Meeting colors

OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Gulfport City Council Meeting – June 2, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, June 2, 2026

BodyGulfport, Florida

SessionCity Council

DateTuesday, June 2, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 3:05:17

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

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.

Speaker 1

4:52

For those of you that are new here, let me just tell you a couple of things.

4:55

Okay.

4:56

Uh we start on time.

Unassigned speaker

4:58

There's no such thing as ending on time, unfortunately.

Speaker 1

5:01

Um but we do start on time.

5:04

If you haven't double checked your phone three times, please do, because we don't want to hear it buzzing or beeping or music or anything like that.

5:12

And then the other thing I just ask is that um if you have the need to have a conversation with the person sitting next to you, that's fine, but do it in the lobby, okay?

5:21

Because we only want one conversation going on at the time.

Unassigned speaker

5:25

Uh

Speaker 1

5:26

so with that, I'm gonna I've called the meeting to order now, and we are going to start with our invocation by council member Nancy Early, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Speaker 2

5:36

Good evening.

5:37

My quote is from Harvey Milk, American politician and first openly gay man to be elected in public office in California.

5:44

It takes no compromise to give people their rights, it takes no money to respect the individual, it takes no political deal to give people freedom, and it takes no survey to remove repression.

Speaker 1

5:59

I pledge allegiance to the flag on the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, individual

Speaker 3

6:11

with liberty and justice for

Unassigned speaker

6:13

all.

Speaker 1

6:18

Super.

6:18

So roll call, please, city clerk.

Speaker 4

6:20

Councilmember Early.

6:22

Present.

6:22

Councilmember Donch.

6:24

Here.

6:24

Vice Mayor Shaw.

6:25

Present.

6:26

Councilmember Webb, present.

6:28

Mayor Love.

6:29

Here.

6:30

City Attorney Salzman.

6:31

Here.

6:31

City Manager O'Reilly.

6:33

City Clerk Carico is present.

6:35

Super.

Speaker 1

6:36

So tonight we're gonna start off.

6:37

We have two presentations.

6:39

And the first one is gonna be what's called it's a mouthful, utility rate sufficiency study.

6:46

So I don't know Andrew Burnham, but I assume he's here.

6:51

Oh very good.

6:52

Oh, yes, I recognize you.

6:53

All righty.

6:54

So if you'd like to come on up and give your presentation, that would be great.

6:58

And I see one of our city employees in charge of billing departments, Sonia's here also.

Sonia Leavert · Speaker 5Inferred

7:05

Good evening, Mayor and City Council.

7:08

Um my name is Sonia Leavert, the director of utility billing customer service, and I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce Andrew Burnham.

7:17

He's the vice president for Stantech.

7:20

Um he has worked with the city of Gulfport for many, many years on our utility rate sufficiency studies, and he has also worked with many communities throughout the state of Florida, as well as many of our neighbors in the Tampa Bay area.

7:38

Umrew and his team have worked for several months looking at our utility infrastructure, financial information, and the future needs for the city of Gulfport.

7:58

So with that, I would like to hand this over to Andrew Burnham.

Speaker 6

8:01

Thanks, Sonia.

Speaker 1

8:02

Thank

Sonia Leavert · Speaker 5Inferred

8:02

you.

Speaker 6

8:03

Good evening, Mayor, Commissioners.

8:05

Uh so I do have a brief presentation that summarizes the in-depth analysis that Sonia mentioned that we went through to analyze the sufficiency of your utility rates to meet your identified operating in capital cost.

8:15

And so that's really what's at the crux of the conversation today.

8:18

So I always like to start the conversation with a bit of context and history in terms of refresher.

8:23

So as Sony mentioned, we've been working with the city for several years now, trying to make sure that we can provide the highest level of service at the lowest possible cost to our residents in the near term and the long term, meaning sustainably funding our infrastructure, covering our operating cost, investing in infrastructure that saves money on the operating side, which for us means trying to reduce the volumes that we send to the city of St.

8:43

Petersburg for treatment and disposal, so investing to try to save money.

8:47

And through that process, you know, we've made a number of recommendations over the year.

8:51

So just going back to 2023, that was the last time rates were restructured.

8:56

There was no increase in utility rates that year, but a rate restructuring that some of you may remember where we removed a minimum allowance that was in the fixed charge, and so people really just paid for what they were using to make the rate structure more fair and equitable for what folks were using.

9:09

And then subsequent and as part of that, there was a three-year rate plan adopted.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Zoning Regulations█████████████13%

Procedural█████████9%

Community Events█████████9%

Water And Wastewater Management████████8%

Accessory Dwelling Units████████8%

Budget Equity Analysis██████6%

Public Works████4%

Public Engagement████4%

Fiscal Sustainability████4%

Summary of Proceedings

Gulfport City Council Meeting – June 2, 2026

The Gulfport City Council met on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 6:00 PM in Gulfport City Hall. The meeting featured presentations on the utility rate sufficiency study and the annual audit, public comments on a variety of topics, consideration of ordinances and resolutions, and council reports. Key actions included approval of a resident-only parking ordinance repeal, first reading of an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance with an amendment removing a nonprofit exception, authorization of a Vet Sports volleyball tournament, and approval of a School Resource Officer agreement with the Pinellas County School Board (4-1). The council also set a June 18 workshop to discuss the potential impact of state homestead exemption expansion.

