St. Petersburg City Council Meeting - July 9, 2026

The St. Petersburg City Council met on July 9, 2026, at 6:30 PM. Councilmember Gina Driscoll was absent due to a medical issue. The meeting covered emergency procurement for a sewer line breach, multiple ordinances for November 2026 ballot referendums, approvals for the Tampa Bay Ferry project, a lease for the CSX trail connector, and several new business referrals. Public comment included concerns about utility rates and death investigation procedures.

Consent Calendar

• The consent agenda was approved unanimously (7-0, with Driscoll absent).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Marley Price (5034 32nd Ave N) spoke about the utility rate discussion from the morning committee meeting. She noted that the example bill showed taxes at 2% while actual bills show 10% on water and reclaimed water, which could be confusing. She supported exploring ways to lower bills, including reducing or eliminating the franchise fee with Duke Energy, and suggested the city should consider doing the same for its own utility before asking for another increase. She also requested more transparency from the Utility Billing Review Committee, such as holding meetings more frequently or streaming them on St. Pete TV.
• Isabella Rios (331 15th St N, President of Methodist Town Neighborhood Association) asked the council to amend Ordinance 639-H to remove seven lots instead of nine from the charter park map, retaining two as community green space. She argued that affordable housing and community spaces can coexist, noting the historic significance of Methodist Town. She offered to work quickly with city staff to identify the best lots for retention.
• Emmanuel Roux (2519 Driftwood Rd, founder of 15th Street Farm) supported reserving two lots for community green space or urban agriculture. He highlighted the benefits of community gardens for education, health, and community resilience, citing South St. Petersburg's tradition of backyard gardens.
• Terry Reeb (237 15th St) opposed building housing next to his industrial property, citing parking issues and arguing that housing is not appropriate in a warehouse district.
• Alison Barlow (450 8th Ave SE, St. Pete Innovation District) expressed support for the Harbridge Marina submerged lands lease referendum and the port lease limitation referendum, emphasizing that longer lease terms enable long-term investment and support projects like the Center for Coastal Resilience (Hub 2).
• Mark Ferguson (7937 9th Ave S) thanked Councilmember Gibbons and spoke in favor of the 99-year lease for Ferg Sports Bar, noting it would help connect the Booker Creek bike trail to the Pinellas Trail and bring more visitors to the Edge District and Tropicana Field.
• Justin Archer (resident of St. Petersburg, Panthers of Florida) called for an investigation into the St. Petersburg Police Department's death investigation procedures. He cited the case of Sariah Henderson, found dead July 1st, where the case was initially closed by a civilian employee without a detective review. He thanked Detective Brian Bilbury for reopening the case, which concluded as suicide, but said the initial handling was unacceptable. Council Chair noted that city council does not perform investigations but that administration would look into the matter.

