Gulfport City Council Meeting – December 2, 2025

The Gulfport City Council met on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at 6:00 PM at City Hall. The meeting included a presentation on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), public comments, approval of the consent calendar, a second reading of charter amendment Ordinance 2025-12, and resolutions concerning the Lions Club lease payout and annual road paving. A discussion on stormwater management and new business items concluded the meeting, which adjourned around 8:00 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Approved Meeting Minutes (November 18, 2025) – Unanimous.
• Resolution No. 2025-100 – Authorized the City Manager to expend funds for annual audit services with Forvis Mazars, LLP (formerly MSL, P.A.). Unanimous.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Coast Guard Auxiliary (Mr. Bush) – Presented a certificate of appreciation and challenge coin to Mayor Love, thanking the city for providing meeting space and a VHF radio facility after the storms. The auxiliary noted the city’s support helped make Flotilla 716 one of the most progressive in the division.
• Christine Crosby – Expressed concern about the annual holiday parade’s use of fire truck and police alarms, which she found frightening. She requested that the city use music (e.g., jingle bells) instead. City Manager O’Reilly noted the parade was a COVID-era activity and is being sunsetted this year.
• Tom Hanley – Praised the city’s recreational facilities but requested additional weightlifting equipment at Tomlinson Park, noting the new equipment has fewer weight stations. City Manager O’Reilly said he would obtain a price for additional equipment.
• Julia Bull – Urged the council to continue its advertising contract with the Gabber newspaper, stating that not renewing would appear retaliatory and undemocratic. City Manager O’Reilly reported a meeting scheduled with the Gabber to resolve details, clarifying there was no intent to cancel the contract.
• Lenny (public comment on Ordinance 2025-12) – Pointed out typographical errors in Section 302 (use of “both” and “severed” instead of “served”). Council accepted the corrections.
• Jonathan McCoachy (on Resolution 8A) – Stated that the lease required a market value appraisal by an MAI appraiser, and the current appraisal used actual cash value, which he argued would be near zero for the building. He urged the city to obtain a proper appraisal.
• Courtney Prokoppis (reading statement from Lauren Stern) – Expressed dismay that remote public comment was not yet implemented and questioned the Lions Club lease payout, given the building’s damaged condition and impending demolition. She called the terms questionable.

Discussion Items

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) Presentation – Linda Fisher, AICP, Forward Pinellas Executive Planner, presented an overview of ADUs, including state statutes, countywide rules, and regulatory decisions the city must consider. She reviewed 60 estimated ADUs in Gulfport and 113 properties with more than one house per parcel. The council discussed previous consensus on lot size (no minimum), setbacks (current rules), parking (no consensus), owner occupancy (disagreement), and lot coverage (40% limit). Council agreed to refer the matter to the Planning & Zoning Board for further development, using the previous consensus as a starting point. No decisions were made.
• Ordinance No. 2025-12 – Charter Amendments (Second Reading) – City Attorney Salzman summarized the proposed amendments: changes to extraterritorial powers (lease terms reduced from 30 to 5 years), council term limits (three consecutive terms, with a two-year out period and exception for unopposed races), removal of outdated prohibition language, forfeiture of office definitions, and charter review every 5 years. After public comment, the ordinance passed unanimously (4-0; Councilmember Jackson excused).
• Resolution No. 2025-101 – Lions Club Lease Payout – Authorized the City Manager to approve payout per the lease agreement upon termination. Councilmember Early questioned the appraisal, noting the lease required a market value appraisal by an MAI appraiser, but the city obtained an actual cash value appraisal by a state-certified appraiser, resulting in a payout of $538,000. He argued the building had zero value given its age and planned demolition. Council voted unanimously to table the resolution to obtain a proper MAI market value appraisal. Resolution No. 2025-102 – Demolition of Lions Club Building was automatically tabled as well.
• Resolution No. 2025-103 – Roadway Milling and Resurfacing – Assistant Public Works Director Kendrick Sanderson presented the annual paving plan covering 1.4 miles of roads across all wards, including microsurfacing of the Senior Center and Catherine Hickman parking lots. The contractor (Asphalt Paving Systems, Inc.) was $300,000–$400,000 lower than a competing quote. Council approved unanimously. The work is expected to be completed before Christmas or by early January 2026.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar – Approved unanimously.
• Ordinance 2025-12 – Approved unanimously (4-0). Charter amendments will appear on the next ballot.
• Resolution 2025-101 & 2025-102 – Tabled to obtain a new MAI market value appraisal for the Lions Club building. Demolition deferred.
• Resolution 2025-103 – Approved unanimously. Road resurfacing to proceed.
• City Manager Report – Meeting scheduled with Gabber to clarify advertising contract; holiday parade to be sunsetted.
• City Attorney Report – Update on former council member O’Hara investigation: state attorney’s office to decide on charges within weeks; if none filed, small claims case will be pursued.
• Council New Business – Councilmember Early suggested requiring hurricane straps/clips for older homes during re-roofing, increasing pervious surface requirements from 20% to 25–30%, restricting bright exterior lighting (dark sky compliance), and limiting impervious driveways. City Attorney noted potential conflicts with Senate Bill 180. Councilmember Shaw expressed interest in a sign designating Gulfport as home of Stetson College of Law.
• Stormwater Master Plan – Council discussed next steps after a November workshop. The engineer will be asked to study the feasibility of using green space for stormwater retention, possibly at no cost through an adaptation study from Tampa Bay Regional Planning. Further discussions will continue through 2026.