Dunedin City Commission Regular Meeting Summary – March 5, 2026
Dunedin City Commission Regular Meeting – March 5, 2026
The Dunedin City Commission met on March 5, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at Dunedin City Hall, 737 Louden Ave. Mayor Maureen "Moe" Freaney presided; Vice Mayor Robert Walker and Commissioners Jeff Gow, Tom Dugard, and Steven Sandbergen were present, along with City Manager Jennifer Bramley, department heads, and about thirty-eight people in the audience. The meeting adjourned at 7:56 p.m.
Presentations
- City Commission accepted a letter from Lady Margaret, Chief of the Clan Elliot, authorizing the City of Dunedin to use the Elliot Tartan. Jim Dougherty (President, Clan Elliot Society, USA) and Ron Shea presented the letter; Mayor Freaney accepted with thanks, noting the importance of Dunedin's Scottish heritage.
- Recognition of Adam Granot for attaining Eagle Scout rank was postponed because he was ill; it will be rescheduled.
- Vice Mayor Walker read a proclamation designating March 7, 2026 as Dunedin Youth Guild Scholarship Day. Linda Ault, Youth Guild President, accepted and reported 14 scholarship applicants for four-year scholarships and the 54th annual Scholarship Luncheon and Fashion Show.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the January 22, 2026 Regular Meeting minutes.
- Approved board appointments: reappointment of Kevin Naylor to the Firefighters' Pension Trust Fund Board of Trustees (term ending 3/1/2028), and appointment of Cleveland Laycock and Craig Polito to the Marina Advisory Committee (partial terms ending 6/1/2027).
- Awarded replacement of library carpet tiles to Shaw Industries, Inc. of Atlanta, GA for $181,764.73 via Sourcewell Cooperative Contract #061323-SII.
- Approved the 2026 St. Patrick's Day Celebration Revocable License Agreement with Flanagan's Irish Pub, after Commissioner Sandbergen pulled it from the consent agenda to thank event promoter Jason Seibert. Both consent motions passed unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Jim Cowger thanked the Commission and City Manager for cleaning a drainage ditch behind his home, with 12–13 truckloads of debris removed.
- Kenneth Koenig asked about tennis court lights and volunteered for the Hammock Advisory Committee if it is retained.
- City Manager Jennifer Bramley addressed a large group on the proposed consolidation of boards and committees. She said the Commission has not approved any consolidation, no action was taken at the February 3 workshop, only 26 boards/committees would become 21, no seated member would lose their seat, and staff will seek committee input before any resolution is drafted.
- Matt Horvath opposed the merger of the Hammock Advisory Committee, saying the committee cannot achieve a quorum because recruitment was halted. He cited a petition with 190 signatures, 65 volunteers, and 6 vacant seats, and requested that staff halt the merger, accept volunteers, clarify the committee's future, and add measurable success metrics with a rollback provision.
- Stephen Cottrell, a former Florida city manager and lifelong Dunedin resident, expressed openness to consolidating conservation-area advisory efforts, citing the upcoming Gladys Douglas Preserve and strong community support for green spaces.
- Jefferson Cox read a letter from Carrie O'Brien, President of Friends of the Hammock, stating the organization supports the interim plan to appoint members during the review process and supports eventual consolidation only if Hammock Park's needs are not diluted; the group requested success indicators for both the interim period and the merged board.
- Mallorie Kasunich raised concerns about the Hammock as a watershed and worried that reduced advisory oversight could harm downstream homeowners.
- During the Main Street Exchange public hearing, Linda Massoud (First United Methodist Church) expressed strong support, saying the church welcomes the development and the expected increase in people and activity. David Ufer (Sandpiper Cafe) approved the project while noting construction concerns. Vanessa Quintas, a downtown resident and Chamber member, said the Chamber is seeing positive response and new members. Alan Brand, speaking for the Sierra Club, expressed disappointment that signature projects, including Main Street Exchange, do not include solar power and offered free technical help; he noted the city's goal of cleaning up the whole city by 2050. John Ghidiu supported the project, asked whether the 966 Douglas site was part of it, and recommended about 50 bicycle racks. Cleveland Laycock voiced concern about the Douglas/Monroe intersection and suggested diagonal crosswalk or traffic-calming measures.
Discussion Items
- Main Street Exchange (DR-2025-0002): Staff presented the second hearing for a three- and four-story mixed-use building at 830 Douglas Avenue on a 1.78-acre parcel, including an 89-room boutique hotel, marketplace, theater, food hall, restaurants, social establishments, retail, and a parking garage. Staff found the application consistent with review criteria and recommended approval subject to conditions. The applicant, Brian Aungst, and developer Bill Mazas answered follow-up questions on valet operations, walkway widths, step-backs, the fourth-story height request on the Street Type C portion, parking (222 spaces required; 133 on-site plus spaces from a companion garage at 966 Douglas), the Douglas Avenue median, soil testing, interior loading, rooftop noise management, the traffic signal box, and the 12-month design review expiration. The Local Planning Agency unanimously recommended approval on January 14, 2026, and the first Commission hearing was held February 19, 2026. After public testimony closed, the Commission unanimously approved the design review (5-0), with several members praising the developer's community engagement and long-term commitment.
