OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

St. Petersburg City Council Meeting - September 12, 2024

City Council — Thursday, September 12, 2024
BodySt Petersburg, Florida
SessionCity Council
DateThursday, September 12, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
Meeting Thumbnail
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:05

Welcome to the City of St.

0:07

Petersburg City Council meeting.

0:10

Your elected officials are Mayor Ken Welch.

0:14

District 1 and Council Vice Chair, Copley Gurtis.

0:19

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

0:34

District 6, Gina Driscoll.

0:37

District 7, John Mohammed.

0:41

And District 8, Richie Floyd.

0:51

Good afternoon, everyone.

0:53

We will call to order the September 12th, 2024 City Council meeting, beginning with the roll call.

1:00

Here Montaneri.

1:01

Here.

1:02

Hannawitz.

1:03

Vic Sanders.

1:04

Here.

1:04

Driscoll?

1:05

Yeah.

1:05

Mohammed and Floyd.

1:07

Here.

1:08

Thank you.

1:09

Joining us today to provide our invitation as we affectionately like to call him Pastor Bobby.

1:16

But this is Pastor Bobby Missingwa from Maximum Presbyterian Church.

1:21

And it will be followed by a moment of silence, remembering those on nine who've lost 9-11.

1:28

And then following that, we will do our pledge of allegiance.

1:31

Please join me in standing.

1:40

Almighty God, we gather here today in service of our beautiful city of St.

1:46

Petersburg.

1:49

Elected officials are bound together by our shared commitment to the well-being and progress of our people.

1:57

May their deliberations be guided by wisdom, compassion, and foresight.

2:04

May they listen to one another with open minds and respectful hearts, seeking common ground and innovative solutions to the challenges we face.

2:17

Grant us all the clarity to see beyond our individual perspectives, the courage to make difficult decisions for the greater good and the strength to implement positive change in our city.

2:32

Bless our mayor, Mr.

2:34

Kenneth Wealth, his staff, as well as all the city council members and their families.

2:41

Bless all the proclamations which have been honored today.

2:46

As our city council emboks on today's agenda, let us remember our responsibility to serve as stewards of this city's present and architects of its future.

2:59

In this spirit of unity and purpose, we begin our meeting.

3:06

We pray.

3:07

Amen.

3:23

Thank you.

3:26

Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

3:33

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

3:40

Please be seated.

3:41

Thank you, Pastor Bobby.

3:47

Council members, we have an agenda before us.

3:49

I entertain a motion for approval.

3:52

Move approval.

3:52

Second.

3:53

Seeing that the agenda has been motioned and properly seconded.

3:56

Can you please open the machine for voting?

3:58

Council members, please cast your votes.

4:01

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

4:06

Madam Chair, the motion to approve the agenda passes unanimously with Councilmember Hanowitz being absent.

4:11

Thank you.

4:15

So now we have the consent agenda.

4:19

There's no consent.

4:20

No consent agenda.

4:20

I'm sorry, I'm reading past it.

4:22

So now we'll go ahead and move into open form.

4:25

Do we have any cards for perform?

4:33

Want to read the rules?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural███████████████15%
Budget Equity Analysis███████████11%
Affordable Housing███████7%
Youth Programs███████7%
Legal Matters██████6%
Food Security██████6%
Community Engagement██████6%
Zoning and Land Use██████6%
Public Engagement██████6%
Summary of Proceedings

St. Petersburg City Council Meeting - September 12, 2024

The St. Petersburg City Council met on September 12, 2024, to consider a full agenda including proclamations, ordinance repeal, fiscal policy changes, arts funding, a CRA property disposition, a budget public hearing, and zoning overlay amendments. The meeting began with roll call (Councilmember Hanowitz absent), an invocation, and approval of the agenda. Public comment addressed historic preservation, opposition to a CRA property sale, and budget priorities.

Proclamations

  • Childhood Cancer Awareness Month (presented by Vice Chair Gerdis): Recognized September 2024 and highlighted that 9,910 U.S. children under 14 are newly diagnosed each year, with one in five losing their battle. Partners: Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital and Moffitt Cancer Center.
  • Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month (presented by Vice Chair Gerdis): Recognized September 2024; noted an estimated 19,680 new cases in 2024 and 12,740 deaths nationwide, with no early detection test. Advocated by Salma Mashry Ovarian Cancer Foundation.
  • Hunger Action Month (presented by Councilmember Driscoll): Recognized September 2024; cited 11% food insecurity in Pinellas County (nearly 140,000 individuals) and Hope Villages distributing 6 million pounds of food annually. Multiple partner organizations noted a 50% increase in St. Petersburg residents seeking food.
  • Suicide Prevention Week/Month (presented by Councilmember Floyd): Recognized September 8-14, 2024, and September 2024, emphasizing zero suicide framework. Zero Suicide Partners of Pinellas, led by Suncoast Center, highlighted outreach.
  • Senior Center Month (presented by Chair Fix Sanders): Recognized September 2024; noted the Sunshine Senior Center is the first nationally accredited senior center in Florida, serving older adults.
  • Fall Prevention Awareness Week (presented by Councilmember Montanari): Recognized September 23-27, 2024; stated one in four adults 65+ fall each year, and 4,607 fall incidents occurred in St. Petersburg since January 1, 2024. St. Petersburg Fire Rescue and community partners conduct prevention efforts.
  • Hispanic Heritage Month (presented by Councilmember Hanowitz): Recognized September 15 – October 15, 2024; noted 8.4% of St. Petersburg’s population is Hispanic. Proclamation read in Spanish and English. Hispanic Outreach Center, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Hispanic Leadership Council participated.

