Gulfport City Council Workshop on Watershed Management Plan – November 25, 2025

This workshop, held on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, at 4:00 PM at Gulfport City Hall, focused on the findings and recommendations of the Watershed Management Plan (WMP) presented by Mr. Justin Keller, President of Advanced Engineering & Design. Mayor Love opened the meeting by emphasizing stormwater as the city's top priority and comparing the $13.5 million spent on sewer improvements over the past 9.5 years to the estimated $75 million needed for the six proposed WMP projects. The council discussed the defined level of service, project development assumptions, and the possibility of using green spaces for flood storage. Public comments raised concerns about flooding in specific neighborhoods and sought clarity on maps and technical terms. The council directed staff to evaluate the use of several parks (Climber, Caldwell, Hoyt, and the 19th Avenue circle) as potential flood storage areas.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Shauna Stone (3014 DuPont Street) : Expressed concern that the focus on creating "pretty parks" may distract from fixing drainage systems; reported flooding in her garage from moderate rain and wakes from drivers. Urged the council to address drainage in Town Shores, especially 58th Street and 30th/29th/31st areas.
• Anna (unidentified last name) : Questioned the effectiveness of a drain at the lowest point (59th & 27th) and asked about the path of water from 27th/26th onto 59th Street. Also asked why Wood Ibis pond was not dredged to lower water levels.
• Laura Oldaney (9th Avenue South) : Asked about available funding (Mayor clarified $75 million estimated for six projects vs. $13.5 million spent on sewer). Requested clearer maps for public understanding and suggested involving Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, Forward Pinellas, and rainwater expert Diane Willis for additional ideas. Also suggested analog solutions like signs in flood-prone areas.
• Bob (unidentified last name) : Described contacting a pump project manager from Xylem Pumps who works with Pinellas County, Treasure Island, and Indian Rocks. Handed out drawings and suggested leasing high-capacity pumps (4,000–8,000 GPM) to move stormwater to the bay. Noted that pumping could reduce standing water and sediment issues.
• Michael Thornton (3014 DuPont Street) : A mechanical engineer, he praised the model but asked specific technical questions: whether the report considered historical impacts of Town Shores development and beach parking lot/rec center elevation blocking watershed, whether check valves at outfalls were evaluated, and whether over-pumping during tailwater events (between 1.78 and 3.5 feet NAVD 88) was considered as a mitigation measure.
• Scott Bernstein (Skimmer Point) : Asserted that rainwater on 59th Street flows into a culvert under the guard house and into PYCC, not back to Ibis. Expressed concern that converting parks to water features could pose drowning risks for children during sudden storms. Suggested coordinating with PYCC country club’s planned expansion to align drainage infrastructure.
• Anonymous speaker : Requested simplified, publicly-available materials (slides, explanations) for non-experts, noting that acronyms like BMP were not defined.

Discussion Items

• Mayor Love’s Overview: Stated stormwater is Gulfport's number one issue; highlighted the WMP presentation as a major step. Asked council to address the defined level of service (0, 6, 9 inches of water on streets) and project development assumptions (e.g., not buying homes for stormwater storage). Noted that the vulnerability study will be presented in January 2026, and that funding discussions will be deferred until after that study.
• Justin Keller’s Technical Presentation: Explained that most problematic water originates from the northeast (PYCC basin) and cascades southwest. Addressed cross-boundary water from St. Pete (Bear Creek, 49th Street basin) and concluded that St. Pete water does not significantly impact PYCC. Discussed link-node diagrams and modeling assumptions; acknowledged maps were difficult to read. Responded to council questions about dredging Wood Ibis (explained that it is a wet pond at groundwater level, so dredging would not lower water). Offered to provide recovery floodplains showing how quickly water recedes after storms.
• Councilmember Shaw: Requested more legible maps with legends and a written report; noted that the presentation slides were difficult to interpret and that the full report is due by end of 2025. Suggested that park conversions (e.g., Climber Park) could serve dual purposes.
• Councilmember Early: Asked about BMP 6 (Marina Tidal Flooding Mitigation) – specifically the public-facing platform and sensors for roadway inundation. Learned that these are part of a pilot program to replace backflow valves. Agreed that some projects seem like no-brainers.
• Vice Mayor Thanos: Expressed comfort with the defined level of service. Questioned the assumption that parks should remain entirely green; proposed using parks (Climber, Caldwell, Yolanda, Hoyt) as holding ponds to reduce costs and avoid tearing up Gulfport Boulevard. Mentioned the low-lying property at 59th & 27th as a potential pond site.
• Councilmember Early (continued): Noted that BMP 2 and BMP 3 are sequential to avoid adverse downstream impacts. Supported looking at green space use.
• Mayor Love: Summarized consensus that green space is not off the table; council wants to explore using parks for stormwater storage. Directed staff to have the engineer evaluate specific parks: Climber, Caldwell, Hoyt, and the 19th Avenue circle.

Key Outcomes

• The council unanimously agreed that using city-owned green space (parks) for flood storage should be evaluated, reversing the project assumption that parks remain entirely green. Specific parks mentioned: Climber, Caldwell, Hoyt, and the 19th Avenue circle.
• The council directed Mr. Keller to prepare recovery floodplains (post-storm water depths) to show how quickly water drains from streets, which could help prioritize pipe upgrades.
• The council asked for more user-friendly maps with legends and a simplified public summary of the WMP findings.
• The vulnerability study will be presented in January 2026; funding discussions will occur after that.
• The engineer will review the potential of using the low-lying parcel at 59th & 27th as a pond, though initial assessment suggested it may be too small to make a significant impact.
• The council will consider pump station options but recognized that the magnitude of stormwater (600 CFS) may exceed typical pump capacities (17 CFS).
• No votes were taken; the meeting was a workshop for discussion and direction.