This time we'll call the order of the February fifth, twenty twenty-six meeting of the Clearwater City Council.

If you wish to address the council tonight, please complete it.

Comment card comment cards are located by the clerk seated to the right of the dais when called to speak.

Please hand your card to the clerk.

And then ask everyone to remain standing afterwards for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Our mayor, our vice mayor, members of the council, city attorneys, city managers, and all the staff who work with them that uh make the city run.

Father, we thank you for our first responders, those who are tasked with keeping our city safe, uh the fire and rescue and police force and and those who help out in this way.

Father, we thank you for this place where we can meet and view the business of our community as it's done in a public forum such as this.

We pray that the decisions made, discussions that ensue will be in line with your will for our great city.

For it's in your holy and precious name we make this prayer this evening.

Amen.

Thank you, Major Morris.

Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the United States of America.

And to the Republic for which is one nation under God.

Before we continue further into the uh agenda, I'd like to introduce our dayus.

To my far left is our deputy city clerk Nicole Sprague.

To her right is City Clerk Rosemary Cole.

Good evening.

To her right is City Attorney David Margolis.

Good evening.

To his right is Councilmember Ryan Cotton.

Hello.

To his right and my left is Councilmember Mike Manino.

Good evening.

My right, Councilmember David Albrighton.

Good evening.

To his right, Vice Mayor Lena Tshara.

Hello.

To her right, City Manager Jennifer Poyer.

Good evening.

Her right, Assistant City Manager Dan Slaughter.

And to his right, Assistant City Manager Al Battle.

That will move to item four on the agenda, and that is the National 211 Day proclamation.

I'd like to call forward Mickey Thompson and Sean Schrader from the First Contact Organization to receive this proclamation.

Thank you for coming tonight.

Whereas 211 is a free confidential three-digit helpline that connects residents and visitors to essential health and human services, including crisis and emergency counseling, disaster assistance, food, health care and insurance assistance, stable housing, and utility payment assistance, employment services, veteran services, and child care and family support.

And whereas in the City of Clearwater, 211 services are provided by first contact, ensuring individuals and families have access to compassionate, accurate, and timely information and referrals when they need help the most.

And whereas 211 provides expert caring assistance by listening to callers, identifying underlying needs, and connecting people with appropriate community resources that help stabilize households and improve quality of life.

And whereas in 2025, 211 responded to more than 62,000 calls, texts, emails, and online requests from Pinellas County residents seeking assistance with critical needs.

And whereas 211 maintains a finger on the pulse of community needs by collecting and analyzing health and human services data, which is used by local governments, emergency managers, and community planners to inform decision making and improve services.

Now, therefore, I, Bruce Rector, Mayor of the City of Clearwater, Florida, on behalf of the Clearwater City Council, to hereby proclaim February 11th, 2026 to be National 211 Day in Clearwater, and encourage all residents to recognize the vital role 211 plays in supporting health, safety, and well-being of our community.

Thank you for coming tonight.

And we know you came to work session, shared with us the great work you do.

But uh anything you'd like to share with us tonight.

Yeah, well, thank you very much, Mayor and Council, as you know, Sean Schrader, proud Clearwater native.

And you know, throughout my life, it's been exciting to get engaged in a number of great efforts in the community.

And I think one of the most exciting is the work that First Contact does.

As you just outlined there, there are so many different types of questions and comments and challenges that constituents face across a broad number of issues, whether that's a hurricane or you know, challenges with housing or challenges with other types of assistance, and to know that you can refer those individuals to trained and talented staff who can help them and can kind of help make their challenging situation just a little bit better is really really important.

So to be a board member for first contact is a great honor to work with great leaders like Mickey Thompson, is incredible honor, and we're just very appreciative of your supporting your partnership.

Just quickly, I want to thank everyone in the city of Clearwater for celebrating February 11th as National 201 Day.

It's the second month, 11th day, so hence 211, and it's a national holidays and joining together with cities uh all over the country who are celebrating this day.

So thank you so much for all you do.

And last year we helped about 8,000 uh Clearwater residents.

A little bit less this year than the previous year since we did do a lot of hurricane response with Helena Milton of folks calling in for that.

So uh if you can help us out, tell two people about uh two and one that would really help us out building awareness.

Thank you.

Well, we know you've already helped a lot of people in Clearwater, and we thank you for that, and we thank you for the work that you do every day to make uh our residents feel better and uh and handle some of the toughest situations and connect them with the services they need.

So thank you for coming tonight.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks for having us.

Thanks for your leadership.

Thank you very much.

I can't see so much.

