This time we'll call to order the May 7, 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 seated to the right of the dais.

When called to speak, please hand your card to the clerk.

We'll now move to item two on the agenda, and that's our invocation.

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

And before he shares his invocation for tonight, I'd like to announce that it is uh Major Ted's last time he'll be presenting the invocation here at Clearwater City Council.

He's uh served with the Salvation Army for 32 years and seven of those years here in Clearwater, and we've been blessed to have him frequently to give this indication.

I think it's appropriate that Major Ted, you're here to give the invitation tonight on National Prayer Day.

And uh with that, I I wrote a uh a letter to you and uh and Major Pamela just thanking you on behalf of the Clearwater City City Council.

I'd like to thank you both for years of service and dedication to our local community through the Salvation Army from the many events you have been involved in to countless hours of volunteering to giving wonderful invitations at our council meetings.

Your service to this community has been nothing short of remarkable.

Our community has benefited greatly from your service, and you both will be greatly missed.

Thank you for everything.

We hope you both enjoy this well-reserved retirement.

Thank you, Major Ted, and thank you for being here tonight.

Thank you.

It's been my privilege to be a part of this small small part of this uh these proceedings, and thank you for allowing me to be uh to be a part of this.

I will miss it.

It's been enjoyable.

I've learned a lot about the city operation, kept them sort of you as well, and so it's been my privilege to do so.

So let's power for prayer.

Our father, we thank you for the country in which we live and a city in which we live, where business can be conducted publicly like it is here.

In front of the citizenry and those who uh are involved in the city operations.

God, we thank you for our mayor.

We thank you for the city council, those who have accepted the mantle of leadership placed upon them by our citizens.

We pray that you will guide them as they continue to lead our great city.

Father, we thank you for those who work behind the scenes uh to keep this city operating.

Those uh people who work and people never see them, but work in preparing things for the agenda, preparing items to keep our city running.

We thank you for those who work out front, uh, law enforcement, first responders, fire and rescue, those who go into the danger rather than flee from it.

Father, we tonight we pray that the proceedings will be according to your will for the city, and that decisions made will be according to your your will for the city as well.

Of course, in your holy and your precious name, we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Pledge of allegiance is the fly of the United States of America for which it stands under God's law and justice for all.

Good evening.

Good evening.

To her right, my left, our vice mayor Ryan Cotton.

Good evening.

To my right, Councilmember Mike Manino.

Good evening.

His right, Councilmember David Albruden.

Good evening.

His right, our city manager, Jennifer Poirier.

For her right, Assistant City Manager Dan Slaughter.

And to his right, Assistant City Manager Al Battle.

That will move to item 4.1 on the agenda.

I'd like to call forward fire chief Pittman and Division Chief Test Tedsk for the EMS week 2026 proclamation.

Whereas the 2026 EMS Week theme, which is particularly meaningful now, is improving outcomes together, serves to remind people that everyday emergency medical teams are faced with so many new challenges in their lives, and yet they still rise above them and all and continue to respond, support and care for the needs of our communities.

And whereas rapid access to quality emergency medical care dramatically improves the survival and recovery rate of those who experience sudden illness or injury.

And whereas emergency medical services teams are ready to provide life-saving care to those in need 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and whereas the emergency medical services system consists of emergency physicians, emergency nurses, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, firefighters, educators, administrators, and others.

And whereas the members of emergency medical services teams engage in thousands of hours of specialized training and continuing education to enhance their life-saving skills.

Now, therefore, I, Bruce Rector, Mayor of the City of Clearwater, Florida, on behalf of the Clearwater City Council, to hereby proclaim May 17th to the 23rd, 2026 to be emergency medical services week in Clearwater.

Thank you for all you do and would uh Chief or would one of you like to say a few words?

Just uh thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you to the council on behalf of the 220 plus members of Clearwater Fire Rescue.

We very much appreciate this recognition.

Also found the uh timing to be very interesting because uh our EMS division chief's 25th anniversary serving the department is today, so um just a lot of good things going on with EMS, so we appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Congratulations.

