Good evening.

And thank you all for coming out in this wonderful, wonderful rain.

I know we love it.

Um, so I do see quite a few new faces here tonight.

So I just want to for the folks who don't come all the time, they don't necessarily know a couple of the procedures.

So the first thing is no telephones should be ringing or buzzing or anything like that.

Second, I understand that there's going to be times where you might want to talk to the person next to you.

That's fine, but do it in the hallway.

Because this is like a I it's so weird.

Anytime anyone's speaking out there, I can hear it really clearly here.

So it's quite distracting.

So I ask that.

And when we get to public comment, public comment, the first public comment will be for anything that's not on the agenda.

And you have three minutes.

But if you haven't done it before, you might not know that you can talk about whatever you want.

Okay, but it's not a question and answer period.

You can ask us questions, but don't look at us like, why aren't you answering?

We don't do that during this time.

Uh if you ask a question and you're really looking for a definite answer, you might get it during public um our council comments, but you can also leave your name and a way to contact you with our city clerk, and she'll pass that on to us, okay.

I always feel bad when somebody's standing up there looking at me like, aren't you gonna say anything?

No, I'm not gonna say anything.

Nobody's gonna say anything.

So, that all being said, what we're gonna do tonight is we will start with our invocation and then it will be followed by the pledge of allegiance.

So I ask that everyone stand.

Councilmember Jennifer Dawn.

I have a quote from Dolly Parton.

The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you have to put up with the rain.

Find out who you are and do it on purpose.

If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, then you're an excellent leader.

Oh my god.

Roll call, please.

Councilmember Early.

Present.

Councilmember Donch?

Here.

Vice Mayor Shaw, present.

Mayor Love here, City Attorney Salzman?

Here.

City Manager O'Reilly, here.

City Clerk Carico is present, and Councilmember Webb has asked to be excused.

All righty.

Thank you.

We have two presentations tonight, and we will start with our city clerk reading the first proclamation for National Public Works Week.

Whereas public works contributes to advancing and enhancing our quality of life and provide services that are vital to sustainable and resilient communities, and whereas public works professionals are responsible for planning, building, improving, maintaining, and protecting essential infrastructure, facilities, and services that support public health, safety, and well-being.

And whereas the support of an understanding and informed citizenry is vital to the efficient operation of public work systems and programs such as parks, streets, highways, traffic, stormwater, public buildings, transit, fleet maintenance, and solid waste.

And whereas public works professionals, including engineers, managers, supervisors, operators, technicians, and employees provide essential services that lead to healthier, safer, and more vibrant communities.

And whereas it is in the public interest for citizens, civic leaders, and children in the city of Gulfport to gain knowledge and of and maintain an ongoing understanding of the importance of public works and the public works programs.

There, be it resolved, therefore, be it resolved that I, Karen Love, mayor of the city of Gulfport, do hereby proclaim May 17th through 23rd as National Public Works Week, and witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and cause the seal of the city of Gulfport, Florida to be a fixed this 19th day of May 2026.

No, thank you so much.

Thank you so much.

And then tonight we have a second presentation, and it will be given by Linda.

I know a Linda Crane, that's why I said it.

Sorry.

By a Teresa Crane of Duke Energy on Vegetation Management.

So if you'd like to, please, Teresa, come on up.

Hi everybody.

Sorry, I have to have my back to you.

Hi, good evening.

My name is Teresa Crane.

I'm a 27-year-old veteran of 27-year-old, I wish.

Veteran of Florida Power Progress Energy, Duke Energy.

I retired, had my retirement party at the Gulfport Casino, and then the three storms came, and I went back to work to rebuild the barrier islands.

I heard there were some questions about tree trimming in Gulfport.

So my arborist gave me this presentation.

I do work with them during a storm.

I think really highly of all of them.

We're a packed of people that work together to get the right things done.

So I'll just show you how we manage our vegetation management.

If you guys have seen lately, we've had Lewis tree trimming service all over Gulfport pre-storm doing our three, five-year plan.

That's a cycle.

I was going to tell you that it was finished today, and then I saw trucks on 58th Street.

And because I didn't have a safety vest with me, I couldn't go out and go in their work zone.

But what I did notice is they were at the end of the new road project, and they were trimming almost below the cable lines, which is Bright House Verizon Wow.

So that was probably part of the 3-5 trim, so that it doesn't grow back in when we come back in five years, it's all up in the power lines.

In distribution and transmission, but we abide by every arborage rule known to Arborage people and mankind.

They get up there, they get into the transformers, they get into one phase of the three phase, and the way the system is trained is it'll clear once, it'll clear twice, and then it'll lock out.

Now I was talking to another uh fellow power worker in the back, and if you look like on 58th Street, especially at Ebus Park, you'll see a self-healing feeder, which is all new technology post-storm.

And so even when that happens, it switches the feeder out, so you go on to another feeder and the power is it stays intact.

Um, I don't like to read charts because nobody really cares about them except people like me.

But we do use all ISA certified arborists, and they they go through not only the Lewis tree trimming service training, but Duke training by our certified arborist.

Um there's exam- I know that this one brings a lot of heartache to people, especially when you see the V underneath the tree, and a lot of people will tell me that's not healthy for the tree.

Under Arborist standards, it does not hurt the heart of the tree, but it is necessary to keep the line clear, and so as those are the names of the pruning methods.

Um the C is the one that gives me a little heartburn, but it clears the line.

And who would have ever thought many many years ago that we'd have this many trees underneath the distribution lines?

Um we put these door hangers on the doors.

Um we do outbound calls.

We like to let everybody in the neighborhoods know we will be there.

Everyone has to wear a uniform, has to have a name tag badge, and is not allowed to access your yard without pre-notification or having uh permission to do so.

We do not do in tree in yard tree trimming.

Um debris.

We try to clean debris following the main thoroughfare.

We don't pick it up at once because it would hamper the process, so we do come back and pick up as quickly as we possibly can.

There's a different um method for that during a storm where we have to really wait post-storm, and we can we can't stop restoration to pick up debris.

I I just hope everybody will understand that it's more important to energize our customers than to be picking up limbs, though I know it's very you know people don't like it, and I understand, but our mission is to energize the the citizens.

Customer requests you can enter them on the Duke website.

Um if you and we do have certified arborists other than Lewis that if you really have a problem, they will come to your home and they will talk with you.

I've I had two complaints here in Golf Fort that I dispatched one of our Duke arborists that went out and uh talked to the homeowner and took care of the complaint.

This is this is these are all on our websites, our customer request.

Um we do have a lot of requests may we trim our own trees.

You may, but you're gonna pay dearly because you're gonna have to get a certified arborist that can that is licensed to deal underneath distribution lines, and they're gonna trim the exact same way that Duke would.

They follow the same state.

So if you use UTC, for example, I have 200-year-old oak trees in my yard, and I have UTC come look at my trees every year just for their determined health because I know if a storm comes, I'm not gonna be sitting at my home on 53rd Street, I'm gonna be in the storm center.

I'm gonna be in a truck with a line crew.

Um right tree, right place.

We really try to um talk about this.

Uh, two of the biggest culprits in Florida are bamboo and palm trees, and I had just priced um a palm tree in my alley, which isn't the right away, to have UTC remove it because it took my house out a lot, and when Lewis came through, they did it.

They cleared it, and I was like, Yeah, I didn't have to pay for that one.

Oh I'm stalled.

We will we do uh totally legal uh move over traffic or maintenance of traffic.

We do put signage up, we do barrier and cone the areas off, and if need be, we do let you know that the parking places will be um filled with with trucks, but we do that within every um essence of the law.

And that's really all I had on just those slides, but I did look at Facebook.

Well, I'm not allowed to look at Facebook, but our corporate column looks at Facebook, and the only uh comments I could find are was the this was one from a uh customer citizen.

My trees are nowhere near the lines.

Why did they trim them?

Well, it was because we were w working towards that three five-year cycle that I mentioned that we don't have to come back.

Um may I trim my own trees?

I answered that.

Um, you have to use certified arborists which would be the same standards that Duke uses.

And just to let you know that regular maintenance of tree trimming and Arborage is mandated by the Florida Public Service Commission.

Um the other comment I saw.

Well, corporate comms on Facebook is the tree is ugly.

That was probably one of those that was cut in the Y.

Um as I said, we follow all mandated guidelines by certified arborists and we've been named a tree line USA utility by the Arbor Day Foundation for 20 consecutive years.

Is there any any questions that I may answer to the council or mayor?

Um we'll go in speaking order, which would mean council member early if you have any.

I don't have any questions.

Okay, and then we go to Councilmember Dawn.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Um I say this respectfully because I don't know who was in the video, but somebody was putting tags on doors and they were videoed removing them after they put it on there, allegedly because they'd run out.

So that those homes did not receive.

So I don't know if if that was Duke Energy or if it was one of the cable companies, but I just wanted to make you aware that if you receive complaints, that could possibly be a situation.

Um and like you, I have a certified arborist, 10 my live own trees every single year, and and we're very precise and very careful about the balance and all of the other factors as far as keeping it safe and healthy.

So I can understand why people panic when a site is cut out or or if imbalance is caused because that's exactly what causes damage in in storms so I I just wanted to convey that I I can empathize with white people feel that way because I would well you know when you see that bleed ho bleed hole in a tree that you love and you know you see is my tree trimmer and I've worked storms with those gentlemen they're highly professional and they say you know Teresa this tree is coming the end of its life well you know what I do I call my arborist and say would you like to have lunch in Gulfport and look at my tree because I don't want to believe that but you sometimes you have to believe it that it's time for the tree to come to its end of life cycle.

I think my question to you would be that when I get a complaint and you know a lot of times they don't come to you they come to myself or somebody on council and they're angry and it of course we had nothing to do with it it's Duke.

How what can you give us a phone number that they can call at that time that somebody will actually answer the phone and talk them down off you know and and handle it well I mean they can call customer service but is customer service going to give them the best answer for a tree trimming complaint it I would more that like it would go to public works and he would call me and I would send a certified arborist to that address.

Okay so you're saying because I will repeat this you're saying call have Kendricks Anderson call you and then you can I can deal with it to have the arborist so kind of like the same procedure for everybody if you're angry with the what they're doing with the microfiber you call Kendricks and he knows who the supervisors are on the different jobs and he will get to Kendricks will never speak to me again as long as we won't answer my phone call.

He's got the best keep gatekeeper I can't even get in and see him I mean if it's not if it's following a storm or something of that nature realistically we wouldn't be able to do that but yeah if it's truly legitimate I don't have a problem with that.

I sent two out from these two that we found on Facebook the arborist was out the very next day okay and that's that's all I'm looking for is how do I do it because I can't go out and determine well yeah they did a bad job or they did a good job and I understand why you're mad.

So now I know when that happens when I get that email I can reach out to um Kendricks and then Kendricks can get to you and then you can see the arborist yeah so that's exactly just say within reason don't you agree sir?

Yes I mean if it's a major storm that we're not gonna but I just one on one I was more referencing when they're angry um because they think that you butchered their tree that's when I hear from them not during the storm I think during the storm everybody's been pretty impressed with service overall it's when they think you've butchered their healthy tree that's what the complaint is.

And respectfully I would not want them to go into the call center because those people are not tree I mean they are to an extent but I really feel like a certified arborist can diffuse that conversation much better with their credentials and tell them about the health of the tree the livelihood of the tree thank you that's what I needed to hear.

You're very well appreciate you coming on out and um bringing us up to date tonight.

Can you please fix the casino so I can have my second retirement that's Kendrick's does that mean I have to work another three years.

Thank you very much for your time you're welcome thank you so thank you.

All right so we're gonna open it up to public comment then and this part of public comment is for anything that's not on the agenda you have three minutes you do start by giving your name and whether what city you live in okay and um there's no booing and there's no applauding, okay, it's quiet.

So all you do is you raise your hand and I'll call you by name and you come on up.

So who's first tonight?

Amanda, please.

I have a handout.

Okay.

Good evening.

I'm Amanda Hagood.

I live here in Gulfport.

And I have a suggestion.

In these times of conflict and crisis, there's something that Gulfport desperately needs.

A labyrinth.

That may sound like a surprising thing to say, but since ancient times, these intricate winding walking paths have been used as a tool for meditation, problem solving, wellness.

They are often found today in public parks, private homes, schools, and churches, where they serve as both a center for public gatherings and spaces for individual contemplation and spiritual growth.

As you may be aware, there are even national and international organizations, including the Labyrinth Society, that help connect people seeking labyrinth experiences to local sites.

And that's why, as board member of Gulfport Arts and Heritage, I am so thrilled to tell you about our application to construct a permanent labyrinth in the city of Gulfport.

With the help of Tampa Bay's own regional representative for the Labyrinth Society, one Ingrid Bredenberg, we intend to pursue a grant from creative penelluses celebrating Pinellas County's Creative Spirit Program, which is designed to support arts-based events and experiences that draw visitors to the Tampa Bay region.

We envision an interactive art exhibit in a site and with a design determined in collaboration with the community.

This would not only be an impressive and attractive work of public art in itself, but also a space for community events where the arts come together with movement, wellness, spirituality, and play.

And as you may be aware, Ingrid has led the charge to host numerous World Labyrinth Day celebrations already here in Gulfport.

Our proposal would create a permanent space for this and many other unique events, accessible to organizations and individuals alike, attractive not just to our community, but to visitors seeking unique art experiences.

We're excited about this concept, and we hope that you are too.

Our city already affords so many opportunities to immerse yourself in natural beauty, the arts and wellness, things that feed our souls, fire our creativity, and promote health.

Building a permanent labyrinth takes us another step in that direction, creating a public space where we can bring all three dimensions, the mind, the body, and the spirit together.

It's a step in building a more prosperous and peaceful community.

We hope that tonight you will endorse the concept of building an interactive art installation in Gulfport so we can move forward with our application with a letter of support from the city.

Thank you for considering our request.

Thank you.

