>> Welcome, everyone to the Gulfport, Florida.
Join us in rising.
>> Thank you so much for being here.
It is good to realize that love and peace can prevail
on earth.
We have become not a melting pot but a beautiful
mosaic.
Different people, different hopes and different dreams.
Each of us must rededicate ourselves to serving the
common good.
We are community.
Our individual fates are intertwined.
And if we act on that knowledge, we can move mountains.
Jimmy Carter.
39th President.
>> Thank you.
>> I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States
of America, and to the Republic for which it stands,
one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all.
>> Roll call, please, city clerk.
>> Council member Brown.
>> Yes.
>> Council member Ray.
>> Here.
>> Mayor Henderson.
>> Here.
>> City manager o'Reilly.
>> Here.
>>> We have a couple of presentation this evening.
One is by Suzanne.
We look forward to that.
But we also have a surprise one today.
I'd like to bring them up now.
How are you doing?
>> Great.
How are you?
>> Good.
>> We have a check that we'd like to present from
o'maddy's bar and grill.
O'maddy Gunther wanted to be here tonight but she
couldn't.
She was the brains behind the operation and the raising
of the money for Gulfport.
We raised for Gulfport little league.
>> Thank you.
>> Mr. Malorie, by the way, who is running Gulfport
little league now played for the blue jays, if I'm
correct.
>>> We'd like to bring up the lgbtq resource center
read out for 2021.
Hey, Susan.
>> Thank you.
I have to bring the microphone way down.
Thank you all, we are pleased to make this
presentation.
I want to thank Diana sulveri immediately for making
the presentation you see before you.
I am the President Of the board of the lgbtq Resource
Center.
It is an absolute lynchpin, as you know in Gulfport.
And what happened with the pandemic is everything
closed down.
Including all of our events.
Since last February until this February.
When seven people decided there was a need for a
lesbian literary festival.
And what I'm going to ask Milton to tell you about in
just a minute is how incredibly successful that was
because of the support of the city of Gulfport.
First, for those who aren't familiar with the resource
center, if you would, hit the second slide.
Dave, could we have another slide?
Thank you.
Our mission -- okay, I'm so glad I brought my glasses.
Is committed to -- oh, that doesn't help.
Promoting the awareness of the diversity of experience,
contributions and needs of people who are lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender and queer.
We do this by providing educational social and
recreational opportunities through the Gulfport public
library, including books, films, music, speakers,
exhibition, and eens.
And this year it has been all about online presence.
Next slide, please.
You May ar May not know that in 2018, the American
library association recognized the Gulfport library and
the lgbtq resource center specifically with its
newlen-Symans award.
We do incredible outreach not only locally but beyond.
Next slide, please.
Here's a quote from the chair of the round table at the
American library association.
Their programs, resources, outreach and partnerships
for and with the lgbtqia+ community are an amazing
example for all of us to learn from.
And if everyone wants to know all those letters, just
ask later.
The acronym goes on forever.
We were part of the library's application with the
institute for museum and library services, which chose
only five libraries from across the United States to
receive the National Medal.
Part of the reason they gave for awarding Gulfport this
highest federal honor a library can receive, was from
the lgbtq resource center's integral part of the fabric
of Gulfport.
Next slide, please.
And now we come to Milton's part, readout.
Milton, are you there?
>> I am here.
Can you hear me?
>> Yes. >> Excellent.
Thank you for having me tonight.
I am at a distance still staying home virtually.
But one of the great events that happened this year
already for the lgbtq resource center was Readout.
This is an annual event, a festival of lesbian
literature.
This year was particularly interesting because this
year we held the event at the library live in-person,
with about 145 folks attending.
That's about the capacity of space.
This year it would have been easy with covid raging for
us to cancel it this year.
Regroup and start again next year when covid is
abating.
But instead, the planning committee, 7 of us, decided
we wanted to try do this virtually.
We weren't sure we could do this.
It was uncharted territory for most of us.
They thought it especially captured the Gulfport and
the spirit of the public library and the resource
center.
Next slide, please.
So we surprised even ourselves.
We took this much bigger.
Last year the event was about 145 participants at the
library.
This year we did an entire virtual event and we drew
nearly 1,000 registrants who participated in the event
across the 2.5 days.
We took it entirely virtual and ended up rather than
shrinking it, rather than giving in to covid-19, we
decided to keep forging ahead to persist and prevail.
And we had nine live, and 15 pre-recorded sessions over
2.5 days that featured over 100 writers and 22
entertainers, musicians, et cetera.
We're also particularly excited to tell you that our
registrants weren't just from around the United States
or just even from Florida, but came from 21 other
countries, including ta tansaneia, U.K., Australia, and
more.
Next slide please.
We did this not on our own but with a number of
sponsors.
Unfortunately, because of covid, many organizations
weren't able to donate money.
But we asked them to instead spread the word about this
event.
You'll see on this list many from the Tampa Bay and
Pinellas county areas.
But you'll also see a few from the United States.
We were excited to share the magic of Gulfport and this
event with all of these folks who were kind enough to
share the word across all their social media and email
accounts.
Next slide, please.
Quick thank you to the organizing committee.
Some of you May know some of these names.
Movers and shakers.
Jeanine Norman who joined us from Alabama.
Barb Talkov, and myself, I live in Gulfport.
Next slide, please.
Readout wasn't enough for us.
So our next big event will be opening Saturday, May
29th.
It will be partially live in the library where we'll be
exhibiting artists and themes.
We'll also include a virtual component, which we're
still working on.
We hope it will match readout and the reach of readout.
Next slide, please.
Finally, a thank you to the lgbtq resource center board
of directors.
They dedicate all their time daily.
Bill Ward, of course, serves as our treasurer.
Next slide, please.
Finally, of course, none of this could happen no matter
how many volunteers, et cetera, we have without the
support of the entire city of Gulfport, including the
city council.
And of course everyone at the library.
We want to particularly thank some folks at the library
and city staff, Dave Mather, Ashley Johnson, Diana
sillVera, and Jacob Taylor for helping us navigate the
difficulties of taking on an event of this size.
We were fortunate to have a Readout marketing
consultant Sarah junke.
>> We just want to thank the city of Gulfport, the city
council, the city library, and all people here who just
made this happen.
It's pretty amazing and we plan to keep growing it.
Thank you.
>> Thank you, Susan.
>> For those of you who don't know, our librarian is
sitting up in that booth handling remote calls right
now.
He's not afraid to go anywhere.
I was very proud to be a part of that and well
deserved.
Thank you, both.
>>> This brings us to public open comment.
We ask that you use your microphone. Please give your
full name and address if you wish for anybody to follow
up with you.
You'll have three minutes.
Everybody try to keep it cool.
And we'll start with anyone who wants to put their hand
up first.
Yes, sir, I saw you first in the middle. Yes, sir.
>> Hi, my name is Ken Simmons, 3205 58th street south.
I feel like the council person and mayor should be
censored for their inappropriate comments and behavior
in the last meeting.
Thank you.
>> All right. Yes, ma'am.
>> Thank you.
Bonnie slern, Pelican Bay plaza.
While the responses in the gab to comments made at the
last council meeting relevant to the last election,
none of those are on record, other than congresswomen's
response.
This is for a response that will be on record.
I was disappointed and embarrassed by the comments made
by Christine Brown and verbally endorsed by other xhebs
about vice mayor April Thanos.
April has repeatedly denied having anything to do with
republication of an interview Christine and her husband
gave willingly.
That should have been enough to stop the repeated
allegations.
Not doing so fringes on defamation of character, and
essentially accuses a fellow council member of lying.
She has no proof whether Mike bower nor April was
responsible for the blog.
To denigrate Mike bower from the bully pulpit was also
over the top.
Especially since he was not notified and had no chance
to refute her unproven allegations.
Mr. Bower has incredible credentials and a long list of
credible activities.
He put himself out there to run for office to offer his
experience to the city.
All that is now lost due to the accusations and
reprehensible behavior of this council.
This city's loss for sure.
Anyone willing to enter political office should be
commended, not vilified.
She has denied even thinking about whatever he might do
politically in the future.
That said, if she or anyone else for that matter to
recruit someone to run, so what?
Does sitting on the council mean you are an heir
apparent it is time for this council to stop the
juvenile bickering, treat each other with respect, and
do the business they have been elected to do, the
citizens business.
Thank you for your time.
>> Thank you.
Who is next?
Show of hands. Yes.
>> I have a question about mask wearing.
Nobody is wearing a mask up there.
What's that all about?
>> We've got shields, buddy.
>> Not good enough.
Okay.
I think you know, the ugliness the fact of the
political realm of Gulfport is something happening
nationally.
I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing.
Mudslinging is part of our political process, I think.
In regards to the consent agenda, we have a reroofing
company at the fire department.
Is that happening?
I'm submitting two pieces of mailers.
One is from April, and her mailer says environmental
and sustainability.
The environment is one of Gulfport's most viable as
assets.
Protecting it is one of our top priority.
I'd like to see a solar component on the fire
department roof.
Also, I have a mailer from Michael.
And his says, continue making our buildings more energy
efficient.
I am assuming that also means solar.
Submitting these as public records.
Also, if you want things to be on public record, you
have to submit what you say in writing to lesley
because it's not a public record.
They choose to put in public record what they want.
If you don't submit documentation, it's not a public
record.
There's no proof.
There's no research.
There's not a record of it.
Also, I am completing reading the tangled up in blue,
the policing of America.
In part by George Floyd.
It's inscribed for our chief of peace officer, Michael
Vincent.
I'd like him to read it.
It's a good book.
Okay.
Thank you. >> Thank you.
Who is next?
Yes, ma'am.
>> Richard Freed.
>> Good evening.
My name is Kim Gillespie, I live at 5106 14th avenue
south, Gulfport, Florida.
When it spills over to the community, I can't really
express myself.
I'm so hurt in this community.
By some of the comments from the past, by some of the
comments currently that go on from people who are
supposed to represent us.
Sometimes as a minority in this community, I do feel
marginalized. I do feel under valued.
You know, we work in the kitchens.
We work behind the scenes.
We're not highly visible in Gulfport.
We have some of the lowest voter turnout in the African
American in Gulfport.
And it seems like no one on the city council really
cares why we are not voting.
There is a reason why Black people in Gulfport don't
want to vote.
It's because we feel as though you don't take us
seriously.
The city has a history.
This country has a history.
I don't know how the city who can claim to be lgbtq
friendly cannot distribute that friendliness across the
board.
It hurts.
So I'll move on to the next thing.
The habitat for humanity project, I was here for the
presentation.
I worked for habitat for humanity for a small period of
time.
I'd like for the council to consider instead of putting
families in homes, we can build four affordable homes
for people who are on marginalized index who can't keep
up with their property taxes.
Who can't put a roof on their house so their have a
tarp over their house.
Property taxes are going up in Gulfport.
When someone on social security gets a $22 increase and
their property taxes go up significantly greater with
everything else.
It's just a consideration I'd like the council to
consider.
There's a way of dividing up those units to put four
qualified candidates in independent housing and
ownership.
The next thing that I'd like to ask for is if the city
can consider providing composting barrels like they do
in St.
Pete.
It's a nice way to recycle.
You know, add to some of our gardens.
And what we don't use, we can share with our neighbors.
Thank you.
Sfwloo thank you.
Yes, Ms. Wright.
>> Good evening, everyone.
I'm the owner of the -- I'm also the manager of the
stage.
I'm here this evening to make a request to city council
to please use the apparent noise ordinance as it is
laid out.
Apparently our noise ordinance is set at 65 decibel
between -- it makes reference to many different noises:
Phones, pets, phono graphs.
It does not adequately serve the restaurants and bars
at 65 decibels.
For example, a vacuum cleaner or a hair dryer registers
at 75 decibels.
The noise in this room before we began was around 70
decibels. -- I know there have been times when we
surpassed the 65 decibels reaching 90 and 95.
I apologize for that on behalf of my business.
And we have taken steps to mitigate this.
We are a new business.
We just opened last year.
It's a learning curve and we are learning how to do
this.
I went through a pandemic and I've had my fair share of
dealings with this.
The past weekend I measured the music that was in the
courtyard and everyone who played.
We were around 75-83 decibels, as measured to the
property line in the alley.
We seem to get most of our complaints from people and
residents in the alley.
I also tried to do some research as to what other
counties and cities do.
I did find out that pinelas County has 72 decibels.
We have become a venue where musicians can perform and
people can enjoy themselves in a safe outdoor space.
We cannot continue this way if we are in constant
violation of the ordinance, and berated by our
neighbors.
Find a way where we can all do business and live
comfortably in an area where commerce and residents
coexist.
Thank you very much.
>> Thank you.
Anyone else for open public comment?
Yes. Go right ahead.
>> Good evening.
My name is Dawn fisher.
I live at 6060 shore boulevard.
20 years ago I took a seat up here.
I wanted to remark on the yacht club situation and the
city.
And I have a few words to say.
Tonight, I'm going to be lying awake.
What could I have done?
What could I have said?
I'm too late.
Everyone, it's too late.
Could this all have been different an outcome?
How many people have been hurt?
How much division and anger exists?
Now, in my dear, dear Gulfport.
>> Yes.
In the back white shirt.
How are you doing?
>> Hello, everyone.
This is my first time here.
I am leafy green at 2908 1/2 boulevard south at least
on Thursdays.
I'm a musician in town, and I want to provide
additional perspective to what Kelly Wright was talking
about with the noise ordinances.
As someone who lives a life of audio, I appreciate the
spirit behind these noise ordinances.
I really treasure and value my quiet time.
At the same time, I also treasure and value music and
what it can bring to a community.
I've dedicated my life to it.
And I've seen over the months and years playing these
shows and going to other people's shows.
People who might be at each other's throats somewhere
down the street will come together and celebrate life
and our common humanity.
And I really want to not let that go unsaid.
As I hope we will reexamine some of these ordinances.
They're at this point just not in touch with reality.
Kelly mentioned the reference of phonograph.
I think they are perhaps a little outdated.
I was measuring decibels from the back of the room.
When Susan and Milton was giving their presentation
about the event, they were ranging 60-70 decibels in
the back of the room.
It sounded nice.
It was not a nuisance in any way.
And I think the spirit of our rules involve, you know,
keeping things peaceful for people.
And I think we can do that with different specifics. So
thank you.
>> Thank you.
Much appreciated.
Yes.
>> Good evening.
On a different note, I'm not here to speak about any
ordinance or anything.
But Joe guther from o'maddy's was here today to present
us a check for Gulfport little league.
I'm the President Of little league and what he did for
us was a very big deal.
I had to come back here.
I just met with him at the restaurant.
I had to come back here to publicly acknowledge what he
did to Gulfport little league and youth baseball here
in Gulfport.
And I wanted to thank you, mayor, Mr. Manager Jim, Mr.
O'Reilly.
You watched me grow into baseball.
You used to be my coach when I was a young kid.
And I went on to play professionally with the Toronto
blue jays.
He had a hand in stirring my pot to get me to where I
needed to go.
I just had to come back here publicly to thank all of
you guys here in the city of Gulfport.
And the support that we get from the local businesses
here, it's tremendous.
O'maddy's is not the only business here that donates to
Gulfport little league.
We seem to raise about $6,000 for the last three years
on average from all local businesses here in Gulfport.
And what that does is that allows a lot of minority
kids or -- I can't think of the word here, but let's
just say families who couldn't afford to pay the
registration.
But the businesses here that support us in the
donations and the sponsorship allows us to allow those
kids and those families to play baseball.
So I had to come back publicly to thank him and to
thank you guys for the city of Gulfport.
We really appreciate everything you do for us.
>> Thank you, Mr. Malorie.
We're proud and honored to have you.
>> This baseball season.
We're at Thomason park and Hoyt field Tuesdays and
Thursdays.
Come out to the park and enjoy.
>> Thank you.
>> All right. Who is next?
I see a hand right here.
I'll get to everybody, I apologize.
I won't leave you hanging.
>> Thank you.
Good evening, my name is Lee Nel.
I live in Gulfport.
I'm a member of past commodore Boca yacht club.
I spent my year -- enforced civil rights laws
prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, sex,
age, disability.
It's a job that I loved and I'm still proud of the work
that we did.
Wishing doesn't make it so.
In context, that means that anyone can sue anyone for
anything.
But that doesn't mean that the defendant did anything
wrong.
For example, as much as I wish dominion voting systems
would limit lawsuits against Sydney Powell and Rudy
Giuliani --
wishing won't make it so.
The same thing with lawsuits against bcyc. The court
found that it was not true.
Most everyone knows that bcyc was sued for
discrimination.
What most people seem to not know is we won that case.
We were also the subject of an administrative
complaint, which we hear about all the time.
But again, we won that one because it never even got
off the ground.
And yet, we still hear how bcyc discriminated.
And it seems like that false narrative leads to
reactions to bcyc, instead of the actual facts.
Bcyc was not able to publicly refute these claims while
the case was pending.
However, the trial court's decision is now a matter of
public record.
And in fact, the trial court found in bcyc's favor on
all counts.
The judge said at page 55, even if ring had met her
burden, which by the way, the court found she had not,
bcyc has more than met its burden that it had
legitimate reasons for expelling ring from membership.
Ring had provided false Gulfport addresses.
