Welcome to the City of St.

Petersburg City Council Meeting.

Your elected officials are Mayor Ken Welch.

District One, Hopley Girdis, District 2, Brandy Gabbert, District 3, Mike Harding, District 4, and Council Chair, Leseth Hanowitz.

And District 8 and Council Vice Chair, Richie Floyd.

Welcome everyone to the April 9th, 2026.

Uh City Council meeting.

Clerk, I please have a roll call.

Here.

So today normally we we have an invocation, and then we have the Pledge of Allegiance, but today we're gonna have an invocation, and it's going to be followed by a special presentation of the National Anthem.

So I'm going to ask you to stand up for the invocation, and then please remain standing for the special presentation that's going to be given of the National Anthem.

Good evening.

Good evening, Reverend Elizabeth Siply.

Thank you for inviting me.

Let us pray.

Those entrusted to serve the people of St.

Petersburg.

Lord, we ask that you would put your hands upon the City of St.

Petersburg Council.

Cover them with wisdom, clarity, and divine guidance in every decision that they make.

Father, let unity rise among them.

Where there are differences, let there be understanding.

Where there is tension, let there be peace.

Teach them to lay aside their personal agendas and come together for the greater good of our community that they serve.

Let respect and collaboration fill every conversation, every meeting, and every moment within the walls of City Hall.

Lord grant them patience, patience with one another, patience with the process, and patience with the people that they are called to serve.

Help them to listen deeply with compassion and to respond with integrity.

Remember and remind them that true leadership is rooted not in just in authority but in service.

We pray for wisdom beyond human understanding.

Illuminate their minds to see what is just fair and necessary.

Give them courage to make difficult decisions and the discernment to know what will bring lasting impact and protection for this city.

Father, let peace reign, not only within these chambers, but throughout the city of St.

Petersburg.

Strengthen the system that serves the people and uplift every neighborhood, every family, and every individual who is called this city home.

May this council be a reflection of unity, diversity, and strength, strength and collaboration, hope and action, and let their work be effective, their service be honorable, and their legacy be one that brings transformation and trust to our community.

In your matchless name, we ask, amen and amen.

Amen.

Thank you.

Go ahead, sir.

Oh say can you see by the dogs early?

Whose broad strides and bright stars through the bear side or the ramp or so gallery streaming and the rockest gave proof through the night was there, same star the land of the free land of the whole.

Oh same standgall and way the land of the free land of the home of thank you so much.

Thank you, Reverend Sipling, and that wonderful presentation of the national anthem.

Council members, we have an agenda.

We're gonna amend and have the National Barbershop Harmony Day proclamation go first in the awards and presentations, and when that amendment asks for a motion to approve the agenda.

We have a motion and a second clerk.

If you can open the machine for voting, council members, please enter your votes.

And seeing that all present council members have voted, clerk, please tally announce the vote.

Thank you.

Clerk, are there any speakers for open forum?

You please read the rules.

Absolutely.

If you wish to address city council on subjects other than public hearing or quasi judicial items listed on the agenda, please sign up with the clerk.

Only the individual wishing to speak may sign the open form.

She only city residents, owners of property, business owners in the city or their employees may speak.

All issues discussed under open forum must be limited to issues related to the city of St.

Petersburg government.

If you are speaking to an item on the agenda, you may only speak once during the open forum or when the item comes up on the agenda.

Applause is not permitted except in connection with awards and presentations.

In order to provide an opportunity for all citizens to address council, each individual will be given three minutes to speak, and after which the microphone will be muted.

If you wish to address city council through the Zoom meeting, you must use the raise hand feature button in the Zoom app or into star nine on your phone at the time the agenda item is addressed.

When is your turn to speak?

You'll be unmuted and asked to state your name and address at the conclusion of your comments, or when you reach the three minute time limit, you will be muted.

All raised hands will be lowered after each agenda item.

Regardless of the method of participation use, normal rules apply, including the three-minute time limit on comments, the requirement that any presentation materials must be submitted in advance of the meeting, and the rules of decorum.

If live public comment is disrupted by violations of the rules of the quorum, the church is authorized to accept public comment by alternate means, including by email only, and we have only one speaker, Madam Chair, and that is Bill Hillman.

Please go to either podium, state your name, address, or cross street, and you will have three minutes to address City Council.

Yes, hello.

My name is Bill Hillman, and I'm at 2901 Central and have a couple of other properties at 2828 Central and 2927 Central.

And I'm here today to um address my concerns about the uh transit overlay development process itself and the content of it.

And um as I said, I I have three properties on Central Avenue that are going to be affected by this.

I only learned about this vote that's happening next month in a casual conversation with a real estate broker two weeks ago.

So and it's very important to me.

Um I'm surprised that I only found out two weeks ago, considering that when somebody wants to install a fence or change their storefront or do something like that, anybody within 400 feet of that property gets a notice that something's gonna happen to the neighborhood.

And um this is a very important this overlay.

More and more important than a fence or a storefront, and it's and it's uh meaningful.

So I went to the city uh zoning department last Monday uh to ask specifically how this is gonna affect my properties uh going forward if this transit or transit-oriented development plan goes through, and um they were not able to tell me they referred me to um Adriana Puentes who on whom I emailed and called but didn't get any information back from.

So I still don't know what I'm entitled to in terms of development now, and I don't know what I'm gonna have if this passes, and um it seems like something that I should be have information that I should be able to get from the city.

Um I'd also like to add anecdotally, I've owned my property, my one of my properties since 2003, so I've been fully invested in this area for a long time, and in that time, 26 years, 23 years, only four buildings have been built that meet the ordinances right now and for mixed use development commercial and residential, and those four buildings have only contributed 23 units, residential units to the neighborhood to the Grand Central District on Central Avenue.

So this is this is a very important component, the residential component density, I think hasn't been addressed by previous in the past 26 years.

I don't think you're time's up by um the administrator uh Gertis, he's gonna provide you some information.

Yes, sir.

If you could just please sit tight for a minute.

I'm trying to get a staff member to come in and get your contact information, and we'll make sure we contact you directly on your properties.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

No more speakers, Matt Chair, none in Zoom.

Great, thank you, Clerk.

We close open forum, and now we move towards and presentations.

First up, we have D4.

This is going to be presented by Councilmember Gertis, and it's the National Barbershop Harmony Day Proclamation.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

And uh, let's give Sunshine City Chorus one more round of applause.

We uh we were treated with can you feel the love tonight downstairs earlier?

And uh we so we got a little taste, and just thank you so much.

Uh the Sunshine City Chorus is the St.

Petersburg chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society.

Uh their logo is based on St.

Pete's original logo, Mr.

Sun, and the original charter for the Sunshine City chorus started in 1946, which is crazy to think about.

The original or excuse me, and then rechartered in April of 2023.

Uh, so these guys went a couple of years ago to the state competition.

10 10 uh gentlemen went down last man, was it excuse me?

Last May.

Time flies in my world, and so uh they were the newest and the smallest group and came home with the state championship.

Woo.

And I know I speak for everybody in this room, but music is food for the soul.

It brings such joy so much joy, it brings back memories, it brings back feelings, and these guys are doing it on a daily basis for our community, representing our community outside of it, and I'm just so proud of them, and uh really just had to recognize them.

And and I wouldn't have been able to do that without Lance Lubin.

Lance is the director of the Sunshine City Chorus, he also is the about to be outgoing president of Eagle Crest neighborhood.

He has been the president at Eagle Crest in District One for 25 years, and I think we'll give him a round of applause for that.

I can tell you, and I'm sure my dad will attest as well.

Lance has been a fierce advocate for the West Side, and I mean that in the true definition of the word.

He has protected development on the west side, he has protected parkland, he has protected his neighborhood fiercely for 25 years, and I want to thank you while we're here, Lance, for your dedicated service to the city of St.

Pete.

And so it's been a great honor to celebrate the Sunshine City Chorus, and again, Lance, thank you for uh helping us bring this joy of music to our our community.

So I'll I'll read the proclamation.

Whereas Barbershop Harmony is a uniquely American art form rooted in community, camaraderie, and the joy of making music together, and whereas National Barbershop Harmony Day is celebrated annually, commemorating the birth of organized barbershop singing on April 11th, 1938, when 26 men gathered for a songfest that sparked a nationwide musical movement, and whereas the historic gathering laid the foundation for what would become a vibrant tradition of a four-part a cappella harmony, preserve musical heritage while fostering fellowship across generations, and whereas the Sunshine City chorus exemplifies the enduring spirit of barbershop harmony through its commitment to musical excellence, community engagement, and the promotion of arts.

And whereas organizations such as the Sunshine City Chorus enrich our community by bringing people together through song, strengthening cultural connections and inspiring creativity and collaboration.

Now, therefore, I, Councilmember Copley Gertis, on behalf of Kenneth T.

Welch, mayor of City of St.

Petersburg, do hereby proclaim Saturday, April 11th, 2026, as National Barbershop Harmony Day in St.

Petersburg, and encourage our citizens to celebrate the musical tradition and the joy it brings our community.

Thank you.

Hey, well, thank you so much.

I I was following directions.

Oh, okay.

Anyhow, we are so delighted to bring uh this to the city of St.

Peter St.

Petersburg, which we love so much.

And that's why we uh named ourselves the Sunshine City Chorus.

So we are always looking for male singers.

So if this looks fun to you, there will be cards in the lobby.

So thank you so much.

Uh and I just urge all of you to uh to experience the joy that music brings, especially the young people here.

Uh join choruses, join choirs.

Uh it'll bring you a lifetime of joy, and you'll make some of the best friends you've ever had.

Can I hear you say amen?

All right.

Thank you so much.

Hold on.

Okay.

I just wanted to say thank you all for being here today.

It was a real treat.

Lance, very nice to see you.

That's what I would say.

That's uh, and uh I know uh Copley knows exactly what he's saying when he's hinting at how fiercely you defend your neighborhood.

Uh I know exactly what he's getting at.

I'm not sure that's a compliment.

It's it's a compliment to you, but you know, us up here, maybe not so much.

