OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Dunedin City Commission Workshop - March 31, 2026

City Commission & Boards — Tuesday, March 31, 2026
BodyDunedin, Florida
SessionCity Commission & Boards
DateTuesday, March 31, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:46:20

Transcript — Verbatim
1:40

Pledge of allegiance by Jen or City Attorney.

1:47

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America which is chance one nation under God.

2:04

Okay, we have a presentation today, Arbor Day Proclamation.

2:08

I'm going to turn that over to Commissioner Sandbergen.

2:21

Good morning to all three of you.

2:27

Whereas in 1872, the Nebraska Board of Agriculture established a special day to be set aside for the planting of trees.

2:34

And whereas this holiday called Arbor Day was first observed with the planting of more than a million trees in Nebraska.

2:40

And whereas Arbor Day is now observed throughout the nation and the world, and whereas trees can be a solution to combating climate change by reducing the erosion of precious topsoil by wind and water, cutting heating and cooling costs, moderating the temperature, cleaning the air, producing life-giving oxygen, and providing habitat for wildlife.

3:28

Now I therefore, Steve Sambergen, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the mayor of the city of Dunedin, and on behalf of the entire city commission, hereby proclaim the observance of Saturday, April 18th, 2026, as Arbor Day in the city of Dunedin, and urge all citizens to support efforts to protect our trees and woodlands and plant trees to gladden the heart and promote the well-being of this and future generations.

5:00

Uh went with the same trees, you know, basically we ordered the year before, and then last year, pretty similar, and what we found um was we actually had a hard time giving away some of the trees.

5:10

You know, after the hurricanes and stuff, people were sort of gun shy, and um I guess understandably so they weren't in a big hurry to want to plant some big shade trees and stuff.

5:18

So we were you you might recall we were you know, it's like you can't give these things away type of thing.

5:23

So we um still encourage it.

5:26

We still got a lot of the same trees we got last year, but we added uh our we wanted to make a big push this year to get some different stuff out there, you know, try to figure out what the the people want and what we really want to see more throughout the city.

5:39

So as always, a big emphasis on Florida natives.

5:43

Um we added seven new species in addition to the ten that we had last year.

5:47

So we're gonna have a lot more diversity of of the trees going out.

5:51

Um all the ones we added are Florida native.

5:54

Um all are a minimum of of moderate salt and uh drought tolerant.

6:00

In fact, most of them are high.

6:03

Uh drought and salt tolerance.

6:05

So we're gonna really promote that.

6:07

Um typically more sort of ornamental trees that can grow into shade trees, you know, 20, you know, 15 to 30 feet overall height on some of those, so they're less I don't know, daunting for for folks to want to plant.

6:19

So I think we just um and still we're gonna encourage oaks and pines and all the things we have in the past as well, but we need to uh we just want to get more canopy out there.

6:28

We want folks to be excited about what they're planning, what they're picking up.

6:31

And uh we're really excited about the you know, Joe and I and and Tony and uh Pete Wells, you know, we got together and talked a lot about some of the trees that we've seen over the course of our you know time in this industry, what does well in this area and uh we're really excited about it.

6:46

So um I guess that's it.

6:50

You know, we're really excited to be a tree city USA again.

6:52

Um want to get this canopy re-established throughout the city.

6:55

We're losing a lot of, you know, obviously we lost a lot of pine trees uh through the bark beetles and other things that are going on lately.

7:01

I've seen a lot of uh sand live oaks.

7:03

Um a lot of people uh hard to distinguish between southern lives and sand lives with the untrained eye, but if you see trees that you think are live oaks and the ones that are looking really poor right now, those are most likely gonna be sand live oaks.

7:15

Uh this drought really hit trees.

7:18

So we're uh we're making a real conscious effort to uh encourage the Florida natives to do things that are gonna be well in our in our tough conditions that we're faced with on a fairly regular basis, and uh we're excited.

7:31

Yeah, you guys did a great job last year.

7:33

I really admired the folks that pulled up and they told me the tree they wanted.

7:37

Right.

7:38

So the residents are knowledgeable and they knew what they were there for.

7:41

So I have this proclamation for you guys.

7:44

Alrighty, thank you.

