEM Parts): Approved. One-time purchase of $45,679.30, impractical to bid. (ID#26-00564.4)
  • Standard Grant Agreement with FDEP (North Beach Stormwater Improvements): Approved. $3,000,000 state grant with no match required for design and construction of six stormwater pump stations. (ID#25-12845.1)
  • Roadway Transfer Agreement with Town of Belleair (Watkins Road): Approved. Transfers a portion of Watkins Road to Belleair; city retains easement for water main; road resurfacing cost shared. (ID#26-00925.2)
  • Purchase Order to Routeware (Solid Waste Service Verification): Approved. $769,626.65 for a 36-month term for camera systems and back-office integration. (ID#25-13226.1)
  • Appointment of Chantala Davis to North Greenwood CAC: Approved. Ms. Davis serves as the Non Profit Representative for a term expiring February 5, 2028. (ID#26-00797.1)
  • Second Readings of Ordinances 9866-26 through 9871-26 (Annexations and Zoning): Approved without discussion. These ordinances annex properties on S. McMullen Booth Road and 2265 N. McMullen Booth Road, and amend the future land use map and zoning atlas accordingly. (IDs 8.3–8.8)

Discussion Items

  • Appointment of Interim City Attorney (Item 8.1): Council discussed the draft agreement for Owen Kohler to serve as interim city attorney effective February 10, 2026. City Attorney Margolis outlined several scenarios: the agreement expires August 7, 2026, or upon appointment of a permanent city attorney; Kohler may apply for the permanent role; council may appoint a different interim at any time; and the council can extend his term beyond August if needed. The draft will be updated and presented for approval at the February 5 council meeting.
  • Restoration of Public Comment for Non-Agenda Items (Item 8.2): Council discussed a resolution to reinstate public comment on matters not on the agenda. Key provisions: 30 minutes or 10 speakers (whichever is greater), no time-sharing, comment period placed near the end of the meeting (after voting items but before city manager/attorney reports), and automatic expiration after the May 7, 2026 meeting. Sign-up procedures will be finalized administratively. A majority favored keeping comment at the end of the meeting for now. Resolution will be on the February 5 council agenda.
  • Resolution Opposing Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing (Item 11.1): Councilmember Allbritton introduced a resolution opposing new offshore oil and gas leasing off Florida’s coast, citing impacts on tourism and fishing. The mayor suggested removing Rep. Kathy Castor (who does not represent Clearwater) from the list of recipients. The resolution will be brought back to the February 17 work session with formatting and minor modifications.
  • Qualifications for New City Attorney (Item 11.2): Council discussed desired qualifications for the permanent city attorney. Consensus included: at least five years of municipal law experience with demonstrated supervisory/management of a legal team; residency preferred (Pinellas County or Tampa Bay region, but not required); board certification not required but may be discussed with the recruiter; and updating the job description to remove outdated references (e.g., fax machines). HR Director Macris confirmed the search firm (SGR) is under contract and will incorporate these preferences.

Key Outcomes

  • All consent calendar items were approved unanimously by voice vote.
  • The interim city attorney agreement will be presented for formal approval at the February 5 council meeting.
  • The resolution on public comment will be considered on February 5; if adopted, non-agenda public comment will be available through May 7, 2026.
  • The resolution opposing offshore drilling will be revised and placed on the February 17 work session agenda.
  • HR will update the city attorney job description based on council input and circulate the recruitment brochure for approval.
  • The city manager reminded council of the first strategic plan session on February 9 at Morningside Rec Center (open to the public but not participatory) and the Tallahassee trip next week.
  • City Attorney Margolis reported that transition planning with Owen Kohler is progressing well.

Meeting Transcript

Thank you. With that, we'll move to item six, and that is to adjourn the February 2nd 2026 meeting of the City of Clearwater pension trustees. We assign the call in order the February 2nd work session of the Clearwater City Council. And we will move to item 2.1 on the agenda. Approve the Fifth Amendment to contract for sale for city-owned vacant land between City of Clearwater and Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas County and the Clearwater Neighborhood Housing Services for real property located at 1454 South Martin Luther King Jr. Good afternoon, Council Mayor. My name is Dylan Mayu. I'm the housing manager, economic development and housing. This agenda item is a request to approve the Fifth Amendment to the contracts for sale of city owned property located at 1454 South Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. This is to be developed between Habitat for Humanity and the Clearwater Neighborhood Housing Services. The project was awarded through RFP 43-22 and is consistent with council's original direction to increase uh affordable housing, homeownership opportunities in Clearwater. The proposed development includes 24 townhomes. Half will be restricted to 80% of area median income, and the other half will be restricted to 120% of area median income. Council has approved several prior amendments to this agreement. Each of those amendments were limited to extending the closing date to address pre-development issues such as site plan approvals, easements, utility coordination, and hurricane impacts from these storms in 2024. The Fifth Amendment addresses timelines as well as a few other issues. The current contract requires the developer to obtain all building permits prior to closing. However, the under the city's development code, the final 50% of building permits cannot be issued until the final plat is recorded, and the final plat cannot be recorded until site work and infrastructure work has been completed. As a result, the existing contract requirement creates a procedural conflict preventing the transaction from closing. Staff obtained an update on the permit status. A few outstanding comments remain. Fees are still due. However, uh full approval is is uh is uh is nearing. Uh the proposed amendment removes the permit contingency, um, extends the closing date to June 30th, 2026, extends the project completion date to December 31st, 2028, and allows the assignment of the contract to the developer single single asset LLC. It also specifies language that allows the city to revert ownership if the property of the property if the contractual timelines are not met, uh providing the city with additional protections by specifying default terms. I also want to note that on January 26th, staff did meet with the developer and with Pinellas County. The county indicated that their funding has been approved and that they will be ready to close within our new proposed timeline. The remaining and final step is for the developer to obtain project financing. After speaking with the developer, he did indicate or they indicated that the financing can be obtained. Um they feel comfortable with the new timeline, the June 30th, 2028 deadline. So with that, staff does uh recommend approval of the fifth amendment. Happy to address any questions. Yeah. Any discussion on this agenda. This one is okay. No discussion. Then thank you. Okay. Move to agenda item 3.1. Approve a professional services agreement to the Instagio LLC doing business as Instego Agency of St. Petersburg, Florida for sponsorship sales services for the City of Clearwater. Thank you, Rose. Good afternoon, Mayor. Council Chris Cook, Parks and Recreation Senior Manager. This item before you is to approve a professional services agreement with InstaGo LLC, doing business as Instago agency out of St. Pete to provide services for sponsorship sales for Clearwater assets. The agreement is the amount of 5,000 per month as a retainage fee, plus an additional 12% of gross sales from any sponsorships that are negotiated by and secured by InstaGo. The initial term is for one year with four one-year renewable options pursuant to RFP 54-25. This would authorize us to execute the agreement.

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