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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

St. Petersburg City Council Meeting - July 10, 2025: Land Development Code Updates, Center for the Arts, and Public Safety Concerns

City Council — Thursday, July 10, 2025

BodySt Petersburg, Florida

SessionCity Council

DateThursday, July 10, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:38:52

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:06

Welcome to the City of St.

0:08

Petersburg City Council meeting.

0:11

Your elected officials are Mayor Ken Welch, District One, and Council Chair Copley Gurdis.

0:20

District 2, Brandy Gabbert, District 3, Mike Harding, District 4, and Council Vice Chair, Leseth Hanowitz.

0:32

District 5, Deborah Fake Sanders.

0:35

District 6, Gina Driscoll.

0:38

District 7, Corey Givens Jr.

0:42

And District 8, Richie Floyd.

0:50

Good afternoon.

0:51

We'll call to order the July 10th, 2025 City Council meeting.

0:54

If we could do a roll call, please.

0:56

Gibbons.

0:56

Here.

0:57

Lloyd.

0:57

Here.

0:58

Earth.

0:58

Here.

0:59

Abbott.

0:59

Here.

0:59

Harding.

1:00

Here.

1:00

Annawitz.

1:01

Here.

1:01

Greek Sanders.

1:02

Here.

1:02

And Driscoll.

1:03

Here.

1:04

Okay.

1:04

Today we'll have our invocation given by Reverend Michelle Robertshaw, Provost of Cathedral Church of St.

1:12

Peter, followed by a moment of silence.

1:14

And then please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:17

Please stand.

1:22

Let us take just a moment to let the distractions of the day fall away so as to focus our hearts and our minds on the work set before us.

1:34

O God of wisdom and peace, we gather today as leaders and stewards of this amazing city, a city alive with hope, history, and promise.

1:43

We give thanks for this place that many of us call home, for its rich diversity, its creative spirit, its neighborhoods, and especially its people who care deeply for one another.

1:54

Bless those who serve this city, the committed members of this council, the dedicated staff, and the citizens who offer their voices and their vision.

2:04

We pray let us not forget that leadership is a sacred trust and that our work here touches lives in ways we never may fully see.

2:12

In this chamber today, may there be wisdom without pride, conviction tempered by compassion, decisions rooted in what is right and good for all who call St.

2:21

Petersburg home.

2:23

Help us to honor the dignity of every person, to protect what is beautiful in our city, and build what is needed for its future.

2:31

May our actions reflect the best of who we are and the hope of what we can yet become.

2:36

Together in your holy name we pray.

2:38

Amen.

2:40

Please join me in a moment of silence.

2:43

Words cannot express the tremendous grief we are experiencing as we mourn the tragic loss of one of our own, our colleague, assistant city attorney, trusted advisor and friend, Michael Joseph Dima, a son of St.

2:57

Petersburg, born here, graduating from the IB program of St.

3:01

Petersburg High School, obtaining his college degrees at American and Brown and his law degree here at Stetson, honorably serving our city assistant attorney for more than a decade and forever leaving his imprint on our hearts and our city.

3:22

Thank you.

3:23

Please also continue to stand silently for a moment of silence and reflection for those who are affected in all the communities across Texas who have experienced devastating effects of tragic flooding where many lives were lost.

3:36

Our thoughts are with those victims, their families, and everyone impacted by the terrible disaster.

3:47

Thank you.

3:50

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America into the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and injustice for all.

4:04

Thank you.

4:04

Please be seated.

4:07

Provost, thank you so much for those beautiful words.

4:10

That was a great way to start off the afternoon.

4:12

Thank you so much.

4:13

Thank you.

4:15

Okay, council members.

