Gulfport City Council Meeting - December 5, 2023
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Gulfport City Council Meeting - December 5, 2023
The Gulfport City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, at 6:00 PM at Gulfport City Hall. The meeting began with an invocation by Councilmember Christine Brown, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and roll call, with all council members present. Key items included presentations on a PSTA board appointment and a new homeless outreach partnership, public comments on city services and infrastructure, and unanimous approval of a tree ordinance and two resolutions.
Consent Calendar
- Item 5.a: Approved meeting minutes from November 21, 2023, by unanimous consent.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Karen Love (no address stated): Praised the improved Christmas tree lighting at the December 4 event. She then recounted a negative experience with the city's permitting office regarding an open permit that prevented utility transfer after a home purchase, stating the office failed to provide timely assistance.
- Tom Bixler (59th Street South, representing Lions Club): Announced a pancake breakfast on December 9 benefiting children's vision services, with free eye exams and glasses for ages 3-17. Also clarified that veterans may salute the flag during the Pledge of Allegiance as permitted by law, referencing his 22-year Navy Seabees service.
- Karen Schwartz (Dillette Avenue South): Suggested using pedicabs and better promotion of the trolley on First Fridays to address parking and transit challenges in downtown Gulfport.
- Charlotte Downey (13th Ave South): Asked about sidewalk repairs and vegetation overgrowth at intersections, particularly for elderly residents, and inquired whether the city can use federal infrastructure funding for sidewalks. She also urged proactive code enforcement.
Presentations
- PSTA Board Appointment: Thomas B. Reid, Vice Mayor of South Pasadena, presented his candidacy for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority board seat vacated by Councilor Jim Oliver. He explained that pending legislation would reconfigure the board after six months, and emphasized the need for a collaborative voice during the transition. Council members then expressed preferences: Councilmembers Brown, O'Hara, and Mayor Henderson supported Joseph Barkley; Vice Mayor Ray and Councilmember Thanos supported Reid. By consensus (3-2), Council recommended Joseph Barkley for the appointment.
- Directions for Living Street Outreach: April Lott (President & CEO) and Elijah Mitchell (Case Manager) introduced the new partnership with Gulfport and Treasure Island. Mitchell works 20 hours per week in each city, building relationships with chronically unhoused individuals. He described his approach of repeated contact to build trust. Lott noted that emergency shelters are not always the answer and emphasized understanding individuals' stories. She suggested future discussions on facilities like showers to provide dignity. In response to council questions, Mitchell noted geographic differences between Gulfport and Treasure Island and coordinated with police to identify high-need areas.
Discussion Items
- Ordinance 2023-12 (Tree Ordinance): Second reading and public hearing. Amends Article XX of Chapter 22 (Zoning) regarding tree replacement, relocation, enforcement, and an approved tree list. No public comment. Passed unanimously (5-0).
- Resolution 2023-109 (IT Products/Services from SHI): Authorizes purchase of IT goods and services under state contract. City Manager O'Reilly explained SHI offers competitive pricing and free shipping. Passed unanimously (5-0).
- Resolution 2023-110 (GEMS Replacement Vehicle Grant): Authorizes application to FDOT for Section 5310 funds to replace a vehicle in the GEMS fleet, with 10% city match. Councilmember Thanos inquired about electric vehicle options; City Manager noted they would ask but most public safety EVs don't meet requirements. Passed unanimously (5-0).
- New Business: Councilmember Thanos raised the possibility of a registration fee for short-term rentals to recoup software and enforcement costs (approx. $100,000 annually). Mayor Henderson expressed opposition; no further action taken.
Key Outcomes
- PSTA Board Recommendation: Council recommended Joseph Barkley by a 3-2 consensus vote to fill the PSTA board seat.
- Ordinance 2023-12: Adopted unanimously (5-0).
- Resolution 2023-109: Approved unanimously (5-0) to contract with SHI for IT products/services.
- Resolution 2023-110: Approved unanimously (5-0) to apply for FDOT Section 5310 grant for a GEMS replacement vehicle.
- No action on short-term rental registration fees; discussion deferred.
- Councilmember Thanos suggested exploring federal infrastructure funding for sidewalk improvements and reducing solar permit fees to encourage renewable energy; no formal motion made.
- Councilmember Brown and Mayor Henderson thanked city staff for successful Arbor Day and tree lighting events.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome everyone to the December 5th, 2023 regular city council meeting for Gulfport, Florida. Our invocation this evening is given by Councilmember Christine Brown, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Please join us in rising. Good evening. Thank you all for being here. Um I want to read something from an uh a book by Robert Fulgram, who is an American author. He's written several books. He's 86 years old. And I think it's a good time to um like clear your soul and get back to a simpler time, and remember the holidays are full of love and not stress. So he writes, most of what I really need to know. I learned how about how to live and what to do and how to be. I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandpile at Sunday school. These are the things I learned. Share everything, play fair, don't hit people, put things back where you found them, clean up your own mess, don't take things that aren't yours, say you're sorry when you hurt someone, wash your hands before you eat, flush, warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Live a balanced life, learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work some every day. Take a nap every day. When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together, and be aware of wonder. Thanks. One nation under God and individual with liberty and justice for all. All right. Roll call, please, city clerk. Councilmember Brown, here. Vice Mayor Ray. Here. Councilmember O'Hara? Here. Councilmember Thanos. Here. Mayor Henderson. Here. In for City Attorney Salzman, Attorney Murchy. Here. City Manager O'Reilly. Here. City Clerk Carico, present. All right. Got a couple of presentations this evening. Um, we have uh Thomas Reed, who's vice mayor of the city of South Pasadena, right next door, who's here to talk to us about uh consideration for his uh representation on the PSDA board. Good evening, it's mayor read. Thank you. Council members, very nice to see you. Some of you have known for a while, and others have met for the first time this evening. It's a real pleasure. And I spent a lot of time in your beautiful city, and I drove around admiring the Christmas decorations before I came in and Gulfport never ceases to amaze. It's a beautiful town. As you know, the cities of Bel Air, Bel Air Bluffs, Gulfport, Kenneth City, Seminole, and South Pasadena share a seat currently on the PSTA. Councillor Jim Oliver of City of Seminole served with great distinction and has chosen to resign and move on and retire out of the area. So the board seat is up and running. So myself and Joa Charles, Joe Barkley, excuse me, are both seeking the seat.
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