Gulfport City Council Meeting – June 3, 2025

The Gulfport City Council met on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at 6:00 PM at Gulfport City Hall. The meeting opened with an invocation by Councilmember Nancy Earley and the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll call was taken with all council members present: Councilmember Earley, Vice Mayor Thanos, Councilmember Shaw, Councilmember Jackson, Mayor Love, City Attorney Evans (standing in), City Manager O'Reilly, and City Clerk Carico. The agenda included a hurricane preparedness presentation, public comment, consent items, a resolution endorsing the Gulfport Coastline Coalition, and a discussion on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).

Presentations

• Hurricane Preparedness Update – Justin Shea, Cultural Facilities Events Supervisor, presented the 2025 NOAA hurricane outlook predicting an above-average season: 13–19 named storms, 6–10 hurricanes, and 3–5 major hurricanes. He highlighted the new "Pledge to Evacuate" on the city's Hurricane Center page (MyGulfport.us), which serves approximately 5,000 utility customers, with about 1,400 homes in the FEMA special flood hazard area. He urged residents to prepare emergency kits, secure properties, and plan for pets. Special needs evacuation registration is available through Gulfport Fire and Rescue. The Citizens Information Call Center (727-893-1000) will be activated during storms. Boater safety placards were distributed to 65 vessels on Boca Ciega Bay on May 22, 2025.

Consent Calendar

• Resolution No. 2025-50 – A resolution appointing a resident trustee to the Gulfport Municipal Police Officers' Trust Fund (Pension Board). Approved unanimously.
• Meeting Minutes – Approval of minutes from the May 20, 2025 meeting. Approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Jeremy Wood (60th Street, licensed contractor) – Commented on permitting inefficiencies, suggesting the city recruit trained staff from other jurisdictions and use the Accela system like Pinellas County.
• Ingrid Bredenberg (56th Street) – Requested that when advisory groups or committees are formed, the city clarify their purpose, criteria, and selection process, and that newly hired or promoted staff be introduced with their qualifications.
• Catherine Kelly and Linda Breen (Gulfport Pride) – Announced the new Gulfport Pride board and the upcoming Pride event on Saturday, June 7, 2025, including a raffle and vibrator race to benefit local nonprofits.
• Deb Atkins (27th Avenue) – Referenced a Tampa Bay Times article (May 31) about Pinellas County revising storm permitting to allow residents to use contractor estimates without waiting for substantial damage determinations. Asked Gulfport to adopt a similar strategy.
• Wolfgang Dininger (Gulfport Grassroots) – Reported a spontaneous clean-up of three vacant homes on June 2, and announced the next scheduled "Beyond the Beach Cleanup" on June 14, 2025, from 8–10 AM at Pavilion #4 on Gulfport Beach.
• Scott Lindy (60th Street, Gulfport Merchants Chamber of Commerce) – Invited everyone to the June 14 mixer, celebrating the 25th anniversary of Gecko Season, with a new website and membership software.
• Lenny Gukenheimer (Dillette Avenue) – Expressed concern about information flow from staff to council, suggesting a charter amendment to protect council-staff communication. Also noted the Fusion 49th district meeting was well-attended.
• John Rintels (Dillette Avenue) – Praised the resiliency workshop but urged council to "walk the talk" on resilience, especially regarding development in flood zones. He warned against repeating mistakes like those at Town Shores that increased flooding.
• MJ Kozelowski (27th Avenue/58th Street) – Thanked Vice Mayor Thanos and Justin Shea for assistance during the disaster; asked if special needs shelters have pet areas.
• Courtney Pro Capis (15th Avenue South) – Noted that council meetings were streamed over 2,400 times between April 1 and May 7, and requested virtual public comment participation. She thanked the city for recording the hurricane seminar and resiliency workshop, and suggested a workshop on accessibility.
• Marilyn McClellan (56th Street) – Raised a chronic flooding issue at 56th and 25th Avenue South due to an unmaintained income property; asked for enforcement.
• Amy Costa (28th Avenue, Wonderworks owner) – Requested a crosswalk or traffic light on Gulfport Boulevard between 52nd and 58th Streets to improve pedestrian safety, noting the road is a county evacuation route but the city might fund it.
• Jeanette Sells (26th Avenue South) – Urged the city to consider acquiring the 31st Avenue South parcel for a park, possibly via eminent domain, and suggested a referendum to let residents decide on funding.
• Paula Roy (Del Rio Way South) – Described her 8-month struggle to obtain permits after Hurricane Helene; questioned why 127 of 525 active flood cases have not applied for permits, and asked what consequences exist for non-compliance.