4:17

We have an agenda in front of us, and uh we CB7 has been moved to reports as EB6.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Zoning and Land Use████████████████████████24%

Procedural███████████████████19%

Arts And Culture████████████████16%

Public Engagement████████8%

Economic Development████████8%

Affordable Housing█████5%

Homelessness████4%

Community Engagement████4%

Public Safety███3%

Summary of Proceedings

St. Petersburg City Council Meeting - July 10, 2025

The St. Petersburg City Council met on July 10, 2025, to address items including a major land development code update, a $103,000 contract amendment for a Center for the Arts master plan, and public comments regarding downtown cleanliness and safety. The meeting began with an invocation and a moment of silence for Assistant City Attorney Michael Joseph Dima and for victims of flooding in Texas.

Consent Calendar

Approved the consent agenda unanimously. Councilmember Driscoll highlighted several items, including funding for police training, wellness center services, the Chess Club, artwork on the Pinellas Trail, bike lane enhancements, fire department training facility, and the USF St. Petersburg Green Cycle Composting Project.
Approved proposed ordinance 138-HL designating the R.L. Gilbert House as a local historic landmark on first reading, unanimously.
Approved F3 and F4 together (library storm damage repairs) unanimously.
Approved F5 (staffing flexibility for engineering and permitting emergencies) unanimously.
Approved G1 (referral to Youth and Family Services Committee for update on education and youth programs) unanimously.
Approved H1 (referral of Clean and Safe program discussion to Committee of the Whole) unanimously.
Approved J2 (additional $129,000 in CDBG-CV funds for Pinellas Hope bathroom and shower facilities) unanimously.
Approved J3 (additional $84,000 in CDBG funds for Abundant Life Ministries Church to install a firewall and code-related upgrades) unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

Karen Neesmith, representing USF St. Petersburg, expressed gratitude for a $350,000 USDA grant partnership with the city to purchase an industrial composter on campus to divert food waste and provide student-run sustainable business experience.
Saba Bragg, a downtown resident and condominium board member, urged council to fund the Clean and Safe Program, stating it is essential for daily street cleaning and homeless outreach, and is more cost-effective than emergency services.
Catherine Sutherland, a downtown resident, shared personal experiences of witnessing unsanitary and unsafe conditions, including public urination and defecation, and expressed concern that St. Petersburg could decline like downtown Orlando. She urged action on sidewalks and sanitation.
John Castricone, maintenance manager at The One St. Petersburg condominium, reported daily issues with individuals sleeping in stairwells and cleaning up human waste. He requested partnership from the city for policing, outreach, and sanitation services.

Discussion Items

Center for the Arts Master Plan (F6):

Beth Herrendine presented a request for a $103,000 amendment to a task order with ASD|SKY to refine a conceptual master plan for the Center for the Arts area (bounded by First Ave S, Fifth Ave S, First St, and the waterfront). The plan focuses on Phase One (Mahaffey Theater, Dali Plaza, and the 1987 parking garage) and includes additional stakeholder engagement with the Downtown Neighborhood Association, Saturday Morning Market, Florida Orchestra, etc. Phase One may include a new garage, plaza, and conference center (later removed). Phase Two envisions a waterfront amphitheater.
Councilmember Gabbard opposed the expenditure, citing lack of stakeholder outreach, bandwidth issues with other city projects, and a desire to prioritize downtown cleanup over long-term planning. She noted the $103,000 could double the downtown outreach budget.
Councilmember Givens suggested including other museums (Imagine Museum, Carter G. Woodson African American History Museum) and asked for a comparison with a plan for the Historic Gas Plant District.
Councilmember Driscoll supported the study, noting the aging garage and the need for coordinated planning with existing assets (Dali expansion, Florida Orchestra, Grand Prix, Rowdies). She emphasized the importance of third-party expertise.
Councilmember Fix Sanders stressed that stakeholder lists should be broader since taxpayer dollars fund the study. She also noted the lack of response to Councilmember Floyd's earlier request for capital needs comparison.
Councilmember Floyd said something must be done about the area, especially to find a home for the Florida Orchestra and address parking. He urged a comparison of capital costs when the plan returns.
Vote: Passed 6-2 (Gabbard and Harding voted no; Driscoll, Fix Sanders, Floyd, Gurdis, Givens, Hanowitz voted yes).