I have something for you.

Oh, you do.

I was gonna say I do this.

Hello, wow.

All right, thank you.

I have one for you as well.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

I have one for you as well.

Thank you.

I appreciate it.

That's for you.

Thank you for so much.

I'm sorry.

I was supposed to tell you to watch that.

It's actually on me.

I'll give you one, right?

Yeah, well, perfect, perfect.

Nice diamonds.

Oh, thank you.

And of course, one for you.

Oh, it's your job.

Well, either one of us.

I forget you can do it.

Thank you.

And we appreciate all our first responders do all year long.

Now move to item, agenda item 4.2, economic development proclamation.

I'd like to call forward Christopher Edwards, Audra Aha, and Stephanie Scalos from the Economic Development and Housing Department.

Whereas economic developers promote economic well-being and quality of life for the communities by creating, retaining, and expanding jobs that facilitate growth, enhance wealth, and provide a stable tax base, and whereas economic developers stimulate and incubate entrepreneurism in order to establish the next generation of new businesses, which is the hallmark of the American economy, whereas economic developers are engaged in a wide variety of settings, including rural and urban, local, state, provincial, and federal governments, public-private partnerships, chambers of commerce, universities, and a variety of other institutions.

And whereas economic developers attract and retain high quality jobs, develop vibrant communities, and improve the quality of life in their regions.

And whereas the city's economic development housing department is the authorized economic development organization within the city of Clearwater, Florida.

Now, therefore, I, Bruce Rector, mayor of the City of Clearwater, Florida, on behalf of the Clearwater City Council, to hereby proclaim May 4th through the 8th, 2026, to be economic development week in Clearwater, and remind individuals of the importance of this community celebration with supports expanding career opportunities and making lives better.

And so I've had the pleasure to be out with the team several places this week and uh learning about some surprising success stories we've had here in Clearwater, and we're fortunate to have uh thriving uh business community here already and trying to grow that even more.

So you'd like to share with us a little bit more about the activities.

Yes, yes.

Well, thank you, Mr.

Mayor and City Council, uh, to our city manager and assistant city managers and other respective officials on the day is uh on behalf of the city's economic development and housing department, we are honored uh to receive this proclamation.

Economic development uh at its core is about business retention, recruitment, and expansion.

Um, and we see that evident in our businesses here, many different scales, uh, some starting from very humble beginnings.

Uh, and then not only the direct jobs and capital investment that they invest in our community to make us a thriving economy, uh, but the indirect jobs, whether they're looking to expand uh with construction, are all key to what economic development is truly about.

Uh we get the chance every day, which I have an amazing team here with Audra and Stephanie, uh, as well as our entire department is all alongside of our entire city team uh to make a difference in our community uh with our various business and industry stakeholders.

Uh we're very proud to have that opportunity to work with different entrepreneurs and educators, uh, community leaders, uh, all to diversify the economy and economic base of Clearwater.

Our work is about creating opportunity, uh supporting local businesses, attracting quality jobs and ensuring our residents can thrive right here in Clearwater.

Um, not just going to the beach, having a good time, which we all will do at the beach, but also being able to do business.

And we even have one of the business owners even you know, uh confirm that this week and talk about how they enjoy having the ability to work and also to enjoy the quality of life.

Uh so thank you for joining us this week as we visited these outstanding and award-winning businesses throughout our community uh that have chosen Clearwater as their home and contribute to growing our local economy each and every day.

Um alongside my colleagues here, uh, we are proud to serve this community, and I'm sure I can get that sentiment from all over the county for all the economic development practitioners in the state, in the region, and beyond uh that do this work every day, and it's very rewarding work.

Um we're proud to serve this community and grateful for the continued support of our mayor, our city council, our city manager, assistant city managers, and various other partners in our community.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

It's gonna be a good idea.

Okay, that's right.

They're stumbling, but exactly.

I'll hold them up, you and I'm like item 4.3 on the agenda, the May 2026 Building Safety Month Proclamation.