Well, I can assure you it's the Napoleon compliment.

Uh uh it's it was lovely to hear uh you all sing today, and uh I love music, uh but I can't sing at all, so I'll just be in the audience for your shows.

That's only because some fifth grade teacher told you you shouldn't sing.

Okay, everybody can sing.

Yeah, all right.

Well, I like your optimism, but maybe thank you.

Nice to see you all, yeah.

Councilmember Driscoll.

Thank you.

And um, thank you all for joining us today and and for that um beautiful rendition of our national anthem.

It made me even more proud to stand and look at our flag while you were singing.

It meant a lot.

Um, Councilmember Gertis, thank you for um being here today and uh reading the proclamation.

I want um the group to know that it is Councilmember Gertis who always insists that we sing that City Council sings happy birthday to any council member or staffer who has a birthday coming up, and if you were here to hear that, I assure you you would not want any of us joining you in your group.

However, I do love the invitation that you have out there, welcoming others to join you.

Um, because uh we need more of this.

We need more music in our hearts, and we need more music in our in our community.

It's um it's really a wonderful reminder of the ways that um that we can all lift our voices to make the world better.

So thank you for all that you do.

You made my day.

Thank you, madam chair.

Thank you, and thank you so much.

I will tell you, uh, Councilmember Goethe said music is food for the soul.

Uh it definitely made our heart smile today from downstairs when y'all sang to now.

Um, you know, the day when we're here and city council meetings, you know, sometimes we're dealing with tough issues, and as you know, people aren't always happy with us.

But you know, starting a day like that and listening to you all sing really made the day better.

So thank you, and thank you for bringing so much joy into the world.

Thank you.

Okay.

Next up, we have D2, which is Earth Day Proclamation, and this is gonna be presented by Councilmember Gabbard.

So we'll take a minute so they can move outside.

And those that are here for that proclamation, you can join Councilmember Gabbard at the podium.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I'm honored as uh I think almost every year that I've been on City Council to uh have the uh opportunity to present the uh Earth month Earth Month proclamation.

So happy Earth Month, everyone.

Earth Month is a very special celebration.

It's celebrated worldwide, and it's a recognition of our beautiful planet and our obligation to be good stewards of her resources.

Uh, in full disclosure, the reason that you know I probably love all things environmental is because I was born on Earth Day.

It is my birthday, so um I feel like I was kind of born for this work, right?

So don't really have much of a choice when you're born on Earth Day.

So, you know, St.

Pete, we benefit so greatly from our environment.

It brings us joy, recreation, learning opportunities, chances to engage with nature, um, economic opportunities for our small business friends that are in the crowd today, and of course, tourism.

Um, you know, that list goes on and on for all of the things that we benefit from Mother Nature.

And the other thing that I would say that we benefit from is our collaboration with our community partners and with our city team who care so greatly about all of those vital resources.

As we continue to strive to be a resilient city, we cannot forget that sustainability should be at the heart of everything that we do.

So I'm honored today to be joined by uh Maven Rogers from our Office of Sustainability and Resiliency, and she has her entire team with her today.

I don't want to forget anyone, so I'm only gonna name you, Maven, and then you have the opportunity to name everyone else because I know you have a lot of new team members.

So I want to make sure that we introduce everyone, and then I'm also joined today by our friends at the Sierra Club.

So thank you all for being with us today.

And with that, I will read the proclamation, which reads whereas the Tampa Bay region is an environmentally rich and ecologically diverse community with an estuary that is valuable and is a productive regional resource.

And whereas Earth Day was originally observed on April 22nd, 1970 by more than 20 million Americans, leading to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Clean Air and Clean Water Acts.

And whereas the Tampa Bay region faces challenges to protect our environmental resources and quality of life, including basic needs of clean air, pure water, and natural habitats for future generations.

And whereas the Tampa Bay area's environmental resources have greatly benefited from the legislative and public awareness generated by the observation of Earth Day.

And whereas April 22nd, 2026 is Earth Day to be celebrated throughout the month of April and in many communities in the Tampa Bay region.

Now, therefore, I, Councilmember Brandy Gabbard, on behalf of Kenneth T.

Welch, the mayor of the City of St.

Petersburg, Florida, do hereby proclaim Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026 as Earth Day in St.

Petersburg, and encourage all citizens to commemorate Earth Day by attending community events and by acting both individually and collaboratively to promote a more sustainable and resilient future for St.

Petersburg.

So we are going to be joined first by Pat Fling with the Sierra Club, who's going to say a few words.

And Pat, if you would please share all of the events that you have going on for Sierra Club for Earth Day.

I know you have at least two.

So well, I probably can't tell you all the events, but coming up, we have a lunch and learn at the Thrive Building where Sierra Club has our local office.

So that's coming up in April.

I think it's 22nd, yes.

And there's several other events that you can find on our website, um Suncoast Sierra Club.

And we're so thrilled to be here to recognize Earth Day, and thank you for all that you all do to preserve our Earth and to keep St.

Petersburg green.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Floor is yours.

Thank you.

Maven Rogers, Sustainability and Resilience Director.

Um, thank you, Councilmember Gabbard, for bringing this important resolution up, our proclamation, sorry.

I oftentimes actually forget that Earth Day is here because every day is our day for us.

Science has never been more important.

So we're very excited.

One person I like to recognize that's not here is Chelsea Freeman, who's our new urban forester and sustainability coordinator.

She's actually not here because she's working on a pre and post-hurricane analysis for hers.

And she's really working very diligently to make that deadline.

So I like to thank her.

And then I like to introduce my staff.

So we have Casey Evans, who's our resilience coordinator.

We have Nicole Shannabille, who's our sustainability and resilience supervisor.

And then we have Bruna Martino Piziachi.

Um and she's our energy management specialist.

Bruna is actually in charge of trying to drive down our utility costs.

So we're very excited.

We're growing our team, and that really it shows a commitment from our council.

And I want to really take the opportunity to say thank you, thank you, thank you.

It is a pleasure of my life to be serving the city and you all make it happen because you provide us a budget to do so.

So thank you.

And keep the money flowing.

Thank you.

Well I just want to say, on behalf of City Council, I want to thank all of you for providing your expertise and time on matters that really are important to our city, because frankly, we need subject matter experts in terms of our sustainability issues, our resiliency issues.

And I know with some of you have had those long conversations of what we should be doing and what we can do better.

And we can't do it without you.

So I appreciate it.

And for all you young kids out there who are thinking about re careers, they do some really cool work, and we need more of them.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Councilmember Driscoll.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Gabbard, for the reading of the proclamation.

It's very fitting.

And I want to thank all of you who joined us, the staff who work day in and day out to make sure that our city stands proudly as um uh as a leader in resilience and sustainability in environmental stewardship.

I also want to give a special thanks to the members of the Sierra Club.

Um when I first ran for office and I had to go through the interview process in hopes of landing that that coveted endorsement from the Sierra Club for my for my election.

Um there were a lot of things that came up that I was not familiar with.

And I said at that time, I am going to be counting on you to be a resource for me as I move into this, you know, as I move forward and and learn.

Um, so I'll be leaning on you all a lot, and I have, and you've been there for me every single time, and I'm not I'm not quite done with you yet.

Um I'm gonna be contacting you soon on a new thing.

And um, you've never let me down, and I hope I hope most of the time I've been there for you as well.

Um, at least so I hope I've done my small part.

You have done a huge part in moving our city forward as um as a leader on environmental issues, and I appreciate every one of you that's here and all of the Sierra Club people who are not here right now.

Um, I love you all.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Well, thank you all for being here.

Um next up, and by the way, to show you how nimble we are, I made the mistake of calling Earth Day proclamations because I skipped the first one because we had moved something around.

So we're gonna uh uh and she and you were ready, and everybody acted like this is we're doing things the way right way, and I had messed up.

So um D1 is uh small business week proclamation, and it's council member Harding who's presenting it.

So whoever is here for that item, if they can join council member Harding at the podium.

Thank you, Chair, and uh I'd like to thank the mayor for the opportunity.

I think he uh he chose me because I have failed at this three times over uh over my career, and that is uh that is part of it, and I appreciate the opportunity to to talk a little bit about small business.

Um we don't often think of of uh what small business does for our country, it employs over half of all the people we normally think about bigger countries or bigger companies.

Um and truthfully, it is more pervasive.

If you think about downtown St.

Pete and we want to go eat after uh after work today, you're not gonna find a chain to go to.

You're not gonna find it.

Well, you'll find two out of 46 restaurants that are that are in downtown St.

Pete.

Um and don't get me wrong, they have a role, but the but the heart and soul of a community is normally it's small business, and um and I will tell you, and this is the important part that when we think about when we think about danger and we think about risk when it comes to you doing a job.

You first think of your police force, your fire, your fire department who are going to come rescue you in times of needs.

You think about the warfighters who are over in the Middle East protecting the country.

You think about the guys that uh suspended themselves from the trap to try and uh put that that giant roof back on.

Uh and there are lots of dangerous jobs, but there, but the the risk part, when we think about risk, probably one of the riskiest things that you could do for a living um in this country is open a small business.

And I'll tell you how you get there.

You uh you cash in your 401k, you borrow money from your parents, you take all the savings that you have, you ask your best friends in the world to invest in an idea, and uh and what you get for that is the opportunity to take all the money that's left over at the end of the day, which I can tell you from experience for me and my last venture was 14 months.

And so you spend your time going out and selling the new product that you've invented, and at the end of the day, you don't get to go home and have dinner yet because you have to go back to work and make that product that you just sold that's going to go out tomorrow.

And so I uh I greatly appreciate the the opportunity that the mayor gave me, and I am proud to read the proclamation from the city.

Whereas the president of the United States has proclaimed National Small Business Week every year since 1963 to highlight the programs and services available to entrepreneurs throughout the U.S.

Small Business Administration and other government agencies, and whereas National Small Business Week officially recognizes business owners for their invaluable contributions and unwavering dedication and commitment to economic vitality, and whereas National Small Business Week officially recognizes business owners for their invaluable contributions and unwavering dedication and commitment to economic vitality, and whereas from the neighborhood storefronts that anchor our communities to the innovative startups driving our future, small businesses are the foundation of St.

