OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Venice City Council Meeting October 28 2025: Flamingo Ditch Study and Actions

City Council & Boards — Tuesday, October 28, 2025
BodyVenice, Florida
SessionCity Council & Boards
DateTuesday, October 28, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:25:35

Transcript — Verbatim
0:35

Good morning, everyone.

0:39

All right.

0:40

We'll go ahead and get started and call this meeting to order.

0:43

Madam Clerk, if I could get a roll call, please.

0:45

Mr.

0:46

Engelkey.

0:47

Here.

0:47

Mrs.

0:47

Frank.

0:48

Here.

0:48

Mr.

0:49

Howard.

0:49

Here.

0:50

Mr.

0:50

Smith.

0:51

Mr.

0:52

Weed.

0:52

Here.

0:53

Vice Mayor Bolt.

0:54

Here.

0:55

Mayor Pichota.

0:56

Here.

0:57

All right.

0:57

We're going to go ahead and start this morning off.

0:59

I'm I'm sure many of you have heard.

1:01

Unfortunately, we lost a member of our utilities team.

1:05

Mr.

1:05

Doug Merseck passed away unexpectedly, so I'd like to take a quick moment of silence if we could.

1:29

And then, Madam Clerk, if you could start us with the invocation.

1:32

Today's pledge will be led by Mr.

1:33

Howard.

1:37

Our father, we pray for this session of the Venice City Council.

1:42

Bless those who are meeting here today with wisdom to guide their discussions and decisions for the common good of our residents, friends, and neighbors.

1:50

In your name we pray.

1:51

Amen.

1:59

And to the Republicans, one is nation under individual with liberty and justice for let us get started with the recognition piece of this morning.

2:19

We have some exciting things to do today.

2:22

We will start with the promotion of Master Police Officer Benjamin Neff, uh promoting him to sergeant.

2:28

If I could get Deputy Clerk Barcia, Chief Liesen Ring, Mr.

2:31

Neff, and your uh family if you guys want to come forward, and we will do that process first.

3:17

Ben, could you uh introduce your family here for us?

3:21

It's my lovely wife Aisha, uh, the babies Onyx, my daughter Olivia, and my son Orin.

3:30

That's great.

3:31

And uh Ben's been with us for about twelve years, so I think Olivia was probably just born, maybe a few months old when you started.

3:39

So uh your family's kind of grown up along with you and with your career.

3:42

It's awesome to see.

3:44

Um for and during that 12 years, Ben has served with us as a field training officer, uh, which trains our new recruits, very important position.

3:53

He's helped kind of organize that program the last couple years.

3:56

Um he served in the Detective Bureau for a little over four years, and most recently he's been an acting sergeant for this entire year.

4:04

So he's already uh well experienced and during that time certainly earned the respect of his peers and his supervisors.

4:10

So this is a great opportunity for him to move to the next step.

4:14

Being sergeant, of course, is a extremely important position in the department.

4:18

Uh they kind of set the tone for the day, set the tone for the squad, cultivate the culture, and really uh determine the effectiveness of the department.

4:25

So no pressure, Ben.

4:26

But uh we're all counting on you.

4:29

So we'll go ahead with the swearing in and then we'll have a pinning of his badge.

4:38

Repeat after my sort of putting left on the bottom.

4:43

Okay.

4:44

Okay, Benjamin Neff.

4:45

I Benjamin Neff.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Stormwater Management███████████████████████23%
Flooding And Drainage█████████████13%
Water And Wastewater Management█████████████13%
Procedural████████████12%
Public Engagement██████████10%
Community Engagement█████5%
Engineering And Infrastructure████4%
Technology and Innovation███3%
Emergency Management███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Venice City Council Meeting – October 28, 2025

The Venice City Council met on October 28, 2025, at 9:00 AM in Council Chambers. The meeting included recognitions, public comments, a presentation on the Flamingo Ditch Feasibility Study, several public hearings, and routine business. Key actions included the swearing-in of two promoted officers, approval of a drainage easement purchase, adoption of zoning and code amendments, and the reduction of a recyclable fee surcharge.

