[0:02] >> Welcome, everyone to the Gulfport, Florida.
[0:09] Join us in rising.
[0:20] >> Thank you so much for being here.
[0:22] It is good to realize that love and peace can prevail
[0:26] on earth.
[0:27] We have become not a melting pot but a beautiful
[0:33] mosaic.
[0:34] Different people, different hopes and different dreams.
[0:37] Each of us must rededicate ourselves to serving the
[0:40] common good.
[0:41] We are community.
[0:43] Our individual fates are intertwined.
[0:45] And if we act on that knowledge, we can move mountains.
[0:54] Jimmy Carter.
[0:56] 39th President.
[0:56] >> Thank you.
[1:00] >> I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States
[1:03] of America, and to the Republic for which it stands,
[1:06] one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and
[1:09] justice for all.
[1:10] >> Roll call, please, city clerk.
[1:13] >> Council member Brown.
[1:14] >> Yes.
[1:15] >> Council member Ray.
[1:16] >> Here.
[1:17] >> Mayor Henderson.
[1:19] >> Here.
[1:19] >> City manager o'Reilly.
[1:25] >> Here.
[1:26] >>> We have a couple of presentation this evening.
[1:29] One is by Suzanne.
[1:31] We look forward to that.
[1:33] But we also have a surprise one today.
[1:37] I'd like to bring them up now.
[1:42] How are you doing?
[1:43] >> Great.
[1:43] How are you?
[1:46] >> Good.
[1:47] >> We have a check that we'd like to present from
[1:53] o'maddy's bar and grill.
[1:55] O'maddy Gunther wanted to be here tonight but she
[1:58] couldn't.
[1:58] She was the brains behind the operation and the raising
[2:05] of the money for Gulfport.
[2:08] We raised for Gulfport little league.
[2:11] >> Thank you.
[2:12] >> Mr. Malorie, by the way, who is running Gulfport
[2:19] little league now played for the blue jays, if I'm
[2:25] correct.
[2:26] >>> We'd like to bring up the lgbtq resource center
[2:30] read out for 2021.
[2:32] Hey, Susan.
[2:36] >> Thank you.
[2:37] I have to bring the microphone way down.
[2:40] Thank you all, we are pleased to make this
[2:46] presentation.
[2:47] I want to thank Diana sulveri immediately for making
[2:53] the presentation you see before you.
[2:57] I am the President Of the board of the lgbtq Resource
[3:01] Center.
[3:01] It is an absolute lynchpin, as you know in Gulfport.
[3:06] And what happened with the pandemic is everything
[3:08] closed down.
[3:09] Including all of our events.
[3:12] Since last February until this February.
[3:17] When seven people decided there was a need for a
[3:21] lesbian literary festival.
[3:23] And what I'm going to ask Milton to tell you about in
[3:28] just a minute is how incredibly successful that was
[3:32] because of the support of the city of Gulfport.
[3:36] First, for those who aren't familiar with the resource
[3:39] center, if you would, hit the second slide.
[3:42] Dave, could we have another slide?
[3:45] Thank you.
[3:45] Our mission -- okay, I'm so glad I brought my glasses.
[3:52] Is committed to -- oh, that doesn't help.
[3:55] Promoting the awareness of the diversity of experience,
[3:59] contributions and needs of people who are lesbian, gay,
[4:05] bisexual, transgender and queer.
[4:07] We do this by providing educational social and
[4:11] recreational opportunities through the Gulfport public
[4:15] library, including books, films, music, speakers,
[4:18] exhibition, and eens.
[4:20] And this year it has been all about online presence.
[4:24] Next slide, please.
[4:26] You May ar May not know that in 2018, the American
[4:35] library association recognized the Gulfport library and
[4:40] the lgbtq resource center specifically with its
[4:46] newlen-Symans award.
[4:47] We do incredible outreach not only locally but beyond.
[4:51] Next slide, please.
[4:53] Here's a quote from the chair of the round table at the
[4:56] American library association.
[4:57] Their programs, resources, outreach and partnerships
[5:00] for and with the lgbtqia+ community are an amazing
[5:04] example for all of us to learn from.
[5:08] And if everyone wants to know all those letters, just
[5:12] ask later.
[5:12] The acronym goes on forever.
[5:15] We were part of the library's application with the
[5:20] institute for museum and library services, which chose
[5:23] only five libraries from across the United States to
[5:28] receive the National Medal.
[5:29] Part of the reason they gave for awarding Gulfport this
[5:34] highest federal honor a library can receive, was from
[5:39] the lgbtq resource center's integral part of the fabric
[5:44] of Gulfport.
[5:45] Next slide, please.
[5:46] And now we come to Milton's part, readout.
[5:50] Milton, are you there?
[5:51] >> I am here.
[5:52] Can you hear me?
[5:53] >> Yes. >> Excellent.
[5:55] Thank you for having me tonight.
[5:58] I am at a distance still staying home virtually.
[6:01] But one of the great events that happened this year
[6:05] already for the lgbtq resource center was Readout.
[6:09] This is an annual event, a festival of lesbian
[6:14] literature.
[6:14] This year was particularly interesting because this
[6:18] year we held the event at the library live in-person,
[6:23] with about 145 folks attending.
[6:25] That's about the capacity of space.
[6:27] This year it would have been easy with covid raging for
[6:30] us to cancel it this year.
[6:32] Regroup and start again next year when covid is
[6:35] abating.
[6:36] But instead, the planning committee, 7 of us, decided
[6:41] we wanted to try do this virtually.
[6:45] We weren't sure we could do this.
[6:47] It was uncharted territory for most of us.
[6:54] They thought it especially captured the Gulfport and
[6:56] the spirit of the public library and the resource
[6:59] center.
[7:00] Next slide, please.
[7:02] So we surprised even ourselves.
[7:05] We took this much bigger.
[7:07] Last year the event was about 145 participants at the
[7:12] library.
[7:12] This year we did an entire virtual event and we drew
[7:17] nearly 1,000 registrants who participated in the event
[7:21] across the 2.5 days.
[7:23] We took it entirely virtual and ended up rather than
[7:27] shrinking it, rather than giving in to covid-19, we
[7:30] decided to keep forging ahead to persist and prevail.
[7:33] And we had nine live, and 15 pre-recorded sessions over
[7:39] 2.5 days that featured over 100 writers and 22
[7:43] entertainers, musicians, et cetera.
[7:45] We're also particularly excited to tell you that our
[7:52] registrants weren't just from around the United States
[7:58] or just even from Florida, but came from 21 other
[8:05] countries, including ta tansaneia, U.K., Australia, and
[8:10] more.
[8:11] Next slide please.
[8:12] We did this not on our own but with a number of
[8:17] sponsors.
[8:17] Unfortunately, because of covid, many organizations
[8:20] weren't able to donate money.
[8:23] But we asked them to instead spread the word about this
[8:27] event.
[8:27] You'll see on this list many from the Tampa Bay and
[8:34] Pinellas county areas.
[8:36] But you'll also see a few from the United States.
[8:39] We were excited to share the magic of Gulfport and this
[8:42] event with all of these folks who were kind enough to
[8:45] share the word across all their social media and email
[8:49] accounts.
[8:49] Next slide, please.
[8:52] Quick thank you to the organizing committee.
[8:56] Some of you May know some of these names.
[9:00] Movers and shakers.
[9:06] Jeanine Norman who joined us from Alabama.
[9:14] Barb Talkov, and myself, I live in Gulfport.
[9:22] Next slide, please.
[9:25] Readout wasn't enough for us.
[9:29] So our next big event will be opening Saturday, May
[9:34] 29th.
[9:35] It will be partially live in the library where we'll be
[9:40] exhibiting artists and themes.
[9:42] We'll also include a virtual component, which we're
[9:45] still working on.
[9:46] We hope it will match readout and the reach of readout.
[9:51] Next slide, please.
[9:53] Finally, a thank you to the lgbtq resource center board
[9:58] of directors.
[9:59] They dedicate all their time daily.
[10:09] Bill Ward, of course, serves as our treasurer.
[10:14] Next slide, please.
[10:16] Finally, of course, none of this could happen no matter
[10:20] how many volunteers, et cetera, we have without the
[10:23] support of the entire city of Gulfport, including the
[10:25] city council.
[10:26] And of course everyone at the library.
[10:27] We want to particularly thank some folks at the library
[10:34] and city staff, Dave Mather, Ashley Johnson, Diana
[10:39] sillVera, and Jacob Taylor for helping us navigate the
[10:45] difficulties of taking on an event of this size.
[10:51] We were fortunate to have a Readout marketing
[11:02] consultant Sarah junke.
[11:06] >> We just want to thank the city of Gulfport, the city
[11:10] council, the city library, and all people here who just
[11:13] made this happen.
[11:14] It's pretty amazing and we plan to keep growing it.
[11:17] Thank you.
[11:18] >> Thank you, Susan.
[11:27] >> For those of you who don't know, our librarian is
[11:34] sitting up in that booth handling remote calls right
[11:39] now.
[11:40] He's not afraid to go anywhere.
[11:43] I was very proud to be a part of that and well
[11:48] deserved.
[11:48] Thank you, both.
[11:49] >>> This brings us to public open comment.
[11:54] We ask that you use your microphone. Please give your
[11:57] full name and address if you wish for anybody to follow
[12:00] up with you.
[12:01] You'll have three minutes.
[12:02] Everybody try to keep it cool.
[12:04] And we'll start with anyone who wants to put their hand
[12:08] up first.
[12:09] Yes, sir, I saw you first in the middle. Yes, sir.
[12:22] >> Hi, my name is Ken Simmons, 3205 58th street south.
[12:31] I feel like the council person and mayor should be
[12:34] censored for their inappropriate comments and behavior
[12:37] in the last meeting.
[12:38] Thank you.
[12:40] >> All right. Yes, ma'am.
[12:57] >> Thank you.
[13:00] Bonnie slern, Pelican Bay plaza.
[13:03] While the responses in the gab to comments made at the
[13:09] last council meeting relevant to the last election,
[13:14] none of those are on record, other than congresswomen's
[13:18] response.
[13:19] This is for a response that will be on record.
[13:22] I was disappointed and embarrassed by the comments made
[13:31] by Christine Brown and verbally endorsed by other xhebs
[13:39] about vice mayor April Thanos.
[13:44] April has repeatedly denied having anything to do with
[13:49] republication of an interview Christine and her husband
[13:53] gave willingly.
[13:54] That should have been enough to stop the repeated
[13:59] allegations.
[14:00] Not doing so fringes on defamation of character, and
[14:06] essentially accuses a fellow council member of lying.
[14:12] She has no proof whether Mike bower nor April was
[14:19] responsible for the blog.
[14:22] To denigrate Mike bower from the bully pulpit was also
[14:26] over the top.
[14:27] Especially since he was not notified and had no chance
[14:33] to refute her unproven allegations.
[14:36] Mr. Bower has incredible credentials and a long list of
[14:41] credible activities.
[14:42] He put himself out there to run for office to offer his
[14:46] experience to the city.
[14:47] All that is now lost due to the accusations and
[14:50] reprehensible behavior of this council.
[14:52] This city's loss for sure.
[14:55] Anyone willing to enter political office should be
[15:01] commended, not vilified.
[15:04] She has denied even thinking about whatever he might do
[15:08] politically in the future.
[15:09] That said, if she or anyone else for that matter to
[15:14] recruit someone to run, so what?
[15:16] Does sitting on the council mean you are an heir
[15:20] apparent it is time for this council to stop the
[15:24] juvenile bickering, treat each other with respect, and
[15:27] do the business they have been elected to do, the
[15:31] citizens business.
[15:32] Thank you for your time.
[15:33] >> Thank you.
[15:34] Who is next?
[15:35] Show of hands. Yes.
[15:53] >> I have a question about mask wearing.
[15:55] Nobody is wearing a mask up there.
[15:58] What's that all about?
[16:00] >> We've got shields, buddy.
[16:05] >> Not good enough.
[16:06] Okay.
[16:15] I think you know, the ugliness the fact of the
[16:20] political realm of Gulfport is something happening
[16:24] nationally.
[16:24] I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing.
[16:29] Mudslinging is part of our political process, I think.
[16:35] In regards to the consent agenda, we have a reroofing
[16:44] company at the fire department.
[16:48] Is that happening?
[16:49] I'm submitting two pieces of mailers.
[16:53] One is from April, and her mailer says environmental
[16:57] and sustainability.
[16:58] The environment is one of Gulfport's most viable as
[17:02] assets.
[17:02] Protecting it is one of our top priority.
[17:07] I'd like to see a solar component on the fire
[17:10] department roof.
[17:11] Also, I have a mailer from Michael.
[17:16] And his says, continue making our buildings more energy
[17:20] efficient.
[17:20] I am assuming that also means solar.
[17:25] Submitting these as public records.
[17:26] Also, if you want things to be on public record, you
[17:32] have to submit what you say in writing to lesley
[17:37] because it's not a public record.
[17:41] They choose to put in public record what they want.
[17:44] If you don't submit documentation, it's not a public
[17:47] record.
[17:47] There's no proof.
[17:49] There's no research.
[17:51] There's not a record of it.
[17:54] Also, I am completing reading the tangled up in blue,
[18:06] the policing of America.
[18:11] In part by George Floyd.
[18:12] It's inscribed for our chief of peace officer, Michael
[18:17] Vincent.
[18:18] I'd like him to read it.
[18:19] It's a good book.
[18:23] Okay.
[18:23] Thank you. >> Thank you.
[18:25] Who is next?
[18:28] Yes, ma'am.
[18:32] >> Richard Freed.
[18:36] >> Good evening.
[18:37] My name is Kim Gillespie, I live at 5106 14th avenue
[18:52] south, Gulfport, Florida.
[18:57] When it spills over to the community, I can't really
[19:02] express myself.
[19:03] I'm so hurt in this community.
[19:05] By some of the comments from the past, by some of the
[19:10] comments currently that go on from people who are
[19:14] supposed to represent us.
[19:16] Sometimes as a minority in this community, I do feel
[19:21] marginalized. I do feel under valued.
[19:24] You know, we work in the kitchens.
[19:28] We work behind the scenes.
[19:30] We're not highly visible in Gulfport.
[19:32] We have some of the lowest voter turnout in the African
[19:37] American in Gulfport.
[19:38] And it seems like no one on the city council really
[19:42] cares why we are not voting.
[19:44] There is a reason why Black people in Gulfport don't
[19:47] want to vote.
[19:48] It's because we feel as though you don't take us
[19:53] seriously.
[19:53] The city has a history.
[19:54] This country has a history.
[19:58] I don't know how the city who can claim to be lgbtq
[20:07] friendly cannot distribute that friendliness across the
[20:12] board.
[20:12] It hurts.
[20:13] So I'll move on to the next thing.
[20:16] The habitat for humanity project, I was here for the
[20:19] presentation.
[20:19] I worked for habitat for humanity for a small period of
[20:25] time.
[20:25] I'd like for the council to consider instead of putting
[20:30] families in homes, we can build four affordable homes
[20:34] for people who are on marginalized index who can't keep
[20:39] up with their property taxes.
[20:41] Who can't put a roof on their house so their have a
[20:45] tarp over their house.
[20:46] Property taxes are going up in Gulfport.
[20:50] When someone on social security gets a $22 increase and
[20:56] their property taxes go up significantly greater with
[21:00] everything else.
[21:02] It's just a consideration I'd like the council to
[21:04] consider.
[21:04] There's a way of dividing up those units to put four
[21:09] qualified candidates in independent housing and
[21:12] ownership.
[21:13] The next thing that I'd like to ask for is if the city
[21:19] can consider providing composting barrels like they do
[21:23] in St.
[21:23] Pete.
[21:24] It's a nice way to recycle.
[21:26] You know, add to some of our gardens.
[21:29] And what we don't use, we can share with our neighbors.
[21:31] Thank you.
[21:32] Sfwloo thank you.
[21:35] Yes, Ms. Wright.
[21:54] >> Good evening, everyone.
[22:00] I'm the owner of the -- I'm also the manager of the
[22:04] stage.
[22:04] I'm here this evening to make a request to city council
[22:10] to please use the apparent noise ordinance as it is
[22:15] laid out.
[22:16] Apparently our noise ordinance is set at 65 decibel
[22:24] between -- it makes reference to many different noises:
[22:31] Phones, pets, phono graphs.
[22:35] It does not adequately serve the restaurants and bars
[22:40] at 65 decibels.
