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Record of Proceedings

Gulfport City Council Meeting - April 15, 2025

City Council — Tuesday, April 15, 2025
BodyGulfport, Florida
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, April 15, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
Meeting Thumbnail
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Transcript — Verbatim

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.

Speaker 1

9:15

Good evening.

9:18

All right, so I'm going to call the meeting to order.

9:21

Just one reminder.

9:23

I'm really asking you that you make sure your phones are turned off or at least silenced.

9:40

And then the last thing, if I didn't say this at the last meeting, I'll say it now.

9:45

There's we really do not want any side conversations going on.

9:49

So if you're not clear on something and you need someone to explain it, if you'll just step outside, that would be better.

10:03

Okay.

10:04

Now that we've uh agreed to that, we will turn it over to Councilmember Shaw for the um invocation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

10:14

Please rise.

Speaker 2

10:19

Thank you, Mayor.

10:22

Unity is strength.

10:24

When there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.

10:29

Maddie Stepanic, excuse me.

10:32

Because it is National Poetry Month.

10:34

My search led me to this quote.

10:36

Maddie was an American author and motivational speaker.

10:39

He published seven books of poetry and essays on peace, several of which appeared on the New York Times bestseller list before his death at the age of 13.

10:50

At times that we need to fend off division and work together.

10:53

May we let the message of this young life ground us in kindness, connection, and common purpose.

Unassigned speaker

11:22

Okay.

Speaker 1

11:25

City clerk, if you'll do roll call.

Speaker 3

11:28

Councilmember Shaw.

Speaker 2

11:29

Present.

Speaker 3

11:30

Councilmember Jackson?

11:32

Present.

11:32

Councilmember Early.

11:33

Present.

11:34

Vice Mayor Thanos?

11:35

Here.

11:36

Mayor Love?

11:37

Here.

11:38

City Attorney Salzman?

11:39

Here.

11:39

City Manager O'Reilly.

11:40

Here.

11:41

City Clerk Carico is present.

Unassigned speaker

11:44

All

Speaker 1

11:44

right.

11:45

So tonight I get to do for the very first time ever.

11:48

I get to do a special presentation.

Unassigned speaker

11:51

You

Speaker 1

11:52

know, in Gallport, we have what's called the Spirit of Gulfport Award.

11:56

And tonight I get to present it to who some call William Drexler and some call Billy D.

12:05

So before I ask him to come out here up here for the presentation, this is what I learned.

12:13

For over 13 years, Billy uh William, quote, Billy D.

12:19

Drexler has been the heart of the Gulfport Boomerangs, not just as treasurer and teammate, but as a tireless community champion.

12:28

His leadership has inspired countless acts of service, from food drives to train tour charity fundraisers, all rooted in his deep love for golf port.

12:38

Billy D's spirit, generosity, and dedication truly embody what this award stands for.

12:45

With the star, we celebrate this immense value to our community, his immense value to our community.

12:53

With the sailboat, we recognize our deep connection to the sea.

12:57

With the rising sun, we acknowledge our ever forward vision.

13:02

And with the winging birds, we salute the soaring spirit that uplifts us all.

13:08

It is with great pride that we present this award to William Drexler, who has demonstrated the true spirit of Golfport.

13:16

And now if you'll come on up here.

13:54

So we're going to present to you this plaque.

13:56

I

Speaker 4

13:56

hope

Speaker 1

13:56

that you'll always look at it fondly.

Speaker 4

14:00

We love the city, and these are the people sitting here that support what I'm doing.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Permitting and Inspections██████████████████████████26%
Public Comment███████████████15%
Disaster Recovery███████████████15%
Procedural████████8%
Public Safety█████5%
Community Engagement█████5%
Stormwater Management████4%
Charter Review███3%
Engineering And Infrastructure███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Gulfport City Council Meeting - April 15, 2025

The Gulfport City Council met on April 15, 2025, at 6:00 PM at City Hall. The meeting included a Spirit of Gulfport Award presentation, public comments on a range of topics, consideration of seven resolutions, and discussions on the building department permitting process, storm recovery updates, and the upcoming capital improvement budget. Key votes included the failure of a resolution to contract with Workforce Solutions for substantial damage support and approval of a contract with Tidal Basin Government Consulting for similar services.