And who's next?

Show of hands, please.

Marilyn?

Marilyn McClellan, 56th Street.

Just as a clarification, that was the cable company that was hanging and removing it.

It was actually two weeks after the job was already completed.

So just so we get it right.

Um, it's been 19 months since we had the storms.

It really warms my heart to go into town and see that businesses are thriving, town is full, everything's going on.

It looks like we we're good, but we're not, really.

I call them the hidden few, because we still have a lot of people in town shores that are suffering.

The contractors have pulled out.

I went to help a friend because she can't get anything done.

So every day for two weeks, I went to her unit, nothing's changed.

I'd go to where the contractors are, nobody's there.

Their trucks are there, equipment's there, stuff's there, nobody around.

I would call them, nothing.

They don't answer, they just these people are still paying HOA fees.

They can't rent it, they can't live in it, and most of them don't know how to even finish it.

There was a unit that we actually brought an electrician in today because they can't figure out why the bathroom lights don't work.

So when the electrician did a little bit of investigating, the wires didn't go anywhere.

So he took the medicine cabinet down and he found a junction box behind the sheetrock.

So if you know anything about codes, that's a big no-no.

Not only was it behind the sheetrock, but there was no cover over it.

So if somebody hammered a nail to put a picture in, they would have hammered right into that electric.

I know I've talked to people before about this, and the city is responsible to issue a building to permit.

They're not responsible for the quality of the work.

I know they have to check for code, but something needs to happen over there because these people have no recourse.

Cornerstone has gotten the money, they were really difficult to deal with.

There was a couple from California that I helped for a while just to kind of be eyes for them.

And no matter what was said or done, Cornerstone would shake their head and say they're gonna do it and then do whatever they wanted anyway.

And if you complained, you were told that you will be put at the end of the list.

And that's true because we still have a lot of people over there with no place to go.

We did a mold inspection test on a unit yesterday that's on the top floor of one of the buildings that had damage from the roof.

And when you walk in the unit, you can obviously see there's watermarks everywhere.

There's a lot of mold around the um conditioning.

Like I said, we had it professionally tested, and there's a lot of mold in this unit.

When we called the HOA to ask them about, did anybody report this or has it have was there any remediation here?

Did anybody and we were told well they didn't complain?

The owners didn't say anything to us.

Well, the owner's 92 years old.

She just buried her husband a few months ago.

So I'm pretty sure she doesn't have any clue what she needs to do or what should be done.

Anyway, my concern is that we've all gone on, life looks good.

The people are still hurting.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh Charlotte.

Anthony, you'll be next.

Oh, and I might have gotten slack again.

Again, your name and the city you live in, please.

Charlotte Downey both live on 13th Avenue and Gulfport, Florida.

Um I remember not in the too distant past, uh, the city of Gulfport was uh planning on moving the police department and maybe the fire department down off 49th Street.

I don't remember the hundreds of thousands of dollars that would take to build that and do that, but I have maybe what might be a better idea on 11th Avenue South, distant school is closing.

That's our district.

We own that, I know.

And I want the city to look into obtaining that building, and with Mary's blessing, it's big, it's a huge building to rather than build new facilities and spend money where it needs not to be spent, that we get that building and move our police department and whatever office is there, save save our money and reuse what can be reused.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'll get back to you.

Anthony.

Hello, my name is Anthony Guzman.

Uh I live at 2515 50th Street South, Gulfport, Florida.

And I would like to bring to your attention that my neighbors' dogs, they bark all night and all day.

Um, if they like so much is here, something going on inside, they'll start barking for hours nonstop.

And um they like they're outside all day long and they like free roam, so they just stay outside.

So whenever we're outside and we're just doing something like taking the trash out, they'll start barking nonstop for maybe like 10 to 20 minutes.

And um I would just like to bring to your attention that my neighbors' dogs are like that, and they're all old dogs, but they they bark really loud nonstop, and it it wakes us up in the morning and at night, and um I would just like to let you guys know that.

Thank you.

All right, thank you.

Who's next?

April.

So April Thanus Gulfport.

Um, if you're building the police department, you might think about putting a big retention pond there and hold some of the water that comes from the north, east, down anyway, thought.

Um, also, I know we're um excavating a uh time capsule, and we might want to consider refilling it, being that this is the 250th anniversary of the country, it might be a nice thing to do, and I'm sure, especially with a lot of pictures, because golf carts get to change if they dig that up in 50 years or whatever.

So it might be nice, and also to bring up that I brought up some questions last time when I was here and never got any feedback at all.

So that was disappointing.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Who's next?

Um, Mr.

Flood.

Yeah.

Freed, excuse me.

I apologize, wasn't intentional.

I'm surprised to have a name to uh protect here.

Uh Richard Fried, uh Tangerine, Mayor Council.

Um I'm gonna speak to specific powers uh that you mayor have to make uh power of unilateral decisions.

An example being calling for a curfew after hurricane, that's a unilateral decision, or requesting the National Guard, that's also a unional decision.

Uh these decisions are not uh subject to council as a whole voting on these issues as a whole.

This council has not yet, and I suspect is unwilling to speak to state and federal issues that we consistent constituents want you to, I suspect because you fear the consequences, understandably.

Now I've been reading the Florida Constitution and the Gulfport Charter and Mayor Love.

You can unilaterally decide to deputize citizens of Gulfport.

I believe this will be necessary in the not so distant future.

I suggest you have a sit-down with the chief and the city manager, and of course, Andrew, and prepare for such an inevitability.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

And who's next?

Yeah, I can't see you.

I can't see who's raising their hand.

Thank you.

Name and city, please.

Hello, my name is Fred Rowe, and I'm living in Anchorage, and I'm not here to represent the voters.

We can't agree on anything, um, but I'm so I'm gonna give my opinion.

And I have a little bit of experience because I've been using a boat as primary residence for over 10 years.

I used to work for the government in the state of Georgia before I retired, so I know a little bit of how government works.

And I worked on emergency response, so I know how things go when things go really bad.

Um I do want to say that I I personally support total compliance with every law and regulation that there is out there and further.

There, I think there are things that we can do in addition to whatever is strictly required to make things safer.

Now, some of these regulations have different levels of effectiveness, some aren't very effective for making safety, and some are real effective.

Um, even still, I think there's a lot of things that we can do both as the voting community and and with the city.

Um I'm I'm not here to ask for anything from the city.

I know that it's difficult for the, you know, with the politics and everything.

I like to think that 80% of the city likes the voters, and the other 20%, well, maybe not.

And that makes it politically difficult to do anything for us.

I understand that, um, but I would like to make a comment, for example, on the proposed mooring field expansion.

Uh I have heard that right now the mooring fields 25 balls.

And I've heard the it has been proposed that it be expanded by another 75 balls.

Now, one of the problems with that is that we're not using all the balls right now.

So the question is is why do we need more and especially that many?

And how it impacts us.

Basically, what it does is it takes the really good anchorage spots and turns it into an exclusion zone where nobody can anchor.

That means people are still gonna anchor.

They're just gonna have to go a long way away.

And you know, there may be some, you know, thought that if our lives are made miserable that we'll leave.

But as you can see from the from the lack of a dinghy dock and us having to use the wetfoot area, the wetfoot area is dangerous, it's dirty, it's insecure for the boats, but yet people are still using it.

As a matter of fact, the amount of boats that are out there is increasing.

So in many ways, a lot of the actions just make our lives more miserable, but it doesn't, you know, on the average, chase any, you know, anybody out.

Um and uh speaking of the dinghy dock, I'd like to make a proposal, which I know is a little off, you know, a little weird, but that is that we be allowed to repair it.

I'm calling it the one board at a time, one board a day repair.

You know, when you do repairs, different, you don't need a not necessarily need a permit or anything like that, as long as the design's not changed, it's not increased in size, and it's just rebuilt exactly according to the way it was, then so I'm just uh asking that we be allowed to repair the dinghy dock.

Okay, well, I would suggest that you stay for the whole meeting, and you'll hear a lot about that.

Who's next?

Yes, Miss Somebody.

Like I identify myself, Miss Jones.

I also live in the anchorage.

Um, I've been a member of Gulfport community for six and a half years.

My children and I have lived on land and offland.

Um, I also wanted to address uh the safety concerns of Wetfoot, is that there's sharp objects in the in the ground.

Me and my children have to walk through there when the cold fronts come through and it dropped to 32 degrees.

I'm backpacking my nine-year-old across there.

Um, so there's also a lot of uh boats that have left been left there for storage and left as trash and um not really taken care of.

Um we were uh told to use the temporary dock over by Clan Bayou.

It isn't big enough for for all of our boats.

You know, it can hold maybe up to five boats, it's not very safe.

The dock floats back and forward.

There's a big gap where there's a lot of oysters and things.

Um I feel like it could be you know put on there more securely, and there's no legal parking for the boaters.

So when we do come in to use um to use the docks so that we don't have to go through wet foot with the kids to get to school in the morning, we still have safety concerns and have to walk a good like block, block and a half away in order to um to get to school in back.

Um I also propose that our docks be rebuilt.

Um in the past it has taken, you know, three to four months normally after the storms for them to rebuild the boat or the dock.

Um I understand that we got hit really hard and that money is in a lot of different places, but it's almost been two years.

It would take care of a lot of the issues of uh trash boats being left behind because there's guidelines and safety rules that keep boats from being stored there for more than four hours and over 24 hours being ticketed and taken away so that there's not trash, we're not upsetting the neighborhood and our other local community members.

Um, you know, it would uh just be safer altogether.

So I would like our docs, please.

That's it.

All righty.

If you'd leave your contact information, I'd love to follow up with you, but I don't know how.

If you would leave something with Teresa, I could.

Who's next?

Yes.

Ms.

Kunis.

Kuhn.

GD Library in Kuhn, 281048th Street, South, Gulfport.

And I have first of all, I'd like to say I cannot believe how much is going on around Gulfport.

Everywhere I look, something's being fixed, changed.

It's pretty amazing.

Going down a street, it's everywhere.

So things are happening, and that's good.

There's a couple of things I'm concerned about.

One is I went to Clan Bayou and they've been planted two beautiful trees.

That was great.

And they put the water, whatever you call those green bands underneath.

They're dead.

Somebody didn't water them.

And you know, we pay money for this.

That needs to happen.

I mean, if you're gonna plant trees, please let's take care of them.

We need trees in Gulfport.

Secondly, I went to a senior center yesterday to exercise, and much to my dismay, this black asphalt over the parking lot.

Summer's coming, we live in a coastal community, it's hot, and all that black asphalt does reflect the heat.

It didn't need it.

That parking lot was just fine.

I don't understand why we're paving so much of Gulfport.

We need permeable surfaces in our parking lots.

I know supposedly it's more expensive, but there's many things out there, and in the long run, when you stop the flooding as a result, and things don't go in people's yards and houses as a result because it soaks in into the ground, that would certainly be an improvement.

The other thing I was thinking of was half of us uh take our trash cans to the street and the other half have them in the alley, and I'm wondering about the upkeep of those of the alleys and also permeable versus imperme I can't say it.

Wouldn't it be better and cost the city less if those heavy trucks went down our streets instead of our alleys?

And it wouldn't be that much harder.

I mean, I'd take my trash to the street, and that way it would help the alleys so we can keep the alleys in better shape and make them more permeable.

That's all I have.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I know how to reach you.

Who's next?

Yes.

Good evening.

My name is James Bake.

I'm from St.

Petersburg, but today I'm on here on behalf of the board president of Arts and Culture, which is based here in Gulfport.

Um I want to take a moment just to thank the city and the Gulfport Library for continuing support of our programs like Arto.

Um it's our annual exhibit showcasing LGBTQ artists in Allies.

This year is our ninth annual exhibit, and we've received submissions from over 150 artists locally and internationally.

Throughout the month of June, the Gulfport Library will be featuring artists from more than 50 um artists across uh paintings, photography, mixed media, sculptures, 3D paintings and elements.

It's a really special collection this year, and we're really excited to be being put it on.

For many of the artists, especially queer artists, uh having the work displayed publicly can be deeply affection um uh affirming.

And so many creatives spend years questioning whether their voices really matter, and this is or if there's a place for them.

Sometimes all it takes is one welcoming space or one opportunity for someone to finally feel brave enough to share a piece of themselves with the world.

That's what makes art out so meaningful and powerful.

And it reminds people that their stories and their creativities deserve to be seen seen.

We're incredibly grateful for the city for helping create the space.

So thank you so much for that.

Uh, we are hosting a free public meet and greet with artists on Saturday, June 6th from 11 to 1, and it's at the library, it's part of a pre-pride celebration.

Everyone is invited to come meet our artists and experience the exhibit for themselves.

Um, so again, I just want to say thank you and just uh really really appreciate all the work you're doing in the city.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Who's next?

Are you coming up here, Berkeley?

Is that no?

Okay, who's next?

Yes, Kelly.

Good evening, everyone.

Good evening.

I had prepared something, but I prefer to look you in the eye when I speak.

So I will hand it in so that you can read it.

Many, many, many, many, many years ago, and I'm talking probably 18 years ago, the Gulfport community, and I'm talking people on land and people on the water.

Gathered to help a sailor move his boat off the Gulfport beach.

You were there?

I was there.

We we pushed the boat.

We might have done some damage to the seagrass, but we all stood together and we helped him get back into the water.

A lot of things have happened since then.

We've had some storms and some hurricanes.

I myself was chastised a little bit because I helped the people on the water.

That's led me to go.

Well, I have some things I want to say, but I'm not going to say them publicly because I don't want anyone to stop coming to my business, and that would ultimately affect my staff.

But then I realize staying silent isn't helping the problem.

We have a problem here, and it might be communication.

I don't know what it is, but I feel like we need to do something.

Because I'm reluctant to come up and speak tonight.

I know there are people in boats that don't want to come up and speak for fear of what might happen to them.

All I'm asking for is that we do our due diligence and we communicate with the people that need the help.