[22:41] For example, a vacuum cleaner or a hair dryer registers
[22:49] at 75 decibels.
[22:52] The noise in this room before we began was around 70
[22:58] decibels. -- I know there have been times when we
[23:04] surpassed the 65 decibels reaching 90 and 95.
[23:15] I apologize for that on behalf of my business.
[23:17] And we have taken steps to mitigate this.
[23:20] We are a new business.
[23:21] We just opened last year.
[23:23] It's a learning curve and we are learning how to do
[23:27] this.
[23:27] I went through a pandemic and I've had my fair share of
[23:31] dealings with this.
[23:32] The past weekend I measured the music that was in the
[23:36] courtyard and everyone who played.
[23:38] We were around 75-83 decibels, as measured to the
[23:42] property line in the alley.
[23:45] We seem to get most of our complaints from people and
[23:48] residents in the alley.
[23:49] I also tried to do some research as to what other
[23:54] counties and cities do.
[23:56] I did find out that pinelas County has 72 decibels.
[24:01] We have become a venue where musicians can perform and
[24:05] people can enjoy themselves in a safe outdoor space.
[24:09] We cannot continue this way if we are in constant
[24:15] violation of the ordinance, and berated by our
[24:20] neighbors.
[24:21] Find a way where we can all do business and live
[24:26] comfortably in an area where commerce and residents
[24:29] coexist.
[24:30] Thank you very much.
[24:31] >> Thank you.
[24:33] Anyone else for open public comment?
[24:35] Yes. Go right ahead.
[24:41] >> Good evening.
[24:42] My name is Dawn fisher.
[24:44] I live at 6060 shore boulevard.
[24:47] 20 years ago I took a seat up here.
[24:53] I wanted to remark on the yacht club situation and the
[25:00] city.
[25:00] And I have a few words to say.
[25:02] Tonight, I'm going to be lying awake.
[25:06] What could I have done?
[25:09] What could I have said?
[25:13] I'm too late.
[25:15] Everyone, it's too late.
[25:17] Could this all have been different an outcome?
[25:22] How many people have been hurt?
[25:25] How much division and anger exists?
[25:32] Now, in my dear, dear Gulfport.
[25:39] >> Yes.
[25:40] In the back white shirt.
[25:42] How are you doing?
[25:54] >> Hello, everyone.
[25:55] This is my first time here.
[25:57] I am leafy green at 2908 1/2 boulevard south at least
[26:06] on Thursdays.
[26:07] I'm a musician in town, and I want to provide
[26:12] additional perspective to what Kelly Wright was talking
[26:15] about with the noise ordinances.
[26:17] As someone who lives a life of audio, I appreciate the
[26:21] spirit behind these noise ordinances.
[26:23] I really treasure and value my quiet time.
[26:25] At the same time, I also treasure and value music and
[26:29] what it can bring to a community.
[26:31] I've dedicated my life to it.
[26:33] And I've seen over the months and years playing these
[26:39] shows and going to other people's shows.
[26:44] People who might be at each other's throats somewhere
[26:48] down the street will come together and celebrate life
[26:51] and our common humanity.
[26:53] And I really want to not let that go unsaid.
[26:56] As I hope we will reexamine some of these ordinances.
[27:01] They're at this point just not in touch with reality.
[27:04] Kelly mentioned the reference of phonograph.
[27:08] I think they are perhaps a little outdated.
[27:12] I was measuring decibels from the back of the room.
[27:15] When Susan and Milton was giving their presentation
[27:18] about the event, they were ranging 60-70 decibels in
[27:22] the back of the room.
[27:25] It sounded nice.
[27:26] It was not a nuisance in any way.
[27:28] And I think the spirit of our rules involve, you know,
[27:31] keeping things peaceful for people.
[27:33] And I think we can do that with different specifics. So
[27:38] thank you.
[27:39] >> Thank you.
[27:40] Much appreciated.
[27:40] Yes.
[27:49] >> Good evening.
[27:52] On a different note, I'm not here to speak about any
[27:57] ordinance or anything.
[27:59] But Joe guther from o'maddy's was here today to present
[28:04] us a check for Gulfport little league.
[28:07] I'm the President Of little league and what he did for
[28:10] us was a very big deal.
[28:12] I had to come back here.
[28:14] I just met with him at the restaurant.
[28:15] I had to come back here to publicly acknowledge what he
[28:19] did to Gulfport little league and youth baseball here
[28:21] in Gulfport.
[28:22] And I wanted to thank you, mayor, Mr. Manager Jim, Mr.
[28:28] O'Reilly.
[28:29] You watched me grow into baseball.
[28:31] You used to be my coach when I was a young kid.
[28:34] And I went on to play professionally with the Toronto
[28:38] blue jays.
[28:38] He had a hand in stirring my pot to get me to where I
[28:42] needed to go.
[28:43] I just had to come back here publicly to thank all of
[28:46] you guys here in the city of Gulfport.
[28:48] And the support that we get from the local businesses
[28:51] here, it's tremendous.
[28:53] O'maddy's is not the only business here that donates to
[28:58] Gulfport little league.
[29:00] We seem to raise about $6,000 for the last three years
[29:03] on average from all local businesses here in Gulfport.
[29:06] And what that does is that allows a lot of minority
[29:11] kids or -- I can't think of the word here, but let's
[29:16] just say families who couldn't afford to pay the
[29:19] registration.
[29:20] But the businesses here that support us in the
[29:23] donations and the sponsorship allows us to allow those
[29:27] kids and those families to play baseball.
[29:29] So I had to come back publicly to thank him and to
[29:34] thank you guys for the city of Gulfport.
[29:37] We really appreciate everything you do for us.
[29:39] >> Thank you, Mr. Malorie.
[29:42] We're proud and honored to have you.
[29:48] >> This baseball season.
[29:51] We're at Thomason park and Hoyt field Tuesdays and
[29:56] Thursdays.
[29:57] Come out to the park and enjoy.
[29:59] >> Thank you.
[30:01] >> All right. Who is next?
[30:03] I see a hand right here.
[30:05] I'll get to everybody, I apologize.
[30:08] I won't leave you hanging.
[30:16] >> Thank you.
[30:18] Good evening, my name is Lee Nel.
[30:24] I live in Gulfport.
[30:26] I'm a member of past commodore Boca yacht club.
[30:33] I spent my year -- enforced civil rights laws
[30:37] prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, sex,
[30:40] age, disability.
[30:42] It's a job that I loved and I'm still proud of the work
[30:47] that we did.
[30:48] Wishing doesn't make it so.
[30:49] In context, that means that anyone can sue anyone for
[30:53] anything.
[30:54] But that doesn't mean that the defendant did anything
[30:56] wrong.
[30:56] For example, as much as I wish dominion voting systems
[31:03] would limit lawsuits against Sydney Powell and Rudy
[31:09] Giuliani --
[31:10] wishing won't make it so.
[31:14] The same thing with lawsuits against bcyc. The court
[31:18] found that it was not true.
[31:21] Most everyone knows that bcyc was sued for
[31:26] discrimination.
[31:26] What most people seem to not know is we won that case.
[31:29] We were also the subject of an administrative
[31:31] complaint, which we hear about all the time.
[31:33] But again, we won that one because it never even got
[31:37] off the ground.
[31:38] And yet, we still hear how bcyc discriminated.
[31:43] And it seems like that false narrative leads to
[31:47] reactions to bcyc, instead of the actual facts.
[31:51] Bcyc was not able to publicly refute these claims while
[31:55] the case was pending.
[31:56] However, the trial court's decision is now a matter of
[31:59] public record.
[32:00] And in fact, the trial court found in bcyc's favor on
[32:07] all counts.
[32:09] The judge said at page 55, even if ring had met her
[32:15] burden, which by the way, the court found she had not,
[32:21] bcyc has more than met its burden that it had
[32:27] legitimate reasons for expelling ring from membership.
[32:30] Ring had provided false Gulfport addresses.
[32:33] Which is very important because Gulfport residents like
[32:36] me are given about a 30% discount on the boat slip
[32:40] rental fees we pay to the city.
[32:42] Non-residents pay the full amount.
[32:44] Therefore, someone who claims a false Gulfport address
[32:48] is basically cheating the city out of that 30% of the
[32:53] rentals.
[32:53] When bcyc discovered those false addresses, and there
[32:57] were more than one, actually, confirmed by the court.
[33:01] Bcyc took action in part to protect our relationship
[33:04] with the city.
[33:05] And yet, here we are. Thank you.
[33:07] >> Yes, in the front.
[33:17] >> Hi, my name is Richard Walters.
[33:21] I reside at 2900 45th street south, Gulfport.
[33:26] I'm an avid sailor and have been a member of the yacht
[33:40] club.
[33:41] The club game to Gulfport in 1965, dredged and built
[33:44] the south basin and made major improvements to the
[33:48] auxiliary coast guard building on the property.
[33:51] Our mission has been to promote safe boating and
[33:54] sailing instruction for many years through our youth
[33:56] sailing program, which is free to anyone in the
[34:00] community.
[34:00] Our adult sail school, and our sponsorship of a very
[34:05] successful sea scout ship 915.
[34:08] We have taught multiple family generations how to
[34:11] safely sail.
[34:12] Many thousands.
[34:14] We have provided the majority of the funds and toys for
[34:19] the Gulfport police operation santa with our Christmas
[34:22] boat parade for over 25 years, which brings thousands
[34:25] of families with children to Gulfport each year.
[34:29] We also have a yearly fun day giving free sailboat
[34:33] rides to families in Gulfport and the surrounding
[34:36] communities.
[34:36] But this will end very shortly.
[34:39] A couple years ago the city asked us to spruce things
[34:44] up and fit in with the current marina district plan
[34:47] since they reassured us that bcyc would remain in the
[34:51] community.
[34:52] So in only a couple of years we invested $120,000 into
[34:57] the club house along with new paving, curbs, and
[35:01] signage.
[35:01] We even painted our building the same color as the main
[35:07] marina complex.
[35:08] We did that, what they asked us in good faith.
[35:14] Now two years later, the mayor and the city council has
[35:18] decided to evict us with no cause to give very small --
[35:22] to give a very small portion of land back to the
[35:26] people.
[35:27] It is really a ruse to gentrify the area.
[35:38] Destroy Florida -- for 55 years.
[35:44] The city intends to divert covid relief funding that
[35:49] should go to the citizens of Gulfport for a
[35:54] non-essential marina project to maximize revenue and
[35:58] push out the community clubs.
[36:01] They want to push out the sailboats.
[36:04] Good leadership works to include all stakeholders for
[36:09] the overall good of the community.
[36:12] They're calling their personal legacy --
[36:16] >> Thank you, sir.
[36:18] >> Destroying one.
[36:19] >> Three minutes, thanks.
[36:20] Right here in the front.
[36:33] >> I'm speaking to you as a transgendered woman, member
[36:39] of bcyc. I applaud the opening presentation from my
[36:44] lgbtq brothers and sisters.
[36:47] And it breaks my heart to have to come before you again
[36:52] tonight after speaking to you on February, the February
[36:56] meeting where I had every expectation and reason to
[37:00] believe that once we were acquitted of those horribly
[37:04] false charges against us, that we would then be given a
[37:08] prolonged lease until such time as the city had its
[37:13] permanent plans in place to modernize and communityize
[37:16] the property and the funding, and the plans that are in
[37:21] place.
[37:22] Now I have to come back to you again tonight as a
[37:29] transgendered woman and try to save the one place we
[37:35] had, the one social boating club we have in pinelas
[37:41] County that you people are going to take away from us.
[37:47] After the love and appreciation city this feels for the
[37:52] lgbtq community.
[37:53] As a transgender person, we suffer more discrimination
[37:57] than our gay brothers and sisters, God bless them.
[38:01] We do.
[38:02] And that discrimination often comes from white males.
[38:08] From privileged white males.
[38:12] I've suffered slings and arrows to get to where I am
[38:17] throughout my entire transgender career.
[38:20] It has been tough.
[38:21] And it has never been tougher than it is tonight.
[38:23] And you people are breaking my heart. I've encouraged
[38:26] so many transgender gals to come to Gulfport.
[38:29] It is the most friendly place for us, I thought.
[38:35] And now people have moved here, I don't know what to
[38:38] tell them.
[38:38] I don't know how this city is being run on behalf of
[38:41] us.
[38:42] We have no other place.
[38:43] I told you that in February.
[38:45] We've been exonerated of those heinously false charges
[38:49] brought about by two tragically disturbed individuals.
[38:53] And yet, here I am begging again.
[38:58] I don't know how you guys can square that.
[39:01] I honestly don't.
[39:04] That's really all I have to say.
[39:06] I hope you search your souls and rethink your decision,
[39:11] on my behalf and on my sisters' behalf.
[39:15] Thank you. >> Thank you.
[39:15] Who else?
[39:16] Yes.
[39:25] >> Good evening, everyone.
[39:27] My name is Dawn anjianni, I'm a full time resident in
[39:32] Gulfport.
[39:32] I have a request for the council.
[39:34] As far as the Shore Boulevard building between caddy's
[39:40] and salties with all the plywood up.
[39:44] There's a lot of concerns in this town about buildings
[39:48] and how they look and how they're built.
[39:50] And if it would be gentrified or not.
[39:54] And the plywood on those buildings looks like asbury
[40:00] park during the crack epidemic.
[40:04] Everyone is concerned about this.
[40:05] I hang out over there by the marina lot, and people
[40:09] come to Gulfport and they think Gulfport is closed
[40:12] down.
[40:12] They have asked me, is everything in Gulfport open
[40:16] because those windows are boarded up.
[40:18] So I'm asking the council, please, and I would be
[40:20] willing to be a part of it.
[40:22] I realize there's a plan in place that I am not privy
[40:25] to about these buildings.
[40:27] But in the interim, can we please do something?
[40:30] We have a ton of artists in the town that could paint
[40:34] those plywoods and make them look nice.
[40:36] You could do so many things with it in the interim.
[40:39] I'm asking that that be done.
[40:41] I'm willing to help get it done.
[40:43] It really looks bad for our town to look like that.
[40:46] You know.
[40:50] And I don't know how long the project is going to take.
[40:53] So it might have to be a couple of art projects on top
[40:56] of the plywood.
[40:57] But just something to clean up our town a little bit
[41:00] because the optics are terrible.
[41:01] Thank you.
[41:04] >> I'm going to respond to that one, real quick.
[41:08] That's private property.
[41:10] And that's basically a big developer who gave us the
[41:16] finger on the way out.
[41:18] But we don't own it.
[41:19] I'm trying to figure out.
[41:20] >> If you want to get the artists together.
[41:22] >> Private property, that's the issue.
[41:25] >> Just ask permission.
[41:26] >> Thank you.
[41:27] >> All right.
[41:28] Thanks.
[41:29] >> Who is next? Yes.
[41:38] >> Good evening.
[41:39] My name is George Anderson.
[41:40] I'm a full-time resident.
[41:44] I live at 5109 17th avenue south.
[41:47] I'm a boater.
[41:50] I come to Gulfport after waiting to get a slip in the
[41:55] municipal arena for my sailboat.
[41:57] I came to live in Gulfport because I got my slip.
[42:01] Within five weeks, I closed on a new residence here in
[42:07] Gulfport.
[42:08] I'm very distressed over the fact that as a Gulfport
[42:14] member, as a Gulfport resident, that there has not been
[42:20] workshops in recent days.
[42:23] The yacht club was in discussion lease renewal
[42:29] discussions.
[42:30] And less than 30 days ago, that went from lease renewal
[42:42] to -- 90-day eviction.
[42:46] I think that's unconscionable.
[42:47] I think that's not giving the citizens of Gulfport the
[42:51] window to err on what the new plans are.
[42:54] It's my impression that the city of Gulfport is running
[42:59] a deficit.
[42:59] And I don't understand what's going to happen.
[43:02] How are we going to spend this money?
[43:05] How will you spend this money as good stewards of our
[43:13] tax paying residents to raise this building, destroy
[43:18] what has become a very vibrant, positive organization
[43:24] for the community.
[43:26] What's going to happen to the sea scouts?
[43:29] What's going to happen to the boat parade?
[43:31] What's going to happen to all those people that don't
[43:35] get to go through the adult sailing school?
[43:39] These are all things that you can't measure in dollars
[43:42] and cents.
[43:43] And I think if you really want to work for the good of
[43:48] the people, then you have to really examine this.
[43:52] How many years has that property going to be line
[44:00] follow?