Let's call forward Lauren Maske, Kevin Garriott, and Rebecca Multer from our planning and development department.

Whereas our jurisdiction is committed to recognizing that our growth and strength depend on the safety and essential role of our homes, buildings and infrastructure, play in both everyday life and when disasters strike, and whereas our confidence and the resilience of these buildings that make up our community is achieved through the devotion of vigilant guardians, building safety and fire prevention officials, architects, engineers, builders, tradespeople, design professionals, laborers, plumbers, and others in the construction industry who work year-round to ensure the safe construction of buildings.

And whereas these guardians are dedicated members of the International Code Council, the ICC, a nonprofit that brings together local, state, territorial, tribal, and federal officials who are experts in the built environment to create and implement the highest quality codes and standards to protect us in the buildings where we live, learn, work, and play.

And whereas Built to Last, the theme of uh for building safety and uh building and safety month 2026 encourages all of us to get involved and raise awareness about building safety on a personal, local, and global scale.

Now, therefore, Ibaris Director, mayor of the city of Clearwater, Florida, on behalf of the Clearwater City Council, to hereby proclaim May 2026 to be Building Safety Month in Clearwater, and encourage our citizens to join us as we participate in Building Safety Month activities.

Appreciate the important work you do, and uh, would you like to say a few words?

Thank you all for the proclamation.

Good evening to everybody.

And um I would like to just say that it's nice that we have everybody thinks of the building codes in certain ways, good and bad.

And this brings out the point that for the most part, the building codes are all there for safety.

They're not there for aesthetics, they're not there for anything else, they're there for safety.

We don't really realize it when we walk into a building, but that green sign over there, that red box on the wall, all of that is part of the building code that is here protecting us if something goes wrong, even the strength of the building.

So it's nice to say we've got this month that's building safety, and that's what it is.

So the three of us are here, but there's a lot of people behind the scenes that you maybe don't see, especially as we do a lot of stuff online now.

So I'd like to take our hats off to all of them back in our office that do all the uh stuff that makes everything happen for you.

So thank you.

We're glad to be here.

Thank you.

That's a good reminder for all of us.

This is safety is the priority for all of us.

Thank you.

All right.

Thank you.

So thinking of safety, watching the step up.

Watch your step there.

Just trying to be safe.

Ryan's got it on that.

I missed it on the first one.

Reminded me quickly.

And the final lap of proclamations here.

This is our fourth and final one.

Uh 4.4, older Americans month proclamation, like to call for Anne Marie Winter.

Is anybody here tonight?

Anne Marie's here.

I don't see her, but I'll go ahead and read this and thank them for their participation.

Whereas Older Americans Month is celebrated each May to recognize the contributions of older adults and reaffirm our commitment to supporting their health, independence, and well-being.

And whereas the 2026 theme champion youth health emphasizes the importance of prevention, wellness, and empowering older adults to take an active role in managing their physical, mental, and social well-being.

And whereas the Airing Agency on Aging of Pasco Pinellas and its community partners provide essential services, including nutrition, health, and wellness programs, caregiver support, Medicare Counseling, and in-home services that help older adults remain safe, healthy, and independent.

And whereas these programs strengthen our community by promoting healthy aging, reducing isolation, and ensuring that older adults have access to the resources they need to thrive.

Now, therefore, I brief, mayor of the city of Clearwater, Florida, on behalf of Clearwater City Council to hereby proclaim May 2026 to be older Americans month and encourage all residents to recognize and support older adults in our community by promoting health, wellness, and independence for all.

We'll make sure that uh that the PASCOP Dallas Area Agency on Aging gets this important proclamation.

That will move to item five on the agenda.

Approve the minutes of the April 23, 2026 City Council meeting.

Is there a motion to approve the minutes?

Move to approve agenda item 5.1.

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed?

Unanimous.

Move to item six, the consent agenda.

Are there any items to be removed from the agenda?

No, sir.

This time entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda.

I move.

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Unanimous.

Move item 7.1.

Approve the annexation initial future land use map designation of residential urban RU and initial zoning atlas designation of medium density residential MDR.

