St. Petersburg City Council Meeting – September 7, 2023

The St. Petersburg City Council met on September 7, 2023, at 6:30 PM. The meeting covered a range of administrative items, proclamations, public comments, reports on hurricane recovery, utility rate increases, and property dispositions. Councilmember Hanowitz was absent for the entire meeting.

Consent Calendar

• The agenda and consent agenda were approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Dr. Chelsea Rivera (Central Florida Jobs with Justice) urged the city to consider municipalization of electric utilities after the Duke Energy lease concludes in 2026, emphasizing energy democracy and affordability.
• Vincent Nowicki announced he had filed an ethics complaint with the Florida Commission on Ethics against Councilmembers Gabbard and Floyd for allegedly violating the city charter by publicly calling for new leadership in the fire department. He argued their actions violated Section 4.05 (Administrative Affairs) of the charter.
• Mary Kovex criticized Councilmembers Gabbard and Floyd for overstepping their authority regarding Fire Chief Jim Lang, stating the charter was violated and questioning their motives.
• Dylan Dames (Faith in Florida) urged the council to ensure affordable workforce housing remains a priority in the redevelopment of the historic Gas Plant district, stating that proposals using 120% of area median income (AMI) are not earnest.
• Laura Hartman and Caitlin New (both post-9/11 combat veterans) called for the resignations of Councilmembers Floyd and Gabbard, asserting they violated the charter and lost the trust of taxpayers.

Discussion Items

Proclamations (Items D1-D4)

Mayor Ken Welch and Councilmember Copley Gurtis presented proclamations for Senior Center Month, 9/11 Day of Remembrance, Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Speakers included representatives from the Sunshine Senior Center, first responder chiefs, ovarian cancer advocates, and Blaze of Hope. The council recognized the contributions of these organizations.

Hurricane Idalia Update (Item F9)

Mayor Welch and Emergency Management Manager Amber Bolton presented a recovery update. Key statistics: Hurricane Idalia passed 112 miles offshore as a strong Category 2; peak wind speeds locally were 48 mph; storm surge of 4.5–5 feet affected low-lying neighborhoods. Damage assessment: ~1,400 damaged structures (1,200 in Shore Acres, 171 in Riviera Bay, 35 in Coquina Key, 32 in Snell Isle). Fire rescue conducted 75 water rescues, including 18 pets. City opened child care at Shore Acres Rec Center and authorized use of RVs/travel trailers on residential lots. FEMA assistance was declared on Sunday. Debris removal began in flood-impacted neighborhoods. Council members praised city staff for their response.

2022 ADA Compliance Report (Item F1)

ADA Coordinator Lyndell Bright presented the annual report, highlighting effective communication and public right-of-way as key focus areas for 2024. He noted that St. Petersburg is a national model for ADA compliance. The report was unanimously approved.

CRA Property Dispositions

• CRA2 (1805 18th Ave S): Sale to Habitat for Humanity for $10 to develop at least 10 townhome units. Affordable housing covenant: initial sales at 80% AMI, subsequent sales at 120% AMI, affordability restrictions for 15 years. Liquidated damages if not developed. Unanimously approved.
• CRA3 (3201 38th Ave S): Sale to Positive Impact Worldwide for $148,000 for community outreach programs. Property was originally purchased for CNG fueling station. Proceeds will reimburse Water Resources and Sanitation departments. Unanimously approved.

Assignment of Agreement – 1120 16th St S (Item F8)

The city assigned an affordable housing development agreement from Exact Shell Dash LLC to Habitat for Humanity. Construction timeline revised: permits by Oct 1, 2023; construction start by Feb 1, 2024; exterior walls by Apr 1, 2024. Maximum sale price increased from $219,000 to $279,000 to reflect market conditions. Unanimously approved.

Riviera Bay Force Main Project (Item F2)

Public Works staff presented an update on a force main break at the San Martin Bridge. The 24-inch ductile iron pipe, installed in the 1980s, failed due to contact with concrete riprap. A repair clamp was installed, and ultrasonic testing showed no further deterioration. The force main is scheduled for replacement in fiscal year 2025 as part of a larger project. Additional funding of ~$3.2 million is budgeted for the wastewater portion. Council discussed coordination with Pinellas County on the bridge replacement and acceleration of construction to FY24.