7:45

Are we doing a picture?

7:47

Yeah, Sue's right there.

7:49

I didn't see her.

7:50

There you are, Sue.

7:52

Hiding out back.

7:57

Even in pink.

8:03

Let's do our pick.

8:06

All right, let's see.

8:07

Oh no, this is another one.

8:08

I know.

8:10

Welcome, welcome to the podcast.

8:19

I I'm gonna just step back here.

8:22

Okay, I got you now.

8:27

Let's see what these three, let me do.

8:37

This way is that the first one is a very good thing.

8:45

All right, thank you.

8:49

All right.

8:50

Sounds good.

8:50

I will say I'm tired of pollen.

8:52

Falling from the trees.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Engagement███████████████████████23%
Energy Management███████████████15%
Environmental Protection█████████████13%
Engineering And Infrastructure████████8%
Parks and Recreation██████6%
Legislative Update██████6%
Procedural█████5%
Technology and Innovation█████5%
Vegetation Management████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Dunedin City Commission Workshop - March 31, 2026

The Dunedin City Commission held a workshop on March 31, 2026, covering the Arbor Day Proclamation, the Duke Energy System Reliability and Clean Energy Connection Program, the 2026 Citizen Survey Results, and the 2026 Legislative Update. The meeting included presentations, public input, and extensive commissioner discussion on city services, sustainability goals, and state legislation.

Presentations

  • Arbor Day Proclamation: Commissioner Sandbergen read a proclamation designating April 18, 2026 as Arbor Day. City Arborist Rick Warner discussed the tree giveaway, noting 7 new Florida-native species added to 10 from last year, all high salt and drought tolerant. He mentioned difficulty giving away trees after recent hurricanes, and emphasized canopy restoration.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No comments on non-agenda items.
  • During Duke Energy Clean Energy Connection discussion: Alan Brand (1731 Hickory Gate Drive N) expressed disappointment that the program's payback period shifted from the original 5-7 years to 17-24 years, driven by a capacity factor below the anticipated 28% (currently 26.6% as of 2025). He urged Duke Energy to improve the capacity factor and noted that while the program helps meet sustainability goals, the financial return is not as expected.

Discussion Items

Duke Energy System Reliability and Clean Energy Connection Program

  • Duke Energy representatives (Katie Christian, Stefano Carnio, Nick Espisito, Travis Knous, Mike Malley) presented an annual update. Topics included:
    • Storm Protection Plan (SPP): Hardening feeders and laterals, lateral undergrounding based on historical performance and truck accessibility. Pros/cons of undergrounding discussed.
    • Reliability Metrics: Dunedin performed better than Duke Energy Florida averages on SAIDI (system average interruption duration index - 77 minutes/year in 2025), SAIFI (system average frequency - less than 1 outage/year), and CAIDI (customer average interruption duration - 85 minutes in 2025). Major events (e.g., named storms) are excluded; Duke agreed to provide data including those events.
    • Vegetation Management: 3-year cycle for feeders, 5-year for laterals. Tree trimming and removal methods, notifications to residents, and use of certified arborists. Duke expressed willingness to coordinate with the city on right tree, right place education for the tree giveaway.
    • Clean Energy Connection (CEC): A voluntary, regulated program with 10 solar sites. Dunedin subscribes to 2,960 kW (adjusted down from 7,343 kW due to initial demand). As of 2024, CEC provided about 31% of the city's municipal electric usage, contributing to 34.75% clean energy progress toward the Ready for 100% goal (2035 municipal, 2050 community). Subscription fees are fixed; generation credits increase ~1.5% annually. Capacity factor improved from 22.1% (2023) to 26.6% (2025), with estimated breakeven in 9-13 years and payback in 17-24 years.
    • Commission raised concerns about subcontractor communication (painting marks leaving gates open), tree trimming practices, the city’s solar rebate program ($50,000 for projects, $50,000 for permit fees), and the need for greater urgency on solar generation (only 3% of Duke Florida's mix). Commissioner Dugard criticized Duke's reliance on natural gas and called for more rooftop and field solar. Vice Mayor Walker acknowledged potential benefits but noted the long payback.
    • Staff follow-up items: Duke to provide storm outage durations including major events, residential rooftop solar generation data, and coordinate right tree/right place materials with the City Arborist.

