Gulfport City Council Regular Meeting Summary – December 6, 2022

The Gulfport City Council held a regular meeting on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, at 6:00 PM at Gulfport City Hall. The agenda included a presentation on the Advantage Pinellas Housing Compact, the unanimous passage of four resolutions, public comments on marina policies and homelessness, and council discussions on transportation and community surveys. Meeting minutes for this date were not available.

Presentations

• Advantage Pinellas Housing Compact: Linda Fisher, AICP Principal Planner for Forward Pinellas, presented the Affordable Housing Compact. She provided detailed statistics on the housing crisis: a median home price of $435,000 in Pinellas County and average Gulfport rents of $1,765 per month. Fisher stated that over half of renters in the county are cost-burdened. The compact creates a countywide coalition to coordinate long-term planning through corridor development, regulatory toolkits, and support for diverse housing types such as duplexes and accessory dwelling units. She confirmed there is no cost to join. Council members reached a consensus to join the compact, directing the City Manager to prepare a formal resolution for a future meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Ingrid Bredenberg: Reported on a community town hall held on November 14th which drew 98 attendees. She noted attendees expressed a strong desire to be involved. She formally requested that the council support a city-wide survey to gather broader community input.
• Rachel (Mooring field resident): Appealed for transparency and fairness regarding the impounding of a dinghy from the Casino dinghy dock. She argued enforcement lacked proper signage and immediate towing without notice, requesting the city align its practices with its nuisance abatement ordinance.
• Terry Love: Thanked the city for the holiday celebration. She questioned the enforcement priorities between dinghy dock rules and resident concerns over dog leash laws and beach conditions. She also asked for clarification on a published quote from Chief Vincent regarding public sleeping by homeless individuals.
• Fred Rowe (Mobile resident): Stated the 4-hour dinghy dock limit creates a hardship for working boaters who require longer periods for work and errands. He noted the alternative marina transient dock is inconveniently located.

Resolutions

All four resolutions were passed unanimously (5-0).

• Resolution 2022-82 (Granicus Platforms): Authorized expenditure and a budget amendment for the 2023 Granicus agenda management and short-term rental compliance software suites.
• Resolution 2022-83 (Book Festival Grant): Accepted a Florida Humanities Book Festival Grant and authorized the City Manager to sign the contract and expend funds with a corresponding budget amendment.
• Resolution 2022-84 (Casino AC Unit): Authorized the purchase of a 30-ton air conditioning unit for the Casino, noting a 27-week lead time. The temporary rental unit costs $6,000 per month.
• Resolution 2022-85 (Sidewalk Inventory): Authorized an agreement with StreetScan Inc. for a city-wide sidewalk inventory and ADA ramp condition assessment, utilizing Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. The city will evaluate 37 miles of sidewalks and over 700 ramps, with data delivery expected within six months.

Discussion Items

• City Manager Report – Rent Stabilization: Reported that Forward Pinellas advised rent stabilization is not feasible due to state legislative obstacles.
• City Manager Report – Pavilion Use: Proposed an administrative rule limiting public pavilion use to a three-hour maximum (once a week) to prevent permanent encampments. The council expressed comfort in testing the rule, emphasizing the need for compassion and distinguishing behavior issues from mere presence.
• City Manager Report – Dinghy Dock: Defended the 4-hour transient rule for downtown visitors. The city committed to improving signage regarding the rules and consequences. Vice Mayor Brown suggested identifying dinghies for mooring field residents to reduce unnecessary towing.
• Council Reports – Freebee Transit Service: Councilmember Thanos proposed exploring a Freebee on-demand shuttle. Councilmembers Ray, Brown, and Ferdovich strongly opposed it, citing high cost and a history where a golf cart shuttle became a bar transit, referring to it as a "potato chip run". Consensus was against pursuing the service.
• Council Reports – City-Wide Survey: Councilmember Thanos supported a proposal for a city-funded survey. Mayor Henderson, Councilmember Ray, and Councilmember Ferdovich opposed using city funds, stating residents have sufficient direct access to officials. Consensus was against city funding.
• Council Reports – RV Ordinance: Councilmember Ray requested a future meeting to discuss tweaks to the RV ordinance, specifically the grandfather clause for aging recreational vehicles. The mayor agreed to schedule it.

Key Outcomes

• Unanimous Resolutions: Resolutions 2022-82, 2022-83, 2022-84, and 2022-85 passed with a 5-0 vote.
• Housing Compact Joining: Council reached consensus to join the compact; a formal resolution will be drafted.
• Pavilion Rule Implementation: The city manager will draft a rule to limit pavilion occupancy to three hours.
• Survey & Freebee Rejected: Council reached consensus against spending city funds on the community survey and the Freebee transit service.
• Future Agenda: The council will schedule a discussion on the RV ordinance grandfather clause.