Petersburg's economy, strengthening our local identity and weaving meaningful meaningful connections throughout our city.

And whereas the city of St.

Petersburg is proud to recognize small business and our valued collaborative partners who contribute to their development and growth by providing support and services.

And we're and whereas when we support small business, jobs are created and local communities preserve their unique culture.

Now, therefore, I, Mike Harding, Councilmember District 3, on behalf of Kenneth T.

Welch, mayor of St.

Petersburg, Florida, do hereby proclaim May 3rd to May 9th, 2026 as National Small Business Week.

Good afternoon.

Afternoon.

Thank you so much.

Good afternoon.

Chair Hanowitz, Council members, and esteemed honored businesses and entrepreneurs.

I'm going to look this up just a little bit more.

My name is Tracy Smith.

I'm the manager and small business liaison at the Greenhouse.

And I'm joined today by our city development administrator, James Corbett, manager of economic development, Andrea Falvey, our amazing team at the Greenhouse Navigators, Economic and Workforce Development Team members, as well as our outstanding colleagues from the St.

Pete Chamber, as well as our amazing small businesses who joined us today with their unwavering support.

Thank you so much for being here and showing up.

I'd also like to thank you, Councilmember Harding, for stepping in as an entrepreneur yourself who supports other entrepreneurs.

We see you doing that.

So thank you.

Additionally, our team extends our appreciation to the entrepreneurial support organizations.

We have several of them joining us here today.

Thank you so much for your unwavering dedication to the greenhouse and to our entrepreneurs.

You are there every single week, and we appreciate you for that.

Thank you to help our businesses start, grow, and thrive in our local community here at the greenhouse and beyond.

So National Small Business Week provides us with a moment for us to pause and recognize that small businesses that power our St.

Petersburg economy.

Those who share their talent, their creativity and expertise and service to all of us each and every day, as Councilmember Harding mentioned.

They are our artists, our retailers, our restaurateurs, our tech entrepreneurs, from startups to just beginning their journey to our legacy businesses, council member Driscoll, rooted in history of our city.

Our small businesses represent resilience, innovation, and staying power through every challenge from economic shifts to hurricane seasons and beyond.

And so we invite you to join the greenhouse for a week-long celebration of St.

Pete's small businesses during the week of May 4th, featuring a citywide business walk across all eight city council districts.

And that's going to be on Tuesday, May 5th, Cinco de Mayo.

So council members were inviting you to join us.

So more details to follow on that.

That's going to be on Wednesday, May 6th, and more information to follow on that as well.

There'll be curated business capacity business workshops during the week of uh National Small Business Week.

And then we'll close out that celebration of National Small Business Week on Friday, May 8th, with the Green House Open House and Food Truck Friday in partnership with one of our partner Saturday shops.

And so we thank you all for supporting small businesses today and every day.

And we look forward to your continued support of St.

Pete's Small Businesses.

And so we look forward to seeing you next month.

And again, I want to thank all of you for joining us.

And we know it's an interruption in your day, but thank you so much for coming out.

Thank you.

Councilmember Givens.

Thank you.

And thanks to each of you for taking time out of your day to be here.

We know that it could be an interruption to your own businesses, so we appreciate that.

There's a lot of hidden pressures that a lot of people don't see when it comes to running your own business.

And so I appreciate you all and special shout out to the Greenhouse, Miss Tracy.

There are numerous people who I have sent your way that you have literally held their hand through the process.

And I appreciate you when I see you and your navigators, the work that you all are doing.

It's tangible, it's personal, it's agile, and it's tailored specifically to the individual business's needs.

Whether it's a lemonade stand or food truck or brick and mortar, uh, everybody is somebody.

And so I appreciate the chamber and the greenhouse for always being there, our economic development department for your support as well.

Um, and I just want to thank you all for always celebrating diversity.

Um, I'm looking at diversity right now, and and I'm thinking I'm thankful that we live in a city that still prides itself and celebrates that diversity.

So thank you so much for what you do.

We see you and we appreciate you.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you.

Thank you all for being here and for everything you do for our city.

You know, the city of St.

Pete has a fantastic small business community that really supports each other, and I really want to commend our city team that's always there.

And like Council Member Harding, it was mentioned by you, Tracy.

You know, he he's a small business owner who supports all other businesses, and we we see a lot of that in their city, and it doesn't go unnoticed.

So if you need any resources or you're thinking about starting your business, that's the lady to see right there, Tracy at the Greenhouse.

So thank you all for being here.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, next up, we have D3, and this is going to be presented by Councilmember Fig Sanders.

It's the Black Maternal Health Week proclamation.

And for those who are here for that proclamation, if you can please join her at the podium.

While we are here during our awards and in presentation, um, I think that this is more of an acknowledgement of an acknowledgement of some of the issues that we as moms, as African American mothers have had to experience, and that we now have a voice.

I think this is the 10th year of the movement, is that we now have a voice because we're being recognized for some of the things that we've had to go through.

You would think that the theme this year is rooted in justice and joy.

And the birth of a child is supposed to be joyous.

We're supposed to celebrate that new life.

But unfortunately, this particular acknowledgement is for the Black Maternal Health Week, where so many of our moms lose their lives or the lives of their children, wanting to share the birth of life.

So I am so honored to read this proclamation, and who we have with us today is Miss Kaisha Robinson from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the social action chair who will also bring a few words, as well as Dr.

Marshar Foss for the program manager for the Florida Black Maternal Health Initiative.

And the proclamation reads, whereas annually during Minority Health Month, April 11th through 17th, it's recognized national nationwide as Black Maternal Health Week to raise awareness and improve desperate birth outcomes among African American and Black mothers and babies.

And whereas Black Maternal Health Week is a crucial component to advancing Black maternal health in Florida, where in 2024, Black mothers were two times more likely to experience a severe obstetic obstetric event, 3.2 times more likely to experience a maternal death, and nearly 2.6 times more likely to have an infant pass away before their first birthday.

And whereas each maternal death is a tragedy with devastating impacts on their family, community, and society as a whole.

And according to the Florida Maternal Mortality Review Committee, nearly 70% of these deaths were considered preventable.

And whereas Tampa Bay Black Maternal Health Week initiative was created as a mechanism to improve Black maternal health outcomes through education, advocacy, and community support through the development of a week-long health campaign, Black Maternal Health Week of Tampa Bay, comprised of several events and a formal recognition, celebration, and acknowledgement of Black Maternal Health.

Now, therefore, I, Councilmember Deborah Fix Sanders, on behalf of Kenneth T.

Welch, Mayor of the City of St.

Petersburg, do hereby proclaim April 11th through 17th 2026 as Black Maternal Health Week in St.

Petersburg and encourage all women, mothers, parents, and supporters to promote health and justice in their families and communities.

Now we'll ask Ms.

Kaisha Robinson.

To Mayor Welch and all council members, good afternoon.

My name is Kaisha Robinson, and I serve as the advocate for social justice chairperson for Zeta Upsilon Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated.

And I'm grateful to accept this proclamation from the city of St.

Petersburg because it recognizes the importance of Black maternal health.

And as was stated earlier, this is more than just a proclamation.

It's a moment to both celebrate and it's also a call to action.

It shines a light on an issue that deserves our fullest of attentions.

See, we believe that every mother deserves to be heard, respected, and supported by raising awareness and advocating for equitable care and educating our community.

We move closer to a future where healthy outcomes are the norm and not the exception.

It is in that spirit that we welcome the community to join us on Saturday, May 2nd from 10 30 a.m.

to 11 30 a.m.

at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve for a panel discussion on this very important issue.

I want to thank you again to Council Persons, to staff, and to all council members for standing with us in this mission and for recognizing this very important work that reminds us that change is possible when community comes together.

Thank you.

Hi, um, my name is Dr.

Mashar Frost, as she mentioned.

Um, and I just want to thank you all for having us again this year.

Um, I am the program manager for the Florida Black Maternal Health Initiative.

I am joined here by my wonderful team, um, my co-founders, Dr.

Ron A.

Wilson and Dr.

Vicky Dugat, as well as our director of operations, Dr.

Rachel Logan, as well as our steering committee members, Michelle Grimsley Shindano and Alyssa Bedard.

Um, and I just want to say that we co-founded the Florida Black Maternal Health Initiative when we were seeing trends that the racial disparity in um maternal and infant um outcomes were getting worse and not better.

And so we really um are acting intentionally to create and draft evidence-based solutions to um that are community-rooted to try to address these issues in our community.

Um, and so I know that Alyssa has a few words, so um, Alyssa, if you could please come.

Uh good afternoon, Mary Welch, City Council members and residents in St.

of St.

Petersburg, my name is Alyssa Bedard.

I stand before you today as a native of St.

Pete, a mother, a community leader, and most importantly, today, a very seasoned doula committing to improving birth and health outcomes for black birthing people.

Thank you for the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate Black Maternal Health Week, a time that calls for only not only recognition, but also for a sense of reflection, accountability, and very intentional action to be taken.

Black maternal health is an ongoing public health crisis.

It's a human rights issue, and it's a reflection of how deeply inequitable inequitable structures have been woven into our systems all across sectors.

In the United States, black women are still three to four times more likely to die from pregnant pregnancy related causes.

Babies are going home without their mamas, husbands without their wives, and mothers without their daughters.

Black women are dying preventable deaths because they are not being heard and they are not being held.

Here in Florida and across the nation, black birthing people are more likely to experience health complications during the perinatal period, more likely to have their pain dismissed, and more likely to experience trauma related to their actual birthing experience.

And it's important to say clearly, very clearly that these outcomes are not the result of individual choices or behaviors.

They are the direct result of systems barriers of inequitable access, of unequal access to quality care, of lack of representation and trust within the health care system.

They are a direct uh reflection of implicit bias within the health care systems, chronic stress from racisms, gap from racism, gaps in postpartum support, and policies that have historically overlooked, underserved, and intentionally harmed black families and black bodies.