Spirit of Gulfport Award

  • Mayor Love presented the Spirit of Gulfport Award to William "Billy D" Drexler for over 13 years of community service as treasurer and teammate of the Gulfport Boomerangs, including food drives and charity fundraisers.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved minutes from the April 1, 2025 City Council meeting (Item 5a).
  • Approved Resolution No. 2025-30 appointing members to the Board of Adjustment.
  • Approved Resolution No. 2025-31 appointing members to the Planning and Zoning Board/Local Planning Agency.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Neen Miller: Described a permit issue for a condo bathroom renovation after being told by a contractor no permit was needed; city code enforcement issued a stop-work order; she requested temporary allowance to install a toilet and vanity while she obtains proper permits.
  • Wolfgang Dininger: Reported that the Gulfport Grassroots beach cleanups have collected 192 pounds of trash in April with 52 volunteers; urged council to direct the city attorney to draft an ordinance banning smoking on Gulfport beaches, noting many nearby cities have bans.
  • Ed Benson: Expressed strong opposition to entering into an agreement with Tidal Basin Government Consulting (Resolution 2025-37), calling the company's prior substantial damage determinations "egregious" and urging council to vote no.
  • Deb Atkins: Noted five abandoned properties in her neighborhood eight months post-storm, with overgrown grass and rodent issues; asked the city to address these.
  • Barbara Leonard: Supported Resolution 2025-38 to renew plan review support with Tew and Taylor, praising inspector Dave Taylor; described difficulties with Tidal Basin's initial damage letter that overstated damage; also questioned why the marina is not selling fuel, losing over $100,000 per month in revenue.
  • Marilyn McClellan: Raised safety concerns about one-way streets on Beach Boulevard (cars going wrong way) and suggested a bulkhead or rocks in front of the casino to prevent boat collisions.
  • Courtney Perkopis: Asked about Gulfport Police Department's policy regarding ICE collaboration; requested a presentation at the next meeting; inquired about the city's attendance at an FDEM webinar on hazard mitigation grants; asked about the status of a planned resiliency workshop; and encouraged participation in the Recover Pinellas survey.
  • David Bodenstead: Suggested revising the city's standard appeal language that requires citizens to pay for a verbatim transcript for appeals.
  • Margaret Tober: Complimented the council's last meeting; questioned why the billing department does not report to finance; asked how accounts can be re-aged without payments.
  • Lenny Gukenheimer: Proposed establishing a charter review commission to examine city governance and communication between council and staff.
  • Karen Schwartz: Advocated for regular council workshops to improve communication with staff and the public.
  • Brenda Probasco: As a contractor, presented comparative data showing Gulfport's permit fees and wait times are among the highest in the region; gave examples: 15 business days minimum review (longest), $578 fee (highest), outdated software; suggested the city explore alternatives.

