OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Gulfport City Council Meeting Summary - December 2, 2025

City Council — Tuesday, December 2, 2025
BodyGulfport, Mississippi
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, December 2, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:06:30

Transcript — Verbatim
6:16

All righty, welcome.

6:18

Good evening.

6:19

I am calling uh to order the December 2nd City Council meeting for Gulfport, Florida.

6:27

Uh tonight our invocation will be given by Councilmember Shaw.

6:31

It will be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

6:33

Um let me just say, because I do see several new faces in here.

6:37

If anybody's in here and their phone might be on, be sure you turn it off right now.

6:42

We'd appreciate that.

6:44

Mine's in the car, so I can't forget.

6:47

Um so we will uh stand for uh Marlena and then the Pledge of Allegiance.

6:52

Oh, I'm called.

6:57

Unlike any other creatures on this planet, humans can learn and understand without having experienced.

7:04

They can think themselves into other people's places.

7:08

We do not need magic to change the world.

7:10

We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already.

7:14

We have the power to imagine better.

7:16

J.K.

7:17

Rowling.

7:26

To the Republic for which it stands.

7:29

One nation under God.

7:39

Thank you.

7:40

Roll call if you will, City Clerk.

7:43

Councilmember Shaw, present.

7:45

Councilmember Early?

7:46

Present.

7:47

Vice Mayor Thanos.

7:48

Present.

7:49

Mayor Love.

7:50

Here.

7:50

City Attorney Salzman.

7:52

Here.

7:52

City Manager O'Reilly.

7:53

Here.

7:54

City Clerk Carico is present.

7:55

Councilmember Jackson has asked to be excused.

8:00

All right.

8:00

So tonight we are going to have a presentation from Linda Fisher of Ford Pinellas.

8:08

And this was um discussion that was started several months ago just to kind of see where this particular city council uh sat on um ADUs.

8:20

And then of course we had to wait before we got our comp plan back, but there's been some work being done behind the scenes, so now Linda's gonna come up and give us a presentation of where we are and where the state is on this and the whole bit.

8:33

So if you would please oh, we have two presenters tonight.

8:40

I didn't know.

8:40

So Mr.

8:41

Taylor's gonna be working with introduction.

8:43

Okay, thank you.

8:45

But Linda Fisher has a great uh presentation for you this evening.

8:52

Um there's a lot of good information and things to think about during this process.

8:57

But with that, I'll just go ahead and turn it over to Linda.

9:00

All righty, thank you.

9:02

So am I hearing a phone going off?

9:06

It's not mine.

9:07

Okay.

9:08

I've heard it twice now.

9:11

All righty.

9:12

Thank you, Linda.

9:13

Okay, thank you very much.

9:14

It is always nice to be here.

9:16

Um I'm gonna start off how I usually do.

9:19

Uh, for those in the audience who don't know me.

9:21

Um, I work for Ford Pinellas.

9:23

We are the county wide agency that coordinates land use and transportation uh planning across Pinellas County.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning Regulations███████████████████████23%
Procedural███████████████15%
Property Appraisal███████████11%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████9%
Affordable Housing███████7%
Public Safety███████7%
Public Engagement█████5%
Floodplain Management████4%
Media Relations███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Gulfport City Council Meeting - December 2, 2025

The City Council of Gulfport, Florida, convened for its monthly meeting to begin with a presentation on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), receive public commendations for community resilience, address resident concerns regarding local services, and vote on significant charter amendments and roadway projects. The meeting featured a discussion with Ford Pinellas on ADU regulatory frameworks, a unanimous vote on charter term limits and forfeiture provisions, and a decision to defer a lease termination payout due to appraisal discrepancies. Public comments highlighted issues ranging from fire parade noises to the preservation of the local press and recreational equipment.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes Approval: Unanimously approved the minutes from the November 18, 2025, meeting.
  • Audit Resolution: Unanimously approved Resolution 2025-100, authorizing the city manager to expend funds for annual audit services with Forvis Mazars LLP.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Coast Guard Auxiliary (Andrew Bush): Expressed full gratitude for the City Council's partnership in retaining Flotilla 716 and providing resources; presented a Certificate of Appreciation and a challenge coin to Mayor Love.
  • Christine Crosby: Expressed concern regarding the high-decibel police and fire alarms during the Christmas round; requested consideration of playing music (e.g., Jingle Bells) instead of alarms to avoid frightening residents.
  • Tom Hanley: Expressed appreciation for recreational facilities but noted a specific deficit in weight-lifting capacity at Tomlson Park's exercise area after equipment replacement; requested the addition of new weight-lifting machines.
  • Julia Bull: Expressed strong concern regarding the potential non-renewal of the city's advertising contract with the Gulfport Gabber newspaper; stated that not renewing the contract creates the perception of retaliation against a democratic institution.
  • Ms. Tober: Expressed full support and appreciation for City Manager Jim O'Reilly, highlighting his 17 years of service and the city's stability under his leadership following the 2024 storms.
  • Lauren Stern (via proxy): Expressed dismay and confusion regarding the Gulfport Lions Club lease buyout and the delayed implementation of remote public comment capabilities.

