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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Gulfport City Council Meeting Summary: October 6, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, October 6, 2026

BodyGulfport, Florida

SessionCity Council

DateTuesday, October 6, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

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Speaker 1

9:42

Good evening.

9:44

I call tonight's meeting to order October 6th, 2026.

9:49

I do see some new faces out there.

9:52

I forgot my microphone.

9:53

I do see some new faces out there, so just if you don't know you want to make sure your telephone is turned off.

10:00

We don't want to hear any phones here tonight.

10:02

And I understand that there's a lot of stuff that'll be covered tonight.

10:05

So if you want to have a side conversation with somebody, I understand it, but we ask you to take it to the hallway.

10:12

Whether it's somebody up here or somebody out there, we only want one conversation going on at a

Unassigned speaker

10:17

time.

Speaker 1

10:18

Thank you.

10:19

So with that, then our meeting will start tonight with an invocation given by council member Nancy Early, followed by the pledge, stand if you can.

10:29

Thank you.

Speaker 2

10:32

I was unable to attend Yvonne Johnson's services last week, but I had a moment to myself.

10:42

And she did some wonderful things here, and she would be very missed.

10:49

Maya Angelou, tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

Speaker 1

10:56

Very good.

Speaker 3

11:17

Councilmember Early.

11:19

Present.

11:20

Council Member Dodge.

11:21

Here.

11:21

Vice Mayor Shaw present.

11:23

Councilmember Webb?

Speaker 4

11:24

Present.

Speaker 3

11:25

Mayor Love.

11:26

Here.

11:27

City Attorney Salzman.

11:28

Here.

11:28

City Manager O'Reilly.

11:30

City Clerk Keriko is present.

Speaker 1

11:33

Thank you.

11:35

So recognizing that this council has made it perfectly clear that our number one goal and our number one focus is stormwater improvements.

11:47

I can't think of any presentation that we're gonna have this year that's gonna be as important as this one is.

11:54

So with that in mind, I'm gonna invite um Mr.

11:58

Andrew Burnham from Stantec to come up and talk to us about different options that we could have for stormwater funding.

12:06

Thank you.

Speaker 5

12:07

Thank you, Madam Mayor, City Council members.

12:09

I do feel a bit of pressure now with that opening.

12:12

I must say.

Speaker 1

12:13

That wasn't intentional.

Speaker 5

12:15

No, um, I do have about um 20 slides today.

12:18

There's some some information here that will be here for reference.

12:21

There's a number of programs that will identify for grants and low interest loan opportunities that can be the subject of further follow-up.

12:28

We can get you specifics on each of those programs, but today is kind of intended to be an overview of what's possible, some of the likely kind of uh matches for some of the projects from your watershed management plan, and then some recommendations on kind of how you could go forward with grants, kind of a couple of immediate steps to set you on a forward path to find some funding for the projects, and then a bit of sensitivity analysis too, to the extent that you know your priorities are urgent and you need to move forward, you may have to look beyond grants and loans and get into things such as other cost recovery mechanisms like rates and fees to try to address some are part of the need.

12:59

So that's kind of a recap of what I have.

13:02

So I'd like to just kind of jump in.

13:03

I think today's a very appropriate day to be talking about stormwater.

13:07

Going through the streets to get here, going through parking lots.

13:10

I mean, we're seeing an intensity and an increased frequency of severity of storms, and we know that our infrastructure wasn't necessarily designed for today's conditions when it was put in place many, many decades ago.

13:20

So we have infrastructure challenges, we have changes in the conditions that our infrastructure has to be able to accommodate, and then we also have changes in regulations around environmental conditions and water quality that impact what we have to do with that amount of runoff that our systems receive.

13:35

So there's a lot of things putting pressure on stormwater.

13:38

So I think it's very appropriate for you to be very conscious of that, particularly with where we sit in Florida in a very high precipitation environment right on water with influences from tidal flooding on top of a lot of the stormwater challenges.

13:50

So the watershed management program that you'd conducted identified a number of different types of projects that were kind of high priority needs, not necessarily all inclusive of your needs as well, and not necessarily planned out over time.