Which is very important because Gulfport residents like
me are given about a 30% discount on the boat slip
rental fees we pay to the city.
Non-residents pay the full amount.
Therefore, someone who claims a false Gulfport address
is basically cheating the city out of that 30% of the
rentals.
When bcyc discovered those false addresses, and there
were more than one, actually, confirmed by the court.
Bcyc took action in part to protect our relationship
with the city.
And yet, here we are. Thank you.
>> Yes, in the front.
>> Hi, my name is Richard Walters.
I reside at 2900 45th street south, Gulfport.
I'm an avid sailor and have been a member of the yacht
club.
The club game to Gulfport in 1965, dredged and built
the south basin and made major improvements to the
auxiliary coast guard building on the property.
Our mission has been to promote safe boating and
sailing instruction for many years through our youth
sailing program, which is free to anyone in the
community.
Our adult sail school, and our sponsorship of a very
successful sea scout ship 915.
We have taught multiple family generations how to
safely sail.
Many thousands.
We have provided the majority of the funds and toys for
the Gulfport police operation santa with our Christmas
boat parade for over 25 years, which brings thousands
of families with children to Gulfport each year.
We also have a yearly fun day giving free sailboat
rides to families in Gulfport and the surrounding
communities.
But this will end very shortly.
A couple years ago the city asked us to spruce things
up and fit in with the current marina district plan
since they reassured us that bcyc would remain in the
community.
So in only a couple of years we invested $120,000 into
the club house along with new paving, curbs, and
signage.
We even painted our building the same color as the main
marina complex.
We did that, what they asked us in good faith.
Now two years later, the mayor and the city council has
decided to evict us with no cause to give very small --
to give a very small portion of land back to the
people.
It is really a ruse to gentrify the area.
Destroy Florida -- for 55 years.
The city intends to divert covid relief funding that
should go to the citizens of Gulfport for a
non-essential marina project to maximize revenue and
push out the community clubs.
They want to push out the sailboats.
Good leadership works to include all stakeholders for
the overall good of the community.
They're calling their personal legacy --
>> Thank you, sir.
>> Destroying one.
>> Three minutes, thanks.
Right here in the front.
>> I'm speaking to you as a transgendered woman, member
of bcyc. I applaud the opening presentation from my
lgbtq brothers and sisters.
And it breaks my heart to have to come before you again
tonight after speaking to you on February, the February
meeting where I had every expectation and reason to
believe that once we were acquitted of those horribly
false charges against us, that we would then be given a
prolonged lease until such time as the city had its
permanent plans in place to modernize and communityize
the property and the funding, and the plans that are in
place.
Now I have to come back to you again tonight as a
transgendered woman and try to save the one place we
had, the one social boating club we have in pinelas
County that you people are going to take away from us.
After the love and appreciation city this feels for the
lgbtq community.
As a transgender person, we suffer more discrimination
than our gay brothers and sisters, God bless them.
We do.
And that discrimination often comes from white males.
From privileged white males.
I've suffered slings and arrows to get to where I am
throughout my entire transgender career.
It has been tough.
And it has never been tougher than it is tonight.
And you people are breaking my heart. I've encouraged
so many transgender gals to come to Gulfport.
It is the most friendly place for us, I thought.
And now people have moved here, I don't know what to
tell them.
I don't know how this city is being run on behalf of
us.
We have no other place.
I told you that in February.
We've been exonerated of those heinously false charges
brought about by two tragically disturbed individuals.
And yet, here I am begging again.
I don't know how you guys can square that.
I honestly don't.
That's really all I have to say.
I hope you search your souls and rethink your decision,
on my behalf and on my sisters' behalf.
Thank you. >> Thank you.
Who else?
Yes.
>> Good evening, everyone.
My name is Dawn anjianni, I'm a full time resident in
Gulfport.
I have a request for the council.
As far as the Shore Boulevard building between caddy's
and salties with all the plywood up.
There's a lot of concerns in this town about buildings
and how they look and how they're built.
And if it would be gentrified or not.
And the plywood on those buildings looks like asbury
park during the crack epidemic.
Everyone is concerned about this.
I hang out over there by the marina lot, and people
come to Gulfport and they think Gulfport is closed
down.
They have asked me, is everything in Gulfport open
because those windows are boarded up.
So I'm asking the council, please, and I would be
willing to be a part of it.
I realize there's a plan in place that I am not privy
to about these buildings.
But in the interim, can we please do something?
We have a ton of artists in the town that could paint
those plywoods and make them look nice.
You could do so many things with it in the interim.
I'm asking that that be done.
I'm willing to help get it done.
It really looks bad for our town to look like that.
You know.
And I don't know how long the project is going to take.
So it might have to be a couple of art projects on top
of the plywood.
But just something to clean up our town a little bit
because the optics are terrible.
Thank you.
>> I'm going to respond to that one, real quick.
That's private property.
And that's basically a big developer who gave us the
finger on the way out.
But we don't own it.
I'm trying to figure out.
>> If you want to get the artists together.
>> Private property, that's the issue.
>> Just ask permission.
>> Thank you.
>> All right.
Thanks.
>> Who is next? Yes.
>> Good evening.
My name is George Anderson.
I'm a full-time resident.
I live at 5109 17th avenue south.
I'm a boater.
I come to Gulfport after waiting to get a slip in the
municipal arena for my sailboat.
I came to live in Gulfport because I got my slip.
Within five weeks, I closed on a new residence here in
Gulfport.
I'm very distressed over the fact that as a Gulfport
member, as a Gulfport resident, that there has not been
workshops in recent days.
The yacht club was in discussion lease renewal
discussions.
And less than 30 days ago, that went from lease renewal
to -- 90-day eviction.
I think that's unconscionable.
I think that's not giving the citizens of Gulfport the
window to err on what the new plans are.
It's my impression that the city of Gulfport is running
a deficit.
And I don't understand what's going to happen.
How are we going to spend this money?
How will you spend this money as good stewards of our
tax paying residents to raise this building, destroy
what has become a very vibrant, positive organization
for the community.
What's going to happen to the sea scouts?
What's going to happen to the boat parade?
What's going to happen to all those people that don't
get to go through the adult sailing school?
These are all things that you can't measure in dollars
and cents.
And I think if you really want to work for the good of
the people, then you have to really examine this.
How many years has that property going to be line
follow?
There's no current plan.
I believe 2016 was the last plan.
How is it going to be funded?
None of this has been made available to me as a
Gulfport resident.
So I'm voicing my dissatisfaction.
I feel betrayed as a citizen, and as a sailor.
And I came to Gulfport because of sailing and the bcyc.
Thank you.
>> Thank you. Who's next?
Yes.
>> On another note, a lighter note.
I'm Margaret delgetti.
Carol and I recently coordinated the art in the yard
thing that happened a week and a half or so ago.
>> Just a second.
Everybody, I appreciate it.
If we applaud everything that happens, this is actually
very good that you're doing this.
But we usually try to keep the decorum in here.
If we can cause the applause in general, and just let
people make the comments.
Thank you.
>> I appreciate it.
>> I hear you.
Karen couldn't --
>> Karen couldn't be here tonight.
There were over 100 artists from Gulfport that
participated.
The feedback was that it was well received.
My understanding is that the Gulfport businesses also
saw an increase in business that day after the hours of
our event.
One in particular that was a new business on the north
side of town had her best day of sales ever, which I
thought was really cool.
The next one we've gotten the green light, November
6th.
So mark your calendars.
And we have some plans in place that are going to help
draw business to the brick and mortar businesses.
Again, I appreciate your guys support.
And I wanted to thank the city manager for helping this
happen.
Help with Internet stuff and getting this stuff in the
gabber for us.
A special thanks to April Thanos who made the ball
rolling for us and got this thing.
She kinda helped pave the way for the initial stages.
Thank you everyone for your support and the fact we get
to have them twice a year now.
>> Thank you.
Who's next?
Yes, right here in the front.
>> Hi, I live in Gulfport.
Recently the city has been the recipient of a boatload
of obnoxious letters.
I've sent you all a letter.
So I hope you get a chance to read it.
The letters you've been receiving are notable for the
repetitive use of profanity and personal invective.
And they're yielding a climate of sort of subRosa or
low level fear or unease in city hall.
Recently I spoke to a psychiatrist, an m. D. Who is a
mental health consultant to hostage negotiating team
with the swat unit.
That person told me disgruntled residents don't usually
give their time and place of their city council
attacks.
They don't say I'm going to come over at 8 o'clock and
blow things up.
The council can't cross talk to me, but I wonder if our
able city manager could address the safety issues
because of the two examples of the shootings I gave
you.
The members of the communities were killed and injured
also.
So I wonder if you'd allow Mr.
O'Reilly to briefly outline the measures the city can
and cannot do at this juncture.
>> When the public comments completed, I'll allow him
to address whatever we wants to do in person, otherwise
he'll get with you later.
>> Thank you so very much.
>> Thank you.
Anyone. Yes.
>> Good evening.
Mary Henry, I live on 27th avenue south.
I plan to cover several topics here in my 3 minutes.
I'll send you detailed comments that won't fit in the
allocated public time.
After listening to the council meeting on March 16th, I
was discouraged and disappointed.
Christine Brown, while I frequently disagree with your
priorities and views on local, county, and national
issues, I had the utmost respect for the time and
effort you put in to local events and activities.
So I was exceedingly disappointed to see you use the
city council platform and city resources to attack a
citizen of Gulfport.
One who does not have the same access to the city
platform to respond and defend themselves.
All because they had the audacity to stand as a
candidate against you in a recent election.
Mayor Henderson, I was also very disappointed that you
did not use your authority as chair of the meeting to
cut off personal attacks and restore the dignity of the
meeting and civil discussion.
The next topic is bycy yacht club, but it's really the
comments and reports at the end of the meeting when all
of a sudden without notice to anybody, the mayor
terminated the least of bcyc it should have had a
motion, a second, and a roll call vote before that
happened.
The third topic, which relates to bcyc is public tax
money.
Money whether it's federal, state, county or city
derives from the citizens.
That is our money.
We pay tax.
The money is pooled and then should be spent for the
greater good of its citizens.
Not everyone will agree with every expenditure, but the
majority should agree with all expenditures.
The moneys from the American recovery act are not a
lotto winning for the city and city manager to spend on
their wish items.
They should be spent for the greater good for the
residents of Gulfport.
I have a whole list of suggestions on how to spend $5
million to benefit the citizens of Gulfport.
I'll send you a detailed list.
But here's a short summary.
Expand, add, improve senior center to support
vulnerable citizens, and seniors.
Support affordable housing any way you choose.
Give code enforcement more support so that they can
enforce code.
Pay the city employees a wage that means they can
afford to live in Gulfport.
Thank you.
>> All right.
Who's next?
Yes, right here on the end in the front.
>> My name is Joel hien, 6th avenue south.
Mayor, council members, I'm here tonight as a skipper
of ship 5195.
In previous conversations I have tried to -- successful
due to both the city of Gulfport and the bcyc
contributions.
I want to be clear, if bcyc goes away, I will do
everything in my power to keep ship 915 thriving.
This type of program is more important today than ever
in today's world.
The youth need what we teach, entrepreneurship.
I'm a full believer in this program.
At this time we have close to one adult for every scout
with 15 registered scouts and three cadets.
Prior to covid, we had -- 15 adult leaders and only one
was not a bcyc member.
We were the largest ship in Florida and among the
largest ships in the country, and hope to one again
post-pandemic be one of those ships again.
I don't know where we will recruit adult leaders if
bcyc goes away.
We had tried to start a ship in the 80s, you May not
remember.
But failed due to the lack of adult participation.
Without enough adult leaders, ideas are highly
curtailed.
With your actions, you May have set bcyc on a course to
failure.
Or to move to another location.
In either case, it will be at the slow death of ship
915 in Gulfport.
In summary, ship 915 is successful due to both, city of
Gulfport and bcyc. If you remove either one of these
legs, the future of this ship is in peril.
I urge you to allow bcyc to continue to use the current
building until a new community center is built and
ready to be occupied.
My scouts have decided on their own that they wanted to
come and address you tonight.
So at this time, I'd like to invite them to have their
three minutes and come up and talk to you.
Thank you.
>> Here you go.
>> Noah Shaw.
Hello.
I'm the yoman.
Two blocks away is bcyc, the home of ship 915.
The ship and the people in it have changed my life
forever.
Should it simply not have been there, I fear I might be
a much different person.
Sea scouts is a branch of boy scouts of America.
Our ship and trip operates out of bcyc. Simply put, we
need them to keep our ship running.
They do so much more for us than we do for them, and we
are very grateful.
We offer sailing, kayaking, cpr training, and manual
boating safety class required to own a vessel in
Florida.
These cruises, however,have not been happening recently
due to covid. They've legitimately been some of the
best experiences of my life.
You pack your belongings on to a sailboat, then spend
two weeks on the water navigating, cooking, and
steering all with close friends.
Both the sunsets and the stars are amazing 50 or so
miles from land.
The best part is you can pay for it yourself.
On Sundays, we clean and fix the boats for $6 an hour.
And sometimes a new skill.
Granted you're an active member, you can usually pay
for the entry fee yourselves.
Sea scouts is a great resource for the youth.
Not only to youth in Gulfport, but also to Gulfport
itself.
In 2019, as part of a statewide initiative, if my
calculations are correct -- should have filtered
11,223,750 gallons of water by now.
A more recent project happened in 2020, when scouts
helped Gulfport glue down "no dumping" sign.
Every summer we teach elementary kids how to sail at
bcyc. This is a plea for mercy from the heart.
Please keep bcyc two blocks from my house.
I would also like to say my name is Amelia shaw, Noah
shaw is my -- sea scouts has been the best friend group
I've had in my entire life and most important.
Thank you for your time.
>> Thank you.
Is there someone else from sea scouts in this group?
Yes.
Was there another scout that wanted to speak?
>> Hello, my name is Elizabeth Sullivan.
I have been a sea scout for three years.
My rank is apprentice.
I have sailed to the keys, scuba dived, trained and
competed with my bcyc mentors in various ragattas, and
much, much more.
While independent than one another paper, in reality
are a true synergy.
Yacht club members have become friends and mentors to
all of our sea scouts. Once our parents drop us off at
bcyc, they know we're secure at the gates.
This is something of a safe space for us sea scouts as
teenagers.
We often sway and gather by the big tree next to the
clubhouse to discuss our activities for the day.
Mia, the somewhat adopted cat that roems the area has
been part of our family.
Sea scouts know we are safe around friends and feel
supported.
So take this away from us sea scouts, it would be a
detriment to us and our family.
Only with the support of the caring, concerned sponsor
like bcy club. --
thank you for your time.
>> Thank you.
Anyone else from sea scouts that wants to speak before
we move to someone else?
No.
Okay.
Sir, you had your hand up.
>> These kids, they are our future.
These kids are our legacy.
So with that, I do want to say council members, Mr.
Mayor, good evening.
My name is Frank DaMico.
I live Gulfport, Florida.
I'm a bcyc member, sail school volunteer, sea scout
advisor, and a board member of bcyc. My husband and I
are both Gulfport residents, homeowners, taxpayers, and
voters.
And we are very unhappy with our elected city officials
right now.
If you consider nothing else tonight, consider that.
We like many residents here are taxpayers and we vote.
This is what bcyc means to me, which in turn extends to
how I feel towards the community in general.
It's been a lot on social media about the fact that the
club doesn't belong in Gulfport because it's elitist,
exclusive, and even racist.
I'd like to set the record straight.
The pun is intended.
In case you didn't get the reference, when I mentioned
my husband earlier, we are a gay couple.
He is an Asian Pacific islander. We were both welcomed
into the club, and the Gulfport community.
The same way with open arms.
Does that sound exclusive?
Bcyc is in fact the embodiment of inclusivity.
We both work 40 hours a week and have moderate needs.
Does that sound elitist?
Club dues are $145 a quarter.
More than some people's monthly bar bill.
Again, does that sound elitist?
Others will speak extensively on what the community
will lose, free sailing for -- operation santa, the
Christmas boat parade, fun days, my personal favorite
because it introduced me to Gulfport and to the yacht
club.
Money spent by our members over the years at local
businesses.
Have contributed many other ways to the community.
And I say community because the city is you. You're the
city.
This -- this is the community.
This is the community.
You should be protecting that.
The city is financially vulnerable right now, and what
do the elected officials do?
With money that they're going to receive from the
federal government?
>> Thank you, sir, I appreciate it.
>> I think you know the rest.
So I do want to say thank you and regardless how things
turn out, we will do what sailors do, we'll plot a new
course.
>> Thanks.
>> And we'll follow the wind.
>> Who's next? Yes, sir.
>> Good evening, mayor, council members.
My name is Howard Bush.
I want to say thank you, sea scouts.
Also the vice commander of the United States coast
guard auxiliary here in Gulfport.
And vice President Of the local alliance club.
This concerns more than just the yacht club, it
concerns us all.
It concerns the lions club, who has been there since
1967.
Lions club building was built by the lions club members
of this community.
We have supported organizations in Gulfport since 1948.
Also, we have a Gulfport yacht club right next to us.
That also affects as others have said, the entire
community.
We do more than just pancake breakfast.
If you've ever heard of Helen Keller, in 1927, she
asked the lions club to step up to the plate to take
care of any preventable blindness in the world.
And they have.
