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Record of Proceedings

Gulfport City Council Meeting: May 3, 2022 – Presentations, Public Comment on Rentals, and Pension Ordinance

City Council — Tuesday, May 3, 2022
BodyGulfport, Mississippi
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, May 3, 2022
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:10:12

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5:03

You two, Margo, my neighbor, to uh regular city council meeting for the city of Gulfport, Florida for May 3rd, 2022.

5:09

Our invocation this evening is given by Councilman Paul Ray, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

5:13

Please join us in writing.

5:16

I forgot something today.

5:17

Are you ready?

5:18

Yeah, just open sheet.

5:20

All right, what do we got?

5:26

All right.

5:29

We live in an age in which autonomous individuals ceasing to exist, or perhaps one ought to say, in which the individual is ceasing to have the illusion of being an autonomo autonomous.

5:40

George Orwell.

5:43

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

5:54

Roll call, please, city clerk.

5:56

Councilmember Rang.

5:58

Here.

5:58

Councilmember Ferdovich.

6:00

Here.

6:00

Councilmember Thanos.

6:01

Vice Mayor Brown.

6:02

Here.

6:02

Mayor Henderson?

6:03

Here.

6:04

City Manager O'Reilly.

6:05

Here.

6:06

City Clerk Demeath President.

6:07

And then we have attorney Galastecke representing a city attorney Sauzman this evening.

6:12

All right, fantastic.

6:13

We're gonna got a couple of presentations this evening.

6:15

Our first one is going to Rachel Cataldo, our senior center director.

6:18

Uh this is our older Americans proclamation.

6:21

Um so whereas the city of Gulfport includes a growing number of older Americans who contribute their strength, wisdom, and experience to the community.

6:28

And whereas communities benefit when people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds are welcomed, included, and supported.

6:34

And whereas the city of Gulfport recognizes our need to create a community that provides the services and supports older Americans' needs to thrive and live independently for as long as possible.

6:44

And whereas the city of Gulfport can work to build an even better community for our older residents by planning programs that encourage independence.

6:50

Check.

6:51

Ensuring activities are responsive to individual needs and preferences.

6:56

Check.

6:56

And increasing access to services that support aging in place.

7:00

Check.

7:01

So now therefore I Sam Henderson, mayor of the city of Gulfport, hereby proclaim the month of May 2022 as older Americans month.

7:07

I'd like to present you as a proclamation.

7:09

Can we all turn that you want to follow that up, too?

7:19

Yeah.

7:32

This will probably work.

7:37

Go ahead.

7:42

All right.

7:43

Thank you.

7:43

Congratulations.

7:44

Congratulations.

7:44

Thanks for all you do.

7:48

Very honored, thank you.

8:04

One of our own, Sean Oldenberg, Firefighter and Paramedic.

8:08

And we're at the yellow helmet presentation.

8:12

Everybody looks sharp tonight.

8:14

Please to see you.

8:19

Good evening.

8:21

Um we're very thankful to be here tonight and appreciate the opportunity.

8:25

Um my name's Captain Renee Fernandez.

8:27

This is Captain Jim Nunn.

8:29

Um over the past few months we have been working on putting together an employee recognition program to recognize our employees for their hard work and dedication to the community throughout their careers.

8:39

The first part of that program is recognizing our employees that are new hires for successfully getting through their probationary first year of service with the department.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Short-Term Rentals████████████████████████████████████36%
Council Comments██████████████14%
Public Safety███████████11%
Public Engagement██████████10%
Public Comment██████6%
Community Engagement██████6%
Procedural█████5%
Senior Services█████5%
Homelessness███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Gulfport City Council Meeting – May 3, 2022

The Gulfport City Council met on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, at 6:00 PM at Gulfport City Hall. The meeting included presentations, a public comment period focused on short-term rentals and rent increases, discussion on enforcement, and the second reading of a pension ordinance which passed unanimously.

Presentations & Proclamations

  • Older Americans Month Proclamation: Mayor Sam Henderson presented a proclamation declaring May 2022 as Older Americans Month to Rachel Cataldo, Senior Center Supervisor, recognizing the contributions of older residents.
  • Yellow Helmet Award: Fire Captain Rene Fernandez and Lieutenant Fuchs presented a yellow helmet to Firefighter/Paramedic Sean Oldenburg for successfully completing his probationary year. Oldenburg, a U.S. Army veteran and former EMT, was hired April 20, 2021.
  • CPR Instruction Update: Captain Fernandez introduced the "Gulfport Cares" program offering free hands-only CPR, AED use, bleeding control, and opioid overdose awareness (including Narcan training). Classes will be held quarterly starting July 2022 at the Gulfport Community Center, capped at 12 participants per session, from 5–7 PM.