Well, it's good to see you, Sean.

I was gonna say thank you for doing it.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

This time we'll move to item 5.1 of the agenda.

Still removed.

Approve the minutes of the January 15, 2026 City Council meeting.

So moved.

Second.

All those in favor?

Opposed, unanimous.

Now move to item six on the agenda of the consent agenda.

Are there any items to be removed from tonight's consent agenda?

Yes, council.

I received a request to remove item 6.2, 6.3, 6.6, 6.8, 6.10, and 6.12.

Could you repeat those again, please?

Sorry.

6.2, 6.3, 6.6, 6.8, 6.10, and 6.12.

Is there a motion to approve those items that were not removed?

Uh so moved.

Second.

All those in favor?

Right.

Opposed, unanimous.

Move to item 6.2.

Approve a professional services agreement to Instago LLC doing business as Instago Agency of St.

Petersburg, Florida.

For sponsorship sales services for the City of Clearwater assets in the amount of $5,000 per month retaining fee plus an additional 12% of gross sponsorship sales that are negotiated and secured by InstaGo for an initial one-year term with four one-year renewal options pursuant to request for proposal 54-25 and authorize the appropriate officials to execute same.

Good evening, Mayor, Council.

Uh Art Cater, Parks and Recreation Director.

This item was discussed at last Monday's work session, but I'd like to add uh some additional comments and some information regarding the item.

Um, the item is a recommendation to approve an agreement between the city and the Stago LLC for sponsorship sales services.

Now, staff is bringing this item before you in response to really some conversations that we've heard kind of for the past couple of years uh from the DIS and from others regarding uh the fact of see how you can make you know create new revenue sources or make uh new partnerships, private partnerships, and those types of things.

So, in that regard, we're trying to um create new revenue opportunities.

Um, and in that regard, just so you can remember because you've been a part of that to date, uh we have increased user fees at all recreation centers and programs.

We've introduced new amusements to our parks, the Ferris Wheel, and hopefully more to come.

Uh we've managed the Turkey Trot event this year for the first time, and uh we covered all of our cost, of the total cost, which basically before that we were paying 60 to 75,000 dollars of in-kind services that we were giving to this event.

We also made a profit of 40,000.

Um we are in the process of putting out two RFPs, one for beach concessions and the other for the uh concessions on the beach, the sand volleyball, or what do they call those?

Inflatables, yeah.

The inflatables, the big things you see all over the place.

I know that Dan loves them.

So, anyways.

The item we that I'm the reason I share that with you is this item simply reflects that ongoing effort on our part to try to find new revenue sources.

And one of the first special events where this will become important for us is with the 250th anniversary of our country on the 4th of July.

We hope that this sponsorship, it costs the city right now, we pay for all that about 75,000 dollars, of which the fireworks are 55,000.

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to pay for that with sponsorships or at least cover 50% of it?

So that's one of the reasons why we uh hope to that you will approve this item.

We issued RFP 5425 in September of 25 to see if there was an interest in providing the sponsorship services.

We included naming rights services in the RFP, but that is really not our main target or our main goal.

We left it in there simply because if the opportunity did exist, we would want to have someone on staff so that we could do that, a contract to do that.

Our main focus is parks and recreation sponsorships.

To be quite honest, we were disappointed with the responses we got.

We only received three.

I would have loved to have had uh many more than that, but that's what we had.

We went through them, looked at them all.

The uh we got a response from in STIGO, LLC, CB Content Creation, LLC, and the superlative group.

These responses were evaluated by a committee made up of finance, cultural affairs, and parks and recreation.

Mr.

O'Neill's firm in STIGO was chosen because it's a local firm, its costs were lower, it's a minority business, and he's available to put his full efforts into this agreement.

This agreement is to cost $5,000 a month as a retainer and 12% of gross sales.

I understand the concern of paying a monthly retainer and not seeing any money coming in right away.

That's one of the reasons we put in uh at nine months to have made at least 45,000.

That way we would at least be balanced in that regard.

Now, of course, there's no guarantee that that would happen.

However, in this agreement, the city can terminate it at any point in any time with or without cost.

So that is available for us.

Um got these notes.

And he hopes to build his company.

Wouldn't that be great to be able to hire another one or two full-time uh employees and be a part of this young entrepreneur's business?

He likes the other two firms uh that submitted proposal, met all the requirements of the purchasing department, and are e-verified as a Florida licensed liability company doing business in St.

Petersburg.

His first priority will be to perform an asset evaluation and inventory of everything that parks and recreation has in terms of programs, facilities, events, etc.

