This time I'll call for order the March 30, 2026 meeting of the Clearwater City Council.

If you wish to address the council tonight, please complete a comment card.

Comment cards are located by the clerk.

This time we'll move to item two on the agenda, and that's for our invocation.

Ask for everyone to please stand for the invitation tonight to be given by Rabbi Michael Bernholz of the Tip of the Eye Israel and remain standing afterwards for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Truly what an honor it is to come before the Clearwater City Council to offer an invitation.

And this is in the midst of a significant week.

It is both Holy Week in the Christian calendar, but it is also as we are approaching Passover on our Jewish calendar, one of our three major pilgrimage festivals, when the community of Israel would gather in Israel to remember four thousand years ago when the people of Israel were slaves in the land of Egypt, and they were led through miracles and marvels through the sea and after all those plagues.

And so later this week, on Wednesday night, Jewish families, and then Thursday night too.

Jewish families will be gathering, and the youngest child of every family is required to ask a question.

And the whole goal of the holiday is for the parents to teach their children the questions so the kids ask the questions, so then the parents have to answer why is this night different from all other nights?

And then, of course, with that prompting, you have then have to tell the story.

And we do all kinds of things during the Passover Seder.

This meal we do in a particular order in order to make our kids curious.

We play hide and seek.

We sing silly songs.

We ask force them to ask questions.

We dip things once, not once, but twice, where you take parsley into salt water, and then you take an apple compote and you put it with bitter herbs.

We do all sorts of stuff just to get our kids to ask that question so we can say here is this moment where the people of Israel were in slavery where they were in degradation, where they were suffering miserably, and yet connecting with the divine, they were able to go to freedom.

And I was asking, and there's this as I said, a question why do we dip not once?

Some nights we never dip anything.

But tonight we don't just dip once, we dip twice.

We dip parsley into salt water, and I was asking the kids, and I was asking this community of what were those two acts of dipping.

Remembering another part of the Seder.

And so he was remembering a place in the ceder where we actually take wine out of our wine glass to reduce the amount of wine we have.

And I had started thinking about these two acts that are so that are part of the cedar and so different.

One is taking, and we call it corosate.

And there's all sorts of different corrosive.

If you're from Eastern Europe, it's apples and nuts, and then wine is added to it.

And it gets mixed with bitter herb in our day and age, so many people use horseradish.

And it's a beautiful way of combining the sweet and the bitter.

Because in Jewish life, what do we do?

We realize that there is the bitterness of slavery of ancestors, but also the bitterness of the challenges we experience, and what do we want to do?

We want to feel and understand the bitterness that's real, and we also then want to follow it with sweetness, with the joy and with the celebration.

And so we have this bitterness and sweetness that goes together.

And on the other hand, here is this person talking about the removing of the wine that was that is part of this other ritual with a kiddish.

And I'm like, why is it different?

And then I'm as I stand before you take think about taking a kiddishcut.

Taking a wine glass, and we are removing each drop of wine to be one of the ten plagues that we have in the story of the Exodus.

You have this moment where you have the people of Egypt won't let the people of Israel go to freedom, and you have to have these plagues that are come on the that are brought to the people of Israel of Egypt, and there's all this damage and destruction.

But the last thing you want to do is celebrate, even if you need to stand up to someone, in order to find your freedom, the last thing you want to do is celebrate the destruction of somebody else, even if it leads to freedom.

And so we decrease the wine, we decrease our sweetness, we decrease our joy, acknowledging that there is pain even coming with our freedom.

Two completely different rituals, one of adding wine to something to make it sweeter, one to decrease the wine to take away some of the sweetness, all part of that same ritual.

And so as you hear from this community, as you debate and discuss what is how to build this city and this community into a place of shalom, wholeness, completeness, and peace.

It is my hope that you think about both of those things.

What are the things that we add?

What are the things we take away?

How do we bit balance those moments of challenge, those moments of conflict, with also with those moments of sweetness?

And there's a very simple text that I offer.

May we all find this way to build this world with love.

May each of us as individuals find that way to build this world with chain with love.

May all of us as a community find a way to build this world with chesed with love.

And may we feel as something greater than ourselves bound together, find a way, oh lam chased, to build this world with love.

Amen.

Thank you, Redbeh.

Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

And to which it stands.

One nation.

Before we go further in tonight's uh agenda, I'd like to introduce our dayus for tonight.

Uh to my far left is our deputy city clerk, Nicole Sprague.

Good evening.

To her right is our depth is our city clerk, Rosemary.

To her right is our interim city attorney, Owen Kohler.

Good evening.

To his right is City Council Member Ryan Cotton.

Good evening.

To my left is City Council Member Mike Manino.

Good evening.

Uh Councilmember David Albright is not able to attend tonight.

To my right is Vice Marilyn Tuchera.

Good evening.

To her right is City Manager Jeff Reporter.

Good evening.

To her right is Assistant City Manager Dan Slaughter.

And to his right is Assistant City Manager Al Battle.

That we'll move to item 4.1 on the agenda.

I'd like to call forward Eric Harris from the CYF program.

He's the program manager for CFY.

And I believe Hamilton, and we've got other board members here tonight as well.

All right.

Thank you.

Glad to be here this evening.

We have our board members here.

We also are here to celebrate the recipients from the city of Clearwater for their acknowledgement for their scholarships.

I'm going to pass it over to our to our one of our board members here, Ston Daubert.

Oh, hi, good good evening, and thank you so much for allowing us here tonight.

And to introduce you to our next investment into our community.

So we're here tonight to honor these students and introduce them to you.

They've all received scholarships from local sponsors that have been put together by Clearwater for Youth.

We had over 500 applicants, and we ended up with 57 recipients.

And that is the generosity of businesses and families in our community who wanted to sponsor these young people.

So we had 16 Pinellas County High Schools participate this year and receive awards.

And tonight we are representing Clearwater, and we had 16 recipients from Clearwater Schools.

So if you would allow me to introduce and why don't I, as I call your name, if you'll just step forward so that we can acknowledge who you guys are.

So first it's Dylan Zarl, and Dylan comes to us from Calvary Christian, and he has uh a very interesting background, and he has a 3.4 uh GPA, and he'll be going to the Fire Academy as well as St.

Pete College.

And he is uh he played football for four years, he was a football captain, he was a homecoming king.

His list goes on.

So, Dylan, congratulations to you.

He'll be receiving a um scholarship from the Crawford Kerr Foundation.

Next from Clearwater Central Catholic, we have Mary Ann Marcinek.

And Mary Anna is receiving a 10,000 scholarship as well, and she's sponsored by the Clearwater Phillies.

I know we're all familiar with them.

She is going to go to the University of Florida, yes, committed.

And she plays softball.

She was a student ambassador, she's an International Thesbian Honor Society, and she actually served on the Supreme Court Justice in cases that she was collaborating with her peers for the uh practice of constitutional law.

So congratulations to you.

Then next we have from Clearwater High School.

We have Sit Lali Boujahi.

So Clali comes to us uh from Clearwater High, and she'll be going to St.

Pete College.

She has a 3.7 GPA, and she currently is in cross-country, the Key Club, the History Club.

She has received a certificate of excellence for math and certificate of excellence in keyboarding.

So we're very excited to award her with a scholarship to St.

Pete College.

Congratulations.

And on a side note, so the St.

Pete College Scholarships, they are a three-year program where they are covered for books and tuition, which is pretty amazing.

It gives them three years to get their AA degree.

The next we have Alexander Kith and Alexander comes to us from Clearwater High School.

And Alexander has a 4.46 GPA, and he is going to St.

Pete College.

He played football for three years, and uh his senior year he did miss the injury, but uh he's back healthy and uh running strong, and he was on the National Honor Society and the Science National Honor Society, the English Honor Society, it keeps going.

You get the idea here.

So uh congratulations to you, and uh we're happy to have you.

Uh next from Clearwater High, we have Melissa Taterovic Pelec, and her, oh, you know, I should have said who your sponsor was.

I apologize.

Let me go back here.

Um, Ragnar Events, and I'm sure you guys are all familiar with Reichner events.

They do a lot of promotions here in our area.

We're fortunate to have them.

Melissa comes to us from Clearwater High, and she is going to uh St.

Pete College as well, and I happen to be the fortunate one that is sponsoring Melissa.

She is involved in the drama club, the National Honor Society, National English Society, Quilt and Scroll, leadership on campus.

She has quite a list as well, and we're very proud of her.

She also works on the Teen Advisory Board, and if I read to you all her awards, we'd be here all night.

But we're so happy to have you, and she'll be attending St.

Pete College.

Congratulations.

Celia Flick.

Celia comes to us from this is a very interesting and emotional and touching.

She comes to us from Clearwater High through the ROTC program.

And her scholarship is in honor of a student that was hit by a car and killed.

But the interesting thing was Clearwater High and also Backwaters and Clearwater for Youth felt the need to co-sponsor this scholarship.

So we're so thrilled to be able to give it to uh Celia.

She is a member of the Marine Corps Junior ROTC.

And for all four years, and she's also the commanding officer for the entire Clearwater High ROTC program.

Congratulations to you.

And Countryside High School, Emily Rivera.

She's receiving a $10,000 scholarship, and she's being sponsored by Clearwater Gas Systems.

She'll be going to FSU.

Yeah.

And she was a cheerleading captain in the a part of the Black Student Union and Vice President of the Spanish Honor Society.

She also has received the Dr.

Vilma Fernandez Zalubsky Award.

Congratulations to you.

We're thrilled to have you here.

And that concludes a few more come in.

Oh, do we have some late entries?

These students are so busy this time of year.

It's hard to uh to get all of them.

Oh, Freddie, great.

Okay, sure.

Excuse us.

Are you sure?

Here we go.

Okay.

Freddie Lewis, come on up.

Freddie comes to us.

Um, he's receiving, and I know you all have eaten here at Capona's dugout.

We've all uh take partaken there.

He is from Countryside High School, and he where did you decide?

Where'd you commit for school?

Famio, good for you.

And uh his leadership's role is he's taking care of his three siblings in his house, and that has been a huge responsibility for him while he has maintained a 3.1 GPA.

So we're really excited to have him as a part of our program, and um it doesn't stop him from being on the principal's list year over year.

Congratulations to you, Christopher Castro.

Christopher is being sponsored by, and this is a familiar name to all of us, uh George and Carolyn Criticos.

So they have um been very uh a giving and are excited about our program here.

Christopher is gonna go to St.

Pete College, correct?

Yeah, and he currently has a 4.0 GPA.

He plays varsity soccer, high school lacrosse, he's on the Abbott Club, and uh he even plays baseball.

There's not much you're not doing right now, right?

Is there anything else that uh he can do other than the Dr.

Velma Fernandez Wolfski?

So congratulations to you.

One more?

Yeah, it's one.

Uh oh.

A lot of these um students, they've had obligations, they've had their student their senior trips, and so they've been a little busy, and um RSVP has not been on their mind.

All right, so uh from Clearwater High, Yasmin Franco Cruz, and Yasmin is going to go to the vocational school.

And which one are you going to?

P Tech, that's great.

She was actually sponsored by Spencer and Associates, and um her extracurricular activities are she's in youth groups, student government soccer, and she participates in the girlfriends club.

Yeah, who knew?

Um, her leadership roles are she was very involved in the mural for the Spanish Heritage Month, and she worked on that to help create the school Muriel.

And um, we're just happy to have you.

Congratulations.

Thanks for coming tonight.

Am I missing anybody?

With my back to everybody, I don't know what's going on behind me.

So thank you so much for having us tonight.

We really appreciate being here and um respect the community.

Yeah, and we want we had a chance to meet with some of you.

We didn't we get a chance to talk to uh prior to the meeting.

Uh and we understand we've got folks who aren't here tonight from Clearwater who are practicing or playing games, they're involved in spring sports.

One of the great things, CFY.

It's not only athletes, but a lot of you you recognize a lot of athletes for their uh well-rounded um performance through high school, and so we appreciate that.

On and off the field.

We want them to be good.

And one of the points was made, one of the points was made in our uh meeting.

I think assistant city manager Slaughter made it that um you know you're being recognized for the scholarship, not just because you're a good students or good athletes.

You're being recognized because you you've been really good human beings.

Uh you've learned those things about being involved in your community, involved in organizations and caring about your community and caring about others.

That uh is is a demonstration of not just your past success, but what we hope will be your future success, because uh you're important to this city.

We need uh folks like you who are here tonight to uh to go off some of you away, some I heard FSU, I heard some uh institutions out of town, which you we hope you get a good education there, and then we hope you come back because uh it's really important that we retain talented young people like you because you are the future of this city.

And so, congratulations to you and thank you, CFY.

Uh, for all those out there that stands for Clearwater for Youth.

They changed their name a bit to encompass the wider Pinellas County that they serve, but it all started as Clearwater for Youth, and thank you to the board and the folks who are here tonight, the staff for keeping this great program and uh growing it over the years to become uh to the point is it's touching so many young people throughout our county.

So thank you for being here tonight.

And I think we want to get a picture, and let's give these folks a round of applause.

Thank you, Mayor Raptor.

Congratulations.

Congratulations again.

Congratulations.

Congratulations again.

Congratulations, my friends.

Congratulations again.

Congratulations.

Congratulations.

I think you remember.

Thank you so much.

You thought they were gonna forget about you, didn't we?

Good to have you here.

Thanks for joining us.

Congratulations.

Appreciate you.

Sir Ball, how are you right?

Yeah, one of the things that I'm gonna do.

I'm trying to know why I'm like I can't show this one.

I'm gonna fill a hole or stand on the chair now.

Oh football football stands.

Come on, quickly.

Which one is everybody keep their eyes open?

One, two, three.

Sorry.

Oh my god.

Uh-huh.

Next we move to item 4.2 on the agenda.

I'd like to call forward Major Ted Morris and Major Pamela Morris from the Salvation Army.

And any anyone else here tonight from Salvation Army is welcome to come in.

First, I'd like to read the Centennial Day Proclamation and then uh and then I'll invite you to make some comments here.

Whereas the Salvation Army of Clearwater in Upper Pinellas County was first established on March 16, 1926, and has served hundreds of thousands of local residents during this time.

And whereas the Salvation Army of Clearwater in Upper Pinellas County provides supportive housing for homeless mothers and their children for up to two years with the goal of lifting the burden of rent while they obtain a professional certification or degree.

And whereas the Salvation Army, Clearwater Citadel Corps continues to be a place of worship and fellowship for hundreds of all ages, with a wide variety of activities throughout each week, including a free school of music for children, and whereas the Salvation Army is on call to respond to local and regional disasters, whether natural or man-made by serving food to those directly involved as well as first responders.

And whereas on March 16, 2026, the Salvation Army of Clearwater at Up and Upper Pinellas County commemorated 100 years of faithful service in the local community.

Now, therefore, I Bruce Rector, mayor of the City of Clearwater, Florida, on behalf of the Clearwater City Council to hereby proclaim March 16, 2026 to be the Salvation Army Centennial Day in Clearwater.

100 years of touching so many lives in this city.

Congratulations to you and thank you for the work you've done.

Major Ted, would you like to say a few words?

