OpenPublica

Accountability starts with access.

© 2026 · Filed for the public record

Use casesAboutAPIPrivacyTermsLinkedIn
Home/Gulfport, Florida/City Council
OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Gulfport City Council Meeting - February 17, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, February 17, 2026
BodyGulfport, Florida
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, February 17, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:27:47

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Unassigned speaker

4:59

Good evening.

Unassigned speaker

5:00

Good evening.

Speaker 1

5:01

And welcome to the February 17th Gulfport City Council meeting.

5:06

Glad to see y'all here on this beautiful evening.

5:10

So tonight we will, if you have your phone on, please turn it off.

5:15

And you know, I always say if you need to have a side conversation, I understand, but just step into the lobby, please.

5:21

I appreciate that.

5:22

And we will start off tonight with the call to order.

5:26

That's me, and then we're gonna go to invocation.

5:29

But what we're gonna do tonight is we're gonna do the invocation, and then we're gonna do a moment of silence, and then we'll do a pledge of allegiance.

5:37

Okay, so remain standing if you will.

5:40

We're gonna do a moment of silence for both uh Reverend Jesse Jackson as well as the victims of the mass shooting in Rhode Island yesterday.

Speaker 2

5:49

Okay.

Speaker 3

5:53

A quote by excuse me, a quote by Reverend Jesse Jackson, may he rest in peace.

5:58

The great responsibility that we have today is to put the poor and the near poor back into the front of the American agenda.

Speaker 4

6:35

Undergone

Speaker 1

6:46

thank you.

6:46

And then with that, we'll do a

Speaker 5

6:47

roll call.

6:48

Councilmember Early.

6:50

Present.

6:50

Vice Mayor Thanos?

6:52

Here.

6:52

Councilmember Shaw.

6:53

Present.

6:54

Councilmember Jackson here.

6:56

Mayor Love.

6:56

Here.

6:57

City Attorney Salzman?

Speaker 1

6:58

Here.

Speaker 5

6:59

City Manager O'Reilly.

7:00

Here.

7:00

City Clerk Carico is present.

Speaker 1

7:03

Thank you.

7:04

So we have one presentation tonight.

7:06

We're very lucky we're gonna kick off with a presentation from one of Gulfport's own.

7:11

Priscilla Kitter is going to do a presentation for us.

7:14

She's working on trying to obtain a grant for the city of Gulfport, and her presentation will be on passive shorelines.

7:22

If you will please, Miss Kidder.

7:27

And because it's recorded, try to talk into the mic.

7:30

I will.

7:31

And you can.

Speaker 6

7:32

Thank you so much for having me here tonight and allowing me to speak.

7:37

Tonight, as Mayor Love said, I would like to speak about living shorelines.

7:41

We have a picture up there.

7:42

My name's Priscilla Kidder.

7:44

I've been a Gulfport resident for over 40 years.

7:48

And we've all been affected by the hurricanes here in Gulfport and storms and various other storm surge events.

7:55

Tonight I'd like to talk about a hybrid living shorelines for Gulfport.

8:01

What are they?

8:03

How does it work?

8:05

And what can it do for the city of Gulfport?

8:09

So thinking ahead 50 years, what can we do to make our bay healthier?

8:15

What can we do to protect the city infrastructure?

8:18

Pictured here is the new constructed seawall down in front of Veterans Park.

8:24

And I'm asking tonight that the city support applying for a Tampa Bay grant for restoring that area with a living shoreline or a hybrid living shoreline.

8:38

Why?

8:41

A hybrid living shoreline will take care of erosion.

8:46

It will protect the seawall.

9:53

But I've

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Engagement████████████████16%
Permitting and Inspections██████████████14%
Environmental Protection█████████████13%
Flood Management█████████████13%
Procedural████████8%
Lighting Ordinance███████7%
Property Appraisal██████6%
Legal Counsel█████5%
Legislative Update████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Gulfport City Council Meeting - February 17, 2026

The Gulfport City Council met on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at 6:00 PM at City Hall. The meeting included a presentation on living shorelines, public comments, approval of two ordinances, three resolutions (one tabled), and several council reports. Key discussions centered on a proposed grant for shoreline restoration, a dispute over the Lions Club lease buyout, and preparations for a workshop on immigration enforcement.

Consent Calendar

  • Item 6.a: Approved minutes from the February 3 and February 5, 2026 meetings unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Lauren Stern (55th Street, Gulfport Coastline Coalition) supported the living shoreline project and later criticized the Lions Club lease payout.
  • Amy Costa (28th Avenue South) reminded the public of the March 1 "For the Love of Gulfport" event.
  • Courtney Prokopis (15th Avenue South) requested detailed data (e.g., number of sworn officers, call types) ahead of the upcoming workshop on the 287(g) mandate, arguing the agreement exceeded the city manager's authority and urged the council to evaluate whether it serves the community's best interest.
  • Wolfgang Dininger (Beachway Park, Gulfport Grassroots) reported on cleanup efforts, noting a rise in cigarette butts on the beach and urging stronger enforcement of the no-smoking ordinance.
  • E‑Comments: Richard Freed complained about an ICE recruitment ad; Deborah Schubs demanded a legal opinion on a missing date on a cemetery annex petition; Sean Simpson (business owner) opposed a proposed one-way street plan affecting 29th Avenue South parking.