Amendment to EMS First Responder Agreement (Item F3)

Fire Marshal Ian Womack presented an amendment to the 2022 ALS First Responder Agreement. Key changes: increase in rescue reimbursement to $351,000; addition of 22 full-time firefighter paramedics by FY26 (6 in FY24); funding for traffic preemption system; and compliance with FDLE background screening. FY24 funding increases to $21.6 million (17.8% over FY23). Unanimously approved.

Sunrunner Funding and Project Agreements (Item F4)

Transportation Director Evan Morey reported that Sunrunner has served ~100,000 trips/month and is on track for 1 million trips in its first year. Amendments: (A) use project savings to build a new station at 1st Ave N & 1st St to bring riders closer to the Pier, add art to two stations, and install fiber optic communications for real-time arrival data; (B) extend the project agreement for two years. City will receive a $500,000 refund from PSTA. Unanimously approved.

Midcore Garage Disposition (Item F5)

Finance Director Joe Zioli (retiring after 36 years) presented the sale of floors 2–6 of the Midcore Parking Garage to developer Chaco 1 for ~$11 million. The city retained an option on the top floor (floor 7) valued at $4 million, escalating with CPI. City negotiated a 25-year parking agreement for 250 spaces at a 62% discount. Net proceeds to city after parking credit: $9.5 million. Deed restriction ensures public parking for 25 years. Council also authorized assignment of security and parking management agreements. Approved unanimously (Councilmember Gurtis recused). Council expressed gratitude for Zioli's service.

New Ordinances (First Reading) – Items E1–E4

• E1: Alcohol sales for an event at Seminole Park on Oct 14, 2023. Public hearing Sept 28.
• E2: Vacation of a portion of 2nd St N adjacent to Bridgeview Subdivision. Public hearing Oct 5.
• E3: Vacation of a sidewalk easement at 234 3rd Ave N. Public hearing Oct 5.
• E4: Vacation of a street corner easement at 1st Ave N & 30th St N. Public hearing Oct 5. All were approved unanimously.

New Business – Items G1, G2, H1

• G1 (Councilmember Montanari): Referral to committee for discussion on alternative locations for the city's brush site at 2500 26th Ave S. Approved.
• G2 (Councilmember Montanari): Request for administration report on Mahaffey Theater at Sept 28, 2023 meeting. Approved.
• H1 (Councilmember Gurtis): Approval of Budget, Finance & Taxation Committee recommendation to perform a management evaluation of St. Pete Fire Rescue. Approved.

Public Hearings

• J2 (Firefighters Pension): Ordinance to include 100 additional overtime hours in earnable compensation for the supplemental firefighters retirement system, as per collective bargaining. Unanimously approved.
• J3 (Variance – 1045/1051 25th St N): Variance to plat three lots without public street frontage to create four buildable lots on 1.2 acres. A private 22-foot roadway with turnaround will serve the lots. Conditions include no parking on roadway, off-street parking, and wetland buffer. No public opposition. Unanimously approved.
• J1A–J1C (Utility Rate Ordinances): Three ordinances adopting fiscal year 2024 utility rates: Sanitation (4.25% increase), Stormwater (8.5% increase), and Water/Wastewater/Reclaimed (6% increase). Average residential bill increase ~5.6%. Also introduced a four-year phase-in of increased water closet (capacity) fees for new development, from $350 to $1,000 per water closet. Councilmember Floyd voted no on all three, citing concerns about loss of low-income assistance (LIWAP) and budget priorities. Other council members supported the increases as necessary for infrastructure investment. Votes: 6-1 each (Floyd dissenting).

Key Outcomes

• Proclamations were read and recognized.
• Hurricane Idalia recovery efforts and damage statistics were presented.
• The 2022 ADA Compliance Report was approved.
• Two CRA property dispositions were approved for affordable housing and community outreach.
• Assignment of an affordable housing agreement to Habitat for Humanity was approved.
• A force main replacement project was discussed and accelerated.
• The EMS First Responder Agreement amendment was approved, adding 22 firefighter-paramedics.
• Sunrunner enhancements (new station, art, fiber) were approved.
• The Midcore Garage sale and parking agreement were approved.
• First reading of four ordinances was approved.
• Referrals for brush site and Mahaffey Theater report were approved.
• A management evaluation of Fire Rescue was authorized.
• Firefighter pension ordinance was approved.
• A variance for a residential subdivision was approved.
• Utility rate ordinances (sanitation, stormwater, water/wastewater) were approved with a 6-1 vote, including a water closet fee increase phased in over four years.