Thank you.

Mayor, thank you, Council, for this recognition.

Majors Pam and I are the co-pastors and co-directors of the Salvation Army and Clearwater Upper Pinellas.

Our assistant officer is Lieutenant Sadie Glick working alongside with us.

And uh Paula Bridges is the chairperson of our centennial committee.

So she put a lot of things together to celebrate our centennial.

The uniforms, by the way, simply indicate that we are members of the Salvation Army Church, the three pastors and then lay leaders here among us.

On behalf of us, on behalf of our volunteers, on behalf of our staff, some of who are here tonight, we want to thank you for this recognition.

And on behalf of those who come through our doors, the hundreds of thousands who've come to us for a spiritual support, emotional support, financial health, and a blessing from the Salvation Army.

We could not do it without the partnership with the city.

And so we thank you for that.

And we pledge to you, on behalf of all those who follow us, uh continued work with the city and work to help our community better through the Salvation Army.

So, Mayor, thank you so much for the recognition, and thank you for those of you who've been a part of our activity.

Some of you have come to our various events, and we're grateful for that, because you know you're busy people.

So thank you very much, and God bless you.

Thank you for coming tonight.

Thank you for coming.

Thank you for coming.

Thank you for coming tonight.

I think we'll want to get a picture here while we're David's back there, so we'll get a second.

Yeah, I think we can get you in front of the pictures.

Yeah, thank you.

Beautiful.

Very good.

Thank you for coming.

Let's remove to item 4.3 agenda, and I'd like to call for Sonia Piet from LifeLink.

Read the proclamation, and we invite you to make a few comments.

Whereas one of the most meaningful gifts that a human can bestow upon another is the gift of life.

And whereas over 105,000 men, women, and children are currently on the national waiting list for organ transplantation, of which nearly 6,000 of them reside in Florida.

And whereas 49,065, a historic norm number of organ transplants occurred in the calendar year 2025 in the United States, thanks to the generosity of 23,787 deceased and living donors, of which LifeLink of Florida honored more donors than ever before, serving 360 organ donors who provided 995 life-saving transplants to patients in need.

And whereas Life Link of Florida, the nonprofit organization dedicated to the recovery of organs and tissue for transplantation therapy in Florida with a mission to honor donors and save lives through organ and tissue donation.

Now, therefore, I Bruce Rector, mayor of the City of Clearwater, Florida, on behalf of the Clearwater City Council, to hereby proclaim April 2026 to be donate life month in the City of Clearwater, and encourage all residents to consider giving life through organ donation and to sign up in Florida's organ and tissue donor registry by visiting WWW DonateLife Florida.org or win renewing their driver's license or state identification card.

Thank you for coming tonight and bringing to attention this very important.

Yes, I thank you.

Um I have a little a little speech I would like to say.

Please, yeah.

And this is my husband Daniel Pyot.

Um I wear this crown because March 7th, um, I reached 10 years double organ transplanted.

Um, kidney and pancreas.

So um receiving the donate life proclamation here in Clearwater is a profound honor.

One that I accept with deep gratitude and humility.

As a double organ transplant recipient of both a pancreas and kidney, I stand here today as a living testament to the power of organ donation.

This journey has truly been a gift.

While transplantation is not a cure, it has given me something incredibly meaningful, a better quality of life.

This year marks a special milestone for me.

Ten years of living with these precious gifts.

Seven days a week, eight hours at night at home.

It was one of the most challenging seasons of my life.

But through it all, my faith in God gave me the strength to persevere, to keep going, and to believe that brighter days were ahead.

Because of that gift, I have been blessed to witness life's most precious moments.

My daughter's weddings, the birth of my four grandchildren, countless birthdays and holidays, and celebrating my recent wedding anniversary with my husband of 36 years.

Like many transplant recipients, my journey has not been without challenges.

There have been mountains to climb.

Today, I do not stand here just for myself.

For those who have given the life, the gift of life.

This is what giving looks like.

Organ donation is not just a decision, it's the gift of a second chance of life.

Thank you to the city of Clearwater for recognizing the importance of donate life, life link, and for helping create a space where awareness, education, and hope can continue to grow in this wonderful community.

Hope lives where giving begins.

Give the gift of hope to another precious soul.

Thank you, Claire City of Clearwater.

I just want to thank you for sharing that powerful story.

Yes.

That that uh I can't tell you how much that just touched me.

And uh completely unexpected, and I'm sure others feel the same way.

Took courage to do that, and thank you for sharing that.

Yes, thank you so much.

Thank you for coming tonight.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for coming and sharing.

Thank you.

Would you like to get a get a photo?

Yeah.

You have someone here with take a photo?

Yeah.

I didn't do that.

Go ahead again.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Congratulations.

That will move to item 4.4, the Fair Housing Month Proclamation, I'd like to call forward Dylan Mayhew from our City of Clearwater Economic Development Department.

Whereas this year marks the 58th anniversary, the signing of Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, also known as the Fair Housing Act Acts Amended and Florida laws have affirmed the right of every American to have access to housing free of barriers based on race, color, religion, sex, family status, disability, or national origin.

And whereas by supporting and promoting and enforcing fair housing laws and equal opportunity strengthens the quality of life in our city, state, and nation, and whereas the City of Clearwater is proud of its efforts to further fair housing and recognizes that this can only be accomplished through forging partnerships with other government agencies, corporations, for-profit, and nonprofit organizations, entrepreneurs, and all persons interested in furthering fair housing, and whereas Fair Housing Month is observed during the month of April to remind citizens of the responsibility to encourage fair housing and fight discrimination, as well as the benefits of unrestricted access to housing.

Now, therefore, I Bruce Rector, mayor of the City of Clearwater, Florida, on behalf of the Clearwater City Council to hereby proclaim April 2026 to be Fair Housing Month with the recognition that continued vigilance against discrimination in all its forms will encourage all citizens and community organizations to celebrate the value of harmonious and diverse communities of neighbors and support the goal of equal housing opportunity for all people.

Housing is a very important issue throughout Clearwater and all of Tampa Bay.

So would you like to say a few words about our housing?

Good evening, Mr.

Mayor and to honorable council members as well, Honorable Mayor, and also to Madam City Manager, Assistant City Manager Slaughter and Assistant City Manager Battle and other respective city officials on the dais.

Um regarding uh fair housing proclamation.

Um tonight, fair housing month is an important opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the principles established under the Fair Housing Act, ensuring every resident has equal access to safe, decent, and affordable housing.

Uh in collaboration with our community partners, our department remains committed uh to this work through ongoing education, outreach, and administration of programs that expand housing access and remove barriers for those that we serve.

We also continue to collaborate uh with community uh to make sure that we are aware of the rights and resources available to them.

And while we have made meaningful progress, we also acknowledge there is more work to be done.

So on behalf of our entire housing department, uh Dylan and our team and housing, we uh we take this time to uh thank you, uh mayor, council members, uh, and to our city management uh for your continued leadership and also to our community partners uh in our community to supporting fair housing efforts throughout the year.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So move to item 4.5, that's the Earth Month Proclamation, and I'd like to call forward Cassie Cordova from Public Works for this presentation.

Whereas Earth Month is an annual reminder of the constant need for environmental advocacy, stewardship commitments, and sustainability efforts.

And whereas all life forms on Earth have a right to a healthy, sustainable environment, and as caretakers of the planet, we have all have an obligation to change human behaviors that contribute to environmental degradation to preserve the Earth's beauty and natural resources.

And whereas the City of Clearwater reaffirms its commitment to protecting our natural resources and promoting a healthier, greener future by making everyday Earth Day and celebrating our planet year-round.

And whereas the City of Clearwater continues to take steps to protect our residents, our city, and our planet, including educating about environmental awareness, inspiring us to reimagine our community by taking up the challenge of making it more equitable, sustainable, and resilient.

Now, therefore, I'm Bruce Rector, mayor of the City of Clearwater, Florida.

On behalf of the Clearwater City Council, the yearby proclaim April 2026 to be Earth Month in Clearwater.

And we certainly have one of the most beautiful places in the world to preserve and protect, and our natural beauty is so important to not just the millions of visitors that come here but to our residents.

So thank you for reminding us of that importance and reminding us all of the uh obligation responsibility to take care of it.

So Cassie, would you you or one of you like to say something?

We just want to say thank you to mayor and council for your support on this initiative and everything that we do.

Um we'll keep it short and sweet.

We uh have a website, myclearoy.com/slash earth month.

We have uh several events organized by several of our other departments within the city as well as some community organizations, so feel free to check that out.

Um, pretty much every weekend in April, we've got something going on.

We'll be at the countryside events this weekend.

Uh, she'll be at the Sea Turtle at um North Greenwood or uh Ross Norton, and then we'll be at the big one at Moxon Lake later this month.

But there are many, many other events.

The libraries do a great job of putting together a lot of events as well.

So we hope to see everybody there.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Yes, thank you.

I appreciate some interesting.

Thanks, Ken's paper.

Okay, we'll move to item 5.1, excuse me, 5.1 on the agenda.

Approve the amendments of the March 5, 2026 City Council meeting.

So moved.

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Opposed, unanimous.

Move to item 6.1.

Approve amendments to the Clearwater Comprehensive Plan to establish a new planned redevelopment district, PRD overlay, future land use category with associated bonuses, incorporate policies for a new North Greenwood community overlay district, and add comprehensive plan policy support for existing non-conformity procedures in the community development code and pass ordinance 9860-26 on first street.

Good evening, Lauren Matsky, Planning and Development Department.

Um very excited to be here this evening to take the first of several steps to uh move into the implementation of the North Greenwood CRA plan as it relates to all of the land use and zoning efforts that we've had going on after a bit of a delay due to storms and other situations.

We're we're getting back on track.

So there are several pieces that are required.

Um, all four of them are listed here on the screen, but tonight I'll specifically be presenting the details for the first two pieces, which is amendments to Clearwater 2045 to establish a new overlay and some density and intensity bonuses, and then applying that overlay, assuming that city council approves it.

Um the next agenda item would be to apply that to the city's future land use map.

Later this year, we'll return with amendments to the community development code to that would bring the zoning standards for the area, and also to apply that to the zoning atlas.

Um, as noted in the agenda memo, these first pieces require review by various state and local agencies, so we're able to bring these forward and start them through the process while we continue to work on the back side on the community development code and other pieces.

So each builds upon each other, as you'll see as we go through it.

So first, I thought it for the benefit of everyone, um, just a real quick what is a comprehensive plan.

Um so it's a required, it's required by the state.

Um Florida has every single municipality has to have one, and we're required to update it from time to time.

But it's used to guide growth and development via its many policies that cover a variety of topics like land use, transportation, recreation, coastal zones, um, public utilities and things of that nature.

It's it's the highest level though, is the policy direction for the city as it grows.

So when communities amend their plan, it's really our opportunity for us to have those honest conversations about what we want for the future and how we want to achieve it.

In this instance, we completed the visioning exercises with the North Greenwood community, unfortunately back in 2024, but we've been keeping in touch with the community.

And that was we also had a very lengthy outreach process with the community as part of the establishment of the CRA.

So while we've had these breaks, we've had continued touch points with them.

So at that point, we're or through this process, we're really reaffirming the CRA vision and moving it forward.

So this ordinance covers four main topics as shown on the screen, three of which are pertaining to North Greenwood, and the last one, since we're amending the comprehensive plan staff that identified something to bring forward.

So just quickly, this is the broader North Greenwood CRA boundary.

And then this shows the mix of future land use designations that are within the broader area.

There's four different residential categories designated on properties.

There's six either non-residential or mixed use categories, and there's three that are more of the natural resources or conservation areas.

There's a lot more detail in the next or in the companion case.

So we've taken several different approaches when planning for specific or unique areas.

So some of you may recall when we did US 19, we chose to develop brand new future land use categories and do full designations on those properties.

So we amended you know 4,000 plus properties and 1,600 acres of land to brand new categories.

In North Greenwood, we're recommending a different approach, which is to utilize an overlay over the existing categories.

In part, this is in response to one of the legislative changes that took place in the past legislative session Senate Bill 180.

Unfortunately, the glitch bill did not go through this year.

So we're prohibited from enacting things that are more cumbersome or burdensome to existing properties.

That required us to pivot while working on the project.

That happens sometimes.

And an overlay will help us accomplish pretty much what we want to by making it an opt-in.

You know, if if a property owner wants to take advantage of the density bonus that's proposed, they can.

If they choose not to, they can utilize their current entitlements and abide by the current code that's already in place.

So there would be no changes to them otherwise.

This is a category that is available through the countywide rules used to depict areas that are developed with a mix of residential and non-residential, which North Greenwood is, and within neighborhoods that are distinct areas.

Again, that's North Greenwood essentially.

So it permits cities to plan for these areas and it makes available more development potential, but not as much as would be for an activity center or multimodal corridor.

So not as much as we could could utilize in US 19 or downtown.

It's not appropriate in these neighborhood settings, but it recognizes it that there's something unique and cohesive about it.

And if cities do all of the planning efforts, then they get the benefits of that.

So you'll see in this ordinance that we're proposing the overlay to allow up to 40 units per acre, as well as a floor area ratio bonus, impervious surface ratio, and a bonus for mixed use.

So I added a few things to my notes, and I would say sometimes there's an advantage to not being first in a community because we can see some of the growth and development that have happened in our neighboring areas, Tampa, for example, and we can see the unintended consequences of some of their zoning overlay choices.

So this is allowing us to go back and tinker with our code before we bring it forward, because what could be developed if we just kept it very straightforward might not be compatible with the vision of the community.

But the 40 acre or the 40 units per acre is kind of an industry standard that helps properties like the small lots that are prevalent in the North Greenwood community add that extra one or two units, maybe three or four units.

There's a phrase that gets used a lot, it's missing middle housing.

When we did all the visioning exercises, the community really gravitated towards that because really the shape of it in in most instances could be very compatible to a single family home.

It just happens to have more dwelling units within it.

And if there's you know more information, I have some other notes and graphics and things like that that I could share if you wish.

But um the you know, there's a there's a big difference between a 3,000 square foot townhouse that you know is one unit on a property versus um maybe a stacked duplex on that same property, but is is more consistent with the houses next door, and that's the stuff that we're gonna bring forward eventually in the code.

This just sets the entitlements so we can actually achieve that.

Oh, I should also so consistent with the other future.

Oops, one more note, sorry on this.

So this is very consistent to everything else that's in the comprehensive plan.

We we maintain a table that shows all of our different categories and it shows what are the consistent zoning districts and everything else in there.

So you'll see through this, um, we use a footnote and we use a footnote elsewhere to kind of tie these two pieces together.

So one other thing is you know, I'm speaking about the planned redevelopment district overlay in relation to this whole project for North Greenwood, but by establishing this category in our comprehensive plan, we could use this same tool and do the special planning and code work for other neighborhoods in the city.

So it's really a tool that can be used in many different ways as we focus on different areas of the city.

So the maximum bonus is established in the overlay, and then it's also carried into the different future land use categories that were shown on the map.

The map had all the different colors, those are symbolic of all the different categories, and so this just carries it all forward into that.

