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Record of Proceedings

Gulfport City Council Meeting Summary - July 21, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, July 21, 2026
BodyGulfport, Florida
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, July 21, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:54:20

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

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

9:26

Well, welcome.

9:27

Thank you for attending.

9:29

I don't even know today's due to a date.

9:31

It's July, I believe.

9:33

Thank you for attending the July 2026 meeting.

9:37

Um we have a small crowd, I'm not sure why.

9:40

I'm I'm used to seeing bigger crowds these days.

9:43

Would everybody take a second and just make sure their telephone is off?

9:48

I appreciate that.

9:49

And then with that in mind, we will uh start tonight's meeting with the invocation given by Councilmember Dodge, and then we'll go right to Pledge of Allegiance.

9:58

So stand if you can.

Speaker 2

10:01

Robert Ingler Soul said we rise by lifting others.

10:05

And Margaret Mead said, never believe that a few caring people can't change the world, for indeed that's all who ever have.

10:12

So today, on national be someone day, be someone's reason to believe that there are still good people in the world.

Unassigned speaker

10:23

I

Speaker 3

10:23

congratulations to the fly

Unassigned speaker

10:25

of

Speaker 3

10:26

the United States of America

Unassigned speaker

10:28

and to the Republic for which is one nation under our team and justice for all.

Speaker 4

10:42

Councilmember Dodge?

10:43

Here.

10:44

Vice Mayor Shaw, present.

10:46

Councilmember Webb.

10:47

Present.

10:47

Council Member Early,

Speaker 5

10:49

present.

Speaker 4

10:49

Mayor Love here.

10:50

City Attorney Salzman.

10:52

Here.

10:52

City Manager O'Reilly.

10:53

City Clerk Carico is present.

10:56

Very good.

Speaker 1

10:57

All right.

10:57

So tonight we actually have two presentations.

11:00

We had thought that the juvenile welfare board might show up and we were going to give them a proclamation or read a proclamation for them, but they're not here tonight.

11:09

So we get to meet Mr.

11:11

Witt Blanton.

11:13

He is the executive director of Ford Pinellas, and sometimes you hear me report on Ford Pinellas because I get to sit on that board.

11:20

So please, if you would.

Speaker 6

11:24

Good evening.

Speaker 7

11:26

Thank you all for having me.

11:27

It's nice to be here.

11:28

It's been a little while since I've been to Gulfport.

11:31

But thanks for carving out a little time on the agenda for me to give you an update.

11:35

I wanted to cover a few things that are going on both regionally and countywide level that are important.

11:43

And I've been making the rounds to all the local governments.

11:53

Just to make sure everybody is updated.

11:55

And there's a couple things that there'll be some follow-up activities.

12:04

And I was hired when we unified the Pinellas Planning Council and the Pinellas County Metropolitan Planning Organization to align land use and transportation decision making countywide.

12:14

And I think it's been it's been good for the most part.

12:17

And we're really happy to have Mayor Love on the board and to add that perspective from a great city of Gulfport.

12:25

So just so you're aware, we um are one of 27 metropolitan planning organizations in Florida that represent the urban areas of the state, but none of them operate like we do, uh, that have that land use transportation linkage.

12:37

So we're unique.

12:38

Uh it has put a little bit of a target on our back at times from the legislature who wonder you know what we're doing.

12:43

Um, but we've advanced some really good projects over the years, and our job is to bring federal transportation dollars and state transportation dollars into the into the county by prioritizing projects.

12:54

Uh and on the land use side, we really simply make sure that uh planned development is happening in a way that is consistent with and supported by local governments, it's not a one-size-fits-all approach.

13:07

Um, so uh our governing board is comprised of 19 members.

13:11

Uh it expanded in size a few years ago after the 2020 census, and we have been um

Unassigned speaker

13:18

uh

Speaker 7

13:18

fortunate to have uh a large number of county commissioners, city of St.

Summary of Proceedings

Gulfport City Council Meeting Summary – July 21, 2026

The Gulfport City Council convened on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at 6:00 PM at Gulfport City Hall. The agenda featured presentations on regional transportation and environmental initiatives, public comments on city services, the unanimous approval of several resolutions, and the selection of a new "Welcome to Gulfport" sign for Trolley Market Square.

Presentations & Reports

  • Forward Pinellas Overview: Executive Director Whit Blanton presented on the agency's role in transportation funding and countywide planning. He discussed the potential merger of the Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Pasco MPOs, the decoupling of the Pinellas Planning Council from the MPO, and plans to streamline land use reviews for non-controversial parcels.
  • Gulfport Environmental Team (GET) Tree Canopy Analysis: Dean Hay reported the city's tree canopy increased from 23.1% (2023) to 28.8% (2026), achieving the 30% goal set by the prior council. Impervious surfaces grew by 6.1% largely on private property. GET recommended adopting a 32% canopy goal by 2032, annual planting of 200–300 shade trees, implementing a 25% minimum greenspace requirement, and creating a $5,000 pilot stormwater program. Council requested a written report before further action.
  • Flock Camera Explanation: The Police Chief confirmed Gulfport uses five license plate recognition (LPR) cameras. Data is stored for 30 days, no facial recognition is used, and access is restricted to law enforcement. The system has aided in solving crimes and recovering stolen vehicles.
  • City Attorney Update: The City Attorney advised the council on restrictions regarding the property tax referendum (can educate, cannot advocate) and announced a lawsuit against former Councilmember O'Hara seeking triple damages under civil theft.

