Gulfport City Council Meeting – May 17, 2022

The City Council of Gulfport, Florida, met on Tuesday, May 17, 2022, at 6:00 PM at City Hall. Vice Mayor Christine Brown gave the invocation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Councilmember Ray was excused. The meeting featured presentations from Duke Energy on an undergrounding project and a summary of a parking town hall, public comments, approval of two resolutions, and discussions on American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) fund allocation and the Fiscal Year 2022–2023 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget.

Presentations

• Duke Energy Undergrounding: Theresa Crane (Sr. Account Executive) and Libby Hoctor (Sr. Public Engagement Manager) presented details on grid improvements for the 51st Street substation serving approximately 16,607 customers. The project includes upgrading eight feeders, equipping more than 50 miles of lines with self-healing technology, upgrading nearly 500 transformers and 240 fuses, replacing over 1,600 feet of underground cable, upgrading 500 poles, and placing almost 23 miles of overhead lines underground. Work is already underway on overhead upgrades; undergrounding is expected to begin around August 2022, with completion within about four months. Duke Energy is currently in the easement acquisition phase, with about 70% of needed easements obtained. They requested council support in communicating the program's benefits to residents.
• Parking Town Hall Summary: Councilmember April Thanos reported on a public meeting held to discuss parking issues. She noted no consensus for paid parking; most attendees favored keeping free parking. Ideas generated included removing resident-only parking on east-west streets (which had few front-facing houses), issuing placards for vendors/staff to use resident-only parking during daytime, adding electric vehicle charging stations and handicap parking, creating designated motorcycle/golf cart parking areas, and exploring valet or off-site parking (e.g., renting the Bank of America lot, using marina or park lots). A boat shuttle from marina to casino pier was also suggested. Councilmember Thanos indicated that some council members do not see a significant parking problem.

Consent Calendar

• Resolution No. 2022-36: Authorized the City Manager to execute a Cooperative Purchasing Agreement with Southern Disaster Recovery, LLC, for debris collection and removal services. Passed unanimously.

Resolutions

• Resolution No. 2022-37: Authorized the City Manager to accept Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act-Phase VI grant proceeds from the Early Learning Coalition to purchase a hip roof shade structure from Creative Shade Solutions, Inc., and authorized a budget amendment. Passed unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Karen Love (address not stated) praised the invocation and expressed support for consistent management of right-of-way parking and better placement of bicycle racks (citing bicycles parked on tennis courts due to poorly located racks). She also urged residents and the city to maintain sidewalks clear of overgrown vegetation and to improve crosswalk accessibility for mobility-impaired individuals.
• Walter Barker (Trade Winds Drive) reiterated his previous request that council members provide monthly reports to be published in the Gulfport E-newsletter, citing the pay raise they voted for themselves and the need for transparency. He noted that a separate heading for council reports would help citizens track council activities.
• Margaret Simic (via phone) raised concerns about Resolution 2019-04 (passed January 15, 2019) regarding compounded interest credits for certain properties with delinquent accounts. She reported that many of the 20 affected properties never received notification of the credit, and some who paid in full after the resolution date did not receive their credit. She urged the council to send letters to affected property owners and retroactively issue credits.
• Mr. Simic (likely same caller) also commented on Duke Energy's ground transformers along Beach Drive, calling them unsightly and suggesting the city require Duke to provide landscaping to conceal them. He further proposed forming a "Generational Equity and Diversity Committee" to address underrepresentation on advisory committees (current members predominantly white and over 50, while the city's median age is about 55 and minority population is about 20–30%). He argued this would be more important than salary raises for encouraging engagement from underrepresented groups.

Discussion Items

• American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds: City Manager Jim O'Reilly presented a summary of ARPA fund allocation after multiple council discussions. The recommended plan allocates ARPA funds to specific projects, including a fire truck, resiliency/stormwater study, and water meters. After moving some projects to other funding sources, an estimated remaining balance of about $762,000 was discussed. The City Manager recommended setting aside approximately $600,000 for sewer infrastructure (priority one/two/three consent order work), with the remainder to cover potential cost overruns (noting 10.2% inflation in the Tampa Bay area). Councilmember Thanos supported keeping a reserve for emergencies or cost overruns. Council also discussed a potential 6–7% cost of living adjustment for city employees (to be considered during the operating budget). The council generally concurred with the direction but no formal vote was taken.
• Fiscal Year 2022–23 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Budget: The City Manager presented a conservative one-year CIP and a five-year plan. Key items included generator relocation (library), emergency facility generator grant match, police vehicles, auto extrication equipment, utility loan repayments (funded by Penny for Pinellas), library materials and tablets, waterfront redevelopment projects (casino substructure repair, AC replacement, theater curtain replacement, rec center canopy replacement), senior center trust fund transfer (pending congressional appropriation), sewer bypass loan payments, water line rehabilitation (including a potential state match for Town Shores water line replacement), utility vehicles, marina fencing/keyless entry, and fuel dispenser replacement. Councilman Ferdovich commended the finance department. Vice Mayor Brown expressed reservations about funding the senior center without the city demonstrating its own investment (to attract outside donors). Councilwoman Thanos suggested buying only one or two library tablets initially to test usage. The council took no formal vote but expressed general support for the proposed direction.

Key Outcomes

• Resolutions 2022-36 and 2022-37 were approved unanimously.
• On ARPA funds, the council reached consensus to allocate about $600,000 to sewer infrastructure and keep the remaining $162,000 as a reserve; no formal vote was taken.
• The City Council expressed openness to creating a council member report section on the city website and in the weekly e-newsletter, with the understanding that reports should avoid political opinions and be factual. The matter will be reviewed with the City Attorney.
• Councilman Ferdovich suggested creating commemorative plaques for retirees and long‐serving volunteers; the idea was referred to the City Clerk for development.
• The July 5, 2022 council meeting (the Tuesday after Independence Day) will be canceled by council consensus; agenda items will be moved to adjacent meetings.
• The City Manager noted that the short-term rental ordinance discussion will be brought to council in June, and utility rate structure analysis is pending wholesale cost data from St. Petersburg.