14:04

So these dollar amounts for these projects shown here in today's dollars.

14:08

So as we wait or have to wait to accomplish some of these costs, so those numbers may very well change, and and sadly, as you go forward in time, you can expect inflation on construction costs.

14:17

It's been very rare that we see these costs come down, they tend to go up over time with inflation.

14:22

So we have a list of about 85 million dollars in round numbers of projects that have been identified.

14:27

Um that we've started on, so there's the smaller one that's listed there, or we've been able to make some progress on already, but there are some very big projects on there for for the size of our community.

14:38

So if you look at some of these projects like BMP number five, 15th Avenue South, that's a 10 million dollar project.

14:43

If you look at the West Gulf port um water quality pond, that's a 20 million dollar project.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Water And Wastewater Management███████████████████19%

Procedural███████████████15%

Public Engagement███████████████15%

Parks and Recreation███████████████15%

Public Safety██████████10%

Technology and Innovation███████7%

Environmental Protection████4%

Community Engagement████4%

Arts And Culture███3%

Summary of Proceedings

Gulfport City Council Meeting Summary: October 6, 2026

The Gulfport City Council held its regular meeting on October 6, 2026. The meeting featured a detailed presentation on stormwater funding, significant debate over the Flock camera system, and the renaming of the former Lions Club property. Public comment covered a variety of community topics, including police technology, environmental concerns, and waterfront access.

Presentations: Stormwater Funding Sources

Andrew Burnham, Vice President of Stantec, presented an overview of funding options for the $85 million in stormwater projects identified in the city's watershed management plan.
He detailed grant and loan opportunities including the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF), Resilient Florida grants, and federal programs, recommending the city establish a dedicated grants coordination position to maximize funding returns.
Burnham provided a sensitivity analysis showing that a $5 increase in the monthly stormwater fee could support $7.6 million in debt financing, compared to generating $500,000 annually in cash for capital.
Councilmember Webb questioned the affordability of fee increases for the 51% of Gulfport residents she described as asset-limited, income-constrained, and employed or retired, and inquired about alternative mechanisms like special assessments versus debt financing.
Councilmember Early asked whether a dedicated grants team would increase the probability of receiving competitive grants, which Burnham confirmed.

Public Comments & Testimony

Donovan Nickel (Gulfport resident, bike advocate): Expressed support for the proposed e-bike ordinance, stating it promotes pedestrian safety and aligns with state law.
Rodney Burkheimer (Gulfport resident, engineer): Proposed the city adopt Biogents mosquito traps as a pesticide-free alternative to fogging, and requested he be designated as the city's authorized retailer and installer for the system.
Beth Burkabine (Boca Ciega Yacht Club member): Provided an update on club activities including the youth sailing program, the Cat's Point Regatta, and the 40th annual Christmas lighted boat parade on December 12 supporting Operation Santa.
Fred Rowe (Gulfport anchorage resident): Thanked the council for the new dinghy dock and urged the city to keep the wet-foot area open for overnight and emergency docking needs.
Metria Jones (Gulfport resident): Urged the immediate removal of the Flock cameras, arguing the council's budget vote to defund the system constituted a mandate to deactivate and remove the equipment, not just stop paying for it.
Amanda Haygood (Gulfport Arts & Heritage): Invited the community to the TimeWeaving event series kickoff on October 16 at the Gulfport History Museum, featuring the opening of a time capsule buried in 1999.
Jose Silveira (Muddy Root business owner): Requested permission to retain an inflatable coffee cup on his business roof on Gulfport Boulevard.
Mary Hanarhan (Gulfport resident): Requested clarification on the status of the Flock cameras, asking whether the non-renewal notice covered all six cameras and when they would be physically deactivated.
Eileen Corning (Gulfport Multipurpose Senior Center Foundation): Thanked the council for the fee waivers for the Catherine A. Hickman Theater, stating the partnership maximizes fundraising for senior programs.