2026 Citizen Survey Results

  • Dr. Stephen Neely (Forward Analytics) presented results from 1,853 responses (margin of error ~2.5 points). The survey ran February 9 to March 6, 2026. Demographics skewed older (median age 58), 20% of respondents had children, and slightly overrepresented white population.
  • Key Findings:
    • Quality of life remains very high: 65% rated Dunedin as an excellent place to live, but a slight dip is seen since 2022, attributed to storm impacts, development, traffic, and housing affordability. 93% overall satisfaction with city services.
    • Traffic congestion satisfaction increased ~12% (outside margin of error), possibly due to residents accepting reality or city improvements. Housing affordability remains a major concern (~40% dissatisfied).
    • Public safety: High satisfaction among users (e.g., fire services 80.6% satisfied, EMS 85.9%). Code enforcement had 36.5% satisfaction among users, which is relatively positive.
    • Solid waste: 80% satisfied with recycling, but a 13 point drop from 2024; cost concerns cited. Condo/HOA recycling limitations noted.
    • Infrastructure: Drainage concerns post-2024 storms; road conditions lower priority than before.
    • Parks and recreation: Strong preference for outdoor, self-directed activities. Parks and green spaces are highly valued; only 3% would support cuts to park maintenance.
    • Budget priorities: Water/wastewater and coastal resiliency top for future investment; parks and coastal resiliency low on cut list. Arts and cultural initiatives higher on cut list but still valued.
    • Business opportunities: Lower satisfaction among residents (45% dissatisfied), but a separate 2025 business survey showed 78% satisfaction. Recommendation to refine language.
  • Recommendations: Prioritize stormwater and roadway investments; maintain core services; align parks investments with resident preferences; expand multimodal transportation communication; leverage website; use survey data for budget planning.
  • Commission debated youth representation (low response from families) and the meaning of "creating sustainable public-owned facilities." Commissioner Dugard noted a disparity between senior survey and school lunch programs. Staff to consider changes for future surveys.

2026 Legislative Update

  • Laura Boehmer (The Southern Group, city lobbyist) provided an update. The regular session ended without a budget, tax package, or property tax reform bills. Special sessions are expected: budget week of April 13, then redistricting, then property tax reform (must be completed by August 1, 2026). Governor has signed only 16 of 192 passed bills.
  • Key Bills:
    • SB 290 (Farm Bill/biosolids): Signed into law. Immediate impact: ~$580,000/year increase in hauling fees (total now $500,000 + new). Long-term: $5.5 million capital project for dewatering facility. Unfunded mandate; potential appropriation opportunity.
    • SB 1134 (DEI bill): Not yet signed. Prohibits municipalities from funding or promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (broadly defined). Includes exceptions for federal and state holidays, content-neutral permits, and non-elected volunteer bodies. City Attorney Cowan advised that it will not affect the upcoming Scottish proclamation (not signed yet, effective January 2027 if signed). City will review all events for compliance.
    • HB 1217 (Greenhouse gases): Not signed. Restricts cities from adopting net-zero greenhouse gas policies or engaging with companies that have such policies. Exemptions for clean energy projects. May affect planned greenhouse gas assessment.
    • HB 399 & HB 803 (Development): Address building permit timelines, fees, and inspections. City staff believe Dunedin's quick processes should be less impacted.
    • SB 382 (Electric bicycles): Passed, waiting signature. Sets speed limits and enforcement; City to coordinate with Sheriff's Office.
    • HB 145 (Sovereign immunity): Not signed. Increased limits from $200k/$300k to $350k/$500k.
    • SB 302 (Living shorelines): Signed into law. Establishes framework for nature-based coastal infrastructure; city has a living shoreline project.
  • Property tax reform: Senate only considering additional $50k-$150k homestead exemption. City estimates each $50k exemption reduces property tax revenue by ~$2-2.5 million. Commissioner Dugard expressed concern about significant budget cuts.
  • Commission expressed frustration with attacks on home rule and local decision-making.