[44:01] There's no current plan.
[44:03] I believe 2016 was the last plan.
[44:05] How is it going to be funded?
[44:07] None of this has been made available to me as a
[44:13] Gulfport resident.
[44:14] So I'm voicing my dissatisfaction.
[44:17] I feel betrayed as a citizen, and as a sailor.
[44:22] And I came to Gulfport because of sailing and the bcyc.
[44:27] Thank you.
[44:28] >> Thank you. Who's next?
[44:30] Yes.
[44:42] >> On another note, a lighter note.
[44:47] I'm Margaret delgetti.
[44:55] Carol and I recently coordinated the art in the yard
[44:58] thing that happened a week and a half or so ago.
[45:02] >> Just a second.
[45:03] Everybody, I appreciate it.
[45:04] If we applaud everything that happens, this is actually
[45:07] very good that you're doing this.
[45:10] But we usually try to keep the decorum in here.
[45:13] If we can cause the applause in general, and just let
[45:16] people make the comments.
[45:18] Thank you.
[45:18] >> I appreciate it.
[45:20] >> I hear you.
[45:21] Karen couldn't --
[45:26] >> Karen couldn't be here tonight.
[45:31] There were over 100 artists from Gulfport that
[45:35] participated.
[45:35] The feedback was that it was well received.
[45:38] My understanding is that the Gulfport businesses also
[45:41] saw an increase in business that day after the hours of
[45:45] our event.
[45:45] One in particular that was a new business on the north
[45:49] side of town had her best day of sales ever, which I
[45:53] thought was really cool.
[45:54] The next one we've gotten the green light, November
[45:57] 6th.
[45:57] So mark your calendars.
[45:58] And we have some plans in place that are going to help
[46:04] draw business to the brick and mortar businesses.
[46:08] Again, I appreciate your guys support.
[46:09] And I wanted to thank the city manager for helping this
[46:15] happen.
[46:16] Help with Internet stuff and getting this stuff in the
[46:20] gabber for us.
[46:21] A special thanks to April Thanos who made the ball
[46:25] rolling for us and got this thing.
[46:27] She kinda helped pave the way for the initial stages.
[46:30] Thank you everyone for your support and the fact we get
[46:33] to have them twice a year now.
[46:35] >> Thank you.
[46:37] Who's next?
[46:37] Yes, right here in the front.
[46:44] >> Hi, I live in Gulfport.
[46:51] Recently the city has been the recipient of a boatload
[46:57] of obnoxious letters.
[46:59] I've sent you all a letter.
[47:02] So I hope you get a chance to read it.
[47:05] The letters you've been receiving are notable for the
[47:10] repetitive use of profanity and personal invective.
[47:14] And they're yielding a climate of sort of subRosa or
[47:23] low level fear or unease in city hall.
[47:30] Recently I spoke to a psychiatrist, an m. D. Who is a
[47:38] mental health consultant to hostage negotiating team
[47:43] with the swat unit.
[47:46] That person told me disgruntled residents don't usually
[47:49] give their time and place of their city council
[47:52] attacks.
[47:53] They don't say I'm going to come over at 8 o'clock and
[47:57] blow things up.
[47:59] The council can't cross talk to me, but I wonder if our
[48:04] able city manager could address the safety issues
[48:07] because of the two examples of the shootings I gave
[48:11] you.
[48:12] The members of the communities were killed and injured
[48:16] also.
[48:16] So I wonder if you'd allow Mr.
[48:20] O'Reilly to briefly outline the measures the city can
[48:25] and cannot do at this juncture.
[48:28] >> When the public comments completed, I'll allow him
[48:31] to address whatever we wants to do in person, otherwise
[48:34] he'll get with you later.
[48:36] >> Thank you so very much.
[48:37] >> Thank you.
[48:39] Anyone. Yes.
[48:55] >> Good evening.
[48:57] Mary Henry, I live on 27th avenue south.
[49:02] I plan to cover several topics here in my 3 minutes.
[49:06] I'll send you detailed comments that won't fit in the
[49:10] allocated public time.
[49:12] After listening to the council meeting on March 16th, I
[49:17] was discouraged and disappointed.
[49:19] Christine Brown, while I frequently disagree with your
[49:22] priorities and views on local, county, and national
[49:24] issues, I had the utmost respect for the time and
[49:28] effort you put in to local events and activities.
[49:31] So I was exceedingly disappointed to see you use the
[49:35] city council platform and city resources to attack a
[49:39] citizen of Gulfport.
[49:40] One who does not have the same access to the city
[49:43] platform to respond and defend themselves.
[49:45] All because they had the audacity to stand as a
[49:48] candidate against you in a recent election.
[49:51] Mayor Henderson, I was also very disappointed that you
[49:54] did not use your authority as chair of the meeting to
[49:58] cut off personal attacks and restore the dignity of the
[50:01] meeting and civil discussion.
[50:03] The next topic is bycy yacht club, but it's really the
[50:10] comments and reports at the end of the meeting when all
[50:17] of a sudden without notice to anybody, the mayor
[50:22] terminated the least of bcyc it should have had a
[50:28] motion, a second, and a roll call vote before that
[50:35] happened.
[50:35] The third topic, which relates to bcyc is public tax
[50:41] money.
[50:41] Money whether it's federal, state, county or city
[50:45] derives from the citizens.
[50:47] That is our money.
[50:49] We pay tax.
[50:50] The money is pooled and then should be spent for the
[50:53] greater good of its citizens.
[50:54] Not everyone will agree with every expenditure, but the
[50:58] majority should agree with all expenditures.
[51:00] The moneys from the American recovery act are not a
[51:05] lotto winning for the city and city manager to spend on
[51:11] their wish items.
[51:12] They should be spent for the greater good for the
[51:18] residents of Gulfport.
[51:20] I have a whole list of suggestions on how to spend $5
[51:24] million to benefit the citizens of Gulfport.
[51:26] I'll send you a detailed list.
[51:28] But here's a short summary.
[51:31] Expand, add, improve senior center to support
[51:34] vulnerable citizens, and seniors.
[51:37] Support affordable housing any way you choose.
[51:41] Give code enforcement more support so that they can
[51:45] enforce code.
[51:46] Pay the city employees a wage that means they can
[51:49] afford to live in Gulfport.
[51:50] Thank you.
[51:51] >> All right.
[51:52] Who's next?
[51:52] Yes, right here on the end in the front.
[52:03] >> My name is Joel hien, 6th avenue south.
[52:09] Mayor, council members, I'm here tonight as a skipper
[52:13] of ship 5195.
[52:14] In previous conversations I have tried to -- successful
[52:18] due to both the city of Gulfport and the bcyc
[52:22] contributions.
[52:23] I want to be clear, if bcyc goes away, I will do
[52:28] everything in my power to keep ship 915 thriving.
[52:32] This type of program is more important today than ever
[52:36] in today's world.
[52:36] The youth need what we teach, entrepreneurship.
[52:45] I'm a full believer in this program.
[52:47] At this time we have close to one adult for every scout
[52:54] with 15 registered scouts and three cadets.
[52:58] Prior to covid, we had -- 15 adult leaders and only one
[53:03] was not a bcyc member.
[53:06] We were the largest ship in Florida and among the
[53:11] largest ships in the country, and hope to one again
[53:16] post-pandemic be one of those ships again.
[53:19] I don't know where we will recruit adult leaders if
[53:26] bcyc goes away.
[53:28] We had tried to start a ship in the 80s, you May not
[53:31] remember.
[53:31] But failed due to the lack of adult participation.
[53:35] Without enough adult leaders, ideas are highly
[53:42] curtailed.
[53:43] With your actions, you May have set bcyc on a course to
[53:51] failure.
[53:52] Or to move to another location.
[53:55] In either case, it will be at the slow death of ship
[54:01] 915 in Gulfport.
[54:03] In summary, ship 915 is successful due to both, city of
[54:07] Gulfport and bcyc. If you remove either one of these
[54:11] legs, the future of this ship is in peril.
[54:15] I urge you to allow bcyc to continue to use the current
[54:19] building until a new community center is built and
[54:23] ready to be occupied.
[54:24] My scouts have decided on their own that they wanted to
[54:28] come and address you tonight.
[54:30] So at this time, I'd like to invite them to have their
[54:34] three minutes and come up and talk to you.
[54:36] Thank you.
[54:36] >> Here you go.
[54:49] >> Noah Shaw.
[54:56] Hello.
[54:57] I'm the yoman.
[55:01] Two blocks away is bcyc, the home of ship 915.
[55:07] The ship and the people in it have changed my life
[55:15] forever.
[55:16] Should it simply not have been there, I fear I might be
[55:20] a much different person.
[55:22] Sea scouts is a branch of boy scouts of America.
[55:25] Our ship and trip operates out of bcyc. Simply put, we
[55:30] need them to keep our ship running.
[55:33] They do so much more for us than we do for them, and we
[55:42] are very grateful.
[55:43] We offer sailing, kayaking, cpr training, and manual
[55:48] boating safety class required to own a vessel in
[55:54] Florida.
[55:55] These cruises, however,have not been happening recently
[55:57] due to covid. They've legitimately been some of the
[56:01] best experiences of my life.
[56:02] You pack your belongings on to a sailboat, then spend
[56:06] two weeks on the water navigating, cooking, and
[56:08] steering all with close friends.
[56:10] Both the sunsets and the stars are amazing 50 or so
[56:15] miles from land.
[56:16] The best part is you can pay for it yourself.
[56:19] On Sundays, we clean and fix the boats for $6 an hour.
[56:23] And sometimes a new skill.
[56:25] Granted you're an active member, you can usually pay
[56:29] for the entry fee yourselves.
[56:31] Sea scouts is a great resource for the youth.
[56:37] Not only to youth in Gulfport, but also to Gulfport
[56:40] itself.
[56:41] In 2019, as part of a statewide initiative, if my
[56:49] calculations are correct -- should have filtered
[56:53] 11,223,750 gallons of water by now.
[56:59] A more recent project happened in 2020, when scouts
[57:05] helped Gulfport glue down "no dumping" sign.
[57:09] Every summer we teach elementary kids how to sail at
[57:14] bcyc. This is a plea for mercy from the heart.
[57:20] Please keep bcyc two blocks from my house.
[57:23] I would also like to say my name is Amelia shaw, Noah
[57:28] shaw is my -- sea scouts has been the best friend group
[57:33] I've had in my entire life and most important.
[57:38] Thank you for your time.
[57:39] >> Thank you.
[57:40] Is there someone else from sea scouts in this group?
[57:48] Yes.
[57:49] Was there another scout that wanted to speak?
[58:03] >> Hello, my name is Elizabeth Sullivan.
[58:06] I have been a sea scout for three years.
[58:10] My rank is apprentice.
[58:12] I have sailed to the keys, scuba dived, trained and
[58:18] competed with my bcyc mentors in various ragattas, and
[58:24] much, much more.
[58:25] While independent than one another paper, in reality
[58:32] are a true synergy.
[58:36] Yacht club members have become friends and mentors to
[58:39] all of our sea scouts. Once our parents drop us off at
[58:44] bcyc, they know we're secure at the gates.
[58:47] This is something of a safe space for us sea scouts as
[58:51] teenagers.
[58:51] We often sway and gather by the big tree next to the
[58:55] clubhouse to discuss our activities for the day.
[58:57] Mia, the somewhat adopted cat that roems the area has
[59:04] been part of our family.
[59:07] Sea scouts know we are safe around friends and feel
[59:10] supported.
[59:11] So take this away from us sea scouts, it would be a
[59:19] detriment to us and our family.
[59:23] Only with the support of the caring, concerned sponsor
[59:35] like bcy club. --
[59:39] thank you for your time.
[59:39] >> Thank you.
[59:42] Anyone else from sea scouts that wants to speak before
[59:51] we move to someone else?
[59:56] No.
[59:57] Okay.
[59:58] Sir, you had your hand up.
[1:00:00] >> These kids, they are our future.
[1:00:03] These kids are our legacy.
[1:00:06] So with that, I do want to say council members, Mr.
[1:00:14] Mayor, good evening.
[1:00:16] My name is Frank DaMico.
[1:00:22] I live Gulfport, Florida.
[1:00:23] I'm a bcyc member, sail school volunteer, sea scout
[1:00:30] advisor, and a board member of bcyc. My husband and I
[1:00:38] are both Gulfport residents, homeowners, taxpayers, and
[1:00:43] voters.
[1:00:44] And we are very unhappy with our elected city officials
[1:00:49] right now.
[1:00:50] If you consider nothing else tonight, consider that.
[1:00:55] We like many residents here are taxpayers and we vote.
[1:01:01] This is what bcyc means to me, which in turn extends to
[1:01:06] how I feel towards the community in general.
[1:01:10] It's been a lot on social media about the fact that the
[1:01:16] club doesn't belong in Gulfport because it's elitist,
[1:01:20] exclusive, and even racist.
[1:01:22] I'd like to set the record straight.
[1:01:24] The pun is intended.
[1:01:27] In case you didn't get the reference, when I mentioned
[1:01:31] my husband earlier, we are a gay couple.
[1:01:34] He is an Asian Pacific islander. We were both welcomed
[1:01:40] into the club, and the Gulfport community.
[1:01:43] The same way with open arms.
[1:01:47] Does that sound exclusive?
[1:01:49] Bcyc is in fact the embodiment of inclusivity.
[1:01:57] We both work 40 hours a week and have moderate needs.
[1:02:01] Does that sound elitist?
[1:02:04] Club dues are $145 a quarter.
[1:02:07] More than some people's monthly bar bill.
[1:02:11] Again, does that sound elitist?
[1:02:15] Others will speak extensively on what the community
[1:02:19] will lose, free sailing for -- operation santa, the
[1:02:23] Christmas boat parade, fun days, my personal favorite
[1:02:27] because it introduced me to Gulfport and to the yacht
[1:02:32] club.
[1:02:33] Money spent by our members over the years at local
[1:02:37] businesses.
[1:02:38] Have contributed many other ways to the community.
[1:02:41] And I say community because the city is you. You're the
[1:02:46] city.
[1:02:47] This -- this is the community.
[1:02:49] This is the community.
[1:02:51] You should be protecting that.
[1:02:55] The city is financially vulnerable right now, and what
[1:02:59] do the elected officials do?
[1:03:01] With money that they're going to receive from the
[1:03:05] federal government?
[1:03:05] >> Thank you, sir, I appreciate it.
[1:03:07] >> I think you know the rest.
[1:03:09] So I do want to say thank you and regardless how things
[1:03:14] turn out, we will do what sailors do, we'll plot a new
[1:03:18] course.
[1:03:18] >> Thanks.
[1:03:19] >> And we'll follow the wind.
[1:03:22] >> Who's next? Yes, sir.
[1:03:32] >> Good evening, mayor, council members.
[1:03:36] My name is Howard Bush.
[1:03:38] I want to say thank you, sea scouts.
[1:03:41] Also the vice commander of the United States coast
[1:03:47] guard auxiliary here in Gulfport.
[1:03:50] And vice President Of the local alliance club.
[1:03:52] This concerns more than just the yacht club, it
[1:03:57] concerns us all.
[1:03:58] It concerns the lions club, who has been there since
[1:04:03] 1967.
[1:04:04] Lions club building was built by the lions club members
[1:04:08] of this community.
[1:04:09] We have supported organizations in Gulfport since 1948.
[1:04:14] Also, we have a Gulfport yacht club right next to us.
[1:04:20] That also affects as others have said, the entire
[1:04:27] community.
[1:04:27] We do more than just pancake breakfast.
[1:04:30] If you've ever heard of Helen Keller, in 1927, she
[1:04:35] asked the lions club to step up to the plate to take
[1:04:40] care of any preventable blindness in the world.
[1:04:44] And they have.
[1:04:46] More than just blindness, hurricane Dorian in the
[1:04:49] Bahamas, within weeks, $100,000 was sent in relief
[1:04:52] funds to the people in Bahamas.
[1:04:54] And that was just a start.
[1:04:59] The Gulfport has been around -- the lion club has been
[1:05:03] around since 1967.
[1:05:05] Members of the Gulfport lions club, we're at 4630
[1:05:09] tiffton drive south.
[1:05:10] Since its beginning, the lions club has raised
[1:05:15] thousands of dollars for site conservation, diabetes
[1:05:19] awareness, environmental improvement, eliminating
[1:05:21] hunger, childhood cancer, disaster relief, and other
[1:05:25] challenges facing mankind.