In my letter, which is so beautifully crafted, I talk about many things about derelict boats, about people not following the law, about so many things.

What happens on land, I want to have happen on the water.

The way we treat people on land must be the same as we treat people in the water.

A friend of mine was sitting at the tap house the other night, and he said to me, you know, Gulfport used to be the place where you could sit next to somebody and you wouldn't know whether they were living on the streets or in a million dollar home.

That's how I want us to get back to.

It's the people that matter.

It's the lives that matter, and it's not what you do, who you are, what you own, how much money you have.

I will stand up for everybody, whether they live on a boat or they live in a house, or they don't live anywhere.

I'll stand up for them if they're a human being that deserves some protection and some recognition for who they are in the world.

There's a lot more I want to say, but it's all written in here.

So please, if you don't get it, I can email it to you because that was literally what I was going to do instead of coming up here.

So thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Who's next?

Thank you.

I'm going to close public comment unless I see a hand go up.

All righty.

Um, City Clerk, do we have any e-comments?

No e-comments this evening.

No.

Okay.

Public comment is then closed, and we will move to uh the city manager's report, please.

Just one item this evening, Mayor, in reference to um Mr.

Freed's comments about state and federal uh government.

Um I make you aware of that you will now be pending litigation be moved.

The city of Galport will be moved to district 16 of the your congressional district, which will have an impact on the future of your political influence.

Just to ask you to monitor the news stories on that.

As I stated, there are I anticipate there'll be litigation on the redistricting plan that the mayor that the governor has signed.

Um, and that's the best I can tell you at moment.

Um, Congresswoman Luna will no longer be our congressperson.

There will be you will be, as I stated, redistrict into District 16 of Congressional District, which at present will not have an incumbent in the race.

The exit present congressman has elected not to seek re-election, so you'll have an open process.

I believe the clerk has been notified that they'll be changing all of the verbiage, all of the maps, all of everything when it comes to elections.

That's all I have.

And so to clarify, if I have this right, we really have no representation right now, the city of Gulfport.

We have lost the representation that we had.

And we would get new representation as early as November.

That's correct.

Okay.

And so I just want to piggyback on that for just a second, guys.

So you know, we have a lot of plans, and a lot of our plans require a lot of money.

And we have requests out from many different people for funds.

And one of the big requests that we were expecting was from Representative Luna to the tune of three million dollars for our senior center.

Okay, to start phase one of our expansion.

So you have to, you know, just take a day or two and think about this.

I've known about this for about five hours now because I was in Utah.

Um she doesn't represent us any money more.

The chances of receiving that money that we thought was you know coming our way, does not look good this moment.

So that's all I'm gonna say on that right now.

Just think about it and what that means to a small city like Gulfport, who's now going to be combined with Manatee County, humanity, Sarasota, and parts of Central Florida.

That's what the gerrymandering did.

Okay.

Moving on, then city manager, anything else?

Nothing else, Mayor.

Okay.

All righty, um, city attorney, please.

Yes, Mayor.

Two things.

One um procedurally at the beginning of the meeting, council member Webb asked to be excused.

We just need to do a formal vote on that.

So before the meeting ends, uh, I just want to remind council we just need as part of your rules, we need to formally take that action.

Okay, um secondly, before counts, unless you want to do it right now.

You want to take a roll call on that right now, so we don't need to see the motion a second, mayor.

Motion to approve.

I second.

All in favor?

Yes, I thank you, Mayor.

And before uh council should have a copy of the two documents we received from the Lions Club International, one is a letter from their general counsel and secretary from the international saying that the Gulfport Lions Club is a club in good standing, meets the requirements of what we asked from them.

The second is the hold harmless and release agreement, which was uh amended.

Well, it's actually back to the original, and um was signed by um the Gulf, the uh Gulfport Lions Inc.

Uh as we discussed before, council any payment would be made to the uh entity that was part of the original lease, which is Gulfport Gulfport Lions Inc.

And if I'm here to answer any questions, okay.

In speaking order, do we have any questions?

I don't have any questions.

No, I do not have a question.

I do not.

Thank you, Mayor.

That's all I have.

Thank you.

Um City Clerk, no report this evening.

No report, okay.

Then we will do council comments and reports in speaking order.

So we will start with council member early.

My question is for city clerk.

What do we do with the labyrinth ask?

How does that go forward?

That would be something that you guys would need if you want it's something that you would like to bring up, you would make a motion for it or ask for the council for consensus on it.

Okay.

I would like to ask the council for consensus on that.

They were doing it.

Is that a motion?

Yes.

I second that.

Okay.

Yes.

Consensus.

Yeah.

Yes.

Well, I think we had three already.

You only need three.

Okay.

That's right.

What else that?

Mayor.

If I could have clarification, basically, what I'm gathering is the request was for a letter of support, and obviously at this point there is no actual plan to install, but the council's fine with us drafting a letter of support for the mayor's signature.

That's my understanding that we are going to provide the letter, which is going to be quite generic because we don't have very many specifics on it right now.

So it has to be somewhat vague, but a letter of support.

That's right.

As I understand it, we're supporting the concept.

Right.

And then as details unfold further decisions can be made, is that correct?

That's correct.

Right.

And so we're supporting the concept, but we're also just showing the support so that they can make application.

Right, correct.

Okay.

Great.

Otherwise they can't.

Okay.

All right.

Okay.

All right.

Anything else?

Uh Councilmember Downs brought up workshops.

Right.

I'm wondering if the voting.

I don't know if this is the right way to handle it, but I've been learning a lot about the voters and some of the things that are happening.

And I'm certainly no expert.

But I'm talking to people and becoming educated.

I'm wondering if you all knew a lot about what was happening, and not to share, but should we have a workshop about how we can be helpful?

Because I do consider them to be citizens of Gulfport.

Yeah, I agree.

I absolutely think that would be a great use of time.

Are you referring to the redistricting?

I'm not clear what you're talking about.

The hardships that the voters are.

The voters, I'm sorry, not voters.

I thought you said vote.

We could talk about that too, but right now I'm talking about it.

I was unclear too.

That's what we're talking about.

Oh, okay.

It wasn't just me then.

Thank you.

Okay, all right.

So does as that seem like a good use of the time.

I would very much like to meet with the voters.

I've always wanted to meet with the voters because every time I have an opportunity to speak with the voters direct, they always start out angry and make accusations that I said this, this, or this.

And when I have an opportunity, go wait a second, let's just talk about this.

Right.

And I clarify, in fact, that's not what I said, that's not what I did.

It always helps the situation.

So I th I know from because I am allowed to peek at Facebook.

I know about the amount of false information that's out there that's attributed to myself for sure, and some of the other to the council.

And I also hear I hear from far more residents than I do voters about why they're angry and don't want the voters.

So we're walking a line here of trying to accommodate, and I do think that there's a better way to do it.

And following the storms, every time that I was aware that the voters were having a meeting, I was there.

I was there listening, not I never spoke, I never said a word.

I listened.

Um, but I don't really find that I have an opportunity except to hear things that they're saying.

Well, I heard you said this or that, and they're usually angry when they're telling me, and I'm like, no.

So I would like an uh opportunity of a workshop.

The big question is, will the voters show up for the workshop?

That's the question.

I I I hear you, but we can only make the ask.

Yes.

And uh sincerely want to help, and I think that if they see that they will show up if they can.

What I have found, and I'm I tend to look this way, so I apologize.

What I have found is that many of the voters feel very strongly that they want compliance and they want the rules enforced, and they don't like when they don't feel like that's happening, okay.

I feel like the homeowners um, especially those that live at the water or see the destruction from the voters that don't know how to anchor and they end up on shore.

So I think that there, you know.

There was a gentleman that tried to have a meeting down at pavilion six, and he tried his best to control the crowd and get everyone to speak one at a time, and he lost control, and nothing was accomplished.

But after 45 minutes of conversation, I saw a guy raise his hand and say, So I'm wondering, how am I supposed to anchor?

So that tells me that there's a real need for education and communication, and I think that doing it in a workshop here, where the voters feel like they can come up and speak, and yet they understand that we only let one person at a time speak, that could be valuable.

So I would be very open to that, and um I hope that the voters would reach out and say, Yeah, we'd we would attend the workshop because then we would schedule one.

Great.

So I have consensus, I believe.

I believe we're all in agreement.

Yes, we are.

Yes, thank you.

That's all I had.

Alrighty.

And that's mine.

Don't you?

That was yours, too.

That's what I was gonna say, actually.

So good.

I'm glad we're on the same page.

That's all I have.

Okay, okay.

Um I just want to say thank you for the city hosting the Sun Coast League of Cities meeting and for the opportunity to attend the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council's uh resiliency summit and for the opportunity to attend forward Pinellas while the mayor was away.

Um, and reports will be forthcoming that will keep this much shorter.

And uh thank you to the staff for coordinating another wonderful heartwarming top time celebration and VPK graduation at the Rec Center.

So sweet.

Uh, the junk uh chemical and electronic drop was a success by all reports I received and from when I was there, and that the staff was so professional and so well organized, so thank you.

Um, especially now that we've had some rainfall this week, we'd like to remind folks to go to the Gulfport Connects to adopt a drain program.

Uh let's keep those drains clear, please.

And let's uh let's protect our streets from flooding and our water from pollution.

While on the city site, please consider making a pledge to evacuate.

And just a reminder that the hurricane preparedness seminar is at the Hickman Theater on Thursday, May 28th from 6 to 8 p.m.

There'll be vendors and resources and a special speaker, etc.

I'm trying to keep this brief.

So if you have questions, you can ask any one of us.

And the feedback regarding C click fix on the city site has been positive as well.

We've all heard the saying, see something, say something.

This is a great way to say something and also see what's done ahead of time.

So that's all I have for right now.

Thank you.

Super.

So I have a couple of things.

Uh one is for if, in case any of our volleyball players are here or if they're listening, uh, the real fine sand, baby sand that won't cut your feet was delivered yesterday, five truckloads, it has been spread.

Uh, first they did rake out about three inches and took it out onto our beach, you know, to try and extend our beach.

Of course, the high tide came in right after that.

Um, but um the new softer sand is in and should be much more favorable for the volleyball players.

I did attend the um the mock uh council meeting, and uh, though I thoroughly enjoyed it, um, there was one thing that was said there that really bothered me, and the thing that was said was that I heard um a couple of the council members who were all teenagers, one or two stated that there wasn't much for the teens to do in golfport.

And within two minutes, I knocked out a whole bunch of things that I want to say to them.

For example, the beach, the rec center, the skate park, the dog park, tennis courts, pickleball courts, softball, library, basketball, volleyball, bocce ball, community garden, local theater, arts center, and history museum.

I know I had a pair of roller skates and a bike.

That was it.

So I'm not gonna buy into the fact that there's not much here for our teenagers.

So I wanted to say that.

I would also like to say that if there is, and I'm gonna address Marilyn in just a minute.

If there is anybody out there that is still struggling with their permitting process, please reach out to me.

And if you want some fast action, I need for you to give me some basics.

Your name, your address, when you applied for your permit, that is where I can start, and I can usually get things done.

But if I don't hear from you, I don't know about it.

Okay.

Another complaint I've been hearing a lot about is solicitors.

So I verified.

Here's the story on solicitors.

They can get a permit from the city.

If they have a permit, they are legal to come door to door.

I don't know what that process is, but I know that they can do that.

If they don't have a permit and you're saying, Well, what do I do?

They came and I asked them for the permit and they got snotty with me.

That's when you call the police, because the police will track down which company it is doing it, and they will make them aware of what our ordinance is, and then they can afford enforce it down the road.

So that's who you call is the police.

Because one of the things that they said that just shocked me was that 82% of the people that they interviewed had extreme concerns about our water quality.

Okay.

Now we've heard many people come in here and brag on our water quality, okay.

And I thought one of the best suggestions that they gave, and I have addressed this with the city manager today, is that we probably need some kind of a sign that could be changed weekly or daily if all of a sudden we had a problem that could spell out, but it needs to be in layman language because I went to the site before, you know, while preparing for this meeting and looked at water quality as a lay person, it means squat to me.

So it needs to be in simple language.

I think our water is in good shape because that's what I'm told, and because whether I'm walking in the clam bayou or I'm walking out on William Spear, I look down and see very clear water.

That hasn't always been the case, but that's what I see now.

So I'm gonna see if we can advance that idea.

Whoever gave the idea of putting up the sign, I think that's a good one.

The next thing I wanted to address is that while we do have a resident uh who has just been approved with the working with the city for a grant for another living shoreline, our original living shoreline, which is what we call behind the mangroves, just to the side of what we call used to call the Lions Club.

Um, that though we don't have approval for the submergible permit yet, it is moving, meaning they at least have started to speak to us and say, Can I get this and this too?

And we've responded.

So we are moving forward.

Nothing happens fast, and you have to realize that in the last year, what if we had at least two government shutdowns?

Okay, plus we probably took, I'm just gonna use pretend numbers, but maybe we had 10 people working in a department and now we have three.

Nothing happens fast, and we have to jump through those hoops, we just can't ignore them.

Um, I also saw a lot of complaints, or not complaints, but a lot of conversation in the last 24 hours about flooding our streets flooding.

Yeah, we live three feet above sea level.

And the truth be known, when you haven't had rain for as long as we haven't had rain, that rain water is not going to absorb right into our grass.

Okay, it's hard as a rock.

A lot of that's gonna run right off your um yard, right into the street, all right.

Also, yesterday, because I drive through town a couple of times a week, just about every segment of the town, and I had been out of town for two weeks now, so I drove through and at 2:30 yesterday afternoon.

I already could see there was water all over our beach, had nothing to do with rain.

Okay, and if you were on DuPont, the water was already coming up through the storm drains.

So when you see that, that the water's already coming up in the storm drains without a lick of rain because of the king tide, and then we get that kind of downpour, you have to realize that all that water is still going to the same storm system that's already peaked out, you know, down closer to town.

