Clearwater City Council Meeting Summary – August 31, 2026

The Clearwater City Council met at 6:00 PM on Monday, August 31, 2026, in the Main Library Council Chambers, 100 N. Osceola Avenue, Clearwater, Florida. The meeting opened with an invocation, Pledge of Allegiance, presentations, and a series of public hearings. All votes taken during the meeting were unanimous.

Proclamations and Presentations

• Forward Pinellas Update: Nousheen Rahman, principal planner, presented an update. Forward Pinellas is the merged Pinellas Planning Council and Metropolitan Planning Organization. Its local government grant program has operated for 11 years and awarded over $13 million. Planning grants up to $150,000 and capital/construction grants up to $3 million are available; the application deadline is October 30, 2026, with awards in early 2027. She also discussed a proposed regional merger of the Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Pasco MPOs, with a draft 25-member board: 8 for Pinellas, 10 for Hillsborough, 5 for Pasco, plus one each for Tampa International Airport and Port Tampa Bay. A board decision is expected on September 9.
• Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month: The Council proclaimed September 2026 as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Kerry Kriseman of the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance accepted. The proclamation cited ovarian cancer as the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths in women, a lifetime risk of 1 in 78, an estimated 21,010 new U.S. cases and 12,450 deaths in 2026, including 1,850 cases and 850 deaths in Florida, and a 50% five-year survival rate. Mayor Rector noted his mother died 40 years ago from ovarian cancer.
• 988 Day: The Council proclaimed September 8, 2026 as 988 Day. Sean Schrader and Micki Thompson of First Contact accepted. Council also highlighted Officer Andrew Bills, selected as Officer of the Year for rescuing an autistic young woman from rocks and a woman attempting to jump from the Memorial Causeway Bridge.
• Florida Redevelopment Week: The Council proclaimed September 14–18, 2026 as Florida Redevelopment Week, recognizing the CRA's work in downtown Clearwater and North Greenwood. CRA Executive Director Jesus Nino accepted.

Administrative Public Hearings / Routine Approvals

• Approved minutes of the August 20, 2026 council meeting.
• SHIP LHAAP First Amendment: Approved the first amendment to the State Housing Initiatives Partnership Local Housing Assistance Plan covering FY 2024-2027. Housing Manager Dylan Mayo said Senate Bill 594 requires manufactured-housing strategies; the amendment adds relocation assistance for people displaced by mobile home park closures and lot rent assistance for eligible mobile homeowners, and reflects repeal of the 20% cap on SHIP funds for manufactured housing.
• IT Purchases: Authorized purchase orders for computer parts, maintenance, servers, and network equipment, cumulative not-to-exceed $3,500,000 for October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
• Zayo Internet Services: Approved a purchase order for dedicated internet access services for the city's wide-area network, not-to-exceed $142,800 for 36 months (September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2029). Zayo (formerly Crown Castle) will serve the Emergency Operations Center.
• TriTech Software Renewal: Approved renewal of TriTech Software support and maintenance for $258,591.41 for October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
• TriTech Ratification: Ratified a specified scope of work with TriTech for $107,445. Chief Gandhi explained that a countywide CAD consortium failed when the vendor could not deliver, and the city must urgently upgrade to meet Microsoft encryption changes. An IT official described the vulnerable RC4 protocol used across 17 servers.
• East WRF Contract: Awarded a construction contract to SGS Contracting Services, Inc. for $1,632,070 for the East WRF Filter Feed Pump Station and Force Main Improvements under Invitation to Bid No. 17-0048-UT. The ITB drew six responsive bids; SGS submitted the lowest responsive bid and will complete the work within 365 calendar days.
• Concession Agreement: Approved a five-year agreement (March 1, 2027 through February 29, 2032, with three additional five-year renewal options) with Alexandria of Clearwater, Inc., not Fields, Inc. as listed in the agenda. Parks and Recreation Director Mark Cater corrected the agenda error. The agreement guarantees $240,000 annual base rent, plus percentage rent above $1.5 million gross and 50% of beach rental gross; those two components average about $2.7 million per year. It also includes $100,000 annual capital investment, $5,000 for lifeguard operations, and the operator maintains four public restrooms and empties trash cans at Pier 60 Park. Katie Cole, attorney for Steve and Lisa Chandler and their entities, supported the partnership. Councilmembers praised the Chandlers' record on Clearwater Beach.
• Legal Services Agreement: Approved an agreement with Dayes Law Firm to represent former employee Langston Woodie in Logan S. Kinner v. City of Clearwater, Case No. 8:26-cv-01080. The City Attorney noted a conflict because Woodie has an employment claim against the city.

Second Reading Public Hearing

• Stevenson Creek Manatee Protection Zone: Adopted Ordinance 9931-26 on second reading, amending Chapter 33 to add Section 33.122 and establishing a slow-speed, minimum-wake manatee protection zone in Stevenson Creek. Public speakers expressed support, including Mike Foley (Stevenson Creek Advocacy Group), a Sierra Club volunteer, and area residents. One speaker supported the measure but expressed frustration about earlier dock approvals. Councilmember Manino credited staff and community support. The motion passed unanimously.

Public Comments (Citizens to Be Heard)

• Christopher Cohen spoke on non-agenda topics: he urged the city to make its fleet maintenance center an authorized General Motors warranty repair facility, citing potential savings of $250,000 to $1 million over five years and reduced vehicle downtime; noted that FDOT had directed removal of Flock cameras from state roads and urged proactive transparency about surveillance technology; and advocated locating a sports complex at the Chi Chi Rodriguez site rather than the Landings property, identifying himself as a Chi Chi Youth Foundation program alumnus.

City Manager Report and Other Council Action

• City Manager Jennifer Poirier recognized Officer Andrew Bills for receiving Officer of the Year at a Chiefs of Police Foundation gala, and thanked Assistant City Manager Dan Slaughter.
• Opioid Abatement Update: Councilmember Teixeira reported on the Opioid Abatement Funding Advisory Board, citing Florida Medical Examiners 2025 interim data showing a 19% decrease in total drug-related deaths, a 32.5% decrease in opioid-related deaths, and a 42% decrease in opioid-caused deaths, while fentanyl remains a concern. She said Pinellas County paused before allocating its $30 million to ensure priorities are correct.

Key Outcomes

• All motions passed unanimously.
• Ordinance 9931-26 was adopted.
• The concession agreement was approved with Alexandria of Clearwater, Inc., correcting the agenda's Fields, Inc. reference.
• Upcoming dates: Forward Pinellas board decisions on September 9, 2026, and the grant application deadline of October 30, 2026.