Um when we originally prepared the ordinance, and I think I covered this in the cover memo as well.

Um we had included industrial limited.

I'll cover that in a few different places, but it's still shown on the slide because in the original ordinance we were including industrial limited, but I'm I'm I will be requesting an amendment on first reading from City Council.

Um with that, the next grouping of the proposed amendments really sets the stage for North Greenwood because the Clearwater 2045 already had an objective and policies related to this work, so there's several minor changes to the existing policies, and the proposed amendments on pages three and four start to introduce what will become the code amendments.

So that's the North Greenwood community overlay district.

So again, it's policy direction for that next step.

It also reinforces that the portion of the property that's in the North Greenwood CRA, but also in downtown and is designated as central business district would remain to be governed by the downtown plan.

Um taking a similar approach to what we did for US 19 because there are properties that are in unincorporated Pinolas County within the CRA.

We hope to one day have them join the city of Clearwater.

Um to make it a more streamlined approach, we include policy direction that when those annex the overlay would be assigned at the time of annexation instead of having to follow up with a land use plan amendment rezoning.

So that worked out really well for US 19, and so we're carrying that through.

And just to clarify for the public, and when I'm talking about annexations, we're not actively going out and doing anything as y'all know.

We still rely on voluntary annexations, but when we start talking about people's properties, I want to make sure they know kind of where our limits are right now.

We'd love to have them.

We would absolutely love to remember.

So we'll soon have great incentives for that.

So this is the slide that addresses the staff-identified amendments, and it's it's not really a change.

Our community development code has a full section on what's called a termination of status of nonconformity.

So if you wanted to name something more bureaucratically, I would challenge you to do so because that one I always stumble over.

But um we've we've we've long provided property owners the ability to terminate a nonconformity if they have one.

There's a process, it's a level two, the community development board has to approve it, and there's certain criteria that have to be met.

But we realized there was nothing actually setting that policy direction in the comprehensive plan.

So we're taking the opportunity to do that.

The um proposed policy QP 5.1.5, so in the quality places element, um, addresses residential properties.

Sometimes there's going to be a property that might be too small when you do the math to actually end up with one dwelling unit.

Um, we already allow you to still build a dwelling unit if it's a residential property, but this formalizes that.

And then the second policy addresses those structures that might be non-conforming in other ways.

It might be non-conforming to height or setbacks or something else that the property owner would like to request a termination of so they can continue to expand because otherwise you're not allowed to expand existing non-conformities.

So again, that there is a process already established in the code that sets that policy to support what we're already doing.

And then, as I mentioned, um, there were a couple of changes that I'd like to request say city council make at this time.

Um we're seeking approval for a limited number of changes.

The first is to remove reference as the overlay under Industrial Limited, um, kind of covered that in the memo, but at this point, we're not there's no code changes that we would be proposing that would actually affect that property, so it's cleaner just to remove it, and that's shown on page 12 of the red-lined version of the ordinance, and then the second would be to remove the IRT zoning, of course, the consistent zoning district since industrial would not be included.

Um basically, as we've been working through the code, it's really focusing on the commercial and residential area specifically, and for this one, that is all I have.

Okay, so we need a reading here.

We've done this ordinance number 9860-26, an ordinance of the city of Clearwater, Florida, making amendments to the Clearwater Comprehensive Plan by amending the quality places chapter to establish a new plan redevelopment redevelopment district, overlay future land use category, which sets forth residential, non-residential, mixed use, and impervious surface ratio bonuses, amend the residential low, residential urban, residential low medium, residential high, residential office general, commercial general, and institutional, future land use categories to incorporate bonuses for qualifying development in the planned redevelopment district overlay at policies requiring the portions of the North Greenwood community redevelopment area, be designated with planned redevelopment district overlay on the future land use map and referring to a new North Greenwood district on the zoning atlas at policies addressing non-conforming structures and uses and provide for termination of non-conformities, the process established in the community development code, update existing policies for consistency with changes, certifying consistency with the city's comprehensive plan, and proper advertisement, providing for several ability and providing an effective date.

Good evening.

Our mission is to preserve and interpret the African American history of Clearwater and Pinellas County.

We are committed to continuously engaging a diverse audience through meaningful programs, exhibitions, and community initiatives by fostering understanding and respect for diversity.

We strive to promote social justice, cultural pride, and unity within our community.

First, we say thank you, Mayor Rector, and Clewwater City Council for your collective conversations, initiatives, and plans to improve the North Greenwood community.

Our concern today is how many of the estimated 7,000 citizens living in the North Greenwood CRA are aware of the move today of 6.1, which is to approve amendments to the Clearwater Comprehensive Plan to establish a new planned development district, overlay future land use category with associate bonuses, incorporate policies for a new North Greenwood community overlay district, and add comprehensive plan policy support for existing non-conformity procedures in the community development code and pass ordinance 9860.26 on first reading.

And these uh board members are members of the North Greenwood community.

So what we're asking today is to postpone the first reading until after the June 3rd meeting in the community with the coalition and the city of Clewwater.

And that is my that is our suggestion.

Any good evening.

Everybody, uh my name is LaDrella Jenkins.

I was born and raised in the North Greenwood community.

You all call it North Greenwood.

I call it the Grove.

The lady that went before us, she had a historical landmark there, which was the park theater.

Next to it was Larkin's funeral home.

So my I have a problem with it because I still reside in that community.

I'm seeing my community vanish.

Other people who who don't have a connection, never had a connection until now.

It's coming in there removing my history.

I come from working with people of all backgrounds, culture, the diversity.

I can understand everybody.

I respect everybody, but don't erase my history.

It's like you leaving your house this morning and you go back to put the key in the door and it don't fit.

Help us to restore or let us restore and let the community have some say about what happens in the grove.

The way to get it out is we need you, we all need to connect and communicate through the churches.

They have church announcements, send it out.

Some of the older residents, they're not computer savvy.

They don't have the iPhone where they can get text messages or know how to go to a website.

Send it out in their utility bills so that they can know what is going on and what is happening in our community.

It's going away.

Spring break.

I took my two 16-year-olds.

They know where Nana grew up.

They knew where Nana was as a four-year-old.

A teenager.

You're removing a lot of the history.

Let's put some of the street names of the people that that came from that community and built from that community.

We had lawyers and doctors and teachers that came out of that community.

That's where I got my footing to be an educator because someone invested in me.

Those same grounds that now I knew as a first grader, I knew that that was Rose Cemetery.

When we played on the playground, or we were digging to make a garden, we found people's gold teeth and parts of the body.

That is now my father told me it was called Rose Cemetery.

I remember these things as a child.

The heights over there.

Well, how is it supposed to come over there?

There's no, it's not there.

I'm done.

Thank you, Ms.

Jenkins.

Jenkins.

Ms.

Jenkins, appreciate your comments.

Um would you mind filling our comment card for us?

Thank you.

I'm just thank you.

Well no, appreciate your comments.

Just thank you.

Anyone else from the group?

I'll fill out a card.

Yeah.

Okay.

Bring me a call.

But I just wanted to speak.

I am 80 years old come October.

I was born on Yorne Street, E W I N G, right where the court yard hotel is.

It's a street right there.

And I was like the fourth house down on that street, born in the home by mid-mother.

And the grove was also a home at one time.

Because at one point, the heights went away.

They were redeveloping to bring the downtown up to all the way up to where Missouri is.

It never happened.

But the people mostly was gone away.

I had three uncles and a father that grandfather, I'm sorry, that had homes.

And within that block from Cleveland Street to Court Street were mostly family with their own homes.

I grew up there.

I went away because my father was in the military.

So for like five years, I was not there and came back in fifth grade.

And I went to school over in the uh heights.

And I went on to Pineelas High School and I graduated.

I got married and I moved away to the Washington DC area for the one years, returned back home, only to find now.

I bought a place, North Greenwood area, but only to find out now that it's happening again.

Where most of the people that lived in my community both times is about to be maybe gone.

Because I feel new.

And my taxes went up tremendously.

The cost of the house, first of all, because of COVID, and because of the real estate crisis during that period.

It went up.

But I took a chance of doing it.

But then the taxes went up.

I'm retired.

I'm making it because I learned to budget.

I stayed in DC area.

It's not cheap.

So I learned to budget.

But at the same token to come back home, because I thought DC was too expensive for me to stay up there.

And I most likely would have to continue to work.

But I get back home, then it's almost like I might have to start back to work at 80.

I don't think I can do that.

But what I'm saying is to see your community both time disappear.

And when I came back, and most of the historical things has disappeared.

And just recently, the else.

Thank you, ma'am.

Which is historical.

Thank you.

It's gone.

And thank you for filling out a comment card for us.

Thank you, ma'am.

Anyone else from the group?

Is there anyone else here tonight who'd like to speak to this?

It's not always born.

Okay.

With that, we'll move to uh council discussion.

Yeah, I have a couple questions.

Thank you so much for coming in.

Barbara Sorry Love in your group.

Um we have we have a lot of excitement internally about the abilities that we have for helping our North Greenwood community, and what many of them would say finally, um, and helping them grow and helping them beautify and be more resilient and survive.

It's definitely important that we find ways to not just do all those things while erasing history.

So I kind of might have a two-fold question kind of for us internally to think about is what are what are we doing to make sure that we are really opening those doors of community engagement and education and bringing that community in for buy-in as we continue to move forward if this truly is for the the benefit of their good.

And number two, do we have plans in place in identifying certain historical markers and directions that we want to make sure we're preserving in those processes?

If I may regarding the engagement, I know you know we had such good momentum going with the community, coming to all of our meetings pre-storms and some staff turnover and other issues.

Um we I've made several, I don't want to sound defensive first, just so to keep that in mind.

Um we have the advisory committee for the North Greenwood CRA Advisory Committee, and I've made several presentations there, at least in an effort to get out to a group of people and kind of bring them, you know, tell them where we were with everything.

But um, we have a robust engagement to come with the the code piece itself because that will provide many more answers than where we are at this stage, which is you know the policy piece.

Um I would emphasize that this is an opt-in piece, right?

Nothing changes for a property owner unless they want to do something different.

I would um reinforce that one of the biggest things that we heard during the CRA plan adoption was how, or one of those biggest challenges or questions that was posed to us was how to deal with the potential of gentrification, and that's why the plan itself has a wide variety of social policies as well as other policies and programs called out for for the CRA.

So certainly planning and development is working side by side with CRA through all of this, so I think this is a good reminder that we need to have those conversations.

This was very helpful as a reminder also of different ways to know how the community gets their gets their news or information.

We we have a variety of things that we do, but um, a couple of things that were mentioned were not necessarily on my list, so I've jotted them down, and we'll be adding them to our checklist for when we are ready to have those meetings.

Um, again, in the community development code, what we have we think matches the vision.

Again, in the community development code, what we have we think matches the vision.

Some of you were able to make it out when we did our what we called game of zones, the activities where we actually had little mini buildings and place them on sites and work through.

And that was that was our goal was to affirm that vision, right?

And that vision was within the majority of the residential area and along North North Greenwood being revising, re-revitalizing, re making it possible again to have that thriving main street.

Um where now our current community development code makes it a little more challenging to do that type of development, that more traditional development, and in the residential areas, really making those incremental improvements and what that means, at least to me is you know, one parcel at a time, as opposed to it being necessary to aggregate and build at a block scale.

Um the community wants you know one or two more units here, four units there, not a brand new major apartment complexes.

They recognize that the CRA broadly has that growth already planned for within the old Bay community area that's part of the downtown redevelopment plan.

It's very odd to have something that's in, you know, that's governed by a plan, but is part of this CRA, but that redevelopment, that large growth, that more intense area is over by the marina and everything there, but with that growth benefits than the rest of the neighborhood and the programs and everything that the CRA has in there, at least would be bringing forward to the trustees for consideration as different programs are developed.

That was a longer answer, probably.

Oh, as to the historic preservation, that has come up at the um the advisory committee meetings.

I've not been part of any additional conversations, but I know it's been brought up, so I'm sure staff have had at least some initial conversations, perhaps, but I couldn't speak to those.

Councilman McCartney.

Well, no, go ahead, follow.

If you have followed, I was just gonna say I appreciate the answer.

Um, Greenwood community worked hard for a number of years on establishing that CRA.

Yes, they uh and that wasn't internal push, that was an external community push.

One of our biggest challenges in that push was the building of trust and trust within our community and with our elected officials in our city.

Uh, we have to continue to build on that, and I think the biggest measure of doing that is through communication and identifying how we communicate and getting that that message out.

We've always known from the beginning of building this that displacement was going to be a fear and fear of changes, especially when we start talking words of comprehensive changes and overlay districts, uh, that allows fears to creep in and to break down trust.

I think it's vitally important that we we do exactly what they're suggesting and reach out to our leadership and in our churches and then the Urban League Coalition and the Barbara Sorry Love, who's engaged in just about everything through the community, but I think we need to treat this one a little differently than we do in some of our other communities because it's designed differently and it is unique and beautiful in its own way.

So I appreciate uh the response.

I am supportive of it for the reason of what you said of this isn't changing anything, right?

This is giving an overlay and giving an option for things to happen in the future, and they don't have to make any adjustment and changes to fall into code.

It's not making changes to it.

So I I am supportive of it for that.

Sorry, if I may add to that just briefly, um, the other um advantage of this process, the way it works with the comprehensive plans, it goes to the state for review and all of that.

But if you know, if the as a as a consensus, if we thought that additional changes were made, we're able to make amendments on second reading because we transmit again to the state, and there it's all built into the process.

So as we continue working on these next pieces, you know, if anything, if we identify anything, we would bring it forward to city council for your consideration.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

Councilmember McCottin.

Yes, thank you.

Uh thank you for the presentation.

Thank you all for coming and voicing your concerns.

I greatly appreciate that.

It's uh very important to hear from the members that live directly within the community.

Um, and I'm kind of piggybacking on what your question was, and um that is this, and how does this overlay ensure that existing residents can benefit and not be displaced because the CRA vision emphasizes emphasizes reinvestment and aging in place, but that implementation matters.

So as we can see, you know, we have some of the members that have already come out.

I know that you've uh reached out to the or already spoken to the advisory board that's been active, um, and also the place the buildings exercise you've done, but maybe you can speak a little bit more to that while while answering that, making sure that these members uh aren't going to be displaced.

Sure.

So I mean, if you you have the ability to do a little bit more with your property, right?

So I mean, if you have the ability to do a little bit more with your property, right, then maybe you know, through through an amendment like this, as I mentioned, like a lot of the parcels are pretty small in North Greenwood, and this might enable that you know one additional unit.

What does that mean?

Someone could add a second unit, make it a duplex, live in one side, rent out the other half, or you know, you could move in with a family member.

It's it's a different approach than what we already enable through the accessory dwelling units.

Um I have, you know, if I can use the overhead.

This is just a few examples of um what missing middle housing could be.

Um, you know, these are things that are not easily built today.

They we could, but I but it would be a process, so I don't want to sugarcoat it there.

But you know, there's cottage course.

These were much more traditional, you know, long before our zoning code was established, right?

So you could take a slightly larger parcel in the area, and you could what we would like to enable is that you could build multiple smaller units that would allow people to stay in the community.