Discussion Items

  • ADU Presentation (Linda Fisher, Ford Pinellas):

    • Provided a regulatory overview of ADUs, noting that while state law allows them, specific interpretations regarding affordability affidavits vary; the majority of Pinellas County does not require an affidavit unless part of a formal program.
    • Discussed key regulatory decisions for Gulfport, including: lot size requirements (some cities have none), maximum unit sizes (by square footage or percentage of primary dwelling), setbacks, parking requirements, and owner-occupancy rules.
    • Highlighted a pending state bill that would mandate ADU ordinances by July 1, 2026, and prohibit owner-occupancy requirements, though vacation rental restrictions would remain permissible.
    • Council Consensus Review: Re-confirmed that the council previously agreed to no minimum lot size and adherence to current setbacks; unresolved items included parking requirements, lot coverage percentages (specifically the 40% cap), and whether to allow variances for setbacks.
    • Clarification: The City Clerk clarified that ADUs currently do not count against density unless specific local regulations are adopted; the Countywide Rules offer an optional density bonus provision.
    • Kitchen Definition: Discussed that state statute requires a kitchen; interpretations on

  • Charter Amendment (Item 7A):

    • Discussion: City Attorney Salzman reviewed proposed amendments regarding:
      • Section 103: Changed lease authorization term from 30 years to 5 years at fair market value; moved deed recording requirements to ordinance.
      • Section 302: Established three-year terms with a limit of three consecutive terms; introduced a requirement for a two-year sit-out period before re-election to the prior office, with an exception if no other qualified candidates exist.
      • Section 305: Removed vague misdemeanor language; clarified that only the State Attorney's Office can determine violations.
      • Section 306: Removed vacancy language; added "forfeiture of office" due to intentional, willful, flagrant, or continuous violations, to be determined via an independent hearing (special magistrate) following due process.
      • Section 314: Reduced the charter amendment review cycle from every 10 years to every 5 years.
    • Public Comment: Citizens Lenny Money and Joe Gunther (committee member) offered praise for the committee's work but noted grammatical errors (e.g., "severed" vs. "served", use of "both"); Council agreed to correct these.
    • Vote: Unanimously passed.

  • Lions Club Lease Buyout (Resolution 8A):

    • Issue: The Gulfport Lions Club is ending their lease; the city must pay the remaining value of their building improvements per the lease agreement.
    • Appraisal Discrepancy: An initial appraisal valued the building at $264,246 (ACV). Councilmember Shaw and others argued the lease requires an MAI (Member Appraisal Institute) appraisal for market value, not actual cash value (ACV), and questioned the 60% depreciation factor for a 1965/1971 structure.
    • City Attorney Advice: Recommended tabling the item to commission a proper MAI appraisal for market value as required by the lease, noting the 90-day payment window allows time for this without defaulting.
    • Council Decision: Motion to table passed unanimously; the city will proceed with a new MAI market value appraisal.

  • Roadway Milling and Resurfacing (Resolution 8C):

    • Project: Annual resurfacing of 1.4 miles of roads selected based on Pavement Condition Index (PCI) to ensure equitable distribution across wards (including Marina, Tangerine, 27th Ave, etc.).
    • Contract: Awarded to Ashfalt Paving Systems Incorporated via state piggyback; project anticipated to complete before Christmas.
    • Discussion: Assistant Public Works Director Kendrick Sanderson addressed concerns about flooding streets, explaining the mill and overlay will re-establish the road crown for drainage, though full reconstruction would be needed for permanent water table issues.
    • Vote: Unanimously approved.

  • New Business / Stormwater & Code:

    • Councilmember Early: Proposed requiring hurricane straps for older roof replacements to improve safety and lower insurance costs; suggested increasing the mandatory pervious surface percentage from 20% to 25-30%; requested restrictions on excessive motion-sensing floodlights for

Meeting Transcript

All righty, welcome. Good evening. I am calling uh to order the December 2nd City Council meeting for Gulfport, Florida. Uh tonight our invocation will be given by Councilmember Shaw. It will be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Um let me just say, because I do see several new faces in here. If anybody's in here and their phone might be on, be sure you turn it off right now. We'd appreciate that. Mine's in the car, so I can't forget. Um so we will uh stand for uh Marlena and then the Pledge of Allegiance. Oh, I'm called. Unlike any other creatures on this planet, humans can learn and understand without having experienced. They can think themselves into other people's places. We do not need magic to change the world. We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already. We have the power to imagine better. J.K. Rowling. To the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God. Thank you. Roll call if you will, City Clerk. Councilmember Shaw, present. Councilmember Early? Present. Vice Mayor Thanos. Present. Mayor Love. Here. City Attorney Salzman. Here. City Manager O'Reilly. Here. City Clerk Carico is present. Councilmember Jackson has asked to be excused. All right. So tonight we are going to have a presentation from Linda Fisher of Ford Pinellas. And this was um discussion that was started several months ago just to kind of see where this particular city council uh sat on um ADUs. And then of course we had to wait before we got our comp plan back, but there's been some work being done behind the scenes, so now Linda's gonna come up and give us a presentation of where we are and where the state is on this and the whole bit. So if you would please oh, we have two presenters tonight. I didn't know. So Mr. Taylor's gonna be working with introduction. Okay, thank you. But Linda Fisher has a great uh presentation for you this evening. Um there's a lot of good information and things to think about during this process. But with that, I'll just go ahead and turn it over to Linda. All righty, thank you. So am I hearing a phone going off? It's not mine.

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