OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Gulfport City Council Meeting Summary: November 18, 2025

City Council — Tuesday, November 18, 2025
BodyGulfport, Mississippi
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, November 18, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:59:45

Transcript — Verbatim
6:30

It's always so weird sitting here waiting until it hits exactly six o'clock.

6:34

If there's any chance that you haven't remembered to turn your phone off, please do it now.

6:39

We got another action packed meeting, so I prefer not to have phones ringing.

6:45

Um so welcome to the November 18th meeting.

6:49

Thanks for coming out.

6:50

I do like seeing that there's quite a few new faces in here today tonight, and I appreciate that.

6:56

So we're gonna go ahead and get started.

6:58

Um the invocation tonight will be given by Vice Mayor uh Thanos, and then it'll be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

7:06

So please stand if you will.

7:10

I have to say I kind of had fun with this one.

7:13

But um so it was about thankfulness.

7:16

Let us rise up and be thankful.

7:18

For if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little.

7:22

If we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick.

7:25

And if we didn't get sick, at least we didn't die.

7:29

And that's from Buddha.

7:32

And there was another one.

7:33

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others, and that's from Cicero.

8:01

All righty, roll call if you will.

8:06

Present.

8:06

Council Member Jackson?

8:08

Here.

8:08

Council Member Early.

8:11

Here.

8:11

City Attorney Salzman.

8:12

Here.

8:13

City Manager O'Reilly.

8:14

Present.

8:14

City Clerk Keriko is present.

8:17

Very good.

8:18

So I can only imagine that the faces that I don't recognize are here for the presentation tonight.

8:24

Um I know many of us have been waiting on this and we're very anxious to hear what you have to say.

8:29

So with that in mind, please, Mr.

8:31

Justin Keller.

8:40

Justin Keller with Advanced Engineering.

8:42

Um I'm here with uh Rafkae with advanced engineering as well.

8:45

Um we are here to present on our findings for the watershed management plan.

8:50

All right, I've told I was told to be very careful with this, so all right.

9:10

Uh we're gonna talk about our big picture findings, uh get into a little bit of the weeds and talk about uh nerd nerd out a bit and talk about the model.

9:17

Uh we're gonna share the results or the floodplains with you.

9:20

Uh discuss level service, more or less how do we determine success when it comes to stormwater management.

9:26

Uh we're gonna talk about our project recommendations, provide some program recommendations, then obviously, um whether it's at the end or intimidately, please feel free to ask questions.

9:34

I want to make sure everybody um, you know, I'm I'm not losing anybody as I talk.

9:39

Um so starting with kind of what is flooding.

9:42

Uh you know, a lot of times uh, you know, we have or you know, just not golf port specific, but you know, you see standing water in the road after after uh a rain event.

9:52

Um and maybe it's like some curb flooding.

9:54

Um that's not the kind of flooding we're talking about here.

10:00

Or um, you know, if you have a uh, you know, if you have a structure that or a collection structure has a palm front in front of it, that's really not the type of flooding that we're talking about here.

10:06

Uh today we're here to really hit on the um, you know, let's say your your stormwater infrastructure, which is your pipes, your ponds, um, you know, your ditches and your inlets, and talk about how they function uh during specific design storms and then where those inefficiencies are and how we can make them better.

10:23

Um, and then also too, um I I have a note here that also you know um golf port experiences tidal flooding.

10:31

Um this is a focus on stormwater as in rainfall-based flooding today, but there will be discussion about tidal flooding uh throughout the presentation.

10:40

So as far as big picture, what exactly goes into a watershed management plan um referred to as a WMP, so I'll be using that uh abbreviation moving forward.

10:49

Um the first part is an extensive records review.

10:52

Um I think we requested that uh Tom and his team uh go up in the attic about a couple times to look at the uh you know to get some sacred scrolls, smolder plans so we can get information, uh some more detailed information about what's out there.

11:04

Um also field and get an investigation.

11:07

Part of this effort was us going out in the field, uh, you know, put putting our head in structures, putting our eyes on things, and making sure that we had a lay of the land of what what's out there.

11:16

Um we also uh this is a um GIS-based um exercise that we performed.

11:22

So while we did not get funding through the Southwest Florida Water Management District, we followed all the protocols of that of that funding program or of their watershed management program.

11:34

Um so everything you know you see in your deliverables and within the geodatabase, it looks and smells like it was done through Swift Mud.

