The Gulfport City Council met on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at 6:00 PM at City Hall. The meeting included presentations, public comment, second readings of two ordinances, first readings of two pension ordinances, three resolutions, and the first of two discussions on the proposed FY2024–2025 Capital Improvement Program and Operating Budget. The meeting lasted approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes, including a 10‑minute recess.
Everyone to the May seventh, twenty twenty-four regular city council meeting for Gulfport, Florida. Our invocation tonight will be given by Councilmember Paul Ray, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. But I know that when we die, and it comes time for God to judge us. Rather, he will ask, how much love did you put into what you did? Mother Teresa. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God and individuals with liberty of justice for all. All right, roll call, please, city clerk. Councilmember Ray. Here. Vice Mayor O'Hara. Here. Councilmember Thanos. Here. Councilmember Brown. Here. Mayor Henderson. Here. City Attorney Salzman. Here. City Manager O'Reilly. Here. City Clerk Carico present. All right. We got a few presentations for you this evening. And also, if uh anyone were to accidentally start a fire, you are in the safest place you could possibly be right now in these chambers. So our Gulf Port Fire Department, uh probationary firefighter helmet presentation, uh Lieutenant Penning and Fire Captain Penning tonight. So welcome our fire chief Renee Fernandez. Good evening, Mayor and Council. I want to start off by thanking all of you as well as the great citizens of this community for making us such an enjoyable place to be a part of, as well as to be able to provide service to. I also would like to thank all our department members for their hard work throughout the year and the stuff that they do in the community. Tonight, our department is here to recognize a four four newer hires that passed their probationary period with our department with it, which is one year long. We are also here to do the pinning ceremony for two well-deserving department members who have been promoted and uh will be doing their pinning today. That's gonna be uh firefighter paramedic John Trickarico's getting promoted to the lieutenant position and Gerard Grady's getting promoted from lieutenant to the fire captain position. All right. At this time, I would like to call up Jonathan Saxman, Richard Atwater, and Scott Miller. I am extremely proud of these department members. I am also extremely proud of Courtney Spann, which unfortunately she couldn't be here tonight. So it's four of them that were in probation altogether. Um throughout their probationary period, they are put all our new hires are put through some extremely difficult mentally and physical um things that they have to go through. Um being dual certified, they also required to pass many scenarios, evolutions, as well as exams to make sure that they meet the standards set forth by the department. Also, throughout that time, on top of working full-time, Spann, Miller, and Atwater are also full-time paramedic students at SPC. Um, in the beginning of his career with us, Saxman was also a full-time uh member attending the fire academy while working for us on the weekends. So they've done a lot over this past year. Um they have all met their goals of probationary period uh in the fire service. Normally during their probationary period, they wear a black helmet, and that is to signify that on scene they are newer and not to be able to assign tasks that could be too dangerous for them, and that way everybody knows, uh, especially when the visibility is low, what it means. So, in honor of them successfully passing their probationary year, uh, Deputy Chief Lunn is gonna present them their yellow helmets, and I want to congratulate them. Uh, we look forward to having you within our department and seeing you guys continue to grow. So, congratulations. Congratulations, yeah. Yeah, take your time, get some good ones.