[1:05:27] Recently, we have been recognized as a Florida
[1:05:31] foundation as a 501 c 3 which will also improve many
[1:05:36] things to help this community.
[1:05:39] In addition, like many others, the police program for
[1:05:43] the santa benefit, Gulfport senior centers food pantry,
[1:05:47] youth sports, we support the youth sports and the
[1:05:51] baseball teams here in town as well.
[1:05:55] Another new one is feeding Tampa Bay, and lighthouse of
[1:05:59] penelas. If you've never heard of it, they take care of
[1:06:03] the people that are going blind or deaf, teach them out
[1:06:07] to gain in this society.
[1:06:09] They teach the parents about their children that are
[1:06:13] going deaf and blind.
[1:06:14] The lions club started that organization in 1956.
[1:06:16] Thank you again.
[1:06:17] >> Thank you.
[1:06:21] Who's next for open public comment?
[1:06:22] Yes.
[1:06:41] >> Karen Schwartz.
[1:06:47] I did not attend the last city council meeting, no
[1:06:51] excuses.
[1:06:52] Just to say I had the displeasure of watching the
[1:06:59] fireworks the next day.
[1:07:02] Christine Brown -- mudslinging conspiracy theory had no
[1:07:05] place during a city council meeting.
[1:07:09] Because of your lies, a man who might have been a
[1:07:13] leader in our effort to address climate change and
[1:07:17] build a more sustainable infrastructure in Gulfport is
[1:07:20] now so disgusted with our city, he's even stepped down
[1:07:24] from our sustainability committee, which is a real
[1:07:27] shame because he was the driving force behind the rain
[1:07:31] garden now blossoming near the rec center.
[1:07:34] Mayor Henderson, what were you thinking?
[1:07:36] As our mayor, you are responsible for maintaining
[1:07:42] civility during council meetings.
[1:07:45] Letting Ms.
[1:07:46] Brown air her grievances, none -- makes me wonder about
[1:07:53] the integrity of our elected leaders.
[1:07:57] Furthermore, everyone on council, why so opposed to
[1:08:02] some new blood?
[1:08:04] I remember when Dan linkey was running, he was so proud
[1:08:09] of the fact of the lack of drama among council members.
[1:08:14] Which I understand now means council prefers to put up
[1:08:18] a united front against new ideas rather than actually
[1:08:21] discuss different points of view.
[1:08:23] It's a wonder that anyone would want to seek office in
[1:08:28] Gulfport.
[1:08:28] Disagreements and even lively arguments about ideas and
[1:08:32] concepts are not drama.
[1:08:34] They are democracy in action.
[1:08:35] Thank you.
[1:08:37] >> Thank you. Who's next?
[1:08:42] Show of hands.
[1:08:45] Anyone else for open public?
[1:08:57] >> Welcome.
[1:09:00] Good evening, council.
[1:09:02] Hi, my name is Jason Sanchez.
[1:09:06] I'm a current commodore of Gulfport yacht club.
[1:09:10] I'm here on behalf of our club and members.
[1:09:13] We have about eight members here tonight.
[1:09:16] We were recently made privy to a new site plan that was
[1:09:20] being proposed.
[1:09:21] Obviously I've learned quite a bit about this and quite
[1:09:24] a bit about the yacht club tonight.
[1:09:26] Unfortunately, this came across as quite alarming as we
[1:09:30] had not seen this.
[1:09:32] Moreover, similar to bcyc, we are not included in this
[1:09:39] new site plan.
[1:09:41] I am among many of our members and our members of the
[1:09:45] community have many questions.
[1:09:46] I know you can't answer a lot of these questions
[1:09:49] tonight, but our club has been part of the community
[1:09:52] since 1938.
[1:09:53] And has been a staple in the community.
[1:09:56] A good partner to the city and it's been a
[1:10:02] multi-generational, social and sailing club since its
[1:10:05] inception.
[1:10:06] Even to the fact that my own family members helped
[1:10:10] build the new club when it transferred from plant bayou
[1:10:14] to its current location.
[1:10:16] I stand with you tonight with concern and unanswered
[1:10:19] questions.
[1:10:19] I understand that you cannot rebut at this time.
[1:10:22] However, I am hopeful there is a place for us in this
[1:10:27] proposed marina plan.
[1:10:28] I'm hopeful that Gulfport yacht club's existence is
[1:10:32] addressed later in this hearing.
[1:10:34] I don't have anything else.
[1:10:35] You know, I support a lot of the yacht club tonight.
[1:10:40] I did not know that they were being evicted.
[1:10:43] And I hope we're not on the chopping block next.
[1:10:46] >> Thanks.
[1:10:47] >> Thank you.
[1:10:48] >> Anyone else for open public comment? Yes.
[1:11:04] >> Good evening, everyone.
[1:11:05] I don't live in Gulfport but I am the vice President
[1:11:10] And the conservation advocate for clear water Audubon
[1:11:14] society.
[1:11:14] I'm here to talk about the cleaning stations up at
[1:11:19] Gulfport marina.
[1:11:20] They have been a problem for birds for a very long
[1:11:24] time.
[1:11:25] Just in case you all didn't know, it's against Florida
[1:11:32] administrative code to feed pelicans carcasses or
[1:11:37] fishes that have exposed bones and spines because it
[1:11:43] punctures their -- it can cause --
[1:11:48] >> Whoever that is, silence their phone during public
[1:11:51] comment and for the rest of the meeting.
[1:11:53] Thank you.
[1:11:53] >> What was that?
[1:11:55] Okay.
[1:11:56] Anyway, I know for a fact that the cleaning station has
[1:12:01] caused the death and injury of many, many pelicans
[1:12:05] because I know somebody who lives close by and she is a
[1:12:10] very good advocate and checks the pelicans every time,
[1:12:14] almost daily.
[1:12:15] Even from the Brown pelican species action plan, they
[1:12:20] say through targeted outreach they recommend protecting
[1:12:24] pelicans from injury and mortality related to
[1:12:27] intentional feeding.
[1:12:28] There's actually a placard and a sign that the fwc has
[1:12:33] made stating that it is against Florida administrative
[1:12:36] code to feed the pelicans.
[1:12:38] We have a lot of pathens that come into the Gulfport
[1:12:43] arena.
[1:12:43] They have a lot of tourists and people who think it's
[1:12:46] cool and cute to feed the pelicans.
[1:12:48] And they want to take pictures.
[1:12:50] But it's not cute at all when you rescue them and
[1:12:53] they're dying.
[1:12:54] And they have an infection and they smell like death
[1:12:58] because the infection is eating away at their gastro
[1:13:02] intentional tract and they're dying.
[1:13:04] That's not cute.
[1:13:05] And it's against the law to feed these birds.
[1:13:08] I think the station needs to be removed completely.
[1:13:11] If you insist on having a cleaning station there, you
[1:13:17] need to provide lidded trash cans and enforce it.
[1:13:22] I don't care how many signs you have, they're not going
[1:13:30] to stop feeding the pelicans. --
[1:13:34] feeding pelicans is prohibited by law.
[1:13:41] So I think in the spirit of being environmentally
[1:13:45] friendly and protecting the Brown pelican, which
[1:13:48] afterall is the mascot of the city of St. Petersburg, I
[1:13:53] realize this is Gulfport, but it's the sister city.
[1:13:57] Let's keep our pelicans safe, and stop the feeding of
[1:14:01] them.
[1:14:01] >> Thank you very much.
[1:14:02] >> Thank you.
[1:14:04] >> Much appreciated.
[1:14:05] Does anyone else have open public comment?
[1:14:08] >> There's one.
[1:14:09] >> Yes.
[1:14:33] >> Good evening, my name is Frank McKinney.
[1:14:37] My son has a residence --
[1:14:40] >> Can you pull the microphone up.
[1:14:42] >> Yes, sorry.
[1:14:43] My name is Frank McKinney.
[1:14:45] My son has a residence on 51st street south in
[1:14:49] Gulfport.
[1:14:50] I have been for 50 years a fervent support of Gulfport.
[1:14:54] I just love the town.
[1:14:56] There's an old saying about be careful what you wish
[1:15:03] for.
[1:15:04] I'd like to add to it.
[1:15:06] Is be careful that you can afford and bring about what
[1:15:12] you wish for.
[1:15:14] I was a member of a team in St.
[1:15:18] Petersburg on the other side of bayou -- flying the
[1:15:24] plane for skyway marina district very active for years.
[1:15:32] It began as a volunteer operation.
[1:15:37] Then the city -- we defined a plan.
[1:15:43] Meetings after meetings of what do you want?
[1:15:46] What do we need to have down here?
[1:15:49] Our focus was primarily on shops, places to live,
[1:15:54] places to dine, and opportunities for employment for
[1:15:58] people who now live in midtown of St. Petersburg.
[1:16:03] We want something more than clerks and bus boys. --
[1:16:15] it was all wrapped up.
[1:16:17] The mayor was behind it.
[1:16:23] Gave an offer to the first restaurant that would open
[1:16:26] and you can go and dine in.
[1:16:28] I thought wow, this is great.
[1:16:31] Then the implementation began. --
[1:16:38] no resemblance whatsoever to what we planned. Nothing.
[1:16:47] We have a large cement buildings which is pretty much
[1:17:01] like CzechSlovakia.
[1:17:04] We have no restaurant aside from the preexisting fish
[1:17:09] house, our dock house, which is not nearly as good as
[1:17:15] o'maddy's.
[1:17:16] We have a new wawa gas station.
[1:17:19] That's it.
[1:17:26] Mayor still hasn't been down because there's still no
[1:17:28] place for the mayor to eat.
[1:17:30] We didn't get what we wanted.
[1:17:31] We didn't insist on there being a way of implementation
[1:17:35] for this plan.
[1:17:36] When it happened, they said, okay, now, now everybody
[1:17:39] can do everything.
[1:17:40] We promoted people moving in there.
[1:17:43] What happened?
[1:17:44] Businesses moving in.
[1:17:47] What happened is they were enthused about it.
[1:17:52] But didn't think that we were a place that they wanted
[1:17:58] to be.
[1:18:00] So that development really only on what the zoning laws
[1:18:04] would allow.
[1:18:05] If you just rely on the zoning laws and the mercy of
[1:18:09] developers, you're going to end up with the wrong
[1:18:12] thing.
[1:18:12] Now's the time to map out exactly what you're going to
[1:18:15] get when you go forward with your plan.
[1:18:16] I don't know whether you're going to go forward or not.
[1:18:20] But if you do, for gosh sakes, make sure you know what
[1:18:23] you're doing.
[1:18:24] Make sure you know where the money is coming.
[1:18:26] >> Thank you, sir.
[1:18:27] Thank you very much.
[1:18:28] >> Thank you.
[1:18:29] >> Anyone else for open public comment? Yes.
[1:18:41] >> David Falwell, 29th avenue.
[1:18:45] I'm just hoping that somebody in our city or all of
[1:18:50] you, at least, are very involved with the Florida
[1:18:55] league of cities.
[1:18:56] In Tallahassee they're more than half way through their
[1:19:00] session this year and there are countless preemptive
[1:19:04] bills coming forward.
[1:19:05] I didn't bring the whole list.
[1:19:13] Bill 856 is going to prevent cities and counties from
[1:19:20] employing any alternative efforts for energy.
[1:19:24] So if you want to have our city buildings with solar
[1:19:29] power, you wouldn't be able to do that.
[1:19:32] If you want our fleet of vehicles to be battery
[1:19:36] operated, Tallahassee would have a say first.
[1:19:38] There's also bills that prevent our planning committee
[1:19:43] that's been working on beach boulevard and shore, it
[1:19:48] would preempt any of that, unless you complete
[1:19:53] construction by July 14th of this year.
[1:19:57] Please, please be aware of all these preemptive bills.
[1:20:02] And maybe someone from stetsson could help us work on
[1:20:05] these things.
[1:20:06] Thank you. >> Thank you. Yes.
[1:20:17] >> Hello, I'm Bret Daniel, a veteran who's got
[1:20:21] disability.
[1:20:22] And I taught 10 years at pinelas County as a public
[1:20:27] education teacher.
[1:20:28] And what I'm most concerned about is the -- if we bring
[1:20:33] this place to a more public setting and we allow more
[1:20:37] people to experience at the income levels that allows
[1:20:41] more people in, I think you have a greater diversity.
[1:20:45] So I'm concerned about the diversity of this.
[1:20:47] And if you've ever had a wish and you take a little
[1:20:58] tour out there at Boca.
[1:21:02] Help everybody as best we can.
[1:21:05] Maybe pulling these boats out, fixing them and saying
[1:21:09] you know, get them back in the water and get people
[1:21:14] happier because they have wishes.
[1:21:17] So as many people with vessels out there their wishes
[1:21:20] have gone astray.
[1:21:21] 22 years in the military.
[1:21:23] Three tours in the Persian Gulf says I support the
[1:21:26] public domain not the private domain.
[1:21:28] I apologize because I have a disability.
[1:21:31] And fighting a private disability is much easy to fight
[1:21:37] in a public setting.
[1:21:39] The second thing is we should all be happy it's
[1:21:44] becoming spring and the birds are out here.
[1:21:48] We are a tree community.
[1:21:50] We must think of ourselves as a small domain to help
[1:21:55] impact the birds.
[1:21:56] And I'm sorry, my teeth are going to fall out.
[1:21:59] But that's what I'd like you to look at as we're
[1:22:04] becoming public and allowing everyone access.
[1:22:07] And you have the accountability.
[1:22:09] So somebody reports to you, you look at this and say
[1:22:13] let's see the diversity in this group.
[1:22:15] Let's see the financials to this group.
[1:22:18] Let's make sure every child who wants to swim go
[1:22:26] sailing.
[1:22:27] I apologize, I'm more for staying in the public domain.
[1:22:31] But don't trash the stuff and throw it away.
[1:22:33] Look at how you can serve more people.
[1:22:34] Thank you.
[1:22:36] >> Thank you.
[1:22:41] Anyone else for open public comment?
[1:22:43] Am I missing any hands right now?
[1:22:45] If I'm missing any hands, just stand up. Okay.
[1:23:01] >> Hi, my name is Elizabeth Hendrix and I'm a Gulfport
[1:23:06] resident residing in gulf shores.
[1:23:08] I took the sailing course at bcyc in 2017.
[1:23:13] And ten of my classmates and I joined the club.
[1:23:17] Of those, five of us bought our own boats within a year
[1:23:21] of joining.
[1:23:22] I have a sailboat and it's in the bcyc basin.
[1:23:30] And I've loved racing monthly.
[1:23:33] We have a cruising program.
[1:23:35] I lernt to navigate with charts.
[1:23:37] Made some wonderful friends.
[1:23:41] And I love the basin that we're in with all the
[1:23:46] mangroves and all the trees.
[1:23:48] There are blue herons nesting in those trees and I
[1:23:52] watch them feed their young probably four months a
[1:23:56] year. There's also tons and tons of pelicans in the
[1:24:00] area.
[1:24:00] I am very worried about the proposal, which I just
[1:24:05] reviewed today. That looks at putting pathways both on
[1:24:08] two areas.
[1:24:09] They're calling them thinking spots a and b. These
[1:24:14] would cut through mangroves.
[1:24:16] Heavy mangrove area where these pelicans and birds are.
[1:24:20] There are dozens and dozens of birds there.
[1:24:24] And this would be extremely damaging to the ecosystem,
[1:24:28] to birds and wildlife.
[1:24:31] People don't need to go back there.
[1:24:33] We don't need a park.
[1:24:35] Those lands are rocky.
[1:24:37] They're uneven.
[1:24:38] I've heard people talk about having to do a boardwalk.
[1:24:43] This would mean a huge change in the ecosystem.
[1:24:46] We have a huge park.
[1:24:48] Bikeways right on the other side of the channel.
[1:24:49] We don't need it right there.
[1:24:52] Let's leave -- preserve some area for the birds.
[1:24:56] There's very little areas where birds can congregate
[1:25:01] where you're not shooing them off a beach or somebody's
[1:25:07] private property.
[1:25:09] We need those mangroves, the root system to protect the
[1:25:12] basin and protect the boats that are in there.
[1:25:16] Any trimming of trees or ripping out trees is going to
[1:25:22] affect the boats and the environment.
[1:25:25] Thank you.
[1:25:25] >> Thank you.
[1:25:26] Anyone else open for public comment? Yes.
[1:25:35] >> I'm Denise Moseley, I'm also known as the crazy bird
[1:25:40] lady.