More than just blindness, hurricane Dorian in the
Bahamas, within weeks, $100,000 was sent in relief
funds to the people in Bahamas.
And that was just a start.
The Gulfport has been around -- the lion club has been
around since 1967.
Members of the Gulfport lions club, we're at 4630
tiffton drive south.
Since its beginning, the lions club has raised
thousands of dollars for site conservation, diabetes
awareness, environmental improvement, eliminating
hunger, childhood cancer, disaster relief, and other
challenges facing mankind.
Recently, we have been recognized as a Florida
foundation as a 501 c 3 which will also improve many
things to help this community.
In addition, like many others, the police program for
the santa benefit, Gulfport senior centers food pantry,
youth sports, we support the youth sports and the
baseball teams here in town as well.
Another new one is feeding Tampa Bay, and lighthouse of
penelas. If you've never heard of it, they take care of
the people that are going blind or deaf, teach them out
to gain in this society.
They teach the parents about their children that are
going deaf and blind.
The lions club started that organization in 1956.
Thank you again.
>> Thank you.
Who's next for open public comment?
Yes.
>> Karen Schwartz.
I did not attend the last city council meeting, no
excuses.
Just to say I had the displeasure of watching the
fireworks the next day.
Christine Brown -- mudslinging conspiracy theory had no
place during a city council meeting.
Because of your lies, a man who might have been a
leader in our effort to address climate change and
build a more sustainable infrastructure in Gulfport is
now so disgusted with our city, he's even stepped down
from our sustainability committee, which is a real
shame because he was the driving force behind the rain
garden now blossoming near the rec center.
Mayor Henderson, what were you thinking?
As our mayor, you are responsible for maintaining
civility during council meetings.
Letting Ms.
Brown air her grievances, none -- makes me wonder about
the integrity of our elected leaders.
Furthermore, everyone on council, why so opposed to
some new blood?
I remember when Dan linkey was running, he was so proud
of the fact of the lack of drama among council members.
Which I understand now means council prefers to put up
a united front against new ideas rather than actually
discuss different points of view.
It's a wonder that anyone would want to seek office in
Gulfport.
Disagreements and even lively arguments about ideas and
concepts are not drama.
They are democracy in action.
Thank you.
>> Thank you. Who's next?
Show of hands.
Anyone else for open public?
>> Welcome.
Good evening, council.
Hi, my name is Jason Sanchez.
I'm a current commodore of Gulfport yacht club.
I'm here on behalf of our club and members.
We have about eight members here tonight.
We were recently made privy to a new site plan that was
being proposed.
Obviously I've learned quite a bit about this and quite
a bit about the yacht club tonight.
Unfortunately, this came across as quite alarming as we
had not seen this.
Moreover, similar to bcyc, we are not included in this
new site plan.
I am among many of our members and our members of the
community have many questions.
I know you can't answer a lot of these questions
tonight, but our club has been part of the community
since 1938.
And has been a staple in the community.
A good partner to the city and it's been a
multi-generational, social and sailing club since its
inception.
Even to the fact that my own family members helped
build the new club when it transferred from plant bayou
to its current location.
I stand with you tonight with concern and unanswered
questions.
I understand that you cannot rebut at this time.
However, I am hopeful there is a place for us in this
proposed marina plan.
I'm hopeful that Gulfport yacht club's existence is
addressed later in this hearing.
I don't have anything else.
You know, I support a lot of the yacht club tonight.
I did not know that they were being evicted.
And I hope we're not on the chopping block next.
>> Thanks.
>> Thank you.
>> Anyone else for open public comment? Yes.
>> Good evening, everyone.
I don't live in Gulfport but I am the vice President
And the conservation advocate for clear water Audubon
society.
I'm here to talk about the cleaning stations up at
Gulfport marina.
They have been a problem for birds for a very long
time.
Just in case you all didn't know, it's against Florida
administrative code to feed pelicans carcasses or
fishes that have exposed bones and spines because it
punctures their -- it can cause --
>> Whoever that is, silence their phone during public
comment and for the rest of the meeting.
Thank you.
>> What was that?
Okay.
Anyway, I know for a fact that the cleaning station has
caused the death and injury of many, many pelicans
because I know somebody who lives close by and she is a
very good advocate and checks the pelicans every time,
almost daily.
Even from the Brown pelican species action plan, they
say through targeted outreach they recommend protecting
pelicans from injury and mortality related to
intentional feeding.
There's actually a placard and a sign that the fwc has
made stating that it is against Florida administrative
code to feed the pelicans.
We have a lot of pathens that come into the Gulfport
arena.
They have a lot of tourists and people who think it's
cool and cute to feed the pelicans.
And they want to take pictures.
But it's not cute at all when you rescue them and
they're dying.
And they have an infection and they smell like death
because the infection is eating away at their gastro
intentional tract and they're dying.
That's not cute.
And it's against the law to feed these birds.
I think the station needs to be removed completely.
If you insist on having a cleaning station there, you
need to provide lidded trash cans and enforce it.
I don't care how many signs you have, they're not going
to stop feeding the pelicans. --
feeding pelicans is prohibited by law.
So I think in the spirit of being environmentally
friendly and protecting the Brown pelican, which
afterall is the mascot of the city of St. Petersburg, I
realize this is Gulfport, but it's the sister city.
Let's keep our pelicans safe, and stop the feeding of
them.
>> Thank you very much.
>> Thank you.
>> Much appreciated.
Does anyone else have open public comment?
>> There's one.
>> Yes.
>> Good evening, my name is Frank McKinney.
My son has a residence --
>> Can you pull the microphone up.
>> Yes, sorry.
My name is Frank McKinney.
My son has a residence on 51st street south in
Gulfport.
I have been for 50 years a fervent support of Gulfport.
I just love the town.
There's an old saying about be careful what you wish
for.
I'd like to add to it.
Is be careful that you can afford and bring about what
you wish for.
I was a member of a team in St.
Petersburg on the other side of bayou -- flying the
plane for skyway marina district very active for years.
It began as a volunteer operation.
Then the city -- we defined a plan.
Meetings after meetings of what do you want?
What do we need to have down here?
Our focus was primarily on shops, places to live,
places to dine, and opportunities for employment for
people who now live in midtown of St. Petersburg.
We want something more than clerks and bus boys. --
it was all wrapped up.
The mayor was behind it.
Gave an offer to the first restaurant that would open
and you can go and dine in.
I thought wow, this is great.
Then the implementation began. --
no resemblance whatsoever to what we planned. Nothing.
We have a large cement buildings which is pretty much
like CzechSlovakia.
We have no restaurant aside from the preexisting fish
house, our dock house, which is not nearly as good as
o'maddy's.
We have a new wawa gas station.
That's it.
Mayor still hasn't been down because there's still no
place for the mayor to eat.
We didn't get what we wanted.
We didn't insist on there being a way of implementation
for this plan.
When it happened, they said, okay, now, now everybody
can do everything.
We promoted people moving in there.
What happened?
Businesses moving in.
What happened is they were enthused about it.
But didn't think that we were a place that they wanted
to be.
So that development really only on what the zoning laws
would allow.
If you just rely on the zoning laws and the mercy of
developers, you're going to end up with the wrong
thing.
Now's the time to map out exactly what you're going to
get when you go forward with your plan.
I don't know whether you're going to go forward or not.
But if you do, for gosh sakes, make sure you know what
you're doing.
Make sure you know where the money is coming.
>> Thank you, sir.
Thank you very much.
>> Thank you.
>> Anyone else for open public comment? Yes.
>> David Falwell, 29th avenue.
I'm just hoping that somebody in our city or all of
you, at least, are very involved with the Florida
league of cities.
In Tallahassee they're more than half way through their
session this year and there are countless preemptive
bills coming forward.
I didn't bring the whole list.
Bill 856 is going to prevent cities and counties from
employing any alternative efforts for energy.
So if you want to have our city buildings with solar
power, you wouldn't be able to do that.
If you want our fleet of vehicles to be battery
operated, Tallahassee would have a say first.
There's also bills that prevent our planning committee
that's been working on beach boulevard and shore, it
would preempt any of that, unless you complete
construction by July 14th of this year.
Please, please be aware of all these preemptive bills.
And maybe someone from stetsson could help us work on
these things.
Thank you. >> Thank you. Yes.
>> Hello, I'm Bret Daniel, a veteran who's got
disability.
And I taught 10 years at pinelas County as a public
education teacher.
And what I'm most concerned about is the -- if we bring
this place to a more public setting and we allow more
people to experience at the income levels that allows
more people in, I think you have a greater diversity.
So I'm concerned about the diversity of this.
And if you've ever had a wish and you take a little
tour out there at Boca.
Help everybody as best we can.
Maybe pulling these boats out, fixing them and saying
you know, get them back in the water and get people
happier because they have wishes.
So as many people with vessels out there their wishes
have gone astray.
22 years in the military.
Three tours in the Persian Gulf says I support the
public domain not the private domain.
I apologize because I have a disability.
And fighting a private disability is much easy to fight
in a public setting.
The second thing is we should all be happy it's
becoming spring and the birds are out here.
We are a tree community.
We must think of ourselves as a small domain to help
impact the birds.
And I'm sorry, my teeth are going to fall out.
But that's what I'd like you to look at as we're
becoming public and allowing everyone access.
And you have the accountability.
So somebody reports to you, you look at this and say
let's see the diversity in this group.
Let's see the financials to this group.
Let's make sure every child who wants to swim go
sailing.
I apologize, I'm more for staying in the public domain.
But don't trash the stuff and throw it away.
Look at how you can serve more people.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
Anyone else for open public comment?
Am I missing any hands right now?
If I'm missing any hands, just stand up. Okay.
>> Hi, my name is Elizabeth Hendrix and I'm a Gulfport
resident residing in gulf shores.
I took the sailing course at bcyc in 2017.
And ten of my classmates and I joined the club.
Of those, five of us bought our own boats within a year
of joining.
I have a sailboat and it's in the bcyc basin.
And I've loved racing monthly.
We have a cruising program.
I lernt to navigate with charts.
Made some wonderful friends.
And I love the basin that we're in with all the
mangroves and all the trees.
There are blue herons nesting in those trees and I
watch them feed their young probably four months a
year. There's also tons and tons of pelicans in the
area.
I am very worried about the proposal, which I just
reviewed today. That looks at putting pathways both on
two areas.
They're calling them thinking spots a and b. These
would cut through mangroves.
Heavy mangrove area where these pelicans and birds are.
There are dozens and dozens of birds there.
And this would be extremely damaging to the ecosystem,
to birds and wildlife.
People don't need to go back there.
We don't need a park.
Those lands are rocky.
They're uneven.
I've heard people talk about having to do a boardwalk.
This would mean a huge change in the ecosystem.
We have a huge park.
Bikeways right on the other side of the channel.
We don't need it right there.
Let's leave -- preserve some area for the birds.
There's very little areas where birds can congregate
where you're not shooing them off a beach or somebody's
private property.
We need those mangroves, the root system to protect the
basin and protect the boats that are in there.
Any trimming of trees or ripping out trees is going to
affect the boats and the environment.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
Anyone else open for public comment? Yes.
>> I'm Denise Moseley, I'm also known as the crazy bird
lady.
Some of you know me.
Some of you don't.
Having said that, I live across the street from the
Gulfport arena.
I see more than most do.
If we continue with the plans as they've been laid out
and we start to mess with the mangroves, we're going to
start destroying the nesting habitat for different
wildlife.
Not to mention the wildlife in the water as well.
Having the area as it is now is definitely a detriment
in a few ways.
I pulled out a heron that was nesting in a tree with
fishing line entanglement where he might lose a limb.
It might not mean a lot to you.
But it is important for us.
It is also mating season.
The better we take care of this area, the more we can
continue to have this ecosystem that benefits our
fishermen.
Several of our volunteers have charters that come out
of the marina.
They can make an educational lesson to some of their
boaters.
It's very important that we continue to teach people
how important our mangroves andest -- estuaries are.
Right now the problem is that if we remove that
mangrove area and we start putting in event areas over
there, I hate to see the trash that comes from that.
I started a group.
Every single morning I walk outside and see trash in
front of my yard.
Not a complaint just a statement of fact.
Because when people come visit, they are not
appropriate with anything, including their trash, the
mono filliment line, anything that has to do with
disposal.
The other problem we have with removing those mangroves
and making it a thinking area, where are you going to
put the trash cans?
Where are you going to put things to dispose of the
mono filliment line?
Which continues to kill animals.
Please consider as we go through to make these
arrangements where the yacht club is existing now that
we do not disrupt the ecosystem anymore than we already
have.
Right now there's a fishing station over there that did
not actually meet the specs of what was supposed to
happen.
There's no fishing chute.
There's no carcass disposal chute.
Which means the fisherman puts them straight into the
bay.
And I have to go out there and pick up before they die
of sepss.
>> --
>> How do you put a walkway in there, sir?
>> Okay.
>> How do you put a walkway in there?
>> We'll address it when we get to the marina part.
I just wondered how you saw it.
>> On the plans.
>> Who is the next person for open comment? Anyone?
>> Yes.
>> I live in town shores.
We've owned property there since 1976, my parents, and
now I. It's my first meeting that I've come to.
I've watched two on Zoom.
It's actually quite upsetting, to tell you the truth.
I do have a question.
I'm not sure the procedure.
I mean, lots of people have spoken with their ideas and
concerns.
How -- maybe you can answer this after the question.
How are decisions made?
Are those working meetings open?
How do we know that you are really listening and taking
in to consideration what everyone has said.
And my last question is how did this get started or why
did it get started with the yacht club?
Which I have nothing to do with at all.
But I think it's a nice part of the community from
everything I've heard about it.
So it's just very curious to me how this all started to
throw them out, rip the building down, build a little
park.
We have the clam bayou park. It's beautiful.
I just don't understand.
>> Okay.
That's a lot of inquiry.
So we'll have to follow up with you individually.
Thank you.
Anyone else open for public comment?
Anyone who has come here tonight and spoken on this
issue, I encourage you to stick around for the rest of
the evening.
>> What about Zoom?
>> I'm not done yet.
>> Okay.
Sorry.
>> Anyone else in this room that has a public comment
for open public comment?
All right.
I'm sorry.
Are you -- can we get her a mic?
You can make it in?
Okay.
I saw your hand.
>> Good evening, and thank you for your service and for
taking the time to listen.
And I truly hope that you are listening and taking
these things to heart.
I'd like to see a lot more transparency and a lot more
dialogue on this.
It seems things are moving pretty fast as far as the
residents and the community, et cetera.
By the way, I've been a homeowner for nearly 30 years.
I was a member of bcyc. I haven't been for a long time.
I was a member of the lions club.
Haven't been for a long time.
I really hope that we do everything we can to make sure
we don't displace any of those organizations.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
Anyone else for open public comment?
All right.
Seeing no one, have we got anyone on the phone?
>> Yes, mayor.
>> All right.
>> The first person will be Margaret tover.
>> Hi.
This is Margaret tober, 59th street.
Before I make the comments I had planned to make, I
would like to say that the lady or say to the lady that
spoke earlier about the building that's boarded up.
I just by happenstance, had an online conversation with
one of the owners of that property.
And she put a rendering of their plans online.
I would like to give permission to city clerk deMuth to
give that lady my contact information and the lady can
contact me and I'll put her in touch with the owner.
I had a speech written out, and I'm going to discard
that and just kind of free form it.
I've called Gulfport home since I was 5 1/2 years old
so that's 60 plus years.
I was very saddened by what happened at the last
meeting.
And actually, I was saddened by what happened at the
meeting on February 2nd.
I also went back through some old videos.
And I noticed even at the very first meeting that Ms.
Thanos -- the bottom line is Ms.
Thanos is there now and she deserves to be treated with
respect and likewise, everybody else should be treated
with respect.
Over the course of the last year, you know, even the
first meetings she attended, I noticed she was never
welcomed by anybody.
It's fine to have disagreements.
But I learned in the course of my career that sometimes
you learn more from talking to people and listening to
their ideas even if you don't like them that much, than
you ever learn from a textbook. You know.
You know.
I learned analyzing financial statements from a
textbook.
I learned sig sigma process improvement from a
textbook.
But most of what I learned in the life of my everyday
career I learned from everyday people, customers,
superiors, vendors. And you can learn so much, even if
you don't like most of what they say, if you pick up
one little nugget, that's more than you had before you
started communicating.
So I would like to ask that moving forward that y'all
just be a little more open to listening to each other.
And then the last thing is, someone in the community
brought this to my attention.
And when council members have a disagreement with each
other, perhaps there should be some way if it's a
serious --
>> Thank you.
Mr. Mather, anyone else?
>> There was one.
Please raise your hand if you wish to talk.
Your virtual hand.
I'm not seeing any.
Oh, there it is.
Okay.
This person is -- I'm assuming it's a last name.
Rings.
I'm going to allow you to talk.
You have to unmute.
There you go.
Sorry.
>> Yeah.
This is Samantha Ring.
I'm actually having a panic attack.
That's okay.
I'm going to tell you something.
My roommate Ray Rodriguez is standing next to me. --
I'm telling you we were roommates then, we're roommates
now.
I'm legally blind without my glasses.
That means if my glasses fall off, I can't find them.
Which is fine.
That happens to a lot of people.