Flock Camera System Discussion

City Manager O'Reilly confirmed a non-renewal letter had been sent to Flock, drafted by the city attorney.
Police Chief Farr presented a packet refuting what he characterized as inaccurate statements about the system. He argued the city owns its data, courts have ruled no privacy expectation on public streets, St. Petersburg is not canceling their contract, data sharing is configurable, and the system captures still photos, not continuous video.
Councilmember Donch stated she supports restricting the system's operational status, requesting immediate deactivation or limitation to Gulfport Police access only.
Councilmember Shaw stated she agreed with the community's opposition and supported shutting down the cameras.
Councilmember Webb asked about statutory penalties for misuse of such databases. The Chief stated misuse is covered under official misconduct statutes.
Mayor Love clarified the total contract cost is $18,000 ($9,000 per contract), not $25,000 as previously stated. The first contract expires November 2026, the second in June 2027.

Discussion Items: Tifton Landing (Former Lions Club Property)

The council voted to name the property at 4630 Tifton Drive South "Tifton Landing." Staff confirmed the name traces to Tifton, Georgia, and its founder Samuel Tifton, a sawmill owner, and is not linked to Confederate associations.
Rules for the park were established: open sunrise to sunset, limited to non-motorized vessels only.
The site plan presented by Kendrick includes a shell pathway, a ten-foot access gate for Boca Ciega Yacht Club sailboats, wash-down outlets for boats, and a picnic table.
Council reached consensus to explore a paddleboard and kayak rental kiosk operated by the same vendor used at Pasadena Beach, contingent on a future contract with an exit clause.
Public commenter Merrill McClellan requested a bike rack be added to the site plan.

Consent Calendar

Minutes of September 15, 2026, approved with one amendment to clarify the COLA waiver applied to both the Mayor and Council.
Resolution 2026-67: Waived the 4% Cost-of-Living Adjustment for the Mayor and City Councilmembers for Fiscal Year 2027 only.
Resolutions 2026-68 to 2026-84: Approved unanimously. These covered vendor payments for library materials (Ingram), IT services (SHI, Tech Guru, BS&A, TeleVoIPs), software maintenance (Tyler Technologies, CivicPlus, Granicus), building inspection services (C.A.P. Government), holiday decorations (Rileigh's Outdoor), four special events (49th Street Makers Market, Hickman Theater, TimeWeaving, Witches Walk), an Interlocal Agreement with the School Board, and the adoption of annual reports for the Floodplain Management Plan and the Program for Public Information.

Resolutions

Resolution 2026-85 (Item 8.a): Approved reclassifying one existing firefighter/EMT position to a firefighter/paramedic position. The City Manager stated the change results in a cost savings and aligns with the regional trend toward paramedic staffing.