Um we've talked about you know the traditional main street, and a lot of that comes with doing more of a live work set.

So these are all from the the website for missing the missing middle book and organization that does it.

So you can see on this um, you know, it's taking a 25 foot wide by 120 foot parcel and creating that main street downstairs with um mixed use upstairs, and something this additional bonus would make it possible with um with the the code amendments that come.

It's it's hard to get it all stacked at the same time.

Um I did look just to see, and this is a lot, but this is really just um a map of right around where the container villages planned on tangerine and Martin Luther King, and just glancing at it on the east side of Martin Luther King in this area.

A lot of the lots are pretty what we would call substandard for the regular code because they're only 40 feet by 90 feet, they could have one dwelling unit now.

With this change, it's not dramatic, but it would allow up to three units.

On the west side, I saw there were a number of properties that were a little bit bigger, so they might be more appropriate for that cottage court or something like that.

But as an example, currently under the residential medium category that's designated now, which allows 15 units per acre, they could get two units.

Um, they could have six, and again it's it's that entitlement that will be coupled with the zoning district, and it's really important.

And it the onus is on us at staff and with our consultant team to craft that code to to get the form using that, you know, what what Tampa gets is the 3,000 square foot townhouses.

What we want is something much more compatible with the existing character of the neighborhood.

They have a great, you know, we use in planning, we use work like fabric and things, but they have a great community and and no substantial changes desired.

But um, as a property owner, you might want to do something a little different, or you know, there might be a little bit more housing and thus enabling people to to stay because there's other wider variety of housing choices.

Um I did oh, sorry, I was I was pulling graphics, I got a little crazy.

But um, these are some more graphics.

In this instance, the the gray buildings are kind of what would what would have been considered the existing, and then the gold kind of shows how you know you can fit these into the existing fabric.

Like that's the whole philosophy behind it, and again, really the onus is on us for the code.

And this is this is a comparable where you know some of it might be more appropriate closer to the main street, which you if you could envision this is what what we've heard and seen, you know, Martin Luther King Avenue could look like what it wants.

We have some sample projects throughout the the coding effort, the devils and the details, as they say, and we're picking properties and testing it, and if we're not getting what we want, then we're tweaking numbers and and really digging in on it.

So we've had the benefit of forward Pinellas, they they have um been helping us using Esri, so some GIS tools to test everything as well.

So we are treating this one much differently.

It deserves to be it, it's a very different case, but it also really helps us learn and grow for future projects in the city.

Awesome.

I appreciate that articulation because I think it matters, right?

Because I mean, we have this group here that's obviously listening intently and that others will be watching because it's their community, right?

It's their portion of Clearwater, the grove that they've mentioned that they don't call it North Greenwood because it's home to them, right?

Right.

So that's why I want to make sure that um we're hitting these things and articulating it and showing exactly that hey, we are taking community input as well as listening to our residents to ensure that what the community would like to see happens.

So I'm gonna press you with this one too.

Um, in regards to staff's vision, what does this overlay district if it gets passed look like in five years?

What's success?

Um I would say success is we have several projects that the CRA has, I believe it was a CRA.

Sometimes I get you know, there's a few entities involved that we have interest in on Martin Luther King for some mixed use.

Success would be that that is able to be constructed with minimal process because that would be aligned with the vision.

Success for me just in the near term would be a very good turnout again at our community engagement when we're ready to ask those questions.

We're using that time.

There's a couple different paths we can take.

We don't want to choose.

That's the the community's decision, so we want to run those past them.

Success would be you know, more housing types.

Hopefully, some of these unique ones we find a way to find the development partners.

We're getting that with the container village already, stretching our limits.

We're using the avenues that we have available now, but it's really pulling all staff together from all the different departments to find a way to make it happen.

Um I'd like it to be easier for people, you know.

Um, this is what was traditionally built in areas, and it's kind of returning back to that, which is appropriate in this area, not necessarily throughout the city.

So awesome.

Thank you for that.

I I greatly appreciate it, you know, and pointing back to the CRA, and that's where you know a lot of this comes from, and those members that grew up in that community and know it and can see and and know the feel the heartbeat of that specific area.

I think it's really important.

I think Kennard, you know, the president of uh the North Greenland CRA does a great job too.

And uh I I think this is exciting.

I'm also supportive, but I think asking those questions so that you can articulate it to those in attendance and to those that'll watch in the future and and go through theirs really important just because you know we've got the presentation, and then there's a lot of as you would say, devils in the details that don't get articulated.

So, you know, I mean I'm not trying to you know put you on the spot, but at least get to those things that people might want.

This is a perfect graphic, and I think your explanations have been fantastic.

So thank you very much.

So in my mind, what makes this CRA unique and beautiful was that it was initiated and championed from beginning to end by the community, and um we value that.

We've had several interactive exercises where I can say I learned a lot from um, and I felt that the community had a voice, and I learned what they wanted, and that's why I know for myself I was I think the advisory board has a very important role, and I know that I fought for those roles to be open up to renters versus just property owners, right?

So we have equal representation.

That advisory board has continued to be connected and stay connected.

Um your voice is important.

You did bring up a good point, which is we have to improve our communications maybe by adding different formats.

But I am in support of this because this is an opt-in option that will increase increase flexibility and facilitate what we all want, right?

Which is a successful CRA, and not think of it as this uh you know, this unknown.

It's just look at it as a tool for us to get to the end, and the community will be continuing and will continue to communicate and uh exchange ideas and make sure we make sure that your voice is heard.

Mr.

Mayor, just a couple of comments.

Um, Lauren has been uh since she's taken over the role as being the director, and also she mentioned staff has left.

We've lost our main consultant who we used on this.

She's really taking this personally, and she's been the advocate of bringing this to the forum in the way that it is today.

So I want to um publicly appreciate her and share that with you.

The second thing I want to say is that she mentioned that she's been before the um North Greenwood CRA advisory board on several occasions to talk about these various parts of the project as well as provide some details um similar to what she's sharing with you this evening, and that group has been very supportive, almost to the point of asking what's taking so long, right?

Well, what when is this going to come forward?

So, as she mentioned, this is kind of a first step to really trying to fine-tune what the framework is going to be of what it looks like eventually, but there's steps to get there, and this is that first step, vital first step.

And I think from a regulatory stuff standpoint, it's in a it's a first step, but I think for a lot of you is a long time coming.

So I just want to say that on the record to let you know.

I think she's she has done this the right way, and going forward, we'll do whatever we need to do to make sure no leave, no rock is unturned, no leaf is turned over.

Um, and I'm familiar with this process, we got to do it differently.

That's fine, you know, we'll do that too.

But um, I want you to understand and be comfortable that Lauren has definitely uh done a great job here in this space.

Thanks.

Okay.

I uh just want to say a couple things from start.

I uh just want to say a couple things before we start.

Um I'd I heard everything that uh you ladies came say tonight.

Uh appreciate all of it.

It's consistent with some of what I've heard.

I I did go to one or two of the forums, and I heard heard uh strictly on maintaining the um makeup of the community, not gentrifying.

I heard that loud and clear the early uh tonight, but also the community forum, and that's certainly not what we want to do.

Uh we want we want to improve that neighborhood for all.

And so uh ma'am, Ms.

Jenkins, you came up and talked about uh you know different things that were important to you, and then ma'am, the uh you know 80 years old, and we're glad to have you back here in uh Clearwater.

We want to keep you back here in Clearwater.

Uh but maintaining that historical significance, that's what we want to do.

And maintaining the community, the makeup community as it is, that's what we want to do.

Um this overlay is just uh I think and hopefully they've shared some some things tonight that maybe you heard or heard differently tonight than maybe you understood it coming in.

But hopefully, this overlay creates some opportunities for us to be better able to do that because we'll be better able to do those things if we get some economic interest in the neighborhood that will allow us to you know and to partner with folks who can maintain those historic places and and partner with this uh because you know we're limited on tax revenues and what we can do and can't do right now.

But if we had partners interested in coming in and preserving those things, and uh you talked about affordability.

We all hear from all of our residents.

Every I think every elected official in the state of Florida hears from residents about affordability.

Very important to us, very important to you, but the ability maybe to add a dwelling to your property to generate some extra income for for you or to somehow offset some of your expenses, may or may not be an opportunity for some residents to do that.

So hopefully you've heard some things here tonight.

But I what I've heard is that we're just doing an overlay tonight.

It's not making anyone do anything, and hopefully we can continue to work together as a community to come up with these ideas on how to help everyone in the community succeed and maintain these goals that you all come up here tonight and share share with us.

So I didn't know any of that.

Any anything what you've shared, any concerns about this until you came tonight.

Um I may have missed an email somewhere, I don't think I missed a phone call, but maybe I missed it somewhere.

But uh, thank you for coming tonight to share that.

Because those things just reaffirm what already heard from some of your neighbors because those things are very important to you, and at least I and I think the others heard those loud and clear, and we'll keep those in mind as we go forward.

But I think tonight, appreciate the work of the staff.

It's obvious it's a lot of work to support the CRA and appreciate all that work too.

And tonight I'm in favor of moving forward.

You know, we've uh we have a beautiful amphitheater down here that's been very successful over two years.

And I told somebody the other day who's visiting from Tennessee, uh, so successful that another uh some elected officials from Tennessee wanted to see it, and I told them the only thing we did wrong here is we waited too long to do it.

And we talked and talked and talked about what we would do, and then we finally did it, turned out great.

So I want to move forward with this so that we can have that same success in North Greenwood, the CRA tonight.

So with that, is there any other council discussion?

If not, is there a motion?

Move to approve agenda item 6.1 with the red line changes.

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Opposed, unanimous.

Thank you.

Thank you for coming tonight.

Item 6.2.

I've heard the city initiate future land use map amendment to apply the plan redevelopment district PRD overlay within the North Greenwood Community Redevelopment Area, CRA excluding areas designated central business district C D and Parcels Designated Industrial Limited IL Transportation Utility to U, Water Preservation P and Recreation Open Space R-O-S, and pass ordinance 9861-26 on first reading.

So good evening again, Lauren Matthew, planning and development.

This is I'll wait for my slides.

They're gonna look familiar.

So this is the second part.

This is the feature land use map amendment, and I went through a good amount of it in the earlier item.

So as I mentioned, there will be two additional items that'll come later this year.

But similar to the conference of plan amendment, the future of the end use map amendment has to go to outside agencies.

So this sets that you know 45 to 60 day process going while we continue with everything else.

Um this is what was um just approved, and this is the current future land use map for the area.

So I'm gonna walk through a series of slides, um, mostly as to show what's actually being excluded from this because it's difficult with this many colors.

If I threw lines over it, it wouldn't really be legible.

So you'll see that over 51% of the properties are residential, with another almost 40% being non-residential, and that environmental recreational component comprising the rest of it.

Um the first piece that is being excluded is the central business district.

This is primarily designated this is part of the old bait character district and is governed by the downtown redevelopment plan.

Um, as I mentioned before, it was always envisioned as the CRA was established that this would be one of the main TIFF generators for the rest of the community.

So since the downtown plan was already in place and had that vision, it remained in that and will do so going forward.

Um water also excluded from this amendment.

Preservation, there's a little over 11 acres of land that's designated as preservational that will also be excluded, no overlay applied.

Um we have over 27 acres of parkland in the North Greenwood area.

This is also excluded from the overlay, so no changes proposed at all.

And similar to the other one, I'm um respectfully requesting a couple of additional changes at this time, as mentioned, industrial limited.

Um, we would like to remove that because we're not actually doing any coding changes for that portion of land that's on that southern boundary.

Um, but additionally, uh, there's a portion of land that's designated as transportation utility.

I didn't even think about it on the last amendment.

So on this one, it was shown on the map in incorrectly.

This is where the Marshall Street plant is.

There's uh obviously a lifespan for that, and um if when that changes, we would go through a process to amend the future land use map to change it from transportation utility to some other district or category at the time, and if additional planning efforts were needed, we could do that.

So then, what does that leave?

Um well, I have an error on this slide I discovered today because there is nothing actually designated residential low medium, but there are four residential categories remaining residential low, residential urban, residential medium, and residential high, and then we have the mixed use category of residential office general.

We have commercial general, which is primarily along Martin Luther King, but not to forget there's a whole portion designated commercial general to the west, just north of the downtown, so in between Garden and uh or Fort Harrison and um Myrtle Avenue headed north, and then there's pockets of institutional kind of scattered throughout.

So if council approves ordinance 9861 with the proposed changes, just under 500 acres would have this overlay established, and that would mean that they'd be eligible for the previously mentioned density intensity or mixed-use bonuses if they choose to.

Um, because this amendment establishes new entitlements for the properties.

There was a much more detailed staff analysis included within the agenda package that reviewed for all the different criteria that the community development code establishes for future land use map amendments.

Um at a big scale like this, it makes it just a little bit more difficult because obviously not all properties are expected to redevelop.

Very few would actually reach that maximum potential for various reasons.

Um you you'll note that staff we rely a lot on the analysis that we had done just in the last couple of years within the CRA.

So since this was a continuation of that, there was mostly re relied on that analysis, and then we found that the proposal was consistent with all of these criteria in the code.

With that, I can answer questions specific to the map amendment.

That's the reading first ordinance number 9861-26.

Ordinance of the city of Clearwater, Florida, amending the future land use element of the comprehensive plan of the city to apply the planned redevelopment district overlay as an overlay category in addition to the existing residential mode, residential urban, residential medium, residential high, commercial general, institutional, and residential office general.

Future land use categories for certain real property located within the boundaries of land known as the North Greenwood Community Redevelopment Area, and excluding those portions of the North Greenwood CRA, which are designated with the central business district, recreational open space preservation and water future land use categories.

As more specifically, I did find an attached exhibit A, and as depicted at attached exhibit B, all within the city of Clearwater and providing an effective date.

Seeing none, is there any council discussion?

None is the remotion.

Motion to approve agenda item 6.2.

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Opposed to unanimous.

296.3.

Amend the city's fiscal year 2025-26 operating and capital improvement budgets at first quarter and pass ordinances 9901-26 and 9902-26 on first week.

Good evening, Mayor and Council, Kaylin Castle, budget director.

This is the first quarter budget review for the fiscal year 25-26 budget.

This report reflects three months of activity, October through December, and also includes council action to date.

In the general fund revenues and expenditures are increased by 214,262.

This represents an allocation of reserves to fund the leave payout of the former city attorney.

Adjusted for that only agenda item or that we uh we cover for the general fund.

Reserves are approximately $74.9 million or $33.4% of fiscal year $2526 general fund expenditure budget.

This exceeds our minimum reserve requirement by $55.8 million dollars that first quarter.

In the water and sewer fund amendments reflect an allocation of $19.3 million.

This uh is recognized as a transfer from reserves to the capital fund for the sanitary sewer RR project.

And um in the parking fund, expenditures are increased by $38,712, and this is for a previously approved um amendment to the spring break Jolly Trolley uh contract, and budgeted revenues in the parking fund are sufficient to cover this expenditure increase.