However, if I'm alone on my boat and my glasses fall
off, I also have panic attacks.
And I have allergies. I have fatal an flaktic
allergies.
I use an EpiPen.
I've lived in this town for over 20 years.
And I've owned two homes and I lived in another one.
I guess four homes.
But I have -- you know, let me just -- forget about me.
Let's just talk about this.
I love the shared space idea.
I think you have a great idea.
I think that that Gulfport yacht club building, it's
the most adorable building and it represents Gulfport.
I think instead of one big new building, would it be a
more of a dedication to what really is Gulfport than to
make a little group of Gulfport yacht club kind of
based on that, that then is a shared space.
By shared, that means that if you have a disability,
other people don't recognize it because they're not
doctors.
That you can bring your service animal.
I'm going to tell you something -- okay, whatever.
I'm sorry, I'm really -- doing that was wrong.
But anyway, the Gulfport young club, that's adorable.
I think that would be a great thing to do and it could
be a shared space that's open and serves the entire
community.
However, I would ask that we also do a conservation
area for the birds in that main rough space.
That you do a conservation for that mangrove space.
And --
>> I think we lost the communication.
>> Is there anyone else on there, Mr. Mather?
>> No, there's nowhere else.
>> I suggest we take a 15 minute recess.
For anyone who is here for the plan, for the marina.
We'll reconvene at -- actually, let's make it 8
o'clock.
We'll reconvene at 8 o'clock.
>>> All right.
Welcome back, everybody. Coming off recess.
We are at agenda item two, the city manager's report.
>> Thank you, mayor.
First of all, I just wanted to address about three or
four items.
One item I do want to address immediately.
There was an inquire in regards of correspondence Mr.
Pela had raised.
First of all, I'm not in a position to discuss what
security aspects we employ at city hall.
Second is in regards to the correspondence you brought
forward, chief Vincent has spoken to the state's
attorney's office and it does not rise to prosecutable
level.
In response to that question.
>> All right.
>> I know there was concerns about security at city
hall.
We do every effort to -- keep the building locked down
as much as possible.
We still want the public to be able to access the lobby
area.
>> Thank you.
>> Mr. Malorie, Mr. Gunsdser, the presentation with
little league.
We're happy to support little league baseball, as you
know.
We support whatever they need.
I'd just also wanted to confirm that city council will
will be going back to council chambers the first
meeting in May.
Correct?
>> Yeah, can we pull the doors, or else the folks that
are going to participate can come inside one or the
other. The noise is bleeding in.
Go ahead.
Please continue.
>> Yes.
Also, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank chief
Vincent and his staff, and kulteri for his assistance.
Everyone went home safe and unharmed.
Both agents did an excellent job securing the issue.
It went very well.
It was a very scary situation for quite a long time
Friday afternoon.
But I just wanted to thank their respected selves. And
their respected staffs.
Fourth of July, we're at the point where we have to
make that determination.
Fireworks or no fireworks or no Fourth of July event.
Basically I'm recommending to you that we forego Fourth
of July fireworks this year.
That's based on the premise that if we were to do them
and other municipalities in the area were not doing
them, we could see an influx of large individuals
coming in to the area where I don't believe we have the
support to manage.
>> Council.
>> What about a parade?
>> Well it's still hard to separate folks.
That's the issue.
All the events require you can't really social distance
from that.
And I mean, we could do something like we did this last
year later in the year maybe if we want.
I'm going to use the clich?, become normalized.
>> We have to make up our decision now as far as for
something for later?
>> No.
>> New Year's Eve was pretty successful.
We also kept it on the down low to people didn't much
know about it.
>> This is specifically for Fourth of July.
We can have that discussion all through the year.
We would have to purchase them now to order them.
That's why I have to bring it to you so soon.
>> Can we just go back to about going back in May.
I don't have a problem if it's going to be a regular
kind of meeting.
But if it's going to be something that's at all a big
meeting, I think we should come back here.
>> If we can predict and determine that, that's great.
>> Sometimes you can.
>> If we're going to have another continued
conversation about this particular topic we're going to
be talking about.
>> Or later talking about how we're going to spend
whatever federal money once we know all of the criteria
for for it.
That would probably be.
>> Please continue with your report.
>> That's all I had tonight.
>> I was going to ask you a couple of other things.
>> Before I get to that.
I'm going to ask to table the capital improvement
budget for this evening. I'm required by the charter to
provide you a capital improvement budget, but I'm going
to ask you mayor to table it.
>> Regarding that since we do stand to get some funds,
some ways that we could potentially help people.
I know you and Cheryl have had multiple discussions
about this in the past about figuring out a way to tier
the water rate. If there's a way we could subsidize or
the earmarked money we might potentially get from
congress.
If we could postpone any for at least a year, any
delays or increases in the water sewer sanitation rate.
I wanted to know how council felt about those things.
I'm talking about the city manager and our financial
director who know that business, bringing something to
us that might work.
>> I agree.
>> Especially a figure about what that would mean.
>> Oh yes, we would give you the impact.
>> Yes.
>> Is that to the extent -- well do we have council
consent?
Is that all right?
>> a gree.
>> I have one question.
>> Sure.
Do we know if the city of St. Pete's going to raise our
rates now between now and next year?
>> I'm sure their intent is their wholesale rate, yes.
We would give you the financial impact of that.
As soon as we know.
We have some estimates that we work from.
The biggest issue is the amount of lost revenue.
Could you use your rescue act moneys to offset or forgo
I guess the term I would use is fore go at this time
your rate increase.
It May extend your 10-year plan that you've adopted,
the implementation.
But you do have to address a revenue loss because of
the administrative charges and things like that.
So you'd have to offset that if that was a use of your
rescue act dollars.
>> Okay.
>> But you'd be passing savings on that there would not
be a rate increase this year is how I'm perceiving it.
>> Some kind of tangible rate that we can pass on to
residents.
>> We can start that dialogue.
I mean, we could do some raw numbers and see where it
goes.
>> Okay.
All right.
Thank you.
Anything else, city manager?
>> No, sir.
>> Thank you very much.
City attorney.
I have one question for you.
Those of us who have been here for a while, and I think
I'm still technically new by Gulfport standards only
gotten here in 2006.
They're pumping phosphate nitrogen rich waste water
into Tampa Bay.
I wanted to know if there's any precedent for -- I
wouldn't want to take on this kind of legal step on our
own.
But if there's any way through the Florida league of
cities we could gauge them and see if there's any
interest in a municipal class action suit against
mosaic.
They've been a bad steward.
I mean, every time they put on a commercial, it talks
about them planting a tree.
But they don't want to talk much about what they're
doing to the water.
Take away Disney World.
That's why people come here.
Whether it's the springs or the coast. If there's any
precedent for doing that.
I'd be interested to see if council had any interest.
>> We could contact them.
>> They're a frequent flyer in the environmental world
for kind of saying, oops, we made a mistake.
Oh, it's a sink hole, who would have known?
Well who could have known is geologistists and
engineers.
>> We'll contact Florida league.
It wouldn't surprise me if someone was moving forward
with what's going on lately.
>> Maybe the people who sued us might be suing them.
>> Based on the fact we've been involved in it, we know
some of the players.
>> They want to pick on the little guy with us.
We'll see if they want to take on mosaic.
The concern is waters are going to start heating up.
With all that food in there, nitrogen and phosphorous,
we're already looking at an increased risk of red tide
and other Algo blooms.
>> Where are they putting it right now?
>> The piney point plant, I believe.
They're pumping it out.
>> Where it is, basically, mayor, if I May.
It's basically along the coast of terrasea.
Wherever they pump it, it's along the coast of
terrasea.
>> They talked about it at one time putting it on
barges and taking it out to the gulf.
Gees Louise.
>> You mentioned you were having a meeting on Friday.
>> Wednesday we had a temp --
>> Going to affect as well?
>> Tampa Bay.
Pinelas County is testing Tampa Bay and old Tampa Bay.
>> All right.
Thanks, city attorney.
Appreciate it.
Thanks, council.
City clerk's report.
>> No report, mayor.
>> Okay.
All right.
That brings us to our consent agenda.
>> Consent a considering approval of council meeting
minutes.
Members to serve on board of adjustment provided for
term of appointments.
Joe Szemer, Kelly Wright.
Providing for term of appointment.
Robert Craig, Jerry Reid, Mary Hanahan.
5d resolution appointing a trustee for the police
officers trust fund providing term of appointment.
5e, providing for term of appointment.
Those nominees are ros barbieri.
Resolution 2021-24.
5g, resolution 2021-25.
Authorizing the expenditure of funds for the granicus
platform.
5 iresolution 2021-27.
>> All right.
Motion on this council.
>> I'll make a motion on the consent agenda.
>> Second.
>> We have a first and second.
All in favor, signify say aye.
>> It was requested we take off our council rules off
of the consent agenda.
Margaret tober had written to all of us.
Do we want to do that?
>> No, I don't.
Anyone else?
>> Anybody?
>> --
>> About taking the council rules and procedures off.
>> She wanted to have a discussion about the rules.
>> No.
We have the discussion here.
We did it, so no.
I don't.
We have a motion on the table to vote on the consent
agenda as is.
All in favor signify by saying aye.
Unless you want to make a motion and see if we get a
second.
>> Obviously I'm not going to get a second.
>> All in favor of the consent agenda, aye.
>> Aye.
>> Carries to passage with a 4-
1.
Resolutions beginning with resolution 2021-28.
>> Application from the Kiwanis Club of Gulfport.
>> City manager.
>> Yes, mayor, this special events of two days.
This is a request from the Kiwanis Club of Gulfport to
host a volleyball tournament on Gulfport beach from
8:00 to 6:00 P.M.
They would have to, of course, have someone manage
their distancing and such, unless they're playing.
They've met all the requirements.
Staff recommends approval at this time.
They've asked to place six additional volleyball
courts.
>> For that weekend?
>> Yes.
>> Okay.
Council comments.
Follow speaking order.
Council comments.
Questions on this one.
>> I don't have any questions.
I did have an opportunity to meet the applicants that
are running the volleyball tournament last night.
And they have a great plan in place.
And I feel like they're very community minded.
So I'm in favor of this.
>> Good.
Council member Ray, council member Fridovich.
>> How many?
>> They'll be adding an additional six courts.
>> Council members, vice mayor.
>> I'm looking at the picture here.
It looks like -- so how much of the beach would be left
just from the walkway --
>> From the walkway back to the volleyball courts.
It would be the area east.
>> This just shows where it stops.
So you can't tell how much of it's left. Okay.
>> Public comment on this item?
We'll entertain a motion.
>> I'll make a motion on 2021-28.
>> Second.
>> Have a first and second.
Mr.
Mather, did we get any phone comment?
>> Not at this time, mayor.
>> Okay.
We'll call a vote.
>> Council member Brown.
>> Yes.
>> Council member Ray.
>> Yes.
>> Council member Fridovich, yes.
>>
>> Resolution authorizing city manager to submit a
request for federal community project funding.
>> City manager.
>> Thank you, mayor.
Mayor, as we've had preliminary discussions in regards
to relocating 49th street, the public safety buildings,
police and fire.
We've recently learned that congress had announced that
for fiscal year 2021 -- excuse me, 2022, they would be
accepting applications for earmarks.
That's new that congress has moved forward to return
those.
It previously removed them from their budget process.
What we've done is contacted congressman Christ's
office.
And we'd like to make application.
We did have preliminary to get a cost associated with
it.
It's an application.
And to ask if under Homeland Security Homeland Security
appropriations that we could build something like this.
>> Have they laid out what the limitations are in
funding or is it fairly vague?
>> It's fairly vague at this point just the specific
criteria that you'd have to complete.
We've been working to come up with a cost estimate, the
needs assessment.
It has to all been done by April 16th.
So we've been pretty focused on that.
What we're looking at is what we can use as the term
used earlier this evening, shared space.
So it's an opportunity to make an application.
But there's some pretty detailed things that they're
asking for.
Chief's been looking for -- soliciting from businesses.
So 49, merchants association, neighborhood associations
related to 49th street, to seek letters of endorsements
that's required.
Also, we need to develop a budget.
Also, it requires a city council resolution to show
city council support.
>> All right.
Council, comments, questions?
Council member Brown.
>> No, I'm excited about it.
I hope -- I think it will be a great anchor for 49th
street.
The shared space is important for training purposes.
And I think it will be -- it's way important especially
for -- I know about the fire department because they're
running out of place for people to sleep.
Something to enhance their living quarters since they
stay there 24 hours.
I think that's important.
And I know that the police are out -- have outgrown
their space, too.
So I'm very much in favor of this.
>> Council member Ray.
>> --
>> Council member Fridovich.
>> We're getting more and more female cops, or police
officers as well.
And they're having trouble having their own privacy and
things like that.
I do have a question, however, though, city manager.
We just made a motion to go ahead and put a new roof
for the fire station.
Now we're talking about moving it.
Would it not be better off to hold off for a while
before we spend money on a new roof if they're going to
move it?
>> No, sir, because we'd have to use the building in
the future.
Moving other activities in to the fire station.
>> Okay. All right. Thank you.
>> Vice mayor.
>> So all of what you mentioned so far doesn't sound
like it costs time but not necessarily money.
Do we need engineering, drawings.
>> Not at this point.
>> Architect drawings.
>> We're going to spend approximately $1,800 to get the
architect to give us basic that we can submit with the
application.
>> That's all we need for now?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Okay.
>> All right.
Want to entertain a motion on this?
>> I'll make a motion on 2021-29.
>> Second.
>> First and a second.
Public comment on this item?
Seeing no one.
Anyone on the phones?
>> Not at this time, mayor.
>> Okay.
We'll call a vote.
>> Council member Brown.
>> Yes.
>> Council member Ray.
>> Yes.
>> Council member Fridovich.
>> Mayor Henderson.
>> Yes.
Brings us to agenda item number 8.
>> Local planning agency to approve conditional use
with site plan application -- whole sale, sales, and
distribution and existing commercial structure and the
request includes a retail use which is a permitted use.
>> Thank you.
City manager.
>> Mayor, this is condition use.
It's a permitted use with an accessory retail, which is
permitted as outlined in your memo from Mr. Taylor.
This has been a commercial property.
This is a new applicant.
A new use of it.
They've requested permission to move ahead.
This was previously a gun vendor.
But it's been vacant.
So subsequently this is wholesale and retail business.
>> Glad to see business coming on 49th.
That's great.
Who will entertain a motion on this item?
>> Yes.
>> We're a go.
I'll make a motion we accept --
>> 8a.
>> Recommendation to approve.
I do have a question, however.
>> We're going to get to there.
>> Second. >> Yes.
She seconded it.
>> I second his whatever.
>> Council member Brown, did you have any comments on
this one?
>> I do.
I did research it a little bit.
But I don't -- I'd like to know what kind of business
it is.
I looked it up and I didn't really understand it.
I wonder if somebody can --
>> I believe the applicant's in the audience.
If I applicant could come up, please.
>> You're welcome.
>> Hi, how are y'all?
>> Good.
>> My name is Teresa, my husband Scott. --
it's used in quilting and sewing.
This is a project that was made with it.
It's just a little quilt.
You can stitch over it or you can just iron it on and
create things with it.
It works with paper.
It works with wood.
It works with fabric.
And so it comes in 4 yards and 10 yards.
The wholesale aspect if the quilt shop orders, ups or
FedEx picks them up.
>> Is it like that stitchery my mom used when I was
yuounger?
>> Yes, but better.
>> I looked it up and I said it sounds like stitch
witchery.
>> Yes.
>> I'm excited.
Good.
Does anybody else have any questions?
>> Does anyone else have a question for the applicant.
>> I'm so glad to see that instead of a gun shop.
Yes.
>> I just wanted to say, too, to how much we appreciate
Mr.
Taylor.
Mike Taylor has went out of his way to help us.
Permitting and zoning.
It was a pleasure to work with everyone.
>> That's great to hear.
>> Welcome.
>> All right.
Public comment on this?
Oh, I don't think we have any further questions up here
so you all are free.
Unless you have anything you'd like to add?
>> No, sir.
Thank you.
>> Anyone on the phone, Mr.
Mather?
>> Not at this time, mayor.
>> Call a vote. >> Council member Brown.
>> Yes.
>> Council member Ray.
>> Yes.
>> Council member Fridovich.
>> Yes.
>> Vice mayor Thanos.
>> Yes.
>> Mayor Henderson.
>> Yes.
>> That brings us to item number 9.
The city manager asked us to table until May 4th that
you wanted to go to?
>> Yeah, that would be fine.
If that's okay with council.
Because I know your next meeting you have the park in
discussion.
>> Yeah.
Council, are we okay with tabling that?
>> Yes, sir.
>> All right.
That brings us to 9b, conceptual future marina
improvements.
For this, we're going to bring up --
>> Yeah, mayor, we're just going to give you -- I'm
going to give you a bigger picture.
We have some slides that we'd like to show you. Within
your packet of information, I provided you all the
backup that's been provided for the last approximately
8 years and different steps we've taken.
A couple of things I wanted to clear up.
One of the aspects that was shown on -- and Dennis will
get into more detail -- was creating a facility, if
necessary, and they wanted to participate, to bring the
groups in to under one building.
We foresee building something that would have a
commercial kitchen, meeting space, things to that
effect.
That's always been included since early on.