[1:25:41] Some of you know me.
[1:25:42] Some of you don't.
[1:25:44] Having said that, I live across the street from the
[1:25:48] Gulfport arena.
[1:25:49] I see more than most do.
[1:25:50] If we continue with the plans as they've been laid out
[1:25:55] and we start to mess with the mangroves, we're going to
[1:25:59] start destroying the nesting habitat for different
[1:26:02] wildlife.
[1:26:02] Not to mention the wildlife in the water as well.
[1:26:05] Having the area as it is now is definitely a detriment
[1:26:14] in a few ways.
[1:26:17] I pulled out a heron that was nesting in a tree with
[1:26:22] fishing line entanglement where he might lose a limb.
[1:26:26] It might not mean a lot to you.
[1:26:29] But it is important for us.
[1:26:32] It is also mating season.
[1:26:33] The better we take care of this area, the more we can
[1:26:39] continue to have this ecosystem that benefits our
[1:26:43] fishermen.
[1:26:44] Several of our volunteers have charters that come out
[1:26:48] of the marina.
[1:26:49] They can make an educational lesson to some of their
[1:26:53] boaters.
[1:26:54] It's very important that we continue to teach people
[1:27:01] how important our mangroves andest -- estuaries are.
[1:27:07] Right now the problem is that if we remove that
[1:27:10] mangrove area and we start putting in event areas over
[1:27:14] there, I hate to see the trash that comes from that.
[1:27:17] I started a group.
[1:27:24] Every single morning I walk outside and see trash in
[1:27:27] front of my yard.
[1:27:28] Not a complaint just a statement of fact.
[1:27:30] Because when people come visit, they are not
[1:27:33] appropriate with anything, including their trash, the
[1:27:36] mono filliment line, anything that has to do with
[1:27:39] disposal.
[1:27:39] The other problem we have with removing those mangroves
[1:27:42] and making it a thinking area, where are you going to
[1:27:46] put the trash cans?
[1:27:47] Where are you going to put things to dispose of the
[1:27:52] mono filliment line?
[1:27:54] Which continues to kill animals.
[1:27:56] Please consider as we go through to make these
[1:27:59] arrangements where the yacht club is existing now that
[1:28:03] we do not disrupt the ecosystem anymore than we already
[1:28:07] have.
[1:28:08] Right now there's a fishing station over there that did
[1:28:12] not actually meet the specs of what was supposed to
[1:28:16] happen.
[1:28:16] There's no fishing chute.
[1:28:20] There's no carcass disposal chute.
[1:28:22] Which means the fisherman puts them straight into the
[1:28:25] bay.
[1:28:25] And I have to go out there and pick up before they die
[1:28:41] of sepss.
[1:28:43] >> --
[1:28:43] >> How do you put a walkway in there, sir?
[1:28:47] >> Okay.
[1:28:48] >> How do you put a walkway in there?
[1:28:50] >> We'll address it when we get to the marina part.
[1:28:54] I just wondered how you saw it.
[1:28:56] >> On the plans.
[1:28:57] >> Who is the next person for open comment? Anyone?
[1:29:00] >> Yes.
[1:29:06] >> I live in town shores.
[1:29:12] We've owned property there since 1976, my parents, and
[1:29:16] now I. It's my first meeting that I've come to.
[1:29:19] I've watched two on Zoom.
[1:29:22] It's actually quite upsetting, to tell you the truth.
[1:29:27] I do have a question.
[1:29:28] I'm not sure the procedure.
[1:29:30] I mean, lots of people have spoken with their ideas and
[1:29:39] concerns.
[1:29:40] How -- maybe you can answer this after the question.
[1:29:46] How are decisions made?
[1:29:47] Are those working meetings open?
[1:29:50] How do we know that you are really listening and taking
[1:29:57] in to consideration what everyone has said.
[1:30:01] And my last question is how did this get started or why
[1:30:05] did it get started with the yacht club?
[1:30:08] Which I have nothing to do with at all.
[1:30:12] But I think it's a nice part of the community from
[1:30:15] everything I've heard about it.
[1:30:17] So it's just very curious to me how this all started to
[1:30:25] throw them out, rip the building down, build a little
[1:30:31] park.
[1:30:32] We have the clam bayou park. It's beautiful.
[1:30:35] I just don't understand.
[1:30:38] >> Okay.
[1:30:39] That's a lot of inquiry.
[1:30:40] So we'll have to follow up with you individually.
[1:30:43] Thank you.
[1:30:44] Anyone else open for public comment?
[1:30:46] Anyone who has come here tonight and spoken on this
[1:30:48] issue, I encourage you to stick around for the rest of
[1:30:51] the evening.
[1:30:52] >> What about Zoom?
[1:30:53] >> I'm not done yet.
[1:30:54] >> Okay.
[1:30:56] Sorry.
[1:30:57] >> Anyone else in this room that has a public comment
[1:31:00] for open public comment?
[1:31:01] All right.
[1:31:02] I'm sorry.
[1:31:04] Are you -- can we get her a mic?
[1:31:07] You can make it in?
[1:31:08] Okay.
[1:31:10] I saw your hand.
[1:31:21] >> Good evening, and thank you for your service and for
[1:31:24] taking the time to listen.
[1:31:26] And I truly hope that you are listening and taking
[1:31:28] these things to heart.
[1:31:29] I'd like to see a lot more transparency and a lot more
[1:31:33] dialogue on this.
[1:31:34] It seems things are moving pretty fast as far as the
[1:31:39] residents and the community, et cetera.
[1:31:42] By the way, I've been a homeowner for nearly 30 years.
[1:31:45] I was a member of bcyc. I haven't been for a long time.
[1:31:49] I was a member of the lions club.
[1:31:51] Haven't been for a long time.
[1:31:54] I really hope that we do everything we can to make sure
[1:31:59] we don't displace any of those organizations.
[1:32:01] Thank you.
[1:32:02] >> Thank you.
[1:32:05] Anyone else for open public comment?
[1:32:09] All right.
[1:32:11] Seeing no one, have we got anyone on the phone?
[1:32:13] >> Yes, mayor.
[1:32:14] >> All right.
[1:32:15] >> The first person will be Margaret tover.
[1:32:24] >> Hi.
[1:32:25] This is Margaret tober, 59th street.
[1:32:29] Before I make the comments I had planned to make, I
[1:32:34] would like to say that the lady or say to the lady that
[1:32:40] spoke earlier about the building that's boarded up.
[1:32:44] I just by happenstance, had an online conversation with
[1:32:48] one of the owners of that property.
[1:32:51] And she put a rendering of their plans online.
[1:32:57] I would like to give permission to city clerk deMuth to
[1:33:01] give that lady my contact information and the lady can
[1:33:04] contact me and I'll put her in touch with the owner.
[1:33:08] I had a speech written out, and I'm going to discard
[1:33:15] that and just kind of free form it.
[1:33:19] I've called Gulfport home since I was 5 1/2 years old
[1:33:25] so that's 60 plus years.
[1:33:27] I was very saddened by what happened at the last
[1:33:30] meeting.
[1:33:30] And actually, I was saddened by what happened at the
[1:33:34] meeting on February 2nd.
[1:33:35] I also went back through some old videos.
[1:33:40] And I noticed even at the very first meeting that Ms.
[1:33:50] Thanos -- the bottom line is Ms.
[1:33:53] Thanos is there now and she deserves to be treated with
[1:33:57] respect and likewise, everybody else should be treated
[1:34:00] with respect.
[1:34:01] Over the course of the last year, you know, even the
[1:34:05] first meetings she attended, I noticed she was never
[1:34:08] welcomed by anybody.
[1:34:09] It's fine to have disagreements.
[1:34:10] But I learned in the course of my career that sometimes
[1:34:15] you learn more from talking to people and listening to
[1:34:19] their ideas even if you don't like them that much, than
[1:34:23] you ever learn from a textbook. You know.
[1:34:27] You know.
[1:34:27] I learned analyzing financial statements from a
[1:34:33] textbook.
[1:34:34] I learned sig sigma process improvement from a
[1:34:40] textbook.
[1:34:40] But most of what I learned in the life of my everyday
[1:34:44] career I learned from everyday people, customers,
[1:34:47] superiors, vendors. And you can learn so much, even if
[1:34:50] you don't like most of what they say, if you pick up
[1:34:55] one little nugget, that's more than you had before you
[1:34:58] started communicating.
[1:34:59] So I would like to ask that moving forward that y'all
[1:35:05] just be a little more open to listening to each other.
[1:35:11] And then the last thing is, someone in the community
[1:35:15] brought this to my attention.
[1:35:17] And when council members have a disagreement with each
[1:35:20] other, perhaps there should be some way if it's a
[1:35:24] serious --
[1:35:24] >> Thank you.
[1:35:28] Mr. Mather, anyone else?
[1:35:30] >> There was one.
[1:35:32] Please raise your hand if you wish to talk.
[1:35:34] Your virtual hand.
[1:35:37] I'm not seeing any.
[1:35:38] Oh, there it is.
[1:35:41] Okay.
[1:35:41] This person is -- I'm assuming it's a last name.
[1:35:48] Rings.
[1:35:48] I'm going to allow you to talk.
[1:35:54] You have to unmute.
[1:35:55] There you go.
[1:35:56] Sorry.
[1:35:57] >> Yeah.
[1:35:58] This is Samantha Ring.
[1:36:01] I'm actually having a panic attack.
[1:36:04] That's okay.
[1:36:04] I'm going to tell you something.
[1:36:12] My roommate Ray Rodriguez is standing next to me. --
[1:36:24] I'm telling you we were roommates then, we're roommates
[1:36:28] now.
[1:36:28] I'm legally blind without my glasses.
[1:36:32] That means if my glasses fall off, I can't find them.
[1:36:35] Which is fine.
[1:36:36] That happens to a lot of people.
[1:36:37] However, if I'm alone on my boat and my glasses fall
[1:36:41] off, I also have panic attacks.
[1:36:44] And I have allergies. I have fatal an flaktic
[1:36:56] allergies.
[1:36:57] I use an EpiPen.
[1:37:00] I've lived in this town for over 20 years.
[1:37:03] And I've owned two homes and I lived in another one.
[1:37:06] I guess four homes.
[1:37:09] But I have -- you know, let me just -- forget about me.
[1:37:18] Let's just talk about this.
[1:37:20] I love the shared space idea.
[1:37:22] I think you have a great idea.
[1:37:24] I think that that Gulfport yacht club building, it's
[1:37:28] the most adorable building and it represents Gulfport.
[1:37:32] I think instead of one big new building, would it be a
[1:37:37] more of a dedication to what really is Gulfport than to
[1:37:41] make a little group of Gulfport yacht club kind of
[1:37:45] based on that, that then is a shared space.
[1:37:49] By shared, that means that if you have a disability,
[1:37:55] other people don't recognize it because they're not
[1:38:00] doctors.
[1:38:00] That you can bring your service animal.
[1:38:03] I'm going to tell you something -- okay, whatever.
[1:38:06] I'm sorry, I'm really -- doing that was wrong.
[1:38:15] But anyway, the Gulfport young club, that's adorable.
[1:38:19] I think that would be a great thing to do and it could
[1:38:23] be a shared space that's open and serves the entire
[1:38:26] community.
[1:38:27] However, I would ask that we also do a conservation
[1:38:30] area for the birds in that main rough space.
[1:38:33] That you do a conservation for that mangrove space.
[1:38:45] And --
[1:38:49] >> I think we lost the communication.
[1:38:51] >> Is there anyone else on there, Mr. Mather?
[1:38:57] >> No, there's nowhere else.
[1:38:58] >> I suggest we take a 15 minute recess.
[1:39:03] For anyone who is here for the plan, for the marina.
[1:39:14] We'll reconvene at -- actually, let's make it 8
[1:39:18] o'clock.
[1:39:19] We'll reconvene at 8 o'clock.
[1:46:44] >>> All right.
[1:46:45] Welcome back, everybody. Coming off recess.
[1:46:48] We are at agenda item two, the city manager's report.
[1:46:53] >> Thank you, mayor.
[1:46:54] First of all, I just wanted to address about three or
[1:46:58] four items.
[1:46:59] One item I do want to address immediately.
[1:47:03] There was an inquire in regards of correspondence Mr.
[1:47:08] Pela had raised.
[1:47:10] First of all, I'm not in a position to discuss what
[1:47:14] security aspects we employ at city hall.
[1:47:16] Second is in regards to the correspondence you brought
[1:47:21] forward, chief Vincent has spoken to the state's
[1:47:25] attorney's office and it does not rise to prosecutable
[1:47:30] level.
[1:47:30] In response to that question.
[1:47:32] >> All right.
[1:47:32] >> I know there was concerns about security at city
[1:47:37] hall.
[1:47:38] We do every effort to -- keep the building locked down
[1:47:43] as much as possible.
[1:47:46] We still want the public to be able to access the lobby
[1:47:48] area.
[1:47:48] >> Thank you.
[1:47:54] >> Mr. Malorie, Mr. Gunsdser, the presentation with
[1:47:58] little league.
[1:47:59] We're happy to support little league baseball, as you
[1:48:02] know.
[1:48:03] We support whatever they need.
[1:48:09] I'd just also wanted to confirm that city council will
[1:48:14] will be going back to council chambers the first
[1:48:18] meeting in May.
[1:48:20] Correct?
[1:48:20] >> Yeah, can we pull the doors, or else the folks that
[1:48:24] are going to participate can come inside one or the
[1:48:27] other. The noise is bleeding in.
[1:48:29] Go ahead.
[1:48:30] Please continue.
[1:48:31] >> Yes.
[1:48:31] Also, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank chief
[1:48:37] Vincent and his staff, and kulteri for his assistance.
[1:48:42] Everyone went home safe and unharmed.
[1:48:47] Both agents did an excellent job securing the issue.
[1:48:50] It went very well.
[1:48:51] It was a very scary situation for quite a long time
[1:48:54] Friday afternoon.
[1:48:54] But I just wanted to thank their respected selves. And
[1:49:04] their respected staffs.
[1:49:07] Fourth of July, we're at the point where we have to
[1:49:11] make that determination.
[1:49:12] Fireworks or no fireworks or no Fourth of July event.
[1:49:16] Basically I'm recommending to you that we forego Fourth
[1:49:20] of July fireworks this year.
[1:49:23] That's based on the premise that if we were to do them
[1:49:28] and other municipalities in the area were not doing
[1:49:31] them, we could see an influx of large individuals
[1:49:35] coming in to the area where I don't believe we have the
[1:49:40] support to manage.
[1:49:41] >> Council.
[1:49:42] >> What about a parade?
[1:49:43] >> Well it's still hard to separate folks.
[1:49:45] That's the issue.
[1:49:47] All the events require you can't really social distance
[1:49:50] from that.
[1:49:51] And I mean, we could do something like we did this last
[1:49:55] year later in the year maybe if we want.
[1:49:58] I'm going to use the clich?, become normalized.
[1:50:02] >> We have to make up our decision now as far as for
[1:50:05] something for later?
[1:50:06] >> No.
[1:50:07] >> New Year's Eve was pretty successful.
[1:50:11] We also kept it on the down low to people didn't much
[1:50:14] know about it.
[1:50:15] >> This is specifically for Fourth of July.
[1:50:18] We can have that discussion all through the year.
[1:50:20] We would have to purchase them now to order them.
[1:50:25] That's why I have to bring it to you so soon.
[1:50:27] >> Can we just go back to about going back in May.
[1:50:32] I don't have a problem if it's going to be a regular
[1:50:35] kind of meeting.
[1:50:36] But if it's going to be something that's at all a big
[1:50:40] meeting, I think we should come back here.
[1:50:43] >> If we can predict and determine that, that's great.
[1:50:46] >> Sometimes you can.
[1:50:48] >> If we're going to have another continued
[1:50:50] conversation about this particular topic we're going to
[1:50:53] be talking about.
[1:50:54] >> Or later talking about how we're going to spend
[1:50:58] whatever federal money once we know all of the criteria
[1:51:03] for for it.
[1:51:04] That would probably be.
[1:51:07] >> Please continue with your report.
[1:51:10] >> That's all I had tonight.
[1:51:11] >> I was going to ask you a couple of other things.
[1:51:14] >> Before I get to that.
[1:51:16] I'm going to ask to table the capital improvement
[1:51:20] budget for this evening. I'm required by the charter to
[1:51:24] provide you a capital improvement budget, but I'm going
[1:51:28] to ask you mayor to table it.