Recognition

  • Master Police Officer Benjamin Neff was sworn in as Sergeant after 12 years of service. Chief Liesenring noted Neff’s roles as field training officer, detective, and acting sergeant. Neff expressed commitment to family, citizens, and coworkers.
  • Firefighter/Paramedic Barry Spinweber was sworn in as Lieutenant. Fire administration highlighted that Spinweber is a paramedic officer on engines, marking a milestone for the department’s advanced life support.
  • Proclamation: October 2025 recognized as the “50th Anniversary of the American Association of University Women, Venice Branch.” Vice Mayor Boldt read the proclamation; Joyce Mikulski accepted, noting the branch has over 140 members, awarded scholarships, and runs a Tech Trek STEM program for eighth-grade girls.
  • Proclamation: November 14-21, 2025 proclaimed “Geography Awareness Week” and November 19, 2025 as “GIS Day.” GIS Administrator Don Hubbard and the city’s GIS team accepted. City Manager Clinch praised the team’s work in transparency and data-driven decision-making.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Chris Johnson (Chief Operating Officer, United Way of South Sarasota County) reported on hurricane long-term recovery: 120 homes rebuilt/repaired, average reconstruction cost $5,558 (due to volunteer labor and donated materials). The group secured continued support from World Renew (two years) and partnerships with Mennonite Disaster Services, Praying Pelican Missions, and Presbyterian Disaster Alliance. A 16-foot box truck was purchased; a warehouse is still needed. Currently 78 active cases, with 1,000 outreach calls to FEMA registrants. United Way was awarded a $2.2 million contract for the disaster case management program, a pilot model (only two counties in Florida).
  • Steven Mindson (resident of 625 Gardenia, Golden Beach) opposed raising roads due to potential stormwater runoff into homes. He questioned whether CPE factored elevation of adjoining homes and runoff direction, and asked if models guarantee no adverse effects.
  • Israel Salinas (581 Flamingo Drive, Chair of Flamingo Ditch Steering Committee) requested detailed documentation of city maintenance SOPs for culverts and swales. He supported the diversion concept to Deertown Gully but sought more analysis on hydraulic and ecological impacts. He questioned pipe sizing (why not larger than 18 inches?), asked for grant status updates and a realistic timeline, and urged pursuit of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers involvement to address the sand berm issue at outfall five.
  • Peggy Paris (President, Golden Beach Associates) thanked council for attention to stormwater issues but raised concerns about routine maintenance of the entire outfall five system, including sediment buildup and blocked pipes. She requested an updated standard operating procedure for preventative maintenance be shared with the public.
  • Luann Wood (550 West Flamingo Drive) praised the increased action over the past year and urged immediate cleaning of Flamingo Ditch, having bulldozers ready during hurricane season, and purchasing the vacant lot on Flamingo Drive.
  • Jimmy Clifford (Vice President, Villas of Venice Condo Association) reported serious erosion along Flamingo Ditch behind their property, with loss of three feet of land and exposed tree roots. He asked for a barrier to mitigate erosion.
  • Rick McGee (Gardenia Drive, 22-year resident) criticized the city’s reactive maintenance approach, citing a recent incident where a stormwater employee was unaware of nearby flooding. He urged installation of water level sensors along the ditch to enable proactive response.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved routine items: minutes, two special events (Respect First Responders 5K on Jan 31, 2026; Better Together Block Party on March 14, 2026), engagement agreement with C.J. Wilson Law for airport legal services (item 25-0404 removed by Councilmember Howard for discussion, then approved), and FDEP State Revolving Fund loan application for the Utilities Water Reclamation Flow Equalization Tank project.