And if you look at the information that you've been
provided, it addresses the sharets that we've held, and
the gathering information.
All of them talk about maintaining the attendance.
And the public input was maintaining the clubs.
Just not on the present location.
That was the groups we were resepted to that who
attended.
Some of the folks who are in attendance tonight were
part of those meetings.
We're just going to give you a broad overview.
A lot of this is contingent as we spoke on funding and
such.
But what we'd like to do is are we headed in the right
direction?
Is there a consensus.
>> This drawing is a conceptual drawing, not a final
design complete drawing.
>> This is the result of the input received in four
different meetings.
The first one took place approximately 8 years ago.
It's very broad.
There was another meeting in 2016.
And we looked at, okay, what's the funding
availability.
We started addressing the idea of having a living
shoreline.
When we talk about the breakwater park, those are all
aspects of this that we floated and asked for comment.
Later on, you'll see a book in there that when we had
brown fields investigative and reuse planning monies,
we went through and did about 8 projects.
Other than the veterans park project, that was
discussed, all the other projects are reaching fruition
except for the marina.
We've done a bike trail.
We put the ponds in next to the marina.
We've done the tangerine greenway, Charlie market
square.
We've done shoreline improvements.
All those projects are what we hope to occur in the
waterfront redevelopment area, in the 49th street
redevelopment area.
This would be the last project.
Unless council decided they wanted to make any changes
to veterans park.
And that's a discussion you can have in the future.
But so that's what this is.
This is very broad.
This is just to say, okay, these are things that were
previously identified.
Are we still to use their term from the sailing groups?
Are we on the right track?
Is this something that council wishes to move forward?
As we've tried to secure funding for the breakwater
park, we've been successful and subsequently had to
turn down the living shoreline dollars because we had
to free up those dollars at a different economic time.
And Dennis can talk about background to that.
>> All right.
>> Can I just check.
Can I --
they see these slides on Zoom?
Thank you.
>> David, can we look at the right slide only, please.
>> Sure.
>> That one is good.
Good evening, mayor.
Good evening, council.
I'm going to explain how we got to this concept.
I just want to give you some stats of the marina.
252 wet slips both in the north and south basin.
75 boat drying storage spaces.
28 boat lifts.
20 being in the south basin.
8 in the north basin.
32 kayak storage presently behind the lions club on the
beach area.
350 foot of guest stockage.
24-hour double lane boat ramp, ship store.
53 boat ramp parking spaces.
Two yacht clubs are currently on the property.
The community and stakeholders engage in two workshops
in 2016.
Workshop number one was conducted as a listening
session where participants were asked questions
focusing on sections of the Gulfport marina.
The general area encompassing the whole property.
The central, basically the north basin, and of course
the yacht clubs.
The first focus was on the general marina area.
And the participants were asked how is the marina
accessed?
Is nearby residents depending on access through this
property?
If parking and maneuvering spaces was adequate.
The second was on the central marina. What amenities
are available?
Were there any deficiencies at the marina?
And the third questions were the yacht clubs.
The use of these properties.
The current configuration, what is needed on these
properties, and what actually needs improving.
Additional concern addressed in the sharat was the
entire marina were parking expansion, additional
boating activities to enhance the entire marina area.
Workshop two was conducted weeks later to provide
comments and feedback of the concept plan that were
intended to reflect the sediments received in the first
workshop.
The Gulfport marina conceptual plan is just that, it's
a concept aimed to build upon the assets that currently
exist as well as accommodate future facilities and
operations while being mindful of the current users,
surrounding residents, the natural environment, the
guiding principles present in the design include
increased landscaping, boating facilities, additional
parking, public access to the water, and clubds and
organizations.
Recommending in the first sharat was increasing
landscaping.
And if I May, the landscaping encompasses this whole
area.
As you can see here in this concept drawing, tiffton is
actually vacated with vegetated and direct access to
the boats.
With additional beach park improved in the south
portion of it.
So the southwest portion you have a beach park right in
here.
This allows this kayak storage building undercover to
which we currently have now 32 kayaks to launch
directly behind this beach.
Also, additional surrounding areas would be more
landscaping over here with a -- did I do that?
>> Yeah. Hold on.
>> Okay.
So this is an additional landscaping area here.
These are like for a bench park.
These are open to the public so we could see boats
coming in and out.
There would also be a floating dock along this area
right here.
And most important, which came up was the idea of
rushton facilities at the south end of the marina.
Right now all these piers are running north and south.
It was recommended in the first and second sharet to
build restroom facilities.
Additional area was the flex parking in the south
portion of the basin.
Flex parking means we could use this for events.
We could use it for boat trailer and for regular
customer parking.
Additionally, as Mr. O'Reilly talked about is the
linear park.
This is living shoreline.
We have a lot of information gathered on this
particular piece of property.
And so we're almost -- I believe we do have legislation
to get monies for that.
>> Do you mind explaining the environmental component
about how living shoreline works.
>> So a living shoreline would consist of plants.
It would consist of oyster reservations.
It would consist of more rip rap to grow the oysters.
We're looking at putting passive docks in between some
of these areas for fishing or for -- in the mangroves.
There is no plans to touch any of the mangroves within
the whole entire property.
>> Thank you.
>> I am well aware of the birds in here.
I've worked at this marina for close to four decades.
So I know where every bird is, every area this inch of
here.
So we are not touching any mangroves areas at all.
>> Thank you.
>> And last, the multi-purpose building.
This building was intended in the sharet to make room
for clubs and organizations.
Instead of having three buildings taking over the
property is to have one multi-purpose building which
each clubs could entertain.
So this was the concept that was filed in four
workshops.
I'm just talking about the two latest workshops in
2016.
>> Yeah. Thank you.
Anything else you'd like to add?
>> Currently, like I said, there's a 20-boat lifts in
this area in the lower basin.
I could see some more boat lifts going in to here.
We had 25 empty slips that when the club gave up right
of refusal, they could not rent the slips.
So we're losing over $60,000 a year.
It was decided to put boat slips on the particular
list, and they are now full with waiting list.
>> Thank you very much.
Dennis, can we go through the specific order in case
anyone has specific questions for you.
Council member Brown.
>> The building c, it says right above it storage
under.
So it would be a two-story building?
Open air kind of thing?
>> Correct.
It would resemble the existing marina building that was
built several years ago.
Storage underneath or whatever small craft we could fit
under the building.
It would be ada accessible, and meet Miami-Dade code.
>> Thank you.
>> Council member.
>> Do we have plans for this actual building?
>> No.
It's a total concept.
>> Okay.
>> I have one question, though.
The boats, the entrance ways to the boats means that
the people unloading or loading on to those boats would
have to go an extra distance.
Right now the road goes along the fence where the gates
are to get to the boats.
So that means in the case of, like, being over in the
further docks, I forgot the numbers of them.
It could be quite a distance to get to the last one.
>> We do provide dock carts right now.
And a lot of mariners are used to carrying their
equipment in dock carts to the pier.
If you're all the way out on the pier and you park in
front of the gate that's 300 feet to the pier.
So what's another 20 yards.
>> Anything else?
All right.
Council member Fridovich.
>> If we move things now or they're moving out, the
yacht club is moving out, is there any way to help sea
scouts and some of the organizations that are involved?
>> That would be up to you all.
>> Is the marina in a position to help that or have
space for that?
>> We had a preliminary brief conversation about that.
In regards to the sea scouts, we have been providing
them slips in areas.
There were some questions about their lifts and storage
of some sailboats.
And we're happy to work with them.
Dennis and I just have to work out the details with Mr.
Hien and see what we can facilitate.
But we'd keep the sea scouts.
We also offer the ability for the group to meet in
Dennis' public area upstairs.
>> Yup.
>> We're willing to work with them.
>> Other than losing a home, there would not be an
interruption of services or nig like that.
>> We have all intentions to work with them.
>> Thank you. >> And we've stated that clearly since this discussion
started.
>> With people at this meeting talking.
We wouldn't have to go anywhere, we'd accommodate them.
>> Preliminary discussions.
>> Yeah.
Vice mayor. >> So being in the flood zone, how raised would a
building there have to be?
>> 13 feet above.
>> That's all?
Okay.
So one of the things about sustainability is to not
build any municipal buildings or municipal facilities
that you don't have to in a flood zone.
It just doesn't make sense.
Even if you haven't raised and are using it for
storage, you know, one of the basic things they tell
you not to do.
And especially when all these clubs already have
buildings, it means that we would be spending city
money to build a building that we're going to lease out
to clubs.
So we'd have to see when we would get a return on our
money, and would they be able to afford the rent that
we'd have to charge them in order to pay for that
building?
Usually that's the kind of thing a developer does, not
a city.
Especially if it's a building that we're not, as a
city, going to use.
So it's not something that we need as part of our
marina per se.
And like I say, these people, I mean, these three clubs
all have buildings now that they can keep using and
having it not cost the city a cent.
And you could still redevelop some of this area around
them and maybe negotiate with bcyc about having better
access for the public without spending city money on a
new building.
And especially one that's in a flood zone that would be
particularly vulnerable and expensive.
You know.
So for -- I mean, it's a nice idea.
But I don't see us having -- I mean, if we were to get
this $5 million, we'd have to decide that before we
tear down the bcyc, we'd have to make sure we want to
do this because it doesn't make sense to tear down the
building until we have a plan for something else.
So maybe make a park and no building.
But to spend $5 million on a building that we're just
going to rent out to clubs when all those clubs have
buildings now.
The to me, it doesn't make sense.
It doesn't seem to make financial sense.
Especially when they could just stay where they are and
be fine.
Maybe you could spend some of the money renovating the
area in general.
I like the idea of the permeable parking.
That was very good.
And again, how long would it take to pay off that
building with the rents that we would be collecting
because those are all non-profit companies. I mean,
plugs. So they're not going to be paying rents like a
normal business would pay.
Again, flood zone, being a developer, basically, and
you know, and then the birds. You know.
Even if we keep the mangroves, there's other trees
there, and the disruption, you know, you'd have to
build it all when the birds weren't nesting or
something.
Because otherwise it could be a disaster for the birds.
I'm personally opposed to all this.
>> All right.
[Applause]
>> Mr. O'Reilly, can you speak to the age of the
buildings?
>> Yeah.
The buildings, I mean, to us --
>> This is not new, by the way.
>> No.
We look at the improvements we'd like to see in the
area.
I mean, the buildings have outlived their life
expectancy to the city.
As they foresee us for taking any building that has --
I mean, we have no investment in that.
You'd have to bring it up to city code if you take the
building over.
Then we get into the issue if we make more than 50% of
the actual building, that would require the building to
be 13 feet off the ground.
This is to start the dialogue.
I mean, council member, if the majority of council
chose not to move forward, we could go as status quo.
I mean, we're not -- we brought the information
forward.
>> That's why I'm asking.
I know it's a repeat for you to say all this again for
the umpteenth time.
>> Whatever council's direction.
What we're looking at is these are the things that were
provided for during the sharets.
>> And also, that building is not exclusively for the
use of the existing clubs.
There would be any number of uses.
Just like we rent out places like scout hal hall, the
casino.
They could be used for city events.
We're talking about a low key entry.
We're not talking about paving a trail back there.
We're talking about doing something very much to blend
in with the natural landscape.
>> Exactly.
Those are all preliminary.
The initial, as I provided in your information, it
strictly was to make the area accessible to the public.
>> Exactly.
Which it hasn't been for a long time.
>> Which it hasn't been for a long time.
And it has to be safe.
As someone spoke of the rocks and this and that.
Yes, you could go from having a boardwalk, you could
have a shell pathway.
If you're going to invite the public, you have to make
it safe.
When Dennis used the term docks, low impact docks, I
looked at it as more piers, very similar to what you
have in clam bayou.
Approximately 12 x 12.
They're not docks.
We're not bringing vessels up.
They're too shallow.
>> Observation.
>> Yeah, and for people to enjoy it.
This whole issue was generated each time by the desire
for members who participated in those sharets to open
more up to the public.
I mean, I'm not here to debate it.
>> I just wanted some of the answers that you've given
in the past when this has come up.
Since it always appears to be brand new news.
Putting municipal buildings in flood zones.
That's true.
Except when it's a marina structure.
Marinas tend to be near water.
Those who came up with misinformation tonight, I don't
know if it was intentional.
But I wanted to address.
We had meetings with some people -- Gulfport yacht
club, their lease is actually the one we use as a model
for what works.
Paying an actual price.
>> $24,000.
>> There you go.
That's an actual rent.
The mangroves.
You can't take the mangroves out.
If you're going to do the living shoreline program.
In fact, there's usually some plannings that go along
with that.
And not disrupting the existing habitat.
So what I've seen is that you guys, what was told to me
tonight is how special this place is.
And also, but it's such a small place, why do people
need to visit it.
You can't say both of those things.
So what you've gotten to enjoy is either a guest of
yacht club, is you got to enjoy it.
But if you're a regular person, people that live in
this city's land, as soon as you get to that gate where
it says no entry for bcyc members, it is exclusive.
I'm not saying it's based on race or gender or how much
money you have.
But it's exclusive once you tell people that they can't
go on public land and it's just for you.
The vast majority of this city have never gotten to go
out on that little point and see where the blue
herrings nest.
My point with this is public access.
And I want everybody to enjoy what only a handful of
people could enjoy for a very long time.
Because public access to that property for a lot of
years now, I'm not taking away the good that the yacht
club has done.
But we can't sit here and appear that everyone has
been --
what's that?
>> Golf port yacht club has the same thing.
They've got a gate.
>> Thank you.
They're also paying a real rent for it.
>> So are they.
>> I let everybody speak for a long time and I'm going
to say what I got to say right now.
All right.
If you want to vote me out next time, more power to
you, that's fine.
I get it.
So the moment you get to that gate, it's no longer open
to the public.
Where there's been crap floating on social media about
how we're going to pay for the whole thing.
We're vacating a street to do it. We're talking about
an impermeable surface that lets rain water -- the
biggest and most insulting one to me was the sea
scouts, that we were going to turn these guys away.
Sat there with the people that run the program and
seemed like we were giving them the boot.
That was pretty crappy to do.
>> You understand that you do not --
>> I understand the public comment already happened.
And there was a lot of misinformation spread out there.
That's what I understand right now.
>> Not sponsor the sea scouts.
People, I know you're listening.
Municipalities --
>> I didn't say that we would sponsor them.
Sir, I gave you your three minutes.
You can come to it next time if you want.
But I gave you your three minutes.
The bottom line is we told them they weren't going to
lose their home as long as there were people willing to
do it with them.
I don't think it has to be the yacht club to be the
only one.
So that's what I got to say about it.
I want to open this land up so that everyone can enjoy
it.
I want to protect the wild life that's there.
I want to give the people this land that's been cut
off.
That's the bottom line.
It doesn't have to look like this.
But it needs to be something that serves a diverse
array of purposes for more than the yacht club.
>> But aren't we going to have the whole breakwater
park.
>> I have my opinion and you have yours. --
>> Is that your argument?
>> No, I'm not saying -- well I'm saying.
>> I've been pretty clear about what my opinion is, and
it's my turn to speak.
We'll go around if anyone has anything to say.
Does anyone have further comments or questions.
>> Boo.
>> Boo. That's fine.
But we're going to follow the decorum.
This is council's term.
>> I saw years ago before this council was here, before
this city manager was here, at the end of tiffton, I
saw them put up a fence to keep people from getting to
the water and fishing off the end of that road.
There's been a 6 foot, 8 foot fence up there to keep
the public from fishing off of that seawall that wasn't
part of the club.
I saw the fence go up.
I saw the public get upset about it but it stayed up.
Now it's down.
And it's nice to look down that road and be able to see
open water with no fence keeping people away.
I am totally for public access.
These little parks over here on the east side of this
land are beautiful.
And everybody in Gulfport has the right to be there.
So it was nice to see that fence come down.
I'd like to see some more come down.
>> Anyone else has any further comments, please?
>> I do agree with April.
I don't agree with tearing down the building when we
don't really have any financing or any real plan.
I think that the building should stay.
>> It's hard to hear you.
>> -- I think it's premature.
I certainly -- every time I hear that, I keep
thinking --
>> What?
I can't hear you.
>> I'm sorry.
I said bottom line is that I don't agree with tearing
down the structures as they are until we have plans in
place.
I just keep seeing in my head sitting there with an
empty spot.
I think that doesn't do anything for the city or the
citizens.
I do agree it should be opened up.
I would love to sit there on the side of the
entranceway to the marina and a picnic table. And I
would love to see that boaters have access to the
bathrooms instead of having to go to the south marina
all the way to the actual marina.
>> Fair enough.
I get it.
>> Not at this time.
No.
>> I'm not saying that we couldn't do parts of this.
Having a bathroom there is probably a great idea.
But I still feel like you're going to -- you've already
voted and are trying to get the financing for this
breakwater park, to me, that gives a lot of public
access.
The birds, you could see the birds from across the way.
And we were talking about putting an observation tower
along the breakwater park.
You could see all that from there.
You know, for me, building this building with city
money, especially when we have no plan for that, we
don't know yet how we're going to spend that $5 million
or if we could even use it for something like this.
We just don't know that.
So to tear down anything to be shovel ready or anything
else just doesn't make sense.
And it doesn't matter if the buildings are useful for
us as a city now.
Like you mentioned.