11:41

We want it was important to make sure that we kind of standardize to where when this gets used in the future that somebody picks it up and they they understand language we're speaking.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Floodplain Management█████████████████████████████████████████41%
Environmental Protection█████████9%
Public Engagement███████7%
Water And Wastewater Management██████6%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████5%
Procedural████4%
Public Safety████4%
Parks and Recreation███3%
Community Engagement███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Gulfport City Council Meeting: November 18, 2025

The City Council held a comprehensive meeting focused on the presentation and discussion of the new Watershed Management Plan (WMP) by Advanced Engineering. The presentation detailed the city's stormwater infrastructure challenges, modeling findings, and a proposal for six capital improvement projects to address flooding. While no immediate votes were cast on the WMP recommendations, the Council agreed to a workshop to review the data in depth. The meeting also covered routine updates, code enforcement progress, e-bike safety ordinances, and upcoming legislative priorities regarding property taxes.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: Unanimously approved the meeting minutes from November 4, 2025.
  • Board of Adjustment Appointment: Unanimously approved Resolution 2025-97 to appoint a member to the Board of Adjustment.
  • Roadway Improvement Contract: Unanimously approved Resolution 2025-98 authorizing the contract with Keystone Excavators Inc. for the 58th Street Roadway Improvements Project (Alternative B) and budget amendments.
  • Hurricane Relief Budget Amendment: Unanimously approved Resolution 2025-99 to amend the operating budget to account for expenditures and recoveries related to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Robert Lewis: Expressed concern regarding the opacity of the computer modeling calculations and requested access to the raw data. He suggested that a box culvert be installed near the Senior Center and argued that current modeling missed existing culvert issues.
  • Peter Ford: Expressed appreciation for previous drainage work on 59th Street but raised a position of concern regarding the inability of city staff to maintain drainage ditches on private property (Pasadena Yacht and Country Club) owned by the city but inaccessible due to property boundaries.
  • Jennifer Webb: Provided constructive feedback, suggesting the council review Safety Harbor's financing model for wastewater/street maintenance and advocate for joint projects with St. Petersburg to address regional flooding challenges.
  • Donovan Nickel: Delivered a statement as part of the Bicycle/Pedestrian Action Committee, urging vigilance regarding e-bike safety and supporting the implementation of safety guidelines and pedestrian-friendly signage.
  • Courtney [Surname Missing]: Asked if relocating police and fire departments to the 49th Street Community Center was considered as an alternative to the proposed $18.1 million roadway fix, noting potential cost savings.
  • Jonathan McCoachy: Clarified the statutory authority and responsibilities of the Planning and Zoning Board, expressing concern that recent board meetings have been too brief to fulfill their advisory role effectively.
  • Kathy Ford: Requested that presentation slides be made available on the city website or for printing, noting accessibility concerns.
  • Bob Kang: Expressed a stance of strong opposition to the proposed "nine inches" of allowable water over the centerline for roadways, calling it unacceptable. He argued that pump stations should be leased rather than built and emphasized the urgent need for check valves to prevent tidal backflow.
  • Kieran [Surname Missing]: Raised a concern regarding the lack of enforcement easements through private properties (specifically PYCC) to allow for necessary drainage ditch maintenance by the city.
  • Amy Costa: Questioned whether the city's flooding issues are exacerbated by upstream areas in the broader peninsula and suggested the need for inter-municipal collaboration to address regional water flow.
  • Eileen Corning: Presented positive news from the Gulfport Senior Center Foundation, including a record-breaking endowment goal ($500k) achieved early and a significant bequest from a deceased member.