I'm available to answer any questions you might have to have.

Anyone here tonight from the public desire to speak to this agenda item.

I don't believe this is uh any kind of a professional services agreement.

It's just an example of misplaced priorities and government overreach.

Parks and recreation is a tax supported department entirely.

Return on investment plays no role, and there should be no attempt to make it part of parks and rec.

It just doesn't fit.

Now I heard herding say that there's been several um part, pardon me.

I've got a little bit.

This place chokes me up.

So there were several assets proposed, you know, for this branding.

Some of them one of them mentioned was the splash pad.

Well, splash pads are widely understood to spread germs and cause harmful chemical exposure if they're not, you know, exposing people to bad stuff.

Many people won't even take their dog bear.

So my question would be it's no wonder there's been a disappointing response.

Who would endorse such a filthy thing as a splash pad?

So if we're gonna sell naming rights, why don't we sell naming rights to the Clearwater Police?

I can name a few.

So whatever the intent is here, if it's to raise more money, there we're looking in the wrong place.

You know, should not come from parks and benefit.

It's not gonna benefit parks and rec, it's not gonna benefit the citizens, it's gonna cheapen the experience of going to a clear water park.

I mean, uh it's really a bad idea, and I don't understand it.

There's been so many previous shady financial operations with parks and recreation that this is a really bad idea.

An abuse and a waste resulting in bad oversight, and this needs to be voted down.

If not, is there any council discussion?

There's no council discussion.

Is there a motion move to approve agenda item 6.2?

Second.

All those in favor?

I opposed unanimous.

Thank you.

Authorized an increase and extension to the purchase order with century event services of Tampa, Florida for citywide security and event services and the amounts of 86,000 for year four, increasing the annual not to exceed amounts from 200,000 to 286,000 dollars, and extending the contract for up to 120 calendar days pursuant to request for proposals 6-22 and authorize the appropriate officials to execute same.

Arcade of Parks and Recreation Director.

This item was discussed at our one day um book session.

Uh if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer that.

Are we on 6.3 or did I lose track?

Yes, sir.

6.3.

All right.

Now Mr.

Haluba.

This is about outsourcing citywide security and event services to Sentry for 286,000.

I'm not terribly opposed to this, but it is an outsourcing of police duties.

Something I've stood in front of all of you many many times and advocated for, not for century, but for Panales County Sheriff's Office.

Why don't Clearwater Police do this kind of work?

Why do we have to hire an outside guard agency to do this?

I'm guessing because it's a lot cheaper.

Now Clearwater Police are allowed to outsource their duties.

It's another argument for getting rid of Clearwater Police altogether.

If any outsourcing of police and law enforcement duties are undertaken, it should be with Panales County Sheriff's Office.

Their primary law enforcement.

So like I said, I don't have a problem with sentry, but I have a problem with Clearwater Police.

Again, apparently, you know, not taking care of their business.

Is there anyone else here from the public tonight that desires to speak to this agenda item?

Hearing none, is there any council discussion?

No.

Is there a motion?

Motion to approve agenda item 6.3.

Second.

All those in favor?

Proposed be unanimous.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Caden.

Agenda item 6.6.

O work construction contracts at TLC diversified of Palmetto, Florida, Murphy, Pinellas Contractors of Jacksonville, Florida, and applied drilling engineering of Tampa, Florida for the water reclaimed water and well repair and improvements project in the annual amounts of $9 million for a one-year term with the option for three one-year renewals on a unit basis, pursuant to invitation to bid 25-0027-UT and authorize the appropriate official sex Q.

Good evening, Mayor, Council, Mike Flanning, Interim Director of Public Utilities.

The item before you is a multi-fender contract with a TLC diversified Murphy pipeline and applied drilling.

Whereas Murphy would handle all the trenchless uh pipeline installments.

And the wells and the pumps maintenance would be done by applied drilling.

This is pursuant to ITB uh 25-0027.

It was competitively bid.

Uh the annual amount is nine million per year for one year with three potential uh extensions of that.

Uh it's tied to high performing government type specifically with asset longevity and cost effectiveness.

So I'm hoping happy to respond to any questions that you may have.

Thank you.

Is there anyone here from the public that I desire to speak to this agenda item?

Hi, Mr.

Haluba.

This is really another uh reclaimed water issue.

Why?

Because it's mentioned in there.

The reclaimed water availability fee is in fact a tax income generator.

It is not an enterprise-funded item.

Why not?

I've stood up here many times and talked about my disdain for reclaimed water.

But Slaughter says, you know, they can charge you a fee for not delivering anything because they get away with it.