Consent Calendar

  • Agenda Approval: Unanimous (Councilmember Hanowitz absent).
  • E1 – Ordinance Repealing Responsible Wage Provisions: Approved unanimously (Councilmembers Fix Sanders and Hanowitz absent). Public hearing set for October 3, 2024.
  • J1 & J2 (public hearings): Approved unanimously as a block.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Open Forum:
    • Matt Wagner (4546 5th Ave N): Alleged that city staff changed ballots in a historic preservation case (citing City of St. Petersburg v. Dan Shu) and criticized subsequent ordinance changes that allow staff to contact signers. Requested revocation of the ordinance.
    • Peter Kent (8 Academy Way, via Zoom): Opposed Resolution CRA2, arguing the sale of property at 298 Dr. MLK Jr. Blvd S for $10 million is fiscally irresponsible because: two appraisals are over a year old and do not reflect recent rezoning; the city is selling a street that requires formal abandonment; the city undervalues the property and enriches a Delaware financial advisor; and the city should first renegotiate the parking lease (paying $21,000/yr vs. $58,000 in property taxes). Stated the city could achieve a higher sale price if the lease issue were resolved.
  • Budget Public Hearing:
    • Nathan Zupuska (500 2nd St S): Thanked council for youth investments, urged continued youth programming.
    • Lama Al Hassan (5011 Starfish Dr): Criticized budget increases for police while youth programs remain underfunded; advocated for Save Our Streets and Fund Our Futures campaigns.
    • Jerry Funt (2920 11th St N): Representing Bay Area Dream Defenders, urged funding for community-based gun violence prevention (e.g., outreach before harm occurs) rather than solely enforcement.
    • Yardanis Mola (2000 Gandy Blvd N): reported community surveys in Child’s Park identified youth program access and transportation as top needs.
    • Keisha King (Child’s Park resident): Called for more funding at Child’s Park Rec Center and support for Save Our Streets, Fund Our Futures, and other youth initiatives.
    • C. Era Clark (4544 22nd Ave S): Emphasized that budget decisions affect household safety and community well-being; urged supporting programs like Five Keys to End Gun Violence.
  • Final Open Forum:
    • Dave Bushman (429 88th Ave N): property owner complained about flooding in apartments after a stormwater system overwhelmed; questioned the $41 million stormwater budget.
    • Gail Cohen (250 58th St N, via Zoom): Reported catastrophic wastewater flooding on 58th Street; urged the city to seek federal funds (e.g., Army Corps of Engineers) for drainage and sewer improvements.

Discussion Items

  • F1 – Fiscal Policy Changes: Proposed six changes to FY25 fiscal policies, including target fund balance revisions and outdated language updates. Councilmember Montanari moved to amend to cap Economic Stability Fund loans at $5 million. After debate (Councilmembers Gabbard and Gerdis opposed, citing flexibility), the amendment failed (2-5-1, with Floyd absent; Fix Sanders and Hanowitz absent but had voted earlier? Actually present council voted: Driscoll and Montanari yes, Fix Sanders? The transcript says Fix Sanders absent, but later votes show she was present? Check: At start, Fix Sanders is present (she is chair). Later she is absent for E1? Possibly she stepped out. The amendment vote:

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, Copley Gurtis. District 2, Brandy Gabbert, District 3, Edmontonary, District 4, Lasset 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 to order the September 12th, 2024 City Council meeting, beginning with the roll call. Here Montaneri. Here. Hannawitz. Vic Sanders. Here. Driscoll? Yeah. Mohammed and Floyd. Here. Thank you. Joining us today to provide our invitation as we affectionately like to call him Pastor Bobby. But this is Pastor Bobby Missingwa from Maximum Presbyterian Church. And it will be followed by a moment of silence, remembering those on nine who've lost 9-11. And then following that, we will do our pledge of allegiance. Please join me in standing. Almighty God, we gather here today in service of our beautiful city of St. Petersburg. Elected officials are bound together by our shared commitment to the well-being and progress of our people. May their deliberations be guided by wisdom, compassion, and foresight. May they listen to one another with open minds and respectful hearts, seeking common ground and innovative solutions to the challenges we face. Grant us all the clarity to see beyond our individual perspectives, the courage to make difficult decisions for the greater good and the strength to implement positive change in our city. Bless our mayor, Mr. Kenneth Wealth, his staff, as well as all the city council members and their families. Bless all the proclamations which have been honored today. As our city council emboks on today's agenda, let us remember our responsibility to serve as stewards of this city's present and architects of its future. In this spirit of unity and purpose, we begin our meeting. We pray. Amen. Thank you. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Please be seated. Thank you, Pastor Bobby. Council members, we have an agenda before us. I entertain a motion for approval. Move approval. Second. Seeing that the agenda has been motioned and properly seconded. Can you please open the machine for voting? Council members, please cast your votes.

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