Consent Calendar

  • Item 6.a: Approved meeting minutes from July 7, 2026.
  • Item 6.b: Adopted Resolution No. 2026-48 appointing a member to the Planning & Zoning Board. (All consent items passed unanimously.)

Public Comments & Testimony

  • April Thanos (Resident): Expressed support for tree preservation and green infrastructure policy. She noted the tree budget reduction to $10,000 (from $30,000) and advocated for fee increases on impervious driveways to incentivize permeable alternatives.
  • Karen Schwartz (Resident): Requested a bike rack be installed near the History Museum.
  • Susan Gore (Resident): Thanked the council and urged them to consider opportunity cost in policy, specifically citing the lost Casino rental income ($10,000/month) and expenses from the senior center campaign.
  • E-Comment (Timothy Walters): Opposed the proposed 8% garbage collection fee increase, noting cumulative increases outpace Social Security COLA and that Gulfport's rates ($37.41/month) exceed rates in St. Pete ($36.62), South Pasadena ($17.04), and St. Pete Beach ($20.92).
  • Trolley Market Square Sign: Speakers (Mason Taylor, Karen, Scott Lindy) expressed support for the selected sign design incorporating the city's brand and history.

Discussion Items

  • Trolley Market Square Sign Selection: The council reviewed the top three art submissions from a blind review. After discussion and public input, the council reached a consensus to select the design by Scott Lindy and Ann Barca, which integrates the city's existing branding and historical imagery.
  • New Business:
    • Councilmember Daunch requested discussion on GET recommendations, deferred pending a written report.
    • Councilmember Early requested a workshop on long-term vehicle parking and street storage, scheduled for October 1, 2026.
    • Mayor Love announced a Rainwater Harvesting class on August 27, 2026 and asked the council to consider a new name for the property formerly known as the Lions Club.

Key Outcomes & Votes

  • Resolution 2026-49 (Millage Rate): Unanimously approved a proposed millage rate of 4.0258 mills (no tax increase) and set public hearing dates for the fiscal year 2026/2027 budget.
  • Resolution 2026-50 (Forward Pinellas ILA): Unanimously authorized an interlocal agreement for planning and mapping services.
  • Resolution 2026-51 (Utility Billing System): Unanimously approved a contract with CUSI for a Customer Information System ($47,000 implementation, $48,000 annual subscription). The system will provide residents with real-time water usage data and leak alerts.
  • Resolution 2026-52 (Casino Dock): Unanimously authorized a change order for the fire suppression system installation.
  • Resolution 2026-53 (Veterans Park): Unanimously authorized a grant agreement for shoreline enhancement.
  • Meeting Schedule: The August 18, 2026 meeting was cancelled due to Primary Election Day.
  • Future Agenda: An e-bike ordinance will be discussed on August 4, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

Well, welcome. Thank you for attending. I don't even know today's due to a date. It's July, I believe. Thank you for attending the July 2026 meeting. Um we have a small crowd, I'm not sure why. I'm I'm used to seeing bigger crowds these days. Would everybody take a second and just make sure their telephone is off? I appreciate that. And then with that in mind, we will uh start tonight's meeting with the invocation given by Councilmember Dodge, and then we'll go right to Pledge of Allegiance. So stand if you can. Robert Ingler Soul said we rise by lifting others. And Margaret Mead said, never believe that a few caring people can't change the world, for indeed that's all who ever have. So today, on national be someone day, be someone's reason to believe that there are still good people in the world. I congratulations to the fly of the United States of America and to the Republic for which is one nation under our team and justice for all. Councilmember Dodge? Here. Vice Mayor Shaw, present. Councilmember Webb. Present. Council Member Early, present. Mayor Love here. City Attorney Salzman. Here. City Manager O'Reilly. City Clerk Carico is present. Very good. All right. So tonight we actually have two presentations. We had thought that the juvenile welfare board might show up and we were going to give them a proclamation or read a proclamation for them, but they're not here tonight. So we get to meet Mr. Witt Blanton. He is the executive director of Ford Pinellas, and sometimes you hear me report on Ford Pinellas because I get to sit on that board. So please, if you would. Good evening. Thank you all for having me. It's nice to be here. It's been a little while since I've been to Gulfport. But thanks for carving out a little time on the agenda for me to give you an update. I wanted to cover a few things that are going on both regionally and countywide level that are important. And I've been making the rounds to all the local governments. Just to make sure everybody is updated. And there's a couple things that there'll be some follow-up activities. And I was hired when we unified the Pinellas Planning Council and the Pinellas County Metropolitan Planning Organization to align land use and transportation decision making countywide. And I think it's been it's been good for the most part.

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