Key Outcomes

Flock Cameras: Council gave consensus to place the immediate deactivation of the cameras on the next regular meeting agenda. Staff will restrict data access to Gulfport Police Department only until deactivation.
Tifton Landing: Officially renamed from "Lions Club property." Park rules established. Staff directed to order signage consistent with other city parks and bring back a contract for a non-motorized boat rental kiosk.
Stormwater Funding: Council directed staff to continue implementing the grants consultant RFP, apply annually for Resilient Florida grants, and schedule a follow-up workshop on the Stantec funding strategies.
Meeting Cancellation: The November 3rd regular City Council meeting was cancelled as the room is a polling place.
Resolution 2026-85 passed unanimously.
Consent Calendar passed unanimously.
New Business: Councilmember Donch received consensus to place a formal motion regarding Flock on the next agenda. Councilmember Webb announced a Town Hall for Ward residents on November 4th to discuss community priorities.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. I call tonight's meeting to order October 6th, 2026. I do see some new faces out there. I forgot my microphone. I do see some new faces out there, so just if you don't know you want to make sure your telephone is turned off. We don't want to hear any phones here tonight. And I understand that there's a lot of stuff that'll be covered tonight. So if you want to have a side conversation with somebody, I understand it, but we ask you to take it to the hallway. Whether it's somebody up here or somebody out there, we only want one conversation going on at a time. Thank you. So with that, then our meeting will start tonight with an invocation given by council member Nancy Early, followed by the pledge, stand if you can. Thank you. I was unable to attend Yvonne Johnson's services last week, but I had a moment to myself. And she did some wonderful things here, and she would be very missed. Maya Angelou, tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? Very good. Councilmember Early. Present. Council Member Dodge. Here. Vice Mayor Shaw present. Councilmember Webb? Present. Mayor Love. Here. City Attorney Salzman. Here. City Manager O'Reilly. City Clerk Keriko is present. Thank you. So recognizing that this council has made it perfectly clear that our number one goal and our number one focus is stormwater improvements. I can't think of any presentation that we're gonna have this year that's gonna be as important as this one is. So with that in mind, I'm gonna invite um Mr. Andrew Burnham from Stantec to come up and talk to us about different options that we could have for stormwater funding. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Mayor, City Council members. I do feel a bit of pressure now with that opening. I must say. That wasn't intentional. No, um, I do have about um 20 slides today. There's some some information here that will be here for reference. There's a number of programs that will identify for grants and low interest loan opportunities that can be the subject of further follow-up. We can get you specifics on each of those programs, but today is kind of intended to be an overview of what's possible, some of the likely kind of uh matches for some of the projects from your watershed management plan, and then some recommendations on kind of how you could go forward with grants, kind of a couple of immediate steps to set you on a forward path to find some funding for the projects, and then a bit of sensitivity analysis too, to the extent that you know your priorities are urgent and you need to move forward, you may have to look beyond grants and loans and get into things such as other cost recovery mechanisms like rates and fees to try to address some are part of the need. So that's kind of a recap of what I have. So I'd like to just kind of jump in. I think today's a very appropriate day to be talking about stormwater. Going through the streets to get here, going through parking lots. I mean, we're seeing an intensity and an increased frequency of severity of storms, and we know that our infrastructure wasn't necessarily designed for today's conditions when it was put in place many, many decades ago. So we have infrastructure challenges, we have changes in the conditions that our infrastructure has to be able to accommodate, and then we also have changes in regulations around environmental conditions and water quality that impact what we have to do with that amount of runoff that our systems receive.

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TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
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Gulfport City Council Meeting Summary: October 6, 2026

Presentations: Stormwater Funding Sources

Andrew Burnham, Vice President of Stantec, presented an overview of funding options for the $85 million in stormwater projects identified in the city's watershed management plan.

He detailed grant and loan opportunities including the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF), Resilient Florida grants, and federal programs, recommending the city establish a dedicated grants coordination position to maximize funding returns.

Burnham provided a sensitivity analysis showing that a $5 increase in the monthly stormwater fee could support $7.6 million in debt financing, compared to generating $500,000 annually in cash for capital.

Councilmember Webb questioned the affordability of fee increases for the 51% of Gulfport residents she described as asset-limited, income-constrained, and employed or retired, and inquired about alternative mechanisms like special assessments versus debt financing.

Councilmember Early asked whether a dedicated grants team would increase the probability of receiving competitive grants, which Burnham confirmed.

Public Comments & Testimony

Donovan Nickel (Gulfport resident, bike advocate): Expressed support for the proposed e-bike ordinance, stating it promotes pedestrian safety and aligns with state law.

Rodney Burkheimer (Gulfport resident, engineer): Proposed the city adopt Biogents mosquito traps as a pesticide-free alternative to fogging, and requested he be designated as the city's authorized retailer and installer for the system.

Beth Burkabine (Boca Ciega Yacht Club member): Provided an update on club activities including the youth sailing program, the Cat's Point Regatta, and the 40th annual Christmas lighted boat parade on December 12 supporting Operation Santa.

Fred Rowe (Gulfport anchorage resident): Thanked the council for the new dinghy dock and urged the city to keep the wet-foot area open for overnight and emergency docking needs.

Metria Jones (Gulfport resident): Urged the immediate removal of the Flock cameras, arguing the council's budget vote to defund the system constituted a mandate to deactivate and remove the equipment, not just stop paying for it.

Amanda Haygood (Gulfport Arts & Heritage): Invited the community to the TimeWeaving event series kickoff on October 16 at the Gulfport History Museum, featuring the opening of a time capsule buried in 1999.

