OpenPublica

Accountability starts with access.

© 2026 · Filed for the public record

Use casesAboutAPIPrivacyTermsLinkedIn
Home/St Petersburg, Florida/City Council
OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

St. Petersburg City Council Meeting – September 5, 2024

City Council — Thursday, September 5, 2024
BodySt Petersburg, Florida
SessionCity Council
DateThursday, September 5, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 5:39:10

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
0:07

Welcome to the City of St.

0:09

Petersburg City Council meeting.

0:11

Your elected officials are Mayor Ken Welch, District 1 and Council Vice Chair, Hopley Gertis.

0:21

District 2, Brandy Gabbert, District 3, Edmontonary, District 4, Leseth Hanowitz, District 5, and Council Chair, Deborah Fake Sanders.

0:36

District 6, Gina Driscoll.

0:39

District 7, John Mohammed.

0:42

And District 8, Richie Floyd.

0:53

Good afternoon, everyone.

0:54

We will call the order the September 5th, 2024 City Council meeting, beginning with the roll call, please.

1:00

Curtis.

1:00

Here.

1:01

Excuse me, Gabber.

1:02

Here.

1:02

Montanary.

1:03

Here.

1:03

Hanowitz.

1:04

Here.

1:05

Sanders.

1:05

Here.

1:07

Here.

1:08

Mohammed and Floyd.

1:10

Here.

1:11

Thank you.

1:12

We will have our invocation given today by Minister Leonta Toots from New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church.

1:19

And after the invocation, we're going to ask for a moment of silence for two of our falling officers.

1:25

And then followed by that will be the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:28

Would you please join me in standing?

1:31

Thank you, Chair Fig Sanders, to each of you, Council members, and to the citizens.

1:36

Will you bow with me?

1:38

Dear God, we pause in humble submission in your presence to your will and to your way.

1:43

Thanking you for all the things that you've done for us and thanking you for the opportunity of assembly to confer and discuss refinement in our communities and in our city.

1:52

We pray now for covering for shelter, for safety, for peace, and perpetual prosperity in our conversation and work, even in these unprecedented storms.

2:03

In the attempt of elevation between citizens, council purpose persons and constituents, we pray for the exchange of some what may be argumentation for argumentation.

2:13

Lastly, in all things, may we find common ground together in unity as we embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion for all persons, despite race, age, gender, ethnicity, and etc.

2:26

In this place we all call home, the great, tenacious and soaring city of St.

2:31

Petersburg.

2:32

God, we ask that you cover us all.

2:34

Amen.

2:36

Please join me in a moment of silence.

2:38

For Constable Edward A.

2:41

George.

2:46

Officer Charles Lee Estez, September 24th, 1967.

2:58

Thank you.

3:06

And to the Republic for which it stands.

3:09

One nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

3:15

Thank you so much.

3:19

Thank you, Minister Toots.

3:21

I am so honored to have been able to watch you grow.

3:26

And I am so proud of who you've become.

3:29

And I'm just looking so forward to what you have yet still to show the world.

3:34

Thank you so much for that invocation.

3:36

Thank you so much.

3:38

Council members, we have an agenda before us with items deferring F1 and CR2 to our September 12th council agenda with adding F6, a time change resolution for September 12th council meeting, as well as adding F7 and CB25, which was pulled to report our entertain a motion for approval.

4:00

Second.

4:01

Now that we have a motion and approval, can you please open the machine for voting?

4:05

Council members, please cast your votes.

4:08

Now that our present council members have voted, can you please tally and announce the votes?

4:13

Madam Chair, the motion to approve the agenda passes unanimously with council member Mohammed being absent.

4:19

Thank you.

4:20

Council members, we have a consent agenda before us.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning and Land Use██████████████████████████26%
Procedural█████████████████████21%
Water And Wastewater Management█████████9%
Public Engagement███████7%
Legal Matters██████6%
Flood Resilience█████5%
Public Safety█████5%
Transportation Safety█████5%
Affordable Housing████4%
Summary of Proceedings

St. Petersburg City Council Meeting – September 5, 2024

The St. Petersburg City Council met on September 5, 2024, to address storm recovery, approve utility rate adjustments, appoint a PSTA board member, and deliberate on a major transit-oriented development overlay for the Sunrunner corridor. The meeting featured extensive public testimony and multiple votes on amendments to the overlay ordinance, which was ultimately continued to September 12.

Consent Calendar

  • The agenda was approved with deferrals of items F1 and CR2 to September 12 and additions of F6 (time change resolution) and F7/CB25 (PSTA appointment).
  • The consent agenda was approved unanimously (Councilmember Mohammed absent).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Open Forum: Multiple residents addressed council. Brad McCoy criticized the city's public records compliance and alleged conflicts of interest. Janae Preeby and Paul Carter thanked council for arts funding. Art Defield criticized the stadium deal and infrastructure failures. Stacia Schrader and Leslie Curran urged increased arts investment. Sandra Anthony reported persistent storm drain flooding. Matthew Widener discussed legal cases affecting council's quasi-judicial role.
  • J4 (Sunrunner Overlay): Numerous speakers from the Palmetto Park neighborhood and advocacy groups urged removal of parking mandates, citing walkability, transit use, and housing affordability. Developers like Joe First supported flexibility but noted parking needs for existing businesses. Food truck operators requested the ability to remain on-site without relocation.