We'd have to put things up to code.
But we don't need to do that.
We could just rent it to the people who are renting
them and we don't have to do anything.
We don't have to hire somebody to be there to maintain
the buildings.
Because the city manager told me we'd probably have to
hire two people if we built this building.
And you'd have to build that cost.
We're always talking about keeping government a little
smaller. Not getting too big.
You'd have to think about ongoing costs.
You would probably work in to your lease so people
could have more public access.
You could rearrange things out there.
You could still build a bathroom.
That's fine.
That would probably make everybody happy.
Plus, when you build the breakwater park, they are
going to get public access in there.
So to just be missing this little tiny piece when
you've got all of clam bayou, and potentially this
breakwater park whenever that financing comes through.
Again, I don't see it.
>> Okay.
Well --
[Applause]
>> raise your hands if you're not with the boat yacht
club?
So what do you need from us, city manager?
>> If there's a consensus of what you'd like to see us
move forward with?
We're at the point now where we've sent the
correspondence to the yacht club to move forward with
them to vacate the property in three months.
If you want to keep them on that tact.
Where do you want to go with the next level of looking
at funding, securing funding and package together to
start it.
We'll meet with the engineers and the architects this
week to get a cost analysis to see what funding we have
in place.
A lot of it as council member -- excuse me, vice mayor
Thanos spoke of in regards if you get the legislative
approp appropriation.
We could get moneys to start moving forward in the next
budget.
There's different mechanisms.
But I just want to know if you wanted to redevelop the
site.
>> If anybody wanted to, this has been since we did the
marina improvements six years back, can use the
multi-purpose room if you want to.
So we have another space available.
To me based on our discussion when you and I and the
city attorney discussed this, I'd like to jump in and
get started and do it.
Because there's, you know, I mean, I don't know why we
would want to piecemeal this thing out for five, six
years.
I say we do it.
We do it right.
>> But we don't have any money?
>> But we're applying for the money.
[Applause]
>> do we not have money coming from both the rescue
act.
>> Yeah, but we haven't decided how we're going to use
the rescue act money yet.
>> This is part of that discussion.
We had one comment tonight that I mentioned putting
some of that money so that we could with the water
bills and the --
>> Yeah.
>> So let's continue.
>> What I'm asking is I don't think -- two issues are
getting confused.
You have the issue of their lease.
And it's been --
>> That's been voted on.
>> They put notice on -- they've received notice that
the city is not in a position to renew the lease.
Okay. That's one issue.
The second issue, does the city council want to have
direct staff to start drafting cost analysis and the
elements to move forward with the overall improvements
of the site?
>> All right.
>> These are two separate issues.
Because if you're not going to renew the lease -- if
you're intent is to entertain, to keep the building
there, then we would have to entertain negotiating some
type of lease.
What I don't want you to do if this is just
procrastinating and deferring the inevitable.
>> Exactly.
>> That's where I'm at.
If this is something you want to leave the building,
then we'll come up with a short-term lease and we'll
bring it back to council to vote it up or down.
Okay. That's one question.
The second question is, does the city want to improve
the marina area?
That's as generic as we need to be today.
I don't want to kwus the two. I mean, you understand
your point.
There's no money.
But we have to decide if we're going to do it.
How we're going to solicit funds or appropriate.
There's going to be a financial impact when we say, oh,
we're receiving $5 million from the rescue act.
We May spend $2 million of that on utilities and
revenue.
But we have to get that number.
It May cost $500,000 to put permius surface down.
Those are all things.
Where I need direction is do you want to improve the
marina area?
>> My answer is clearly yes.
We've done extremely well finding funding for things in
the past.
The brownfields money that we spent all over town.
But we can't just get money for nothing.
>> Right.
>> So we have to have a project in mind.
And I believe in the project and I think it's good.
We'll make it real easy on you.
Are you interested in moving forward with the marina?
>> I am.
>> I am as well.
>> I'm interested in looking at plans and such for the
future and what the cost is going to be.
But I'm still not going to -- I'm still not sold on
let's rip it all down in three months.
I think that's a wrong-headed idea.
>> We're not talking about ripping it all down in three
months.
We're talking the one building that the yacht club has
been in.
>> Shouldn't even do that.
We don't have the money or the plans.
I don't get it.
>> That's why --
>> I agree.
I would keep the yacht club there.
>> That's why I separated the question. Okay.
If council -- is there a consensus to council to start
moving on the project.
Is the first question.
Obviously --
does the council want to move on the marina area?
>> That's three.
>> Moving on the project doesn't necessarily mean
ripping down the building.
>> If I May, what I'm saying is if you're not going to
extend them, and they're leaving.
There's no purpose for that building.
If we move forward.
If council maintains its position today that they're
not granting a new lease.
That's the question.
If the building has no purpose for the city.
>> No, I get that.
>> If you're not renewing it.
If they're leaving July 1st --
June 30th.
Then that's a separate question than do you want to
move forward with the project at least design and
elements.
>> We already said it was 90-day.
>> We could still undo that.
We don't have to maintain that.
>> Sure.
>> We could.
I don't intend to.
>> But that's your vote.
>> Right.
>> Boo.
>> I'm agreeing with Paul.
If we were to ask the yacht club to leave now,and I
have to apologize for my vote last time.
They took me by surprise.
I would vote on that now.
>> You didn't.
>> But what I'm saying is if we're going to want to
rent to them in this new building, which I don't even
want to build.
But if we were going to rent to them in the new
building, why kick them out of the old build now when
you could build the new building first, and then move
them in.
Because otherwise, where are they going to go for the
year or two before that building's built?
>> The multi-purpose room in the marina, which I just
mentioned it's under utilized.
>> But then they'd have to store stuff.
And then it would be hard for others use it.
Do you want to exclusively rent that room to them?
>> No.
>> Then that's going to make it hard for them to keep
the club they are.
>> -- they can still keep using it.
If we left them where they are, built the new building,
if that's what we decide to do, then take it down and
let them move into the space.
>> Yes.
>> That makes way more sense to me.
If you're even going to do that.
The.
>> Point of order.
>> Point of order can only be made by members of the
board.
>> The order of the agenda tonight was --
>> There will be public comment.
But we haven't gotten there yet.
>> Good.
I just wanted clarification.
And it's going to be on this.
We're not having a rehash of what's already been said.
>> So we'll have a chance to speak after you speak, is
that correct?
>> Yes.
>> Good.
>> Are you finished?
>> Yes.
>> I understand at pancake breakfast that there was
talk of the club using the lions club.
I was told they're in discussions.
So they have a place to go.
I got it from a yacht club member.
So there is a place and it's only a few hundred feet
way.
>> That hasn't been brought up.
I didn't know that.
>> Okay.
So it's not the only yacht club in South Florida then?
>> Right.
>> Okay.
Any other council comments or questions?
>> Shouldn't we wait to hear public comment before we
make our final decision?
>> I think they need to know what we're leaning toward
and then they can make public comment.
>> --
>> My opinion is --
>> We'll go with a show of hands. You, sir.
>> Thank you, council.
It's a pleasure to be here.
I wanted to share a little bit with you about my
concerns about this project.
We moved to the Gulfport marina district seeking quiet
residential enjoyment of our property.
I have a number of objections and concerns about this
proposal.
For one, the plan in my opinion is obsolete.
It's a five-year-old plan by a focus group that
operated five years ago.
The turnover in Gulfport is such that new residents
have flooded in.
Old residents have left.
It's a new day.
My second concern is this plan as I look at it, even
with permeable services for the water to go through.
Not asphalt.
Because right now we have an asphalt jungle.
So that was good.
Good job.
However, when I look at the footprint of this permeable
surface, and the amount of parking for this permeable
surface, this causes me great concern.
When I heard the presentation by the marina, and what
I've heard so far from this council is the concerns
completely around the marina.
What about the Gulfport marina district residents?
What about them?
Has there been any mention, any consideration in this
plan about traffic, not anything that I've seen.
Have you thought about how it's going to impact the
people who live down near the marina when you put 50
something long boat spaces over this new permeable
surface.
Over 100 new parking spots for new cars.
Where's all this traffic gonna go?
How's it going to be handled?
You're going to ram it down dell reeio?
You're going to ram it down Coronado?
Have you thought about this?
Anybody?
No, it's all about the marina.
It's not thinking for the bigger picture.
It's not thinking for the community.
It's not thinking for the residents who come to seek
quiet enjoyment of their residential neighborhood.
We could have bought a place over by, you know, beach
street or --
>> Thank you, sir.
>> Okay. Thank you.
I made my point.
>> Yes.
>> Jonathan Cornwell, I live in Gulfport for three
years.
On March 16th, this council said that the reason for
evicting bcyc was that you had a shovel ready project.
That's quote that I've watched the tape many times.
Shovel ready.
But then tonight we've learned this is just concept.
Which also was repeated several times.
I'm confused.
Which stands?
Because both can't be true.
Is it a shovel-ready project or is it just concept that
we're going to work through further?
Now, if it is a shovel-ready project, I can certainly
understand the urgency.
But I don't see that because there are plenty of
details that need to be worked out.
If it's just a concept, I'm here to tell you that one
of the great lies in all of this is that bcyc would be
opposed to the marina improvement.
And point of fact, I as one of the many leaders in our
organization would be very much interested in
participating in a dialogue to make sure this property
helps all stakeholders.
Everyone in the club has realized for years that it is
deficient.
And you're right, people should be able to enjoy that
lovely view that we have.
But you know what?
One of the other lies that is involved in all this is
this idea that somehow we control that space.
Since 2007, when the city took over the leasing both
the wet and the dry slips, and the first non-bcyc club
member rented a dry slip, that property became under
the sole control of the city in terms of liability to
all people there on the property.
The bottom line is, it has always been the city who has
been in control of that.
If you wanted access, then you as the city could have
made that happen.
And honestly, a conversation could have been had long
ago to have solved that problem.
One last point I want to make is that this idea that
we're holding the boy scouts, or the sea scouts hostage
is bunk.
The bottom line is that it is an activity that requires
people, lots of support from people and lots of
equipment that is specialized.
It requires people who are very interested in sailing.
And you're not going to just conjure that up out of the
air.
We weren't holding it hostage. We were simply noting
that if we're not there to support it, it will struggle
because there are few human body replacements to make
it work.
And you are not going to conjure that with a budget,
with federal grant funds. Thank you.
>> Who is next?
>> Mr. Mayor, I commend you for controlling the meeting
tonight.
Usually with public comment at the beginning people are
encouraged to speak on items not on the agenda.
And so you graciously let bycc talk about the marina
issue.
Now they're getting a second bite of the apple.
You do have the right on a large group to have them
designate a spokesperson so that you don't have to hear
everything reitated all over again.
And I respectfully request that you take a moment and
consider that option for the rest of the meeting.
Thank you.
>> I appreciate it.
I do want to make sure everyone gets to speak. Yes.
>> Thank you for the opportunity to comment, again.
George Anderson voting Gulfport resident.
I'd like to just comment. Where is the money coming
from?
As a Gulfport resident, I want to know if this
governing body is actually being a good steward of my
interest as an individual Gulfport resident.
I'd also like to know if we're not -- following up on
the last comments from the vice mayor, when are we
going to have the public discussion on this planned
marina?
I for one, also am in favor of marina development.
I'm not saying that it should be limited.
I'm saying we don't have an intelligent plan in place
that tells what's the debits and what's the credit.
The bottom line is where's the beef?
What's the money coming that's driving this?
I don't understand this.
And I think that this has been just ram roaded --
railroaded through without the public hearings.
Where's the public hearings?
Where's an up to date plan?
One of the things this gentleman brought up, this was
our Gulfport character continues to evolve as more and
more people, older people move out and younger people
move in.
I don't think there's been an airing of that.
It was brought up not because you're going to evict the
sea scouts.
But we're not going to be there to provide the human
support, the leadership, and the equipment and repair
facilities and so on like that, that all of the
volunteers that make this project -- this sea scouts
work.
Thank you very much.
>> Who is next?
Yes.
Light blue shirt on the left. Your right.
>> Me?
>> Yup. Yup.
And right after he goes.
>> My name is Bob.
I'm at 5626 25th south.
I'm a past corridor and current member of the yacht
club.
I just want to talk in general.
First off, we've been around since 1938, as been
mentioned before.
We've had a good cooperative relationship with the city
and we really appreciate that over the years.
I'd also just like to point out that we also had a
cooperative relationship with the lions club and yacht
club.
I think it's a good blend of organizations that use
that space.
We're different types of yacht club.
Gulfport yacht club is a racing club.
Boca Boca does a lot of things for the youth.
I'm a sea scout.
I'm glad to hear that they want to keep the sea scouts.
I am concerned about leadership.
I've also worked for the boy scouts for five years.
I know that getting the volunteers has always been the
biggest challenge of organizations.
The units that didn't last were the ones that didn't
have support from volunteers running organizations.
I've got a couple of concerns about just the way things
are moving forward.
I've been here for a long time in Gulfport.
I didn't make it to those previous meetings.
I do have a can earn that anything moving forward
should be direct.
The stakeholders should be directly invited to those
meetings.
Not just a public notice.
But directly invited to these meetings and there's
clear communications.
And I have concern, also, about the funding for this.
I do not believe that any relief money should support
any capital improvements in the city. That is supposed
to be relief money to support the people that were
affected by this pandemic.
Which I know is a lot of people.
A lot of concerns.
And so I don't believe that any money from that should
be spent on capital improvements.
I would like to see a budget.
I don't think it's appropriate to make a movement to go
forward.
I mean, if you're going to do a $2,000 study or
something like that is one thing.
I don't believe that we should be making these big
plans without having the money available.
I know that there's talk about space available for
clubs.
There is a concern about will we have our own dedicated
space because there's, you know, we have equipment.
We have other things.
Is there a dedicated space or just a special space
people can use for their meetings.
I think there's a lot of concerns that people have to
address.
I think overall it's a good plan.
I think we could probably get behind it.
But I think it's premature to make a decision to work
on moving forward with this plan.
Thank you.
>> I told this gentleman he would be next.
>> Good evening, council.
My name is Chuck kitschler.
I'm glad the plan recognizes the residents, the
community, the foundation.
The respect and coexistence and the access to the bay
are critical.
The changes are inevitable.
And the changes must be guided by wisdom.
I'd also like to thank the yacht club and lions club
for being a positive force and good neighbors.
And I hope they continue to be part of Gulfport.
I sincerely hope the plans allow the marina to remain a
good neighbor.
But I see some challenges and I ask that the city work
with the neighborhood residents.
I am one of them.
At this point I am concerned that we and you as a
representatives, specifically, I want to know Christine
Brown, who is the representative for our area, consider
the concerns of the neighborhood residents.
And consider the changes in local and environmental
changes at the global level.
In Gulfport in 2019 fiscal report, it says the economic
base of the city of Gulfport is primarily residential
with limited areas.
Is the marina an effort to change this?
I'm concerned the plans May not be best for the
residents living here now.
When I looked at Zillow, 518 properties have been
purchased.
In the last 36 months, 1300 properties have been sold.
And a substantial number of rentals.
One might extrapolate that several residents in
Gulfport are new and were not prioritized to this plan.
Increased storms and increase sea -- birds, fish and
wildlife and increase sunny day flooding.
I often joke with friends that Gulfport floods as
someone drops their big gulp.
I was glad to hear it was permeable.
That's a nice change.
It's not in the document, though.
Decreased amounts of vegetation, disruption of nesting
birds.
Does not provide sufficient privacy buffer for
neighborhood.
Increased auto traffic, increased sewage, increased
load on the stressed sewer system.
Not clear how the lighting is going to be so that it
doesn't blind people on the bay and neighborhoods.
How do you have a kayak launch and playground and not
have kids swimming on the beach?
Are you going to allow power boats on all the ramps or
just some?
Can you imagine a facility with 1400 square feet --
14,000 square feet.
They all drive and park their trailers, then try to get
out of their cars.
It's going to be a mess.
We'd like a better future, we like access, but we need
to work it out.
>> Thank you.
Yes, I believe you're next up.
Remember, we are talking about the marina plan.
>> Yes, I'm Richard Walters, 2900 40 street south.
I don't think anybody in the council is a sailor from
what I understand.
Okay, I'm sorry.
Okay.
There's some things in this plan that are missing
certain things.
You gotta realize we have an adult sail school.
So if you really want to keep bcyc in the area, we have
boats that need to have a lift crane to put them in the
water.
I noticed your beach area, the Gulfport yacht club
people, our neighbors that are friends of ours, I don't
see the area where they'd be keeping their boats.
Also, we have a lot of other club boats that have
masts.
So you can't put these club boats that have masts
underneath this building that you want to build.
So you're going to have to build quite a bit of space
for masts.
Develop the club in to small boat programs.
We would like to stay in the city and we'd like to stay
in the community as we've been since 1965.
Okay.
So will this common building that you want to build,
sounds like it's going to be a for rent time space
building.
We won't be able to personalize it like our clubhouse
is right now.
So it's going to be a dark, dank, big room that no one
can put any personalized items in.
Have any of you -- I know some of you have been in our
clubhouse.
Some of you May not have.
When you walk in that, do you feel like it's an old
school, old Florida type of club?
Does it sound pretentious to you when you walk in it?
No, we don't even have air conditioning in it.
We are a working person, working man's club.
