Tarpon Springs Board of Commissioners Regular Session - May 12, 2026

The Board of Commissioners held its regular session on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, beginning at 6:00 p.m. at Tarpon Springs City Hall Auditorium. Mayor John Koulianos presided with Vice Mayor Kulyas and Commissioners Eisner, Banther, and Weaver present. The meeting opened with Rabbi Adler's reflection and the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by three proclamations, public comments, a consent agenda, water utility contract approvals, the appointment of an interim city manager, and several ordinance and resolution votes. The meeting adjourned at 8:42 p.m.

Proclamations

• Commissioner Mike Eisner proclaimed May 2026 as Jewish American Heritage Month and invited Rabbi Adler to accept. Eisner mentioned his 101-year-old aunt, a Holocaust survivor, and the recent passing of former ADL director Abe Foxman; Rabbi Adler stressed unity and thanked the city.
• Commissioner Lori Weaver proclaimed May 16-22, 2026 as National Safe Boating Week. U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 119 members Ernest Cain and Steve Denhoff accepted and described free safety checks at West Marine and Lowe's on May 16 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; the flotilla has 25 members and has served the area for over 50 years.
• Mayor Koulianos proclaimed May 17-23, 2026 as National Public Works Week. Streets and Stormwater Supervisor Tony Mannello accepted, noting that Public Works staff had recently been recognized as first responders and helped at a structure fire.

Consent Calendar

The consent agenda included Bayshore Heights public lighting; the single-source LegalShield employee voluntary plans purchase; approval of a novation for digital airport advertising; acceptance of the resignation and release of the former city manager; and a tree-planting award. All items were approved unanimously on a 5-0 roll call.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Robert Rockline praised Parks and Recreation committee staff, said the pickleball courts were busy, and later thanked former City Manager Mark LaCorris for returning.
• Marty Peters asked for public disclosure of the reasons for the former city manager's departure and questioned what happened at a reported staff training event, including what he described as a reported $40,000 expenditure and unanswered questions about how many people were involved.
• Debbie McKinney said she felt left out of the earlier parking fee discussion, and praised Public Works for restoring water at the splash park within about 20 minutes.
• Susan Swenson described a worsening homeless situation near her business and urged the city to address it.
• Katie Taylor asked commissioners to focus on how child-related projects could be done rather than why they could not; later, on the interim manager item, she supported having an experienced interim but asked that the permanent city manager search be publicized and fair.
• Jane Harrington opposed bringing back a former city manager, saying it could discourage new employees and applicants and that the assistant city manager should be used.
• A speaker from 514 Ashland Avenue demanded more transparency about how the board reached its decision and criticized the search process.
• Vasilya Comendares asked the commission to reconsider how much the city manager could spend without board approval.
• Sherry Wendt, speaking as president of the Merchants Association, supported LaCorris, saying he helped downtown merchants succeed.
• Robert Rockline also called for an official public statement to stop rumors.