Public Comments & Testimony

Public comment was dominated by the issue of illegal short-term rentals (Airbnb/VRBO) and rising rents. Speakers included:

  • Robert Salza (1407 Gray St S): Urged enforcement of existing short-term rental regulations and suggested hiring a private contractor, referencing data that every 1% increase in Airbnbs leads to rent increases.
  • Dan Kruger: Advised council to listen to long-time residents and avoid changes that disrupt the community.
  • Noreen Smith (3031 54th St S): Shared that her rent increased 50% in nine months, forcing friends to move out. She provided a copy of Florida legislation allowing local rent control during a housing crisis and urged council to consider it.
  • Linda Breen (5302 26th Ave S): Thanked council for not altering the short-term rental ordinance. Proposed escalating fines for illegal rentals: $1,000 first offense, $10,000 second, 10% of property value third, and a lien for fourth.
  • Rick Gilbert (Pixie Lane): Requested finishing the marina development, including a restaurant and removal of the Lions Club building, to increase city revenue.
  • Eddie Ford (3002 53rd St S): Offered a free software app to streamline reporting and tracking of illegal short-term rentals, using timestamped photos and license plates.
  • Margo Rose: Thanked Councilmember Thanos for providing a map of permitted short-term rental zones. Noted that some nearby rentals behave but remain illegal.
  • Karen Love (23rd Ave S): Thanked council for town halls, urged better communication of council actions, and called for enforcement of existing short-term rental ordinances, suggesting reallocating funds for a code enforcement officer.
  • Beth Stamba (Seaside Villas, 58th St S): Reported a 20% rent increase and noted seven friends forced to move. Highlighted that short-term rentals are not required to be wheelchair accessible, unlike hotels.

Discussion Items

  • Short-Term Rentals Enforcement: The Mayor clarified that the city cannot amend its existing 30-day minimum rental ordinance without losing state preemption protection. Councilmember Ray noted he is researching software and enforcement options. City Manager O'Reilly proposed drafting a budget for enforcement resources, including a warning letter campaign and potential fines. He asked council for a consensus on enforcement level. Councilmembers agreed to separate the issues of rent control and short-term rentals and to hold a workshop after receiving legal and cost options.
  • City Manager Report: Jim O'Reilly reported on a collaborative effort with Treasure Island, Madeira Beach, and PSTA to create a shared homeless outreach program. The city is also working on a rate sufficiency plan for water utilities, with a proposed change to allow staff to waive administrative fees up to $200 for extenuating circumstances.

Key Outcomes

  • Ordinance 2022-02 (Pension Plan Amendment): Second reading and public hearing. The ordinance amends Chapter 15, Article VI of the City Code regarding the General Employees' Pension Plan, specifically Section 15-96 on benefit amounts and eligibility. The council voted unanimously (5-0) to approve. (Councilmembers Ray, Ferdovich, Thanos, Vice Mayor Brown, Mayor Henderson all voted yes.)
  • Pride Month Flag: Councilmember Ray requested and received permission to raise the Pride flag on June 1, 2022, for the start of Pride Month, with the city attorney noting it is a government speech decision.
  • Parking Town Hall: Councilmember Thanos announced she will present results from her May 4 parking town hall at the next council meeting as a presentation.
  • Councilmember Absence: Councilmember Ray will be absent from the May 17 meeting due to family medical reasons.
  • Future Actions: The city manager will return with a report on enforcement options and costs for short-term rentals. Council will also consider rent control feasibility after legal review.

Meeting Transcript

You two, Margo, my neighbor, to uh regular city council meeting for the city of Gulfport, Florida for May 3rd, 2022. Our invocation this evening is given by Councilman Paul Ray, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Please join us in writing. I forgot something today. Are you ready? Yeah, just open sheet. All right, what do we got? All right. We live in an age in which autonomous individuals ceasing to exist, or perhaps one ought to say, in which the individual is ceasing to have the illusion of being an autonomo autonomous. George Orwell. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Roll call, please, city clerk. Councilmember Rang. Here. Councilmember Ferdovich. Here. Councilmember Thanos. Vice Mayor Brown. Here. Mayor Henderson? Here. City Manager O'Reilly. Here. City Clerk Demeath President. And then we have attorney Galastecke representing a city attorney Sauzman this evening. All right, fantastic. We're gonna got a couple of presentations this evening. Our first one is going to Rachel Cataldo, our senior center director. Uh this is our older Americans proclamation. Um so whereas the city of Gulfport includes a growing number of older Americans who contribute their strength, wisdom, and experience to the community. And whereas communities benefit when people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds are welcomed, included, and supported. And whereas the city of Gulfport recognizes our need to create a community that provides the services and supports older Americans' needs to thrive and live independently for as long as possible. And whereas the city of Gulfport can work to build an even better community for our older residents by planning programs that encourage independence. Check. Ensuring activities are responsive to individual needs and preferences. Check. And increasing access to services that support aging in place. Check. So now therefore I Sam Henderson, mayor of the city of Gulfport, hereby proclaim the month of May 2022 as older Americans month. I'd like to present you as a proclamation. Can we all turn that you want to follow that up, too? Yeah. This will probably work. Go ahead. All right. Thank you. Congratulations. Congratulations. Thanks for all you do. Very honored, thank you.

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