Clearwater Community Resiliency and Leisure Services Advisory Board Meeting - April 23, 2026
Clearwater Community Resiliency and Leisure Services Advisory Board Meeting - April 23, 2026
The Community Resiliency and Leisure Services Advisory Board met on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 4:00 PM in the Main Library Council Chambers. The board approved the previous meeting's minutes, heard public comment regarding stadium funding and park maintenance, received a detailed presentation on the Clearwater 2045 comprehensive plan, and set the agenda for the next meeting.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: The board unanimously approved the minutes of the March 26, 2026 special meeting (ID#26-0505).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Mr. Johnson addressed the board regarding the Phillies term sheet for Bright House Stadium. He questioned whether the additional $14 million for BayCare Ballpark improvements would cannibalize maintenance funds for Coachman Park and the beach. He presented evidence of code violations (e.g., use of shell rock as landscaping material, which is prohibited) and argued that the city does not follow its own rules. He asked why the city can fund $30 million for stadium improvements but not maintain Coachman Park to designated standards.
Discussion Items
- Clearwater 2045 Comprehensive Plan Presentation (ID#26-0507): Planning and Development Director Lauren Matzke and Long Range Planning Manager Marcy Stenmark presented the city's comprehensive plan update. They explained that the plan is state-mandated, updated every 7–10 years, and covers chapters on quality places, mobility, parks and recreation, conservation and coastal management, and community support services (including libraries, police, fire). Key policies discussed included:
- Sustainability: solar facilities on stormwater ponds, integration of green techniques.
- Coastal resiliency: flood risk reduction, adaptation action areas, protection of public access, and prohibition of increased density in coastal storm surge zones.
- Parks and recreation: equitable design, adequate level of service (meeting or exceeding requirements), and implementation of the recently updated Parks Master Plan.
- Tree canopy preservation and landscaping standards.
- Board Questions:
- A member asked about increasing walkways for wheelchairs at beaches; staff suggested it could be a grant opportunity aligned with the plan.
- Another member asked about sewage treatment capacity at the Marshall Street plant and potential impacts from development (e.g., The Landings). Staff described the site plan review process and noted that utilities master plans address capacity.
- A member asked about FEMA buyouts of repeatedly damaged barrier island properties. Staff confirmed the city has no plan for buyouts but has a floodplain administrator and tracks repetitive loss properties. The member requested his questions be included in the minutes.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes or decisions were taken on the Clearwater 2045 plan; the presentation was informational.
- Next Meeting Agenda (ID#26-0506): The board agreed to include:
- A presentation on hurricane preparedness.
- Regular project updates from Parks and Recreation (and possibly Library) via a shared project list.
- Discussion of best tree policies and canopy improvement.
- Action Items: The chair will ask department directors to provide a project list for future agendas. The next meeting is scheduled for June 2026 (exact date not set).
- Adjournment: The meeting adjourned without further business.
Meeting Transcript
Madam Chair, we're ready. Oh, okay. Um what do we need for a quorum? Four four. So you have it. I'd like to call to Kent to um order this Thursday, April 23rd uh meeting of the community resilience and leisure services advisory board. Uh thank you for everyone who has made the time to be here. We're going to be brief today uh to respect the fact that council has chambers uh this evening. Has everyone had an opportunity to review the minutes? Yes. Does anyone want to entertain a motion? Motion to approve second. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Oh, great. We have one more. We can go ahead and move on to citizens to be heard regarding agenda items not items not on the agenda. Welcome, Mr. Johnson. Good evening, madam chairman, members of the of the committee. Uh I want to address the uh Phillies term sheet for the Bright House Stadium, and I have a presentation. Okay, thank you. If I can get it going. So the question is, and what's listed here, or another way of asking this question is will the extra fourteen million for the Bay Care ballpark cannibalize or diminish the maintenance of Coach and Park and the beach and the rest of the city. The Phillies term sheet is an excellent opportunity for Bay Care ballpark improvements. But more importantly, they really mean to enforce those standards. Clear waters, and this is what the language that's in the term sheet. Clearwater standard logo is bright and beautiful from the bay to the beach. But do we mean it? Well, we say it. But the former president of Clearwater's chamber told me Monday, the city of Clearwater doesn't follow their own rules. Let's look at evidence from Clearwater Beach and Coke and Park. Looking at the development review committee process, there's always an acknowledgement on here requiring that shell, rock, gravel, or any similar material are not acceptable landscape materials. So what is being done by the city? And apparently that's because we can't afford to do it in the right way. And looking at some of the other examples, uh, this is Coachman Park on the beach, again on the beach, uh, even in the roundabout and surrounding areas now, even commercial properties are going to use shell, which is prohibited. So we ask uh the park department why did you do this one? Did you use mulch? And they said because it washes out. The question is, if the the code says if it's gonna wash out, you need to put keep it in. And so if we can fund 30 million dollars to improve our already fine stadium, why can't we maintain our coachment park to the designated standards? Thank you. Thank you. Is there anyone else who wishes to be heard on items not on the agenda? I do have copies of my slides for you now. Yeah, thank you, Pat. All right, then moving on to new business items starting with 4.1 Clearwater 2045 presentation. Stop. Thanks.
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