Key Outcomes

  • Duke Energy will provide (via Deputy City Manager Quintas):
    • Storm outage durations including major events.
    • Residential rooftop solar generation data for Duke Florida.
    • Educational materials on right tree, right place for the tree giveaway.
  • Citizen survey results will be used in upcoming budget planning. Staff to refine survey language for business opportunities.
  • City Attorney and staff will analyze the DEI bill (SB 1134) for impact on city events and functions; city to monitor for Governor's signature.
  • City will explore appropriations for biosolids dewatering facility and monitor property tax special session developments.
  • Commission directed staff to schedule property tax information forums (April 14 and April 22) to gather public input on potential cuts.

Meeting Transcript

Pledge of allegiance by Jen or City Attorney. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America which is chance one nation under God. Okay, we have a presentation today, Arbor Day Proclamation. I'm going to turn that over to Commissioner Sandbergen. Good morning to all three of you. Whereas in 1872, the Nebraska Board of Agriculture established a special day to be set aside for the planting of trees. And whereas this holiday called Arbor Day was first observed with the planting of more than a million trees in Nebraska. And whereas Arbor Day is now observed throughout the nation and the world, and whereas trees can be a solution to combating climate change by reducing the erosion of precious topsoil by wind and water, cutting heating and cooling costs, moderating the temperature, cleaning the air, producing life-giving oxygen, and providing habitat for wildlife. Now I therefore, Steve Sambergen, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the mayor of the city of Dunedin, and on behalf of the entire city commission, hereby proclaim the observance of Saturday, April 18th, 2026, as Arbor Day in the city of Dunedin, and urge all citizens to support efforts to protect our trees and woodlands and plant trees to gladden the heart and promote the well-being of this and future generations. Uh went with the same trees, you know, basically we ordered the year before, and then last year, pretty similar, and what we found um was we actually had a hard time giving away some of the trees. You know, after the hurricanes and stuff, people were sort of gun shy, and um I guess understandably so they weren't in a big hurry to want to plant some big shade trees and stuff. So we were you you might recall we were you know, it's like you can't give these things away type of thing. So we um still encourage it. We still got a lot of the same trees we got last year, but we added uh our we wanted to make a big push this year to get some different stuff out there, you know, try to figure out what the the people want and what we really want to see more throughout the city. So as always, a big emphasis on Florida natives. Um we added seven new species in addition to the ten that we had last year. So we're gonna have a lot more diversity of of the trees going out. Um all the ones we added are Florida native. Um all are a minimum of of moderate salt and uh drought tolerant. In fact, most of them are high. Uh drought and salt tolerance. So we're gonna really promote that. Um typically more sort of ornamental trees that can grow into shade trees, you know, 20, you know, 15 to 30 feet overall height on some of those, so they're less I don't know, daunting for for folks to want to plant. So I think we just um and still we're gonna encourage oaks and pines and all the things we have in the past as well, but we need to uh we just want to get more canopy out there. We want folks to be excited about what they're planning, what they're picking up. And uh we're really excited about the you know, Joe and I and and Tony and uh Pete Wells, you know, we got together and talked a lot about some of the trees that we've seen over the course of our you know time in this industry, what does well in this area and uh we're really excited about it. So um I guess that's it. You know, we're really excited to be a tree city USA again. Um want to get this canopy re-established throughout the city. We're losing a lot of, you know, obviously we lost a lot of pine trees uh through the bark beetles and other things that are going on lately. I've seen a lot of uh sand live oaks. Um a lot of people uh hard to distinguish between southern lives and sand lives with the untrained eye, but if you see trees that you think are live oaks and the ones that are looking really poor right now, those are most likely gonna be sand live oaks. Uh this drought really hit trees. So we're uh we're making a real conscious effort to uh encourage the Florida natives to do things that are gonna be well in our in our tough conditions that we're faced with on a fairly regular basis, and uh we're excited. Yeah, you guys did a great job last year. I really admired the folks that pulled up and they told me the tree they wanted. Right. So the residents are knowledgeable and they knew what they were there for. So I have this proclamation for you guys. Alrighty, thank you. Are we doing a picture? Yeah, Sue's right there. I didn't see her. There you are, Sue. Hiding out back. Even in pink. Let's do our pick. All right, let's see. Oh no, this is another one. I know.

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