So this week is not only about naming the problem, it's about listening to women and listening to families.

It's about uplifting and honoring solutions, organizations and advocates that have already been doing the work, ones here in our community that already exist, people in this city and beyond, black black-led organizations, doulas, midwives, clinicians, advocates who are doing the work every single day to provide culturally congruent care, building trust, educating families, and helping create safe spaces where black birthing people feel seen, heard, um, feel safe, and most importantly, feel held during their experience, held during one of the most important and memorable seasons of life.

So when we talk about improving birth outcomes, we're talking about listening to these people as part of the solution.

We're talking about expanding access to community-based organizations and care.

We're talking about listening to voices, not just during this week, but in the decisions that shape our policies here locally and the decisions that shape our funding, our health care systems year-round.

We are wanting to ensure that every person, regardless of their zip code, their educational background, where they come from, that they can experience a healthy pregnancy birth and post-purden period with dignity, with safety, and with joy.

Because as we care for them, we're caring for ourselves and for our city generationally.

So proclaiming Black Maternal Health Week is a meaningful step to ensure this happens.

It signals to our city, to our residents that you see this issue and that you're willing to exclusively name it.

So, on behalf of the Florida Black Maternal Health Initiative, thank you.

Thank you for your commitment to equity.

Thank you for your commitment to listening, and thank you for your commitment to stay rooted in justice and enjoy.

Councilmember Fig Sanders.

Thank you.

I had to come up here so I can push my button.

But I want to again, I want to thank you all for coming and everything that you are doing to bring awareness to them because I was one of those success stories when it comes down to maternal health.

I kept going to the hospital at 29 weeks pregnant, saying I can't breathe.

Yes, you can.

I cannot.

Yes, you can.

I end up delivering a baby 11 weeks early and coding twice.

And so thank God that I was in a place where I had advocates.

Thank God I was in a place where they caught it early.

But that's one of the things that we live with on a regular.

This isn't something that's made up.

This is something that is a reality for so many of our African American mothers and families.

So again, I just want to thank you.

Thank you, Mayor, for providing the honor for me to read this proclamation and hopefully we will continue to read this proclamation.

But as we read the current the proclamation and bring more awareness, those numbers, those numbers would decrease.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you.

Councilmember Givens.

Thank you so much.

And thank you so much, Councilmember Fix Sanders, for bringing this issue forward.

And thank you, ladies, for being present today.

I had a dear cousin, uh, Willette Givens McKinney.

She was a pharmacist who passed away uh after childbirth.

And she experienced many of these issues that you ladies are talking about today.

We lost her very early.

Um, and I think about the lives that you all are saving through your advocacy.

Um, I thank you so much for using your voice and for shining light on uh communities that have been traditionally and systemically overlooked and ignored.

Thank you for shining light on an issue that sometimes only gets about a week's notice, really.

We should be talking about it all the time.

Uh so continue advocating, continue educating.

Um, I serve on the board of the next step pregnancy center, so we welcome you.

We are one of the best kept secrets on the deuces.

Uh so please come and let's partner and let's do more work together so we can keep saving lives.

So thank you all so much.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you.

Well, every year, when um this comes up, I I love hearing, and I will tell you, Lisa, when you speak the journey of being a mother and for those ladies that are there with you, they're so lucky to have you.

Because just hearing you speak here, I know that you give them so much support, and I feel it.

And so I think they're extremely fortunate to have you as an advocate and have you all ladies as advocates on this issue.

And Councilmember Fake Sanders, you've shared that story before, and every time you share it.

Look, you know, I I will tell you, I mean, that is the scariest moment in a woman's life, you know, when you have a baby and you don't know what's happening or something may not be going well, and I feel for the mothers out there, and then when you look at at the data and the information, and you fall in categories that you shouldn't be, that's even so much worse.

So thank you for bringing light to this issue for your continued advocacy and your continued education in our community.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Next up, we have our mayor here, Mayor Welsh, who's gonna be presenting um Nikita Johnson Day proclamation.

So everyone here, Nikita, if you can join the mayor and everyone here that's supporting Nikita, if you can please join him.

Thank you, Mayor.

Which is everybody in the room.

Or if you want to stand by where you are behind him, wherever you feel comfortable.

Anywhere you find space, Rito Brain too.

That's okay.

So, madam chair, I learned a while ago that when Charlie Gurtis, Councilmember Charlie Gurtis, uh gives you advice, it's usually good advice.

And I I had forgotten until today that seven or eight years.

Yeah, yeah, it happens.

You forget that.

No, I know.

Uh he invited me down to the trop to see these go-kart races, and it was great.

They were going so fast around the trop.

Well, that's where I met.

That's right.

Nikita.

And uh, I'm just so honored today to present the last proclamation to our own hometown hero and racing phenom, Nikita Johnson.

Y'all give him a hand.

So, Nikita is joined by his father Obi, members of the team.

I see Kevin and Kim from Green Savory Racing are here as well.

We've got uh now they have permission to get out of school, but from Thurgood Marshall, who uh students who participated in Team Accelerated as part of this the uh Grand Prix are here as well, and they made these wonderful pens.

Great to have y'all here, and I'm really excited about how we integrated STEM into the Grand Prix, and and Nikita was a part of that.

As we all know, the Grand Prix weekend is always an exciting time in our city, it's a community celebration.

Uh, it boosts our economy and it showcases our beautiful downtown waterfront to the entire world.

And uh to have one of our own win and internationally televised race in our own city, and to frankly watch him grow, Obi into a champion and a great young man is truly a blessing.

Now, I do want to say, in interest of keeping the peace uh for Mayor Love and Councilmember Webb and the other Gulfport folks, he actually lives in Gulfport, but he races in St.

Pete.

And so we we've adopted him and uh and uh are proud to give him uh this proclamation.

And the proclamation reads Whereas Nikita Andreas Johnson, born in St.

Petersburg, Florida, has emerged as a premier talent in international open-wheel racing, demonstrating exceptional skill and precision since the beginning of his erasing career at the age of 11.

And whereas Nikita has established himself as a history maker by becoming the only driver to win races at all three levels of the USF Pro Championships, USF Juniors, USF 2000, and USF Pro 2000, all while holding the record as the youngest winner in each of these categories.

And whereas Nikita's 2024 season included finishing as a USF Pro 2000 vice champion with eight victories and making an historic European debut as the youngest race winner in the British GB3 championship.

And whereas in the 2026 racing season, Nikita took the Indy next by Firestone series by storm, securing a victory in his hometown, opening the Grand Prix of St.

Petersburg, taking the lead and holding it for all 42 laps.

And whereas following the win in St.

Petersburg, Nikita secured a dramatic win at Barbara Motorsports Park in Alabama.

A feat that put Nikita into the history books again, making him tied for the most wins in Indy Next by the age of 18.

And he's got a birthday coming up, so maybe we can sing him.

It's in May, so maybe we sing birthday today, Councilmember.

And it's propelled him to the lead of the championship standings.

And whereas we recognize and commend Nikita Johnson for his unparalleled racing achievements, his dedication to the sport, and his role as a distinguished representative of St.

Petersburg.

The city of St.

Petersburg takes great pride in celebrating our trailblazing hometown hero, Nikita Andreas Johnson.

Now, therefore, I Kenneth T.

Welch, mayor of the city of St.

Petersburg, do hereby proclaim Thursday, April 9th, 2026, as Nikita Andreas Johnson Day in St.

Petersburg, and urge all residents to join me in celebrating Nikita's contributions to our community and the racing world.

Way to go, young I'd like to thank uh all my friends and family for coming out.

Um Mary Welch for having me here and the whole council for everything, and then Kim and Kevin for always doing you know a great race weekend here in St.

Pete every single year.

Um I feel like every time I've been racing, it's been getting better every year.

So thank thank you to the mayor and everybody from the council and Kim and Kevin for it.

I mean, I think it's the best race on the calendar.

It's uh you know, our Monte Carlo of the IndyCar circuit.

So it's uh pretty amazing to race it and uh be the hometown hero.

But I can't do this without my parents and uh you know all my family friends for always helping me out on the race weekends, it's very hectic.

Uh you know, we have probably I guess 30 interviews that weekend, maybe more, so it's extremely uh extremely hard and to have all the support is amazing, also to have the support from the community.

Uh it's very cool to be able to go downtown and have fans come up to me, so I love that.

And then I also want to thank all the kids for coming out during the race weekend.

That was pretty cool to go talk about the race cars and you know, try to get the younger generation involved in motorsports because it's uh it's uh completely different sport.

But uh just want to thank everybody for having me here, and it's uh pretty amazing.

Thank you.

Councilmember Harding, thank you, Jared.

Nikita, congratulations.

You uh you have impressed me.

Uh not today, uh I'm sorry, not in your racing so much as today.

Um you're a young man, and this part where where an entire city names uh a day after you is gonna happen a lot more in your career.

But when you got up, the only thing you talked about is all the people that you're grateful for.

That's the important part.

At some point in time, somebody, genetics or god or mother nature or whatever, gave you this incredible talent, but standing next to you is the reason that it was developed, right?

And you recognize that.

It was the blood and sweat and tears and money, lots of money, that uh that your family was willing to invest in you to get you there.

And then it was the people like the the kids standing behind you that that created the fandom.

I am very impressed with how you recognize that.

Stay humble, stay kind, and don't forget that that that the important part is is right here all the way around you.

Congratulations.

We're going to hopefully see you.

Well, if uh if we're not too small of a city, um we're going to see you again.

You're gonna be racing in bigger places, and I speak for all of us when I tell you that that we look forward to watching your career.

Congrats.

Thank you, Chair.

Councilmember Gurtis.

Thank you very much, Chair.

Uh Councilmember Harding, I I couldn't have said it much better.

Um I think what you're seeing here is the microcosm of what makes Nikita so great.

Uh, first of all, that's probably the first time he's ever blushed, is when we all got up and gave him a round of applause.

I don't think that happens very often in his world, but what you're seeing are family and friends and colleagues and students.

