Dunedin City Commission Regular Meeting – January 8, 2026

The Dunedin City Commission met in regular session on Thursday, January 8, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at Dunedin City Hall, 737 Louden Ave. Mayor Maureen “Moe” Freaney, Vice Mayor Robert Walker, and Commissioners Jeff Gow, Tom Dugard, and Steven Sandbergen were present. The meeting included community recognitions, consent approvals, a sustainability ordinance first reading, adoption of commission rules, award of the marina fishing pier replacement contract, a design review hearing for a 21-unit vacation home project, and approval of the next meeting agenda. A short break was taken from 7:29 to 7:38 p.m., and the meeting adjourned at 9:26 p.m.

Presentations & Recognitions

• Eric MacNeill, president of the Dunedin Scottish Arts Foundation, reported on the 57th Highland Games & Festival held April 5, 2025, and the Dunedin Celtic Music Festival held November 22, 2025. The Foundation donated $5,500 to each of the middle school, high school, and City of Dunedin Pipe Band programs, with additional donations to New World Celts, the high school Navy JROTC, and Dunedin Fine Arts Center scholarship programs. About one-third of Celtic Music Festival attendees traveled from more than 20 miles away. The 2026 Highland Games will be held April 11, with a downtown kickoff April 10; the Foundation is investing just over $100,000 in marketing. Mark Brandmire was nominated Honorary Chieftain of the Day, and the Grade 2 Pipe Band plans to return to Glasgow after a second-place finish.
• Commissioner Gow read the Dunedin Celebrates Diversity 2026 proclamation. Recreation Coordinator Emily Hoban announced the Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast and March on January 17, 2026, with keynote speaker Christina Garcia, entertainment, student essay readings, and canned food donations for Dunedin Cares. Regina Lawrence of Shiloh Baptist Church accepted the proclamation and thanked the City.
• Special Projects Coordinator Trevor Davis presented the 2025 Operation Twinkle awards. Winners included: Business Category tie – The Root Agency and Driptide Wellness; Youth – Dunedin Little League; Church tie – Dunedin Assembly of God and First United Methodist Church; Restaurant – Pisces Sushi and Global Bistro; Civic Organization – Windlasses; Holiday Spirit – Chamber of Commerce; and Overall Winner – Windlasses. There were 39 participants. Commissioner Gow invited nonprofits and businesses to sponsor undecorated lampposts.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes of the November 20, 2025, regular meeting were approved.
• Board and committee appointments were approved: Christopher Anuszkiewicz was reappointed to an Architectural Review Committee alternate term ending 12/31/2028; Alexandra Davidson was moved from alternate to a partial regular term on the Board of Finance ending 10/1/2026; Sharon Herman was appointed to a partial alternate term ending 10/1/2027.
• Item 2.c was pulled from the consent agenda for separate consideration and then approved unanimously: a piggyback agreement with Rowland (DE) LLC for the rehabilitation of 24 sanitary sewer manholes in the amount of $79,880. Staff explained many manholes are older brick structures near the water, and work focuses on preventing inflow and infiltration after last year’s hurricanes.
• Item 2.d was approved unanimously: a sole source purchase order to Hydro-Dyne Engineering, Inc. for refurbishment of the Wastewater Treatment Facility coarse and fine bar screens in the amount of $144,079.71.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Jim Cowger of 2092 Valley Drive said his situation had not improved and asked about the grant for Cedar Creek debris removal. Utilities & Engineering Director Clayton Watkins responded that the total grant award was $4.2 million, work had started in Curlew Creek at the Golf Course and was working upstream, about another month remained, and the work included gabion repair. Contractors would leave door hangers advising residents when work would reach their neighborhood.
• Linda Massoud, representing First United Methodist Church and Faith in Action for Strength Together, expressed strong support for the Sustainability Matrix update and commended the City for taking a leadership role in Pinellas County. She said the two-path approach should be resolved once state legislation is clarified and urged moving to a single scorecard as soon as possible.
• Mary Schoonover of 35 Edgewater Drive expressed support for the sustainability ordinance and praised the internal and external input process, adding that residents should stand up for home rule.
• Thomas Michaels of 1370 Pinehurst Road objected to the proposed Azul Ave Vacation Homes project. He said the 21-unit project was shoehorned into one acre and would transform a quiet neighborhood, create short-term rental traffic, provide insufficient parking, place buildings and garbage too close to the road, and create line-of-sight and tree-safety concerns for his neighboring law office. He asked for the fence or wall to be reduced.