So the water's gonna start backing up.

So, bottom line, I feel like it is the city's responsibility to take on this humongous huge job of stormwater, and I think we have a council that is supportive of that, and we certainly have made pleas and are trying to get funding for three different programs, okay.

Um, when somebody suggests that we're afraid to address state and federal things, yeah, because we need them.

We need them as partners to work with us when we are looking at 75 million dollars worth of stormwater projects.

But at the same time, I know that people like to make fun of me because I always talk about a lot of the little things, but I have five rain barrels full of water that will last me for the next six weeks, okay?

That is also every drop of water off of my roof.

That means that water didn't go out into the street.

Okay, there's things that all of us can do.

My driveway is all pebbles, it's not pavers.

There's a lot of things that every single person in here can do.

My entire yard is ground cover peanut grass, it doesn't need water.

Okay, it's not mowed, it's not mowed and then blown into the street.

I don't have leaves that are blowing into the street that are clogging the drain.

So I'll get off my high horse.

But these are all little things that if we're one community, we're not just looking out for our own home, but we're looking out for our neighbors that are downstream of us as well.

And these are things that are under our control.

Um, enough said, I'm sorry.

Uh consent.

Uh consent item six A consider approval of meeting minutes from meeting held May 5th, 2026.

And item 6B, resolution number 2026-31.

A resolution designating the white ibis as the official city bird of the city of Gulfport, Florida.

Motion to approve.

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed passes unanimously.

All righty.

And then we'll move on to ordinances.

I think she wanted.

We want to move on to ordinances.

Yeah.

Vice Mayor Shaw had something she wanted to present.

Okay, I'm so sorry.

Of course, it's not on my screen, so I forgot.

Yes, please.

Councilmember Shaw, what would you like to do?

We would like to present a copy of the resolution that the student council uh adopted, naming the white ibis as the city bird that they all signed.

So we have a copy of the front uh front and back of it.

Is that how that works?

Um, and so that's why there's two of these plaques, and we have some of the students here.

So if they would come up so we can present this to you, very good, mock mayor Guzman, Councilmember Ska, Vice Mayor Joyce, right here in the center, if you will.

Down below, please.

So mayor goes on, of course, was the mayor, and this particular agenda item was brought up and researched by by Jillan, uh and so uh and Joyce, correct?

And this is Tyler.

All of them served on the student law council, they did beautiful.

Honestly, we can be proud of our future readers.

So I don't know if you want me to present this to the mayor or the one that brought up the proposal, but you tell me.

They can each take one.

There's two.

Okay.

Okay, thank you.

All right, so now we could move on to ordinances, please.

Item 7a, ordinance number 2026-03, first reading, an ordinance of the city of Gulfport, Florida, amending chapter 20, traffic, article one in general, section 20-4.1, resident-only parking of the code of ordinances of the city of Gulfport, pertaining to parking areas designated for residents, providing for the removal of resident-only parking signs, providing for the repeal of ordinances or parts of ordinances and conflicts here with to the extent of such conflict, and providing for an effective date.

Thank you.

City manager, yes, mayor.

Mayor, this um merely memorializes the action taken by city council to remove the resident only parking on the outlined surrounding neighborhood in the WRD as outlined in the ordinance, present ordinance.

Okay, thank you.

Any questions for the city manager?

No, no questions, no questions.

Um I had asked a number of questions yesterday, and so uh if we're looking for questions or comments, um, you can do either.

Okay.

Um I originally voted on this.

I understood that we had not been enforcing that, those parking signs.

And uh since then uh I've I've gained additional information that there was enforcement, and um so I know we moved ahead on it, um, but I always feel like it's better to obtain community input first.

I did receive one complaint regarding the removal of the signs, and I'm just wondering if anybody else did.

I did receive one.

I think we probably received the same one.

Yeah, I think everybody got the same email.

Okay.

All right.

I I just I just wanted to clarify that beforehand because if there was an outpouring of concern over it, then I might vote differently.

Okay, all righty.

Um, anything else?

That's all, thank you.

Okay, I have no questions or comments whatsoever.

Um I need a motion before we can.

Oh, we started discussion without a motion.

I second okay, and we had our discussion.

Um public comment.

Public comment.

Anyone here for public comment on this issue?

Seeing none, call the vote, please.

Councilmember Early?

Yes, Councilmember Donch?

Yes.

Vice Mayor Shaw, yes.

Mayor Love.

Yes.

Passes unanimously.

Item 7B, ordinance number 2026-04, first reading, an ordinance of the City of Gulfport, Florida, amending the City of Gulfport Code of Ordinances, amending Chapter 22 zoning, Article 6, supplementary regulations for all districts by amending section 22-603 accessory uses and structures to accessory uses and structures, excluding accessory dwelling units, and by adding section 22-6.15 accessory dwelling units, ADUs providing for applicability, providing for definitions, providing for general standards, providing for development standards, use and occupancy occupancy requirements, providing for parking requirements, providing for administration approval, providing for non-conformities, providing for codification, severability, and for an effective date.

Motion to motion to approve.

Mayor, thank you.

I'd like to introduce Linda Fisher from Forward Pinellas and Mark Griffith, our community planner at this time.

Basically, mayor, this has been a long arduous task for the past two years.

And basically, this has been taken to the planning and zoning board, which recommended approval and had some comments, and Miss Fisher will cover them.

We have a short presentation, and the presentation she's about to make is reference to the next three ordinance that you need to take action.

So they're cumulative.

Okay, thank you, Linda.

Okay, thank you very much.

All right, so uh we are pretty far in now to the ADU study.

Um as a reminder, it has five phases.

Uh we started with the kickoff last December.

Uh in March, we completed task two, which was a study of the potential impacts that ADUs could have.

Uh, and earlier this month we completed task three, which was the planning and zoning boards of recommendation for a set of comprehensive plan and uh land development code amendments.

Uh so today the two ordinances before you are tasks four and five.

Um, and uh the reason that there are two of them is that there are two different documents that uh take different approval paths.

So one is an ordinance amending the comprehensive plan, and the other is the ordinance amending the land development code.

Um before I introduce the proposed amendments, I just wanted to quickly review the current regulatory framework.

Um in Pinellas County, we have a document called the Countywide Rules, which uh coordinates local comprehensive plans and land development codes, and there is an optional provision in the rules that we've discussed at past presentations that says that if you allow ADUs in your community, you don't have to count them against your units per acre density standard.

We also have another document that my agency created called the housing Regulatory toolkit, and it is designed to encourage housing choice and affordability countywide, and it has model uh regulations that any community can use, and it does have some for ADUs, so that's another resource.

Within this very broad countywide framework, though, each city has to decide what fits within your own community.

So what does the city comprehensive plan say about ADUs today?

Well, you have one policy in the housing element that stating that the city shall allow flexibility for garage apartments.

Of course, that's just one type of ADU.

And while it's an important policy start, it doesn't go quite far enough to create a regulatory foundation for ADUs.

And ADUs also aren't defined or distinguished in the land development code.

They're treated just like any other dwelling unit.

So currently, if you want to put an ADU on your property, it's treated like a second house.

So in order to allow and regulate ADUs, first you'll need to amend the comprehensive plan to define them, allow them as a permitted use, and then the details of how they'll be regulated go into the land development code.

So let's start with the comp plan amendments.

This is the proposed policy language recommended by the planning and zoning board.

Basically just taking that existing policy about garage apartments and broadening it to allow ADUs generally, but in a way that's compatible with existing neighborhoods, and then adding another policy stating that they're exempt from the density standard.

And then adding some definitions for accessory dwelling units and principal dwelling unit.

And that's basically all you need to say in the comp plan.

The real work gets done in the land development code.

Again, this is the recommendation of the planning and zoning board.

And the first question was where in the code should ADUs go?

Chapter 22 is your zoning code.

Article 4 is supplementary recommendations for all districts.

And there is a section already for accessory uses and structures.

But that deals with things like sheds, swimming pools, home occupations.

ADUs don't really fit there.

So the recommendation is to exclude them from this section, changing the title to exclude them, and then to give them their own.

So this is new section 22-6.15.

And I'll just go through quickly through each of the subsections.

Subsection A is just stating the intent of the section to allow ADUs in order to contribute to the housing supply.

Subsection B repeats the definitions from the comp plan.

And then starting from subsection C, we start getting into the substance of the regulations where you make some choices as a community.

So this subsection addresses where ADUs are allowed to go.

Any single family parcel, regardless of zoning district, as long as it's outside the coastal high hazard area.

Now that topic got a lot of discussion from the planning and zoning board, and they have a separate recommendation that they want to wanted me to talk about at the end.

But for now, that provision stands as drafted that they would be prohibited in the coastal high hazard area.

There is a provision that ADUs are approved administratively by staff, and that'll get fleshed out a little bit farther into the ordinance.

Subsection D is the general standards.

These standards affect how densely ADUs can be built.

One ADU per single family parcel, no minimum lot size, and not counted against the units per acre density standard.

I'm continuing that subsection, it also states that ADUs can be either detached from the principal dwelling or attached to it.

Subsection E development standards states that all of the same dimensional requirements for the parcel are the same as they are today.

So the principal dwelling plus the ADU still need to meet the same building coverage, impervious surface, and setback standards of the zoning district.

And that helps keep the mass and scale of the buildings consistent with the existing development.

So you can use those dimensions to make one big house or a smaller house plus an ADU.

And it also states that a detached ADU needs to be located to the side or the rear of the principal dwelling.

When it comes to size, the ADU needs to be subordinate to the principal dwelling in scale and massing.

In other words, smaller and less visually prominent.

But it doesn't have to be shorter.

A one-story house could have a garage with an ADU above it.

And that's a very common arrangement where I live in St.

Pete.

And they ultimately recommended a maximum living area of 800 square feet to maintain the character of the city's neighborhoods, which have a lot of smaller single single-family houses.

Subsection F regulates how parcels with ADUs can be used.

This one got a little more discussion.

So in the draft ordinance, the property owner must either live in the principal dwelling or the ADU.

And they need to sign a restrictive covenant agreeing to that, and that would be passed on to future owners of the parcel.

So again, we had a lot of discussion.

Would that prevent property owners from being snowbirds?

Or what if they wanted to travel for a year?

And the discussion we had with the city attorney is that it would not preclude those things, it's just that it prevents the property owners from renting out both the house and the ADU while they're out of town.

One of the units still has to be for their use, even if they're not their year-bound.

We had some additional feedback following the planning and zoning board hearing.

One of the board members reached out to city staff and asked about adding another provision, which is included in the draft for your consideration.

And that is to allow an exception to the occupancy requirement for nonprofit entities that own the parcel.

So that could be charities that provide affordable housing, or if it were owned by the university, it could be used for student housing.

Pinellas County has a similar provision for their ADUs but just for affordable housing.

And then we also received some input from Cask Construction.

They are the number one ADU builder in St.

Pete, and they offered to provide their industry perspective on the proposed regulations.

And they caution that if the city's goal is to use ADUs to create more housing, then opening it up to investors is the fastest way to do that.

So not just to residents who live on site, but investors who would rent out the principal house in the ADU.

That's a policy decision, whether your goal is primarily to increase the housing supply or to balance that goal with preserving community character.

But it was good input, and I wanted to pass that along.

Subject to the same citywide and zoning district regulations as any other residential dwelling.

And the board wanted to specifically state that that also applies to short-term rentals.

You can't use an ADU as a short-term rental unless the zoning district permits it for all residential dwellings.

Now the term short-term rental doesn't appear in the code, it's referred to as tourist or temporary lodging, so that's what the draft ordinance refers to.

Subsection G addresses parking and states that no additional off-street parking is required for an ADU.

Subsection H goes into more detail about the administrative approval process, stating that it only requires zoning compliance and building permit review, which are done by city staff.

So it wouldn't require a hearing of this body to be able to build an ADU.

And then finally, subsection I states that an ADU can be added to a legally non-conforming parcel as long as the ADU itself is conforming.

So those are the proposed land development regulations.

Now, as I mentioned, there was a lot of discussion about allowing ADUs in the coastal high hazard area.

The direction that I heard at previous meetings was to keep them out of the CHHA.

And the Planning and Zoning Board did leave that prohibition in place, but they made a separate recommendation asking you to consider that issue further.

The board's consensus was that the additional risk of allowing ADUs in the CHHA would be minimal.

You may recall back in the task two presentation in March that we projected the number of ADUs that we would expect to see built based on the number of eligible parcels and the growth rate that St.

Petersburg has seen in the last few years.

And we projected a maximum of about 15 new ADUs citywide, with only about three of those locating in the CHHA if they were allowed to do so.

So that's not a number that would really significantly impact evacuation or shelter demand.

And any new ADUs would have to be built to Florida building code standards for construction in the floodplain.

They would be elevated and wind resistant and arguably more resilient than the older existing house housing that we have in the city currently.

But one important issue remains, it could potentially affect your community rating system score for the National Flood Insurance Program.

Allowing more housing units in flood zones doesn't automatically mean a lower score, but it's possible.

It's based on the individual factors that the city earned points for and whether you specifically got points for restricting development in the special flood hazard area, which is basically the same thing as the coastal high hazard area.

And I have been trying to get an answer to this question literally for months.

Unfortunately, FEMA was shut down along with the Department of Homeland Security from February to the end of April.

The shutdown has ended, but they're still understandably backlogged, and I haven't been able to connect with the city's FEMA representative.

So I apologize that I don't have that information for you today, but I am still working to get that.

The planning and zoning board recommends that if it can be determined that it wouldn't hurt the city's CRS score that the council remove the prohibition against allowing ADUs in the CHHA.

Okay.

So those are the recommended ordinances for the comprehensive plan and land development code.

So where do we go from here?

Tonight is first reading for both ordinances, but if you approve them from here, their paths will diverge.

The comprehensive plan ordinance has to be approved by the state.

That process is a little bit convoluted.

There is a 30-day review period.