Discussion Items

• City Manager Report on Permitting Enforcement – Justin Shea explained that courtesy letters were sent on May 30 to 98 property owners with less than 50% damage who had not applied for permits, and 29 certified letters to those with over 50% damage who had not responded. The goal is compliance; next steps could include notices of violation and daily fines. The city is also waiting for a FEMA audit.
• Council Comments and Reports – Councilmembers discussed various topics:
  • Councilmember Early reported on Fusion 49th’s second anniversary meeting and the 49th Street safety study recommendations (lane reduction, bike lane).
  • Vice Mayor Thanos discussed plans for community block groups (like CrimeWatch), tree limb/root rights, condo vs. house flood repair rules, and a town hall on June 25 at 6 PM at the Neighborhood Center featuring a Florida League of Cities speaker.
  • Councilmember Shaw thanked staff for Memorial Day commemoration, rec center reopening, and Pride flag raising; clarified that permitting concerns are about the system, not staff; and reported on the Tampa Bay Resiliency Planning Council kickoff, emphasizing prevention and a 45-year vision.
  • Councilmember Jackson addressed email blocking (non-intentional), suggested budgeting for a resiliency officer or grant writer, and asked for a presentation from an expert on permitting process improvements. She also requested a police chief update on fireworks rules for July 4th.
  • Mayor Love reported on the Forward Pinellas meeting (June 9), the Tampa Bay Resiliency Planning Council meeting at Stetson, and her meeting with Palms of Pasadena Hospital CEO who dispelled rumors of closure (they are moving ICU to St. Petersburg). She also noted the termination of Kinetic fundraising for the senior center and the need for a plan B.
• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) Discussion – City Manager O'Reilly presented an overview: Florida statute defines ADUs, and the city's comprehensive plan currently prohibits density increases in the coastal high-hazard zone. Council consensus was to explore ADUs using the existing 40% floor area ratio rule, with no minimum lot size, but with restrictions such as owner-occupancy likely and no ADUs in high-hazard flood zones. A special meeting or workshop will be scheduled to align council positions before drafting ordinances.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar – Resolution 2025-50 and May 20 meeting minutes approved unanimously.
• Resolution 2025-51 – Endorsing the Gulfport Coastline Coalition passed unanimously (5-0). Councilmembers noted the city's comprehensive plan supports such acquisitions, but funding remains a challenge.
• Permitting Enforcement – The city will monitor responses to courtesy letters before moving to enforcement actions. The portal will continue to show SDE letters for non-compliant properties.
• ADU Exploration – Council agreed to proceed with discussion; staff will compile council positions on key questions (owner-occupancy, parking, height, flood zone exclusion) and schedule a special meeting to determine if a full workshop is needed.
• RFP for Permitting Efficiency Expert – Council authorized Assistant City Manager David Mathers to issue a short-form RFP to solicit proposals from up to three companies to evaluate and improve the permitting process, with costs to be presented to council.
• Future Meetings – The next council meeting is June 17, 2025; a town hall (June 25), a workshop in July, and a special ADU meeting in August/July are planned. Mayor Love announced a "Gulfport 2050" town hall in September for long-term visioning.
• Ethics Case – Council will discuss withdrawing the pending ethics case against Vice Mayor Thanos at the next meeting, with the regular city attorney present.