Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.
The Gulfport City Council met on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at 6:00 PM at City Hall. The agenda included a proclamation recognizing 211 Day, a presentation by Mayor Love on downtown traffic circulation and parking, public comment on topics including the city's ICE agreement and proposed lease charter amendments, and votes on a residential lighting ordinance and a resolution affirming Gulfport as an inclusive city.
Proclamation – First Contact (211 Day): Mayor Love proclaimed February 11, 2026, as National 211 Day. Councilmember Jackson presented the proclamation to Sasha St. Felix, Director of First Contact (formerly 211 Tampa Bay Cares). The proclamation noted that 211 responded to over 62,000 calls, texts, emails, and online requests from Pinellas County residents in 2025.
Mayor Love – Downtown Traffic Flow, Parking, and Speed Limits: Mayor Love presented an unscientific proposal aimed at increasing pedestrian and bike safety, and adding parking without constructing a garage. Key elements included converting 54th Street (southbound) and 56th Street (northbound) to one-way, along with several avenues between 54th and 56th (29th, 31st eastbound; 30th, Dellette westbound); adding angled parking; lowering speed limits on Beach, Shore, 56th, and 54th to 20 mph; establishing designated handicap and golf cart parking; and adding 15-minute parking spots. The Mayor requested consensus to hold a public workshop on March 26 to gather public input. Council members expressed general support for starting the conversation.
Item 8.a – Resolution 2026-06 (Sunsetting the Senior Citizens Advisory Committee on Aging): The resolution passed unanimously. Sunsetting the committee allows its members to operate without the constraints of Florida’s Sunshine Law, enabling more flexible planning.
Item 8.b – Resolution 2026-07 (Affirming Commitment to be an Inclusive City): The council adopted a resolution affirming the city’s commitment to inclusivity and acknowledging its history. Following a suggestion from the public, the title was amended from “all-inclusive” to “inclusive.” The amended resolution passed 4 to 1 (Vice Mayor Thanos opposed).
I didn't even realize it was six o'clock already. I was busy talking. So welcome to our February third meeting. Thank you for coming out on this cold night. I appreciate it. And we will just double check your phones, make sure your phones are off. I just turned mine off. I didn't even think I had mine in here. Turn off your phones. If you need any side conversations, that's absolutely okay, just take them out to the hallway. And with that in mind, we will start with the invocation by Nancy Early, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, please stand. Never be limited by other people's limited imaginations. Here. And whereas in Pinellas County, 211 services are provided by first contact, ensuring individuals and families have access to compassionate, accurate, and timely information and referrals when they need help most. And whereas 211 provides expert caring assistance by list listening to callers, identifying underlying needs, and connecting people with the appropriate community resources that help stabilize households and improve quality of life. And whereas in 2025, 211 responded to more than 62,000 calls, text, emails, and online requests from Pinellas County residents seeking assistance with critical needs. And whereas 211 addresses the root cause causes of challenges facing individuals and families by identifying presenting issues and connecting them to a wide range of available resources, not solely the service that prompted the initial contact. And whereas 211 maintains a finger on the pulse of community needs by collecting and analyzing health and human services data, which is used by local governments, emergency managers, and community planeters planners to inform decision making and improve services. And whereas 211 strengthens the efficiency and effectiveness of the local service social services ecosystem by ensuring individuals are connected to the right services at the right time, reducing duplication and barriers to care. Now, therefore, Karen Love, Mayor of the City of Gulfport, Florida, does hereby proclaim the month of February and especially February 11th, 211, as National 211 Day. She urges every resident to recognize the vital role of 211, promote awareness of this essential resource, and support a more connected and compassionate community for all. Could you go up? Yeah, thank you. Yeah, yeah. So we asked Councilmember Jackson to present this to you because she was the one that specifically requested this proclamation. Thank you, everyone. Oh, thank you. Thank you. Just now. All right. Thank you, Miss Jackson. All right. And then the next thing that we have tonight is a presentation, and it's going to be given by me. And it's going to deal with uh the downtown area, traffic flow, parking, and speed limits. So you got the pointer ready? I got the pointer ready. All right, routine then. Okay. So what I say would like to say to start is good evening, council, staff. Thank you for being here tonight and for this opportunity to present to you my plan on the things that I've been hearing for the last 10 to 12 years. Okay. So uh one of the things that we do acknowledge from time to time is that our job is not to only solve the problems of today, but we should be preparing our city for the future. And that's one of the things that I'd like to do. But today it's only going to be focused and limited to the downtown area. Um, the issues that I want to address are the safety issues, causing our city to be more pedestrian and bike-friendly, and also increasing parking without adding in a garage. I find that uh about I'm gonna say half our residents would like a parking garage, and half our residents didn't, and so what I'm gonna try and present tonight is a way to do it without increasing to without having to add a garage. Um over the last 12 to 13 years that I've been at meetings, I've heard this topic been brought up several times. Um we just never got there.