Then it comes back to the city.

At that point, if you have any changes to make, then you would make them.

Then you can hold the second and final reading for adoption.

This is for the comp plan ordinance only.

Then the state has another five days to determine that it's a complete and compliant.

And then they allow another 31 days just in case there's a citizen challenge.

So the state has it for two months total, and so I would estimate you know about three months altogether to give you time to advertise and get your get your hearing scheduled.

Then you can go ahead and hold your second and final reading for adoption of the land development code changes.

And then you're done, you can start accepting applications for ADUs.

So there are two ordinances tonight.

The most important one is the one for the comprehensive plan changes.

That does not talk about the CHHA, so that wouldn't run a follow of any issues that you might want to wait on, and that would start the clock, that roughly three-month clock.

You can't finish adopting the second ordinance until the first one is adopted anyway.

So there's no rush on that if you don't feel comfortable moving forward today.

Okay.

I know that was a lot.

If there are any questions, I'll be happy to answer them.

Okay, so I'm gonna look and ask my city manager and my city attorney for the proper procedure on what I would like to do.

What I would like to do is for the council to be able to um vote on 7C.

I would like for the council to be able to ask all their questions that they might have of Linda because she's here tonight.

But when it comes to 7B, the vote, I would like to table it for two reasons.

I think knowing the answer to how NFIP would be affected in the CHA is huge.

And I think that it's a big factor and it would definitely sway my opinion, not about ADUs, but about how the first reading would look, would be determined by that.

So I even though um I'm totally good with asking questions so that you can get your answers on 7B tonight, I think I would like to try and table the discussion and certainly table the vote because of that one reason I just said, and also because we're short of a council member up here.

And I think it would be best on something this big that we've been working on for over a year to have everybody present for the vote.

That would be my question.

So is it possible to do what I just asked?

Yes, it is, Mayor, but we would recommend that you table both ordinances because they are combined, they uh they run synchronized.

That if you're gonna make changes, I mean you could adopt the comp plan because it has no reference to the coastal high hazard, but I just that you would keep the package together because at certain point you're gonna bring them back for second reading together.

Right, Mayor, we think uh taking the public in point and the discussion of the board is a is necessary for both.

We would hate to separate them from that standpoint.

That was our suggestion.

Okay, and I think the reason that I was suggesting that we separate them is because my understanding is that the procedure on 7C is just defining, you know, what an ADU is, but it still has to go through the state, and it's a timely process.

So I didn't want to slow that down because 7B would not be um would not be as time consuming.

That is correct, and that's what I was thinking was that let's get 7C moving along because we've been working on this for over a year already, but not get down to the nitty-gritty details in 7B until we know the answer about the NFIP.

Well, Linda, I'll defer to you and the fact that the issue that I would have would be that you could you cannot adopt till your comp plan is changed.

You can't you wouldn't be able to have second reading until your comp plan has been changed.

Well, mayor, if I can, yeah.

Please do you see a problem in us doing what the mayor wants to do?

Uh I I don't uh personally see a problem.

Of course, I differ to legal counsel, but um the uh the comprehensive plan language is very general.

Uh it's just enabling, but it doesn't until the uh land development code uh ordinance is adopted.

Uh no one can have ADUs, so it it it enables the process, but it doesn't.

Mayor, as long as council's fine with having, you know, hearing the same discussion it's there's no problem doing it the way you want to do it.

Okay, and and I again what I'm thinking is I'm not talking about delaying for a long time.

I'm hoping that we'll have a full council at the next meeting and that we could pick up on this um so in a way I don't want to have a lot of discussion but at the same time I do want all council members to have an opportunity to ask their questions tonight regarding 7B while Linda's here so that she doesn't necessarily have to come back again prior to our discussion and the and so if we could do that then I just wondering we're not gonna have discussion up here we're gonna have just questions defining for us I thinking that we would also table public comment on that until we have our discussion and I'm looking to use okay 7B.

7B yes I would recommend if that is your intention on 7B um that I would ask the questions and then make a motion to table okay are we comfortable with that I mean that's just my idea and I've told you why okay I hear yes there and I hear a yes here okay so we have a consensus on that so let's go in speaking order then if we if you will starting with you um questions specific to anything that Linda said that you need clarified or whatever.

Thank you.

Linda can you clarify the comment you made um regarding someone calling you after the planning meeting talking about if a corporation owned both the house and the ADU they obviously are corporations so they wouldn't live there that's on the table.

So there were two communications after the planning board meeting one was a suggestion by one of the board members to allow nonprofits to um to not have to have the owner live there and again that's something that's done in Pinellas County okay corporated county uh the second um piece of input was from a uh was from cask construction there an ADU builder and their recommendation was if you really want to kick start ad u development the fastest way to do that is to allow uh businesses to um to rent out the both of them without having to have the owner live there okay but that again is a policy decision okay and when do we vote on that would we come back when we return with a that would be part of our council discussion and then um public comment and then a vote yes city manager yes mayor the council had provided clear direction that that was something it didn't want to entertain it was the idea that it would be owner occupied.

I mean we appreciate the input from a developer so to speak but is but I think we had skin of the gauge exactly we we were clearly directed right that it would be owner occupied.

Okay and that's what we've been stressing.

Thank you.

And that is how the draft ordinance is worded but I actually just got that piece of input this morning so I just wanted to I appreciate that thank you no more questions so my only question um was that it only allows for ADUs and I may have missed this over the course of the last year but um in single family residential area so like if you have a duplex or something like that.

If you have a single family home within a any zoning district you can add it.

You cannot add it am I correct?

You cannot add it to a duplex you can add it to a single family home it didn't turn whichever zoning district if you in our three and you have a single family home you can have an ADU.

But if you have a duplex you can't have one no because then you're increasing to three units.

Okay.

Anything else I just wanted to clarify that.

Okay.

Um I I watched the um the the video of the meeting and that was very informative and then I read through the materials and that was as well there was a couple things that I I wanted to ask about regarding parking, one of the one of the suggestions in there was that in some uh locations, if it's a larger ADU um they they uh reduce or waive parking requirements.

Okay, one suggestion was reducing or waiving parking requirements during near transit, but we're we're not getting into that, but where there was a access is available, or if it was a larger property, that then we could require them to put a vehicle in that space.

Could you tell me more about that?

Uh so that was one of the best practices that we talked about in the technical memo.

Um, but the direction that I heard from this council was that um to not require additional off street parking.

So that was a best practice, but that's not what our planning and zoning came back to us as part of this first draft reading of our of an ordinance.

It is a best practice, not necessarily the best practice.

So, every every community has to decide what works best for it.

So would that have been applied like say where there were like one-way streets or narrow streets?

Is that was that the thought process to that?

Um it would take a little more uh I think maybe analysis to if that's the will of the council to consider requiring off-street parking for some um parcels uh that there is not a recommendation for that in the current ordinance.

Okay, thank you.

It's a hurdle to development housing the housing supply that require parking requirements, and I and Mark's correct, and I think the city attorney spoke very eloquently about it the other night at planning and zoning.

The intent was to create this, as Mark spoke of in the city attorney.

The intent of the legislation that was granting the ability to do this was to remove obstacles.

Right.

Okay, thank you.

That's all I that's the only question I have.

The others were answered already.

So trying to not um tell you what I'm thinking because we're not having discussion, but I have two questions that I needed to be clarified.

One was the reference to it must be owner occupied except for nonprofit entity student housing question mark.

That's how I rewrote it, like referencing possibly for student housing.

So I'm a little confused because I'm not can I'm not aware of any non-profit offering student housing.

I mean Stetson tries to make money on their own.

I think those were two are those two separate ideas.

So the wording is uh sorry, thank you.

Uh except for property owned by a nonprofit entity and used for institutional or educational purposes or for affordable housing purposes consistent with uh chapter 420 Florida statutes.

My understanding was that Stetson is an considered a nonprofit.

You said it is or it isn't.

It is, it is.

It is a non-profit.

So that was the intent was to capture uh the university.

Okay.

So that's what the thinking was on our planning and zoning board.

It was something that the chairman had asked if we'd consider it due to the fact.

Go ahead, Andy.

I'm sorry, that was not the that was something we received after the fact that was not discussed at the board meeting, Mayor.

The chair uh brought that up and sent that in as an additional suggestion.

Okay, so it was somebody on our planning and zoning board, but it didn't happen at the discussion.

So the rest of the planning and zoning board does not even know that that was thrown in there.

No, okay.

Uh that's now I understand that.

And then my second one was, um, and I don't know if Linda, if you're the best person to answer that or or if our city attorney is, but it goes back to the um short-term rental.

So the um ordinance that was given to us was real clear about the fact that there would be a restrictive covenant saying that it had to be owner occupied if that's what we agreed to.

That's what's being proposed here, and it's being done through a restrictive covenant, where the um property owner has to sign and acknowledge that.

So I'm wondering if we could do something along those same lines with short-term rentals, because if the goal is to increase housing and not increase our short-term rentals in areas that they're not legal, could we not do some kind of something like that as well?

And would that be a good idea or a bad idea?

I mean, you know what my intent is, is uh trying to not uh add to code enforcement having to try and police an uh an additional 20 AD properties that are supposed to be ADUs that they're trying to use as STRs.

Well, we discussed the enforcement issue, and we said that you know it it would have to be basically complaint driven because we it's not easy, like you said, mayor, to enforce these.

Um so if we could have compliance or or any document that says they're not going to be used for that capacity, that's what we want.

Um, because again, the idea behind uh an ADU is we are providing housing, not temporary housing for people.

Exactly.

And so I think that was my question was at the time that they could apply, could there not be like an affidavit that they have to sign before getting their permit that says and acknowledges right there with their own signatures, so they can't say, Oh, I didn't know.

I will not use this as a STR and I understand the consequences for doing so.

I mean, could that not be part of the process?

That could be made part of the process, sure.

Okay, that was my question because I like the way they, you know, with the proposal that was given to us about owner-occupied.

I like the fact that they said it would be in the covenant itself, right?

So I was thinking, well, most people aren't going to break that, and the uh closing attorney could even pick up on that.

So I was thinking if we couldn't do something a little stronger at the time of permitting to make sure that they are acknowledging in writing their own signature that they know they can't use them as a short-term rental.

And I think we would have language drafted that would provide for their adherence to the zoning code.

I mean, you wouldn't say identify short-term rentals, but that you would adhere to all appropriate at the time of your signing zoning code, because our zoning code prohibits at this moment.

We're not regular, I don't want to start drifting into using words that relate to short-term rentals very candidly, because then you're doing something with enforcement or application, which may trigger a challenge.

What I would say is that you agree to adhere to applicable zoning codes that exist appropriately in that zoning area.

Because you do have some of them where it will be permitted, because in the transient um accommodations area.

Well, we could we could reference specifically the sections, including that uh that our short-term rental section in there for informational purposes at the time they get the permit.

Um, and again, I you know, for those people that don't know the reason Jim is saying that is if we make any change to the short-term rental ordinance, it then becomes null and void, and we and we go to the state, which allows for short-term rentals in every uh section and under the zoning for uh residential purposes.

So we want to be careful, but I mayor, I think we can um actually accomplish what you want still.

Okay, that those were the only questions that I had of you.

Everything else was so clear and spelled out, and your presentation just reinforced it some more for us.

And of course, this has been a long process to get here.

Yes, my link.

I'm sorry, I do have one more question, if I may, please, Mayor.

Yeah.

Um, city manager, would you please explain how that impacts the area that is approved for short-term rentals?

Are you saying then that both of the units, the original and the additional ADU would both be short-term rentals then?

No, no.

What I'm saying is if it's a permitted use and you had built one, you still have to be owner-occupied, okay, but you could have transient accommodations for lack of a better term in the rear unit.

Okay, because it the zoning code provides that ability.

You could do that with a single family anything.

If you could do it with your single family home in that neighborhood, you could do it with the ADU.

Right, we're not precluding rights that you currently have.

Right.

Okay.

Well, that was my understanding, but then when you were saying that, I thought, well, I better get a clarification.

So I appreciate that.

Thank you.

Thank you for clarifying because I wasn't quite sure I got what he said on that either.

So that's why I have a question then, too.

Sure.

Um, if you put that restriction when the person signs their whatever application, whatever it is, like um, in the rest of it, it says that this will transfer to the next owner.

Like if you um then change the short-term rentals and they're allowed to be there and you now have signed away your rights to it.

Does that yeah?

Uh no council.

Right.

I think if there's a change like that that would allow short-term rentals in there, that the restriction would end up being null and void.

Okay.

Right.

I just want to make sure that that's not gonna no, because we want we're very careful with property right restrictions.

Um so we want to, you know, we would have to look at all those that that we did if that change was made.

Okay, all right.

So we've come full circle, and that's good.

So procedurally, I can't make a motion.

How do I do that?

We need a council member to make a motion to table.

Um, I make a motion to lay it on the table to the next meeting.

That's that's that's an official.

That is that is a better thing.

That is a technical term.

Um ordinance 20 2604.

And and I'm I I understood that to be to the next meeting.

Should I leave that out?

You want to put Vice Mayor?

If you want to put a specific date, that would be helpful for the table, so then it'll be placed on that.

So I would say at the next meeting would be appropriate, okay.

My motion stands.

And there does not need to be a second on the motion to table, and there's no d discussion.

I mean, a second will be fine if somebody wants to second it.

Um, but uh we need we just take the vote.

There's no discussion.

Okay.

So we take a vote on on if we're gonna table it at this time, okay.

All those in favor to table 20 ordinance 2026 oh four to the next meeting.

Yes.

Yes, yes.

Any opposed passes unanimously.

Okay.

And then um at this point, then it would be appropriate to um on 7C.

We should have any discussion if anybody wants needs any discussion.

We don't have a motion yet on 7C.

I do not believe.

We have not read it yet.

Okay.

Um can Linda and Mark sit down at this point, sure.

Thank you.

Thank you, Linda.