Discussion Items

  • City Manager Report on ICE Policy: City Manager O'Reilly stated Gulfport PD will not actively seek individuals based on immigration status; if an ICE hold is identified, officers will notify ICE and detain for up to one hour, but will not arrest or take to jail. Mutual aid partners apply their own policies in their jurisdictions.
  • City Attorney Report – Smoking Ban: Council members indicated support for a smoking ban on beaches. The city attorney will draft an ordinance for future consideration.
  • Charter Review Commission Process: Discussion on how to appoint members: council will receive options from the city clerk and consider the process at the next meeting.
  • Resolution 2025-32 (Council Rules): A motion to amend failed; the resolution passed as written by a 3-2 vote (Councilmember Shaw and another dissented? Actually, three supported leaving as written, two wanted change).
  • Resolution 2025-33 (Hoyt Field Sod): Approved after discussion on warranty, installation timeline (May 5th), and insurance.
  • Resolution 2025-34 (Debris Removal Payment): Approved; city manager explained final cost is $1.25 million due to higher-than-expected volume.
  • Resolution 2025-35 (Stormwater Pipe Relining): Approved; project addresses ongoing pipe joint failures, not storm-specific.
  • Resolution 2025-36 (Workforce Solutions): Extensive debate on whether to fund additional inspections for properties with >50% damage that have not contacted the city. Councilmembers Thanos, Early, Jackson, and Mayor Love expressed opposition, arguing homeowners should take initiative and the cost is too high. The resolution failed 0-5.
  • Resolution 2025-37 (Tidal Basin Government Consulting): Despite strong public opposition citing Tidal Basin's prior errors, council narrowly approved 4-1 (Councilmember Early opposed) to retain one staff member for technical support to correct previous inaccurate assessments.
  • Resolution 2025-38 (Tew and Taylor Plan Review Extension): Approved unanimously; provides additional plan reviewers to clear permit backlog.
  • Building Department Permitting Process Discussion: Council and public explored options: outsourcing to Pinellas County, using a private provider (e.g., Safe Built), maintaining in-house with improvements. No decision made; council will provide specific goals (e.g., 7-10 day turnaround) for staff to evaluate.
  • Storm Event Recovery Project Update: Tom Nichols presented ongoing projects: completed items include beach playground, Chase Park, Senior Center, and road repairs. Pending: Hoyt Field sod (May 5), Casino ship store permit expected this week, historic floor repair requiring certified engineer, marina gas pumps awaiting ship store reopening. Beach volleyball courts under design with Army Corps.
  • Proposed Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Capital Improvement Program Budget: Brief introduction; primarily funded by Penny for Pinellas funds; council will review further.

Key Outcomes

  • Smoking Ban on Beaches: Council directed city attorney to draft an ordinance; public hearing expected at a future meeting.
  • Appointments: Mayor Love appointed to Forward Pinellas board; Vice Mayor Thanos to Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council; Councilmember Shaw to Sun Coast League of Cities.
  • Charter Review Commission: Council to decide on appointment process by next meeting (May 6, 2025).
  • Permit Fee Waiver: Extended until May 6, 2025; homeowners must apply by that date to qualify.
  • Temporary Dock Use for Dinghies: Council directed city manager to develop rules allowing temporary tie-ups to the dock by Coast Guard station during emergency recovery, with signage at owners' risk.
  • Future Agenda Items: Presentations requested on Narcan use, human trafficking signs (Selah Freedom), Tampa Bay Regional Planning resiliency plan, and stormwater month proclamation. City to conduct a post-storm "look back" review.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. All right, so I'm going to call the meeting to order. Just one reminder. I'm really asking you that you make sure your phones are turned off or at least silenced. And then the last thing, if I didn't say this at the last meeting, I'll say it now. There's we really do not want any side conversations going on. So if you're not clear on something and you need someone to explain it, if you'll just step outside, that would be better. Okay. Now that we've uh agreed to that, we will turn it over to Councilmember Shaw for the um invocation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Please rise. Thank you, Mayor. Unity is strength. When there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved. Maddie Stepanic, excuse me. Because it is National Poetry Month. My search led me to this quote. Maddie was an American author and motivational speaker. He published seven books of poetry and essays on peace, several of which appeared on the New York Times bestseller list before his death at the age of 13. At times that we need to fend off division and work together. May we let the message of this young life ground us in kindness, connection, and common purpose. Okay. City clerk, if you'll do roll call. Councilmember Shaw. Present. Councilmember Jackson? Present. Councilmember Early. Present. Vice Mayor Thanos? Here. Mayor Love? Here. City Attorney Salzman? Here. City Manager O'Reilly. Here. City Clerk Carico is present. All right. So tonight I get to do for the very first time ever. I get to do a special presentation. You know, in Gallport, we have what's called the Spirit of Gulfport Award. And tonight I get to present it to who some call William Drexler and some call Billy D. So before I ask him to come out here up here for the presentation, this is what I learned. For over 13 years, Billy uh William, quote, Billy D. Drexler has been the heart of the Gulfport Boomerangs, not just as treasurer and teammate, but as a tireless community champion. His leadership has inspired countless acts of service, from food drives to train tour charity fundraisers, all rooted in his deep love for golf port. Billy D's spirit, generosity, and dedication truly embody what this award stands for. With the star, we celebrate this immense value to our community, his immense value to our community.

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