And that's what what makes Nikita special.

Having known him for a good portion of his life.

And uh having been blessed with a life of being around a lot of athletes.

That says something.

And I just want to thank his parents for their time and their love and their investment, and all of you here supporting them today.

It has been so much fun.

And I just want to tell one other story.

So I'm at the race on Sunday.

I've got my kids there, my wife, my kids and my wife, but you'll understand why I just said my kids in a second.

Nikita wins.

Shelly rushes us down the stairwell.

That's where I lost Councilmember Gabbard and my wife.

And I've got both of my kids uh by their hands, and thinking that I've got escorts getting me to uh the winner's circle, and I show up, and I'm about 30th in line to all of these people.

And that tells you the entire story is that everybody else was just as excited to get there, and then Nikita walks up, and it's like just another Tuesday.

It was incredible.

And so to have that experience with my kids and to get to watch that Nikita and Nikita's got now, my kids right as he's about to go up and get doused with champagne, and it was just awesome.

And let me tell you, man, I again, Councilmember Harding.

We're gonna be able to watch this for a long time.

And we're really excited to do it.

And I keep I hope we keep celebrating it with you.

And just thank you so much for being the example of what I hope my kids are like when they're in front of a group like this.

Thank you very much, man.

Congratulations.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you.

Councilmember Givens.

Thank you.

Uh, you know, congratulations again, Nikita.

When I think about birthday presents, I don't think you can get any better than this, right?

You got a day now in your honor.

Uh and so to your parents, I just want to say congratulations.

I had the honor of meeting your lovely mom, Alicia downstairs.

And and I know what it's like to have great supportive family members.

So I just want you to know that wherever you go, you always have this great support system behind you in your family and all these people standing behind you and in us as well.

So wherever you go, know that we are the wind beneath your wings.

We're supporting you as you fly because the sky is the limit.

And I'm looking at all those young people standing behind you, go through good marshal.

And I'm just thinking, in addition to Councilmember Gerdis kids, you have so many young people that are looking up to you.

So keep setting the tone, keep being a great example to all of these other young people that are gonna come behind you.

You are a role model.

If you don't know it yet, you're a hero to a lot of kids.

So keep shining, you're a superstar.

Congratulations.

Thank you, Chair.

Nikita, Nikita, I just want to say real quick.

I I mean, first of all, my colleagues and the mayor have said everything that needs to be said.

You make our city proud.

The one thing I want to add is you get the wins, but you've earned this respect that you get here.

And it's very clear from the people behind you and from the dais and from the mayor.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

We're gonna move on.

Give them a minute so they can make their way out of chambers.

And the next item we have is a presentation, and it is by St.

Petersburg Aquatics, and Mr.

Kurtz.

Paul Kurtz is here.

So we'll give him a moment.

All the things I love to make your way out.

All the swimmers from there that used to keep my ass.

And then if they can just also move downstairs because I know they're gonna want to chat.

Hey, old man see.

Yeah, that's right.

That's that's that's more true.

Hey my Paul, how are you doing?

Hello.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Who knew all you had to do was talk about swimming and clear the room.

Easy.

So uh my name is Paul Kurtz.

I live at uh 910 31st Terrace Northeast, 33704.

Um I'm on the board of St.

Petersburg Aquatics, and we're pleased to be here today.

Want to thank the council for the invitation to be here and share the story of our great partnership over many years.

I I say 46 plus, well, we weren't so great at keeping records so long ago, but it's at least 46, I can tell you that.

I'd like to start with a little history and maybe some background on the club just to help you understand a little bit about our culture.

The nonprofit was established back in 1980.

The records go back a little bit further, but 80 for sure is is when we started.

Um has been to provide affordable competitive swimming programs and a safe, healthy, and positive environment.

Their third bullet I really want to highlight too, because that's kind of our key.

We're volunteer-powered.

Um all families are asked to participate in the swim meet, which is the big the big events for us.

Swim meets can be pretty chaotic.

A lot of kids running around on the pool deck if you haven't seen one.

And if you're running two sides of the pool, you might need 50 plus volunteers to run a swim meet.

That's a lot.

And the parents have been a big part of that and supported that for many years.

And that's been our culture, and that's kind of been our secret.

We've got we demand parent involvement and we get it.

Bred Lewis is our head coach.

He was hired back in 1988.

He can't be here today.

He's obviously on the pool deck coaching.

He's been with us for 38 plus years.

He's missed two practices in 38 years.

The first was when his mother passed, and the second was when his father passed.

That also includes a couple of surgeries that he had in the morning, hobbled onto the pool deck and coached.

And he likes to joke that if he's not on the pool deck, he's on the slab.

So he's a very committed coach.

In 1987, the club was $7,000 in debt.

We asked the city for a loan.

The city politely declined.

So we leaned on some of our parents.

Dr.

Jack Pyle gave us a loan for $7,000.

It helped that his wife was president of the board, Gale at the time.

One year later, we paid back the loan in full and have been in the black ever since.

Now first obviously started at North Shore, which is the our flagship program.

About 10 years ago, we added a program at Walter Fuller, and that's been really successful too, and we're really excited to have that program.

About three years ago, I think the city put in heaters and chillers at McClinn.

And we were able to add that as a year-round program too to capture that segment of the city, too.

So we've got three kind of nice places around the city that host our year-round competitive swim programs.

In the summertime, the city opens up the neighborhood pools and we're able to expand that to the summer swim program.

Fossil, Lake Vista, Northwest, Shore Acres.

The year-round program right now we're at about 400 between all three sites.

It goes to about 650 in the summer, depending on the year, depending on the number of swimmers.

We estimate that since 1980, we've served over a 50,000 young people in the in the community.

So I think that's a pretty big number for uh for a small club.

Let's talk about some of the partnership benefits.

First is affordability.

Um swimming is probably one of the most affordable sports that your kids can participate in.

We like to boast, or coach likes to boast rather, that he hasn't raised his coaching fee since he started in 1988.

It's the same price.

We're the cheapest in town, we're the cheapest in the region, and we're the cheapest of all sports.

So we make it very accessible.

And if you're not able to afford it, we'll help you.

We've got some folks on scholarship right now.

That's not going to be a barrier to joining our program.

Not at all.

So that comes to the inclusive inclusivity piece.

We've been around for a while.

We're not going anywhere.

We've been here for 46 years, and we hope to be around a while longer.

We're very happy to have been partners with the city for this long.

It's been a wonderful partnership.

In terms of community impact, a couple years ago when the McLean program started, we saw an opportunity to expand this and to team with Academy Prep.

We've invited them to be part of our team now, and we have a lot of their students who come after school and swim on the swim team now.

And in fact, they've uh the program has kind of grown a little bit too.

We've got three swimmers next year that will be joining high school teams to swim.

So we're really seeing some nice progress there and some good partnership with Academy Prep.

The other thing about swimming that's interesting is very structured.

There's a lot of swimming.

They swim six days a week.

And if you want to swim, some of them seem to swim in the morning some days too.

That's a lot of practices, a lot of structure.

We also highlight academics as well.

You can see up there are scholastic all Americans, which is a combination between good grades and really good times, too.

Good athlete, good scholar.

The Granny Beast Scholastic.

I think we've got a dozen up there this year.

And we like to think that it just builds healthy habits and water safety, which is obviously a very important piece there.

In terms of economic impact, this is something I'm that we're really proud of as well.

About 10 10 years ago, the city hosted some meets.

We hosted some meets, but we saw an opportunity maybe to host some more.

We have a great facility there.

We could do long course, we can do short course, we could do two sides of the pool.

It's a wonderful facility, absolutely fantastic.

So we partnered with the city.

We put in money to buy a scoreboard.

The scoreboard allowed us to bring in some other meats and to really help to grow those meets there.

When we grow that, we grow our grow some of the economic impact that happens downtown.

It became wildly popular, and now we hardly travel to any other meets, but at North Shore Pool.

So it's really nice that we bring everyone here to the community and do that.

Well, things break down.

It's been nine years.

We need a new scoreboard.

So we're so happy with the partnership with the city.

We want to buy another scoreboard and put it into that facility.

We want to give back to the city.

We've just about to spend 120.

It's going to be a little bit more than that once you add in permitting and some of the other things too.

It's probably closer to 130.

Um, it says 120 on the slide.

But we want to give that back to the facility.

We've had such a great relationship with the city.

It's been such a wonderful partnership.

We believe in the city, and we want to continue that as well.

So we're actually giving back to the city on this as well.

Right now it's in the permitting process.

We're depending on how long that takes, subject for another conversation.

We anticipate maybe 45 days on that.

So we're pretty excited about that to have that in, probably at the end of May.

As I mentioned, the weekend meets are pretty lucrative.

A lot of folks coming in from out of town, Tampa, Sarasota, as far away as even um Polk County.

And that generates business for local for local uh excuse me, that generates income for local businesses, restaurants, and hotels.

The third bullet really speaks to kind of why they come too.

Well, we you need more than a scoreboard to run a swim meet.

There's timing equipment, there's all the technology involved, the starting blocks, all these things.

Well, we're purchasing that too, and allowing everyone else to use those as part of their meets.

So, for instance, last couple weeks, there've been a big meet in town called the ISCA meet.

We had swimmers that participated in that, but that was wildly successful.

They think they had what, 1,500 kids in one meet.

Vanoy was sold out for two weeks in a row.

Nobody could even think about getting a room there.

That's a good problem to have.

So this is kind of some of the economic activity that comes with the part of having having swim meets.

Uh now the fun part achievements.

Over the years, we've had many, many athletes that have gone on to swim at colleges, get different types of scholarships.

Here's a few, a few of those this year that have that will be graduating.

Our athletes can continuously are represented at state, national, and even international events all over the all over the world, Olympic swim trials and the Olympic Games.

Um I believe we've had 23 athletes represented at trials over the years.

And it doesn't sound like many, but it's very, very difficult to even qualify for the Olympic trials.

You have to set a very high standard.

Only two swimmers from the trials qualify to go to the Olympics.