Thank you, it was your water, your water.

All righty, thank you, city clerk.

Item 7C, ordinance number 2026-05, first reading, an ordinance of the city council of the city of Gulfport, Florida, amending the City of Gulfport 2025 comprehensive plan, amending the goals, objectives, and policies to add housing amount housing element policy one point four point three, and policy 1.4.4 regarding accessory dwelling units.

Amending the data and analysis to provide definitions for accessory dwelling unit, and principal dwelling unit providing for severality and providing for an effective date.

Motion to approve second.

City manager, anything else to say on this?

No ma'am.

Okay, alrighty.

Um we already um any discussion among council?

I'm clear on it, thank you.

Okay, you do have council member?

I'm good.

You're good, okay.

Um public comment, yes, ma'am.

Public comment, yes.

Mr.

Freedom, uh Andy, this might be uh Richard Freed, tangerine.

Uh this might be uh question for you, but um I live in a duplex, and my tax bill reads two to four unit zone.

So how is that not precluding an ADU on my property?

We don't answer questions, the mayor's just okay.

Well I'm I mean this is a public comment.

Just a public comment.

Uh well somebody needs to answer it.

I mean, Jim is saying it's precluding or somebody's precluding.

It's my tax bill reads two to four units.

Right.

So that means two to four units.

Two, three, four.

Makes sense.

Um, okay, that's what I need to know.

All right.

Anybody else for public comment on this?

Yes.

Hello.

Hi.

Carrie Nelson, word three.

Can I comment on the ordinance 202604?

Because I don't recall being asked to do that.

It's been tabled.

There is no public comment at this time.

It'll be at the next meeting.

All right.

So it's just on the comp plan amendment.

Correct.

Perfect.

Thank you.

All righty.

Anyone else?

Alrighty.

Do we have any e-comment on this?

No e-comments, Mayor.

Alrighty.

Councilmember Early?

Yes.

Councilmember Donch?

Yes.

Vice Mayor Shaw?

Yes.

Mayor Love?

Yes.

Passes unanimously.

Alrighty.

Moving on to resolutions.

Yes, please.

Item 8A, resolution number 2026-32, a resolution authorizing the city manager to purchase one 2026 Ford F 450 4x2, XLT wheeled coach rescue from Mathany Fire and Emergency for use as an advanced life support rescue vehicle for the fire department.

Motion to approve.

City manager.

Yes, Mayor.

Mayor, this is a Pinellas County funded rescue vehicle that will replace the present rescue vehicle we have.

And um by the rescue vehicle, is this that much smaller vehicle that can go into like festival crowds and stuff?

No.

This is a full-size rescue unit, yes, ma'am.

Okay.

And this is a case where we pay for it upfront and then we're reimbursed.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay.

Any questions by anybody else?

No.

I have no questions.

They've all been answered.

Thank you.

Let's see.

Public comment.

E-comment?

No e-comments today.

Call the vote.

Councilmember Early?

Yes.

Councilmember Donch?

Yes.

Vice Mayor Shaw?

Yes.

Mayor Love?

Yes.

Passes unanimously.

Item 8B, resolution number 2026-33.

A resolution authorizing the city manager to enter into an agreement with Enterprise Marine Contractors Incorporated for the South Basin dock replacement project and providing for a budget amendment.

Motion to approve.

Second.

City Manager.

Mayor, as outlined in your agenda memorandum, this is the FEMA and insurance funded replacement restoration of the South Basin at the Port Marina.

Okay.

Do we have any questions of the city manager on this?

No questions.

No, thank you.

No questions.

Thank you.

Okay.

I know that we had multiple bids.

I have to say that the thing that surprised me the most was variance in prices.

There was a variance from the lowest to the highest, if you can imagine, of 1.5 million dollars.

That's why we do multiple bids.

I know.

I was I was really surprised by that.

And um the company that uh we would like to go with enterprise marine contractors.

I believe that we have worked with them before.

Yes, ma'am.

And we've enjoyed working with them.

Yes, ma'am.

We're very satisfied with their product.

Okay.

That's all that I had on that.

Um public comment.

Yes, Ms.

Schwartz.

Um, Karen Schwartz, deleted Avenue South.

My only question is of yeah, that's astounding at the at the price differences.

The only thing that comes close is when you get it when you're looking for a roof.

Um I want to know how much we're spending on this.

That's all.

Oh, okay.

I thought it was it was in there that you could see it too because we can see it.

Um I believe it's right 1.5 million.

Yes, ma'am.

1.5 million 5,000 six hundred dollars.

Did you get that one point five five six?

So that's like mid rate.

That's a little bit.

It was the lowest, yes.

Um this was the case, wasn't it?

Where somebody came in lower but they did not.

They were a little bit lower, but they did not complete the paperwork.

That's correct, so they disqualified themselves.

So this was the lowest qualified bid.

All righty.

Call the vote.

Councilmember Early?

Yes.

Councilmember Dodge?

Yes.

Vice Mayor Shaw?

Yes.

Mayor Love?

Yes.

Carries to passage.

Moving on to item 8C, resolution number 2026-34.

A resolution authorizing the city manager to enter into a contract with KM2H LLC for the casino dock replacement project and providing for a budget amendment.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Mayor, as outlined in your agenda memorandum, this is the replacement of the casino dock and also the float um dinghy dock that's associated with it.

If I could have Kendricks, Dennis, and Shannon come up.

I just want to recognize the work they've done on the last two projects that you're addressing this evening.

They've done Shannon's managed the financial aspects of the FEMA and insurance.

Kendrick's and Dennis worked out the details of actually building it.

Is the contractor that actually did the 54th Street project or drainage project?

So we've been very successful and enjoyed working with them.

And they've done a great job getting us to this point.

Okay.

I might have a question or two, but we'll go in order.

I don't have any questions.

I read it, and I think you all three of you.

Thank you.

I just have one question because I got an email from a resident today, and they asked about why we were rebuilding a dock that's been destroyed the same way that it was built to be destroyed.

So I wanted to explain that it's built that way because you're replacing it and it has to be replaced in the same way that it was built originally for the insurance purpose, right?

You just bring it back to what it was.

So it's being yes, it's a permanent work and it's a category G.

So you have to move up to the money.

I know the email in question, they talked about the previous storms, and historically the Adalia and Hurricane added they were not substantial costs like this bill.

This is a pretty much rebuild.

The other one was for more repairs.

Thank you.

And just piggybacking off of her, I'm coming right back to you.

Um Shannon, the the microphone.

Um just pigging back because I got the same email.

My understanding is is that even though we have to put it back to pre-disaster design, that we do have an opportunity to add some stronger features to it, as long as it doesn't exceed 15%.

And in fact, that is what our plan is, and both FEMA and the insurance companies have approved this plan.

It has been submitted to FEMA in the insurance.

Okay, yes.

So they have the plans in hand, but yes, they cannot exceed 15%.

There's like three in the email, there's three qualifications that it has to meet all three.

Um, and then FEMA does have to have the final approval to get that fifth not to not exceed 15% additional funding.

Okay, so then my question would be Dennis.

Do you have any um anything in insight you want to share with in terms of my understanding?

Oh, I'm sorry, I skipped council member Shaw.

You go first.

If I could ask Dennis to answer that question, Mayor, because it is outlined in the email that we did send.

Go ahead.

Sure.

Um we are gonna upgrade the pilings themselves.

So we're going from what were timber pilings to concrete pilings, would add more rigid um component to the to the dock.

We're also um upgrading the docks, uh the floating docks.

They were a poly float aluminum decking um with composite on top.

So we're gonna go with concrete docks.

We're proven to be a better selection when you have like a big fatch that comes over from Terra Verde.

So there's more mass in in the water than it would be um the poly floats and the and the aluminum dock.

Okay, thank you.

It appears we all received the same email from the same resident, and uh that we all questioned it as well.

And so then I also received that detailed response, and I I wanted to say how much I appreciated that.

That answered all of my questions.

I was gonna bring up some of the same points that the mayor brought up that are very um relevant and important.

So thank you again.

Well, I think that this is really good too because it gives an opportunity for the residents and the public to see that when they do write to us and tell us of their concerns.

All of us jumped on the phone immediately to all the same people asking the same questions because we wanted to know the answers.

We this is important to us.

So I think that this was a good thing that we all you know jumped on it and responded the same way.

Um the only other question I had is because we're using two companies, does that also mean we can be doing these two projects simultaneously?

Yes, that's why uh Kendricks is gonna be helping with uh with me from me, and I'm gonna be helping with Kendrick.

So he's gonna concentrate his efforts on the casino dock.

I'll concentrate my efforts on the South Basin, and we work together, so I don't think it'd be an issue at all.

And we're just waiting on some regulatory uh functions with the South Basin.

Uh we just found out that we did get our exemption from Army Corps of Engineer for the casino.

Uh we did talk at the contract.

This contractor, if this is approved tonight, we potentially will start demolition after 4th July.

So we will be moving forward.

They gave them a 180-day time frame to complete the project, but we anticipate this would be a little bit quicker than that, depending on the storm season.

Well said.

Right.

Yeah, um, and when we and when we're talking about the floating docks, that includes what we've always called the dinghy docks.

That is correct.

I just wanted to be clear so that's probably my second most asked question.

And um, I heard completion date for casino, you think quicker than 180, but that's what we're hoping weather permitting.

And how about the South Basin?

We are in the process of the permitting right now, where hopefully we can get a verification like it did with the casino dock and move forward relatively quickly instead of going through the whole permit process.

Okay.

And that's what we're working on now.

We did receive one for the casino dock, and now we move to the South Basin issue.

Very good.

Okay.

Well, thank you guys for hanging in there because you know, all the stuff that I hear, people go, Well, I don't understand.

Why don't we just build it ourselves?

Things like that.

They don't understand that a whole lot of us would have already quit our job and walked away because our common sense says it shouldn't be this hard.

But the truth is it is this hard.

And so the fact that you guys stay on it day after day after day, I really appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um Mayor, if I just might add, yes, that this is one of the examples of why uh I'm always saying there's so much going on behind the scenes that is unseen.

It's just is it just seems never to be a simple matter, but we've got people focused on it and working on it constantly.

Well said, thank you.

Thank you.

Alrighty, let's see.

Um discussion here, public comment, public comment on this matter.

Charlotte.

Charlotte Downey, 13th Avenue South.

I just want to appreciate that.

Um, when we're rebuilding these docks that we have upgraded the materials, the strength, the resonance, resilience of these things.

So we're not having to do this again in three to five years.

So I I appreciate that.

Whoever thought about it.

Uh, thank you very much.

Thank you.

Women.

That's so smart.

Uh and and I'm uh especially appreciated, appreciative of this particular council being so responsive to citizens' concerns and addressing them and being this is really lovely to see.

I appreciate all your hard work and working together.

Thank you for your leadership.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Anybody else for public comment on this?

Yes, Kelly So I too want to say thank you because you know I have been banging down your doors about the dinghy docks and just from a safety concern.

So I do thank you very much for the hard work that's gone into this.

When I Yeah they were replacing it with concrete I am ecstatic about that.

Um I do know that the dinghy docks were a big part of how people got to and from land.

And so I don't know perhaps there could have been some communication as to why we couldn't just rebuild the docks plank by plank.

Um I'm not saying it wasn't done.

I'm just saying these areas that I think perhaps we need to do a little bit better on between city and boat people, boat life.

You know, I just I've heard it so many times and that's why I I think there is an a mis yeah there is a gap so that's all I have to say but I really am so happy I have a big smile on my face that this is going forward and that it's going forward in a better way.

So thank you.

We are too right very good anybody else for public comment before I close public comment?

No.

E-comment no e-comment already call the vote.

Councilmember early yes Councilmember Donch?

Yes.

Vice Mayor Shaw Yes.

Mayor Love?

Yes.

Carries to passage on to eight D resolution number 2026-30.

This was tabled from the meeting held May 5th, 2026 a resolution establishing reasonable rules and policies for the city council and for comment at city council meetings.

Motion to approve second and I'm sorry but it is eight o four and we've been sitting here since six o'clock and I am going to ask that we take a ten minute but not any more than ten minute break so that we can all use the restroom if need be and we will resume on this matter.

Thank you.

Thank you all.

We needed that.

Okay, so I think we had a motion and a second.

Yes, we did.

Okay, and so city clerk, how would you like to lead us through here?

I know I've written notes on to things to discuss, but how would you like to lead us through this process?

Well, this is the resolution encompassing your discussion that you had at the April 21st meeting.

So if you are happy with what you what I've produced for you, you would go ahead and vote on these.

With the motion to make whatever subsequent changes you want and just do um a subsequent resolution on it because these are your rules, so you you can change them whatever you want.

Okay.

Well, I would like some discussion.

Um just to see, you know, if we're all on the same page and what what I so I and I have mine written out pretty well, but I don't know if anybody else does as well, you know, if other people want to discuss some of these issues or not, so um so I don't have anything to add to page one whatsoever.

Does anybody else have anything there?

I'm good with all of it the way that it is.

I just have a comment at the end.

Okay, on um on page two, um, which fills under workshop, um, I thought that um council members Daunches um idea of spelling out a definite day of each month where we would have a workshop.

I think that's really good, but I think that we and you tell me, but it seems to me that in talking to you and your schedule, the only time that that could be would be the first Thursday of each month.

And so I'm wondering if we shouldn't, being that this isn't you know, like a charter that can't be changed.

This is for this particular council for this year.

If we couldn't just flat out spell out in uh C under workshop, that we would have um that would let the residents always know that the first Thursday of the month is the scheduled workshop if there's going to be a workshop, I thought it was third Thursday though, but I don't know.

Um my only suggestion was it it be on a Thursday because I do have meetings in here on Tuesdays and Wednesdays pretty uh continuously.

Right, so it says now that it would be uh uh to be scheduled on a day and time to be determined by the council, and I'm saying could we not determine that right now that it would be the first Thursday since that's kind of the only day that consistently would work for the city, if that's what the council wants, yeah.