Discussion Items

• Ordinance 25-11 – Sustainability Matrix and Sustainable Development Scorecard: Sustainability Program Manager Natalie Gass presented the first reading. The ordinance keeps the existing Sustainability Matrix and adds an alternative Sustainable Development Scorecard because Senate Bill 180 prevents a single more-restrictive consolidated matrix. The new scorecard adds 20 new strategies, has a higher point range and minimum, and includes an exemption for projects certified by third-party programs such as LEED, Green Globes, FGBC, Fitwel, or similar agencies. The update was reviewed internally and externally by the Committee on Environmental Quality and Sustainability, Faith and Action for Strength Together, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, and local developers. Developer feedback cited the 500-point minimum as achievable, with one current project scoring over 800 points. Future programs discussed include certification levels and a maintenance education program. The requirement applies to developments at the Design Review level, including residential projects of five or more units and commercial projects of 6,000 square feet or larger. The motion by Vice Mayor Walker, seconded by Commissioner Dugard, passed unanimously. Second reading is scheduled for February 5, 2026.
• Resolution 26-01 – Rules of Procedure: City Clerk Michelle Wells explained revisions from the December 4, 2025, meeting, including the Vice Mayor serving in the Mayor’s absence for the Community Redevelopment Agency, the Vice Mayor’s signature authority in the Mayor’s absence, the Vice Mayor nomination process, and workshop items being added when there are no objections. The City Attorney clarified that under the Charter, a special meeting may be called by the Mayor, City Manager, or any two City Commission members, but for the CRA the Mayor must be considered an elected official rather than the chair. Commissioner Dugard asked about Sunshine Law concerns; staff clarified two commissioners could initiate a call only during a Commission meeting. The motion by Commissioner Sandbergen, seconded by Vice Mayor Walker, passed unanimously.
• Bid #25-2540 – Marina Fishing Pier Replacement: Staff recommended award to On-Point Contracting Company, LLC, of Spring Hill, Florida, in the amount of $1,742,991.46. This amount was one cent more than the posted/noticed amount of $1,742,991.45, which staff identified as a scrivener’s error. Eleven bids were received by December 16, 2025, ranging from $945,261.58 to $3,561,607.25. The lowest bidder was found non-responsive, so the award went to the next lowest responsible bidder. Demolition is expected to start in early March 2026 with 60 days to complete, followed by a 120-day construction phase, with a goal of completing before the December 1 boat parade. The Army Corps permit is still pending, and most funding is expected to be FEMA-reimbursable. A $1.5 million state grant was awarded for the pier. The motion by Vice Mayor Walker, seconded by Commissioner Gow, passed unanimously.
• DR-2025-0004 – Azul Ave Vacation Homes: This was the first hearing for Design Review approval of a proposed two-story, 21-unit vacation home project at 1380 Pinehurst Road. Staff Planner Frances Leong Sharp presented the 1.02-acre site with Retail & Services land use and FX-M zoning. The zoning permits vacation rentals as a commercial non-residential use. The project includes 21 units on a site with a 24-dwelling-unit-per-acre maximum, two stories at 27 feet, and compliance with design standards. The Traffic Impact Analysis estimated 110 new daily trips and 14 new PM peak-hour trips; the AM peak was estimated at 15 trips. The project was reviewed by the Architectural Review Committee multiple times, with units reduced to preserve a 47-inch Grand Live Oak, and was recommended for approval by the Local Planning Agency. The estimated parkland impact fee was $103,357 before credits. Applicant representatives Jonathan Poole and Walter Penachio presented the design, amenities, stormwater vault, EV charging, bicycle racks, and planned tree plantings. Walter Penachio stated the property management company, Beaches USA, manages 200-plus vacation rentals and provides 24/7 accountability. He estimated Dunedin property taxes of about $93,560 based on a $5.4 million valuation. Discussion addressed minimum stays, security cameras, parking, the two-foot front setback, future sale of units, and the possibility of condominium ownership. Staff and the City Attorney confirmed that changing any unit to residential use would require the owner to return through the Design Review process. Commissioner Gow expressed strong reservations, calling it a good project in the wrong location, but voted yes because it met the review criteria. Other commissioners expressed support. The motion by Commissioner Sandbergen, seconded by Commissioner Dugard, passed unanimously. Second reading is February 5, 2026.
• Proposed January 22, 2026, Commission Meeting Agenda: The Commission approved the revised agenda, including title changes for Action Item 3.b, the Fiscal Year 2026 Vehicle Replacement Plan covering 23 assets for a total expenditure of $1,788,225.53, and Action Item 3.d, awarding a multi-year continuing services contract for Bid #25-2542, Stormwater and Sanitary Sewer Cured-in-Place-Pipe Lining, to Vortex Services, LLC of Riverview, Florida.
• Commission Discussion: Vice Mayor Walker reported on Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority state and federal lobbyist discussions, including possible changes to FEMA reimbursement. City Manager Jennifer Bramley noted the current split is 75% FEMA, 12.5% state, and 12.5% municipality, and staff would research the issue. Commissioner Dugard praised staff’s presentation on the property tax issue and suggested monthly updates. Commissioner Sandbergen reported on a Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council meeting. Mayor Freaney requested follow-up on a Regional Resiliency Action Plan resolution.

Key Outcomes

• The consent calendar was approved unanimously, with Item 2.c pulled and then approved separately.
• Ordinance 25-11 passed on first reading unanimously; second reading is scheduled for February 5, 2026.
• Resolution 26-01 was adopted unanimously.
• Bid #25-2540 was awarded to On-Point Contracting Company, LLC for $1,742,991.46 unanimously.
• DR-2025-0004, Azul Ave Vacation Homes, was approved unanimously with conditions; second reading is scheduled for February 5, 2026.
• The revised proposed agenda for the January 22, 2026, Commission meeting was approved unanimously.