And people, we support -- a lot of our members support
the sea scouts.
Like someone said, it takes a lot of equipment and a
lot of bodies to support them.
So it's not going to be so easy to disrupt our club and
move us out and remain for us to support the club.
So I think you're getting $2,000 a month now.
If you want some public access, take the fence down.
Let people come in.
Let us secure our buildings so that we don't have
everyone walking in and out of it.
And they can come in and use it.
The majority of the property you want to open to the
public is still a private marina.
I pay over $300 to keep my boat in that basin, I don't
want people on the dock.
Also the dry storage needs to be secure.
So this amount of area you want to open to the public
is less than two acres.
Probably less than one acre.
Other than the point park.
You're not shovel ready.
There's no sense of displacing a club that's been in
that location for that long at this moment.
So please think this out.
Think it through.
>> Who is next?
Yes, ma'am, in the front.
I haven't forgotten you.
>> I sit and look at the yacht club.
How many of you want me to be part of your yacht club?
>> This is exactly what I'm talking about.
>> --
>> Let her speak, please.
>> Excuse me.
I belong to several fishing clubs in the Tampa Bay
area.
>> It's not dinner and a show.
We're trying to give people a chance to speak.
>> I'm Elizabeth Hendrix.
I think April Thanos idea is good to allow bcy to stay
in the building.
It's in a spot so it can certainly be handled.
What Richard spoke about the equipment of the club, we
have a lift through six capris.
There's about 60 sun fish, there's dingies, boats on
trailers, a tool room, 15 kayaks, 10 paddle boards, a
library with all kinds of books, a kitchen, and patio
furniture.
It's not simple.
It's not the people can go use another room.
We have tons of equipment that we'd be willing to let
others use if that's what you would like.
And we would really appreciate a vote on letting us
stay in the building until a new building is built.
Thank you.
>> Who is next?
Mitchell. Sorry.
>> First of all, let me say I know nothing about the
marina.
I literally know nothing about the marina.
But what it sounds like to me is you're saying if we
build it, they will come.
And they're already here.
These people have been working this area for I don't
know how long.
However many years.
And you're saying, no, we'll just kick them out.
Build a whole new building.
They'll come back.
Doesn't sound right to me.
Now I'm sure there's some compromise that can be done
where these people can maybe it open to more public
access, or start a diversity board or do something
under the city guidelines that says, look, you can stay
here but you gotta let more people in.
Let some of this land free.
Have a diversity board.
You've got to show me you're not some prejudice group
or something.
Just to tear the whole thing down and say get out to a
group that's been there that long, you're not slum
lords.
You can improve the property.
It's the city's property.
So you can improve it as you go along.
You don't have to wipe everybody out and throw
everybody out.
I don't know anything more about the area.
>> Thanks.
Who is next? Yes.
>> Thank you very much.
My name is Ron Koin.
And I'm with the Gulfport lions club.
I've been with them for eight years.
My wife is also a member.
And what I'm hearing tonight blows my mind.
I know there have been discussions with other affected
groups here.
We have heard nothing.
This is the first we've heard.
And it sounds like there are going to be some very
interesting arrangements made if we were to choose and
go on board with this basically pay rent for a building
that May not be available when needed.
So I am very disappointed.
Just for the facts, we generate quite a bit of money
for agencies and other organizations in Gulfport that
depend on this money.
We recently formed a foundation, which is a 501 c3
nonprofit.
The reason we did this was to hopefully generate more
money and get it to where it's needed.
So I'm standing here listening to this wondering one,
why have we not heard about this?
First time I'm hearing about it.
And secondly, where is the enticement to keep the lions
club in Gulfport?
I can guarantee you there are many communities that
would give their eye teeth for an established company
or established organization like ours who could come up
to speed very quickly.
And I'm sure we'll be given a good welcome to set up
what we've done here in Gulfport to set up for them.
Where is there any incentive for us to drag along with
what's going on here and say, we'll stay. We don't know
what you're going to do.
This building you're talking about, is it going to have
the facilities we need?
We don't know.
We May never know.
But it's very disappointing.
And I'm sure we're going to get a very bad feedback
from our other members when they hear about this.
And I would like to know when are we going to hear
about this?
Thank you.
>> We'll be in touch for sure, Mr. Coin.
Because this isn't a resolution or an ordinance, and a
lot of the folks who have come up and spoke already
spoke somewhat on this issue, we're going to do five
more people on this discussion.
You've had your hand up.
You had your hand up.
And in the back there, you had your hand up.
We'll start with you since you're the closest.
>> My name is Julie Jacobi, and I vote.
Tonight I'm terribly disappointed.
Fiscal responsibility and general non nonshalauns about
a club that's been here for years.
You said we could use the multi-purpose room that's
above the marina because it's under utilized.
But now you want to build a building when you have one
that's underutilized.
You had to go to the front end of the marina to
actually use the restrooms.
They reconfigured the basin.
You've been here 30 years, you know.
They reconfigured a basin and made it that way.
That's poor planning on the city.
I live on 49th street, and I'd hate to see anymore
traffic increase. I vote.
This isn't just about bcyc. It's a big part of what it
is.
No.
I vote.
More traffic, more things.
My neighbors had their mailbox knocked off many times
because of boat traffic going through there.
How much more traffic are you going to bring down
there?
What are you going to do with it?
Again, you have clam bayou across the street.
How much access do you need?
Take the spit.
We don't care.
Why are you going to tear down -- why are you going to
evict a good tenant to tear down a building and maybe
you have another one? I don't understand.
As a resident and a voter.
>> All right.
Yes, please.
You spoke about the cleaning tables before.
>> Good evening, again.
My name is Kim and I'm with the clearwater Audubon
society.
I was contacted by several people because they're
concerned about the birds.
In the area of observation spots a and b, they're also
labeled on the drawings as pathway spots a and b. So
that would be the area where the mangroves are.
And right now, currently, we have approximately 100
pairs of nesting birds, including brown pelicans, gray
egrets.
And also I've been told there are little blue herons
nesting.
Blue herons are a state protected species.
They have a lot of protections because there are a few
of them.
There are nesting colonies and habitats are constantly
being destroyed by humans.
And coastal development and recreational uses along the
shore.
Now the Brown pelican is the most common bird that is
nesting there right now.
And they have all kinds of action plans by the fwc that
protect them, one of the major conservation strategies
is, it says it's critical that historic colonies are
preserved because data suggests that pelicans are not
colonizing new areas.
Rather, they have exhibited sight fidelity according to
the last 40 years of surveys in Florida.
So in other words, it's not like they could go
somewhere else.
If you build two docks there and you disturb them, I'm
telling you right now, they're not going to go anywhere
else.
They'll stay there.
But the human disturbance is going to make them go
away.
This is not acceptable.
This is not an environmentally sound decision by a
government.
And because of coastal development and human recreation
disturbances, nesting colonies all throughout Florida
are declining.
So you have to take these species action plans in to
consideration.
I would urge you to meet with fwc regional biologist
Nick Jennings, and Cindy with the fish and wildlife
service.
And you can talk to them about how human disturbance,
if you put two docks there and put a pathway there,
it's going to wreck it for the birds.
And this is not a sound decision at all.
Also, you say you want people to see the birds, well
they can use binoculars from a distance instead of
disturbing nesting birds.
And the other thing, they have a nesting here for at
least three years.
And taking away one of their nesting colony habitats is
a bad decision.
>> Okay. Thank you.
Just so people don't think I'm calling on all these
people that like me.
Ms.
Hanerhan.
>> Really, take them into consideration.
It's a very bad decision.
>> Thank you.
I have a few points here very briefly.
First of all, when the new marina building was first
built, I took a tour of it.
It's beautiful inside.
I said to the harbor master, how can we use this?
How can I rent this?
How can I get in here?
He said, oh, you can't get in here.
You'd have to be a marina tenant.
Never heard of how to get in there.
I live two blocks from that building.
What is the impact going to be of this new plan?
I agree with the gentleman who said, what about all the
traffic?
You should sit on the corner by my house and watch the
boats that come up there.
I know they're not supposed to come up tiffton.
I know tiffton is not big enough for it.
But they come up any way.
And they get to that corner, and they go, ooh ooh where
am I going to go now?
Because tiffton doesn't go all the way through to
anything.
So you have got to look at the traffic flow.
If you're going to get bigger boats, or more boats and
trailers, you've got to look at that.
What impact will this development have on neighborhood,
environmental, flooding, and other issues?
We already have water on 29th street in front of the
marina during a spring-time knee tide I call them.
What is that extra development going to do?
>> Nothing.
>> And lastly, I'm pleased to know that our city has
enough dollars that it turns away $2,000 a month
rental, while it decides how it's going to design
something that it might or might not have money for in
the future.
I wish I was in that position.
I'd like to design something but I don't know where I'm
getting the money for.
I've often considered sitting there and designing what
house I would build when I win the lotto.
Then again, I think maybe that's not the best use of my
time.
So please take into consideration the fiscal issues,
the neighborhood issues, and what you're doing to the
environment when you develop this plan.
For sure, let's go ahead and develop a plan, but let's
take into account the existing clubs, the existing
things that are there and work along with them instead
of ripping it down and leaving us with a dead space
because maybe we don't get that money or maybe the
terms of that money is such that we can't use it for
that.
Thank you.
>> All right. We had -- it was the gentleman back there
I believe was the next one.
You'll be our last speaker.
Thank you.
>> Hello.
My name is Jack gimlin.
I've lived at that address for about 39 years and owned
that property for that long.
I've lived in Gulfport two or three years longer than
that.
I think I moved here in '79 all the way from Pasadena
across.
Don't screw up Gulfport with this stupid idea.
Don't screw up Gulfport with this stupid over
development idea.
Slow down.
Take a breath.
Give us a chance to listen to what you might want to
do, by trying to ram this crap down our throats.
It ain't going to cut it.
Just not going to.
Take a step back.
Take two steps back if you're not satisfied with one,
because I'm pissed off about the one taken back
already.
Stop this silliness.
Gulfport is perfect.
Sure.
Those are dinosaur buildings.
They're dinosaurs.
They're Gulfport.
Leave Gulfport as Gulfport.
I'm a native Floridian.
Born in Mount Park Hospital.
Don't screw up Gulfport with this stupid -- your plan
is not environmentally friendly at all.
It sounds like an environmental disaster to me.
Stop.
>> All right.
Sir, you're the last one back there.
>> My name is Don Rogers.
I am a member of the yacht club.
I'm from St. Petersburg.
One of the things I'd like to point out that maybe none
of you realize is that clam bayou clean up, you know
what?
A large percentage of the helpers there were from the
yacht club.
We help the city in ways you don't even know about.
Something you alluded to us, locking people out of our
property.
We put up a gate 10 years ago or something.
Gulfport yacht club had one long before that.
I'm not trying to criticize them because they probably
had the same reasons why we ended up putting one up.
We were getting theft.
A whole trailer load of canoes and kayaks were stolen.
Motors were stolen off of people's boats.
We put up the gate.
And guess what?
We were praised for it by Dennis, the harbor master.
And now you're telling us because we're not allowing
people on the property, you want to take us away and
kick us out of there.
Really?
We'll take the gate down.
We'll build a couple of bathrooms.
Then you got bathrooms on that end of the property.
We'll just lock up the building so all our assets are
protected.
The sea scouts equipment.
All of that will be protected.
But the property will be open.
I mean, at this point, anyway, you look at our basin,
it's got -- I think Dennis said 22 or 25 power boats in
there.
None of them are members that I know of.
Maybe one or two are.
Okay.
But most of them are not members.
So it's already open to the public anyway.
So what's the big deal?
Let us stay in the building.
We're paying rent to you, now.
Not just rent, you don't realize this, we also pay the
property taxes and insurance and other things on there.
So it's not just the $2,000 a month.
>> Which began when?
Just to be clear?
>> It began at the beginning of the year. But our lease
ran out that was before that.
And before that, we made all the money on the slips.
But we gave that all to you.
So that was a consideration that the city made when we
were getting $1 a year.
But we were still paying all the other expenses.
So let's not go there.
We're talking about right now.
We're paying $2,000 a month.
>> This is actually about the property, not the yacht
club.
>> Yeah, but you're throwing us out and that's $2,000 a
month.
>> We're double dipping on the yacht club stuff.
Do you want to focus on what we're talking about now.
>> This is what we're talking about, I think.
>> I hear a lot of yacht club.
So please.
>> No, the yacht club I'm talking.
>> Yeah.
>> Yes, we're trying --
>> This is not about the yacht club, this is about the
property.
All right.
Finish it.
Take your time.
>> Obviously you've got your mind very closed to the
yacht clubs.
You obviously hate the yacht clubs. Sorry.
>> All right.
At this point --
>> Can I make a proposal?
>> Feel free.
>> So my proposal would be that we let the yacht club
continue their month-to-month lease.
Have some more meetings on the building that you want
to build to make sure it would serve everybody's needs
because maybe we haven't taken in to consideration what
the lions club needs and what the other clubs need for
storage.
Meet with them.
Maybe have another meeting with, you know, a workshop
with the neighborhood.
And because we need to do that anyway in order to --
you know, there's no sense building a building nobody
can use.
So if we had more meetings and then decide what to do
from there.
So we'd still be going ahead with planning, potential
reuse of the marina.
And we'd still be getting income.
And if we're going to put the yacht club in the new
building, they would still be there to move into that
building.
>> Yes.
>> I've got a lot of questions.
What I'd like to do if we could table this until the
next meeting and not make a decision either way.
Give us time to talk to ponder some of the questions
that were brought to us.
Allow the city manager to get more information so we
can make an intelligent -- some of the things that were
said.
I'd like to table this for one more meeting.
Not make a decision on anything until that time so we
can look at it much more closely.
Walk over there and talk and get a lot more
information.
>> Council member Brown.
>> For me, I feel like all three entities, the yacht,
the Gulfport yacht club, the lions club, and the Boca
yacht club, we're not kicking you to the curb.
We want you to stay in this new building.
>> Does she get to speak?
We've spent a lot of time letting people speak --
>> Those are the discussions we're having.
All we're asking to do is this a direction we want to
go into?
I don't want anybody to leave.
I want everybody to be in a new state of the art
building.
It's only a concept.
So if the taller sailing vessels don't fit, then let's
work together to find out how it can all work.
My main goal is public access to the water.
That's my main goal.
Public access to the water.
And that's public access for the people in the
neighborhood who's never been able to come over there.
The people in our city that go from the high school all
the way down to the bay can come and sit on the channel
and watch the boats.
We're not trying to do anything to the neighbors.
We're trying to open it up for the neighbors.
I'm all about open access.
I really feel like we can work together to make sure
everybody has a space in a building that hasn't even
been designed yet.
Once we sit down and make the decision to move forward.
>> I'm going to agree with April.
I foresee a lot of meetings.
I mean, I want to see we go door-to-door and speak to
everybody that lives in the marina and get their input
and a town hall meeting.
I think we need to speak to all of the clubs before we
even start thinking about what we're talking about.
I'm not for bulldosing this building at all.
I think it's a bad idea.
I think what we should be doing is looking for the
money and looking for the plans.
And that's what we should be focusing on.
And working with all of the community.
I don't see that -- I think that's pretty easy for us.
We move forward with the discussions on designs.
We can actually get an architect and whatever to start
doing some designs.
Get some estimates on what it's going to cost.
Get an estimate on how much we're going to charge for
rent.
And then we could actually formulate a picture.
In the meantime, why not let them stay there.
They're paying rent.
That's my feeling.
>> Anything to add to what you already said?
>> I agree with Paul.
Again, it might even be premature to get an architect
to draw it until we talk with the club and find out
what facility they need.
It's clear listening to all of them that they each need
to have their own separate space in this building.
It can't just be one big open space.
There might be able to be an open space that multiple
people can use like a meeting room or something.
But they'll all need separate space.
And maybe the building will have to be bigger than we
think because in order to accommodate that.
But I think that just needs discussion.
I want to mention, too, when we talk about permeable
pavement, I hope we're not just talking about pavers.
Just throwing that in there.
>> I just have one more thing.
I had spoken to a couple of club members.
But I did speak to one of them that said it would be a
really good idea to make a tour of some of the other
marinas that have done the multi-use things.
And get some better ideas from them.
I mean, they've already done it.
Why reinvent the wheel when they've already done it for
us.
>> All right.
So let's go two steps. Where are we at on the building?
On the yacht club going in to the month-to-month on the
building?
>> So --
>> I'm asking.
>> Just the building.
>> I could do that.
>> I'd still like to put everything back.
>> You want to do this twice?
>> Yeah, I want to do this twice.
But as far as month-to-month, I don't have a problem.
>> You guys win, I'll go with you.
On the building.
>> Mayor, I have a question on the letter.
>> We can rescind on that.
If I understand council is to rescind the letter and
continue.
>> We're still continuing, it's still going to be the
building.
Doesn't mean that they have to sign on the human rights
ordinance.
>> We don't have --
>> Month-to-month.
What we've been doing basically since January is what
I'm talking about.
>> Or the option is to enter into a new definitive
timeline.
>> Nothing long because if we talk about the life of
the building.
Something for now.
>> One year lease from now and it will have the
language we've all spoken about in regards to the new
leases that we issue.
>> So what step can we take to move forward with
planning?
What is going to be next for that?