It's a tax if you don't want it and don't use it, but you have to pay for it.

That's the definition of a tax.

It's not enterprise funds according to generally accepted accounting principles.

According to those rules, goods have to be delivered if you're going to charge a fee for it.

Or it's a tax.

It's difficult, I think, for a lot of people to understand because these two things get intertwined with each other when there's no accounting basis for it.

We don't know where this reclaim water fee money goes.

And and I'm disappointed with Mr.

Ravens because you know, if he's a good accountant, he should not let this go on.

This wrongful, sketchy mingling of tax revenue and enterprise funds.

Now I believe that the same, you know, hocus pocus, fog and mirrors, slide of hands accounting will be absolutely prevalent if the city takes over the electric grid.

They can't manage the utility department, and they want to take over the electric grid makes no sense, and that needs to stop.

Let's leave the electric grid to the professionals, which is Duke Energy.

Is anyone else here from the public tonight desire to speak to this agenda?

Not is there any council discussion?

No discussion.

Is there a motion?

Motion to approve agenda item 6.6.

Second.

All those in favor?

Uh opposed.

Unanimous.

Thank you.

Agenda item 6.8.

Approved the standard grant agreement between the state of Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the City of Clearwater for the design and construction of six storm water pump stations and associated conveyance upgrades phase one of the North Beach Stormwater Improvements Project and the amounts of three million dollars providing state funding for with no required match and authorized your perfect officials to execute same.

Evening, Mayor, Council members, Marcus Wingson, Public Works Director.

We're excited about this one.

Again, uh, this came through the state appropriations, three million dollars to help offset uh construction out there on uh North Beach.

Uh we're continuing to pursue other ground grants to help drive those uh costs down uh also.

So again, excited to uh reduce a little bit of the taxpayers bill there.

Okay, thank you.

See what air from the public tonight desire to speak to this agenda.

I'm Mr.

Haluba.

Another North Beach update.

You know, is it gonna do any good?

Probably not, because eventually it's going underwater, no matter how much you pump.

This time, at least the state is uh footing the bill through a grant, but wait.

If you look at the PDF, buried in there, it states that this is a portion of the cost for six stormwater pump stations.

So let's try try again.

Previous pumps were destroyed by of all things water, so on it goes.

I mean, you know, pump out North Beach to where does this water get pumped to?

Since this water likely will have uh contaminate, you know, it'll be contaminated right up there on the scale of a splash pad.

I understand EPA rules prohibit this water from being pumped back into the ocean.

So, what are you gonna do with it?

The city has been required to issue a hold harmless to the Florida EPA to get this money as a requirement because in order to dispose of it, you're gonna have to do something environmentally questionable.

And since you know, this particular storm water problem has been ongoing and ongoing and pertains almost entirely to North Beach and North Beach residents.

Perhaps what should happen instead of just throwing money at it, you know, over and over and over again.

Why not have a special ass uh special assessment to North Beach residents?

They're the only ones that are going to benefit if they benefit because who knows what's gonna happen to the stormwater.

I still don't know what they're gonna do with it.

I will you know, grant the fact that this is a gigantic mess.

Thank you.

Okay, anyone else here tonight from the public desire to speak to this agenda item.

Hearing seeing none, is there any council discussion?

If not, is there a motion?

Move to approve agenda item 6.8.

Second.

All those in favor?

Opposed, unanimous.

June item 6.10.

Approve a purchase order to Roadware Inc.

of Austin, Texas, for solid waste and recycling service verification, including camera systems with back office system integration in the not to exceed amounts of 769,626.

For a 36-month term pursuant to clear water code abhorrents, section 2.563 for N1 for NC piggyback and authorize the appropriate officials to execute same.

Good evening, Mayor, Council members.

Um Kervin said I miss all the way director.

Um this item uh was brought to you during the workshop on Monday.

This is for um implementation of Rotware, Smart City, um, modernizing of trucks, adding cameras and uh tablets to our fleet.

Um it's gonna help us with um turn by turn navigation pre and post-trip um uh verification, and also it's gonna improve all services to all customers.

Have you going to answer any questions?

You want to hear from the public tonight, desire to speak to this agenda item.

I'm Mr.

Haluba, another waste of money, 769,000 dollars for a camera system to monitor garbage and recycling verification.

Well, I sent Miss Poyer an email this afternoon when the brown truck picked up the recycle bins on my street.

Of course, do I get a response?

Because everybody knows it all goes to the same place.

This is to modernize collection operations.

Well, they can't even send the right truck out.

