City of Tarpon Springs Board of Commissioners Regular Session – October 27, 2026

The City of Tarpon Springs Board of Commissioners met in regular session at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, in City Hall Auditorium. Mayor John Koulianos presided. Vice Mayor Kulas was absent; a motion to excuse him died for lack of a second, making the absence unexcused. Chaplain Adrian Murray of AdventHealth North Pinellas gave the reflection. The board heard special presentations and proclamations, approved consent items, discussed water quality testing and stormwater pump purchases, and voted to initiate a censure hearing.

Special Presentations

Mayor Koulianos presented Tampa Bay Best of the Best awards to St. Petersburg College Tarpon Springs campus, SPC School of Nursing, Tarpon Arts/Tarpon Springs Performance Center, St. Luke's Cataract and Laser Institute, Tarpon Springs Distillery, Casey's One Amazing Find, Tarpon Springs Merchants Association, and Orange Cycle Creamery. Three recipients were not present: Healing Hedge Witch, Social Club, and Halas Restaurant and Bakery. Recipients thanked the city; Tarpon Springs Distillery credited the city for breaking down barriers and being cooperative.

Marilyn Chapman, Library Board chair, presented the annual library report. In 2026 the library completed a strategic plan with Friends of the Library support and St. Petersburg College collaborative labs, including public surveys and focus groups. The new vision is a welcoming destination that empowers the community to learn, discover, create, and connect. Adult program participation more than doubled; youth programming grew 14 percent. New offerings include a Memory Cafe for dementia caregivers and their loved ones, a Florida native plant garden, a seed library, and online program registration. Early 2027 plans include completion of the library renovation, new study and meeting rooms, a preservation lab, a 3D printer, a Cricut machine, an expanded youth area, an exploration lab, and a sensory space. The Tarpon Train Depot will join the county museum pass system.

Proclamations

Mayor Koulianos proclaimed the 80th anniversary of the Juvenile Welfare Board (JWB) of Pinellas County. JWB interim CEO Karen Bogis accepted, noting JWB is a special taxing district with an annual impact budget of approximately $123 million and served more than 83,000 children and families last year. She said JWB funds 87 programs through 49 agencies; in Tarpon Springs there are 13 program sites featuring 15 programs, and an estimated 41 percent of Tarpon Springs households with children benefit directly from a JWB-funded program. She cited a 70 percent county third-grade reading proficiency rate, outperforming the state.

Mayor Koulianos proclaimed October 28, 2026, as OXI Day, commemorating Greece's 1940 refusal of the Italian ultimatum. Basil Muchachis accepted and spoke about the importance of preserving Greek heritage in Tarpon Springs.

Public Comments & Testimony

Anita Protest (901 Bay Shore Drive) recounted the history of St. Petersburg College's Tarpon Springs campus and credited community leaders and Rotary for helping establish it.

David Archie, executive director of Citizens Alliance for Progress and former mayor, spoke on behalf of Citizens Alliance for Progress and Union Academy Family Center. He congratulated JWB on 80 years, described JWB-funded services, and warned that Amendment 3 could reduce resources for organizations serving children and families; he called for informed public discussion of its consequences.

Katie Taylor (657 Haven Place), president of the Rose Cemetery Association and a historical society board member, requested commissioners' support for a historical tour and program at Rose Cemetery on Saturday, November 7, at 11:00 a.m. at 550 Jasmine Avenue, recognizing oldest families, educators, and pioneers. She thanked St. Pete College students, the city, Lisa and Barry Butler, and Union Academy for their support.

An unidentified male speaker said Amendment 3 would hurt smaller services such as JWB and PSTA, quoted Psalm 58, and urged voters to consider who they want to be when voting.

Consent Calendar

The board approved consent items 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 12 unanimously: special events (St. Nicholas Epiphany Procession and Glendi Celebration 2027; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Celebration 2027; Holiday Movie in the Park 2026; St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral Nameday Celebration 2026); Johnson Jackson PLLC attorney fee invoices; reappointment to the Police Pension Board; single-source purchase of Airvac parts, pumps, and components; renewal of laboratory services; and single-source purchase of beverages for resale at the golf course snack bar.

Agenda item 8 (Historical Safford House roof replacement) was deferred to a date to be determined and was not voted on. The mayor initially read it as part of the consent list, then corrected himself.

Discussion Items

Commissioner Eisner asked about item 10, the $125,000 laboratory services contract. Public Services Director Tom Kiger explained it covers mandated EPA/FDEP water and wastewater testing, including distribution-system samples, and uses an independent third-party lab. He also noted the start of the annual hydrant flushing and testing program.

Commissioner Eisner pulled item 11, the $126,000 purchase of two Mersino pumps, saying the backup material lacked pump age, breakdown history, and maintenance costs. Public Works Director Chris Cotta said one pump is 11 years old and the other 12, both had main controller failures within the last year, and parts are increasingly hard to find. The board then approved item 11 unanimously.

Board and Staff Comments

Mayor Koulianos reported participating in an Honor Flight, thanked Sharon Smith, and said the next meeting will include an item on a data center moratorium. He asked for prayers for Milton Smith.

The mayor discussed school district proposals: he opposed busing Tarpon Springs students out of the city, met with concerned parents, and arranged a meeting with school board member Miss Peters. He expressed concern about the potential closure of the Union Academy fundamental school and its effect on the neighborhood, and requested a dialogue between the city manager and superintendent.

The mayor and commissioners condemned a social media post by the Vice Mayor that included an AI-generated image implying an inappropriate relationship between the mayor and Ms. Peters. Commissioner Weaver called it inappropriate and possibly libelous or slanderous, and said it met the threshold for a censure hearing, though he questioned its effectiveness. Commissioner Eisner said bad behavior must be dealt with and criticized the Vice Mayor's last-minute excusal request and attendance at a school board meeting instead of the commission meeting. Commissioner Banther said he was not the Vice Mayor's handler and that any commissioner could make a censure motion; he agreed the image met the standard but questioned the end result.

Commissioner Eisner requested that city staff revisit an ordinance to provide water service, in addition to electric service, to open land with a boat lift for a Seabreeze resident; no board member objected, and it will be placed on a future agenda.

Key Outcomes

Consent items 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 12 were approved unanimously.

Item 11 was approved unanimously after discussion.

The board voted 4-0 to initiate a censure hearing regarding Vice Mayor Kulas, with the hearing date to be determined after City Attorney Salzman returns.

The board reached consensus to place the boat-lift water service ordinance revision on a future agenda.

Vice Mayor Kulas's absence was unexcused after no second to his excusal motion.

The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:04 p.m.