Jose Silveira (Muddy Root business owner): Requested permission to retain an inflatable coffee cup on his business roof on Gulfport Boulevard.

Mary Hanarhan (Gulfport resident): Requested clarification on the status of the Flock cameras, asking whether the non-renewal notice covered all six cameras and when they would be physically deactivated.

Eileen Corning (Gulfport Multipurpose Senior Center Foundation): Thanked the council for the fee waivers for the Catherine A. Hickman Theater, stating the partnership maximizes fundraising for senior programs.

Flock Camera System Discussion

City Manager O'Reilly confirmed a non-renewal letter had been sent to Flock, drafted by the city attorney.

Police Chief Farr presented a packet refuting what he characterized as inaccurate statements about the system. He argued the city owns its data, courts have ruled no privacy expectation on public streets, St. Petersburg is not canceling their contract, data sharing is configurable, and the system captures still photos, not continuous video.

Councilmember Donch stated she supports restricting the system's operational status, requesting immediate deactivation or limitation to Gulfport Police access only.

Councilmember Shaw stated she agreed with the community's opposition and supported shutting down the cameras.

Councilmember Webb asked about statutory penalties for misuse of such databases. The Chief stated misuse is covered under official misconduct statutes.

Mayor Love clarified the total contract cost is $18,000 ($9,000 per contract), not $25,000 as previously stated. The first contract expires November 2026, the second in June 2027.

Discussion Items: Tifton Landing (Former Lions Club Property)

The council voted to name the property at 4630 Tifton Drive South "Tifton Landing." Staff confirmed the name traces to Tifton, Georgia, and its founder Samuel Tifton, a sawmill owner, and is not linked to Confederate associations.

Rules for the park were established: open sunrise to sunset, limited to non-motorized vessels only.

The site plan presented by Kendrick includes a shell pathway, a ten-foot access gate for Boca Ciega Yacht Club sailboats, wash-down outlets for boats, and a picnic table.

Council reached consensus to explore a paddleboard and kayak rental kiosk operated by the same vendor used at Pasadena Beach, contingent on a future contract with an exit clause.

Public commenter Merrill McClellan requested a bike rack be added to the site plan.

Consent Calendar

Minutes of September 15, 2026, approved with one amendment to clarify the COLA waiver applied to both the Mayor and Council.

Resolution 2026-67: Waived the 4% Cost-of-Living Adjustment for the Mayor and City Councilmembers for Fiscal Year 2027 only.

Resolutions 2026-68 to 2026-84: Approved unanimously. These covered vendor payments for library materials (Ingram), IT services (SHI, Tech Guru, BS&A, TeleVoIPs), software maintenance (Tyler Technologies, CivicPlus, Granicus), building inspection services (C.A.P. Government), holiday decorations (Rileigh's Outdoor), four special events (49th Street Makers Market, Hickman Theater, TimeWeaving, Witches Walk), an Interlocal Agreement with the School Board, and the adoption of annual reports for the Floodplain Management Plan and the Program for Public Information.

Resolutions

Resolution 2026-85 (Item 8.a): Approved reclassifying one existing firefighter/EMT position to a firefighter/paramedic position. The City Manager stated the change results in a cost savings and aligns with the regional trend toward paramedic staffing.

Key Outcomes

Flock Cameras: Council gave consensus to place the immediate deactivation of the cameras on the next regular meeting agenda. Staff will restrict data access to Gulfport Police Department only until deactivation.

Tifton Landing: Officially renamed from "Lions Club property." Park rules established. Staff directed to order signage consistent with other city parks and bring back a contract for a non-motorized boat rental kiosk.

Stormwater Funding: Council directed staff to continue implementing the grants consultant RFP, apply annually for Resilient Florida grants, and schedule a follow-up workshop on the Stantec funding strategies.

Meeting Cancellation: The November 3rd regular City Council meeting was cancelled as the room is a polling place.

Resolution 2026-85 passed unanimously.

Consent Calendar passed unanimously.

New Business: Councilmember Donch received consensus to place a formal motion regarding Flock on the next agenda. Councilmember Webb announced a Town Hall for Ward residents on November 4th to discuss community priorities.

Meeting Transcript