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Record of Proceedings

Venice City Council Regular Meeting - May 12, 2026

City Council & Boards — Tuesday, May 12, 2026
BodyVenice, Florida
SessionCity Council & Boards
DateTuesday, May 12, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:34:53

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
0:49

It's a big crowd today.

0:51

If I can get everybody to quiet down.

0:54

Okay.

0:55

We are going to start by calling the meeting to order.

0:57

We're going to do a roll call and then I'll do an invocation pledge.

1:00

So, madam clerk, if you'll start us with the roll call, please.

1:02

Mr.

1:03

Engelkey.

1:04

Mrs.

1:04

Frank.

1:05

Here.

1:05

Mr.

1:06

Howard.

1:06

Here.

1:07

Mr.

1:07

Smith.

1:08

Mr.

1:09

Weed.

1:09

Here.

1:10

Vice Mayor Bolt.

1:11

Here.

1:12

Mayor Pichota.

1:13

Here.

1:13

And then we can all stand for the invocation, and today's pledge will be led by Paul Joyce.

1:20

Lord Father, we pray for our mayor, city council, and all who serve our community.

1:26

Lord, strengthen us with wisdom and grace for the work that we do every day.

1:30

May our duties be carried out with respect and care, keeping our hearts pure as we work towards the best interest of all of our residents.

1:39

Amen.

1:46

And to the Republic for righteous space.

1:49

One nation.

2:00

Okay.

2:01

Now for all the fun, we will start with proclaiming the week of May 16th through 22nd, 2026 as National Safe Boating Week.

2:09

If I can all get all of my guests to come forward, um, anybody who's here for this proclamation, and we'll meet up in the front, try to try to fit as many of you can as as we can up here.

2:40

Good to see you.

2:43

We started a handshake, we're not gonna stop now.

2:45

Now we're gonna do it.

2:46

I didn't want to do that.

2:47

Thank you.

2:47

I appreciate you.

2:48

Thank you, sir.

2:49

Good to see you.

2:50

Thanks for having us.

2:51

Absolutely.

2:51

Hey, you're good to meet you.

2:52

Thank you, sir.

2:53

Thank you.

2:53

Thank you, Mayor.

2:54

Come on down.

2:57

Oh yeah.

2:58

You coming up?

2:59

I am talking about boy.

3:04

I'm gonna I'm gonna just sneak over here and grab the proclamation.

3:11

Okay.

3:17

We'll start with one per per representative per agency, and then we'll see what I have left.

3:24

We'll just just hold these up and we're gonna do a lot of proclaiming.

3:29

We're gonna read each and every single one of these.

3:31

No, we're not.

3:35

Oh, perfect, though.

3:36

This is great.

3:37

And then Paul, you get your own special one.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Airport Management█████████████████████████████████████████████51%
Environmental Protection████████9%
Procedural███████8%
Water And Wastewater Management████4%
Public Safety████4%
Engineering And Infrastructure████4%
Youth Programs███3%
Community Engagement███3%
Homelessness███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Venice City Council Regular Meeting - May 12, 2026

The Venice City Council held a regular meeting on May 12, 2026, beginning at 9:00 AM. The meeting featured five proclamations, public comment focused on airport concerns, approval of several consent items, and public hearings on a site plan appeal, school zone speed cameras, a comprehensive plan amendment, and a budget amendment. New business included appointment of a student advisory board member, policy discussion on airport management (including motions for a legal review and environmental assessment), direction on neighborhood workshop policies, and cancellation of the June 9 meeting.

Proclamations

  • National Safe Boating Week (May 16-22, 2026): Presented to Master Police Officer Paul Joyce and representatives from multiple agencies.
  • National Police Week (May 11-17, 2026): Presented to Police Chief Andy Leisenring and honoring fallen officers.
  • Public Works Week (May 17-23, 2026): Presented to Public Works Director Ricky Simpson and staff; also recognized Rob Bodrett for 30 years of service.
  • Foster Care Month (May 2026): Presented to Nicole Britton, Executive Director of The TWIG, highlighting 368,500 children in U.S. foster care.
  • Faith and Family Month (June 2026): Presented to Jim Foubister, President of One Christ Won City, noting 31,000 meals served and 750,000 volunteer hours from local churches.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved the minutes of the April 28, 2026 regular meeting (unanimous).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Valerie Waters (airport expansion): Requested CAP/TAP meetings be recorded; called for a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) addressing noise, water, air, wetlands, wildlife, land use, socioeconomic, traffic, climate, and environmental justice. Noted a 54% increase in aircraft operations from 2022 to 2024 and an additional 37% growth projected.
  • Chris Waters (airport expansion): Supported Valerie Waters' concerns; urged completion of environmental studies before any development plans advance, especially given increased jet traffic and impacts to John Nolen's vision.
  • Christine Davis (airport expansion): Revealed that a draft airport master plan dated August 2025 had already been submitted to FDOT without public knowledge; questioned the purpose of public meetings. Stated that the airport manager's requests (tower, fire station, taxiway changes, terminal) point toward CFR Part 139 certification for commercial aircraft (31+ passengers). Requested a true EIS and pause of the master plan.
  • Emily Santana (General Manager, Skyport Aviation): Clarified Skyport does not control the master plan; no current plans for scheduled commercial flights. Outlined mitigation measures: ground power units (GPUs) to reduce emissions/noise, electric golf carts, operational adjustments to direct exhaust away from residences. Noted decreased operations at Skyport and full environmental compliance (no spills). Supported voluntary FAA noise abatement.
  • Tanya Willard (airport): Requested that current (down) operation numbers be considered in projections. Opposed Part 139 designation; urged preservation of green space, especially the Deertown Gully headwaters (noting John Nolen's plan showed a lagoon). Mentioned a non-FAA virtual tower system used at Arcadia that could record flights and potentially charge landing fees. Asked for an airport director who listens to residents.
  • Janice Reardon (airport): Requested a halt to further expansion until a Part 150 noise study and full NEPA environmental assessment are completed. Emphasized that Venice is a small coastal city, not like Tampa/Naples; called for conservation grants to preserve open space south of Runway 23 and northwest corner of the airport.
  • Alex Almasan (Homeless for Hope volunteer): Expressed support for the city's Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) and requested additional VPD and counselor funding.