In the capital improvement fund, a net increase of $26,120,786 is reflected at first quarter, and this is primarily related to the following amendments, all of which were previously approved by the council.

$949,500 is recognized in grant revenues from the U.S.

Department of Energy in the Solar North Greenwood Recreation and Countryside Library Project.

$3,366,540 in grant revenues are recognized from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Sanitary Stewart uh Sanitary Sewer Extension Project.

Um just mentioned the 19.3 million is transferred from the water and sewer fund reserves to the sanitary sewer RR project, and we are recognizing $880,000 in grant revenue from FDOT and the match of $220,000 in reimbursement revenue for the Aviation Operations Center project.

Other significant amendments to capital projects in this report include an increase of $36,417 in elective pay rebates that we received in the green print implementation project, an increase of $246,320 for reimbursements received in the police CAD replacement project.

We've received $185,044 of property owner share revenues in the PASCO line relocation and Pinellas Newmates projects, both of those are gas projects.

And we're recognizing a decrease of $56,000 in governmental revenues that were budgeted in the facilities upgrade and improvement projects, a water sewer project.

Also an increase of $321,672 in grant revenues received in the pump station replacement project, an increase of $164,200 in reimbursements received in the reclaimed water distribution project, and an increase of $400,000, $400,000.

It's late.

$405,700 in the arts and cultural affairs project.

And this represents the 1% art funding that we've transferred from other capital projects.

And an increase of $86,518 in FEMA reimbursements received in the South Basin Attenuator Project.

In the special program fund, an increase of $3,816,102 is reflected at first quarter.

Significant amendments in that fund include $160,000 allocated from fund reserves for increased cost of the feasibility study, $213,448 in public safety grant and governmental revenues.

$885,467 in contractual service revenues received for police extra duty.

An increase of $94,391 from the juvenile welfare board for uh $25,000, $26 after school and summer programs.

And this also includes the addition of $5.2 new full-time equivalent positions that were approved by you in that new contract.

We have an increase of $249,934 in fines and court proceeds.

This is received in public safety programs and in the tree replacement program over the last quarter.

An increase of $470,911 for the Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund Grant Program.

And in the last quarter, we've received $296,133 in special event revenues from the Turkey Try, Mama Ducks visit, and the Sea Blues Festival.

We have received $66,114 of donations in police and library programs, and there are various amendments to special programs, which total $89,692.

And this reflects revenues received over the last few months from applications, reimbursements, and interest earnings.

And finally, a total of $475,613 has been transferred between special programs.

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

Can I desire to speak to this agenda?

Hearing seeing none, is there any council discussion?

There's none.

Is there a motion?

Motion to approve agenda item 6.3.

I think we can't do ordinance.

So ordinance number 9901-26.

Ordinance of the City of Clearwater, Florida, amending the operating budget for the fiscal year ending September the 30th, 2026 to reflect increases to revenues and expenditures for the general fund, water and sewer fund, parking fund, and special program fund as provided here in providing an effective date.

Ordinance number 9902-26.

Ordinance of the City of Clearwater, Florida, amitting the capital improvement budget for the fiscal year ending September the 30th, 2026 to reflect a budget increase of $26,120,786, providing an effective date.

Now change anyone's mind from the public evidence to speak.

So seeing hearing any council discussion.

Now is there a motion?

Motion to approve agenda item 6.3 again.

Second.

Those in favor?

Aye.

Opposed humanimous.

Approve an annual general permit in the amount of four thousand dollars with Pinellas County to construct and maintain natural gas facilities and authorize your perfect officials to execute same.

Good evening.

I'm Jeff Elliott's gas manager in engineering, and I just wanted to ask for this purpose of this item is just for an annual general permit.

It's four thousand dollars.

It has some identification language for the council, but uh standard permit, so light activity, light maintenance uh that we would do as far as extending facilities, run and service lines, maintaining spot protection.

That's what it is.

So we just respectfully ask for approval for that agenda item.

Okay.

So you want to hear from the public tonight.

Desire to speak to this agenda you're saying.

None is there in a council discussion.

If there's none, is there a motion?

Move to approve agenda item 6.4.

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Opposed, two minutes.

Thank you.

296.5.

Authorized purchase orders to multiple vendors listed for purchase of fleet parts in the annual not to exceed amounts of three million dollars for a one-year term with three one-year renewal options pursuant to ITB 10-26 and clear water cut of warnings is sections 2.563 per n 1A, single source and 2.563 perennial C piggyback and authorized to appropriate professions execute same.

Good evening, Mayor, City Council, CD leadership, Brandy Clendrian, Director of General Services.

Before you is a request to approve a purchase order to multiple vendors for an invitation to bid $10-26 for fleet parts contract.

This item replaces contract number 902523, which was previously approved by city council on October 15th, 2025.

This contract, 902523 related heavily on multiple piggybacks to meet the needs of our diverse fleet.

Invitation to bid 10-26 is a competitively solicited award written specifically to support the City of Clearwater's fleet operations.

The annual not to exceed amount is three million for one year with three one year renewals for a total potential value of 12 million dollars.

This award consolidates vendors, stabilizes pricing pricing, and strengthens our ability to maintain city vehicles and equipment.

And I'm available.

Should you have any questions or concerns?

Hearing seeing none, is there any council discussion?

If not, is there a motion?

Motion approve agenda item 6.5.

Second.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed, unanimous.

Thank you.

Item 6.6.

Authorized the purchase order to Jeffrey Allen Inc.

of Tampa Florida for the purchase of 11 2026 club car carry-all cards in the amount of 248,439 dollars and eighty four cents pursuant to clear water code of warnings is section 2.563 parent one parent C piggyback authorized lease purchase under the city's master lease purchase agreement or internal financing via an interfund loan from the capital improvement fund, whichever is deemed to be in the city's best interest.

Declare G5263, G5264, G5265, G5266, D5267, G5268, G5269, G5270, G5271, G5272, and G52730 surplus.

And authorized disposal by auction or trade and in pursuance of clear code sections 2.63 print six and front seven, whichever is deemed to be in the city's best interest and authorized appropriate officials execute same.

Wow.

Good evening, Mayor City Council, City Leadership.

Again, Brandy Clindrant, Director of General Services.

Before you is an item to replace 11 club carts for the Parks and Rock Department, the beach operations.

These are being replaced.

We're asking to replace they should have been replaced in 2027.

We purchased them in 2022.

However, due to the corrosion from the saltwater and the heavy usage along the beach, we're gonna have to replace them slightly ahead of schedule.

So we are asking to um support this purchase.

Um and we're available.

Should you have any questions or concerns?

Okay, see my own here from the public, and I desire to speak to this agenda item.

May council discussion.

Council Member Cotton.

I do want to say thank you for the elastic item.

When you know I talk about making sure that we're streamlining things and always looking for more competitive bids for some reason that escaped me before going into you know doing the motion.

So thank you very much for the diligence and getting that contract going.

Thank you.

It was a team effort.

Procurement played a big part in that too.

So I would like to say thank you to the procurement team awesome.

Yeah, thank you, everybody.

And uh I just want to comment on this this agenda item too.

The cars uh these things get heavy heavy use.

I mean they're used every day, they're out there seven days a week, 365 days a year, keeping keeping the beach clean, keeping our tourists and bringing in all that revenue that helps all our taxpayers.

So appreciate appreciate the need here because these are very important cars and vehicles.

Thank you.

We're happy to secure that uh is any other discussion of challenge through a motion.

Motion to approve agenda item six point six.

Second, all those in favor?

Aye opposed unanimous.

Thank you.

Item 6.7.

Approve a purchase order universal product protection services, LC doing business as allied universal security services for security services in the annual not to exceed amounts of $300,000, which includes additional added services throughout the term of contract, including special events for a one-year term with four one-year renewal options pursuant to RFB01-26 security services and authorize the approved officials to execute.

Good evening again, Mayor, City Council, City Leadership, Brandy Calendrian, Director of General Services.

Uh, before you is the request to approve a purchase order to uh newly awarded vendor, the universal protection services doing business as allied universal security services for citywide security services.

This resort uh this award is a result of RFP request for proposal 01-26, which is a competitive solicitation issued to obtain trained licensed uniformed securities officers for city facilities and special events.

Allied universal is the highest ranked proposer following the evaluation process.

The contract will replace the prior agreement with Century Event Services, contract number 90149.

This coverage is awarded to include city hall, municipal services building, the municipal service parking garage, the uh station square parking garage, and the garden avenue parking garage, along with additional support for special events.

The annual not to exceed amount is 300,000 with a one-year term and four one-year renewals with a possible contract value of one point five million, contingent upon annual budget appropriations.

Move to approve agenda item six point seven.

Copy.

I mean, second, I don't know where that came from.

So you got some fire service now.

Yep, lock in.

All those in favor?

All right.

Thank you very much.

We will take a recess eventually.

Authorized a purchase order to Power Net Cincinnati, Ohio, Ohio for software licensing maintenance, voice trunking, long distance services, hardware backup services, and professional services support in the city's Microsoft teams.

Mayor Council Dan Mayer, uh, IT director.

Uh this really has two parts.

This is licensing for our call center software uh that manages customer service, and the second part is the uh the network operations center that hosts our our telecommunications, which is in Cincinnati.

Um it's 11 months because we have a credit, unlike most vendors.

Um they didn't start our licensing until we were live on their product, which is quite generous.

So this is 11 months.

We will go out to bid or piggyback because there are state providers now that were not there at 11 months, so probably March of next year we'll be bringing a new provider or potentially PowerNet back to you for renewal.

So I'll take any questions.

Yes.

Um, fully supportive.

My my question is in reading some of this language, it kind of highlights our reliance and pretty deep reliance on um on PowerNet.

Do we have any plans of redundancy if this cost became exorbitant or if we lost this provider?

I mean, yeah, there are others, and that that's what I was saying.

They do have two data centers, and we're primarily in Cincinnati.

They're Lumen and Carousel are now available for the same service, and they support Genesis.

So that's that's what's unique about PowerNet is they were both a Genesis reseller and they they provided the knock services.

So we will be looking at the marketplace.

Uh but all of them have redundant.

Lumen is the big one.

They have a dozen data centers across the city or across the country, so we would be looking hard at them.

Thank you.

If not, is there a motion?

Motion approve agenda item six point eight.

Proposed thank you.

Good.

Well, I think uh I think it's a good time for us to take a recession.

So we'll recess for about five minutes.

We're having so much fun.

Call the meeting back to order and we'll now move to item six point nine on the agenda.

Approve a construction contract and purchase order to band as construction company for the new air park terminal project and the amounts of thirteen million six hundred fifty nine thousand seven hundred fifty dollars per invitation to bid 23-0015-AP and authorized appropriate officials to execute Cod evening, Council Mayor, Mike McDonald, Marine and Aviation Director.

This project includes three key components, construction of a new 17,800 square foot two-story terminal building to support FBO operations, flight training, and corporate aviation.

Development of a 200-space parking lot and associated roadway and apron improvements and airfield upgrades, including mill and overlay of taxiways, stormwater improvements, and pavement rehabilitation to meet FAA and FDOT standards.

This project is heavily supported by the uh Florida Department of Transportation Aviation Grant Funding and private investment through our FBO partner Fly USA, significantly reducing the financial impact to this city.

Under the lease agreement, Fly USA will reimburse the majority of the local match associated with the terminal and parking components, while the city's primary financial responsibility is limited to specific airfield improvements.

The department is continuing to work with FDOT partners to secure more grant funding for these projects.

Overall, this project will modernize the airport, enhance safety and operational efficiency, and support continued economic development in our region.

Also present today is Barry Chevlin with Fly USA, who can answer any questions regarding FBO operations or partnership contributions, and also with us is Kyle Hawley with uh American uh with AIDS who designed uh this project is he's also here to answer questions on that bid and the process and any technical questions that you guys might have.

Uh staff respectfully request approval and would be happy to answer any questions.

Okay.

Is anyone here from tonight from the public desired to speak to this agenda item?

Hearing seeing none, is there any council discussion?

Council Mermanino.

Uh thank you.

I first just wanted to commend staff on uh the accumulation of grant money.

It's greatly appreciated.

I know the taxpayers of Clearwater greatly appreciate that.

Uh as well as the partnership with Fly USA and um and helping us.

I see they also are covering all overges on the project, and that's a that's important to us as a government, giving us that certainty and stability moving forward.

I'm excited for the project and the safety enhancements and upgrades and stormwater and everything out there.

So thank you for bringing this forward.

Um Saturday, and I was asking about uh how this was progressing and moving along.

So um, you know, the executive airports throughout Tampa Bay are incredibly important, and it's uh our upgrading our airports overdue.

So uh and and it's increasing safety, which is important to all of us.

I know the neighborhoods that surround this airport too.

So uh very great development and partnership with Fly USA, Mr.

Shevlin's here.

I know um it it should really take quite a load off the taxpayers by working with this public-private partnership.

So thank you for your good partnership on this project.

That if there's no further council discussion, is through a motion.

Yep.

You guys um, I was gonna say this is exciting as well.

You know, not only is this uh important to our city, but I think that this is something that maybe people often overlook, but it's important to our county.

You know, I mean, that is when storms hit, like big storms that we have, and hopefully we don't have any in the future.

Uh one of the only ways that we can get resources into this county will be through that uh Clearwater Executive Air Park.

So uh to see it being revitalized, brought up to better standards and going to be utilized for the future is um a monumental point in our city, and I'm looking forward to it.

So thank you for all the work you've done.

Thank you for the fly USA.

Uh thank you to the state and all the other contractual funds that are going into this because um it'll really benefit really all of Pennellus County.

So thank you.

Okay, anybody else?

No, there's their motion.

Motion to approve it in item six point nine.

Second.

All those in favor?

I opposed unanimous.

General 6.10.

Except for our Department of Transportation grant agreement amendments in the amount of 2.4 million dollars for the construction of terminal and FBO building at Clearwater Executive Airport authorized the appropriate officials' sex Q.

Good evening, Mayor Council, Mike McDonald, Marine and Aviation Director.

This item requests approval of an amendment to an existing FDOC grant for the Clearwater Executive Airport terminal project.

The amendment provides an additional 2.4 million in funding, bringing FDOT's total contribution to 3.9 million or 50% of the project cost.

This increased the total project funding to 7.8 million and reflects updated construction costs identified through the bidding process.

The local match will continue to be funded through Penny for Pinellus and reimbursed by Fly USA consistent with the approved lease agreement.

This amendment does not change the project scope, only ensures sufficient funding to move forward as planned while maximizing state participation.

I'll be happy to answer any questions.

If not, is there any council discussion?

We would like to take the money from the state.

Is there any consensus on that?

Appreciate again as council member Cotton said all of the partners, state and every everyone for this.

It's really important to our citizens.

And thank you for all the partners for doing this.

Absolutely.

So is there a motion?

Move to approve agenda item 6.10.

Second.

All those in favor?

Proposed unanimous.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Gene item 6.11.

Award a construction contract to creative contractors, Inc.

of Clearwater, Florida for Bay Care Ballpark Firm Wall Repair in the amount of 1.1 million 626,534 dollars pursuant to invitation to bid 26-0002-BR and authorizing private officials except.