So if you're the third best swimmer in the world, you might not go to the Olympics because you're third at trials.

That's happened before to us.

In terms of our very high achievers, Brad Snyder, who's pictured on the left there in the white shirt.

He's one of our Olympians, one of our Paralympians.

He's pictured next to Bobby Think there, who's other one of our other Olympians, along with Nicole Hasslett, Melanie Margalis.

13 gold and three silver between them.

That's pretty cool.

16 medals from St.

Petersburg.

Sorry, Mike.

That's pretty cool.

Hey.

I've been with the club for I've been on the board for 10 years.

I've been with the club for 14 years.

I didn't know we had 16 medals.

I thought maybe we have five or 10.

I didn't know we had 16.

That's pretty cool.

So we're small, we're but we're mighty.

And we don't toot our own horn a lot.

I think the our program kind of is a little quieter, and we go about our business and produce great athletes and produce great scholars and produce great members for the community.

The last bullet is something that we're very proud of.

There's probably 3,000 swim clubs in America.

And St.

Petersburg, ranked by USA swimming, is number 21 out of 3,000.

So we're in the top, we're within the top 1%, top.006% of clubs in the nation.

That's pretty that's pretty amazing, too.

So again, thank you very much for the opportunity to be here.

We're small, but we're mighty.

Everybody loves a picture with the Olympians.

They're St.

Pete finest there.

And the lower left-hand corner is one of the Olympians with one of our other little devils, and he got a little tattoo there to look like Caleb Dressel and a couple of our other swimmers at McClinn.

But we're just very pleased and very grateful to have had this wonderful partnership with the city for so many years, and we really look forward to uh continuing that partnership for many more.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And and I just want to say before I turn it over to Councilmember Gerdas.

I brought this item forward because number one, I spoke to Paul.

He starts telling me all this information, and I'm like, and why isn't this in front of City Council?

Because it is loaded, this presentation is loaded with so many things that are happening in our back backyard that people don't know about.

Um, and the work that St.

Petersburg Aquatic does, and the fact that children could get lessons at the price point that you all offer is just truly it's it's fantastic.

So thank you for your work.

I'll turn it over to Councilmember Gurtis.

Thank you very much, madam chair.

Paul, thanks so much for the presentation.

Um I'm one of your 300 collegiate swimmers, and so I'm just I say it all the time.

They hear me talk about this all the time.

I would not be sitting where I sit if it weren't for partnerships like Spa, partnerships like Northwest Baseball.

Uh I mean Fred scared the crap out of me when I was a kid.

He probably still I haven't seen him in a while, but he probably still scares the crap out of me.

He's still good at it.

Yeah, yeah.

I mean, um I just I can't say enough about it.

And I'm I'm very glad that uh when I was going through this presentation when I was first reading it earlier this week.

I'm like, are they gonna talk about all this like stuff they've won?

And I finally got to it, you were burying the lead.

And it's just incredible.

Let me tell you, just real quickly, I swam against Brad Snyder for most of my life.

He was the same age as I was he's fast.

Like he can't he lost his sight later in life and serving our country.

He'd whoop me today.

It's incredible.

I mean, I went to North, he went to Northeast, and we both swam similar events, and I asked my coach to switch the events for that meet because I didn't want to get my butt kicked by Snyder.

I mean, that's the kind that's the type of athlete that frankly Spa has been turning out for 46 years.

I mean, when I grew as I was growing up and swimming against, and I got so many, I still have so many friends from from swimming across the system from the different locations because that's what you did in the summer.

You would Northwest would go swim fossil park and fossil park would go swim like the Vista and it was awesome because you got you you traveled, which was cool as a little kid.

You didn't get to do that very often, even though it wasn't very far.

And just the the programming, getting to meet that just the the entire community.

I have so many friends.

I just saw Brad Schaefer who swam for Northeast on the street yesterday.

He swam for Spa for Fred.

Um just I feel bad I didn't bring this first of all.

But I I hope I'm doing an okay job.

Just this has had such an imprint on me and my family.

My dad grew up, my dad, both my mom and my dad grew up swimming.

Um the brother right under me, we both swam through high school.

I was lucky enough to swim swim and play baseball in college at a D2 school, and it has such an imprint.

That time has such an imprint on my family, it's such a big deal.

And I hope you hear it from other people.

If not, you're hearing it from me.

I am so thankful for everything that Spa does and the partnership with the city and the partnership with the staff at the pool, because you guys have to intertwine.

And uh, and I'm really really thankful for the parents.

And I'm glad you brought up the fact of the volunteering about the parents, because um, so back when they didn't have touch pads, all the parents had to time.

It was hand timed and they write the cards, and a parent would then take the card and they'd go turn in the card.

You had to wait to figure out who won.

It wasn't automatic.

And you know, that has that had that has all changed, but the volume the volunteerism portion of it has not.

And uh I can't tell you how many hours I've slept behind the bleachers at North Shore Pool uh in between meets, but um I'm just so thankful for the whole thing, and just please know if there's we we want to see you here every year celebrating this, and if there's anything I can do, we can do you have a lot of fans up here.

I I I can tell that without even knowing because I watched eyeballs up on this screen.

So just thank you so much.

And I know that was a bunch of different stories, but I this is awesome.

And just know I'm I'm thankful from a council member, a a husband, a father, a brother, and a son that got to grow up doing this.

Thank you very much.

Thanks, madam chair.

Thank you.

Councilmember Driscoll.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for coming today and and giving us this update and helping us to learn just all that the organization does.

It's incredible.

Um we have we have spoken um over the years about uh it seems every year we have a renewed commitment to doing what we can to make sure that every child in St.

Petersburg knows how to swim.

You are helping to meet that goal, and that means the world to me.

So thank you.

Um seeing that you have scholarships available, you have discounted programs available.

Um I know you do a lot of work with our parks and recreation department, and um that relationship is is key.

And it goes both ways.

You're helping us, we're helping you, right?

And there are um lives that are being saved because of that.

There's passion being born as well.

Um it's just fantastic.

In the presentation, it says you currently have three swimmers who are um participating on scholarship.

Correct.

How do we turn that into 30?

How do we make sure more people know about this?

That you know, we have is it awareness or is it capacity?

Probably uh the former uh capacity's there.

I mean, right now the city just put in heating and chilling heaters and chillers at Shore Acres.

Maybe that park wants to be a year-round park too.

So there's there is more capacity available.

Um sometimes transportation might be a barrier.

So we saw an opportunity with Academy Prep.

They provide the transportation and we provide the services too.

So that was a nice partnership there.

So those little pieces are ones that we're we're we're very proud of and that they're happening, and we hope maybe that will expand.

Yeah, and the way that you look at those pieces and say, all right, if we can get this, and then you find the partner to help make it happen.

I hope that the city continues to be um one of those partners for you, and that you that we can help with the resources that you need to help us continue to meet that goal.

Um for the children of our community.

Right.

So thank you.

I just um finally I I wanted to say also on May 2nd, I think it is.

We have our water safety day at Walter Fuller pool.

Is that something that you all participate in as well?

That's a city initiative right there.

However, I know y'all can come.

We're at the pool every day.

However, the scoreboard serves a dual purpose.

That's a message board for the city.

So for the last nine years, anytime they wanted lifeguards, anytime there's a some type of special event, bang, right there.

Right.

We get a lot of eyes on that too.

So we may have paid for the board, but it's a community asset.

Let's get the messages out there.

Let's get public safety messages out there.

We need lifeguards.

Every pool needs lifeguards.

Great.

Let's show it up there.

It's a lot of eyes on it.

So yeah.

Well, thank you for maintaining such a strong partnership and sharing the values and goals with us on this.

Yeah.

Um, and I know that um the folks at our at our pools, our staff, they um appreciate it too.

So yeah, it's been a great partnership.

There's a lot of different levels, a lot of different staff, and like I said, it's been a great partnership.

We're very pleased and hope it continues for many more years to come.

Me too.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you.

Well, thank you, Paul.

And is there anyone else that you may want to introduce that's here?

I see some people that I think are with you.

We have we have with us uh we have some parents, we have some other board members, we have some master swimmers, we have some coaches here, so we have a whole host of people here to Paul.

Then I want to also thank them.

Thank them for their support and for staying here throughout the whole meeting uh with us.

Um, we really appreciate everything you do for the organization and for our children.

And Paul, thank you for being such a wonderful advocate for for the organization and obviously for the children in our city.

Um, and I again please keep those lines of communication open and keep us posted as to what's going on and how we can help.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Okay.

Next up we have F2, which is a St.

Petersburg Arts Alliance update.

And we are lucky to have Helen French, the executive director for Arts Alliance.

Um, for those in that be aware, every year we get a nice little update, and we always look forward to it.

And I also will point out Tracy Connard is here also.

So thank you for being here.

Thank you, Chair Hanwitz, for having me.

Thank you, council members, for your service to our city.

It is a joy to come before you today.

Um, some of you might know that I am also a dancer and an arts educator, so I understand very deeply and personally what community support for arts feels like in my my lived life.

So stepping into this role as executive director last August um came with some big shoes to fill, and I am grateful for the trust that the city um that Tracy and Celeste have put into me to lead this organization.

Um before I dive in, I wanted just to share a few national data points that I think will help contextualize the work that we do here in the city of the arts.

Um nearly 80 Americans attended an in-person arts and culture experience event last year.

Nationally, the arts and culture represent a 1.2 trillion dollar industry, and that's a larger share of the GDP than transportation, agriculture, or utilities.

So here in St.

Petersburg, arts attendees spend an average of 48 dollars per person beyond the price of the event that they are going to.

And that money goes to meals, parking, food, hotels, and other adjacent experiences.

And I think that's an important thing for us to remember that when people go out and experience art, they're experiencing our city as well in a deep way, and they're paying for it.

I'm a family of four, and I guarantee you I spend more than 48 dollars when I go out.

So 30% of arts attendees come from outside the county, and of those 70s came specifically for that arts event.

When hundreds of people come out for Shine or walk into a gallery on Second Saturday Art Walk, that art activity flows into our local economy, and I think we can all feel that happening.