Discussion Items

  • Appeal of Planning Commission Approval (26-03AP) – Site and Development Plan for 500/504 Gene Green Road (Ajax expansion): Attorneys for the applicant (Jeff Boone) and appellant (Darren Parks) agreed to a continuance to August 25, 2026, due to ongoing negotiations over an access easement safety issue. The appellant's attorney confirmed no opposition. Council unanimously granted the continuance.
  • Ordinance 2026-19 (First Reading) – School Zone Speed Detection for Venice Elementary: Police staff presented a two-day study showing 972 vehicles in the school zone with 270 violations (11+ mph over the 15 mph limit). The ordinance expands the school zone to run continuously from 6:15 AM to 4:15 PM. Council approved 7-0 on first reading and scheduled final reading.
  • Ordinance 2026-06 (Final Reading) – Comprehensive Plan Update for Mixed-Use Designations: Approved 7-0.
  • Ordinance 2026-18 (Final Reading) – Budget Amendment #3 (increase revenues and expenditures by $4,916,229): Approved 7-0.
  • Appointment of Student Member to Citizen Advisory Board: Lily Smith appointed unanimously to serve June 1, 2026 – May 31, 2027.
  • Airport Management and Policies (Item 26-0604, Councilman Howard): After public comments and council discussion, two motions were passed:
    1. Motion (Howard): Direct staff to perform a legal review of the current lease with Skyport Aviation, initiate discussions on ground operations, and update airport operating standards, with a report back within 60 days. Passed 7-0.
    2. Motion (Weed, amended to 'environmental review'): Direct airport staff to develop parameters for an environmental review of the airport property and neighboring areas (air quality, soil, water quality) and pursue vendor quotes. Passed 7-0. Council members (Weed, Frank, Howard, Engelke, Mayor Pachota) stated they would not support scheduled commercial flights. The City Manager clarified that the master plan does not authorize projects; environmental analysis will be included. A fact sheet addressing common terms is being produced.
  • In-Person Option for Land Use Neighborhood Workshops (Item 26-0605, Councilwoman Frank): Council directed staff to present the history of the city's neighborhood workshop policies, including data on how often in-person versus online options have been used. Passed 7-0.
  • Cancellation of June 9, 2026 Meeting: Approved 7-0, citing only a presentation scheduled and upcoming budget workshops.

Key Outcomes

  • Continued the appeal (26-03AP) to August 25, 2026.
  • Approved first reading of school zone speed detection ordinance (2026-19).
  • Adopted comprehensive plan amendment (2026-06) and budget amendment #3 (2026-18).
  • Appointed Lily Smith to Citizen Advisory Board.
  • Passed two motions on airport: (1) legal/operational review in 60 days; (2) environmental review vendor quotes.
  • Directed staff to research neighborhood workshop history.
  • Canceled the June 9, 2026 regular meeting.

Meeting Transcript

It's a big crowd today. If I can get everybody to quiet down. Okay. We are going to start by calling the meeting to order. We're going to do a roll call and then I'll do an invocation pledge. So, madam clerk, if you'll start us with the roll call, please. Mr. Engelkey. Mrs. Frank. Here. Mr. Howard. Here. Mr. Smith. Mr. Weed. Here. Vice Mayor Bolt. Here. Mayor Pichota. Here. And then we can all stand for the invocation, and today's pledge will be led by Paul Joyce. Lord Father, we pray for our mayor, city council, and all who serve our community. Lord, strengthen us with wisdom and grace for the work that we do every day. May our duties be carried out with respect and care, keeping our hearts pure as we work towards the best interest of all of our residents. Amen. And to the Republic for righteous space. One nation. Okay. Now for all the fun, we will start with proclaiming the week of May 16th through 22nd, 2026 as National Safe Boating Week. If I can all get all of my guests to come forward, um, anybody who's here for this proclamation, and we'll meet up in the front, try to try to fit as many of you can as as we can up here. Good to see you. We started a handshake, we're not gonna stop now. Now we're gonna do it. I didn't want to do that. Thank you. I appreciate you. Thank you, sir. Good to see you. Thanks for having us. Absolutely. Hey, you're good to meet you. Thank you, sir. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor. Come on down. Oh yeah. You coming up?

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