Discussion Items

• Human Resources Position Reclassification: HR Director Tabatha Adkins requested reclassification of one HR specialist position to assistant HR director, using an existing vacancy without increasing staffing. She cited HR staffing benchmarks of roughly one HR employee per 60-100 employees and said recruiting uses governmentjobs.com. The board approved the item 5-0.
• Water Meter Contracts and Replacement Program: Public Services Director Tom Kiger presented Items 10-13 together. Item 10 extends the as-needed water meter and parts contract with Ferguson Waterworks, the sole source for Neptune meters, and reduces spending authorization from $700,000 to $600,000. Items 11-13 support the FY 2026 Phase 1 meter replacement project: replacing approximately 4,500 of the city's oldest water meters. The city has about 10,000 meters; 5,800 are more than 15 years old and over 1,200 are more than 25 years old. The project is budgeted at $2.4 million. Kiger estimated each 1% gain in meter accuracy produces about $200,000 in recovered revenue, with an expected 2-3% first-year gain and possibly up to 6%. Item 11 covers Core & Main plastic meter boxes, Item 12 covers HST Utility installation services, and Item 13 covers the Ferguson Waterworks meter purchase. Each item passed 5-0. The Vice Mayor noted the expenditures were already budgeted and required charter ratification.
• Appointment of Interim City Manager: City Attorney Andrew Salzman said Mark LaCorris agreed to return as interim on an at-will basis with the same salary and car allowance as the prior city manager, no vacation, sick leave, or medical benefits, and a 30-day notice provision. Several public speakers questioned the process and asked for transparency; others praised LaCorris. Board members said personnel matters could not be detailed publicly. Mayor Koulianos cited concerns about appropriateness, funding and procurement issues, and possible conflicts of interest, but said there was no conspiracy. Commissioner Banther noted budget season and a fall referendum that could reduce revenues by up to $8 million a year. The motion to appoint LaCorris as interim city manager passed 5-0.
• Conditional Use and Site Plan - 4-Unit Multifamily: Allie Keen presented Resolution 2026-20 for a two-story, approximately 6,400-square-foot, four-unit multifamily building on the south side of East Lemon Street in the Highway Business zoning district. The site is about one-third of an acre; units would be about 1,350 square feet each. In December 2025, the Board of Adjustments approved a side setback variance from 20 feet to four feet. The Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval 6-0 with five staff conditions. The commission admitted the record as evidence and approved the resolution 5-0.
• Stormwater Management Code Revisions: On first reading, the commission considered Ordinance 2026-05, Ordinance 2026-06, and Resolution 2026-19, adopting the May 2026 Stormwater Technical Manual. WSP consultants Brian Anderson and Rick Addyar explained that the revisions add stormwater criteria, update utility fee and illicit discharge provisions, remove outdated exemptions, and centralize design criteria in the technical manual. The Planning and Zoning Board requested clarifications, including exempting projects with less than 1,945 square feet of impervious area and using the term Florida registered professional engineer. All three measures passed 5-0; second readings are scheduled for May 26, 2026.
• Land Development Code Articles I, II, and III Updates: On first reading, the commission considered Ordinances 2026-08, 2026-09, and 2026-10. Staff said the updates add clarity, reorganize district standards into tables, create a consolidated permitted land uses table, address setbacks and accessory structures, reduce front-yard fence height from four feet to three feet to align with sight-triangle rules, enlarge allowable ADU size from 600 to 800 square feet, and add residential building orientation rules for townhomes and multifamily projects. The Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval. All three ordinances passed 5-0; second readings are scheduled for May 26, 2026.
• Mobile Food Dispensing Vehicles, Temporary: Ordinance 2026-07, on first reading, would allow temporary food trucks to remain overnight for a limited period. Staff proposed a temporary-use approval with up to four nights per week; the Planning and Zoning Board recommended a conditional use approval with three nights per week, with two members dissenting. Allie Keen clarified that the three-night version could mean presence over four calendar days. Commissioner Eisner opposed the stricter limit as overregulation and called for a larger allowance, but the board adopted the Planning and Zoning Board version with a six-month review. The ordinance passed 4-1, with Commissioner Eisner dissenting; second reading is scheduled for May 26, 2026.

Board and Staff Comments

• The assistant police chief announced Law Enforcement Week and the Officer Dow Memorial on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
• City Attorney Salzman gave a general chronology of the resignation: a charter officer raised a complaint; it was brought to the mayor and then to him; individual directors were consulted; the city manager was informed and later apologized for the appropriateness of a class; one commissioner planned to place the issue on an agenda; the city manager resigned before that occurred. He said there was no collective discussion among commissioners.
• Commissioner Weaver requested a bench opposite Susan Swenson's business for bus riders and praised staff solidarity.
• Commissioner Banther raised the worsening vagrancy issue and said the city should address it, while praising the mayor and city attorney for handling a difficult personnel transition without a public spectacle.
• Commissioner Eisner thanked staff and Mark LaCorris for returning.
• Vice Mayor discussed possible modular housing ideas for homeless relocation and said the city should not rush the permanent city manager search.
• Mayor Koulianos closed by saying the homeless issue needs a strategy, business plan, and budget; he stated the budget must avoid a millage increase and expressed confidence in LaCorris's experience.

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda, HR reclassification, water meter items, and interim city manager appointment all passed unanimously on 5-0 votes.
• Resolution 2026-20 approved 5-0.
• Ordinance 2026-05, Ordinance 2026-06, and Resolution 2026-19 approved 5-0 on first reading.
• Ordinance 2026-08, Ordinance 2026-09, and Ordinance 2026-10 approved 5-0 on first reading.
• Ordinance 2026-07 approved 4-1 on first reading, with Commissioner Eisner dissenting.
• Ordinance 2026-04 (Firefighters' Pension Plan) was deferred and not considered.