Land Development Regulations Update (J1):

Corey and Scott Bullier presented a comprehensive package of amendments to the LDRs, including changes to FAR bonuses (new incentives for solar, EV charging, elevated front porches, preservation of grand trees, quality materials, and building separation); allowing ADUs on NS-zoned lots of 4,500 sq ft with alley or corner; payment in lieu of sidewalks; restrictions on fencing materials (no roofing material); blank facade allowances; flood zone accommodations; and dock setback noticing.
Councilmember Gabbard moved an amendment to page 50, Section 16.50.010.5.2, increasing the excluded square footage for enclosed parking in ADUs from 200 to 300 square feet (codifying existing staff interpretation). This passed unanimously.
Councilmember Driscoll confirmed the amendment addressed concerns from ADU developers.
Vote on J1 as amended: Passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

Center for the Arts Master Plan: Approved $103,000 amendment to refine Phase One concepts with expanded stakeholder input. Staff will return to the Economic and Workforce Development Committee potentially in September with a refined plan and capital cost comparisons.
LDR Amendments: Approved with the ADU amendment. The updated code includes new FAR bonuses, expanded ADU eligibility, payment in lieu of sidewalks, and other design refinements.
Clean and Safe Program: Referred to Committee of the Whole for further discussion.
Education and Youth Programs: Referred to Youth and Family Services Committee for a staff update.
Public Safety and Sanitation: Multiple public comments raised concerns; council acknowledged the need for action on downtown conditions.

Meeting Transcript

Welcome to the City of St. Petersburg City Council meeting. Your elected officials are Mayor Ken Welch, District One, and Council Chair Copley Gurdis. District 2, Brandy Gabbert, District 3, Mike Harding, District 4, and Council Vice Chair, Leseth Hanowitz. District 5, Deborah Fake Sanders. District 6, Gina Driscoll. District 7, Corey Givens Jr. And District 8, Richie Floyd. Good afternoon. We'll call to order the July 10th, 2025 City Council meeting. If we could do a roll call, please. Gibbons. Here. Lloyd. Here. Earth. Here. Abbott. Here. Harding. Here. Annawitz. Here. Greek Sanders. Here. And Driscoll. Here. Okay. Today we'll have our invocation given by Reverend Michelle Robertshaw, Provost of Cathedral Church of St. Peter, followed by a moment of silence. And then please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. Please stand. Let us take just a moment to let the distractions of the day fall away so as to focus our hearts and our minds on the work set before us. O God of wisdom and peace, we gather today as leaders and stewards of this amazing city, a city alive with hope, history, and promise. We give thanks for this place that many of us call home, for its rich diversity, its creative spirit, its neighborhoods, and especially its people who care deeply for one another. Bless those who serve this city, the committed members of this council, the dedicated staff, and the citizens who offer their voices and their vision. We pray let us not forget that leadership is a sacred trust and that our work here touches lives in ways we never may fully see. In this chamber today, may there be wisdom without pride, conviction tempered by compassion, decisions rooted in what is right and good for all who call St. Petersburg home. Help us to honor the dignity of every person, to protect what is beautiful in our city, and build what is needed for its future. May our actions reflect the best of who we are and the hope of what we can yet become. Together in your holy name we pray. Amen. Please join me in a moment of silence. Words cannot express the tremendous grief we are experiencing as we mourn the tragic loss of one of our own, our colleague, assistant city attorney, trusted advisor and friend, Michael Joseph Dima, a son of St. Petersburg, born here, graduating from the IB program of St. Petersburg High School, obtaining his college degrees at American and Brown and his law degree here at Stetson, honorably serving our city assistant attorney for more than a decade and forever leaving his imprint on our hearts and our city. Thank you. Please also continue to stand silently for a moment of silence and reflection for those who are affected in all the communities across Texas who have experienced devastating effects of tragic flooding where many lives were lost. Our thoughts are with those victims, their families, and everyone impacted by the terrible disaster.

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