Good evening, Mayor, Council members, Armark Cater, Parks and Recreation Director.

Adam for you tonight is toward a contract to creative contractors to repair the earthen berm wall that is in the outfield of a Bay Care ballpark for an estimated cost of 1.6 million dollars.

A typical earth and berm wall will last you 20 to 30 years.

And uh our berm wall uh just had its 22nd birthday, so we didn't quite make the 30.

Um, but uh our uh Pannoni associates who is our engineer, uh, they have uh uh watched this uh burn for the last 10 years and evaluated it, and they have come to the conclusion that it is time that we replace that wall and fix the wall.

So this contract will provide for the construction of a new soil nail uh shot creep wall.

A small portion of the wall, if you've been behind it, has actually been repaired.

It was actually repaired because of the uh uh the new school board that they just installed.

So this will complete the rest of the burn.

Uh the repairs uh will be on the exterior of the ballpark, therefore it's not going to interfere with the thresher's game or anything else and can be done uh without any uh problem there, nor uh this work uh would uh interfere with any future uh plans or or work that might be done at the state.

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

Anyone here from the public and I desire to speak to this agenda.

Hearing saying that is there any council discussion.

If not, is there a motion?

Motion to approve agenda item 6.11.

Second.

All those in favor?

All right, opposed, unanimous.

Thank you, Mr.

Cater.

June item 6.12.

Approve a construction manager at risk agreement and pre-construction phase proposal from PJ Hayes Inc.

doing business as tandem construction for Eddie C more Complex Renovations project and the amounts of 93,882 dollars pursuant to RFQ 13-26 and authorized appropriate officials to execute same.

All right, uh good evening, Mayor, members of the council.

Um, my name is Kelly Petrich.

I'm the engineering division manager in the public works department here at Clearwater.

Um, today I'm bringing forth the overall contract and also the GMP portion for the pre-construction services for tandem construction.

This is for the Eddie Seymour Press Box project.

Um, the overall purpose of the press box uh project is of course to replace the existing outdated press box.

Um, this will also improve the overall functionality, safety, and aesthetics of the building.

Um, this will also support an increased sports tourism with some of our partners like ESPN that have several broadcasts uh throughout the year at this uh facility.

Um, we're also going to improve the field and site improvements.

Uh, this is for fields one through four, and also the uh multipurpose east-west fields.

Um the project actually is in clearly it's in 30 percent design phase, which is actually um really a great time to bring on a CMAR.

Some of the overall benefits you're gonna see from bringing on a CMAR at this phase is usually a more accurate overall project budget at the 60%, 90% um phases as well.

Um you're gonna see cost savings you're gonna see from a value engineering bringing on the CMAR at this phase.

Um they're gonna also provide constructability reviews and an overall improvement of our project schedule.

I mean, this is gonna be a very tight uh scheduling project to work around the different seasons for baseball for softball, sorry.

Um so our overall project timeline for this uh the design duration will actually be 10 months for design, which will be a very quick process.

Um, and also for the construction duration, we're looking for about 12 months um after the notice of proceed process.

And uh the next steps then would be for the GMP, the construction GMP, and we'll return to council.

Um we're hoping around late uh 2026 this year.

Um anybody have any uh questions today on this project?

Okay, is anyone here from the public today desire to speak to agenda item 6.12?

Hearing saying none, is there any council discussion?

Uh just for the public, this is uh any team more complex.

This is the in the the press box you're talking about where we have the um clear water invitational every year, it generates close to two million dot two million viewers each year on all the ESPN platform of networks.

It's been a very successful event.

I think we made some commitments to them several years ago to make improvements to the complex, and we're a little bit behind on meeting our commitments on that, but it's just part of the process of keeping keeping the facility nice for that event, but also youth and amateur sports, which are played there all year long.

That I'll entertain a motion.

Motion to approve agenda item 6.12.

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Opposed unanimous.

Thank you.

Authorized an agreement between the city of Clearwater and the Carlwell Yacht Club located at 1091 El Dorado Avenue, authorizing the limited use of certain vehicles on public beaches by permit pursuant to recent amendments to Florida Statute 161.58 and authorized to permit officials to execute the same.

Mayor, this one item is um a uh almost a companion item to one that was presented to council a few weeks ago at a previous meeting.

I mentioned to you that we had some agreements that were coming later.

Uh, this particular one with the yacht club came back behind it.

We'll make um them compliant with the new revisions of state statute 1615 with regard to vehicles on the beach.

More than happy to answer any questions.

You aren't here tonight from the public desire to speak to this agenda item.

Hearing saying not is there any council discussion?

Question Mayor.

Council member.

Thank you.

Uh assistants in a minute.

Can have we set a um like an end date of when our vendors need to be in compliance by well, we did uh inform them that that date has since passed.

This was the last meeting that we were gonna try to play.

We have one more that's still looming.

Um I'm not opposed to bringing it back at a later time uh individually.

Um we're just trying not to customize agreements for multiple different people and keep it kind of standard fair, equitable for everybody.

Um but we are actually in pretty good compliance at this point.

We just have one outstanding that we're trying to work through some insurance concerns.

Very nice, thank you.

Okay, any further discussion?

No, is there a motion?

Move to approve agenda item 6.13.

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Proposed unanimous.

Thank you.

Agenda item 6.14.

Award a construction contract to raise your back LLC for the Marshall Street Water Reclamation Facility Clarifier Improvements in the amount of $689,700 per sewant to invitation to bid 24-0066-EUT and authorized appropriate officials to execute same.

Uh good evening, Mayor Council, my planning public utilities director.

Um, the item four years for an award for construction uh contract to razor back LLC for and for installing density um current baffles.

Essentially, the currents flow to the outside of these clarifiers, um creating the solids to go over the weir, which is where we intend for them exactly to not go.

Um, so as they go that way, these baffles will help prevent those currents from flowing that direction, allow them to settle out as as intended.

Um, so it's with razor back LLC for the amount of 689,700.

Uh it would take 240 days to complete, and this will help us a lot in storms.

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

Okay.

Anyone here tonight from the public desire to speak to this agenda?

Seeing none, is there any council discussion?

There's not is there a motion?

Motion approve agenda item 6.14.

Second.

All those in favor, opposed unanimous.

June item 6.15.

Gulf of Bay Boulevard, TLC diversified ink, a current construction manager at rest for the city for an emergency procurement to repair a 10-inch water main at the intersection of South Keystone Avenue and Gulf to Bay Boulevard in the estimated amounts of 199,400.

Pursuant to City Code 2.563 per n 11K emergency and authorize the appropriate officials to execute same.

Good evening, uh Mayor and Council of my final public utilities director again.

So this we had a critical water main break at the uh intersection of South Keystone Ave and Gulf to Bay.

Um we utilize TLC diversified through a CMAR contract.

Actually, TLC diversified had had the contract and it lapsed.

Uh and now TLC diversified has the contract again.

Um so this was that period in between.

Um the amount was 199,402.

Um they also installed concrete thrust blocks and teams valves to help us maintain service and to keep that reliability as we went through it's tied to high performing government, and I'm happy to respond to any questions that you may have.

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

Hearing seeing none, is there any council discussion?

If there's none, is there a motion?

Motion to approve agenda item 6.15.

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Opposed, unanimous.

Thank you.

Authorized a purchase order to ACF standby systems LLC of Tampa, Florida for the purchase of three mobile diesel engine driven generators sets in the amounts of 223,285.56 cents pursuant to clear water code of warnings sections 2.563 per n 1 parent C Peggyback declared G3053, G3062, and G3063 surplus effective upon completion of new generators and authorized disposal at auction of or trade-in, whichever is deemed to be in the best interest of the city pursuant to sections 2.623, prend seven, and print eight, and authorize the approved officials to execute same.

Good evening, Mayor, Council members.

Uh my name is Wayne LaFleur, Public Utilities Infrastructure Maintenance Manager.

Uh bring to you a excuse me, Pullin, right?

Uh authorized to purchase three standby generators, uh very crucial during the hurricane season for backup on our uh lift stations and water wells.

Um three of them were lost in the last sea uh hurricane season, and uh we are looking to replace them before uh next hurricane season.

So happy to answer any questions.

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

Hearing seeing none, is there any council discussion?

Just a quick question.

Um I see we're replacing these because we lost them during this the storms.

Have we changed any procedures on how we place them, where we place them, at what elevation we do if we see this again?

How do we protect them so we're not purchasing new again?

So we are updating and um uh amending some of our emergency operation procedures to choose where the uh generators are being staged as well as when to remove the generators from that area that could be flooded just in case of high surge and so this doesn't happen again.

Perfect, thank you.

Thank you.

Assistant city management.

Add a little bit to that too.

The Dan Sauders is the city manager.

There's also a project, it's not gonna necessarily be widely popular, but to elevate the mechanicals on some of the lift stations on such as North Beach, right?

So that the they don't uh be subjected to flooding in some environments.

They may not even have the option to remove them, right?

Because the moment you remove them, you essentially commit yourself to a sewage spill.

Um so until we actually elevate some of these lift station mechanicals, which is a project that's ongoing.

Um, we do have the risk of potentially having to deal with this again, but um, we're certainly mindful in trying to move forward and uh make these elevated mechanicals as less displeasurable as possible.

That makes sense.

Yep.

I'm all for as displeasurable as possible.

Okay, I think we all say any further discussion.

No, sir.

Okay, is there a motion move to approve agenda item 6.16?

I will second that.

Who is in favor?

Aye, opposed, unanimous.

Thank you.

Award or purchase order to Odyssey Manufacturing Company of Tampa, Florida for purchase and delivery of liquid sodium hypochloride, hypochlorite for water and wastewater treatment facilities in the not-to-exceed annual amounts of two million dollars for a one-year term with two one-year renewal options pursuant to invitation to bid number 12-26 and authorize the appropriate officials to execute same.

Good evening, Mayor Council.

Name is Fred Hemrick, uh public utilities manager, uh, water production laboratory.

So we're asking for your uh approval to award a purchase order in a contract to Odyssey Manufacturing in Tampa, Florida for liquid sodium hypochlorite, also known as bleach.

This was all pursuant to invitation to bid 1226 and uh Odyssey is the lowest most responsive.

The uh amount of the contract is two million dollars annual, not to exceed uh we'd like to renew it for up to three years.

And uh like to know if you all have any questions about this uh this chemical its applications or the contract.

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

Hearing saying none, is there any council discussion?

There's not is there a motion?

Motion to approve agenda item six point seventeen.

Second.

Those in favor, all right.

Unanimous.

Sounds very interesting, but I think we're not item 6.8.

Approve a professional service agreement with CHA Consulting Inc.

Tampa, Florida to serve as the water reclaimed water and well program consultant in the not to exceed amounts of nine million dollars for a five-year term pursuant to request for qualifications 39-25 and authorize the appropriate officials to execute same.

Good evening, Mayor Council.

Uh, my planning can public utilities director.

Uh this items for water reclaim, water and well program, uh, consultant 26-007 UT asking for your approval for this professional services, uh, which does program management design construction inspection or CEI for portable reclaim water systems, 44 uh rural water wells are also included as part of this.

Uh the amount is nine million dollars uh with the vendor being CHA for a timeline of five years.

Um it's tied to high performing government and environmental stewardship, and I'm happy to respond to any questions that you may have.

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

Hearing seeing none, is there any council discussion?

There's none.

Is there a motion?

Motion to approve agenda item six point one eight.

Second.

Those in favor, opposed unanimous.

Thank you.

Agenda item 6.19.

Approve a construction contract amendment between the City of Clearwater and TLC diversified inc for the lift station 16 Pierce Street project to revise the contract completion date to January 14, 2026 and finalize project closeout.

Approve Stan Tech supplemental work order number six and the amounts of $13,200 for additional engineering services associated with the extended project duration and authorize the appropriate officials to execute same.

Uh good evening, Mayor Council City Leadership.

Again, this is uh Mike Flanning, Public Utilities Director.

Um, this is for the approval of the contract amendment with TLC uh diversified and the supplemental workwater with Stantec.

Um the project faced significant delays beyond the original 2024 deadline through the supply chain issues involving a water control center, uh, with actually with a subcontractor of TLC.

Um as part of the final closeout, uh the contractor has agreed to 166,390 uh dollar reduction in their final payment to compensate the city for additional engineering and management costs.

This also provides $13,200 uh for additional engineering um of record to finalize the record drawings with Stantec.

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

Anyone here from the public that I desire to speak to this agenda?

Hearing seeing none, is there any council discussion?

There's none.

Is there a motion?

Move to approve agenda item 6.19.

Second.

Those in favor?

Aye.

Opposed unanimous.

Thank you.

Agenda item 6.20.

Approve six individual work orders with advanced engineering design in Finellas Park, Florida, to provide design bidding services and construction administration services associated with the FEMA funded slope stabilization annual contract totaling 347,923.1 cent pursuant to RFQ 34-23 professional services continuing contract and authorized the appropriate officials to execute same.

Uh good evening, Mayor, members of the council.

Um my name again is Kelly Petrich.

I'm the engineering division manager here in the public works department.

Um today I'll be presenting a work order for AED Inc.

Um, just a little background on what happened here.

Uh they do the high velocities from Hurricane Helene and Milton uh that's destabilize the uh the bank in six separate locations along Eligator Creek, resulting in resulting in large washouts endangering both private and public infrastructure.

Um as a result of this, these damages were were both inspected and submitted for FEMA reimbursement.

Um AED will basically be providing six separate design packages for six individual sites, and uh this will require require slope stabilization.

Uh this was separated out in that order of six separate uh work orders, and this was to hopefully ensure that FEMA will grant us funding for this project due to code compliance and the extent of the damage to the embankments pursuing to the installation of sheet pile.

Due to code compliance and the extent of the damage to the embankments pursuing to the installation of sheep pile.

And we're really hoping with the FEMA funds, this will provide a more resilient solution for future storms.

And we're really hoping that this will protect the slopes in the future.

So now the next steps after this will be uh we'll we're gonna set up an annual contract to carry out the construction.

Um and this low bidder will then come to the next uh council um agenda meeting after we get that in place.

Um this uh annual contract will of course comply with all FEMA requirements and regulations, providing the scene the city with the capacity to respond to large and mute emergency construction projects quickly and efficiently.

Um any questions on this item?

Okay, can they want to hear from the public tonight desire to speak to this agenda item?

Hearing C9 Council discussion.

I might add that not only do we hope FEMA will grant the funds, but they will distribute the funds.

Of course, most importantly, it seems to take them a while to disperse.

So if no further council discussion, is there a motion?

Motion to approve agenda item 6.20.

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Item 6.21 approve the standard grant agreement in the amount of three million dollars between the state of Florida, Department of Environmental Protection, and the City of Clearwater for the design and construction of four living seawalls, associated shoreline elevation improvements pursuant to the Clearwater Living Seawall Project, providing state funding with no required match, and authorize the appropriate officials to execute same.

All right, thank you.

Um yes, today we're uh we're very happy to announce that we were able to um reserve this grant, the FDP grant, in the amount of uh three million dollars.

There's also no local match required with this grant, which is great.