For every dollar that the city invests in the St.

Petersburg Arts Alliance, I'm proud to say that we generate 10 times that through sponsorships, grants, and community partnerships.

And I I like to just say community partnerships are incredibly important.

Um I would like to just kind of also point out that the St.

Petersburg Arts Alliance is a connective tissue.

We have these very public-facing programs, but so much of what we do is help connect artists, organizations, businesses, and resources.

I joked when I took this job that I feel like the help desk for the arts.

My email gets wild.

Um, but I think it's important to know that there's so much interest and so much care for what's happening here in the arts community.

People are curious, and I'm happy to help.

So please send them my way if there's anything that comes up that you feel like Helen can help you.

I guarantee you my office and I will work very hard to answer questions and make connections.

So Psychic Saturday Art Walk averages 51 participating galleries each month.

Free Museum Day brought an estimated 10,000 people through the nine participating museums.

But I would like to point out that our city currently has 13 museums.

And since 1965, when the MFA opened, we have grown to have 12 more museums.

That's quite an amazing growth in that what 60 years to think that we are really a city that has that many museums.

Performing Arts Month featured over 45 events.

And in 2025, we distributed approximately 5,000 of our arts guides.

I've printed more for 2026, and I brought some for you that we can distribute, and they will be given out through the city.

Our grants program, we've been able to invest over 126,000 towards local artists and creative projects since the program began.

And this past year in 2025, 50,000 supported 12 artists across all six disciplines.

We had eight established artists and four emerging artists participate.

And I think it's important to note that emerging artists need our support.

They are the next generation of what's coming up here.

And I say emerging, but I don't want you to think young either.

You can have you can be an artist as a second-time career.

Um, and because you're always usually an artist at heart.

I think that Copley, the passion with which you expressed about swimming.

Every artist I know understands what you were expressing, right?

Because we express ourselves through art.

So Muse Awards last year, we had 206 attendees come to celebrate our seven award winners.

This year I've shifted Muse to fall into the fall of 2026.

I felt it was important to respond to some other needs in the community and shift that moment until later in the fall.

Performing arts is broad and diverse.

We have spoken word artists, and then we have theatrical artists, we have dancers, and we have musicians.

And so there are some unique needs that different um I guess genres inside performing arts and each of them need, and each of them.

So what we work towards is trying to address what those needs are.

I need to identify them first.

So that is a huge way that we collaborate, and it's also a little bit unseen.

Um, but this group has decided to work towards building an all-inclusive accessible performing arts festival in 2027, which is a huge thing for us to bite off, but I think a very important thing for us to consider as a city and as an arts alliance.

How are we making arts accessible and inclusive at every level all the time here in our city?

So those are big things for us to accomplish, and I look forward to updating you guys on that particular initiative as it moves forward.

I did update you at the committee of the whole about um our Shy Mural Festival, and I'm going to try to go the wrong way.

Just one of the thank you.

I appreciate your help with that.

Perfect.

So as you all know, Shine made an intentional shift to be all local this past year.

We had um 16 local St.

Petersburg artists, 19 new murals across the city, and this was a deliberate um turn to celebrate the talent that lives here in St.

Pete.

It is estimated that attendance was at about 12,000 attendees.

We had over 176,000 viewers reached through social media platforms, 18 media features, including two television segments.

And I will say I've done about four interviews around Shine for national magazines, including Allegiant, which put it in there.

If you fly Allegiant this month, you'll see us in there, you'll see our city.

And I'm it's always an honor when I get to talk about the city of the arts and the Sunshine City.

So just know that our city and our city's walls are out there.

They're being advertised across the world.

We are looking at dates in late October or early November.

I personally would love to move us out of hurricane season as much as we can.

Um, but there's so much happening in our city.

I'm also balancing those dates with what else is going on.

Um it is our intention to include local, national, and international talent.

The Sunshine City is an amazing host for visitors, and so it is lovely when we can bring people into our city and show them all the beauty that we have to offer while they participate by sharing their artistic talents on our walls.

You all already have the Shine 10th anniversary book, but it is still selling well, and I'm love when developers or business owners tell me that they've shared it with people because it shows off the story of our city, and it really does tell a story of our people and our growth.

So that's just something that I want us to sell out soon, but I'm delighted that they're getting out into the hands of our community and beyond.

So arts education is an important component of what St.

Petersburg Arts Alliance does.

And it's a very personal one for me.

I would not be standing here today in front of you without the training I received here in St.

Petersburg, as well as in the Pinellas County public school system.

There is a program we have called Arts for Complete Education.

This ACE committee is made up of educators, artists, business leaders, and organizations that work together to advocate for arts education as a fundamental component in every child's education.

It completes their education.

The work of ACE directly impacts 93,000 school children on an annual basis here in Pinellas County.

And just last week we held the Ace Principals Appreciation Breakfast.

And you guys might think, like, breakfast, okay, what is this about?

But it is one of the best days when school children from different arts programs come and either sing, they share what's happening, their artwork is shown on the walls.

Some of you might have attended.

It is one of those feel-good days that just starts your day off right.

Like we just heard the Sunshine City Chorus, and all of us in this room, I think felt how we changed when we participated in art.

So imagine a room full of principals being celebrated by the arts in our community.

And this way of celebrating them is just to say thank you for keeping arts in between your walls every single year.

Funding Futures is another program that we have that supports young creatives ages 10 to 17, and it helps them access summer arts experiences.

We've given out over 45,000 in scholarships since 2017.

And applications are open now through the end of April.

So if you know a young creative or artist in your district or an arts organization that would like some help, we can.

We do have funds to help make things come together.

So it is a needs-based situation, so we really want to make sure that we are getting the funds where it's needed most.

And you can always reach out to me if you have questions about that program.

So what's ahead?

There's a lot happening in our community, and one of the collaborations that I am proud to be part of is involved with Visit St.

Pete Clearwater, Creative Pinellas, and the Clearwater Arts Alliance.

There is a art cultural tourism grant program that launched on Monday.

This program was unanimously approved by the Pinellas County Board of Commissioners last month.

And it's an opportunity for St.

Petersburg's arts and arts organizations to present something that would be an artistic experience in the fall.

This is a pilot year of this program, so stay tuned for ways that we can improve it into next year and the successes that we have from this year.

As you all know, April is National Poetry Month, and I am delighted to partner with the Office of Arts, Cultural and Tourism as well as the city's Poet Laureate Denzel for a one-month poetry events all across the city.

I don't know if you have received a lineup.

Have they received a lineup?

Perfect.

Um, but there are, I believe, over 20 events happening this month that focus on poetry.

There's something for everyone, I guarantee you.

Um, so I hope you will take time to go out and experience that.

And then second Saturday art walk is this Saturday.

So if you have an extra 48 dollars, you could go out.

You could you could go out for free and then spend that 48 dollars in our community, please.

But um, the galleries will be open from five to nine, and I hope that you will go out and see something.

This is a really exciting time in our community right now.

This the season we're in with everything that's happening, and the arts community is coming out in just gangbusters with what's happening.

So in closing, at the committee of the whole earlier this year, I said that St.

Petersburg is a city hugged by art.

We have over 800 murals, 13 museums, more than 50 galleries, and hundreds of performing arts events that happen each year.

We really, really are a city of the arts.

Everything that the St.

Petersburg Arts Alliance does is in service of that.

We are honored to work with you and partner in this work, and I'm grateful for the council's support for the mayor's support and for the support that comes from Celeste and Tracy.

Thank you.

I'm happy to answer any questions you might have.

Thank you.

So I want to say, first of all, since you've come on board, you've been so proactive.

And I know that because you've been reaching out to council members, which I think is fantastic, especially what when Shine was, you know, get getting off the ground and reaching out, like what can we do in a mural in our community?

And just I wanted to see in public really appreciate that.

And you all really worked hard.

I there was one mural here is in my district, though we are St.

Pete, you know, that's at LMCU.

They're in the corner of 22nd and Fourth Street.

And you all made that happen and work collaboratively with reached out to the bank, and they did a great job with the artists and promoting the work.

And it just kind of shows like how a program like that can be expanded and work with like the businesses and the community and make sure that you get this wonderful art in our community and spread it through the city because that was the one thing you said when you're meeting.

It's like we want to make sure it's not just in downtown or the center, but we want to make sure we can go as far out as what we can and hit all the districts.

So I just want to say, first of all, I really appreciate how much effort you have put into that and making sure that you're fulfilling your role and making sure that you're keeping us updated in everything that you're doing at St.

Pete Alliance.

So thank you so much.

Thank you.

Councilmember Driscoll.

Thank you.

Helen, thanks for for coming in today to give this update.

It's fantastic.

Um I've been just overjoyed with your leadership since you joined the organization.

And I can't thank you enough for taking this on.

It's not easy.

Um a couple of things.

Um I I do want to thank you for all of the assistance that you and your board have provided as we have been discussing the establishment of the Artist Sustainability Fund.

Um, thanks to thanks to you and and uh the work of others, including uh Tracy and Celeste.

This is uh moving forward, it's going um through the process now to become official.

And um my hope is that we'll be able to continue to write rely on you as we work on what the actual grant program is going to look like because I believe that you, this St.

Pete Arts Alliance, uh, more than anyone else knows how this funding needs to be um allocated and for what and um what the best use is because this is coming from a place where we really want to have meaningful positive impact on our local artists.

In the meantime, um you were great.

I hope you don't mind me bringing this up, but I I want to I I wanted to help demonstrate what kind of work that you do with the artist because I think I think some people just don't know.

And there's shine, but there's so much more.

If you don't mind, I would love for you to share with everyone how it worked when you were approached by um a local developer with a project that they wanted to do that was a little out of the box.

And what do you know?

They knew to call Helen and can you tell us what happened?

Sure.

I you know, I was approached by a developer and they had a a kind of a wild, as you suggested, project and idea, and um I said they asked me, did I think it was feasible and you know, and just like hey, we we love the arts and we really want to we want to understand this community, and so I I met with them, and their idea was wild, and I said, okay, but here's some things I want you to also consider.