Right, that's what I'm asking.

So you want it changed to first Thursday, okay.

I I would hope that if we run into an issue that we might be able to adjust it, sure, but but otherwise, sure.

Well, I believe this, if I may, I believe the suggestion was um first it should be scheduled on the first Thursday, and we could add language um, however, maybe canceled or changed depending on that.

If we don't have anything to talk about, for me, I would just remove on a date and time to be determined and replace it with the first Thursday.

And that and that helps the council too, like if they're trying to plan vacations.

If they know, well, gee, we might have a workshop on that first Thursday, then they might be able to go on a Friday instead.

Okay, okay.

And then under DA, um, this is minor, but it seems like we're just inconsistent unless maybe it's been corrected.

Um currently it says name and whether they reside in the city, a different city, which city, or within unincorporated area, and we were gonna add any electronic e-comments received maybe read by the city and state whether they are a resident or non-resident.

I would say that if um in person has to state which city, then I would think that e-comment needs to state which city they live in.

So that that's just um they don't they give me a zip code, so I I will I can add that to my procedure for you.

Okay, so do you want to I I I think it should be consistent whether they're here in person or their e-comment that they have to follow the same thing.

I have no way of forcing them to do that.

Okay, they have to to they have to open or do an account now, right?

And they have to give me a zip code.

They don't necessarily, it doesn't force them to give me an address.

So, if they give me a zip code of one, two, three, four, five, I would just have to look that up to see where that is.

It doesn't tell me okay that they live in New York.

And now that can't be just changed to forget the zip code and give me the city.

That that can't be done.

It's just a blank box, so whatever they're choosing to put in that box as their address, okay, is what I'm getting.

So some of them it's a minor detail, but to me, you know, if somebody who lives in Orlando is trying to comment that doesn't have the same credence to me as somebody who might live in St.

Petersburg.

That's that was my thinking, but um it's not a deal breaker for me.

So do we want it changed so that I'm reading what city they're from, rather than.

No, if it's going to be um too difficult.

Resident or non-resident.

Nothing is too difficult.

I can do whatever you'd like.

Okay.

I mean, we can ask.

I mean it never hurts to ask.

We just can't guarantee we're going to get anything.

It would have to be a valid zip code.

And they don't have to say it when they're speaking here either, really.

They kind of just pardon.

They don't have to say it when they're speaking here.

Like if somebody comes up to speak, they might say their address, they might say their street, they might say what city they live in, they might just say non-resident.

We don't stop them and say, look, you can't talk.

You don't stop them.

So if it was somebody that I didn't know at all and didn't know them to be a resident, I would stop them and ask them.

Oh.

And I and I have.

But the situation is is that most I know like 96% of the people that come up here.

So I guess the question becomes, Mayor, let's just say I come up there and I don't give you my address.

Will you allow me to talk?

Well, if I didn't know them, I mean, if you're asking me, if I didn't know them and they came up to talk, I would say your name and address, please.

Or your name and city.

I'd say, well then have a seat.

Oh then I guess we'll ask for name and address.

What if you don't have an address?

Then if they said I reside in Gulfport, I would probably accept that.

And I think we've we've we had that.

That's what they are saying.

The ones that don't want to give, and I understand why somebody wouldn't want to give them an exact address, but those people are usually pretty good about saying I live on 54th, I live on 23rd, I live on 49th.

Sure.

You know, that so I at least know if they're here local or if they're in Orlando.

That's all I'm trying to say.

But if uh if I don't have a consensus, it's okay.

I it's not a deal breaker for me by any means.

I mean, asking for it is fine.

I just don't think that that should preclude someone from being able to speak.

I understand.

Um so then are you asking for a change?

Because that's the way it reads now is that they do have to give us something.

It says, yeah, and that's fine.

But if they don't, if they don't while they're here in person, then they, you know, it's still is they're still allowed to speak when they're here in person.

So if they you can ask for it.

It says may, so maybe read by the city clerk and state, whether they are resident or non-resident, doesn't say must.

As as many years as I've been coming to the meetings, it has always been required that they give their name and address, um, in order to speak.

Now I can't say that I was ever at a meeting where somebody refused to give it and was told to have a seat.

I I can't say that I did that, but it's always been required that that be given.

I I my suggestion, Mayor, would be let's leave the language the way it is, other than if you want to add to the e-comments that we will ask them that particular, you know, to to give us that information.

But if they don't, they don't.

I mean, with the e-comments, they may be read.

I mean, for example, if something was profane, we wouldn't read it.

So you're saying maybe read, so you know, we can the city clerk could say, by the way, we didn't get any information on their um address.

Does the council still want us to read it?

Okay.

So when I read them, so what I do is I I prepare that report for you.

So it does not matter to me whether I'm writing down they're a golf court resident or if they're uh a seminal resident, or if it if you want me to write down the zip code and tell you, it doesn't matter to me.

I'm still going in there and doing it regardless.

No, you've you've been telling us whether they're a resident or not.

I've been hearing that.

So I don't need to make a big deal out of this.

It has not been a big issue, and as we know, we didn't even have the first e-comment today, so let's just uh skip that then.

Is there anything else on page two or three that any of the others of you would like to discuss?

Um under G.

I just wanted to acknowledge only one of our two Jennifer are here tonight, but on G, uh where it's how says uh council member once recognized shall not be interrupted while speaking unless uh called to order by the mayor uh um chair.

That has been a problem in the past with interrupting, but one of the things we talked about, and I I don't think it says it in here, and it doesn't need to change, but we did say that if you're speaking, if you'd come up for air every so often, so that if somebody has a clarifying question, it's not considered an interruption, but rather a clarifying question.

So if you have a clarifying question, if you ask that and then let them continue on and uh answer and then continue on, that's a little bit different than asking a question, and then when you the speaker responds and going, yeah, but what if, but you know, so um I don't think we are having that problem right now.

No, you notice.

I like some of us actually raise our hands to be recognized, so we're not interrupting, and we're waiting to be called upon.

You did that clarified whether I was saying voters or voters.

You didn't let me go through the whole thing, you not know what I was talking about, so it worked out fine.

Okay, um, yeah, and then on the bottom of page three, it says text messaging shall not be permitted.

And I know we're not texting each other, but I would ask that the council um not have, and I didn't hear it tonight, but no um no phones sitting on this desk um uh vibrating and texting uh people texting you during our meeting just because it's distracting, but I'm not asking that we change anything, that's just a courtesy thing.

Um I know what I was surprised when I looked over this again and I wanted to raise this issue.

So at the top of page five, it says, Oh, yours too?

Yeah, okay.

Well, you go ahead and make it.

Well, maybe we're not seeing the same thing.

I was gonna say this reads so oddly, it's not your wording, it's just we had we were 10 minutes, now we have five, but you can have extra five if you want.

Oh, it just words weird, but I know that was the ask.

So we can leave it, but it just we're it's worded weird.

I know it's you know what I mean.

Right.

Yeah, I mean, do we say with an additional five minutes instead of if necessary upon upon the council's approval, or do we just go and say leave it at five minutes, and then if somebody's going over, they just say, Can I have a couple more minutes?

Well, I'd like to back up one paragraph above that first, and then that will help come to this one.

I really thought for those of us that were on council last year, I really thought that our decision had been uh where it says all city council members are encouraged to provide reports for the benefit of other council members as well as the public.

Okay, I really thought that we had changed it, that they were required, and I would like to see that they be required because my thinking on that is in some cases, not in all, we all you know sit on other boards and go to other meetings and we report.

Then sometimes we go off to conferences that the taxpayers are paying for us to do that.

And my feeling is that it's not a suggestion.

I think, and I thought that we had that in there, that it's a requ required.

Go ahead.

I'm sorry.

My memory could be wrong, but I think we had that discussion and the term required was not it was I don't think we actually adopted required.

I think we did we're encouraging you, we expect you to, but I don't think you ever adopted the word required.

I remember the discussion.

Okay and so then that ties into what council member early said if you've been to a couple of meetings I mean I might go to four or five meetings in the course of a two or three weeks between council meetings and you're telling me that I need to try to give reports on that bring up the issues of what I've been working on and respond to public comment in ten minutes.

Right.

You know if I've if I've just put in a uh a hundred hours in two weeks and I'm told I can I can't speak more than five minutes to the residents and the council I so I'm really opposed to the the the five minutes I'm um definitely think that we have earned the right and deserve to have 10 minutes and if we don't have anything to say we can be quiet at three but um I think that we should have the right to so I have a problem with that.

Well advice mayor um yes as far as the word encouraged um that was two councils ago they were emphatic that it should only be encouraged um that was not something they were a fan of I distinctly remember that and I do agree that when we're doing when we're going to these meetings and these conferences on on the taxpayers bill that that we should be required to provide a report and you you see that some of us do that already and I also agree that there's no way I I then the last one I last I can't remember which meeting it was I said okay I'm just gonna submit these and they're gonna be posted because there wasn't gonna be time to read read give the report and whatever else I had to say in the interest of time and certainly five minutes would not be adequate.

I mean I my recommendation would be go back to the original language of 10 minutes you I have never seen council abuse that if it's like the vice mayor said if you have a lot to say somebody else probably you know may not have much so by the time you average it out it's it's so rare that you're gonna go that long unless you unless something very important has happened that you need to tell the rest of the council members anyway.

I agree but it was Councilmember Webb's idea we changed that without her here.

It was also me I don't want to interrupt because she had a handout but I was going to say that I actually believe it's Councilmember Don.

But the the point of it was that I think that our meetings are excessively long.

So for me I was trying to think of ways to get us to like keep it moving.

So if that's not one of the ways my comment was going to be um when we get to agenda setting then that we should maybe suggest that the agenda not be as booked um having more than one presentation and all of those things.

So I'll get to that I guess when it's my turn to talk so but that's why okay and just so you know I agree with that completely I think how the how the agenda is constructed is very relevant.

I mean there's some things that are timely and they cannot be put off but there's other things that we could space out or move some things to workshop rather than a long discussion or when the discussion is too long say okay we've already spent 15 minutes on this we're not even close let's move this to the next agenda as well so there's different ways to to move these things forward with without having you know extremely long meetings.

Having said that I understand St.

Pete meets from morning to night I'm like I but but I'm I'm not there and I'm not running there and I don't plan to I I think though and um vice mayor I think you guys are 100% right once you start doing workshops your meetings are going to be shorter because you're gonna have those discussions and so when you come here you're gonna be ready to you know say what you have to say you've already discussed it hear the public comment and vote so I don't think you're gonna have your meetings are going to be as long so to say councilmember's points are absolutely well taken, and that there was uh I I don't know how many residents, but someone suggested we take up 50 minutes with our reports, and I don't know of one meeting that we actually took up 50 minutes to do that because some don't report, some maybe a couple of minutes, um, some maybe longer, but it's not the same every single meeting so um the 10 minutes I'm fine with um but looking at other ways to ru have uh an efficient meeting, um, so there's there's opportunity for public engagement uh and and even those that are watching from home, um, you know, we we want them to be engaged, we want them to communicate.

So I I think that you know having efficient meetings is very critical, and and and I understand that that others feel the same way, but I'm speaking on my behalf.

Okay, so I would really like to see that go back to 10 minutes.

I think that um the whole workshop idea that uh Councilmember Donch brought up will help us a lot on our meetings.

Um I think we're all gonna be much more conscious of scheduling such that it'd be shorter.

Uh I still though so I think that we have on a consensus on 10 minutes instead of five.

I know that we're I think we're all good on the uh work workshop idea, and so then it just comes down to from me do we want to say that if you attended meetings you have to give a report to the entire council in public so that they know what's that you've been there and what you did.

Yeah, yes, yes.

I think it's important.

I think it's important.

So again, I thought we had changed it last year to tell you the truth, and I would like to see that change to say that uh city council members are required to provide reports for the benefit of other council members as well as the public.

Mayor, I don't want to be a stickler on your language.

Yeah.

This is but but I'm just thinking when you said that, I mean you look at the language, yeah.

Say all city council members are required to provide reports for the benefit of other council members as well as the public.

I mean, technically, if you ask me, that doesn't mean they have to be oral.

This is what I was gonna say is you guys went back and forth or then I'm looking at my official copy that I carry with me at all meetings.

You guys talked about it, you wanted to change it, and then at the end you had said we can really only encourage because how what is the result if they don't?

Like what are if they don't give one or you tell are you putting them in the corner for the evening?

What are we doing?

Right.

Like that's how your discussion went that evening.

Or are you gonna give like the vice mayor experienced it where part of it was given orally and part of it was given in writing?

Is that okay?

Well, see, that works for the among the council, but if it's a report that potentially they were at a conference and the taxpayers paid for it, I think the taxpayers, the residents, deserve to hear that report as well.

So, as much as I appreciate it, and I read every word that she wrote, that doesn't take care of the residents, it only takes care of us.

Well, I'm not trying to be nitpicky, but should we put conference is required?

If you go to a conference, you're required to give an oral report as opposed to any meeting.

You know, you could have gone to I don't know, PSTA, and you go, nothing really happened.

It's nothing for me to really report, other than I went to the PSA.

I mean, should we uh go as far as I went to the PSDA meeting and there was nothing to report, or do we I mean that that's what I'm just saying?

Do you want to be that specific or do we want to have general um language for these?

Okay, I'd like to hear from the rest of you.

So just as um sorry, go ahead.

I'm sorry.

You looked at me so I started talking.

Um so as a city employee, if I went to a conference, I would be required to give a report when I get back to work to get like my per diem and all of the stuff that I did while I was there.

And that's a public record.

So if somebody in the public wanted to know what I learned while I was there, they can certainly ask.

Um I don't know that anybody there's like five people left regularly by the end of the evening.

I don't know that any of them would be interested in any conference, and if they were that interested, they would be the people who would look up a public record.

So the people who generally have those questions make those requests to go the extra step to hear about it.