Consent Calendar

Item 6.a. Approved meeting minutes from May 19, 2026, unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

Diana Schwartz (Gulfport/South Pasadena) announced the sixth annual Juneteenth celebration on June 6 at Tomlinson Park, 5–9 PM.
Eileen Corning and Bill Griffo (Gulfport Senior Foundation) presented the foundation’s new logo and mission pillars; noted a Duke grant for emergency kits; invited council to a June 20 veterans event.
Tim Walters (Gulfport) opposed the proposed 8% garbage fee increase, noting a cumulative 16.6% rise versus 5.3% Social Security COLA; questioned the 7.36% profit margin in garbage fees; asked about twice-weekly pickup changes and outsourcing.
April Danos (Gulfport) supported looking at different service sizes for garbage; asked for an update on the stormwater adaptation survey.
Aaron Angst (former Gulfport resident) and Joshua Forst (South Pasadena), representing Parkview and the volleyball community, petitioned (140 signatures) for a live beach cam, proposing a one-year pilot with local partners.
Sharon Wheeler (Gulfport) advocated hiring professional grant writers, citing time savings and higher success rates.
Amy Costa (Wonderworks, Gulfport) promoted the June 6 Pride Festival in downtown Gulfport.
Marilyn McClellan (Gulfport) praised the Pride event; raised concerns about dog waste at Clymer Park and suggested signage like at Ibis Park.
Lenny Gukenheimer (Gulfport) thanked the city for hosting a candidate evening for the Democratic Club.
Wolfgang Dininger (Gulfport) announced a June 13 beach cleanup (8–10 AM) and a June 15 Nordic walking class at the senior center (5:30 PM).
Jonathan McCoachy (Gulfport) requested a visible screen for council and audience.
Tom Hanley (Gulfport) advocated for bicycle infrastructure, citing the Netherlands and St. Petersburg; suggested trails along 55th and 49th Streets.
Margaret Tober (e‑comment) thanked public works staff Deanna and Kelsey.
Courtney Procopis (Gulfport) expressed support for ADUs near Stetson University but urged careful parking regulations.
Laura Botsford (Gulfport) shared a positive duplex-living experience and supported ADUs with garage apartments.
Amy Costa (Gulfport) urged reconsideration of excluding coastal high-hazard zones from ADU eligibility.
Jonathan (Gulfport, planning & zoning member) recommended sending the ADU ordinance back to P&Z for further discussion on nonprofit ownership and contiguous properties.
Courtney Procopis (Gulfport) opposed the SRO resolution without safeguards regarding 287G-trained officers.

Discussion Items

Utility Rate Sufficiency Study (Andrew Burnham, Stantec): Presented a 45‑minute overview of the city’s water, sewer, and stormwater financial plan. Key points:
- The current three‑year rate plan (adopted 2023) is performing as expected; no changes recommended. Rates increased 8% in 2026 for water/sewer, $1/month for stormwater; similar increases planned for 2027 and 2028 (dropping to ~5% in 2028).
- 60% of operating costs go to St. Petersburg for water purchase and wastewater treatment. Despite a 17% reduction in flow from capital improvements, St. Pete rate increases caused a 74% expense rise from 2021–2030.
- A typical 2,000‑gallon customer’s total utility bill is ~$112, increasing ~$8.89 (8%) in the next year. The city’s rates are at the average of nearby communities.
- A new watershed master plan identified ~$85 million in stormwater projects. To fund them via rates alone would require doubling the current stormwater fee (~$14/month increase) generating $1.4M/year; debt financing could accelerate projects.
- Council questions addressed I&I reduction, storm impacts, and comparisons to St. Petersburg’s GO bond approach for resiliency.
Audit Overview (Jeff Wolf, Forvis Mazars): Presented the annual comprehensive financial report for FY2025 (ended September 30, 2025). All audit reports were clean (unmodified opinion, no findings). Highlights:
- Net position decreased $1.8M in governmental activities and $1M in business‑type activities, primarily due to storms in 2024–2025.
- General fund balance decreased $3.6M, but reserves remained healthy; a $4M insurance recovery was recorded.
- City met federal single audit threshold due to FEMA disaster recovery grant; no issues noted.
- Management’s discussion and analysis provides detailed explanations.
Ordinance 2026-04 (ADU ordinance): First reading, tabled from May 19. Debate focused on a sentence added by staff allowing nonprofit/educational/institutional ownership with an exception to owner‑occupancy. Councilmembers expressed concern that the addition was not vetted by Planning & Zoning and could lead to dorm‑like situations. The motion was amended (maker and second agreed) to strike the nonprofit exception, reverting to the original P&Z recommendation requiring owner occupancy of either the principal dwelling or ADU. The amended ordinance passed 5‑0 on first reading. Council also discussed requiring a restrictive covenant to prohibit short‑term rentals and to clarify that trustees living on property satisfy occupancy.
City Manager Report (Jim O’Reilly):
- Property appraiser’s estimated value increase is 0.72%, reflecting aging properties, demolitions, and condominium reserve requirements.
- Confirmed the city will not receive the requested $3M congressional earmark for the senior center.
- Noted the Florida legislature passed a homestead exemption expansion (to $150K in first year, $250K in second, with goal of elimination). Property taxes are 33% of city revenue. Staff has begun curbing discretionary spending and reducing positions by attrition. A workshop is set for June 18 at 6 PM to present first‑year impacts and discuss service cuts.
Council Reports:
- Councilmember Donch highlighted Code Enforcement Week, a historic walk, invasive plant cleanup (8,400 lbs removed), Memorial Day ceremony, Pride parade, and her office hours.
- Vice Mayor Shaw urged fiscal caution given unknown future reimbursements and called for thoughtful stewardship.
- Councilmember Webb reported on the St. Petersburg GO SPAR resiliency plan (2.7B in projects), which may affect Gulfport; discussed leveraging Penny for Pinellas funds with state/federal grants; supported efforts to have all Gulfport children attend Gulfport Elementary (redistricting opportunity).
- Mayor Love reported on Forward Pinellas merger (10 seats Hillsborough, 8 Pinellas, 5 Pasco; Pinellas seats allocated with one rotating among small cities).

