The Gulfport City Council convened at 6:00 PM on April 1, 2025 at City Hall. The meeting featured the swearing-in of newly elected Councilmembers Marlene Shaw (Ward II) and Nancy Earley (Ward IV) and Mayor Karen Love. Key actions included extending the permit fee waiver for storm-damaged properties by 30 days, appointing April Thanos as Vice Mayor, and agreeing to revise council rules and procedures. A workshop on community resiliency was also approved.
Excuse me. Excuse me. Thank you. As City Attorney on behalf of the City of Gulfport calling the April 1st, 2025 meeting to order. City Clerk, please. Tonight we're going to swear in our new council members and mayors. First, we're going to do the swearing in of both Councilmember Shaw and Councilmember Early. So if you'll join me in front of the seal. Hi, state your name. Nancy Early. Do you solemnly swear or affirm that I am a citizen of the United States of America and a resident of the state of Florida? That I am duly qualified to hold office under the Constitution of the State and the ordinances of the City of Gulfport. And that I will well and faithfully perform the duties of council member on which I am about to enter. As a recipient of public funds, as such officer, that I will support the Constitution of the United States of America and the Constitution of the State of Florida. And that I will in all respects reserve the provisions of this charter and the ordinance of the city of Gulf Florida. I will. Her daughter Nicole will be joining her along with Wolfgang. Oh, they can come this way. I state your name. I state your name. I Karen Love do solemnly swear or affirm that I am a citizen of the United States of America and a resident of the state of Florida. That I am duly qualified to hold office under the Constitution of the State and the ordinances of the City of Gulfport. And that I will well and faithfully perform the duties of mayor on which I am about to enter. As a recipient of public funds, as such officer, that I will support the Constitution of the United States of America, the Constitution of the State of Florida, and that I will in all respects observe the provisions of the Charter and Ordinances of the City of Gulfport. I do. Congratulations, ma'am. And now before we start this meeting, I have asked and and um that each of the uh newly elected council people have just a couple minutes to speak to you because I know that's what you want. Okay. Okay. Marlene, you want to go first? I think I should defer to the portion of the invocation since I already have something prepared for that. Not a problem. Okay, Miss Early uh excuse me, Councilmember Early. Yes, Mayor Love. I just wanted to thank everyone that has supported me. Um I look forward to working with these lovely people and doing the best that I can for Award 4 and for all of Golfport. So thank you. So mine is short, but a little longer than that. Okay, so the first thing I want to do is just having gone through this process, I want to say thank you to everybody, all the candidates who have gone before us, and especially to all the female candidates who have gone before us when it wasn't their time, like it is now. Um I have to give a big shout out. I'm assuming everyone can hear me. Yes, okay. Have to give a big shout out and an appreciation to Yvonne Johnson, who's here tonight. If you don't know. When I was marching in the streets in the 70s, she was already on city council in Golfport, okay, 1972. Wow. And then if you haven't already heard, she was our first mayor. She became mayor in 1985 and was mayor until 1987, so I'm not the first mayor of Gulf, female mayor of Gallport. Um I have to say, as somebody who did march in the streets, I'm extremely proud to be up here and acknowledge the females and what we accomplished here because I do understand that this is history, okay. I also want to say that as mayor of this group, I don't see females, okay.