Discussion Items

  • Storm Update (Emergency): Emergency Manager Amber Balden reported 13.5 inches of rain in 14 days, with 4–5 inches in one hour on September 4, causing widespread flooding. Fire Rescue conducted 45 water rescues and police responded to 73 hazard calls. Public Works Administrator Claude Tankersley explained soil saturation led to unprecedented runoff, and the city added staff and high-water vehicles for continued response. Council members expressed gratitude and requested maps for real-time flood information.
  • Charter Amendments (I1): Assistant City Attorney Brett Pettigrew reviewed a proposal to modify vacancy-filling processes for council and mayor. After extensive committee work, council voted to refer the item to a Committee of the Whole no sooner than December 2025 (unanimous, Mohammed absent).
  • 31st Street Grant (F2): Approved a resolution accepting a $100,000 Forward Pinellas grant for a complete streets study, with a $55,000 city match (unanimous, Mohammed absent).
  • Opioid Settlement Funds (F3): Approved a $1 million supplemental appropriation for an opioid support grant program targeting respite housing, harm reduction, and peer support (unanimous, Driscoll and Mohammed absent).
  • EMS Agreement (F4): Approved a five-year ALS first responder agreement with Pinellas County, including additional paramedic positions and capital replacement (unanimous, Driscoll, Hanowitz, Mohammed absent).
  • Primary Election Results (F5): Certified the August 20 primary election results (unanimous, Mohammed absent).
  • Time Change (F6): Changed the September 12 meeting start time to 3:00 PM (unanimous, Driscoll and Mohammed absent).
  • PSTA Appointment (F7): Confirmed Max McCann to the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority board (unanimous, Mohammed absent).
  • Utility Rates (J1 A/B/C): Approved 2025 fiscal year utility rate adjustments with a 6.1% overall revenue increase, restructuring of retail rates to reduce impact on low-usage customers, and an accelerated sewer capacity fee (all three ordinances passed unanimously; Hanowitz and Mohammed absent).
  • Police Retirement System (J2): Approved an ordinance providing a minimum service requirement for non-service-connected disability benefits (unanimous, Hanowitz and Mohammed absent).
  • Comprehensive Plan Amendment (J3): Adopted text amendments for commercial corridors and Sunrunner station areas (unanimous, Hanowitz and Mohammed absent).
  • Sunrunner Target Employment Center Overlay (J4): Following extensive debate, council adopted several amendments: (1) Environmental report language to mirror Chapter 17.5 (unanimous); (2) Removal of minimum parking requirements for all uses under the overlay (5-2); (3) Exclusion of parking ramps, mechanical rooms, and loading areas from TEC floor area calculations (unanimous); (4) Increase workforce housing bonus from 5% to 10% (4-2); (5) Set base FAR at 2.0 without additional workforce housing obligations (5-1). Outstanding issues, including food truck regulations, prompted a continuance to September 12 (unanimous).
  • Rezoning (J5): Continued to September 12 in alignment with J4 (unanimous).

Key Outcomes

  • Votes: Major votes are detailed above. Councilmembers Mohammed, Hanowitz, and Driscoll were absent for several items.
  • Decisions: Utility rate increases approved; parking mandates removed in the Sunrunner overlay; comprehensive plan updated; EMS agreement renewed; opioid settlement funds allocated.
  • Next Steps: The Sunrunner overlay (J4) and associated rezoning (J5) are scheduled for continued public hearing on September 12, 2024. Staff will bring revised language on food truck regulations and other unresolved items.

Meeting Transcript

Welcome to the City of St. Petersburg City Council meeting. Your elected officials are Mayor Ken Welch, District 1 and Council Vice Chair, Hopley Gertis. District 2, Brandy Gabbert, District 3, Edmontonary, District 4, Leseth Hanowitz, District 5, and Council Chair, Deborah Fake Sanders. District 6, Gina Driscoll. District 7, John Mohammed. And District 8, Richie Floyd. Good afternoon, everyone. We will call the order the September 5th, 2024 City Council meeting, beginning with the roll call, please. Curtis. Here. Excuse me, Gabber. Here. Montanary. Here. Hanowitz. Here. Sanders. Here. Here. Mohammed and Floyd. Here. Thank you. We will have our invocation given today by Minister Leonta Toots from New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church. And after the invocation, we're going to ask for a moment of silence for two of our falling officers. And then followed by that will be the Pledge of Allegiance. Would you please join me in standing? Thank you, Chair Fig Sanders, to each of you, Council members, and to the citizens. Will you bow with me? Dear God, we pause in humble submission in your presence to your will and to your way. Thanking you for all the things that you've done for us and thanking you for the opportunity of assembly to confer and discuss refinement in our communities and in our city. We pray now for covering for shelter, for safety, for peace, and perpetual prosperity in our conversation and work, even in these unprecedented storms. In the attempt of elevation between citizens, council purpose persons and constituents, we pray for the exchange of some what may be argumentation for argumentation. Lastly, in all things, may we find common ground together in unity as we embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion for all persons, despite race, age, gender, ethnicity, and etc. In this place we all call home, the great, tenacious and soaring city of St. Petersburg. God, we ask that you cover us all. Amen. Please join me in a moment of silence. For Constable Edward A. George. Officer Charles Lee Estez, September 24th, 1967. Thank you. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you so much. Thank you, Minister Toots. I am so honored to have been able to watch you grow. And I am so proud of who you've become. And I'm just looking so forward to what you have yet still to show the world.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com