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Record of Proceedings
Gulfport City Council Meeting: Budget, Utility Rates, and Public Testimony - September 20, 2022
City Council — Tuesday, September 20, 2022
BodyGulfport, Florida
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, September 20, 2022
StatusFILED
Video Record
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Transcript — Verbatim
Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.
Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety17%
Water And Wastewater Management17%
Public Engagement13%
Parking Management10%
Procedural6%
Affordable Housing6%
Parks and Recreation6%
Racial Equity5%
Waste Management4%
Summary of Proceedings
Gulfport City Council Meeting: Budget, Utility Rates, and Public Testimony - September 20, 2022
The Gulfport City Council held its regular meeting on September 20, 2022. The council unanimously adopted the FY 2022-2023 millage rate and operating budget, passed a significant restructuring of utility rates, and authorized final sewer infrastructure projects. The meeting was dominated by extensive public testimony concerning a police incident and broader issues of racial justice and housing affordability.
Public Hearings
- Ordinance 2022-07 (Millage Rate): The Council unanimously approved a levy of 4.039 operating mills for fiscal year 2022-2023. This represents a 14.38% increase over the rolled-back rate of 3.5312 mills.
- Ordinance 2022-08 (Operating Budget): The Council unanimously adopted the operating budget for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2022, and ending September 30, 2023.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Excessive Force Incident: Multiple speakers, including Bryce Graham (National Network, Central Florida chapter), the family of a 15-year-old girl, and Akira Amanda (Activism News Network), spoke about an incident involving a Gulfport police officer. They alleged excessive force against the minor, criticized the Police Chief's comments on the city's Facebook crime watch page, and highlighted an IA investigator contacting the victim's mother directly. They demanded a full and transparent investigation, the suspension of the officer, and accountability from the city.
- Racial Discrimination: Mr. Lee accused the city of a history of ignoring racial discrimination complaints and stated that the city has weaponized police against residents who voice concerns. He also claimed a councilmember's family member used racial slurs.
- Rent Control and Housing: Elizabeth Hendrix (Town Shores resident) expressed strong support for rent control and restricting short-term rentals. She stated that 70% of Gulfport's long-term rentals have been lost and that she faced a 38% rent increase. She urged the council to adopt tenant protections and notice requirements similar to the Pinellas County model.
- General Call to Action: A resident urged the council to directly address racial issues, rent affordability, and Airbnb regulation, telling the council that "not to decide is to decide."
Discussion Items
- Utility Rate Restructuring (Ordinances 2022-03, 2022-04, 2022-05, 2022-06): The Council held second readings and unanimously passed a comprehensive restructuring of water, sewer, stormwater, and garbage rates. City Manager O'Reilly explained the transition from a minimum-gallon billing system to a base charge plus volumetric charge system. There will be no rate increase in fiscal year 2023, followed by an 8% increase for water and sewer in fiscal years 2024 and 2025. The ordinance authorizes the City Manager to waive administrative and delinquency fees on a case-by-case basis.
- Sanitary Sewer Repairs (Resolution 2022-59): The Council authorized the City Manager to execute agreements with Miller Pipeline LLC and Cardno Inc. for Priority Two sanitary sewer repairs. This marks the conclusion of settlement agreements from the 2016 storm litigation. $600,000 in ARPA funds were allocated for these repairs, focusing on areas south of 28th Avenue.
- Lift Station No. 2 Loan (Resolution 2022-60): The Council unanimously approved an amendment to the State Revolving Fund loan agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The project is at 95% completion. The Public Works Director reported that wet weather flow has been reduced from over 1 million to 800,000 gallons per day.
- Continuation of Zoom Meetings: The Council discussed discontinuing Zoom for regular meetings to encourage in-person attendance, citing low usage (1-2 callers) and a cost of $500-600 per month. The Council directed staff to retain the option for special workshops and large city events. A resident, Susan Gore, advocated for the hybrid model for events like ReadOut. The City Manager will explore alternative platforms like Microsoft Teams or Google Meet for these events.
Key Outcomes
- Votes: All ordinances (2022-07 through 2022-08, 2022-03 through 2022-06) and resolutions (2022-59, 2022-60) were passed unanimously on 5-0 votes.
- Next Steps: The City Manager was directed to enforce no-overnight parking restrictions at Trolley Market Square Park and the Tangerine Greenway.
- Tenants' Rights: The City Manager confirmed the city is covered by the Pinellas County Tenants' Bill of Rights.
- Upcoming Events: Councilmember Ray announced a Town Hall (Oct 12th) and a workshop (Oct 20th) focused on the rental crisis and short-term rentals.
- Hurricane Preparedness: Vice Mayor Brown urged residents to have a hurricane plan and find high-ground shelter solutions for themselves and their pets.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome everyone to September twentieth, twenty twenty-two regular city council meeting for the city of Gulfport, Florida. Invocation tonight's given by Councilmember Paul Ray, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Please join us in Rising. Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future. John F. Kennedy. All right, roll call, please, City Clerk. Councilmember Ray? Here. Councilmember Frodovich. Oh, here. Councilmember Thanos. Here. Vice Mayor Brown. Here. Mayor Henderson. Here. City Attorney Salzman. Here. City Manager O'Reilly. Present. And Deputy City Clerk Carrigo, President. All right. Welcome. We got two public hearings tonight we need to do before we uh jump into public comment and uh charter employee reports. These are regarding our millager rate and the budget. So we'll start with ordinance number twenty twenty-two dash o seven. Second reading. Ordinance number twenty twenty two-seven, second reading and public hearing, an ordinance of the city of Gulfport, Florida providing for the ad valorum tax levy for the fiscal year beginning October one, twenty twenty two and ending September thirtieth, twenty twenty-three, and providing for an effective date. May I also have to read section one that states a levy of four point zero three nine operating mills be placed upon the total assessed valuation of real impersonal property lying within the city of Gulfport, Florida, and said monies raised by the four point zero three nine mills shall be used for the general operation of the city of Gulfport for the aforementioned fiscal period. The adoption of the four point zero three nine mills is a 14.38% increase over the rolled back rate of three point five three one two mills. All right, thank you very much. Council will entertain a motion. I'll make a motion on ordinance twenty twenty-two oh seven. Second, first and a second. Uh city manager, anything you'd like to add to the second reading? No, sir. All right. Public comment on this item. Specifically on this ordinance. I see no one, any call ins, Mr. Mather. No, Mayor.
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