District for 2448 Nursery Road to pass ordinances 9890-26, 9891-26, and 9892-26 on first reading.

Good evening.

Marcy's Dmarch landing development.63 acre site located on the north side of Nursery Road.

The parcel is currently occupied by a deep hatch dwelling.

The applicant is requesting annexations to receive Sanitary Sewer and Solid Waste Service from the city.

Ordinance of the City of Clearwater, Florida annexing certain real property located on the north side of Nursery Road, approximately 126 feet east of Rose Tree Court, whose post office address is 2448 Nursery Road, Clearwater, Florida, 33764, into the corporate limits of the city and redefining the boundary lines of the city to include set edition, providing an effective date.

Ordinance number 9891-26.

An ordinance of the City of Clearwater, Florida, amending the future land use element of the comprehensive plan of the city to designate the land use for certain real property located on the north side of Nursery Road, approximately 126 feet east of Rose Tree Court, whose post office address is 2448 Nursery Road, Clearwater, Florida, 33764.

Upon annexation to the City of Clearwater as residential urban RU providing an effective date.

Ordinance number 9892-26.

Ordinance of the City of Clearwater, Florida, emitting the zoning atlas of the city by zoning certain real property located on the north side of Nursery Road, approximately 126 feet east of Rose Tree Court, whose post office address is 2448 Nursery Road, Clearwater, Florida, 33764, upon annexation to the City of Clearwater as a medium density residential MDR, providing an effective date.

See more and hearing from the public and I desire to speak to this agenda item.

Hearing seeing nose or any council discussion.

No is there a motion.

Motion to approve agenda item 7.1.

Second.

All those in favor?

Opposed, unanimous.

Agenda item 7.2 approve the annexation initial future land use map designation of residential urban RU and initial zoning atlas designation at low medium density residential LMDR district for an unaddressed parcel at Sunset Point Road and pass ordinance 9893-26, 98, 94-26, and 9895-26 on first reading.

Good evening.

This is a voluntary annexation request for a.14 acre site located on the north side of Sunset Point Road.

The applicant is requesting annexations to receive services and combined parcels.

And staff has concluded that the annexation is consistent with the conference of plan, the community development code, and state statutes.

Thank you.

Got three of them.

Ordinance number 9893-26.

Ordinance of the City of Clearwater, Florida, annexing certain unaddressed real property located on the north side of Sunset Road, approximately 252 feet west of North McMullen Booth Road, in Clearwater, Florida, 33759, into the corporate limits of the city, and redefining the boundary lines of the city to include set edition, providing an effective date.

Ordinance number 9894-26.

Ordinance of the City of Clearwater, Florida, amending the future land use element of the comprehensive plan of the city to designate the land use for certain unaddressed real property located on the north side of Sunset Point Road, approximately 252 feet west of North McMullen Booth, in Clearwater, Florida, 33759.

Upon annexation to the city of Clearwater as residential urban RU providing an effective date.

Ordinance number 9895-26, and ordinance of the City of Clearwater, Florida, amending the zoning atlas of the city by zoning certain unaddressed real property located on the north side of Sunset Point Road, approximately 252 feet west of North McMullen Booth Road in Clearwater, Florida, 33759.

Upon annexation into the city of Clearwater as low medium density residential LMDR, providing an effective date.

Motion to approve agenda item 7.2.

Second.

Aye.

Opposed.

Unanimous.

Thank you.

This is a future land use map amendment request for a point four acre parcel located on the north side of nursery road.

The parcel is currently occupied by a teeth a detached dwelling that is used for an assisted living facility.

The applicant is requesting the future land use map amendment from the residential urban category.

To the residential medium category, the applicant would like to increase the bed count.

Staff has concluded that this annex that this petition actually is a future land use map amendment is consistent with the comprehensive plan, the community development code, and state statutes.

Thank you.

Clear reading.

Ordinance number 9864-26.