Presentation on Passive Shorelines

  • Priscilla Kidder, a 40‑year Gulfport resident, presented a proposal for a hybrid living shoreline at Veterans Park. She requested council support to apply for a Tampa Bay Environmental Restoration Fund (TBERF) grant (annual budget ~$800,000; typical grants $25,000–$250,000, requiring a 1:1 in‑kind match). The project would include oyster domes, oyster bags, and shore grass to reduce erosion, filter stormwater, and protect the seawall. Phase 1 (design/permitting) would take ~12 months; Phase 2 (construction) ~4 months; Phase 3 (monitoring) ~12 months. Council expressed enthusiastic support; no formal vote was needed, but consensus was clear.

Discussion Items

  • City Manager Report: Provided a permitting update: 59 homeowner applications received, 20 issued, 5 awaiting payment. Commercial permits include several projects (e.g., Gulf Shores condominium, a restaurant at 2832 Beach Boulevard, a fitness center at PYCC). Councilmember Vice Mayor Thanos requested data on permit turnaround times and expressed concern about “concierge service” and misinformation.
  • Council Comments: Included updates on the Pink Flamingo Tour (March 7), Tree City USA recognition, solar rebate programs, the federal hurricane recovery grant ($50,000 per household, $813 million for Pinellas County), fish deaths at Wood Ibis pond, and a legislative report from Councilmember Shaw on property tax proposals, sovereign immunity, and local business tax issues. Mayor Love noted the potential merger of three planning councils into one Tampa Bay regional council.

Ordinances – Second Reading & Public Hearings

  • Ordinance 2026-01 (Recovery Residences): Amended the zoning code to create procedures for certified recovery residences, complying with state law. Approved unanimously (5–0).
  • Ordinance 2026-02 (Residential Lighting Nuisance): Added residential lighting to the nuisance ordinance. Council discussed next steps to develop specific standards (lumens, height, etc.) with a new ordinance to be drafted by the city attorney within ~60 days. Approved unanimously (5–0).

Resolutions

  • Resolution 2026-08 (Summer Rec Fees): Adopted a fee schedule for the 2026 Children’s Summer Recreation Program. Council noted the program is affordable and praised no increase. Approved unanimously (5–0).
  • Resolution 2026-09 (Water Valves): Authorized a contract with Colt Services, LLC for potable water insert valves on the 58th Street Roadway Project. Approved unanimously (5–0).
  • Resolution 2026-10 (Lions Club Lease Payout): Authorized payment of $227,500 (50% of an MAI appraisal valuing the building at $455,000) to the Gulfport Lions Club per lease terms. After extensive debate, Council tabled the item to ask the appraiser to verify assumptions (building age, depreciation, flood damage, and comparable sales). The matter will return at the March 3 meeting.

Key Outcomes

  • Living Shoreline Grant: Council informally supported Ms. Kidder’s grant application; she will proceed with city staff.
  • Ordinances 2026-01 and 2026-02 both passed unanimously.
  • Resolutions 2026-08 and 2026-09 passed unanimously.
  • Resolution 2026-10 tabled unanimously for fact‑checking.
  • New Business: Councilmember Early introduced a proposal for a dog run at Tomlinson Park in Ward 4 (further details forthcoming). Councilmember Shaw invited the Gulfport Young Families Council to present a proposal for childcare during city meetings; consensus was reached to schedule a presentation.
  • Next Meeting: Regular council meeting scheduled for March 3, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. Good evening. And welcome to the February 17th Gulfport City Council meeting. Glad to see y'all here on this beautiful evening. So tonight we will, if you have your phone on, please turn it off. And you know, I always say if you need to have a side conversation, I understand, but just step into the lobby, please. I appreciate that. And we will start off tonight with the call to order. That's me, and then we're gonna go to invocation. But what we're gonna do tonight is we're gonna do the invocation, and then we're gonna do a moment of silence, and then we'll do a pledge of allegiance. Okay, so remain standing if you will. We're gonna do a moment of silence for both uh Reverend Jesse Jackson as well as the victims of the mass shooting in Rhode Island yesterday. Okay. A quote by excuse me, a quote by Reverend Jesse Jackson, may he rest in peace. The great responsibility that we have today is to put the poor and the near poor back into the front of the American agenda. Undergone thank you. And then with that, we'll do a roll call. Councilmember Early. Present. Vice Mayor Thanos? Here. Councilmember Shaw. Present. Councilmember Jackson here. Mayor Love. Here. City Attorney Salzman? Here. City Manager O'Reilly. Here. City Clerk Carico is present. Thank you. So we have one presentation tonight. We're very lucky we're gonna kick off with a presentation from one of Gulfport's own. Priscilla Kitter is going to do a presentation for us. She's working on trying to obtain a grant for the city of Gulfport, and her presentation will be on passive shorelines. If you will please, Miss Kidder. And because it's recorded, try to talk into the mic. I will. And you can. Thank you so much for having me here tonight and allowing me to speak. Tonight, as Mayor Love said, I would like to speak about living shorelines. We have a picture up there. My name's Priscilla Kidder. I've been a Gulfport resident for over 40 years. And we've all been affected by the hurricanes here in Gulfport and storms and various other storm surge events. Tonight I'd like to talk about a hybrid living shorelines for Gulfport. What are they?

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com