But it can be modernized simply by only sending one truck around to pick up the garbage and quote unquote recycling because we all know it goes to the same place.

Goes to the same dump.

Now digital turn by turn navigation.

That's an interesting one.

I kind of of the belief that you know, the people that drive the garbage trucks, they probably know where they're going.

You know, they do it every week.

What is that for?

They know where they're going.

I mean, you know, I imagine a lot of you don't use your GPS to find your way here tonight because you know how to get here.

Live 360 degree camera views of what I mean, what the back of the garbage truck inside the garbage truck, the bag of the car, is it gonna be on a big pole like Google Maps?

It's ridiculous.

But one of my favorites is the breadcrumb trail tracking reference.

Why not throw a little handsel and gretel in there, too?

It's it's it's ridiculous.

I wish spending this money was just a fairy tale.

This is absolutely an asinine use of enterprise funds.

You know, if there's anything that needs to, you know, be monitored as far as location, that would be Miss Poyer.

Is anyone else here from the public unit sorry to speak for this agenda?

Um discussion, I just want to point out uh from public that uh how much I appreciate how many uh comments, compliments I get in our uh waste management department.

I got a comment, two comments yesterday talking about how helpful these folks are when they go to neighborhoods to pick up all the waste, uh how friendly they are, how great a job they do, and I don't think most people realize this is one of the most dangerous jobs in our entire city government with these folks do.

So I just want to say for the record, before we have any discussion you do a really great job, and your team has a great job, and anytime we can get technology, anything to improve the safety for these workers, we we welcome that.

So with that, is there any other council discussion?

Okay, is there a motion?

Move to approve agenda item 6.10.

Second.

Those in favor?

Opposed, unanimous.

Thank you.

Appoint Owen Kohler to serve as interim city attorney beginning February 10, 2026.

Mayor, this is my item.

I know we discussed it very extensively at the work session.

Happy to answer any questions.

Okay, you want to hear from the public tonight, desire to speak, Mr.

Adam.

I'm Mr.

Haluba.

Did you respond to those emails, Mr.

Rector?

Because you don't respond to mine.

Probably not.

But I want to congratulate Mr.

Kohler.

It would appear that all groundwork is being set to you know, award him the position of city attorney.

And with a 20% raise in the interim, you know, wow, that why not clearwater needs new people.

We need new ideas, new blood, new perspectives.

That's not Mr.

Kohler.

Now there exists a long list of items that uh you know constitute ties to a community, and Mr.

Rectors mentioned some of those, things like you know, place of worship, where we work, residence.

That's a few of the big ones, but it takes three of them to really be you know connected to the community, or do your kids go to school now.

Now, certainly when the community, in this case, the city of Clearwater hires a highly paid member of management, the ties become even more entwined.

The president, soon to be former city attorney, has a residence requirement in his contract.

I don't believe, and I don't think a lot of people believe, it's not unreasonable by any means to expect and require the city attorney of the city of Clearwater to actually live in the city of Clearwater.

The city attorney residence requirement should not be dropped out of fear of who's going to apply or expediency.

Especially expediency, we have Mr.

Kohler for the duration.

The residency requirement should be enforced with public documentation because otherwise we don't know where these people live.

The residency requirement should absolutely not contain any provision for part-time residency.

I hope that a residence requirement will be required, and I think that's the thing to do.

Thank you.

If there's none, is there a motion?

Motion to approve agenda item 612.

Second.

Opposed, unanimous.

And then council rule six to temporarily restore public comment regarding matters not on the agenda and adopt resolution 26-02.

Mayor, this is uh my item.

Um, if you'd like I can read the title of resolution now.

So we have uh resolution 26-02, a resolution of the City of Clearwater, Florida, amending council rules providing an effective date.

So you want to hear from the public tonight, desire to speak this agenda.

I'm Mr.

Haluba.

Now the First Amendment protects five fundamental rights.

They are.

So I just want to comment that it is to be commended that you have decided to restore this opportunity for residents of Clearwater to speak.

I do appreciate the concern for the safety of the members of the council as well as the public.

But I think it's an opportunity that residents of Clearwater need.

We tried to do this through our town hall meetings and that did not work.

So now that you've restored this, and I appreciate the opportunity for us to see how it works, and if we need to amend it, we can do that.

But the most important thing will be that the residents will have an opportunity to speak.

The one item that I had from the discussion on Monday was that where would this be placed on the agenda?

There was a good discussion about that as well.

And I'm uncertain where is the best place for it, whether it's at the very end of the meeting or certainly when the city business is conducted.

But nevertheless, if we have something to say and we register to say it, we'll have to stay so we have our opportunity to say it.

