St. Petersburg City Council Meeting – October 8, 2026

The St. Petersburg City Council met on October 8, 2026, for a regular meeting that included an open forum, multiple proclamations, student and cultural presentations, a legal settlement, and new business referrals. Councilmember Driscoll was absent for the initial agenda vote but participated later in the meeting. No written agenda or minutes were available, so this summary is based solely on the transcript.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Riker Flannery, a St. Pete High senior representing the Civic Engagement Club, opposed the city's use of Flock cameras, citing the September 30 arrest of two Pinellas County deputies accused of misusing law enforcement databases through Flock. He said innocent teenagers are entered into a police database every time they drive and argued the current safeguards are not working.
• Andy Heil, a 14-year-old freshman, also opposed Flock cameras and asked the council to pause the technology until there is concrete proof that it is secure, properly monitored, and cannot be misused. He expressed concern that a minor like him could be next.
• Liam Oliver, St. Pete High Civic Engagement Club president, noted one deputy's response was 'curiosity got the better of him' and said the media, not police, brought the cases to light. He submitted a public ethics grievance and asked the council to suspend the program pending an independent review, citing Florida laws protecting children's geolocation data.
• Max McCann, a St. Petersburg resident, thanked the council for the pedestrian safety proclamation and urged stronger enforcement and school zone safety cameras. He said Chief Holloway had promised a pilot program in January 2026 that did not happen, and cited Tampa, Orlando, and other Florida communities using the technology.
• No speakers appeared for the later open forum after the referral items.

Awards, Proclamations & Presentations

• Fire Prevention Week: Fire Marshal Ian Wolmack read the proclamation for October 4-10, 2026, with the theme 'Charge into Fire Safety' and a focus on safe charging of lithium-ion batteries. Fire officials discussed proper disposal, avoiding aftermarket chargers, and a home safety program. The annual block party at Fossil Park was canceled due to inclement weather.
• First Responders Day and Hurricane Update: Mayor Ken Welch proclaimed October 28, 2026 as First Responders Day. Emergency Manager Amber Boulding provided an update on Hurricane Issayas, a Category 1 storm expected to stay west of St. Pete. She warned of 2 to 4 inches of additional rain, with isolated totals up to 6 inches, and tides 1 to 3 feet above normal Friday night into Saturday. She reminded residents not to drive through flooded roads. The city canceled several events, deployed six additional pumps to Shore Acres, lowered lake levels, and sent 20 firefighters with Florida Task Force Three to the Panhandle.
• Legacy Six Proclamation: Chief Keith Watts and family members honored the Legacy Six, the first Black firefighters with St. Petersburg Fire Department in the early 1970s: Captain Alfonso Brown Sr., Lieutenant Willie Barnes, Lieutenant Riley Preston Floyd, Firefighter Eugene Curry, Firefighter Stanton Singletary, and Firefighter Ed Utley. The proclamation noted more than 180 years of combined service. Councilmembers thanked them for paving the way and asked for the tribute video to be shared with council.
• National Cooperative Month: Councilmember Brandy Gabbard proclaimed October 2026 as National Cooperative Month. Erica Hardison of One Community Grocery Co-op and a representative from Lake Michigan Credit Union spoke about cooperatives as a democratic model that builds community wealth, especially in South St. Petersburg.
• Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Chair Leseth Hanowitz proclaimed October 2026 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. A CASA representative said St. Petersburg police recorded 1,863 domestic violence offenses in 2024, and with 70% of domestic violence never reported, an estimated 6,200 people were affected, about 17 people per day. CASA will mark its 50th anniversary, operates the only family justice center in Florida, shelters nearly 100 people nightly, and serves more than 3,000 people each year. She also cited a national study finding that 61% of women report experiencing domestic violence.
• Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Councilmember Copley Gertis proclaimed October 2026 as Breast Cancer Awareness Month and shared that his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer six years ago. The proclamation cited that one in eight women and one in 833 men will develop breast cancer, or one person every two minutes. Healthcare partners from HCA, BayCare, and Orlando Health urged residents to get mammograms.
• National Pedestrian Safety Month: Vice Chair Richie Floyd proclaimed October 2026 as National Pedestrian Safety Month. The proclamation cited 7,080 pedestrian deaths nationally in 2024, a death roughly every 74 minutes, and more than 71,000 pedestrians injured. St. Petersburg fatalities decreased 54% from 2014 to 2024 while national pedestrian fatalities increased 45%. Resident Paul Kurtz praised the complete streets plan, sidewalk funding, and red flashing beacons, and noted 107 pedestrian deaths locally over the last 10 years. He and Max McCann urged the city to explore automated school zone speed cameras. Chair Hanowitz called for stronger state-level penalties for drivers who kill pedestrians.

Student Ambassador Program

• Three 2026 student ambassadors, Ella Bringingham, Elise Chandler, and Cole Landers, reported on their trip to Takamatsu, Japan. They described host family experiences, Japanese food, school visits, and personal growth, and said they plan to encourage future students to apply. Councilmember Corey Gibbons shared that he was a student ambassador to Takamatsu in 2008.

Sacred Lands Preservation and Smithsonian Exhibit

• David Anderson, board president of Sacred Lands Preservation and Education, announced that the Smithsonian traveling exhibit 'Americans' from the National Museum of the American Indian will be hosted at the Jungle Prada/Sacred Lands site from February 13 to April 10, 2027. He described the site's Tocobaga history, the 1,000-year-old shell mound, the purported 1528 Narvaez expedition landing, and planned free Smithsonian Sundays and school group visits.

Legal Settlement and Referrals

• Item I1: The council unanimously approved a worker's compensation washout settlement for Gregory Lanning, a former fire safety training chief who retired in 2009. The settlement is $115,000. Estimated future medicals exceeded $80,000 and potential permanent total disability exposure exceeded $450,000.
• Item G1: The council unanimously referred a discussion on the cost set for the sidewalk payment and loan program to the Budget, Finance, and Taxation Committee.
• Item G2: The council unanimously referred a discussion on establishing a voluntary rental registry listing property owners, rental rates, and availability, and possibly expanding the code violation database to include evictions, similar to Jacksonville, to the Housing, Land Use, and Transportation Committee.

Announcements

• Chair Hanowitz alerted the council that Sierra Club advocates may bring resolutions to the HERS committee for possible same-day council consideration, depending on how the committee votes. Councilmember Gabbard, as HERS chair, said no promises have been made and staff is working to draft the items.
• Councilmember Gertis announced the Tampa Bay Rays will host Game 1 of the ALCS in St. Petersburg on Monday night.

Key Outcomes

• Agenda approved unanimously; Councilmember Driscoll was absent for that vote.
• Item I1, the Gregory Lanning settlement, approved unanimously.
• Referrals G1 and G2 approved unanimously.
• Proclamations were delivered and accepted; no separate votes were required.
• City staff continued hurricane preparedness actions and public notifications for Hurricane Issayas.
• Council acknowledged the potential HERS same-day resolutions and agreed to monitor them.