Discussion Items

  • Flamingo Ditch Feasibility Study (25-0407) : Thomas Pierro and Joe Morrow of Coastal Protection Engineering (CPE) presented the final study. They reviewed modeling updates, including alternative 8 (diverting stormwater from east of Harbor Drive to Deertown Gully). Key findings: road elevations would be raised by 6–18 inches (not 5 feet) to reach elevation five; pipe upgrades from 15 to 18 inches are minimum recommendations; dune barriers negatively trap floodwater. Conceptual cost estimates: $1.5M for storage lot excavation, $0.5M for pipe improvements, $2M for road elevation, $10M+ for the diversion, and surge barrier costs TBD. City Engineer John Kramer noted that grant applications (NOAA, FDEM, etc.) have been submitted but no funding received; stormwater funds can cover the easement and monitoring system. A stormwater grants coordinator position has been created to pursue future opportunities. Council members asked about pipe sizing, road elevation trade-offs, liability, and the need to incorporate the study into the capital improvement plan.
  • Drainage Easement Purchase (25-0403) : City Manager James Clinch presented a purchase and sale agreement with Edmund and Debbie Campbell for a perpetual drainage easement on a vacant lot near Flamingo Ditch, with a provision for future sale to the city. Councilmember Smith urged continued progress on broader solutions. The agreement was approved unanimously.
  • Public Hearings – Ordinances Final Reading :
    • Ordinance 2025-34 : Zoning map amendment for 2100 and 2413 Knights Trail Road from Commercial General/Intensive to Knights Trail Mixed Use. No public comment; adopted unanimously.
    • Ordinance 2025-35 : Text amendment revising plat process to comply with Senate Bill 784 (2025). No public comment; adopted unanimously.
  • New Business :
    • Ordinance 2025-41 (first reading): Adds milestone inspection requirements for condominiums and cooperative buildings three stories or more in height, per House Bill 913. Building official Derek Applegate reported that of 57 qualifying buildings, 40 have submitted Phase 1 inspections, 17 are not yet due. Adopted unanimously, final reading scheduled.
    • Resolution 2025-25 : Reduces the fee surcharge for program recyclables from 15% to 10%. Councilmember Engelke noted it saves $5.63 per household annually. Adopted unanimously.
    • Resolution 2025-26 : Approves Amendment No. 3 to the public transportation grant agreement for the Venice Municipal Airport Master Plan Update. Adopted unanimously.
    • Resolution 2025-27 : Authorizes the state revolving fund loan application for the Utilities Water Reclamation Flow Equalization Tank project. Adopted unanimously.

Key Outcomes

  • Benjamin Neff sworn in as Sergeant; Barry Spinweber sworn in as Lieutenant.
  • Proclamations issued for AAUW 50th anniversary and GIS Day/Geography Awareness Week.
  • Consent calendar approved as amended (including airport legal services agreement).
  • Drainage easement purchase and sale agreement with Campbell family approved unanimously.
  • Ordinance 2025-34 (Knights Trail zoning) adopted unanimously.
  • Ordinance 2025-35 (plat process amendment) adopted unanimously.
  • Ordinance 2025-41 (milestone inspections) adopted on first reading.
  • Resolution 2025-25 (recyclable surcharge reduction) adopted unanimously.
  • Resolution 2025-26 (airport grant amendment) adopted unanimously.
  • Resolution 2025-27 (state revolving fund loan) adopted unanimously.
  • City Manager reported successful Student Government Day, Make a Difference Day (471 volunteers, 5,000 bags of mulch, 242 plants), and impending closing on Wellfield Park.
  • Council reports highlighted participation in community events and thanked staff and volunteers.

Meeting Transcript

Good morning, everyone. All right. We'll go ahead and get started and call this meeting to order. Madam Clerk, if I could get a roll call, please. Mr. Engelkey. Here. Mrs. Frank. Here. Mr. Howard. Here. Mr. Smith. Mr. Weed. Here. Vice Mayor Bolt. Here. Mayor Pichota. Here. All right. We're going to go ahead and start this morning off. I'm I'm sure many of you have heard. Unfortunately, we lost a member of our utilities team. Mr. Doug Merseck passed away unexpectedly, so I'd like to take a quick moment of silence if we could. And then, Madam Clerk, if you could start us with the invocation. Today's pledge will be led by Mr. Howard. Our father, we pray for this session of the Venice City Council. Bless those who are meeting here today with wisdom to guide their discussions and decisions for the common good of our residents, friends, and neighbors. In your name we pray. Amen. And to the Republicans, one is nation under individual with liberty and justice for let us get started with the recognition piece of this morning. We have some exciting things to do today. We will start with the promotion of Master Police Officer Benjamin Neff, uh promoting him to sergeant. If I could get Deputy Clerk Barcia, Chief Liesen Ring, Mr. Neff, and your uh family if you guys want to come forward, and we will do that process first. Ben, could you uh introduce your family here for us? It's my lovely wife Aisha, uh, the babies Onyx, my daughter Olivia, and my son Orin. That's great. And uh Ben's been with us for about twelve years, so I think Olivia was probably just born, maybe a few months old when you started. So uh your family's kind of grown up along with you and with your career. It's awesome to see. Um for and during that 12 years, Ben has served with us as a field training officer, uh, which trains our new recruits, very important position. He's helped kind of organize that program the last couple years. Um he served in the Detective Bureau for a little over four years, and most recently he's been an acting sergeant for this entire year. So he's already uh well experienced and during that time certainly earned the respect of his peers and his supervisors.

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