- RFP #25-2535 (Loan-Grant Administration and Compliance Services): Staff requested postponement; the Commission unanimously moved the item to the March 19, 2026 meeting.
- Proposed March 19, 2026 agenda: Approved unanimously after adding RFP #25-2535.
Key Outcomes
- Accepted official Clan Elliot authorization for use of the Elliot Tartan.
- Proclaimed March 7, 2026 as Dunedin Youth Guild Scholarship Day.
- Approved all consent items, including the Flanagan's Irish Pub St. Patrick's Day license.
- Approved Main Street Exchange Design Review on second hearing, 5-0, with conditions including the 12-month permit deadline.
- Postponed RFP #25-2535 to March 19, 2026.
- Approved the revised March 19, 2026 Commission meeting agenda.
- City Clerk Michelle Wells welcomed Heather Drake as Deputy City Clerk.
- City Manager Jennifer Bramley announced the State of the City on March 12, 2026, with doors opening at 6:00 p.m. and the presentation at 7:00 p.m.
- Commissioners also shared updates on Dunedin Cares, the Dunedin History Museum's 50 Years of Blue Jays exhibit, and the Clearwater for Youth breakfast.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone. Uh welcome to the March 5th, 2026 City Commission meeting. I'd like to call the meeting to order, and we'll start with the invocation and pledge of allegiance from our city attorney Jen. Let us begin this meeting by taking a brief moment of silence and reflection to turn our thoughts to Kate and Emily and the rest of the family of Chris Hogan. Amen. And for which one nation, I'm going to die. Liberty Squad. Okay, for those of you who may not be aware, Chris Hoban is a longtime employee who just passed away after a long battle with cancer, but he uh served our city and our recreation department for many, many years, mentored a lot of our kids, and then their kids' kids. Um, but uh so big loss for the city overall, not just the staff, but the community. So important to recognize him. Okay, we're gonna go to presentations. There is a reason we all have our kilts on tonight. And uh so I will turn it over to our Scottish liaison, uh Commissioner Gao. Thank you, Mayor, very much. And I would ask if uh did Ron make it. Ron is Ron, fantastic. I like it. Uh Ron and Jim, could you all step forward, please? Yeah. Uh and um I'll try and make it a short story, but it is a story worth telling. Uh decades ago, 1983, the City of Dunedin adopted the Elliott Tartan as the official tartan of the City of Dunedin. And uh henceforward when uh you can see that Elliott Tartan displayed in our city seal. You can see the Elliott Tartan uh displayed throughout our community center. The interior design is based on the colors of the Tartan, and even one of the rooms in the community center was the Elliott Tartan. We are very proud. And I have been on a push uh since I've been on the commission to get the entire commission in kilts in in the Elliott Tartan. And uh very excited just before last year, uh, we decided that we would do that. And so during the Highland Games, I was walking by Klan Elliott, that they were there at our games, and I was excited to share with them that hey, we had adopted the Tartan and uh we got permission, and and they were very quick to tell me and put me in my place, you did not get permission from Clan Elliott to wear the Tartan. Uh they gave permission to our City of Dunedin pipe band who wore that tartan at the time. They did not give that permission to the city of Dunedin. And uh so uh we wanted to rectify that and apologize and and try and see what we could do. Uh so I met with uh Lady Margaret Elliott, who is head of the clans, her title. Um, and uh got their permission, and actually that's what tonight is all about. We have a letter that they're gonna present to us uh from Lady Margaret giving us official permission to wear their tartan. But gentlemen, thank you, thank you for coming here tonight. The stage is yours. Just make sure the button is on and the microphone works. Um members of the council and citizens are just incredibly thrilled to be able to reach this point in our discussions over the course of the last number of months with Jeff to come to this point. Um I serve as president of the Klein Elliott Society USA. Uh, and I want to more than anything bring you greetings from Chief Margaret herself to say hello and how proud she is of the association that uh the City of Dunedin uh and uh Clan Elliott have enjoyed up to this point and will enjoy for much longer, I do believe, uh especially as we have the opportunity to share this evening uh in the presentation of this letter. So uh with further ado without further ado, I'm going to turn this over to Ron Shea, my uh sidekick and co-commissioner for the state of Florida, who will read the contents of the letter and then we'll be happy to present it to whomever would wish to receive it on behalf of the council. So Ron. Mary, you receive to the Council of the City of Dunedin, Florida. I, Margaret Elliott, 29th Chief of Klan Elliott, have the greatest pleasure in granting the City of Dunedin in the state of Florida permission for the continued use of the Tartan of the Elliots on all its appropriate specific occasions. I'm very proud that you have chosen the Elliott Tartan to enhance your events. In return, I would request that you send us photographs of these occasions. Margaret Elliott of Redview, 29th Chief of Clan Elliott. I'm going to come down. Yes. And then we'll get closer to celebrate the standup as well.
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