Artists need to get paid for their work, and they need to be up front about what's happening.

And and so this particular what um councilmember Driscoll is referring to is I think we know the pink buildings that are that are downtown, and I think it's important to know that artists get opportunities all the time, and and as an organization, I want to help share what those opportunities could be.

And so this this particular entity came and presented an opportunity, and I thought, you know, artists should know about it, and so I was happy to share what that opportunity was.

And you know, no one can imagine when you get creative people in a room together, what's gonna happen.

Um, and sure, certainly, um, not every piece of art is everyone's cup of tea, right?

I think we can agree on that, but I think that the fact we can have art in our city and the fact that it can manifest itself in many, many different ways is something we should celebrate because what isn't my cup of tea might be your cup of tea, right?

And so that is a component that I think is important, but that kind of connectedness is what I was referring to a little bit earlier.

And I think that is an important component of what my work here is as well.

So thank you for asking about that.

Yeah, and I I want to point out that you're not necessarily representing artists, you're connecting people to them, and you're empowering the artist by saying, No, I'm not gonna tell you how much you should pay them.

That is their business.

They are they are working artists, that is what they do.

You can work out the terms with them.

Absolutely.

And and so you really help to elevate the message that this isn't your organization, is not a collection of artists, it's an artist advocacy organization and a resource for the artist, just like the business program, which is one of my favorite things of all time, because many artists are really great at creating their art, but especially at the beginning, they may not know how to run that as a business, the business side of it.

And you guys just do amazing work in helping to bring both sides of the brain together.

Thank you for saying that.

I have to say, um, council member Harding, when we were talking about small business, I thought those are artists, artists are small businesses, and that is so true.

And we do have an arts business academy, but but it is a skill, as you know, and it involves a lot of risk.

So I appreciate your proclamation today and the connection to artists can speak for themselves and they can negotiate their terms, and I think that they should because they are small businesses as well.

Yeah, I would love for this to be continued.

You know, a few years ago, we were presented with um some great work that was done to create the comprehensive arts strategy, and I know that that's something that wasn't just created and then click on my desk.

I read it at least once a week sitting on my desk.

So I wonder if there is a time, and I can put in a new business item to have a discussion in committee about this.

Um, for you to bring that, show us what's working.

I think it's time to look at it and see what needs to be changed or updated, and we can decide together because the city's got skin in the game on this too.

Yes, you guys were instrumental in helping get that come to life as well.

Yeah, so if it's all right with you, I'd I'd love for you to come back in in that um forum and and um just dive into that a little bit more so that we can help each other um with that real strategy.

I'd be happy to, thank you.

All right, thank you.

Thank you, madam chair.

Thank you.

And the other thing I want to say about Helen is she actually reads some of the stuff we do, like she read all our priorities, which is fantastic.

She, you know, you don't expect everyone to really actually read your budget priorities, but Helen did.

So I have a lot of respect for that.

Thank you, Helen.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Okay, next up, we have new business G1.

Council member Gurtis.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Respectfully requesting a referral to the youth and family services committee for an update on ARPA funded programs, including youth opportunity grant programs.

This is uh this referral is a staff request, and I'm formally submitting this new business item as a method of informing city council, and I'll move approval.

Second, I have a motion second, clerk.

If you can open the machine for voting, council members, please enter your vote, seeing that all present council members have voted.

Clerk, please tally announce the vote.

Madam Chair, the motion to approve agenda item G1 passes unanimously.

Thank you.

Uh, next up is G2, which is mine, and it's related to G3.

I just so first of all, I want to thank council member Gurtis for being collaborative to actually uh discuss moving something to BFNT.

Um we PSI agenda has been super packed, and we had a conversation for the general obligation bond and the airport and one meeting, and then they wanted to add the the marina.

That can't happen.

We it would be too difficult.

And so, in moving everything around and knowing these are important issues, I just want everyone to understand that what we're trying to do is um if this passes April 23rd, we'd have a conversation on the marina and the airport.

The geobond, the conversation on the fiscal side of it is going to be FNT on that same day, so we can have those conversations, which allows us to then on May 14th have the second conversation of Geobond, um, which has to do with the marketing aspect and all that, and the crane conversation.

And it looks like in June 11th, we can have AMI.

So we are trying to pack as much as we can, and um, and we've been able to accommodate some of the administration requests on some of these items uh that have come forward that have been added recently.

So with that being said, uh my the first one is respectfully requesting a referral to PSNI for an update on the progressive design build process for the redevelopment of the municipal maria, including project timeline and phasing this referral is a staff request.

I'm formally submitting this new business item as a method of informing city council.

Move approval.

Second have a motion and a second clerk.

If you can open machine for voting, council members, please enter your votes.

Seeing that all present council members have voted, clerk, please tally announce the vote.

Madam Chair, the motion to approve agenda item G2 passes unanimously.

The next one is respectfully requesting a referral to BFNT for a discussion of the general obligation bond, including potential projects and referendum language.

Please note that this request is not a duplicative of the existing PSI committee referral item.

Rather, this referral serves to alleviate some of the scheduling constraints among the city council committees.

Second, we have a motion and a second clerk.

If you can open machine to vote voting, council members, please enter your vote, seeing that all present council members have voted.

Clerk, please tally announce the vote.

Madam Chair, the motion to approve agenda item G3 passes unanimously.

Clerk.

We have open forum.

It looks like we have someone signing up.

Do we have anyone else on online?

No one online.

Okay.

It's a consolation, but not tell.

Madam Chair, we do have one speaker, Perry G.

Washington.

Please go to either podium.

State your name, address, or cross street, and you have three minutes to address city county.

Thank you.

I'm sitting.

I understand you've asked for accommodation.

I demand accommodation.

That's okay.

We've given you the accommodation.

The clerk is giving you.

I demand.

You please state your can you please state?

Can you please state your name and and cross streets, Mr.

Washington?

Dr.

Washington.

Testing.

I can't hear.

But I can't hear it.

We can hear you though, sir.

Doctor.

Time already started.

What now?

What's going on?

Just please reset the clock.

If here you go, sir.

Dr.

Perry D.

Washington.

Veteran.

United States Hero.

I have the third highest medal issue.

By the 90s state army.

I'm a national hero.

Can you please give your cross streets at this time, sir?

Why do I have to get it?

Because those are our rules, and you know that you've been here before and you've given them.

Well, you know our address.

I've given it many times.

Sir, I cannot pretend that I'm gonna remember anybody's address.

And that's a rule.

Can you please give me your address?

My address is 175 North Fifth Street North.

This very building.

I work here.

I'm at work right now.

Sir.

I'm a human rights.

Sir.

Sir.

Can you give us your cross streets?

It's not this building.

No one lives in this building.

Can you give us a cross streets?

It say it's work or live.

I'm working right now.

Sir, you don't work for the city of St.

Petersburg.

I'm a human rights, civil rights activist.

Sir, it's simple.

If you can give us cross streets.

You can follow the law, right?

Sir, can you just give us cross streets?

Can you file the law?

Yes or no?

Can you give us cross streets?

This is not a conversation.

Fifth Street North and 2nd Avenue.

Sir, this is not a conversation.

It's just giving us a cross street so we can listen to what you have to say afterwards.

You waited my time.

Sir.

I said 5th Street, North and 2nd Avenue.

That's works.

Thank you.

I did this at least 15 times.

You'll waste a whole minute of my time telling me what I can say and what I can't say.

I emailed every one of you.

I emailed every one of you.

Junior, you had like don't you don't know what the seven different encompasses.

Deb.

You haven't done nothing significant for my people.

Ever since you had that chair.

And my people.

Today's word is jacket.

Peter the floor, cold ass.

Look it up.

It's not cursing.

It's not a jack leg.

That's a legal chair.

A jacket is something totally different.

I'm not saying a man.

It's a jacket.

But it walks like one, talks like one, and looks like one.

You don't have to like me.

I don't care.

I was here before you were born.

You sitting at that chair because I said so.

I'm going to run for mayor.

I'm going to change our list.

I'm going to show you what the Lord says.

Thank you, sir.

Any other speakers?

Okay, we close open forum.

Announcements.

Any announcements.

Councilmember Gerdis.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um I think we'll wait till May for Nikita's birthday, but uh it is Councilmember Given's birthday this weekend.

On Saturday, so we'll uh we'll go ahead and sing Councilmember Givens a very happy birthday.

Uh what?

Nothing till next time.

Okay.

Sorry.

Let him have it.

Okay.

They wouldn't know we don't have you got next week.

There's a server session.

All right, you know what?

I'm speaking out of turn.

We don't have another council meeting this month, so we have to sing two brandy as well.

We have one next week.

We'll be here next week.

Next week.

Oh crap, I was thinking.

I this whole month is getting away from me.

No, the other day, yeah, the other day I was telling someone that today was our last one of the month.

And then next week.

This show runs again next week.

It's a crazy week.

Sorry.

All right.

Well, we'll we're gonna sing it again next week.

Really eager to sing happy birthday.

Trust me, you can have it, Councilmember Gabbard.

I'm just saying.

I'm you.

Happy birthday.

Happy birthday, dear Corey.

And before I say fights, I'm gonna be quiet.

That's very hard.

The only thing I'm gonna say is uh my daughter Asafia and my legislative aide Elizabeth, if you don't already know, have started the second annual city council pet photo contests, and they're looking for submissions, and I guess they're due today.

Oh, they are hold on a second.

Is it today?

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

It's I was gonna say that's pretty short notice, although they put signs.

So uh April 10th is Hug Your Pet Day.

So which is tomorrow.

So hug your pets.

So I think they're due tomorrow, or you can check with Elizabeth.

So hug your pets when you get home and then take a photo and send it to Elizabeth.

And so if y'all know last time we looked at the book, they're very there are lots of great photos and do it do a really good job and take a lot of pride in uh the photos.

And I think it's basically to see cute photos of animals at the end of the day.

So, anyone, thank you everyone for a wonderful meeting today, meeting adjourned.

Thank you, Katie.