Gulfport City Council Workshop: 2024 Storm Lookback and Future Preparedness - July 22, 2025

The City of Gulfport held a workshop on July 22, 2025, at 6:00 PM at City Hall to review lessons learned from the three major storms of 2024 (Hurricanes Debbie, Helene, and Milton) and discuss upcoming changes under Senate Bill 180. The meeting featured presentations from the city manager, Justin (permitting and dashboard), public works director Tom Nichols, and David (volunteer software), along with two public comment periods. Key themes included improving substantial damage assessments, permitting, code enforcement, communication, and community coordination.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Robert asked about code enforcement on unmaintained properties (hoarding, vegetation) and businesses on Shore Boulevard that remain damaged and uncleaned. He questioned whether the city is fining owners or cleaning up the sites.
• Keith Andrew inquired about the city's preparedness if federal FEMA funding is redirected through the state of Florida, and whether Gulfport has communicated with state emergency management. The mayor responded that state officials have indicated not to count on FEMA, but funding sources remain unclear.
• Matt Bonano (resident) reported frequent storm drain backups on his block (three drains at his intersection) and asked if the city can clean, widen, or add more drains. City manager acknowledged debris issues and tidal limitations but noted drains are televised and cleaned regularly.
• Jeremy Wood (business owner, GC, Lions Club president) expressed frustration with permitting delays, stating he couldn't pull a simple drywall permit, which increased costs for residents. He requested the city reimburse the Lions Club's $886 permit fee, as the club was not notified of substantial damage in time to apply before the free permitting period ended.
• Laurel Oldaney informed the public that the My Safe Florida Home program opens for applications on August 4, 2025, offering up to $10,000 matching funds for hurricane hardening.
• Tom and Kathy Bixler (Alliance Foundation) echoed the Lions Club's request, stating they never received a substantial damage letter until late June, then had to pay $886 for a permit. They asked council to waive the fee under "extreme circumstances."
• Catherine Sullivan asked for a percentage breakdown of substantial vs. non-substantial permits applied for since the hurricanes.

Discussion Items

• Permitting and Substantial Damage Assessment: City manager Jim reviewed the storm sequence and the $176,000 cost for outside plan review (T&M). He stressed the need for strict quality control, real-time damage assessment software, and on-site letter generation. The city has 525 active flood damage prevention cases, down from 637 initial letters. Of those, 473 are open, 52 closed with no damage, 10 with demolition permits, and 9 finalized as conforming. 28 properties with SDE letters >50% have no activity; 12 of those have NFIP claims. One property is a potential substantial damage risk with no communication.
• Senate Bill 180: The city manager outlined new state requirements, including local responsibility for substantial damage assessors (contractors must be hired by the city, not state), public-facing electronic permitting, no look-back period, tenant rights, and required presence of law enforcement/fire at shelters. Training templates from the state are not yet available.
• Code Enforcement: One code enforcement officer currently handles vegetation violations (54 open cases) and unpermitted work (about 100 stop work orders). The city plans to hire additional temporary code enforcement via contractors.
• Public Safety: Deputy Chief Lund and Chief Farrand described pre-storm outreach to special needs residents, water rescues (number not specified), and post-storm security. The police department notified businesses of mandatory closures during state of emergency.
• Communications: Justin presented the hurricane center page and constant contact newsletter (52% open rate, 4,000 contacts). The city uses social media, a call center (893-1000), and pre-storm advisories. He also showed a dashboard tracking flood damage prevention cases.
• Get Connected Volunteer App: David introduced a new software (Galaxy Digital) for organizing volunteers, allowing nonprofits (e.g., Lions Club, Midtown Collective) to post needs and schedules. The app can also support block captain programs and community projects. Training is underway.
• Mayor's Remarks on Gulfport Recovers: The mayor thanked the volunteer group that developed a post-storm recovery guide, now posted on the hurricane page. The guide covers step-by-step actions for residents, including photo documentation, debris removal, and permitting.

Key Outcomes

• No millage increase: The mayor stated that the council has a consensus not to increase the millage rate for the upcoming budget.
• Contractor for Substantial Damage Assessments: The city will contract with a private provider (selected via Pinellas County RFP closing July 24) to supply a floodplain manager and field inspectors, with city oversight to ensure quality control.
• Code Enforcement Resources: The city will seek additional code enforcement personnel, potentially through the same contractor, to handle the backlog of violations (unpermitted work, high grass).
• Training for HOAs: Council discussed the possibility of training for HOA boards on post-storm responsibilities. The mayor suggested coordinating with the Community Association Institute.
• Lions Club and Alliance Foundation Fee Waivers: Council took no immediate action but acknowledged the requests; future discussion may occur.
• Volunteer App Implementation: The Get Connected app will be launched soon, with training for city staff and then community organizations. The app will be named "Gulfport Connects" or similar.
• Future Communication: The city will continue to improve the hurricane page and use town halls for resident updates.