Gulfport City Council Meeting – June 20, 2023

The Gulfport City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, at 6:00 PM at City Hall. The meeting featured presentations on the Multipurpose Senior Center capital campaign and the community engagement initiative "Gulfport on the Edge," followed by public comments, approval of consent agenda items, two ordinances on police and fire pension funds, seven resolutions covering software purchases, grants, engineering contracts, and a homeless outreach partnership, a discussion of the proposed Fiscal Year 2023–2024 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget, and council reports.

Presentations

• Gulfport Multipurpose Senior Center Capital Campaign Update – Karen Cox and Aaron Johnson of Kinetic reported that as of June 20, 2023, the campaign has $2.5 million in confirmed gifts, $315,000 in gifts under consideration, and approximately $2 million in priority asks planned within the next 60–90 days. The benchmark goal is $3.5 million by August 31, 2023. They noted that naming opportunities have been developed, including a named food pantry. Council members asked about the timeline; the contract is for three years and they are 1.5 years in. The campaign is on track to raise the full $15 million goal.
• Gulfport on the Edge – Ingrid Bredenberg, Mark Johnson, and Kelly Garcia presented a summary of three community conversation events held in November 2022, January 2023, and April 2023, each attended by about 100 people. The events used a strategic planning format to identify strengths, challenges, trends, and a shared vision for 2030. Key themes included community engagement, leadership, climate and nature, housing character and affordability, and arts and culture. Outcomes included corrected misinformation, revived events (Welcome to Gulfport, Earth Day block party), and adoption of the Tangerine Greenway. Next steps involve making full summaries available and encouraging citizen-led projects. Council members expressed appreciation and asked about consensus; the presenters clarified the events were designed for crowdsourcing ideas, not for generating a single recommendation.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Zion Cristante expressed gratitude for the city's support in organizing a successful block party on Earth Day, noting children playing in the streets and community dancing.
• Lenny Guckenheimer urged the council to consider a resolution supporting the Florida Right to Clean Water, tying it to environmental concerns raised during the Gulfport on the Edge presentation.
• Melissa Helmbold (President, Gulfport Merchants Chamber) reported on a May member meeting focused on hurricane preparedness, a June "super mingle" with six chambers (over 325 attendees), and upcoming events: Gecko Ball tickets on sale July 4, and Body Beautiful Art Walk on July 7.
• Laura Oldaney thanked the organizers of Gulfport on the Edge and noted that the Gulfport Food Forest was mentioned in every vision presentation as an integral community asset.
• Lauren Stern praised the community forum and complimented the quality of toilet paper at Chase Park.
• Berkeley Grimble (Mary Inger) performed an original song celebrating Gulfport and expressed appreciation for the community.
• Susan Gore thanked the council for a successful Gulfport Pride event and commended the uplifting atmosphere.
• Tommy Bixer announced the Lions Club monthly food distribution (third Thursday) at 3:30 PM setup, 4:30 PM distribution, and invited volunteers.
• Mary Hanrahan questioned two line items in the proposed CIP budget: $80,000 for a marina master plan and $30,000 for a Clam Bayou evaluation, suggesting those funds be used for community-driven input similar to Gulfport on the Edge rather than a prior plan that lacked community support.
• Ms. Loving raised concerns about the lack of a formal Memorial Day ceremony, praised the recent lease signing, criticized a perceived sense of entitlement among some residents, questioned the fairness of closing a downtown street for a fundraiser for one individual, and reiterated her request for clear procedures to report illegal short-term rentals.
• Unnamed speaker encouraged the council to embrace the ideas from Gulfport on the Edge and continue making Gulfport a unique, inclusive community.

City Manager Report – Short-Term Rental Enforcement Update

City Manager O'Reilly introduced the enforcement team: Fred Metcalf, Chief Inspector Mark Ottervanger, and Code Enforcement Officer Heather Weibel. They outlined a complaint-driven, priority-based enforcement process using a new software tool (Granicus). Statistics as of June 20: 17 complaints received, 6 violations issued (all complied), 4 awaiting compliance dates, and 7 under investigation. They emphasized the goal is compliance, not penalties. The tool allows staff to verify rental activity without relying solely on citizen witnesses. Council members confirmed the software is user-friendly and effective, and that the approach aligns with the council's directive to eliminate short-term rentals under 30 days.