[1:51:31] >> Regarding that since we do stand to get some funds,
[1:51:34] some ways that we could potentially help people.
[1:51:37] I know you and Cheryl have had multiple discussions
[1:51:42] about this in the past about figuring out a way to tier
[1:51:49] the water rate. If there's a way we could subsidize or
[1:51:55] the earmarked money we might potentially get from
[1:51:59] congress.
[1:52:00] If we could postpone any for at least a year, any
[1:52:05] delays or increases in the water sewer sanitation rate.
[1:52:10] I wanted to know how council felt about those things.
[1:52:14] I'm talking about the city manager and our financial
[1:52:16] director who know that business, bringing something to
[1:52:18] us that might work.
[1:52:19] >> I agree.
[1:52:22] >> Especially a figure about what that would mean.
[1:52:25] >> Oh yes, we would give you the impact.
[1:52:27] >> Yes.
[1:52:29] >> Is that to the extent -- well do we have council
[1:52:34] consent?
[1:52:35] Is that all right?
[1:52:36] >> a gree.
[1:52:38] >> I have one question.
[1:52:38] >> Sure.
[1:52:42] Do we know if the city of St. Pete's going to raise our
[1:52:47] rates now between now and next year?
[1:52:50] >> I'm sure their intent is their wholesale rate, yes.
[1:52:53] We would give you the financial impact of that.
[1:52:56] As soon as we know.
[1:52:58] We have some estimates that we work from.
[1:53:00] The biggest issue is the amount of lost revenue.
[1:53:06] Could you use your rescue act moneys to offset or forgo
[1:53:11] I guess the term I would use is fore go at this time
[1:53:17] your rate increase.
[1:53:19] It May extend your 10-year plan that you've adopted,
[1:53:23] the implementation.
[1:53:23] But you do have to address a revenue loss because of
[1:53:26] the administrative charges and things like that.
[1:53:28] So you'd have to offset that if that was a use of your
[1:53:31] rescue act dollars.
[1:53:32] >> Okay.
[1:53:33] >> But you'd be passing savings on that there would not
[1:53:37] be a rate increase this year is how I'm perceiving it.
[1:53:40] >> Some kind of tangible rate that we can pass on to
[1:53:46] residents.
[1:53:46] >> We can start that dialogue.
[1:53:48] I mean, we could do some raw numbers and see where it
[1:53:51] goes.
[1:53:52] >> Okay.
[1:53:52] All right.
[1:53:53] Thank you.
[1:53:54] Anything else, city manager?
[1:53:55] >> No, sir.
[1:53:57] >> Thank you very much.
[1:53:59] City attorney.
[1:54:00] I have one question for you.
[1:54:01] Those of us who have been here for a while, and I think
[1:54:10] I'm still technically new by Gulfport standards only
[1:54:15] gotten here in 2006.
[1:54:18] They're pumping phosphate nitrogen rich waste water
[1:54:23] into Tampa Bay.
[1:54:24] I wanted to know if there's any precedent for -- I
[1:54:28] wouldn't want to take on this kind of legal step on our
[1:54:33] own.
[1:54:33] But if there's any way through the Florida league of
[1:54:38] cities we could gauge them and see if there's any
[1:54:42] interest in a municipal class action suit against
[1:54:45] mosaic.
[1:54:46] They've been a bad steward.
[1:54:47] I mean, every time they put on a commercial, it talks
[1:54:50] about them planting a tree.
[1:54:51] But they don't want to talk much about what they're
[1:54:54] doing to the water.
[1:54:55] Take away Disney World.
[1:54:56] That's why people come here.
[1:54:58] Whether it's the springs or the coast. If there's any
[1:55:02] precedent for doing that.
[1:55:04] I'd be interested to see if council had any interest.
[1:55:07] >> We could contact them.
[1:55:09] >> They're a frequent flyer in the environmental world
[1:55:14] for kind of saying, oops, we made a mistake.
[1:55:19] Oh, it's a sink hole, who would have known?
[1:55:24] Well who could have known is geologistists and
[1:55:36] engineers.
[1:55:37] >> We'll contact Florida league.
[1:55:41] It wouldn't surprise me if someone was moving forward
[1:55:44] with what's going on lately.
[1:55:46] >> Maybe the people who sued us might be suing them.
[1:55:48] >> Based on the fact we've been involved in it, we know
[1:55:51] some of the players.
[1:55:52] >> They want to pick on the little guy with us.
[1:55:55] We'll see if they want to take on mosaic.
[1:55:58] The concern is waters are going to start heating up.
[1:56:01] With all that food in there, nitrogen and phosphorous,
[1:56:05] we're already looking at an increased risk of red tide
[1:56:10] and other Algo blooms.
[1:56:12] >> Where are they putting it right now?
[1:56:15] >> The piney point plant, I believe.
[1:56:18] They're pumping it out.
[1:56:20] >> Where it is, basically, mayor, if I May.
[1:56:23] It's basically along the coast of terrasea.
[1:56:29] Wherever they pump it, it's along the coast of
[1:56:32] terrasea.
[1:56:33] >> They talked about it at one time putting it on
[1:56:36] barges and taking it out to the gulf.
[1:56:39] Gees Louise.
[1:56:39] >> You mentioned you were having a meeting on Friday.
[1:56:42] >> Wednesday we had a temp --
[1:56:45] >> Going to affect as well?
[1:56:46] >> Tampa Bay.
[1:56:52] Pinelas County is testing Tampa Bay and old Tampa Bay.
[1:56:56] >> All right.
[1:56:58] Thanks, city attorney.
[1:57:00] Appreciate it.
[1:57:01] Thanks, council.
[1:57:02] City clerk's report.
[1:57:03] >> No report, mayor.
[1:57:05] >> Okay.
[1:57:05] All right.
[1:57:06] That brings us to our consent agenda.
[1:57:12] >> Consent a considering approval of council meeting
[1:57:16] minutes.
[1:57:17] Members to serve on board of adjustment provided for
[1:57:23] term of appointments.
[1:57:25] Joe Szemer, Kelly Wright.
[1:57:31] Providing for term of appointment.
[1:57:33] Robert Craig, Jerry Reid, Mary Hanahan.
[1:57:39] 5d resolution appointing a trustee for the police
[1:57:47] officers trust fund providing term of appointment.
[1:57:53] 5e, providing for term of appointment.
[1:57:55] Those nominees are ros barbieri.
[1:58:06] Resolution 2021-24.
[1:58:18] 5g, resolution 2021-25.
[1:58:19] Authorizing the expenditure of funds for the granicus
[1:58:25] platform.
[1:58:26] 5 iresolution 2021-27.
[1:58:35] >> All right.
[1:58:37] Motion on this council.
[1:58:38] >> I'll make a motion on the consent agenda.
[1:58:40] >> Second.
[1:58:40] >> We have a first and second.
[1:58:43] All in favor, signify say aye.
[1:58:47] >> It was requested we take off our council rules off
[1:58:53] of the consent agenda.
[1:58:55] Margaret tober had written to all of us.
[1:58:57] Do we want to do that?
[1:58:58] >> No, I don't.
[1:58:59] Anyone else?
[1:59:00] >> Anybody?
[1:59:01] >> --
[1:59:02] >> About taking the council rules and procedures off.
[1:59:05] >> She wanted to have a discussion about the rules.
[1:59:07] >> No.
[1:59:10] We have the discussion here.
[1:59:11] We did it, so no.
[1:59:13] I don't.
[1:59:13] We have a motion on the table to vote on the consent
[1:59:17] agenda as is.
[1:59:18] All in favor signify by saying aye.
[1:59:22] Unless you want to make a motion and see if we get a
[1:59:26] second.
[1:59:26] >> Obviously I'm not going to get a second.
[1:59:29] >> All in favor of the consent agenda, aye.
[1:59:33] >> Aye.
[1:59:33] >> Carries to passage with a 4-
[1:59:35] 1.
[1:59:39] Resolutions beginning with resolution 2021-28.
[1:59:47] >> Application from the Kiwanis Club of Gulfport.
[1:59:58] >> City manager.
[1:59:58] >> Yes, mayor, this special events of two days.
[2:00:06] This is a request from the Kiwanis Club of Gulfport to
[2:00:12] host a volleyball tournament on Gulfport beach from
[2:00:16] 8:00 to 6:00 P.M.
[2:00:18] They would have to, of course, have someone manage
[2:00:23] their distancing and such, unless they're playing.
[2:00:27] They've met all the requirements.
[2:00:29] Staff recommends approval at this time.
[2:00:33] They've asked to place six additional volleyball
[2:00:37] courts.
[2:00:37] >> For that weekend?
[2:00:39] >> Yes.
[2:00:40] >> Okay.
[2:00:41] Council comments.
[2:00:42] Follow speaking order.
[2:00:43] Council comments.
[2:00:44] Questions on this one.
[2:00:45] >> I don't have any questions.
[2:00:46] I did have an opportunity to meet the applicants that
[2:00:51] are running the volleyball tournament last night.
[2:00:54] And they have a great plan in place.
[2:00:58] And I feel like they're very community minded.
[2:01:01] So I'm in favor of this.
[2:01:03] >> Good.
[2:01:07] Council member Ray, council member Fridovich.
[2:01:08] >> How many?
[2:01:09] >> They'll be adding an additional six courts.
[2:01:15] >> Council members, vice mayor.
[2:01:16] >> I'm looking at the picture here.
[2:01:19] It looks like -- so how much of the beach would be left
[2:01:22] just from the walkway --
[2:01:23] >> From the walkway back to the volleyball courts.
[2:01:26] It would be the area east.
[2:01:29] >> This just shows where it stops.
[2:01:31] So you can't tell how much of it's left. Okay.
[2:01:36] >> Public comment on this item?
[2:01:40] We'll entertain a motion.
[2:01:41] >> I'll make a motion on 2021-28.
[2:01:45] >> Second.
[2:01:45] >> Have a first and second.
[2:01:47] Mr.
[2:01:48] Mather, did we get any phone comment?
[2:01:51] >> Not at this time, mayor.
[2:01:51] >> Okay.
[2:01:54] We'll call a vote.
[2:01:55] >> Council member Brown.
[2:01:57] >> Yes.
[2:01:57] >> Council member Ray.
[2:02:00] >> Yes.
[2:02:00] >> Council member Fridovich, yes.
[2:02:03] >>
[2:02:06] >> Resolution authorizing city manager to submit a
[2:02:09] request for federal community project funding.
[2:02:12] >> City manager.
[2:02:13] >> Thank you, mayor.
[2:02:14] Mayor, as we've had preliminary discussions in regards
[2:02:19] to relocating 49th street, the public safety buildings,
[2:02:23] police and fire.
[2:02:25] We've recently learned that congress had announced that
[2:02:29] for fiscal year 2021 -- excuse me, 2022, they would be
[2:02:34] accepting applications for earmarks.
[2:02:36] That's new that congress has moved forward to return
[2:02:40] those.
[2:02:40] It previously removed them from their budget process.
[2:02:44] What we've done is contacted congressman Christ's
[2:02:49] office.
[2:02:50] And we'd like to make application.
[2:02:55] We did have preliminary to get a cost associated with
[2:02:58] it.
[2:02:59] It's an application.
[2:03:02] And to ask if under Homeland Security Homeland Security
[2:03:06] appropriations that we could build something like this.
[2:03:11] >> Have they laid out what the limitations are in
[2:03:14] funding or is it fairly vague?
[2:03:16] >> It's fairly vague at this point just the specific
[2:03:20] criteria that you'd have to complete.
[2:03:22] We've been working to come up with a cost estimate, the
[2:03:26] needs assessment.
[2:03:27] It has to all been done by April 16th.
[2:03:30] So we've been pretty focused on that.
[2:03:31] What we're looking at is what we can use as the term
[2:03:37] used earlier this evening, shared space.
[2:03:39] So it's an opportunity to make an application.
[2:03:41] But there's some pretty detailed things that they're
[2:03:45] asking for.
[2:03:46] Chief's been looking for -- soliciting from businesses.
[2:03:50] So 49, merchants association, neighborhood associations
[2:03:54] related to 49th street, to seek letters of endorsements
[2:04:01] that's required.
[2:04:02] Also, we need to develop a budget.
[2:04:05] Also, it requires a city council resolution to show
[2:04:08] city council support.
[2:04:09] >> All right.
[2:04:10] Council, comments, questions?
[2:04:12] Council member Brown.
[2:04:12] >> No, I'm excited about it.
[2:04:15] I hope -- I think it will be a great anchor for 49th
[2:04:20] street.
[2:04:21] The shared space is important for training purposes.
[2:04:23] And I think it will be -- it's way important especially
[2:04:28] for -- I know about the fire department because they're
[2:04:33] running out of place for people to sleep.
[2:04:38] Something to enhance their living quarters since they
[2:04:40] stay there 24 hours.
[2:04:41] I think that's important.
[2:04:42] And I know that the police are out -- have outgrown
[2:04:46] their space, too.
[2:04:47] So I'm very much in favor of this.
[2:04:50] >> Council member Ray.
[2:04:53] >> --
[2:04:54] >> Council member Fridovich.
[2:04:58] >> We're getting more and more female cops, or police
[2:05:01] officers as well.
[2:05:02] And they're having trouble having their own privacy and
[2:05:04] things like that.
[2:05:05] I do have a question, however, though, city manager.
[2:05:08] We just made a motion to go ahead and put a new roof
[2:05:13] for the fire station.
[2:05:14] Now we're talking about moving it.
[2:05:16] Would it not be better off to hold off for a while
[2:05:21] before we spend money on a new roof if they're going to
[2:05:25] move it?
[2:05:26] >> No, sir, because we'd have to use the building in
[2:05:30] the future.
[2:05:31] Moving other activities in to the fire station.
[2:05:33] >> Okay. All right. Thank you.
[2:05:37] >> Vice mayor.
[2:05:38] >> So all of what you mentioned so far doesn't sound
[2:05:42] like it costs time but not necessarily money.
[2:05:45] Do we need engineering, drawings.
[2:05:47] >> Not at this point.
[2:05:49] >> Architect drawings.
[2:05:51] >> We're going to spend approximately $1,800 to get the
[2:05:54] architect to give us basic that we can submit with the
[2:05:58] application.
[2:05:58] >> That's all we need for now?
[2:06:00] >> Yes, ma'am.
[2:06:01] >> Okay.
[2:06:03] >> All right.
[2:06:04] Want to entertain a motion on this?
[2:06:05] >> I'll make a motion on 2021-29.
[2:06:09] >> Second.
[2:06:09] >> First and a second.
[2:06:10] Public comment on this item?
[2:06:12] Seeing no one.
[2:06:13] Anyone on the phones?
[2:06:14] >> Not at this time, mayor.
[2:06:16] >> Okay.
[2:06:17] We'll call a vote.
[2:06:18] >> Council member Brown.
[2:06:19] >> Yes.
[2:06:20] >> Council member Ray.
[2:06:22] >> Yes.
[2:06:22] >> Council member Fridovich.
[2:06:24] >> Mayor Henderson.
[2:06:25] >> Yes.
[2:06:27] Brings us to agenda item number 8.
[2:06:30] >> Local planning agency to approve conditional use
[2:06:35] with site plan application -- whole sale, sales, and
[2:06:41] distribution and existing commercial structure and the
[2:06:45] request includes a retail use which is a permitted use.
[2:06:52] >> Thank you.
[2:06:53] City manager.
[2:06:54] >> Mayor, this is condition use.
[2:06:57] It's a permitted use with an accessory retail, which is
[2:07:01] permitted as outlined in your memo from Mr. Taylor.
[2:07:06] This has been a commercial property.
[2:07:10] This is a new applicant.
[2:07:12] A new use of it.
[2:07:13] They've requested permission to move ahead.
[2:07:16] This was previously a gun vendor.
[2:07:20] But it's been vacant.
[2:07:21] So subsequently this is wholesale and retail business.
[2:07:27] >> Glad to see business coming on 49th.
[2:07:29] That's great.
[2:07:30] Who will entertain a motion on this item?
[2:07:32] >> Yes.
[2:07:33] >> We're a go.
[2:07:34] I'll make a motion we accept --
[2:07:38] >> 8a.
[2:07:39] >> Recommendation to approve.
[2:07:40] >> Recommendation to approve.
[2:07:42] I do have a question, however.
[2:07:43] >> We're going to get to there.
[2:07:46] >> Second. >> Yes.
