Gulfport City Council Meeting - May 17, 2022

The Gulfport City Council met on May 17, 2022, at 6:00 PM at City Hall. The meeting featured presentations from Duke Energy on grid improvements and undergrounding, a summary of a parking town hall, public comments, consent and resolution approvals, and discussions on American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding and the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The council also heard reports from the city manager, attorney, and clerk.

Consent Calendar

• Resolution No. 2022-36: Authorized the City Manager to execute a Cooperative Purchasing Agreement with Southern Disaster Recovery, LLC for debris collection and removal services. Approved unanimously.
• Resolution No. 2022-37: Authorized accepting CRRSA Act-Phase VI grant proceeds from the Early Learning Coalition to purchase a hip roof shade structure from Creative Shade Solutions, Inc., and a budget amendment. Approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Miss Love: Praised the invocation; noted inconsistent use of right-of-ways for parking and lack of bicycle racks in appropriate locations (e.g., five bicycles parked on tennis courts due to poorly placed rack); urged better maintenance of sidewalks and crosswalks for mobility.
• Walter Barker (Trade Winds Drive): Requested council members provide monthly reports in the Gulfport e-newsletter to increase transparency.
• Margaret (call-in): Discussed Resolution 2019-04 regarding compound interest credits on water accounts; claimed that of 20 properties identified, none received letters about the credit, and some who paid in full after the resolution date did not receive the credit. Urged the council to send letters and retroactively credit those owed.
• Mr. Simic (call-in): Commented on Duke Energy ground transformers being unsightly and asked the city to request landscaping; proposed a Generational Equity and Diversity Committee to address underrepresentation on advisory committees (median age 55 in Gulfport, 20-30% minority not represented).

Discussion Items

• Duke Energy Presentation (Theresa Crane & Libby Hoctor)
  • Duke Energy is upgrading the 51st Street substation serving ~16,607 customers.
  • Work includes: equipping 8 feeders and 50+ miles of lines with self-healing technology; upgrading ~500 transformers and 240 fuses; replacing 1,600+ feet of underground cable; upgrading 500 poles; placing 23 miles of overhead lines underground.
  • Undergrounding prioritizes outage-prone areas; easements are needed for front-lot placement to improve access.
  • No out-of-pocket costs to residents; Duke will pay up to $1,500 for meter relocation if needed.
  • Timeline: overhead work starting within a month; undergrounding expected around August 2022; project completion within ~4 months after start.
  • Council asked about rate impacts (none expected soon) and asked about untargeted areas (future project possible).
• Parking Town Hall Summary (Councilmember April Thanos)
  • Met with residents and experts; no consensus on paid parking—most favored free parking.
  • Ideas discussed: eliminating east-west resident-only parking (few houses face those streets); placards for staff/vendors to park in resident-only areas during daytime; more EV charging stations; additional handicap parking; designated motorcycle/golf cart parking; valet parking service (e.g., from marina or other lots).
  • Council noted simple, low-cost options could free spaces without enforcement complexity.
• American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funding
  • City Manager presented a proposed allocation of ~$4.5 million ARPA funds.
  • Projects include: fire truck, stormwater master plan (resiliency/vulnerability study), water line replacement, and other infrastructure.
  • Remaining ~$762,000 recommended for sewer system improvements (consent order work). Council agreed to allocate ~$600,000 to sewers, keeping balance for contingencies.
  • Discussion also touched on potential employee pay raises (6-7% COLA) to address 10.2% inflation in Tampa Bay area; decision deferred to operating budget.
• Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Capital Improvement Program Budget
  • One-year and five-year budgets presented.
  • Key items: paving and brick restoration ($400,000); library generator; emergency facility generators; police vehicles; auto extraction equipment; casino substructure repairs; theater curtain replacement; senior center trust fund transfer (city match for congressional appropriation); splash pad in future years.
  • Utilities budget includes sewer bypass loan payments, water line rehabilitation, and private lateral programs.
  • Council generally supportive; questions about tablets for library (moved to library budget for flexibility).

Key Outcomes

• Consent items and Resolution 2022-37 approved unanimously.
• ARPA direction: Council concurred with using remaining funds for sewers, with ~$160,000 held for cost overruns or emergencies.
• CIP budget: No vote taken; discussion informed the upcoming budget adoption process. Council will consider final approval in June.
• Council Comments: Councilmember Ferdovich suggested recognition plaques for retiring employees and board members; will bring an example. Councilmember Thanos proposed adding council reports to the city website (amending council rules) to increase transparency, with caution against political opinions. Mayor reported progress on senior center funding—meetings scheduled with Pinellas County commissioners.
• Next Steps: June 7th meeting will include stormwater master plan presentation; June 21st meeting may address short-term rentals; July 5th meeting likely canceled due to holiday.