The overall purpose, what we're looking to complete here is to strengthen the shoreline infrastructure, reduce tidal flooding risk, enhance the marine habitat, and also the water quality, and this will of course support our coastal resiliency strategy.

Um the overall project scope here will be designed design and construct multiple living seawalls throughout the city, and also a biggest the bigger part is to elevate existing seawall elevations uh to reverse wave overtopping, and this will help us to meet our code of uh actually the 5.12 NAVD code that we have.

Uh any questions on this item.

Anyone here from the public can I desire to speak to this gym?

Hearing seeing none, is there any council discussion?

Councilmember Cotton.

Yeah, I'd just like to say thank you uh for working on this and get obtaining that grant, especially with no match.

That's fantastic.

Um, especially to work on something that's you know gonna be great for our environment and sustain our intercoastal waterway or intracastal waterways and make us a little bit more resilient.

So I'm really looking forward to the implementation of this and seeing you know in the next few years how she's working out because it seems really fantastic.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Yeah, mayor, thank you.

Um, very similar.

Thank you.

Uh thank you to the team for securing that grant.

Anytime it's uh doesn't have to be matched.

That's nice.

Uh, we welcome those, and especially the disbursement of it, as the mayor said.

Uh completely supportive of our living seawalls.

I think this is a great a great direction to go.

It's not just protecting our most precious asset of our natural resource of our beaches and coastline, uh, but protecting against erosion, enhancing our marine life and improving water quality and our community, uh, which is vitally important as these living seawalls continue to grow and enlarge themselves, uh, they become more stable and more effective.

Uh, and this is a great a great route to go, not just uh human engineering of concrete and rebar, but shifting into that uh hybrid approach of including natural resources and processes to it.

Uh I love that we're going in that direction.

I look to see more of it.

Thank you.

Anything else?

I just want to add to thank our uh elected officials through here Loveway, our legislative delegation and for appropriating this money through this grant program and uh to allow us to have this project.

So with that, is there any further discussion or motion?

Motion to approve agenda item 6.21.

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Opposed to unanimous.

Thank you.

Approve our work order and design professional agreement with WSP USA Inc.

for the Pier 60 repair project to assist in developing rehabilitation plans to repair and harden the existing Pier 60 in the amounts of 708,277 per RFQ 55-25 and authorize the appropriate officials to execute same.

Good evening, Mayor, Council members, Marcus Williams and Public Works Director.

Kelly will go into some of the technical details, but I just want to take a quick moment, thank the legal team.

This contract you can see is our new contract agreement, and uh dealing in the marine environment has some additional challenges, so we're really excited because this one gives us some additional capabilities.

So I just want to thank the legal team for all those efforts.

All right.

Um yeah, today we're here to approve the work order with WSP USA Inc.

Um, this is of course for the Pier 60 upcoming project.

The overall purpose of this is to repair and harden the Pier 60 following the hurricane damage that occurred last year.

Um this will restore the structural integrity and also improve the resilience of the pier.

Um and also engineering is looking to do a deep dive analysis uh to look to alternative methods to protect the pier from future storms as well.

Um of the background um with this project.

The Pier 60 T section, of course, was damaged by hurricanes Adalia, Helene, and Milton.

So it has taken a lot of damage over the years.

Um the last council direction was actually in June 2nd of 2025, which was to replace the T section in kind.

Um so how we came about uh actually um getting the contract with WSP was we actually went through the RFQ process and they were selected through five overall firms.

Um they are a great firm that will provide a full service, uh multidisciplinary team, uh a team of actually engineering, uh, marine engineering, architectural, environmental, and also MAP.

So they're they are really a good firm, and we're very excited to move forward with them.

Some of the scope of services that we're looking to procure as part of this uh contract is also a more detailed uh site investigation and condition assessment.

That'll be the first part of this process.

Um, based on that, we'll get a summer report with the findings and also alternative analysis.

Um, we're gonna get a preliminary construction cost estimates as well, some of the architectural concepts for some of the peer updates, and also part of this um today's um agenda item is also the development up to the 60 percent design plans.

And this is of course, uh, as the last council approval was to replace the T section.

Um we're also gonna have coordination of inspections and re um repair prioritization for the whole construction process.

Um, some of the overall cost notes um for the public works department, we're we're very happy to announce that through um the fees were actually reduced through our negotiation of this contract um through uh some of the senior staff uh rates and also for the so for the the overall project timeline, we're working an investigation and report that'll be a three-month process.

Um, and then we're looking to actually go through the 60 percent design phase for about four months.

Um so some of our future phases though, we're looking on this will like a uh stated earlier.

Engineering will actually do an additional uh design analysis, and at a future date, if we find any additional design analysis uh facts, we're actually going to bring that forward for more resilient options to the council in a future date.

Um, and then also we'll bring forth a supplemental work order to actually complete this final design permitting and uh construction administration.

Uh any questions for this?

You want to hear from the public that I desire to speak to this agenda?

Uh I I have a question.

Um, so I last time I considered this item, it was kind of like you know, repairing put it back together, and then there was another.

Is this the second phase of that where we're thinking long-term things or is this part of the first phase just putting it back together, or where I ask that because I I hear a growing community interest in you know, not thinking crazy big, but thinking a little bit bigger, thinking about the peer is an iconic it's in every picture.

I was on the I've told the story about being on Virgin Airlines on the London Heathrow Airport, tarmac, and there's a picture on Virgin flying to South Africa of our peer.

It's it's just an iconic piece of uh Clearwater that uh I I hear more and more community interest in maybe it's time to rethink reimagine the peer.

So, with the work that's being done here, would it be wasted if if the community came up with you know came together to do something more dynamic there?

Or no, sir.

I think we're getting to the the same piece.

So part of the effort and the conversations that have been going on are you know, how do you make this a little bit more uh resilient?

What are some of those options by the you know, let's just put it back to status quo?

So there's conversations.

Can we help create wave breaks that might also become uh fishing uh attraction to help with the fishing pier?

So some of those conversations are starting to happen.

Can we spend this money more wisely?

And with that, what are those grant opportunities?

Because if we can bring in uh TDC dollars, if we can bring in fishery dollars, what are some of those that we help augment?

Yeah, so that's what we're going.

Our strategy, we didn't want to get too far down the road, which is why Kelly said we were purposely halting it at the uh 60 percent because we wanted to make sure that we're coming back in front of everybody.

So the intent is come back in sooner.

We probably come in at like the 30 percent as we get some of those concepts, bring it back in, but that way we don't have to halt uh work at that point.

We're still funded for a little bit farther out.

So I think we're getting to what you're looking for, sir.

So I guess you know, some of like you talked about the analysis of you know the uh the surface under the water and and what it would hold, not hold, and uh you know what's existing out there that can be preserved, whatever we do to repair or make it more uh resilient.

Um it could be used for a number of different types of projects that might go on to uh to you know uh make it more yeah, modify it and make it better.

Okay, that's Mr.

Manino.

Yeah, mayor, thank you for bringing that up.

Uh I think it is a valid point.

I know we had those just discussions before, and it was about what the tea was gonna look like, how extravagant we were gonna get.

I mean, at one point we're like, wow, ten million dollars is a big number for our beer, uh, which it is, especially at the time when we were putting as much resources towards our kind of our iconic marina, right?

Um, but I'm I'm with you, Mayor, on a sense of there's not a professional hockey game, football game, collegiate, NCAAs.

We're just in downtown Tampa.

Every single picture on a commercial break shows not only our white sand beach, but a sunset and our beautiful pier, and it's all over the place.

I I'd hope uh we can continue to have some discussions with some of our other community and regional partners and recognize the importance of that, see if we can get some other help in collaborating, but I'm with you on opening up that train of thought on what it what it could be and could look like because it is iconic.

Yeah, I'm I'm very pleased, and I actually look forward to you know, looking at those options.

That the idea of whatever's going to make it more resilient is also has a dual use and it's actually gonna add to the pier.

I think that's great.

You know, it's also very cost-effective, right?

We're making it resilient, but it's adding to the the use in some way.

I really look forward to seeing what those options might be.

No, no comment.

Okay.

Okay.

Any further discussion?

None.

Then do we have a motion?

Move to approve agenda item 6.22.

Second.

Those in favor?

Aye.

Opposed, unanimous.

Thank you.

Approval work order to WSP USA Inc.

Living Seawall Project to provide living seawall design services and converting four existing seawalls into living seawalls shorelines in the amount uh 45,533 dollars pursuant to request for qualifications 34-23 engineer record consulting services and authorize your perfect officials to execute same.

Good evening again, Mayor, member of the council.

Kelly Petrich, uh Engineering Division Manager of Public Works.

Um, so today I'd like to bring forth a work order again for WSP Inc.

Um, this is a pertaining to the living seawall project, the funding I mentioned earlier.

Um the purpose of this is to advance the Clearwater's coastal resiliency strategy to strengthen the shoreline infrastructure, reduce the tidal flooding, and hence you know, enhance the overall habitat, you know, too.

Um some of the uh the scope of services we're looking to get from WSP during this process is the field investigation, a bathometric survey and a top of topographic survey as well, limited on some of the locations.

We're also going to get an engineering analysis and a design development as far as as long as also the permitting process we taken care of during this work order, would also bid support, and then we'll go out for a construction overall phase services as well.

Um, some of the suggested project locations.

We we have actually four locations we're hoping to complete this work at.

One of them will be the Coach Wind Park location.

This is actually the about 240 feet of seawall.

We're looking at a place that this is near the Pierce 100 condominiums.

It's currently in really bad shape and needs a total repair.

Um also the north side of Sand Key Bridge.

Um, and then another location would be the east side of the Mandalay Channel, and a finer location will be the uh Tampa Bay at the South Bay View Amp Avenue.

Now, obviously, we don't we have about three million dollars in funding, so we're gonna do as much as we can out of these four locations.

And uh so that that's kind of the overall uh scope of this work order.

Um we have any uh any questions on this item today?

Okay.

If if you want to speak, unfortunately come yeah, you have you have to come to hear me.

I'll make myself no, you have to be able to do that.

Ma'am, we must you have to be on the record.

We have to record it.

Yeah, yeah.

And then if you could complete a comment card for us.

If you're if you're going to be doing this, ma'am, uh you if you can use your name and where you're my name is Ursula Snow, and I just wanted to ask this gentleman a question about the living seawall.

So if you are going to be if you are going to be doing this, can you apply for grants?

That seems like a very attractive project, and there should be a lot of grant issuing organizations that would be interested in it, especially because Clearwater is such an iconic beach.

Uh that this is the time for public comment, so if it's for you to make a statement, I guess you just made a statement.

So uh we'll have staff get with you afterwards to talk about opportunities.

Thank you.

Any anyone else from the public uh want to comment on this agenda?

Okay, if not, then um is there any council discussion?

If not, is there a motion?

Motion approve agenda item six point twenty-three.

Second.

All those in favor, all right.

Posed unanimous.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Approve an increase to the palm pruning contract with Brigand Enterprises of Safety Harbor, Florida, Superior Landscaping and Lawn Service of Miami, Florida, and right tree service of Des Moines, Iowa for palm tree pruning services on a unit price basis, increasing the initial cumulative amount of 250,000 dollars for revised not to exceed amounts of $300,000 for the initial term and approve two one-year renewal options in the annual cumulative not to exceed amount of $300,000 pursuant to request for proposal 11-26 and authorize the appropriate officials to execute statement.

Good evening, Mayor, Council City Leadership.

My name is Alice Moski, I'm the right of way division manager for public works.

The item before you is a palm maintenance contract.

Excuse me, covering the palm pruning of various locations across the city for a not take seat amount of 200,000.

And uh would be happy to answer any questions.

Anyone here from the public desire to speak to this agenda item?

Okay.

Hearing saying none, is there any council discussion?

If not, is there a motion?

Motion to approve agenda item 6.24.

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Opposed, unanimous.

Thank you, sir.

Move to the agenda item 6.25.

Elect a council member to serve as vice mayor, council members as uh required by charter the first meeting in April, which technically I know it's March 30th, but it was the first meeting in April being held today.

Um the council must elect a vice mayor to serve as vice mayor for uh one year, and according to rule five, the rotation um would be for council member cotton to serve as vice mayor.

You can continue with the rotation or make a motion for someone else.

Okay.

Discussion.

I would be honored to accept the role of vice mayor for the following year.

If that appeases the the rest of the council.

Copy that I can't I can't make a second.

So is there a motion?

Yeah, uh, make a motion, Mayor, to uh approve uh council member cotton to serve for the next calendar year as vice mayor.

Second.

Okay.

Uh all those in favor?

Aye.

Oppose unanimous.

Thank you all.

Appreciate it.

Welcome, Mr.

Vice Mayor.

Thanks, sir.

Agenda item 6.26.

Appoint individuals to the public art and design board as listed council members.

We've had to play a little switcheroo with the members and the categories that we're currently serving because we were having some difficulty finding individuals and the proper categories.

And so I'm going to read the agenda item to identify what those what the request is.

So the request is to appoint Sherry Aquilad as the Clearwater Arts Alliance representative with a term expiring March 30 2030.

Appoint Maggie Duffy as a Clearwater Pinellas representative with a term expiring February 29, 2030.

Now these two individuals are representing their respective organizations.

Appoint Mark Lutz as the architect with a term expiring January 15, 2030.

Mr.

Lutz is currently filling the citizen category, but he's actually an architect, so we're just switching him around but not changing the length of his term.

Okay.

Reappoint Brian Bollaton as the active professional artist with a term expiring March 30, 2030.

Reappoint Jonathan Barnes and Gregory Byrd as citizens knowledgeable in the fields of public art education or community affairs with terms expiring March 31, 2030.

And then here's where I need uh council direction.

Appoint an individual to serve as a citizen knowledgeable in fields of public art education or community affairs to an unexpired term through May 1, 2029.

And the following individuals have submitted applications for your consideration.

David Lingenfelter, he is a done, he's with Dunwright Metal Fabricators, he's the owner and designer.

Judy Morton, she is with Pinellas Community Foundation, she is a donor advisor and writer.

Alina Rivera Sayeta is a muralist.

Michaela Sorensen, she is with Theta Creative, and she's a vice president and visual artist.

And Valerie Vogel, um, an independent visual artist.

Okay.

Well, first, uh, is anyone here from the public?

Sorry to speak.

That's Vietnam.

Is there any council discussion?

Vice Mayor.

So I was reading um all the resumes, and I was so impressed and grateful to all these talented and uh highly qualified people coming forward.

So very excited about that.

But when looking over who's already in there, and assuming that everybody was equally qualified, which pretty much they were, I then started looking at the skill sets that would be an addition to what's already there, which makes the team stronger.

And one that has really popped out was uh Judy Moore uh Morton because she's already sat on uh art selection committees like uh Penel uh Great of Pinellas, and so maybe that experience would be an additional um skill that the team would benefit from.

So for me, Judy Morton would be a great addition with her experience in selection committees, arts selection committees.

Okay, all right, Councilmember Cotton.

I feel like uh Vice Mayor Tosheda read my notes because I completely agree.

Um, my top here after going through all the applicants.