[2:07:51] She seconded it.
[2:07:53] >> I second his whatever.
[2:07:54] >> Council member Brown, did you have any comments on
[2:07:57] this one?
[2:07:58] >> I do.
[2:07:59] I did research it a little bit.
[2:08:00] But I don't -- I'd like to know what kind of business
[2:08:02] it is.
[2:08:03] I looked it up and I didn't really understand it.
[2:08:06] I wonder if somebody can --
[2:08:08] >> I believe the applicant's in the audience.
[2:08:11] If I applicant could come up, please.
[2:08:12] >> You're welcome.
[2:08:19] >> Hi, how are y'all?
[2:08:21] >> Good.
[2:08:22] >> My name is Teresa, my husband Scott. --
[2:08:30] it's used in quilting and sewing.
[2:08:34] This is a project that was made with it.
[2:08:37] It's just a little quilt.
[2:08:38] You can stitch over it or you can just iron it on and
[2:08:41] create things with it.
[2:08:42] It works with paper.
[2:08:44] It works with wood.
[2:08:46] It works with fabric.
[2:08:56] And so it comes in 4 yards and 10 yards.
[2:09:01] The wholesale aspect if the quilt shop orders, ups or
[2:09:09] FedEx picks them up.
[2:09:12] >> Is it like that stitchery my mom used when I was
[2:09:21] yuounger?
[2:09:22] >> Yes, but better.
[2:09:23] >> I looked it up and I said it sounds like stitch
[2:09:28] witchery.
[2:09:29] >> Yes.
[2:09:30] >> I'm excited.
[2:09:31] Good.
[2:09:32] Does anybody else have any questions?
[2:09:34] >> Does anyone else have a question for the applicant.
[2:09:36] >> I'm so glad to see that instead of a gun shop.
[2:09:39] Yes.
[2:09:39] >> I just wanted to say, too, to how much we appreciate
[2:09:44] Mr.
[2:09:45] Taylor.
[2:09:45] Mike Taylor has went out of his way to help us.
[2:09:49] Permitting and zoning.
[2:09:50] It was a pleasure to work with everyone.
[2:09:52] >> That's great to hear.
[2:09:52] >> Welcome.
[2:09:54] >> All right.
[2:09:55] Public comment on this?
[2:09:58] Oh, I don't think we have any further questions up here
[2:10:03] so you all are free.
[2:10:05] Unless you have anything you'd like to add?
[2:10:08] >> No, sir.
[2:10:09] Thank you.
[2:10:10] >> Anyone on the phone, Mr.
[2:10:13] Mather?
[2:10:14] >> Not at this time, mayor.
[2:10:16] >> Call a vote. >> Council member Brown.
[2:10:17] >> Yes.
[2:10:18] >> Council member Ray.
[2:10:21] >> Yes.
[2:10:22] >> Council member Fridovich.
[2:10:25] >> Yes.
[2:10:25] >> Vice mayor Thanos.
[2:10:28] >> Yes.
[2:10:28] >> Mayor Henderson.
[2:10:30] >> Yes.
[2:10:31] >> That brings us to item number 9.
[2:10:34] The city manager asked us to table until May 4th that
[2:10:37] you wanted to go to?
[2:10:39] >> Yeah, that would be fine.
[2:10:40] If that's okay with council.
[2:10:42] Because I know your next meeting you have the park in
[2:10:46] discussion.
[2:10:46] >> Yeah.
[2:10:47] Council, are we okay with tabling that?
[2:10:49] >> Yes, sir.
[2:10:50] >> All right.
[2:10:50] That brings us to 9b, conceptual future marina
[2:10:55] improvements.
[2:10:56] For this, we're going to bring up --
[2:10:58] >> Yeah, mayor, we're just going to give you -- I'm
[2:11:01] going to give you a bigger picture.
[2:11:04] We have some slides that we'd like to show you. Within
[2:11:09] your packet of information, I provided you all the
[2:11:13] backup that's been provided for the last approximately
[2:11:17] 8 years and different steps we've taken.
[2:11:21] A couple of things I wanted to clear up.
[2:11:23] One of the aspects that was shown on -- and Dennis will
[2:11:28] get into more detail -- was creating a facility, if
[2:11:32] necessary, and they wanted to participate, to bring the
[2:11:37] groups in to under one building.
[2:11:41] We foresee building something that would have a
[2:11:43] commercial kitchen, meeting space, things to that
[2:11:46] effect.
[2:11:46] That's always been included since early on.
[2:11:49] And if you look at the information that you've been
[2:11:54] provided, it addresses the sharets that we've held, and
[2:11:58] the gathering information.
[2:11:59] All of them talk about maintaining the attendance.
[2:12:03] And the public input was maintaining the clubs.
[2:12:06] Just not on the present location.
[2:12:08] That was the groups we were resepted to that who
[2:12:12] attended.
[2:12:13] Some of the folks who are in attendance tonight were
[2:12:16] part of those meetings.
[2:12:17] We're just going to give you a broad overview.
[2:12:20] A lot of this is contingent as we spoke on funding and
[2:12:23] such.
[2:12:23] But what we'd like to do is are we headed in the right
[2:12:27] direction?
[2:12:27] Is there a consensus.
[2:12:30] >> This drawing is a conceptual drawing, not a final
[2:12:35] design complete drawing.
[2:12:36] >> This is the result of the input received in four
[2:12:42] different meetings.
[2:12:43] The first one took place approximately 8 years ago.
[2:12:46] It's very broad.
[2:12:47] There was another meeting in 2016.
[2:12:50] And we looked at, okay, what's the funding
[2:12:55] availability.
[2:12:55] We started addressing the idea of having a living
[2:12:59] shoreline.
[2:12:59] When we talk about the breakwater park, those are all
[2:13:04] aspects of this that we floated and asked for comment.
[2:13:08] Later on, you'll see a book in there that when we had
[2:13:13] brown fields investigative and reuse planning monies,
[2:13:16] we went through and did about 8 projects.
[2:13:19] Other than the veterans park project, that was
[2:13:23] discussed, all the other projects are reaching fruition
[2:13:28] except for the marina.
[2:13:30] We've done a bike trail.
[2:13:32] We put the ponds in next to the marina.
[2:13:35] We've done the tangerine greenway, Charlie market
[2:13:39] square.
[2:13:40] We've done shoreline improvements.
[2:13:45] All those projects are what we hope to occur in the
[2:13:49] waterfront redevelopment area, in the 49th street
[2:13:51] redevelopment area.
[2:13:52] This would be the last project.
[2:13:55] Unless council decided they wanted to make any changes
[2:13:58] to veterans park.
[2:13:59] And that's a discussion you can have in the future.
[2:14:03] But so that's what this is.
[2:14:05] This is very broad.
[2:14:06] This is just to say, okay, these are things that were
[2:14:10] previously identified.
[2:14:11] Are we still to use their term from the sailing groups?
[2:14:17] Are we on the right track?
[2:14:19] Is this something that council wishes to move forward?
[2:14:23] As we've tried to secure funding for the breakwater
[2:14:26] park, we've been successful and subsequently had to
[2:14:30] turn down the living shoreline dollars because we had
[2:14:33] to free up those dollars at a different economic time.
[2:14:37] And Dennis can talk about background to that.
[2:14:40] >> All right.
[2:14:42] >> Can I just check.
[2:14:42] Can I --
[2:14:48] they see these slides on Zoom?
[2:14:50] Thank you.
[2:14:51] >> David, can we look at the right slide only, please.
[2:14:54] >> Sure.
[2:15:05] >> That one is good.
[2:15:07] Good evening, mayor.
[2:15:10] Good evening, council.
[2:15:13] I'm going to explain how we got to this concept.
[2:15:16] I just want to give you some stats of the marina.
[2:15:19] 252 wet slips both in the north and south basin.
[2:15:23] 75 boat drying storage spaces.
[2:15:26] 28 boat lifts.
[2:15:29] 20 being in the south basin.
[2:15:31] 8 in the north basin.
[2:15:33] 32 kayak storage presently behind the lions club on the
[2:15:38] beach area.
[2:15:38] 350 foot of guest stockage.
[2:15:42] 24-hour double lane boat ramp, ship store.
[2:15:46] 53 boat ramp parking spaces.
[2:15:48] Two yacht clubs are currently on the property.
[2:15:52] The community and stakeholders engage in two workshops
[2:15:57] in 2016.
[2:15:59] Workshop number one was conducted as a listening
[2:16:03] session where participants were asked questions
[2:16:06] focusing on sections of the Gulfport marina.
[2:16:09] The general area encompassing the whole property.
[2:16:13] The central, basically the north basin, and of course
[2:16:16] the yacht clubs.
[2:16:17] The first focus was on the general marina area.
[2:16:20] And the participants were asked how is the marina
[2:16:25] accessed?
[2:16:26] Is nearby residents depending on access through this
[2:16:30] property?
[2:16:30] If parking and maneuvering spaces was adequate.
[2:16:34] The second was on the central marina. What amenities
[2:16:40] are available?
[2:16:41] Were there any deficiencies at the marina?
[2:16:44] And the third questions were the yacht clubs.
[2:16:46] The use of these properties.
[2:16:48] The current configuration, what is needed on these
[2:16:52] properties, and what actually needs improving.
[2:16:55] Additional concern addressed in the sharat was the
[2:16:59] entire marina were parking expansion, additional
[2:17:03] boating activities to enhance the entire marina area.
[2:17:07] Workshop two was conducted weeks later to provide
[2:17:11] comments and feedback of the concept plan that were
[2:17:15] intended to reflect the sediments received in the first
[2:17:20] workshop.
[2:17:20] The Gulfport marina conceptual plan is just that, it's
[2:17:25] a concept aimed to build upon the assets that currently
[2:17:30] exist as well as accommodate future facilities and
[2:17:34] operations while being mindful of the current users,
[2:17:38] surrounding residents, the natural environment, the
[2:17:41] guiding principles present in the design include
[2:17:44] increased landscaping, boating facilities, additional
[2:17:47] parking, public access to the water, and clubds and
[2:17:51] organizations.
[2:17:51] Recommending in the first sharat was increasing
[2:17:55] landscaping.
[2:17:56] And if I May, the landscaping encompasses this whole
[2:18:00] area.
[2:18:00] As you can see here in this concept drawing, tiffton is
[2:18:06] actually vacated with vegetated and direct access to
[2:18:10] the boats.
[2:18:11] With additional beach park improved in the south
[2:18:14] portion of it.
[2:18:15] So the southwest portion you have a beach park right in
[2:18:18] here.
[2:18:18] This allows this kayak storage building undercover to
[2:18:23] which we currently have now 32 kayaks to launch
[2:18:29] directly behind this beach.
[2:18:31] Also, additional surrounding areas would be more
[2:18:36] landscaping over here with a -- did I do that?
[2:18:42] >> Yeah. Hold on.
[2:18:52] >> Okay.
[2:18:53] So this is an additional landscaping area here.
[2:18:57] These are like for a bench park.
[2:18:58] These are open to the public so we could see boats
[2:19:02] coming in and out.
[2:19:03] There would also be a floating dock along this area
[2:19:06] right here.
[2:19:07] And most important, which came up was the idea of
[2:19:11] rushton facilities at the south end of the marina.
[2:19:15] Right now all these piers are running north and south.
[2:19:22] It was recommended in the first and second sharet to
[2:19:28] build restroom facilities.
[2:19:29] Additional area was the flex parking in the south
[2:19:33] portion of the basin.
[2:19:34] Flex parking means we could use this for events.
[2:19:37] We could use it for boat trailer and for regular
[2:19:41] customer parking.
[2:19:42] Additionally, as Mr. O'Reilly talked about is the
[2:19:46] linear park.
[2:19:47] This is living shoreline.
[2:19:49] We have a lot of information gathered on this
[2:19:54] particular piece of property.
[2:19:56] And so we're almost -- I believe we do have legislation
[2:20:00] to get monies for that.
[2:20:02] >> Do you mind explaining the environmental component
[2:20:05] about how living shoreline works.
[2:20:07] >> So a living shoreline would consist of plants.
[2:20:10] It would consist of oyster reservations.
[2:20:16] It would consist of more rip rap to grow the oysters.
[2:20:21] We're looking at putting passive docks in between some
[2:20:25] of these areas for fishing or for -- in the mangroves.
[2:20:29] There is no plans to touch any of the mangroves within
[2:20:32] the whole entire property.
[2:20:33] >> Thank you.
[2:20:33] >> I am well aware of the birds in here.
[2:20:36] I've worked at this marina for close to four decades.
[2:20:40] So I know where every bird is, every area this inch of
[2:20:43] here.
[2:20:43] So we are not touching any mangroves areas at all.
[2:20:47] >> Thank you.
[2:20:48] >> And last, the multi-purpose building.
[2:20:50] This building was intended in the sharet to make room
[2:20:55] for clubs and organizations.
[2:20:56] Instead of having three buildings taking over the
[2:21:01] property is to have one multi-purpose building which
[2:21:05] each clubs could entertain.
[2:21:07] So this was the concept that was filed in four
[2:21:10] workshops.
[2:21:11] I'm just talking about the two latest workshops in
[2:21:15] 2016.
[2:21:15] >> Yeah. Thank you.
[2:21:17] Anything else you'd like to add?
[2:21:20] >> Currently, like I said, there's a 20-boat lifts in
[2:21:25] this area in the lower basin.
[2:21:28] I could see some more boat lifts going in to here.
[2:21:32] We had 25 empty slips that when the club gave up right
[2:21:37] of refusal, they could not rent the slips.
[2:21:41] So we're losing over $60,000 a year.
[2:21:44] It was decided to put boat slips on the particular
[2:21:50] list, and they are now full with waiting list.
[2:21:55] >> Thank you very much.
[2:21:56] Dennis, can we go through the specific order in case
[2:22:00] anyone has specific questions for you.
[2:22:03] Council member Brown.
[2:22:04] >> The building c, it says right above it storage
[2:22:07] under.
[2:22:07] So it would be a two-story building?
[2:22:10] Open air kind of thing?
[2:22:11] >> Correct.
[2:22:12] It would resemble the existing marina building that was
[2:22:20] built several years ago.
[2:22:24] Storage underneath or whatever small craft we could fit
[2:22:27] under the building.
[2:22:29] It would be ada accessible, and meet Miami-Dade code.
[2:22:35] >> Thank you.
[2:22:35] >> Council member.
[2:22:36] >> Do we have plans for this actual building?
[2:22:38] >> No.
[2:22:40] It's a total concept.
[2:22:41] >> Okay.
[2:22:44] >> I have one question, though.
[2:22:49] The boats, the entrance ways to the boats means that
[2:22:52] the people unloading or loading on to those boats would
[2:22:56] have to go an extra distance.
[2:22:58] Right now the road goes along the fence where the gates
[2:23:01] are to get to the boats.
[2:23:02] So that means in the case of, like, being over in the
[2:23:06] further docks, I forgot the numbers of them.
[2:23:09] It could be quite a distance to get to the last one.
[2:23:12] >> We do provide dock carts right now.
[2:23:14] And a lot of mariners are used to carrying their
[2:23:17] equipment in dock carts to the pier.
[2:23:20] If you're all the way out on the pier and you park in
[2:23:25] front of the gate that's 300 feet to the pier.
[2:23:29] So what's another 20 yards.
[2:23:33] >> Anything else?
[2:23:35] All right.
[2:23:35] Council member Fridovich.
[2:23:37] >> If we move things now or they're moving out, the
[2:23:40] yacht club is moving out, is there any way to help sea
[2:23:43] scouts and some of the organizations that are involved?
[2:23:46] >> That would be up to you all.
[2:23:48] >> Is the marina in a position to help that or have
[2:23:55] space for that?
[2:23:57] >> We had a preliminary brief conversation about that.
[2:24:00] In regards to the sea scouts, we have been providing
[2:24:04] them slips in areas.
[2:24:05] There were some questions about their lifts and storage
[2:24:08] of some sailboats.
[2:24:09] And we're happy to work with them.
[2:24:12] Dennis and I just have to work out the details with Mr.
[2:24:16] Hien and see what we can facilitate.
[2:24:19] But we'd keep the sea scouts.
[2:24:21] We also offer the ability for the group to meet in
[2:24:25] Dennis' public area upstairs.
[2:24:27] >> Yup.
[2:24:28] >> We're willing to work with them.
[2:24:29] >> Other than losing a home, there would not be an
[2:24:32] interruption of services or nig like that.
