Gulfport City Council Meeting - December 6, 2022
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Gulfport City Council Meeting - December 6, 2022
The Gulfport City Council met on December 6, 2022, at 6:00 PM at Gulfport City Hall. The meeting included a presentation on the Advantage Pinellas Housing Compact, public comments on dinghy dock enforcement and homeless issues, approval of four resolutions, and council discussions on a possible trolley service, a community survey, and an RV ordinance review.
Presentations
- Linda Fisher, AICP Principal Planner from Forward Pinellas, presented the Advantage Pinellas Housing Compact, a countywide initiative to address housing affordability. She noted that the median sales price for a single-family home in Pinellas County is now $435,000, and average rent in Gulfport is $1,765 per month. The compact aims to increase housing diversity, promote transit-oriented development, and provide technical assistance and model ordinances to local governments. Council expressed support and reached consensus to join the compact; a resolution to formalize participation will be brought forward.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Ingrid Bredenberg (2701 56th Street South) thanked the city for the tree-lighting event and provided an update on the November 14 community conversation town hall (98 attendees). She requested the city conduct a citywide survey to gather broader resident input, noting that a survey tool (SurveyMonkey) is available through the city.
- Rachel (resident of the Gulfport municipal mooring field) asked for clarification on the impounding and towing of tenders at the dinghy dock. She argued that no notice or warning was given before her tender was towed, and she requested better signage and a fairer enforcement process.
- Ms. Love praised the tree-lighting event and the bathrooms being open, but expressed concern about homeless encampments and enforcement priorities. She questioned a reported quote from Chief Vincent that "you cannot make it illegal just because the person is homeless" and asked for clarification.
- Fred Rowe (resident on a sailboat) spoke in support of boaters, stating that the four-hour limit on the dinghy dock causes hardship for working people and that the dock can hold many dinghies. He asked for consideration of longer hours.
Discussion Items
- City Manager Report: Jim O'Reilly reported that a rent stabilization study with Forward Pinellas was determined not feasible due to legislative obstacles. He proposed a three-hour maximum use rule for beach pavilions (except pavilion six) to address encampment issues, with enforcement once per week per person. Council discussed the idea but did not take a vote. Regarding the dinghy dock, the four-hour limit is intended for transient use; council members debated enforcement and possible accommodations for mooring field residents. The city manager also presented options for the Bogasega Yacht Club negotiations: either direct staff to negotiate or ask for a final proposal. Council supported option one (staff negotiation).
- Resolutions:
- Resolution 2022-82: Authorized expenditure for 2023 Granicus platforms (agenda management and short-term rental software). Passed unanimously.
- Resolution 2022-83: Accepted a Florida Humanities Book Festival grant and authorized the city manager to sign the grant contract. Passed unanimously.
- Resolution 2022-84: Authorized purchase of a 30-ton air conditioning unit for the Casino from United Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc. (replacement due to salt-air corrosion). Passed unanimously.
- Resolution 2022-85: Authorized use of Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds for a citywide sidewalk inventory, ADA ramp data collection, and condition assessment by StreetScan Inc. (piggybacking on Pinellas County's contract). Passed unanimously.
- Council Comments:
- Vice Mayor Brown thanked staff for the tree-lighting event and promoted the high school play "Clue."
- Councilmember Ray requested a future agenda discussion on the RV ordinance, specifically the grandfather clause, citing resident concerns. Council agreed to schedule it.
- Councilmember Thanos raised the idea of a freebie trolley service (Freebee) and a citywide survey, but the majority of council (Mayor Henderson, Councilmember Ray, Councilmember Ferdovich, and Councilmember Thanos after discussion) opposed both due to cost and duplication of existing engagement channels. No consensus to move forward.
Key Outcomes
- All four resolutions (2022-82 through 2022-85) passed unanimously.
- Council reached consensus to join the Advantage Pinellas Housing Compact; a formal resolution will be prepared.
- City Manager and City Attorney were directed to negotiate with the Bogasega Yacht Club to seek a mutual agreement.
- The city manager will improve signage at the dinghy dock regarding enforcement.
- A future discussion on the RV ordinance (grandfather clause) was agreed upon.
- No action was taken on the freebie trolley service or the proposed citywide survey.
Meeting Transcript
Order the regular city council meeting for Gulfport, Florida for December 6, 2022. Your invocation this evening is given by Vice Mayor Christine Brown, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Please join us in rising. Thank you all for being here. Umorrow is the 81st anniversary of Pearl Harbor. So I want to talk about the Remembrance Day, and we all remember the world-changing event. Maybe we weren't alive then, but that President Franklin Roosevelt called a date that will live in infamy. This year's commemoration is called Everlasting Legacy. Early tomorrow morning, December 7th, 2022, will be many will gather at Pearl Harbor National Memorial for the 81st commemoration. The early start marks a moment to the minute 81 years ago when Japanese warplanes descended on Oahu, killing 2,403 service members and civilians injuring thousands more and dealing a near fatal blow to the Navy's fleet at Pearl Harbor. The mostly young Americans who died that day, along with those who served in uniform during World War II, or on the home front war effort, are collectively known as the greatest generation. Their sacrifices reflect the theme of this year's commemoration, everlasting legacy. The focus of the event tomorrow will be remembering Pearl Harbor and how the greatest generation saved us from the tyranny and brought us peace through reconciliation. These words are from the Pearl Harbor Event's official website, commemorating National Pearl Harbor Day, where you can live stream the ceremony tomorrow. All right, thank you. 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. All right, roll call, please, city clerk. Vice Mayor Brown. Yes. Councilmember Councilmember Ray. Here. Councilmember Ferdovich. Councilmember Thanos. Mayor Henderson. Here. City Manager O'Reilly. City Attorney Salisman. City Clerk Demet present. All right, thank you very much. Uh start off this evening. We've got a presentation from Advantage Pinellas Housing about the Pinellas Housing Compact. Linda Fisher, our A AICP principal planner from Ford Pinellas is here. She's been here with us many times to help guide us through multiple things to do with uh development in the urban landscape. And welcome again. Hi. Thank you. It's good to be here. If you just give me a moment to get my presentation up. Take your time. Okay, I'm not sure how to make it full screen. I apologize. David. Sorry. Okay, well, we'll just do it that way. So thank you. I'm glad I'm not the only one who's having trouble. Thank you very much. So thank you for having me back. Um, I was last here in April to talk about affordable housing uh just generally. Um but today I'm back to talk specifically about the uh Advantage Pinellas Housing Compact.
openpublica.com