Discussion Items

• Emergency Sewer Line Repair (Verbal Update) : Tom Green reported that a 42-inch sanitary sewer trunk line on 66th Street and 26th Avenue North was breached by a private contractor on June 26, 2026. The mayor authorized emergency procurement under code section 2-213 for up to $500,000 with Wick Rickman Construction. Costs may exceed that amount; a future action item will be brought to council. The contractor is expected to be responsible for costs.
• I-1: Legal Services Contract Increase : Sarah Lucker presented a resolution to increase the not-to-exceed amount for Jones Hurley & Hand (labor and employment legal services) from $50,000 to $180,000 (adding $130,000). Councilmember Gabbard noted the increase was due to volume of work, not an hourly rate increase. City Attorney Jackie Kovilaritch said the city explores bringing such work in-house when feasible. Approved unanimously (7-0).
• I-2: Summary of Referendum Items : Attorney Brett Pettigrew outlined that four ordinances (E1-E4) and the geo bond resolution are on the agenda for first reading. Final action is needed by July 23, 2026, to meet the deadline for the November 3, 2026 municipal general election. Council discussed ballot order; consensus was: 1) General Obligation Bond, 2) Jamestown infill lots (E1), 3) Harbridge Marina (E2), 4) Port lease limitation (E3), 5) Election cleanup (E4).
• E1: Jamestown Infill Lots Referendum : Ordinance to remove nine city-owned lots from the charter park map to allow sale for affordable/workforce housing. Presentation by Aaron Fisch (Real Estate) showed four lots are single-family size, five larger lots could yield ~37 units. Public speakers requested retaining two lots as green space. Council debate: Chair noted administration would meet with Methodist Town before July 23. Vice Chair Floyd supported retaining single-family lots for community use but wanted commitment that multifamily lots would be city-owned. Councilmember Gabbard noted difficulty of choosing two lots in a short time. Legal advised ballot language could be broadened to include "other community uses." Motion to approve as-is passed unanimously (7-0).
• E2, E3, E4: Other Referendum Ordinances : All three passed unanimously (7-0) without debate. E2 concerns Harbridge Marina submerged lands. E3 increases port lease term limits. E4 cleans up charter text from 2022 election shift referendum.
• F4: SPAR Program Administrative Support : Amendment to Jacobs Engineering task order for $616,215 to cover three tasks: SPAR program coordination, public education/marketing (legally compliant under FL statute), and citywide resilience planning. Councilmember Gabbard pulled the item for transparency. The task order is a bridge to avoid adding permanent staff. Approved unanimously (7-0).
• CRA 2: Marina Pre-Design Build Services : Request to use tax increment revenues from the Intown CRA for a pre-design build contract with Skanska (amount ~$7M). Passed 6-1 (Councilmember Gabbard no).
• CRA 3: Approve CRA Items : Motion to approve CRA 3 (item not detailed) passed unanimously.
• F3: Adjourn CRA / F2: Lease for Ferg Sports Bar : F2 (99-year lease for Ferg Sports Bar to connect Booker Creek bike trail) passed 6-1 (Councilmember Gabbard no).
• F1: Tampa Bay Ferry Project : Evan Morey presented the project. PSTA secured a $5M federal grant for vessels, purchased two boats (one from San Francisco, one from San Juan). Temporary dock in North Yacht Basin (lease with Mobro Marine) and backup dock at Port St. Pete. Council approved three items: resolution releasing settlement agreement, license agreement for temporary dock, and license agreements with operator (Tampa Bay Sea Taxi). Approved unanimously (7-0).
• F5: Shore Acres Flooding Infrastructure : Councilmember Harding pulled this item. It involved land acquisition and construction of infrastructure to reduce daytime tidal flooding in Shore Acres. Approved unanimously (7-0).

Key Outcomes

• Emergency Sewer Repair : Reported; future council action expected if costs exceed $500,000.
• Referendums : Ordinances E1-E4 approved for first reading; second reading and public hearing on July 23. Ballot order set as: GO Bond, Jamestown lots, Harbridge Marina, Port lease, election cleanup.
• SPAR Program Support : Task order amendment approved.
• Tampa Bay Ferry : All approvals granted; temporary dock installation by end of September, service to begin after vessel refurbishment.
• CSX Trail Connector : Lease approved; connection between Booker Creek and Pinellas Trail.
• New Business Referrals : G1 (density bonus for blue-green roofs) referred to Health, Energy, Resiliency & Sustainability or Housing committees. G2 (flood mitigation workforce training) referred to Economic & Workforce Development committee. G3 (fee updates for building, parking, transportation, zoning) referred to Budget, Finance & Taxation committee. G4 (rental assistance for tenants facing eviction) referred to Housing, Land Use & Transportation committee. (Councilmember Sanders clarified the program is expanding citywide; this referral is a supplemental discussion.) G5 (sanitation department safety and rear-view cameras) referred to Public Services & Infrastructure committee.
• Public Comment on Death Investigation : Council Chair noted that investigations are not a city council function, but administration will follow up. Councilmember Gibbons offered condolences to the family of the late Senator Jack Latvala.