Discussion Items

  • Watershed Management Plan (WMP) Presentation: Justin Keller and Rafkae Kadai of Advanced Engineering presented the WMP findings. Key points included:
    • Modeling: Utilization of the "Stormwise" hydrologic model based on NOAA Atlas 14 rainfall data and a 2035 sea-level rise tailwater condition (1.78 ft NAVD 88). The model identified that 44% (192 of 454) of catchments fail to meet Level of Service standards during a 25-year storm.
    • Flooding Dynamics: Confirmed a gradient from northeast to southwest where upstream inefficiencies cascade to downstream areas. Significant flooding hotspots identified: City Hall, Tomlinson Park, 59th Street/Wood Ibis, the Stetson area (Northwest), and the Marina.
    • Project Proposals: Six projects were proposed:
      1. Police/Fire Rapid Response Roadway (approx. $18.1M).
      2. PYCC Bypass Culverts (approx. $11.8M).
      3. PYCC/Waterfront Conveyance Expansion (approx. $13.3M).
      4. 30th Ave/58th St Conveyance (approx. $10.2M).
      5. 15th Ave Conveyance Improvements.
      6. Marina Pilot Program for Actuated Valves (approx. $1.5M).
    • Legislative Recommendations: Recommended refining the Comprehensive Plan's Level of Service definitions, updating imperviousness limits (currently 80% allowed), and evaluating the stormwater utility fee structure.
  • City Manager Report:
    • Code Enforcement: Reported 192 flood-related violations issued, with 140 currently responding. The city is moving from a laissez-faire approach to strict enforcement, including potential litigation for unpermitted work.
    • RV Enforcement: Announced a new crackdown on the storage of recreational vehicles in yards and on right-of-ways, requiring permits.
    • E-bike Ordinance: Received direction to draft an ordinance prohibiting e-bikes on beaches and in parks based on current state statutes.
    • Landowner Clarification: Confirmed that Pasadena Yacht and Country Club (PYCC) owns and is responsible for its private stormwater system and drainage easements within its boundaries.
    • Lincoln Cemetery: Clarified that the city does not own the cemetery; the City Attorney will wait for the owner to offer the property to the city before pursuing acquisition.
  • Legislative Updates (Council Members):
    • Property Taxes: Council members discussed upcoming Florida legislative sessions focusing on ad valorem tax caps, school funding, and the potential impact on homesteaded vs. non-homesteaded properties.
    • Tree Ordinances: Discussed adopting model tree ordinances and native plant guidelines to prevent excessive clearing and preserve canopy.

Key Outcomes

  • Workshop Scheduled: Council directed staff to schedule a workshop for November 25 at 4:00 PM, featuring the Advanced Engineering team for detailed Q&A on the WMP.
  • Ordinance Delay: Moved to table the Zoning Ordinance regarding sight lines (suggested by Councilmember Jackson) to allow for public review of updated information before the next meeting.
  • Contract Approval: Formal approval granted for the 58th Street Roadway Improvement Project contract with Keystone Excavators Inc.
  • Budget Adjustment: Approval granted to reallocate funds to manage hurricane response and recovery costs.
  • Upcoming Workshops: Three additional workshops scheduled: November 25 (Stormwater/WMP), January 8 (Marina property vision), and February 5 (Referrendum questions).

Meeting Transcript

It's always so weird sitting here waiting until it hits exactly six o'clock. If there's any chance that you haven't remembered to turn your phone off, please do it now. We got another action packed meeting, so I prefer not to have phones ringing. Um so welcome to the November 18th meeting. Thanks for coming out. I do like seeing that there's quite a few new faces in here today tonight, and I appreciate that. So we're gonna go ahead and get started. Um the invocation tonight will be given by Vice Mayor uh Thanos, and then it'll be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. So please stand if you will. I have to say I kind of had fun with this one. But um so it was about thankfulness. Let us rise up and be thankful. For if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little. If we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick. And if we didn't get sick, at least we didn't die. And that's from Buddha. And there was another one. Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others, and that's from Cicero. All righty, roll call if you will. Present. Council Member Jackson? Here. Council Member Early. Here. City Attorney Salzman. Here. City Manager O'Reilly. Present. City Clerk Keriko is present. Very good. So I can only imagine that the faces that I don't recognize are here for the presentation tonight. Um I know many of us have been waiting on this and we're very anxious to hear what you have to say. So with that in mind, please, Mr. Justin Keller. Justin Keller with Advanced Engineering. Um I'm here with uh Rafkae with advanced engineering as well. Um we are here to present on our findings for the watershed management plan. All right, I've told I was told to be very careful with this, so all right. Uh we're gonna talk about our big picture findings, uh get into a little bit of the weeds and talk about uh nerd nerd out a bit and talk about the model. Uh we're gonna share the results or the floodplains with you. Uh discuss level service, more or less how do we determine success when it comes to stormwater management. Uh we're gonna talk about our project recommendations, provide some program recommendations, then obviously, um whether it's at the end or intimidately, please feel free to ask questions. I want to make sure everybody um, you know, I'm I'm not losing anybody as I talk. Um so starting with kind of what is flooding. Uh you know, a lot of times uh, you know, we have or you know, just not golf port specific, but you know, you see standing water in the road after after uh a rain event. Um and maybe it's like some curb flooding. Um that's not the kind of flooding we're talking about here. Or um, you know, if you have a uh, you know, if you have a structure that or a collection structure has a palm front in front of it, that's really not the type of flooding that we're talking about here. Uh today we're here to really hit on the um, you know, let's say your your stormwater infrastructure, which is your pipes, your ponds, um, you know, your ditches and your inlets, and talk about how they function uh during specific design storms and then where those inefficiencies are and how we can make them better. Um, and then also too, um I I have a note here that also you know um golf port experiences tidal flooding.

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