So I don't know that taking up time publicly to tell people who don't necessarily want to care to hear it.

Um, reports are usually at the beginning.

Right, I'm saying, but by the end, but then if I if we're all giving one, let's say, then by the end of it, we're there's three people left, and nobody's interested in what we're talking about now.

And now we're no business or new business, and now nobody's here for it.

That's what she's saying.

It's not in your business, it's on your council comment.

No, I know that pretty early.

But what I'm saying is if we take up all that time at the beginning talking about all of that stuff, then the stuff at the end gets lost.

Because nobody's here to pay attention to it because everybody left after their public comment or whatever it was that they were interested in.

So I don't know.

I just I think that's what we're up here for.

Well, when it's been in the interest of time, I have said I've attended this meeting and the report will be online.

Uh you know, you have you heard a complaint about that or anybody squabble with you about it.

Not the times I've done that, no.

I mean, I would suggest other than the uh going back to the 10 minutes, and you want to change encouraged to required with the leeway of, I mean, each one of you should be able to have the leeway like the vice mayor did.

These I went here, it's online because I'm talking about some other things, and I don't want, you know, I have 10 minutes, and this is what I'm I'm gonna do.

I don't I I mean, I in my opinion, I think that's appropriate to accomplish what you're what you're trying to do.

I mean, I sometimes I talk so fast I stumble over my words even.

So, you know, trying to get it all in is pretty challenging.

I mean, I and and I think there's leeway too.

I mean, obviously, if if somebody goes to a major conference as a major, like you're you're gonna you went to a conference or and you're gonna give us the tax update on what they're doing, you know, in Tallahassee.

I mean, that's a major thing that everybody really needs to hear.

So I think you I I personally haven't seen a problem with how you all have handled it, all right.

So um I think as your parliamentarian, that's what I'm talking about.

So I think what I'm hearing is uh leave it the way it's written with the exception of go back to 10 minutes.

Is that what I'm hearing?

I see a headshot.

Okay, that's what I'm hearing too.

Okay, go back to the 10 minutes besides that leave it.

So there's really no changes to the section.

We're leaving it the way it was before we oh, before we did anything, that'll go back to the original language.

Okay, I'll go back to my red copy.

And then I I the last one, I think this is the last one that I had.

It has to do with K.

Okay.

K page six.

And it talks about procedure for city council actions and adoption of ordinances and um approval of resolutions uh not on the consent agenda and consideration of agenda items.

And we give the steps, but I think we have one problem in the steps.

So it says that the mayor chair shall direct the city clerk to read the uh ordinance or resolution.

Okay.

Then it says step number two is somebody makes a motion, and then the third step is somebody uh makes a set a second on it, and then four is the comments from the city manager or staff.

Five city council clarifying questions to staff and council members.

So I think at that point we haven't had our discussion yet.

So if we haven't had our discussion, which is the next step, how can we ask clarifying questions of each other?

I can see how we could ask clarifying questions of our staff, but not of each other, because we haven't had the discussion yet.

Yeah, so I think that number five where it says, and council members that that should not have been added in there.

Because until I know what you're thinking, I can't ask you to clarify.

Yeah, I I agree with that.

I found that confusing.

Okay.

And then number six says council debate.

I personally would rather have council discussion.

A term of work.

I I like the word discussion better too, but whatever.

Right.

And then and then the real change in it, in it, then to me is that following uh opening and closing public comment, the real change here, and I know who asked for this and I understand why is uh additional discussion or questions from council to staff right and um I I think that's a good idea again.

I know the first time I didn't understand and I was in disagreement, but I now can see why I would not want us to um have a dis a full blown discussion amongst ourselves again because I can understand that if somebody in the public raised something, and you're going hmm, and you want to clarify clarifying from one of the staff members, I I think that that was a real good change, is what I'm saying.

Thank you.

But not that we um ask clarifying questions before discussion.

Can I just clarify what I'm changing?

Yes.

Do you have a clarifying question?

I'm removing the in red and council members.

I'm changing debate to discussion.

And and what do you want me to change on number nine?

Nothing.

I don't want you to change.

I'm just saying that I get it and I and I like it.

Okay.

Got it.

Oh, so then the very last page, so page nine, um number five, the last long sentence says the parliamentarian's role during a meeting workshop is purely uh an advisory and consultative consultative one, since parliamentary uh law gives to the chair alone the power to rule on questions of order or to answer parliamentary inquiries.

So as I'm reading that now, I'm thinking, well, the mayor's the chair, how I I'm not a specialty, uh specialist, I don't know all parliamentary procedures.

But that that's my job to say as you even when I make the comment when somebody's addressing one of you individually.

I don't know if you hear me say, but I go, mayor, they are addressing, so I'm kind of giving you the information, it's really your call.

Okay.

Sometimes they just react to what I say, but I'm saying, mayor, they're they're addressing the vice mayor directly, that's improper.

So though it's my call, you're going to give me the guidance, okay?

Cause I read that whenever last night or this morning, and I'm like, I'm not an expert on this.

No, I can't give it, I can only make the comment, and you have to make the disfinal decision.

Okay.

Yeah, I've heard I've realized that mayor, most times, uh, even staff, we're gonna defer to you.

You've heard us do that.

Yes, I have.

And that we're gonna defer to you, with his guidance, and you make the determination.

And so tonight when I was wanting to table something, but I didn't know the procedure, I asked, you know, what is the procedure I'm doing?

I know what I'm trying to accomplish, but how do I do it correctly?

And I got that guidance.

And and exactly, and then you took it back as the chair, and you said I will entertain a motion to table, right?

So, right, we're here to guide you and give you that information, um, or I'm here to guide you under the parliamentarian, but it's you who are ultimately making all those decisions.

Okay.

So I've done the majority of the talking and I have said uh all the issues that I had.

Is there anybody else that has any other I guess there's one um on letter J for agenda setting, then um, if there's anything that we could do, I realize that there's a lot of stuff that's time sensitive that has to be brought up to like keep business moving, but if there's anything that we can do to keep things a little bit more brief with the amount of presentations or if there's you know something that we are gonna have to vote on that does require an additional presentation, um if you know we can keep those narrowed down a little bit to try to keep people engaged and try to you know get everybody to want to stay the whole time and not leave after a bathroom break, you know.

Um I just think it would be really beneficial for everyone to to be able to stay involved.

We could put some less presentations on the workshop.

Yeah, and you could do that.

Um, like and it was funny you brought that up because like the next meeting we have two, we have the audit to be presented to you and the water rate structure.

Well, then it's uh if you all are okay, then we'll do some things to manage that agenda.

The only things you would have is housekeeping, as you spoke of council member and the two presentations.

It's more of how do we manage my staff and I, how do we manage the agenda?

Because like we would talk about, and I'll use the example we have three items that are time getting starting to get time sensitive.

The rate structure that you have for utilities, your audit you have to receive, and now we start the budget discussion.

Well, my recommendation would be that you do the budget during the workshop.

Thank you.

You know, things to that effect.

Because I'd like to give guidance to my staff in the fact that how we want to manage say the next three months.

We know in September there's budget hearing and millagery hearing.

July meeting, you have to asset the millage rate.

So there are some requirements as you spoke of council member that have to take care of business, so to speak.

But some of the other items I think, and I think that we look at it from the perspective okay, you know, we need to do this, but what how can we manage or maybe it's staff that sets the agenda early on for a workshop, like you talked about, and this is just ideas now.

I'm you all can give me guidance.

We know that in June we need to talk about those two things at a meeting because they're public sensitive.

But that are we gonna talk about anchorage, anchoring, offshore anchoring in your first workshop.

Now we're looking at July.

Well, here's where the question becomes July early week first week of July is fourth of July.

Or so are you gonna want to schedule your workshop then?

I mean, that's is Councilmember Shaw had spoke of.

Go ahead, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt.

No, I I was going to concur with you that there are time-sensitive things and we're going to have to prior to prioritize those accordingly.

Right.

Um, but then if we can then spread out the rest of it, as I was suggesting earlier, then that would make it more amenable for council and the community.

Well, now that you have workshops, we can I mean this will definitely change a lot of things.

I was just thinking, for example, we could have done your policies and procedures in a workshop.

Exactly.

All the questions that we come to this meeting and you do a motion second and we're done, right?

So that's so I guess we could absolutely change how everything happens.

And I'm gonna interject it and I can do this to the parliamentary and it's just for conversation.

Once you discuss it at the workshop, please we don't need to rehash it completely again the following Tuesday.

And that's something we've had in the past where not any of this council, but previous councils I've had would discuss it at workshop, and then the following Tuesday, that was why very candidly that's why the workshops went away, because it was a frustration level from the third discussion on the same like an ordinance.

Yeah, exactly.

That's really um really a a good valid point is that that's where we have to monitor ourselves.

Right.

If we called the workshop on that topic and everybody was invited and they decided not to come, we don't have to then come to the council meeting and rehash all the reasons why we're gonna do something.

We already did it.

They could watch it on a video if they wanted to, or they could have attended, but we don't have to go further.

We could we'll still take public comment in case somebody might raise something in public comment that never came up, okay, and then we might ask a clarifying question of staff, but then we vote.

We don't have to regurgitate everything all over again.

Right.

That's the intention of that.

And that's yeah.

That's why I made that comment that if you take public comment, you only have to take it once uh on a on an ordinance.

So if it's our workshop or at your first reading or second reading, you only have to take it once.

And I know that's a difficult thing, but also the second thing, Mayor, you just said we've seen not a lot, but we've seen enough of it over the years where people will say, Well, I wasn't at your discussion or I wasn't at the first read reading.

Let me ask you this, this, this, and this, and we're like we talked about that for hours, you know.

You can't just tell somebody what we've discussed for hours.

Mayor the vice.

And in that event, then I would identify in our notices when public comment will be taken relevant to an agenda item.

Yes, so they can become accustomed to that new process because we've been operating a certain way all these years.

Correct.

And so now we need to educate them and help them understand when their public comment is isn't is is.

But I'm not, it's not gonna be it might be something that we talk about and and get a little more used to doing that, because it's not gonna be every one of your workshops, because it might be one where you're just getting presentations, and then you're gonna, you know, it's not even something we're gonna be voting on, so you know it it depends.

I I just I just believe that there would be some concern if if we don't help them understand the process and they lose the expressing their voice.

Yeah, no, we can't do that.

We have to give them the opportunity.

I mean, that's the law, uh, they have to at least have the opportunity to speak at least once before you vote on something.

Well, and not everything, because if we did um using policies and procedures, if that was our workshop, we weren't going to ever take any public comment because that was just our decisions.

Well, like the state of the city would have been a great workshop because they could just come, everybody could talk, go great about everything that they do great all year, and then everybody leaves.

Precisely.

I agree 100%.

I think uh I think after many years of there being no discussion and sometimes being 30-minute council meetings.

I uh certainly have heard from the residents and from the council members, we need to shorten them.

And so um I think that you know, everybody's uh going to work towards that goal now, and we've talked about a couple of different ways that that can be done.

And we're not gonna take 10 minutes if we only have three minutes worth of stuff to say.

And mayor, along those lines, I think council member spoke of is you can put on the agenda public comment will be on each of the when Teresa publishes the agenda, public comment will be taken.

I mean, if it's a topic that you want the public to comment, that can be put right on the agenda.

Thank you.

And someone looks at the agenda, it'll say this public will have, you know, right council will take public comment on this issue.

We've given the notice.

You don't have to guarantee that if you know if they miss a meeting or they that you have to take subsequent public comment, that'll be up to you.

All right.

So can we um can we vote on this first reading with the few changes that we did agree to tonight?

This is the only one reading.

This is a resolution, so you just need one reading.

So I would just need someone to make that motion that that with the changes discussed.

Yes, that would be perfect.

Motion to approve it 2026-30 with the changes.

I second.

Perfect.

And Councilmember Early.

Do you want public comments?

No, we're not doing public comment.

These are our policies and procedures.

Councilmember Early?

Yes.

Councilmember Donch?

Yes, Vice Mayor Shaw.

Yes, Mayor Love.

Yes.

Carries to passage, and I'll have those for you uh redone and send out to you tomorrow.

Okay, all righty.

So then um discussion, we have none tonight.

New business and speaking order.

Okay, everybody get your sneakers out.

We're gonna have a 5K.

Who has done this before about five years ago, I guess.

I didn't know about it or I missed it somehow.

But we're gonna go with the same vendor.

He's uh there it's gonna be timed, it's gonna be official, people like that.

And we're hoping that we're just flushing this out, but the Chamber of the Gulfport Merchants Chamber of Commerce are very interested in sponsoring.

I just have to get back to Scott with some more details, and it's going to charity the uh the children's gifts that um I'm sorry, Teresa.

What is the name of that officially?

The gift giving Operation Santa, yes, it goes there.

If we all remember there was about 400 gifts that were bought.

It's 400 kids.

I'm sure it's going to be even more this year.

So it's gonna go to that.

So I'm gonna get in touch with the uh run club and a couple others, but more to come.

We're thinking of December 19th.

Um, that's a little close to Christmas, but the vendor is uh not available to do it in November.

So that he's checking for in October, but more to come.

Start your couch to K app.

Couch to 5K.

I've run a couple 5K's.

I really am not good at that, but if you get the app, you can you can do it.

So new business.

Anything else?

No, thank you.

Okay, council member.

So I was going to bring up having a workshop with the voters, and um clearly we've already done that.

So I do just want to put it out there.

If any if there's any voters, van life people, whoever it is that feels like maybe they don't fit in to uh a council person's council area specifically.

If your address doesn't say where you stay or whatever, um call me.

I'll be I'll be your rep.

That's all I got.

Thanks.

I concur with that.

So without repeating the whole thing, um, that stands for me as well, and I have no further business.

Okay.

And I have no new business tonight either.

Right.

So with that in mind, I'm gonna say good night.

Thank you for staying and attending, and this meeting is adjourned.