City Attorney Report

No report.

City Clerk Report

• The next scheduled meeting (July 4, 2023) is canceled due to the holiday.
• The Florida League of Cities annual conference is August 10–12 in Orlando; the council is asked to designate a voting delegate for the August 12 business session. Councilmembers will determine the delegate among themselves.

Consent Calendar

• Item 5.a: Approval of meeting minutes from April 18, 2023, and May 2, 2023. Motion carried unanimously.

Ordinances (Second Reading)

• Ordinance 2023-05 (Police Officers' Trust Fund): Amends sections on contributions, benefit amounts and eligibility, and disability. Passed unanimously (5-0).
• Ordinance 2023-06 (Firefighters' Retirement Pension Fund): Amends section on benefit amounts and eligibility. Passed unanimously (5-0).

Resolutions

• Resolution 2023-42 (BS&A Community Development Software Solution): Authorizes the city manager to enter an agreement with BS&A for a community development software solution, replacing the current Intergov system, with a budget amendment. Passed unanimously.
• Resolution 2023-43 (Andrew's Technology UKG Time & Attendance System): Authorizes purchase through SHI International for a web-based time and attendance system, replacing punch cards, with a budget amendment. Passed unanimously.
• Resolution 2023-44 (HUD Grant for Multipurpose Senior Center): Authorizes the city manager to accept a $1.5 million grant from HUD for pre-construction soft costs (environmental studies, design, etc.) for the Senior Center project. Passed unanimously.
• Resolution 2023-45 (Harvard Jolly-PBK Engineering Services for Senior Center): Authorizes a scope of services agreement with Harvard Jolly-PBK for engineering, design, permitting, and construction monitoring, with a budget amendment. Passed unanimously.
• Resolution 2023-46 (Stantec Engineering for Williams Pier Rehabilitation): Authorizes an agreement with Stantec for engineering services for pier piling repairs, with a budget amendment. Passed unanimously.
• Resolution 2023-47 (Directions for Living Street Outreach Specialist): Authorizes a shared-cost contract with Directions for Living and the City of Treasure Island to provide a street outreach and engagement specialist for homeless individuals. The specialist will be managed by the fire department and focus on building relationships and connecting people to services. Passed unanimously.

Discussion Item

• Proposed Fiscal Year 2023–2024 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Budget – City Manager O'Reilly presented the proposed budget, highlighting major funding sources and expenditures:
  • $2.5 million federal appropriation (requested) for sanitary sewer priority 2 repairs; $1 million state appropriation for sewer repairs; $1.2 million state appropriation for 58th Street roadway improvements (north of 22nd Avenue), which will include drainage, curbing, and full-depth reclamation.
  • Public safety: $40,000 for taser replacements (subscription model), police vehicle replacements, and equipment.
  • Parks: shade sail expansion, field netting, and equipment.
  • Marina: $80,000 for marina master planning, $30,000 for Clam Bayou evaluation and park reconfiguration assessment, piling replacements, security cameras, and a vehicle.
  • Utilities: debt service, water line rehabilitation, emergency repair funds.
  • Councilmember Thanos requested placing the Tampa Bay Resiliency Plan and a clean water resolution on future agendas. Council discussed the need for public input on marina planning, with assurances of future charettes and community meetings. Council also discussed the possibility of using ARPA funds for temporary restrooms at the marina; the city manager will bring back cost options.

Key Outcomes

• Approved unanimously: Consent agenda, Ordinances 2023-05 and 2023-06, and Resolutions 2023-42 through 2023-47.
• Direction given: Staff to bring back cost estimates for temporary marina restrooms; council to designate a voting delegate for the Florida League of Cities conference.
• Future agenda items: Councilmember Thanos requested placement of the Tampa Bay Resiliency Plan and a clean water resolution on the July 18 or August meeting agenda.
• Gulfport on the Edge follow-up: Councilmember Thanos will distribute full materials and plans a town hall in mid-August or September at Scout Hall to facilitate citizen-led projects.
• Next regular meeting: Cancelled for July 4; next meeting scheduled for July 18, 2023.