The Venice City Council met on May 26, 2026, at 9:00 AM in Council Chambers. The meeting included proclamations recognizing Children First's 65th Anniversary and Small Cities Month, approval of consent items including grant agreements for emergency generator and utilities projects, public hearings on easements for FPL relocations, first reading of a land development code text amendment, final adoption of a school zone speed detection ordinance, approval of a resolution establishing the Venice Police Charitable Foundation, and a presentation on neighborhood workshop and property posting standards leading to two unanimous motions.
Planning Director Roger Clark presented research on neighborhood workshop formats and notification standards. The Council discussed three potential changes: requiring hybrid workshops (in-person + virtual), increasing the mailed notification radius from 250 feet to 500 feet, and adopting a larger, clearer sign with a QR code. Two separate motions were made:
Okay, good morning, good morning. We are gonna call this meeting to order. Madam Clerk, if you'll start us off with a roll call, please. Mr. Engelkey. Here. Mrs. Frank. Here. Mr. Howard. Here. Mr. Smith. Mr. Weed. Here. Vice Mayor Bolt. Mayor Pechota. Here. All right. We will stand for the invocation, and today's pledge will be led by Captain Lewis White of the Venice Police Department. Our father, we pray for this session of the Venice City Council. Bless these men and women as they lead our city into a bright tomorrow. I ask in their name. Okay. Got a couple fun proclamations this morning. We'll start off with two six-six one four. If I can get the children's uh first folks to meet me up front, and we'll get the vice mayor to come down with me. What are we celebrating? Your thirtieth anniversary? Oh boy. Whereas Children's First, Children First was founded in nineteen sixty one in Sarasota County and has spent sixty-five years strengthening children and families by improving the quality of their lives through a comprehensive approach to development, education, health, and well-being. And whereas Children First serves as the exclusive head start and early head start provider for Sarasota County, delivering high-quality early childhood education, health care, nutrition, and family strengthening services to children from birth to five and their families, and is ranked in the top one percent of more than sixteen hundred head start programs nationwide. And whereas Children First continues to be recognized for excellence and impact, including being named a five-time National Head Start Association program of excellence, and a twenty twenty-six top workplace USA by USA Today, reflecting its enduring commitment to both the community it serves and the dedicated professionals who carry out its mission. Now, therefore, I Nick Pashoda, mayor of the City of Venice, on behalf of the Venice City Council do hereby proclaim the month of May twenty twenty-sixth as the sixty-fifth anniversary of Children First, and encourage all residents to recognize and celebrate the organization's lasting impact on children, families, and the future of our community. We tried to get a balloon drop for your 30th, but it didn't work out. Too expensive. Didn't do it. Here you go. Tell us some things about you and your wonderful program. So uh thank you very much, Mayor. Thank you to the council. Uh first to pitch. Uh anybody who loves children. That's everybody. 800 Gulf Coast Boulevard. We love volunteers. Come over and visit us, and you'll be able to see what we do every day. And what we do every day is to serve families that are that are they're vulnerable, economically vulnerable, children who are at risk.