If it's not that important or relevant, and you don't want to stay, then maybe it's a good thing that you place it where you do.

But in ending, I'd like to commend you for taking this action and giving the Clearwater residents an opportunity to speak again on items that are not on the agenda.

And I certainly hope that order and decorum is maintained for us to do that.

Thank you very much.

Hearing seeing none, is there any council discussion?

If not, is there a motion?

Motion to approve agenda item 7.1.

Second.

All those in favor?

All right.

Opposed.

Unanimous.

Agenda item 8.1.

Mayor 8.1 is the second reading of City Ordinance 9866-26.

An ordinance of the City of Clearwater, Florida, annexing certain unaddressed real property located on the east side of South McMullen Booth Road, approximately 350 feet north of Gulf to Bay Boulevard.

In Clearwater, Florida, 33759, together with abutting South McMullen Booth Road right of way into the corporate limits of the city and redefining the boundary lines of the city to include said edition, providing an effective date.

Hearing saying none, is there any council discussion?

If there's no discussion, is there a motion?

Move to approve agenda item 8.1.

Second.

Those in favor?

Aye.

Opposed.

Unanimous.

Agenda item 8.2.

Mayor uh 8.2 is ordinance 9867-26.

Um, however, the clerk is looking to see if we can retrieve that.

It appears that 9866-26 was attached to the agenda item.

Um, so with your permission, it'd be best to table that for the moment and return to it.

Okay.

Thank you.

No objection.

We'll move to item 8.3.

Mayor 8.3 is ordinance number 9868-26 on second reading.

An ordinance of the city of Clearwater, Florida, amending the zoning atlas of the city by zoning certain unaddressed real property located on the east side of South McMillan Booth Road, approximately 350 feet north of Gulf to Bay Boulevard in Clearwater, Florida, 33759 upon annexation into the city of Clearwater as medium density residential MDR providing an effective date.

Hearing saying none, is there any council discussion?

If none, is there a motion?

Move to approve agenda item 8.3.

Second.

All those in favor, aye.

Opposed, unanimous.

Agenda item 8.4.

Mayor, is it okay if we return to uh 8.2?

Um we've now found uh that one attached.

Yes, 8.2.

Ordinance number 986.

Ordinance number 9867-26, an ordinance of the city of Clearwater, Florida, amending future land use elements of the comprehensive plan of the city to designate the land use for certain real for certain unaddressed real property located on the east side of South McMillan Puth Road, approximately 350 feet north of Gulf to Bay Boulevard in Clearwater, Florida, 33759 upon annexation to the city of Clearwater's residential medium, RM providing an effective date.

Hearing seeing none is any council discussion.

If there's no discussion, is there a motion?

Motion to approve agenda item 8.2.

Second.

I aye.

Opposed, unanimous.

Now agenda item 8.4.

8.4 is city ordinance 9869-26 on second reading and ordinance of the city of Clearwater, Florida annexing certain real property located on the east side of Lauren Lane, approximately 550 feet west of North McMullenbooth Road, whose post office address is 2265 McMullenbooth Road, Clearwater, Florida, 33759 into the corporate limits of the city and redefining the boundary lines of the city to include said edition providing an effective date.

Is anyone here from the public tonight desire to speak to the agenda item 8.4?

Hearing saying none, is there any council discussion?

If there's none, is there a motion?

Motion to approve agenda item 8.4.

Second.

All those in favor, opposed, unanimous.

Agenda item 8.5.

We have ordinance number 9870-26 here on second reading.

An ordinance of the City of Clearwater, Florida, amending the future land use element of the comprehensive plan of the city to designate the land use for a certain real property located on the east side of Lauren Lane, approximately 550 feet west of North McMullen Booth Road, whose post office address is 2265 McMillan Booth Road, Clearwater, Florida, 33759 upon annexation into the city of Clearwater as residential suburban RS providing an effective date.

So you want to hear from the public desire to speak to this agenda item.

Hearing seeing none, is there any council discussion?

If there's no discussion, is there a motion?

Move to approve agenda item 8.5.

Second.

All those in favor?

Opposed, unanimous.

Agenda item 8.6.

8.6 on second reading is ordinance 9871-26, an ordinance of the City of Clearwater, Florida, amending the zoning atlas of the city by zoning certain real property located on the west side of Lauren Lane, approximately 550 feet west along North McMillan Booth Road, whose post office address is 2265 McMullen Booth Road, Clearwater, Florida 33759 upon annexation into the city of Clearwater as low density residential LDR providing an effective date.