Ordinance of the City of Clearwater, Florida, amending the future land use element of the comprehensive plan of the city to change the land use designation for certain real property located on the north side of Nursery Road, approximately 186 feet east of Rose Tree Court, whose post office address is 2446 Nursery Road, Clearwater, Florida, 33764, from residential urban RU to residential medium RM, providing an effective date.

See more here from the public than I desire desires to speak to agenda item 7.3.

Hearing seeing none.

Is there any council discussion?

If there's none, is there a motion?

Move to approve agenda item 7.3.

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed, unanimous.

Agenda item 8.1.

It's a um second reading.

Ordinance number 9884-26.

An ordinance of the City of Clearwater, Florida, annexing certain real property located on the northeast corner of Douglas Avenue and Sunset Road, whose post office address is 1903 Douglas Avenue, Clearwater, Florida, 33755, together with certain rights away of Douglas Avenue and Sunset Point Road into the corporate limits of the city and redefining the boundary lines of the city to include set edition providing an effective date.

Is there anyone here from the public tonight that desire to speak to agenda item 8.1?

Okay.

Is there any council discussion?

If not, is there a motion?

Move to approve agenda item 8.1.

Second.

All is in favor.

Aye.

Opposed, unanimous.

Agenda item 8.2.

8.2 is another second reading.

Ordinance number 9885-26.

An ordinance of the city of Clearwater, Florida, amending the future land use element of the comprehensive plan of the city to designate the land use for certain real property located at the northeast corner of Douglas Avenue and Sunset Point Road, whose post office address is 1903 Douglas Avenue, Clearwater, Florida, 33755.

Upon annexation to the City of Clearwater as Commercial General CG providing an effective date.

Hearing saying none, is there any council discussion?

If notes there are a motion.

Motion to approve agenda item 8.2.

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed, unanimous.

Agenda item 8.3.

8.3 is another second reading.

Ordinance number 9886-26.

An ordinance of the City of Clearwater, Florida, amending the zoning atlas of the city by zoning certain real property located at the northeast corner of Douglas Avenue and Sunset Point Road, whose post office address is 1903 Douglas Avenue, Clearwater, Florida, 33755 on annexation to the City of Clearwater as commercial C providing an effective date.

Hearing saying none, is there a council discussion?

If not, is there a motion?

Motion to approve agenda item 8.3.

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Opposed, unanimous.

Agenda item 8.4.

It's another second reading.

Ordinance number 9888-26.

An ordinance of the city of Clearwater, Florida, vacating the city rate right-of-way alley, drainage and utility easements as more particularly described herein and recorded in the Bayview City Subdivision, Plat Book 9, page 43, and the abiding Bayview Terrace Subdivision, recording in Plaque Book 12, page 63 of the public records of Pinellas County, providing severance, providing an effective date.

Hearing saying none, is there any council discussion?

If not, is there a motion?

Move to approve agenda item 8.4.

Second.

Those in favor?

Opposed, unanimous.

Agenda item 8.5.

Second reading, ordinance number 9906-26.

And ordinance of the city of Clearwater, Florida, amending the code of ordinances, chapter 28, Article 1, amending section 28.04, trading and selling on streets, providing for inclusion in the code, providing for several ability, and providing for an effective date.

If not, is there any council discussion?

If not, is there a motion?

Move to approve agenda item 8.5.

Second.

All those in favor?

Opposed, unanimous.

Move to agenda item 9.

Um so uh this is our citizens to be heard on topics pertaining to city business that are not on tonight's agenda.

Comments would be limited to 30 minutes total or 10 individual speakers, whichever is greater.

Speaker shall give or receive additional time or minutes to or from another speaker of the audience.

Submit a completed comment card to the city of Clerk prior to speaking.

And um and your time will begin when you arrive at the podium.

So with that, who is our first speaker?

Mr.

Rackery.

Good evening, Mr.

Mayor, Council members, city staff.

My name is Patrick Rathbury.

I'm a resident of countryside area of Clearwater.

I have two things to speak about tonight.