Key Outcomes

Ordinance 2026-03 (Resident‑only parking removal): Passed unanimously on second reading.
Ordinance 2026-04 (ADU regulations): Passed on first reading as amended (nonprofit exception removed). Will proceed to second reading after further review.
Resolution 2026-35 (Payment to C.A.P. Government for plan review): Passed unanimously.
Resolution 2026-36 (Vet Sports volleyball tournament): Passed unanimously. Three tournaments approved; temporary courts will not block public beach access.
Resolution 2026-37 (School Resource Officer agreement): Passed 4‑1 (Vice Mayor Shaw dissenting due to unanswered questions about 287G‑trained officers serving in schools).
Consensus reached:
- Gulfport Environmental Team to present at a July council meeting (July 7 or 21).
- Support for gridding Gulfport Elementary to include all Gulfport students.
- Creation of a Centurion Club to honor residents reaching age 100, with first induction at the next meeting.
Future workshop: June 18, 2026, 6 PM, on the state homestead exemption expansion and its budget impacts.

Meeting Transcript

For those of you that are new here, let me just tell you a couple of things. Okay. Uh we start on time. There's no such thing as ending on time, unfortunately. Um but we do start on time. If you haven't double checked your phone three times, please do, because we don't want to hear it buzzing or beeping or music or anything like that. And then the other thing I just ask is that um if you have the need to have a conversation with the person sitting next to you, that's fine, but do it in the lobby, okay? Because we only want one conversation going on at the time. Uh so with that, I'm gonna I've called the meeting to order now, and we are going to start with our invocation by council member Nancy Early, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Good evening. My quote is from Harvey Milk, American politician and first openly gay man to be elected in public office in California. It takes no compromise to give people their rights, it takes no money to respect the individual, it takes no political deal to give people freedom, and it takes no survey to remove repression. I pledge allegiance to the flag on the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, individual with liberty and justice for all. Super. So roll call, please, city clerk. Councilmember Early. Present. Councilmember Donch. Here. Vice Mayor Shaw. Present. Councilmember Webb, present. Mayor Love. Here. City Attorney Salzman. Here. City Manager O'Reilly. City Clerk Carico is present. Super. So tonight we're gonna start off. We have two presentations. And the first one is gonna be what's called it's a mouthful, utility rate sufficiency study. So I don't know Andrew Burnham, but I assume he's here. Oh very good. Oh, yes, I recognize you. All righty. So if you'd like to come on up and give your presentation, that would be great. And I see one of our city employees in charge of billing departments, Sonia's here also. Good evening, Mayor and City Council. Um my name is Sonia Leavert, the director of utility billing customer service, and I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce Andrew Burnham. He's the vice president for Stantech. Um he has worked with the city of Gulfport for many, many years on our utility rate sufficiency studies, and he has also worked with many communities throughout the state of Florida, as well as many of our neighbors in the Tampa Bay area. Umrew and his team have worked for several months looking at our utility infrastructure, financial information, and the future needs for the city of Gulfport. So with that, I would like to hand this over to Andrew Burnham. Thanks, Sonia. Thank you.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI

TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com