Hearing seeing none is there any council discussion?

If there's no discussion, is there a motion?

Move to approve agenda item 8.6.

Second.

Opposed, unanimous.

Move to agenda item 9.

City manager reports.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, just one thing.

I wanted to thank the um Blueberg Harvard team and the city's innovation team.

We just had two days of on-site um training and a lot of interactive work on our innovative project that's gonna look and really redo how we um provide some customer service to our residents and businesses and people who interact with us.

And so just really want to thank everybody for their teamwork on that and for the engagement.

We had a lot of department heads that came by to participate.

Um of council has been by to interact with that, and really looking forward to our strategic planning work session that will also be hosted and uh helped out with facilitation by the Harvard Blueberg team.

So thank you.

Move to agenda item 10, city attorney reports.

Well, mayor, um, as you're aware, uh, I've spent the last uh month primarily uh preparing for my transition.

This is my last council meeting.

Uh I will be working tomorrow as well as Monday.

Uh ironically, um I have always uh well I won't share a personal anecdote.

I'll just say I've always believed uh that you should work as hard on your last day as you do on your first, and so I can say with confidence that is my plan.

Uh we are continuing to do the transition planning literally up through the end of business day on Monday.

Uh the manager and I are ironically um have meeting with Duke Energy all afternoon, Monday afternoon.

Um I may in fact be working into the evening uh on Monday, which would be hilarious.

Uh but I can say with confidence with the lights on.

Yes, I can say with confidence that taxpayers are deriving significant value from me at this point in time during the transition, uh, but I am working very hard to ensure the baton is handed off smoothly.

Uh we are meeting in legal literally every day to ensure that there is an appropriate transition uh and that nothing gets dropped during this time.

Uh I will only offer kind of the briefest reflection, which is to say that if I think about the last five years and when I joined the city, uh I said in public, Medeus, that I wanted to be part of big things, and I can say with confidence that Clearwater has given me that opportunity.

And I am appreciative of that because we have worked on a tremendous number of very large, very complex items, many of which, of course, are reported in the media.

But I also want to say to my team as well as city staff in general that I have found in representing government all these years, both with Clearwater and previously, that sometimes it's not the high profile things we do that make the biggest impact.

It's not always the things that are in the media that make the biggest difference.

So, for example, it wasn't long ago that public works and the legal team paired up to completely redesign our design services contract for design professionals for architects and engineers.

That was something that had been done the same way for many, many years in the city, and we have completely revitalized our contractual relationships with architects and engineers.

That's never going to make the front page news.

It won't make any news, but I am confident that those changes that we have made together will save taxpayers' money and they will help deliver city projects on budget.

Those are the kinds of differences that really matter.

And so my encouragement to my team as well as city staff is to continue taking pride in your work because everything I have seen makes the difference for our residents, for our businesses, and our stakeholders.

With that, thank you very much and appreciate the opportunity to serve.

Thank you, David, on behalf of the citizens.

Certainly, I think we all agree.

And you you throughout since since you uh tendered your resignation, uh you you've handled it completely professionally.

You've worked really hard to transition your work to the rest of the staff and met with you uh just today with uh Mr.

Kohler to help complete that transition.

But uh as you said, we have done some remarkable difficult things, prior council and and our council since you've been city attorney, and you've been lead on some very instrumental projects that have been working on.

And uh some some you know it took a lot of courage and took a lot of determination for you to stand out there and and give your opinion for what it was and be direct about it.

Uh, but I can tell you uh we appreciate it as a city, and citizens have expressed their appreciation to me for the service that you provided to the city.

So uh thank you for that.

Uh you should be very proud of the work you've done.

You've got a great legal department here, uh, much because you've you've helped form that and lead that, and uh, we wish you the best as you go on uh from here.

Um but thank you again for all you've done on behalf of our city.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

I appreciate that.

Yeah, we'll move to item 11.

Closing comments by council members.

Councilmember Cotton.

Yes, sir, thank you.

Um David, as of being your last day and our last meeting that we had today, um I genuinely appreciate you and what you've done for us, the thorough analysis and articulation, walking through uh the mundane court cases to you know something that I know that you should be very proud of, the Gotham project that'll be wrapping up soon.

Um, you know, not every resident gets to be in those meetings with us, but uh the intricacies and detail in contracts like the Gotham Project and protecting taxpayers is greatly appreciated from this taxpayer.

So uh I wish you the best as you go forward, and you know, the next chapter, and I'm very hopeful for you, and I know you're gonna do great things.

So thank you again.

Thank you very much.

Councilmember Manino.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, gonna go in the same way.