First of all, as Vice President of the Clearwater Neighborhoods Coalition, I'm proud to announce that we are going to schedule a candidates form of the certified candidates to run for the two council seats on June the 1st from 6 p.m.

till 9 p.m.

at Trinity Church 2001 Rainbow Drive.

If there's any information you'd like to get on the detail of this event, please contact us at Clearwater Neighborhoods.org.

The main purpose of my talk tonight is a comment I'd like to make relative to Councilmember Menino's proposal that there be a meeting on the 28th of May to discuss various issues and projects that are underdeveloped by the Church of Scientology.

The United Land Institute advisory report issued 2014 indicated that Clearwater was internally divided with deep and enduring tensions.

I've kept that report with me all this time as I look forward to Clearwater development.

Absent true collaboration and a compelling overreach vision, the future of Clearwater will remain uncertain.

The city has moved forward with Coachman Park, Bay Care Sound, Ballot Hotel, and the new apartment tower.

They will include retail shops and amenities to attract downtown visitors and residents residing in the downtown.

The Cleveland Alliance and the Evo Family Entertainment Center are also moving forward.

The latter just announced recently, and I checked into that as a result of a comment that Councilmember Cotton made at a work session on April 20th.

I visited the Good Life presentation with an open mind to see what was being envisioned.

I was thoroughly impressed.

I was not recruited.

I did not undergo any transformation as a result of being in that building at the lower level of the Water Edge condominiums.

I have encouraged the Cleveland Alliance and Evo Entertainment to present to council their vision and their plans.

The element that is missing is the courage to collaborate where it is justified for a greater end, the maximum development of downtown Clearwater.

Thank you very much for your time.

Thank you.

Our next speaker.

Don, I'm gonna forgive me for the last name, Tenner.

No.

Okay.

Um, Jill Gibbs.

Hi, Council.

We're two weeks away from thousands of Clearwater citizens, finding out if our council stands with us or against us.

Earlier this week, one of our county commissioners, Chris Lotvela, used his closing comment time to say that after hearing a room full of citizens who came to share their hopes and concerns for the future of downtown Clearwater and the county buildings that will be made available.

He recognizes the pain that his constituents are in.

And that as he continues to explore the future project that's coming, he would advocate in favor of what the citizens made loud and clear was their desire.

Imagine that.

A local elected representative who sought out the will of the people and now plans to actually represent what they want.

Contrast that with one of our elected officials on this dais who reposted a hit piece against our citizen initiative, thanking the author for quote nailing it.

Several people reached out to me the day that Commissioner Latvala acknowledged the greeting citizens, remarking how healing it was to hear an elected official advocating for us and not against us.

Did you know that in Miami Beach, the mayor and their city council, after receiving a couple hundred emails from citizens requesting, get this voter approval required for the vacation of public right-of-way in Miami Beach?

They listened to the people.

They put the issue on the ballot without one single signature on a petition.

They did what they were elected to do.

They gave the people a voice and they let their city decide.

And so I'm asking tonight, what's your number?

A room full of people didn't move some of you last April.

Hundreds of emails have come your way insisting that you put this initiative on the ballot.

And now you have almost 9,000 signatures before you.

Next speaker.

Kelly Meyer.

Good evening.

I just wanted to take the time to thank you for all that you do for our city.

I know it's not an easy job.

But I felt it important to come before you because for the last year I've dedicated my life to talking to citizens across our city.

And it really seems like the majority of the council is acting like we don't even exist.

They've gone declined.

And then watching the predominant organization in our city boldly request not just Garden Avenue recently, but two more public streets, an alleyway and a city parcel, was quite disappointing that I had to learn about it when I came to a public citizen meeting, and not one of you thought to reach out to our citizen committee that has been working tirelessly for thousands of people in our city.

Um these requests for our streets.

So with a little bit of homework, I thought I would show you.

He belongs to the OSA organization.

That's the organization that surveils the public from their public buildings here downtown, who has followed me and my vehicle as I've tried to speak out in our public about our citizen desire for a say and what happens to our city streets.

The application is over 200 pages for the two streets, the alleyway and the city parcel that you'll be discussing later this month.