Because kicking this down the road for a year.
I understand the compassion for letting them have the
building.
But kicking the can down and not doing anything with
the development of the property.
>> I thought the direction of the council was to do
both at the same time.
Meaning continue --
>> Okay.
>> Can't you do a new month-to-month lease that --
>> We will bring the lease back to council if that's
what you want.
>> That does the ada or whatever else.
>> hr.
>> It has to be the building only.
I'm not giving up the public access component.
>> It's strictly the building.
>> Just the building.
>> And we're going to move forward with --
>> No gates.
No fence.
>> We'll work all those things.
Security things.
We'll start addressing them.
>> Go ahead.
>> No.
>> I'll speak to Mr. Hien, because he was the
negotiating committee.
We'll come back with a document.
And council can vote it up or down.
So that's where we're at.
Now in regards to strictly the offer would be
contingent on just the building facility, is that
correct?
>> Yup.
>> Okay.
The second part of it is we will proceed with starting
draft.
Actually some other options and some different looks
and some cost estimates associated with different
aspects of it.
Like we know --
>> Not yet until we have meetings.
>> We have to start the meeting somewhere.
>> Exactly.
>> Have some idea what things are going to cost.
>> Otherwise we talk about things for nine years and
don't move.
>> Basically we know we have a cost estimate
approximately 400,000. The breakwater park is estimated
$800,000.
We also have the reconfiguration of the area in egress
and ingress.
I don't want to tell you to build the building for
people who don't want to come and then it costs you $2
million.
I agree with you on that.
We May reach a point, and I'm going to put this on the
record.
You May reach a point where if they don't want to move
in your building and the lease is over, as the mayor
said, you're just procrastinating an issue, a decision
that's going to have to be made.
>> But then you might decide if none of them want to
move in the building, why build the building?
>> Because it's not just for the clubs.
I think this has been lost from the beginning.
The building is not just for the clubs.
>> Yeah.
>> It's for other people to use as well.
>> But we already have the marina building that people
can use.
>> It's about open access to all the waterfront.
To me.
That's what's important to me.
>> But you could still --
anyway. >> Are we good where we are?
>> Yes.
>> It will bring you a very short-term lease to
continue their presence in the building.
Subsequently, at the same time, we will start drafting
some ideas to represent.
>> All right.
>> Then we'll have a real workshop.
>> You can call it a workshop, a meeting.
It's going to be like for the public just like every
other time.
>> You said removing or opening the fence.
My question is if we do open the fence up and giving
more public access to the land, how will we protect the
boats, the dry storage.
>> That's what we're talking about.
>> At the club or the city incurring a temporary cost.
>> We will have costs associated with just as we
incurred costs with taking down certain fences last
week and replacing fences.
We're going to come up with a security plan because as
some of these individuals spoke of that we're
responsible and we'll come up with a real plan.
We'll come back to council with a security plan.
We May increase cameras.
We May reconfigure the fencing.
We May remove certain surfaces that are impervious
today and move it and make them straight.
We're going to start with those things.
We have to do those because we have some ideas that
we'd like to reconfigure some of the dry storage and
things like that.
Those are things we're going to move forward with.
At least to -- if you've got them in the building,
we're going to keep going.
And that's kind of where we're at.
No, we're not building anything at this point.
But we are going to reconfigure.
>> Start prepping for it.
>> Traffic flows and things like that, we want do.
And we'll bring you a budget for that.
And we're going to start with that this week.
My staff with this tonight to show you what's been
proposed in the past.
Nobody is married to any specific part of it.
But the one thing we heard continually is to open as
much of that waterfront area to the public.
And be it the breakwater park, you know, the other
aspects of that.
Those are all factors that we can bring in.
I mean, we talked about.
The last thing May be, we're talking about vacating the
road.
Those are things that we want to talk about that we'd
like to present to the public.
But until we get direction as we did tonight, then
that's where we're at.
I mean, we could come up with a lease type agreement
for their building use.
>> I just had a quick question.
Because I'm not sure when the Florida legislature, when
their session is finished.
We'll know whether they're going to approve the
$800,000 for breakwater park?
>> That's right.
>> If they approve it, how soon will you typically
receive that money?
>> July 1st, it's in their budget.
Once they approve the state budget --
>> We'll know right away.
>> We'll know right away with the breakwater park.
>> So do you got what you need at this point?
>> I'm good.
>> Let's move on to council comments and informational
reports, beginning with --
>> Me.
>> With you.
>> I just wanted to point out a couple of things.
>> There's not a vote.
>> No, it's a discussion item.
>> I don't know how many of y'all were here at the time
when the casino had a restaurant in it, bamammavilles.
I just want to know that does remember that great
restaurant that Bahama Bill has passed away.
And there is a service coming up for him.
Also, I wonder if by the new fish cleaning table to the
north of it, if we could get a pad here for handicap,
for wheelchair access so that people can -- because
this is the only bench that's really close to the water
that somebody can fish from.
But if they're in a wheelchair, they're in the dirt.
And I'd like to know if we could get a pad here with a
little handicap stencil on it and maybe a bumper so
nobody goes over the edge.
So that people that are in wheelchairs or physically
handicapped could use this pad to fish from if they
can't get to the bench.
So I'm asking for that.
Also city manager, last year when I asked you for the
fish cleaning table to be replaced with something that
had a little bit of protection of it.
I'm very pleased to see the double wide fish cleaning
table.
It's state of the art.
I don't know if you guys have been by it.
But it's very nice. I hear what you guys are saying
about the things that it still needs.
But it's really nice.
And I appreciate the work that went in to put that in.
It's double wide.
I mean, it has -- I think it has a knife sharpener in
it and a place for your pole and a drink cup.
And it's shaded so people can be out of the weather
when they're taking care of their catch.
That's all I have.
>> All right.
Council member.
>> Mayor, if I May interrupt.
There were two individuals who wanted to comment on
Zoom.
>> Oh, sorry.
>> Are they still there?
>> Yes, one of them is, mayor.
And I let the person speak.
Two of them are now.
Margaret tober.
Margaret, are you there?
I'll go to the other one first.
I think it was Ms.
Ring.
I'll allow her to talk now.
>> Yes, oh my God.
Hi. I'm sorry.
You know, you don't have to tear down the buildings to
open the buildings up for multi-use purpose.
You can use the buildings just as you would use the big
buildings.
In other words, if you're going to have multi-clubs,
like maybe you have birds and helping hands have part
of the space that's in the clubhouse so they can keep
their stuff in an office area.
And you have that area that's opened up for everybody.
Just pretend those three buildings, not the Gulfport
yacht building, they already have their lease.
Maybe give those -- Richard Walter said he pays $300.
I pay $300, too.
And you know what?
Jonathan Cornwell, you said that's open to the public.
But I have police reports of me being cornered in
there.
And being told that I'm not allowed to go in that
parking lot because it's private property.
You had my roommate escorted off because you said it's
private property.
And so I think when you want it to be private property,
it's yours and it's private.
Just like Kim said.
But when you want it to be public, and you want all the
benefits of the public, then it's that way.
So what I'm going to say is that use, those buildings,
you don't have to tear buildings down to make them
open.
If somebody's renting the slips, the slips in the south
basin, they should be able to use the bathroom without
walking a quarter of a mile.
You know.
Let's look at accessibility for everybody.
Nobody has to leave.
It's about sharing.
It's about being inclusive.
It's about having people in the community.
And I'm going to tell you, seriously, really think
about it when you renew long term leases with people,
what you're saying is that woman Kim, that she doesn't
count, does she?
Samantha, who cares if she can walk through the parking
lot.
But the yacht club can do it.
And I'm saying and we're saying be inclusive.
Because I've lived here longer than Jonathan Cornwell.
And I have police reports and 911 calls, and I've been
traumatized like you have no idea.
So share.
Nobody is saying kick everybody out.
We're saying share. Share.
>> All right.
Ms.
Tober, are you with us?
>> Margaret, are you there?
>> I'm here. Thank you.
I had kind of given up on it so I'm sorry.
And I'm sorry for earlier.
I'm watching on Zoom and you cannot see the clock.
I'm watching Zoom on the phone and you can't see the
clock.
So I apologize for that.
Mayor, I've liked your plan for the breakwater park
ever since you suggested it.
I don't know how many years it ago it was.
And I believe council member Brown had a part in it.
I think that's a wonderful idea.
And I'm glad to hear that there's some compromise
coming from bcyc. And I hope that you know, you're also
going to take -- I heard there was a fence around
Gulfport yacht club.
I don't remember.
I hope you're going to be taking that down as well.
But I think all in all where you're going now is what
Gulfport is all about.
Where we were kind of headed really isn't the spirit of
Gulfport.
Ms.
Brown, you've been here 30 years.
City manager, you were born here.
And you know that where we're kind of headed wasn't the
spirit of Gulfport.
So I'm glad to see that it's turned around and that
we're making some headway in that direction.
And I think to let the folks utilize that building
until you really decide where you're going to go, and
collect the rent.
At the same time, you know, it sounded to me like
you've got lots of homework to do.
And you've got some things to get ready.
So I'm glad to hear that it turned around.
That it's happening the way it is. Thank you very much.
>> All right.
Thank you.
So we'll continue on.
>> We had one more person. I'm sorry.
>> All right.
>> Sorry about that.
Mr. Canter.
>> Honorable mayor, city council, city manager, city
attorney, city clerk, thank you all for your time and
for enduring this very, very long evening.
I really appreciate y'all taking a second and taking a
moment to allow those of us who were online and didn't
get a chance to preverbialy raise our hands in the
audience time to speak on this matter.
There's been a whole lot said tonight.
And I think, you know, I have literally spoken to all
of y'all endlessly.
And you'll know my feelings on this.
As a life long Floridian, as a multi-generational
Floridian, the thing that continually is where we let
our citizens down is in the utilization of our public
land, and ensuring that everybody gets access to that.
The volleyball tournament that was approved earlier
tonight is the very reason why we need a locals beach.
We need natural, native Florida beachfront.
Where we can still keep our birds and have our
mangroves and talk about all this and see this and
touch it.
This is my water.
This is where I grew up.
This region is what I know.
Like this is why I brought my wife here.
And we moved here so that we could get a house here.
Be part of a community.
Be neighbors with people.
Start a family.
You know, hopefully, you know, maybe have a kid some
day that potentially joins the little league or sea
scouts or whatever.
But we always forget as we keep moving forward to take
care of and be good stewards of our land and our
legacy.
The thing that I appreciated most about this concept
was that it looked like there was an eye towards that.
The I think that several people have given particular
points of interest that are worth considering in terms
of environmental impact and impact to wild life.
And ultimately, I look forward to engaging in a lot of
conversations about this space.
Like I have talked to you all about the boat house that
the American small craft association based in queens
New York, an organization that teaches asa sailing to
everybody in the New York City community.
How they built a partnership with the city of New York
to open that boat house.
I've been in that boat house many, many times.
I have plenty of ideas to share and ways we can all
partner together to look toward a better vision for our
community.
But the reality of it is, we need to start moving
forward and ensuring that that piece of beach, that
that piece of shoreline, which is our legacy is shared
with the entire community openly.
Thank you. >> Thank you.
>> Council member Brown, did you get to finish?
>> Yes, I did, thank you.
>> Council member Ray.
>> a couple of things.
One is on May 29th, we're going to be having the --
which we -- Susan Gore had brought up the art exhibit.
Flag raising for pride month.
Also, I would like to request that we be able to use
the pads that they usually use for --
>> Art walk.
>> Art walks.
I've already spoken to Barbara, and they were all on
board with it.
All the business members, a lot of the business members
in town, and they're really for it.
We're actually going to have a bit of a well social
distanced because those are set up for that along beach
boulevard.
I would like to get permission to do that from council.
>> Can I ask a question?
Is the artout for the month or one day?
>> I think it's open for a week or two.
Or is it the whole month?
It might be the whole month because we did a flower
arrangement one time and didn't last.
May 29th.
>> Gotcha.
Understood.
>> The flag raising.
We would have the artout exhibit and then the street
festival.
>> Okay.
>> Got you.
>> The other thing that I would like to get permission
to bring forward on the next agenda is that we've been
working with the city manager and the city attorney on
creating an hro committee, which would abstract
anything to do with hro violations.
It would be put into a committee.
We've worked through a bunch of the wording on it.
They've been great.
Jim's been awesome to work with.
He looks at things from a different perspective.
And the attorney has been wonderful.
So I would like permission to bring a draft to the next
city council meeting for discussion.
>> All right.
>> So if everybody is on board.
>> For discussion.
>> It would be an initial draft and we'll take it
forward from there.
>> Yeah, because I do have concerns about appointing
people to make decisions.
>> It's one of the things that Jim had brought up.
The other thing that I just wanted to say is we did the
rain garden and finished that up.
That was blink and it was done.
It was amazing.
We had students from the high school.
A lot of people who -- a bunch of art people, I mean,
garden people from -- where are they?
>> DaEden.
>> It went really well.
I can't wait for it to start raining and start really,
really growing.
That's it.
>> Council member Fridovich.
>> I need council's permission to allow parking on 54th
avenue, from o'maddy's up to veterans park on Saturday
10th for the Steven robin event we're doing.
We're expecting about 75 people.
I was informed a number of motorcycle clubs in town
will be there as well.
I'd like to get permission from council to be able to
park on that street up there.
>> Is there an issue with that?
>> No, what we're looking at --
what we want to do is just for the duration of the
event just cover the no-parking signs on the west
side -- excuse me, the east side of 54th like we do
other events.
>> All right.
Great.
>> Period during the event.
Stage the motorcycles there.
>> On Saturday, we'll be doing a memorial service for
Steven j.
Robin who was a prisoner of the North Korean army, and
a long resident of Gulfport until he passed away.
Mayor Sam Henderson, vice mayor April Thanos, council
member Christine Brown, and basically the city of
Gulfport.
Memorial committee who helped put this together.
If you'd like to attend, we'll be having the new
horizon band will be performing some patriotic songs
for us.
We're going to be giving thanks to Shelley Vale and
Christine Brown.
We're going to be presenting the flag back to the
family.
Mr. Robin's family both from Savannah and Fort
Lauderdale are coming up.
Plus their grandkids.
We're going to have about 75-80 people.
I'm proposing.
I'm obviously guessing.
At veterans park this Saturday.
See you all there.
>> All right.
Vice mayor.
>> One thing that came up was about the fire department
roof that there was a question about it not having
solar.
And it was not strong enough to support solar.
But they saved $100,000 on doing that roof.
So that with what we have in our little fund for solar
should give us enough to put it on the existing marina
building.
So I know that public works is working on that.
So we might end up with solar on a building, which
would be lovely.
And also, I was going to see, does somebody want to do
the third Tuesday art walk -- not art walk.
Tuesday market to do the ask a councillor people?
>> --
>> No, it's for everybody.
If nobody wants to do it, I'll do it.
But if anybody wants to do it, they're of course
welcome to do it.
>> Yeah.
>> Tuesday? >> Tuesday.
>> I work during that time, too.
>> We can also ask if you want to do it, we can also
ask if they'll let us do an evening market.
>> All right.
>> But this time, if nobody --
Michael. >> I'm unable to.
>> So I'll do it this coming Tuesday when we do it.
Somebody brought up composting barrels.
That's something that the Gulfport sustainability
committee was looking at.
And we've talked to the city manager about that, about
potentially buying some, and then -- but giving them
out to people who do a class for learning how to
properly compost.
And then being able to give them some barrels.
So we'll look at, you know, that would have to be a
budget item.
Although that's not very expensive.
They're like $35 apiece or something.
And the county does have a class and so does Clearwater
so we could borrow one of their classes.
Somebody asked about that so I brought it up.
>> If that happens, would that same person be able to
do rain barrels and composting barrels?
>> Possibly.
>> They're both 55-gallon drums?
>> I'm not positive exactly.
>> They're small.
>> Oh, they are?
>> Yeah.
>> I know my experience with rain barrels is sometimes
it's hard to use it because it's only 50 gallons so it
doesn't go very far when you're trying to water your
garden.
I know there were comments about the apartments by
salty's.
I know Michael, you said you talked to the owner
before.
Somebody mentioned code violations.
>> We inspected it.
>> Didn't see anything?
>> Didn't see anything.
>> I talked with the owner.
I volunteered to buy the paint myself if he wanted me
to paint the wood. He was in agreement at the time we
spoke.
He has not gotten back to me.
That's where we're at.
>> Can I ask you a question?
>> Yes.
>> Pia's has a metal roof like the marina does.
And they have a fabric solar panels that goes between
the ribs on their metal roof.
You can't even see the solar.
And it's very interesting.
I wonder if we couldn't look at that kind of solar for
the marina house so we don't make holes in the roof.
They're just thin fabric sheets that go between the
ribs.
If you go by there, you can't even see they're on
there.
>> I didn't even know about that kind.
I'm sure that Tom Nichols could look in to that.
>> You've also got the solar panel like on the back
window of your car that rolls out, can roll out to a
whole roof.
It was sort of run by a German company a couple of
years ago.
>> I wonder if we could have Mr.
Nichols look in to that kind of solar before putting
the big huge panels on.
>> The biggest issue is going to be cost.
>> Right.
>> All right.
Motion to adjourn.
>> Make a motion.
>> Second.
>> Have a good night, folks.