Gulfport City Council Stormwater Workshop - Nov 25, 2025

The Gulfport City Council convened a workshop to review a preliminary stormwater management plan and six proposed Best Management Practices (BMPs) presented by Advanced Engineering. Mayor Love emphasized that stormwater is the city's number one issue, noting the aging infrastructure and a projected cost of $75 million to complete the six identified projects. The primary goal was to discuss the proposed "defined level of service" (allowing up to 9 inches of water on streets in certain conditions) and project development assumptions, deliberately deferring detailed funding discussions until a Vulnerability Study is presented in January.

Consent Calendar

• Not applicable (This was a workshop; no formal votes or consent calendar items were processed).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Shauna Stone (3014 DuPont St.): Expressed strong concern that the focus on creating "pretty water retention centers" is detracting from fixing immediate drainage issues. Stated that neighbors' garages are flooding during standard rainstorms (3 inches) and that Town Shores and 58th Street areas face over a foot of water during the August flash flood event.
• Anna: Questions regarding the effectiveness of dredging Wood Ibis Pond due to groundwater tables and clarification on the drainage path of water from 26th/27th streets.
• Laura Oldaney (9th Ave S): Questioned the city's available budget against the $75 million estimate. Requested better public education materials and suggested engaging external experts like Megan (Tampa Bay Regional Planning), Forward Pinellas, and Diane Willis (rainwater harvesting expert) to brainstorm diverse solutions.
• Bob: Stated the objective is to remove rainwater from streets and return it to the bay. Suggested that pumping stations, as implemented by Pinellas County and Treasure Island, could be a viable solution to move water quickly, citing specific engineering plans.
• Michael Thornton (3014 DuPont St.): A mechanical engineer questioning the modeling assumptions. Asked if the report accounted for historical impacts of Town Shores and the Beach Park/Recreation Center blockages, tailwater reduction via check valves, and if pumping was evaluated as a mitigation measure during tailwater events.
• Scott Bernstein (Skimmer Point): Expressed concern that converting parks to water features poses a liability risk for families if children are unaware of the danger. Suggested that the PYCC Country Club remodel might be a strategic opportunity to coordinate infrastructure improvements.

Discussion Items

• Mayor Love:
  • Outlined goals to assess the council's comfort with the "defined level of service" and project assumptions (e.g., not buying homes for storage).
  • Clarified that the $75 million estimate is in today's dollars for the six projects, compared to the $13.5 million already spent on the sewer system over nine and a half years.
  • Proposed deferring the funding discussion until after the January Vulnerability Study to establish a clearer path forward.
  • Noted the water flow pattern from the northeast to southwest, emphasizing that addressing the NE section reduces the load on the SW section.
• Justin Keller (Advanced Engineering):
  • St. Pete Water: Confirmed that water transfer from St. Pete is minimal and primarily affects the 49th Street system or Marina District, not the PYCC basin.
  • Water Flow & Models: Explained that while modeling shows water flowing into Wood Ibis, much of it actually flows north or west via Bear Creek. Clarified that the model shows instantaneous maximums, not recovery times.
  • Recovery Studies: Agreed to provide "recovery floodplains" to show how quickly water recedes after a storm, which would help prioritize projects based on lingering water issues.
  • Dredging: Explained that dredging Wood Ibis Pond is unlikely to lower the water table effectively because the pond is a "wet pond" fed by the groundwater table; removing sediment does not remove the source volume.
  • Pumping: Acknowledged the public's suggestions for pumps but noted that 8,000 GPM (17 CFS) scales are insufficient for the massive stormwater volumes (hundreds of CFS) associated with design storms in the PYCC area.
  • Maps: Accepted feedback that the presentation maps were difficult to read and promised to provide high-resolution, labeled legends and GIS data in the final report by year-end.
• Councilmember Early:
  • Expressed agreement with the "defined level of service" concepts (0, 6, and 9 inches).
  • Project Assumptions: Questioned the assumption against converting green space to storage. Suggested using Climber Park, Caldwell Park, or the 27th/59th low point as holding ponds to avoid expensive road reconstruction.
  • BMP Specifics: Asked about redundancy in outfalls for BMP 1 (54th Street) and the flow direction of BMP 2 (Golf Course). Requested a site visit to see the bypass systems at Wood Ibis.
• Councilmember Shaw:
  • Agreed to investigate the use of green spaces (Climber Park, Caldwell Park, and the 27th/59th low point) as strategic storage areas, provided the safety and liability are addressed.
  • Noted that current maps for the Golf Course bypass (BMP 2) were confusing and requested a tour of the actual site to understand the water flow.
• Councilmember Jackson:
  • Agreed that using green spaces for water storage is a viable option to reduce costs and construction disruption, specifically mentioning moving projects from 15th to 13th to utilize open space near Caldwell Park.
• Councilmember Thanos:
  • Noted that the 59th/27th low point is the lowest elevation in the city and questioned if buying that specific property and creating a pond there would be an effective solution.

Key Outcomes

• Council directed staff and engineers to re-evaluate the six project proposals with a specific emphasis on the feasibility of using existing public green spaces (Climber Park, Caldwell Park, and the 27th/59th intersection) as temporary or permanent water storage areas.
• Engineers agreed to provide a "recovery floodplain" analysis to demonstrate drainage speeds after storm events.
• City staff and engineers committed to producing high-resolution, labeled maps and a detailed written report with legends to be delivered by the end of the year.
• The Council decided to pause detailed financial planning until the Vulnerability Study is completed and presented in January.
• No formal votes were taken; the meeting concluded with a directive to continue dialogue and explore the new design concepts before returning to budget discussions.