And I found found this claim very bold in that application, stating accordingly, the proposed family entertainment center is a confirmed and fully developed project, contingent upon approval of the requested roadway vacations and parcel conveyance.

Please don't let an institution strong arm you into taking our public property.

Thank you, Kelly.

Next speaker, please.

Okay.

That's all I have, sir.

Okay.

All right.

It concludes our citizens to be heard on items not on tonight's agenda.

So we'll move to item 10, city management reports.

Nothing, sir.

And then item 11, city attorney reports.

Nothing, sir.

Item 12, closing comments by council members.

Councilman Martin Tata.

Not at this time.

Councilman Walmart?

No, thank you.

Thank you.

Councilman.

Um sure.

I'll take the opportunity.

Um just wanted to um identify a couple celebrations uh this week.

First one uh Monday was International Firefighters' Day.

I know all of us uh greatly respect and appreciate our men and women and our our firefighters, not just in Clearwater, but in our entire community.

Uh so thank you for your service and sacrifice.

Additionally, uh yesterday started National Nurses Week.

Uh yesterday was National Nurses Day.

This whole week is National Nurses Week.

Our daughter, Susanna, my daughter is uh a nurse at Moffat Cancer Center.

So we appreciate her and all the nurses out there in the community that um show up to rooms on some of the people's darkest days and bring hope, love, and compassion.

Uh so thank you to all the the nurses in our communities.

Uh in this Sunday, obviously is a very important day that none of the women in our lives would let us forget as Mother's Day.

Um so to all our our mothers, grandmothers, and caregivers in the community.

Thank you for your love, your strength, and your guidance uh in our neighborhoods and in our communities every single day, not just on Sunday.

So that is it, but thank you, Mayor.

Iceman.

Yes, sir.

Thank you very much.

Um Councilmember Manino beat me to it, but going second to last, it's gonna happen.

I'd like to wish all the mothers um out there within our community and uh around the nation a happy Mother's Day.

Know that you're loved, cherished, and admired.

Um, and we're all grateful for for each and every one of you.

Um the last thing that I'll end on is uh I'm excited for Country Thunder to start tomorrow.

So um hopefully everybody can come on down to Coachman Park, enjoy Country Thunder, and and hopefully it'll be a great weekend.

So with that, I hope everyone has a great rest of their weeks until next time.

Closing comments by um Mayor.

Uh I do hope we have a good great weekend of country music here in Coachman Park.

Uh exciting time and a different kind of event than we've ever held in in downtown Clearwater.

But uh excited about the energy, you know, just one more uh exciting event happening in downtown Clearwater and the momentum we're feeling with downtown Clearwater and all these great things happening.

People talking about the cranes, you know, not the bird kind of trains, but the construction cranes and just everything going on.

We really are got a lot of momentum going.

And then I'd be uh don't want to be left out on the Mother's Day, but we wish everyone a happy Mother's Day.

And I went to an event today um for uh folks who help with the foster care um system.

Uh today it was particularly those folks who uh help those who are um leaving the foster care program or the hardest point points of uh the process for uh ruin over for a foster care child is the point when they turn 18 and they have to go out on their own.

And uh so this organization I attended luncheon for today helps prepare them for that because it can be a very scary world for someone who's been in different homes throughout their life and uh and to be go out and have to survive on the room and appreciate not just the organization I attended today, but everyone in this community helps foster care kids.

And I say that because I know through my own personal experience, my mother passed away uh when she was 45 years old.

So my uh both my grandmothers were uh as much of a mother to me as my mother was.

And uh I know a number of folks in this community uh who are grandparents or raising their grandchildren because they're their uh natural parents are able to do so.

So uh Mother's Day has always had a broader meeting to me.

It's all those folks who uh love a child as if they were that child's mother, even though they're not their natural uh uh mother.

So we wish everyone a happy Mother's Day, uh a great weekend, a great couple weeks until we meet again.

And with that, I will conclude the May 7th, 2026 meeting at this Clearwater City Council.