I got um Miss Morton as the top as well because she brings strong community affairs and arts governance experience to her nonprofit leadership report participation on regional public arts selection committee.

So I mean I wholeheartedly agree, and you get that different a unique perspective where they're all qualified in this extra oomph to it.

So um I agree with Ms.

Morton.

You obviously read my notes as well because Miss Morton is the only name I wrote down.

I think the diversity she brings being a donor and a writer, um, diversifying the expertise of that board fills a skills gap and can only enhance uh that board.

I too was impressed by the names on the list.

It's hard to say no to any of these because they're all exceptional professionals.

Uh but I just happen to um to pick out Judy Morton myself.

Okay, so then I'd be read my notes because I don't have any notes.

But I know Ms.

Morton and community um uh community foundation is fantastic.

Uh they do lots of great work throughout our community, so I'd support Ms.

Morton.

Okay.

So with that, you have it unanimous on Ms.

Morton and then the others are so I just need a motion to approve the ones that were suggested by the um city clerk and then for Miss Morton.

So I'll make a motion to include include all the names uh accounted for by the city clerk for the board as well as appointing uh Miss Judy Morton to the board.

Second.

Okay, all those in favor?

Aye.

Opposed, unanimous.

Move to item 6.27.

Appoint Karen Cunningham to for the to the Pinellas Opportunity Council, which is a regional board to fill as an unexpired term through February 2nd, 2028.

She will actually serve as a city's um representative on this regional board.

Unfortunately, Miss Donato was serving in that capacity, and because of work schedule, she is no longer to serve.

But I think Miss Cunningham would be a perfect fit for that.

Is anyone from the public here tonight that desire to speak to this item?

No.

If not, is there any council discussion?

No, through a motion.

Motion to approve into that item 6.27 and have Karen Cunningham go to the Penelope Pratinity Council.

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Opposed.

That's three in favor.

Okay.

Wait a little bit.

Gen item 6.28.

Oh, I'm sorry, hold on a second.

Approve an agreement with Brian Miller Olive PA for legal services and representation to the City of Clearwater Community Development Board and authorized the perfect officials to execute saying.

So council, that is a city attorney item.

Um the community development board rules of procedure state that uh outside councils to represent the community development board.

City attorney's office continues to represent staff.

In uh February of this year, the board's attorney um resigned from representing the board, so there was a vacancy.

Um the city attorney's office is recommending Bryant Miller all of now.

This is exempt from bidding.

I did reach out to two different law firms.

Um, however, I'm uh recommending that the city go with uh Bryant Miller Olive or an excellent law firm, they have offices all over Florida.

We specialize in local government work.

Um Jennifer Cohen is going to be the lead.

Um, her office in the in Tampa represents PSTA, the City of Largo, the City of Safety Harbor, hand united.

So with that, I'm certainly open for questions.

Okay.

Does anyone hear from the public tonight?

Desire to speak to this agenda.

Okay.

Hearing none, any council discussion.

No council discussion.

Is there a motion?

Move to approve agenda item 6.28 second.

Those in favor?

Aye.

Opposed.

Unanimous.

Thank you.

That's right.

Move to item seven on the agenda, and that is for citizens to be heard on topics pertaining to city business that are not on tonight's agenda.

Is there anyone here from the public discussion?

I don't know if you got a comment card earlier, but if you can complete fantastic.

Thank you.

Oh, you might never talk about that.

And just in case anybody wants to understand what I'm saying.

Oh, okay.

I didn't know you sold two minutes tonight.

Again, my name is Versailles Snow, and I represent a fairly large neighborhood in and around the landings golf course.

And the neighborhood on all sides is pretty concerned about what is going to happen, what is happening.

We haven't gotten a lot of information.

And uh it's a very recently now uh Alfred's coming out to talk next week, so that's good.

But it would be good if we got updates periodically because people are getting very concerned about rumors they're hearing that there won't be a referendum because it's going from recreation to recreation.

Things like this cause people to get upset.

And I don't want to get into a situation like we just heard from the Greenwood people that apparently we missed something, you know, we just missed it because we didn't go out and talk to the people.

So um the first thing they asked me to say tonight was that in our city charter, section 2.01.

Uh, if you drill down, it goes to a section V or five.

No municipal municipally owned real property, which was identified as recreation open space on the city's comprehensive land use plan map on November 16th, 1989, or at any time thereafter may be sold, donated, leased for a new use or otherwise transferred without prior approval at referendum.

We're hoping that means something to you because we feel that the changes that you're going to do there are drastic.

Okay.

You're gonna go from a tree-lined grass-covered golf course, which is very resilient, to a multi-sport complex, which is approximately 80 percent artificial turf.

And the rest of it is gonna be concrete and S Falt.

So if that's not a major change or a change of use, we're kind of saying that's amazing.

You know, we really believe it should be a change of use.

This urban, this is creating an urban heat island, and you all are familiar with that.

And you all are familiar with that.

You know what's going on in the world today, and we're trying to reduce heat.

Our resiliency program talks about it.

Many people talk about it.

But today, actually, that little landings golf course.

It cools the area by two to five degrees.

And with the addition of all these artificial materials in concrete, it's going to raise the temperature in that area by seven to twelve degrees.

That's going to increase use of our grid for cooling.

It's going to make that whole neighborhood very, very hot.

People are not.

Oh, there goes my four.

Thank you for coming.

We'll be hearing more.

Anyone else from the public tonight to hear uh speak to something that's not on tonight's agenda?

Well, thank you for coming.

Yeah.

That we'll move to item eight on the agenda.

City management reports.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, I just wanted to thank everybody for participating in Neighborhoods Day.

I want to thank our communications director and her team for putting on a really incredible day.

I know that there's a lot of effort that goes into that and a lot of departments that help pull that off.

So I just wanted to say thank you to the teams, thank you to the communities.

It was great being out there and meeting you where you're at and celebrating your individual communities.

It was really truly a great day.

And thank you to council for your continued support of that program and participating in the day.

That's all I have.

Move to item nine, so the attorney reports.

Uh no, sir.

Okay.

Move to item 10 point one.

Okay.

Provide direction regarding scheduling special council meetings on September 15, 2026, and September 21, 2026's budget hearings and scheduling a special work session to review the proposed budget.

Council members, as uh requested for at the last council meeting.

I did confirm with staff uh regarding the September 15 meeting.

But that in order to schedule that meeting would mean we would have to reschedule the proposed second hearing.

Um so that's why you see 15 and the 21st as the meetings, and then the budget director requested that we hold a special work session to review the proposed budget on August 10, 2026 at 1.30 p.m.

or Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 130 p.m.

Okay.

Um you repeat those dates?

I'm sorry, August.

Sure, it's okay.

So the budget meetings, the first meet the first hearing will be September 15 at 6 p.m.

September 21 at 6 p.m.

And then a budget work session, both would start at 1.30 on Monday, August 10, or Tuesday, August 11.

And if neither of those two dates work, we've got time on that to schedule since it's a budget work session.

It's good for me.

So anybody else got it?

10th and 11th are both clear for me as well.

The 11th is better for me because that's the 11th.

So 11th is better for me.

Okay.

All right.

Roger that.

Okay.

All right, I'm good.

Direction indeed.

Okay.

That will move to item 11.

That's closing comments by council members.

Councilman Gotti.

Uh, yes, sir.

I have to agree, neighborhoods day was a great success.

You know, I know that we divided in Concord, but the neighborhoods that I was able to uh hit, majority of them were very thriving.

Uh so thank you to our communications team, put together great roots and got us going, um, as well as all the employees across all of our different departments that were uh working to be out there, show their equipment, give out information to the public, it was fantastic.

Um next, we you know, this past Sunday have Palm Sunday, and we're going into Easter weekend.

Um I just want to say, you know, for those uh in the Christian faith, you know, Friday is good when Christ was res or crucified because Sunday's coming when he was resurrected, and today he's alive, and uh as Romans 10-9 states, if you can because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that uh God raised him from the dead, you will be saved, and because we can rest in that as Christians, um, I think as we go into this season, just recognizing that, meditating on it, and uh looking to the glorification of him and the wonderful things he's provided.

So again, great job to all staff for Saturday.

Uh looking forward to serving as your vice mayor to come and assisting the mayor.

And I want to say that I think Vice Mayor Tosheda did a wonderful job in this past year, so got some big shoes to fill, but uh looking forward to it.

So heels, I'm not gonna wear the heels.

I won't wear the heels.

Don't wear her shoes.

So with that, thank you, sir.

And I hope everybody does have a happy and safe Easter.

Councilmember Manino.

Mayor, thank you.

If you don't mind, I just want to take maybe 30 seconds just to address.

I know Ursula walked out, but for the residents out there, there's a lot of communications and going on probably far in advance regarding the landings.

I think it's important um to identify that again.

This was an unsolicited proposal that came in to our staff.

Staff now has a statutory responsibility to take a 90-day window and fully review, come up with a total of findings and recommendations, and then sit with us um and have discussions uh and then move forward with those discussions and include the community and obviously in that process and what our decisions are, and we're still within that 90-day period.

We haven't had any of those discussions, even us as a dais in closed doors or on the dais.

Um, so I don't want our citizens out there to think that we're not listening to them, that we don't care.

Uh we truly do.

Um, and we are respecting that process, which we have to.

Um outside of that, I want to say um neighborhoods day was amazing.

I I know 37 neighborhood parties across the whole community.

I think we all managed to speed around and catch 12 of them.

Uh I one of my favorite parts of the the year, that's for sure, getting to connect on an intimate level with with our residents and have great conversations and depth and and laughter.

Uh it was awesome.

I commend our residents and our neighborhood leaders for pulling it together, and I also uh really want to commend staff.

The the time that put in the care and the concern showed.

Uh not to mention I showed up to some parties and there was 30 to 50 staff members uh at the party.

It was amazing to see the involvement and the the care and consideration that staff took in that.

So thank you, uh city manager and your team for wrapping your arms around that.

Uh also wanna identify, I'm sure the mayor will touch on it, but I'll beat him to it.

It is uh officially Sugar Sand Festival is kicked off.

I know Lisa Chandler and her team uh had a successful kickoff.

They run an amazing uh festival that goes through April 12th.

Uh so make sure you you get out there, bring the kids, bring the families, uh daytime afternoons, evenings.

There's something out there uh for everybody.

This year's theme is United in Sand, uh surrounding sports, uh sports themed with the Olympics and everything else coming up.

Uh so it should be a great time.

But that's it, thank you.

Okay, Vice Mayor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, this past week, sadly, I believe Clearwater lost a value member of our community.

Uh Mr.

Kenny Hendleton.

Although I've only known him for a few years, it became quite clear, especially at his memorial, how many lives Kenny has touched quietly through his service and generosity.

One of the most moving moments was when his son sang, I can only imagine.

It was a beautiful tribute and spoke volumes about the man Kenny Weiss.

And in that spirit of community, I also want to thank all the staff and all the neighborhoods uh for this neighborhood's day.

I truly enjoyed spending time with all, including staff and the residents, hearing your thoughts, sharing conversations, um, and seeing the pride in um in everyone, which makes our city really special.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Um yes, I want to um also recognize Kenny Hamilton that you know I um posted on one of the social media platforms, just uh an incredible celebration of life because you saw, I mean, the first United Methodist Church here in Clearwater is completely packed.

And what impressed me the most was how um you know the one of my favorite movies is um is it's it's a wonderful life.

Um because it teaches through George Bailey um how important each life is because it touches so many others, and that's what I felt that Kennedy's celebration of life.

It wasn't just the number of people there, it was the number of different parts of our community, ours.

It was the Phillies, it was he touched so many different parts of our community, and uh was very proud, and his whole family is, but certainly he was very proud of growing up here, going to Clearwater High School and all those things that uh those folks who have been there their entire lives that have just made this city so great.

Um deepest sympathies to Kenny and his family uh for uh for their loss.

Certainly it's a community and city loss, and um and we were uh all you know heartbroken to see him go and are so thankful for all the contributions he made to our great city over the years.

Second thing uh everyone's talked about neighborhoods day.

Um just it's become I forget how many years we've done this, but we've done it for a number of years.

It's dates way back, it keeps growing every year.

Joelle's telling me she's I guess that's two zero, whatever.

I used to play, it used to be a baseball third base coach, and we did all this, but not sure what that just meant.

I don't I don't understand sign language.

Well, I think you just said 20.

But it's been going, and it feels like uh just because of our staff who's really organized it.

I know we've got uh one of the channelers is organizing that for us now, and it is just so well organized and so well promoted, and so we're excited to see everyone come out to support that.

But I I just want and I try to remind some folks that you know it's it really should be neighborhoods day in Clearwater every day of the year.

And by that I mean it was so important for the residents to connect with our team members, different departments that are there.

I appreciate, as was said, all the staff members coming out.

But the other half of that, it's it's important that neighbors connect with each other because if they can connect with each other, if we instead of the neighborhood talking about we don't know what's going on behind that door on that street down on that house down the street, but boy, you know, to actually meet those folks and talk to them, engage them, maybe offer an elderly person who doesn't have any family members around some help.

So that's the important part for me of Neighborhoods Day.

It's a lot of important parts of it.

But it's that getting neighbors to talk to one another because if they can help one another, then we all know we saw this through the hurricanes.

It it makes our community so much better when neighbors help one another and they know their neighbors, they love their neighbors, and they're there from them when they need help.

Uh and then the Sugar Sand Festival, as we mentioned, is going on.

That's something that's grown every year.

Yeah, true, and it really become a festival.

I remember when Lisa Chandler came to them, I guess it's been seven or eight years ago now and said, you know, I think uh I think we're gonna try something different, and not just the sculptures this year, we're gonna have rides and music, and uh I'm not if it'll work or not, but we were gonna try it.

Well, it worked, and now it's become a really robust thing.

Uh live music that had a Latin band out there last night and the beach was full.

It's really become a successful event, and so hope everyone comes out to enjoy that each year.

And then I do love people.

Uh I love our residents, but I love our canine residents a lot.

And I love seeing a lot of our canine residents this past uh weekend at neighborhoods day.

Uh but one of my favorite events of the year is coming up, April 11th here, and that's the uh Peru Arena Incredible Dog Challenge.

Uh, it's the same day as the Market Marie.

Uh it's going to be a huge day out there and a chance for those who like the market anyway to come out and see some of the most athletic and incredible dogs in the United States.

They're competing in the Eastern Regionals.

It'll be taped and broadcast live on NBC Sports sometime this summer.

Uh it really is a quote incredible uh event.

And so I encourage the community to come out and enjoy that.

Free admission.

You might even get to see yourself on television.

Uh last year they have the um they have one event where they dogs jump into the water and grab the thing, and somebody brought their dog and set their dog in their lap right there behind the camera.

And so there's their dog watching the other dogs jump and all the way over.

One of the cutest things you've ever seen.

But um, it it's really a wonderful event, and certainly uh families would really enjoy that.

So that's April 11th in Coachman Park.

Just another one of our amazing events that are taking place in Coachman Park all year round.

So with that, if there's nothing else to come before the council, we will adjourn the Clearwater City Council meeting of March 30, 2026.