I think we're all gonna go in the same direction.

Um, and I think we all truly mean it.

Uh, David, you've been more than a good professional legal guider for the city and for us as a dais and for us as individuals, uh, but you become a good friend, and I hope we don't lose that friendship as we continue to go forward, although we are losing you in that the legal department.

Uh I do uh see you go uh with the same confidence that I believe you have uh in the staff you leave behind and being fully capable uh to continue to guide Clearwater to being brighter and more beautiful as we go forward.

I won't run down a list of accomplishments and do that to you today because I know you are a private person, but you have, as you said, had your hands uh in the pot of some very large, complex things uh in Clearwater is better uh because of your service.

So uh as a friend, uh I greatly appreciate that.

We will miss you and wish you absolutely nothing but the best going forward in whatever you choose to do.

Thank you very much.

Uh it means a lot, and uh you know I do live in Clearwater, and at least for the foreseeable future, uh we'll continue doing so, and so uh I look forward to you know keeping in touch.

Councilmember Robert.

Um well, David, we haven't always seen eye to eye, but I gotta tell you the entire time that you've been here as our city attorney.

Um, you know, I I think you've done a good job for us.

I mean, we have had a lot of big things that have kept you busy during those times.

Fortunately, I'm glad we do because Clearwater's in a lot better place now than it was before.

But uh I do wish you luck on your next endeavor.

And uh we'll see you maybe before you go next Monday.

I appreciate that.

I'll be here.

Okay, well, let me begin um by thanking you, David.

Um thank you for your service.

I've truly enjoyed working with you.

Uh I always look forward to our one-on-ones.

I've always learned um many things from you.

I was never in boring moment, and so um all I can say is that I wish you well in your next chapter, and I'm gonna miss you.

Now, um I do want to talk about a couple of things.

As everyone knows, I've supported the arts, and I'm very passionate about it.

And so some of us have attended the uh West Coast Players uh Spelling B uh theater last week.

Um, and it reminded me why it was so important to support the arts.

This play was funny, it was clever, and the audience participated it, and it added an extra level of fun, and I will continue to uh support um organizations like them and others.

I also want to talk about the Harvard um innovation session.

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The interactive exercises were engaging, energizing, and it quickly confirmed that my competitive side was alive and well.

Uh give me a couple of sticky notes in the timer and off I go.

Um so thank you for that opportunity.

I know that you uh and Mayor uh rector have been very involved in that, and I appreciate what it can add to our city.

So thank you.

Um I don't know.

It was great.

Appreciate city manager sharing that earlier.

Um just the creativity and the energy that our staff is bringing that project, is really uh I'm impressed with uh with the energy that that's coming out of that.

So uh thank you for leading that.

Um I just have uh just one thing to share over um aside from whatever, you know, the just best wishes to the city attorney.

But uh, you know, in Pennsylvania, there are two things that signify that spring is coming.

Uh they have Poxatonic Phil, who, you know, whether he sees the shadow or not, and I guess uh predicted six more weeks of winter, which does not make people in the Northeast who've had a lot of snow here recently happy.

Uh but the other thing out of Pennsylvania that predicts spring at least is coming in Clearwater is uh when the Philly fanatic uh loads the equipment truck in Philadelphia, and he did that this week.

So uh it is loaded and it's on its way, and it will get here this weekend.

So we will have the Phillies here, I think, pitchers and catchers sometime uh next week, middle of next week, we'll be reporting.

So uh baseball returns to Clearwater, and then this weekend uh starts the first of two major college women's softball tournaments.

Uh a lot of people know that we'll be featured on national television many times.

Uh uh, not this weekend, but the following weekend with the ESPN Clearwater Invitational.

They bring in some of the top college softball teams from around the United States.

Over half of them are ranked in the top 25 that play every year.

Uh but this weekend, we also have the National National Fast Pitch Coaches Association tournament.

Uh not as many ranked teams, but some ranked teams and uh top college teams from around the country playing this weekend as well.

So uh fat uh softball's a very fast growing sport, particularly among young girls, and uh it's exciting for our entire community to host those two tournaments every year, and so those will be happening the next two weekends.

And uh the SPN Clearwater Infasure is a little tough to get a ticket to.

Uh those those college teams travel with a lot of their parents and fan base, and uh we're not set up to handle huge crowds for those games, but the one this weekend is is top college teams as well, and I think there are some availability to go out and watch so that I encourage the community to support both of those events, including the one this weekend.

So, with that, if there's nothing else to come before Clearwater City Council, we will adjourn the February 5th, 2026 meeting.