[2:24:34] >> We have all intentions to work with them.
[2:24:37] >> Thank you. >> And we've stated that clearly since this discussion
[2:24:41] started.
[2:24:41] >> With people at this meeting talking.
[2:24:45] We wouldn't have to go anywhere, we'd accommodate them.
[2:24:50] >> Preliminary discussions.
[2:24:51] >> Yeah.
[2:24:52] Vice mayor. >> So being in the flood zone, how raised would a
[2:24:57] building there have to be?
[2:24:59] >> 13 feet above.
[2:25:00] >> That's all?
[2:25:01] Okay.
[2:25:01] So one of the things about sustainability is to not
[2:25:06] build any municipal buildings or municipal facilities
[2:25:09] that you don't have to in a flood zone.
[2:25:13] It just doesn't make sense.
[2:25:14] Even if you haven't raised and are using it for
[2:25:19] storage, you know, one of the basic things they tell
[2:25:23] you not to do.
[2:25:25] And especially when all these clubs already have
[2:25:27] buildings, it means that we would be spending city
[2:25:30] money to build a building that we're going to lease out
[2:25:34] to clubs.
[2:25:35] So we'd have to see when we would get a return on our
[2:25:38] money, and would they be able to afford the rent that
[2:25:41] we'd have to charge them in order to pay for that
[2:25:44] building?
[2:25:44] Usually that's the kind of thing a developer does, not
[2:25:47] a city.
[2:25:48] Especially if it's a building that we're not, as a
[2:25:51] city, going to use.
[2:25:52] So it's not something that we need as part of our
[2:25:55] marina per se.
[2:25:56] And like I say, these people, I mean, these three clubs
[2:26:01] all have buildings now that they can keep using and
[2:26:04] having it not cost the city a cent.
[2:26:08] And you could still redevelop some of this area around
[2:26:13] them and maybe negotiate with bcyc about having better
[2:26:17] access for the public without spending city money on a
[2:26:22] new building.
[2:26:23] And especially one that's in a flood zone that would be
[2:26:28] particularly vulnerable and expensive.
[2:26:30] You know.
[2:26:32] So for -- I mean, it's a nice idea.
[2:26:37] But I don't see us having -- I mean, if we were to get
[2:26:42] this $5 million, we'd have to decide that before we
[2:26:45] tear down the bcyc, we'd have to make sure we want to
[2:26:49] do this because it doesn't make sense to tear down the
[2:26:53] building until we have a plan for something else.
[2:26:57] So maybe make a park and no building.
[2:26:59] But to spend $5 million on a building that we're just
[2:27:02] going to rent out to clubs when all those clubs have
[2:27:05] buildings now.
[2:27:05] The to me, it doesn't make sense.
[2:27:08] It doesn't seem to make financial sense.
[2:27:11] Especially when they could just stay where they are and
[2:27:13] be fine.
[2:27:14] Maybe you could spend some of the money renovating the
[2:27:17] area in general.
[2:27:18] I like the idea of the permeable parking.
[2:27:21] That was very good.
[2:27:22] And again, how long would it take to pay off that
[2:27:26] building with the rents that we would be collecting
[2:27:30] because those are all non-profit companies. I mean,
[2:27:34] plugs. So they're not going to be paying rents like a
[2:27:39] normal business would pay.
[2:27:40] Again, flood zone, being a developer, basically, and
[2:27:44] you know, and then the birds. You know.
[2:27:47] Even if we keep the mangroves, there's other trees
[2:27:51] there, and the disruption, you know, you'd have to
[2:27:55] build it all when the birds weren't nesting or
[2:27:58] something.
[2:27:59] Because otherwise it could be a disaster for the birds.
[2:28:02] I'm personally opposed to all this.
[2:28:03] >> All right.
[2:28:06] [Applause]
[2:28:13] >> Mr. O'Reilly, can you speak to the age of the
[2:28:16] buildings?
[2:28:16] >> Yeah.
[2:28:16] The buildings, I mean, to us --
[2:28:19] >> This is not new, by the way.
[2:28:20] >> No.
[2:28:21] We look at the improvements we'd like to see in the
[2:28:25] area.
[2:28:25] I mean, the buildings have outlived their life
[2:28:29] expectancy to the city.
[2:28:32] As they foresee us for taking any building that has --
[2:28:35] I mean, we have no investment in that.
[2:28:39] You'd have to bring it up to city code if you take the
[2:28:44] building over.
[2:28:44] Then we get into the issue if we make more than 50% of
[2:28:49] the actual building, that would require the building to
[2:28:52] be 13 feet off the ground.
[2:28:54] This is to start the dialogue.
[2:28:57] I mean, council member, if the majority of council
[2:29:00] chose not to move forward, we could go as status quo.
[2:29:03] I mean, we're not -- we brought the information
[2:29:06] forward.
[2:29:07] >> That's why I'm asking.
[2:29:07] I know it's a repeat for you to say all this again for
[2:29:13] the umpteenth time.
[2:29:15] >> Whatever council's direction.
[2:29:16] What we're looking at is these are the things that were
[2:29:20] provided for during the sharets.
[2:29:22] >> And also, that building is not exclusively for the
[2:29:26] use of the existing clubs.
[2:29:28] There would be any number of uses.
[2:29:30] Just like we rent out places like scout hal hall, the
[2:29:36] casino.
[2:29:37] They could be used for city events.
[2:29:42] We're talking about a low key entry.
[2:29:44] We're not talking about paving a trail back there.
[2:29:47] We're talking about doing something very much to blend
[2:29:51] in with the natural landscape.
[2:29:54] >> Exactly.
[2:29:55] Those are all preliminary.
[2:29:55] The initial, as I provided in your information, it
[2:29:59] strictly was to make the area accessible to the public.
[2:30:02] >> Exactly.
[2:30:03] Which it hasn't been for a long time.
[2:30:05] >> Which it hasn't been for a long time.
[2:30:07] And it has to be safe.
[2:30:09] As someone spoke of the rocks and this and that.
[2:30:12] Yes, you could go from having a boardwalk, you could
[2:30:18] have a shell pathway.
[2:30:20] If you're going to invite the public, you have to make
[2:30:23] it safe.
[2:30:24] When Dennis used the term docks, low impact docks, I
[2:30:28] looked at it as more piers, very similar to what you
[2:30:33] have in clam bayou.
[2:30:34] Approximately 12 x 12.
[2:30:37] They're not docks.
[2:30:39] We're not bringing vessels up.
[2:30:42] They're too shallow.
[2:30:43] >> Observation.
[2:30:45] >> Yeah, and for people to enjoy it.
[2:30:48] This whole issue was generated each time by the desire
[2:30:53] for members who participated in those sharets to open
[2:30:57] more up to the public.
[2:30:59] I mean, I'm not here to debate it.
[2:31:03] >> I just wanted some of the answers that you've given
[2:31:07] in the past when this has come up.
[2:31:10] Since it always appears to be brand new news.
[2:31:16] Putting municipal buildings in flood zones.
[2:31:19] That's true.
[2:31:19] Except when it's a marina structure.
[2:31:22] Marinas tend to be near water.
[2:31:26] Those who came up with misinformation tonight, I don't
[2:31:28] know if it was intentional.
[2:31:30] But I wanted to address.
[2:31:32] We had meetings with some people -- Gulfport yacht
[2:31:36] club, their lease is actually the one we use as a model
[2:31:43] for what works.
[2:31:46] Paying an actual price.
[2:31:48] >> $24,000.
[2:31:49] >> There you go.
[2:31:50] That's an actual rent.
[2:31:52] The mangroves.
[2:31:53] You can't take the mangroves out.
[2:31:56] If you're going to do the living shoreline program.
[2:32:00] In fact, there's usually some plannings that go along
[2:32:04] with that.
[2:32:05] And not disrupting the existing habitat.
[2:32:08] So what I've seen is that you guys, what was told to me
[2:32:11] tonight is how special this place is.
[2:32:13] And also, but it's such a small place, why do people
[2:32:17] need to visit it.
[2:32:18] You can't say both of those things.
[2:32:20] So what you've gotten to enjoy is either a guest of
[2:32:25] yacht club, is you got to enjoy it.
[2:32:29] But if you're a regular person, people that live in
[2:32:33] this city's land, as soon as you get to that gate where
[2:32:37] it says no entry for bcyc members, it is exclusive.
[2:32:41] I'm not saying it's based on race or gender or how much
[2:32:44] money you have.
[2:32:45] But it's exclusive once you tell people that they can't
[2:32:48] go on public land and it's just for you.
[2:32:51] The vast majority of this city have never gotten to go
[2:32:57] out on that little point and see where the blue
[2:33:02] herrings nest.
[2:33:03] My point with this is public access.
[2:33:06] And I want everybody to enjoy what only a handful of
[2:33:09] people could enjoy for a very long time.
[2:33:12] Because public access to that property for a lot of
[2:33:15] years now, I'm not taking away the good that the yacht
[2:33:19] club has done.
[2:33:20] But we can't sit here and appear that everyone has
[2:33:25] been --
[2:33:27] what's that?
[2:33:28] >> Golf port yacht club has the same thing.
[2:33:31] They've got a gate.
[2:33:32] >> Thank you.
[2:33:32] They're also paying a real rent for it.
[2:33:34] >> So are they.
[2:33:36] >> I let everybody speak for a long time and I'm going
[2:33:39] to say what I got to say right now.
[2:33:40] All right.
[2:33:41] If you want to vote me out next time, more power to
[2:33:44] you, that's fine.
[2:33:45] I get it.
[2:33:46] So the moment you get to that gate, it's no longer open
[2:33:52] to the public.
[2:33:53] Where there's been crap floating on social media about
[2:33:55] how we're going to pay for the whole thing.
[2:33:58] We're vacating a street to do it. We're talking about
[2:34:02] an impermeable surface that lets rain water -- the
[2:34:06] biggest and most insulting one to me was the sea
[2:34:11] scouts, that we were going to turn these guys away.
[2:34:16] Sat there with the people that run the program and
[2:34:19] seemed like we were giving them the boot.
[2:34:22] That was pretty crappy to do.
[2:34:24] >> You understand that you do not --
[2:34:26] >> I understand the public comment already happened.
[2:34:28] And there was a lot of misinformation spread out there.
[2:34:31] That's what I understand right now.
[2:34:33] >> Not sponsor the sea scouts.
[2:34:35] People, I know you're listening.
[2:34:37] Municipalities --
[2:34:38] >> I didn't say that we would sponsor them.
[2:34:40] Sir, I gave you your three minutes.
[2:34:42] You can come to it next time if you want.
[2:34:45] But I gave you your three minutes.
[2:34:47] The bottom line is we told them they weren't going to
[2:34:49] lose their home as long as there were people willing to
[2:34:52] do it with them.
[2:34:53] I don't think it has to be the yacht club to be the
[2:34:57] only one.
[2:34:58] So that's what I got to say about it.
[2:35:00] I want to open this land up so that everyone can enjoy
[2:35:04] it.
[2:35:05] I want to protect the wild life that's there.
[2:35:08] I want to give the people this land that's been cut
[2:35:11] off.
[2:35:11] That's the bottom line.
[2:35:12] It doesn't have to look like this.
[2:35:13] But it needs to be something that serves a diverse
[2:35:17] array of purposes for more than the yacht club.
[2:35:21] >> But aren't we going to have the whole breakwater
[2:35:29] park.
[2:35:29] >> I have my opinion and you have yours. --
[2:35:33] >> Is that your argument?
[2:35:34] >> No, I'm not saying -- well I'm saying.
[2:35:36] >> I've been pretty clear about what my opinion is, and
[2:35:40] it's my turn to speak.
[2:35:42] We'll go around if anyone has anything to say.
[2:35:47] Does anyone have further comments or questions.
[2:35:50] >> Boo.
[2:35:51] >> Boo. That's fine.
[2:35:53] But we're going to follow the decorum.
[2:35:57] This is council's term.
[2:35:58] >> I saw years ago before this council was here, before
[2:36:03] this city manager was here, at the end of tiffton, I
[2:36:07] saw them put up a fence to keep people from getting to
[2:36:12] the water and fishing off the end of that road.
[2:36:17] There's been a 6 foot, 8 foot fence up there to keep
[2:36:20] the public from fishing off of that seawall that wasn't
[2:36:23] part of the club.
[2:36:25] I saw the fence go up.
[2:36:26] I saw the public get upset about it but it stayed up.
[2:36:30] Now it's down.
[2:36:30] And it's nice to look down that road and be able to see
[2:36:36] open water with no fence keeping people away.
[2:36:39] I am totally for public access.
[2:36:43] These little parks over here on the east side of this
[2:36:49] land are beautiful.
[2:36:50] And everybody in Gulfport has the right to be there.
[2:36:55] So it was nice to see that fence come down.
[2:36:57] I'd like to see some more come down.
[2:37:01] >> Anyone else has any further comments, please?
[2:37:03] >> I do agree with April.
[2:37:05] I don't agree with tearing down the building when we
[2:37:08] don't really have any financing or any real plan.
[2:37:11] I think that the building should stay.
[2:37:13] >> It's hard to hear you.
[2:37:15] >> -- I think it's premature.
[2:37:18] I certainly -- every time I hear that, I keep
[2:37:21] thinking --
[2:37:22] >> What?
[2:37:25] I can't hear you.
[2:37:26] >> I'm sorry.
[2:37:28] I said bottom line is that I don't agree with tearing
[2:37:33] down the structures as they are until we have plans in
[2:37:38] place.
[2:37:39] I just keep seeing in my head sitting there with an
[2:37:43] empty spot.
[2:37:44] I think that doesn't do anything for the city or the
[2:37:47] citizens.
[2:37:47] I do agree it should be opened up.
[2:37:50] I would love to sit there on the side of the
[2:37:55] entranceway to the marina and a picnic table. And I
[2:38:00] would love to see that boaters have access to the
[2:38:04] bathrooms instead of having to go to the south marina
[2:38:08] all the way to the actual marina.
[2:38:12] >> Fair enough.
[2:38:12] I get it.
[2:38:13] >> Not at this time.
[2:38:15] No.
[2:38:15] >> I'm not saying that we couldn't do parts of this.
[2:38:18] Having a bathroom there is probably a great idea.
[2:38:23] But I still feel like you're going to -- you've already
[2:38:27] voted and are trying to get the financing for this
[2:38:30] breakwater park, to me, that gives a lot of public
[2:38:34] access.
[2:38:35] The birds, you could see the birds from across the way.
[2:38:37] And we were talking about putting an observation tower
[2:38:40] along the breakwater park.
[2:38:42] You could see all that from there.
[2:38:44] You know, for me, building this building with city
[2:38:47] money, especially when we have no plan for that, we
[2:38:51] don't know yet how we're going to spend that $5 million
[2:38:55] or if we could even use it for something like this.
[2:38:58] We just don't know that.
[2:39:00] So to tear down anything to be shovel ready or anything
[2:39:04] else just doesn't make sense.
[2:39:06] And it doesn't matter if the buildings are useful for
[2:39:09] us as a city now.
[2:39:11] Like you mentioned.
[2:39:13] We'd have to put things up to code.
[2:39:15] But we don't need to do that.
[2:39:17] We could just rent it to the people who are renting
[2:39:20] them and we don't have to do anything.
[2:39:22] We don't have to hire somebody to be there to maintain
[2:39:25] the buildings.
[2:39:26] Because the city manager told me we'd probably have to
[2:39:29] hire two people if we built this building.
[2:39:31] And you'd have to build that cost.
[2:39:33] We're always talking about keeping government a little
[2:39:38] smaller. Not getting too big.
[2:39:41] You'd have to think about ongoing costs.
[2:39:43] You would probably work in to your lease so people
[2:39:46] could have more public access.
[2:39:48] You could rearrange things out there.
[2:39:51] You could still build a bathroom.
[2:39:52] That's fine.
[2:39:53] That would probably make everybody happy.
[2:39:55] Plus, when you build the breakwater park, they are
[2:39:58] going to get public access in there.
[2:40:00] So to just be missing this little tiny piece when
[2:40:04] you've got all of clam bayou, and potentially this
[2:40:07] breakwater park whenever that financing comes through.
[2:40:10] Again, I don't see it.
[2:40:11] >> Okay.
[2:40:13] Well --
[2:40:16] [Applause]
[2:40:17] >> raise your hands if you're not with the boat yacht
[2:40:25] club?
[2:40:25] So what do you need from us, city manager?
[2:40:30] >> If there's a consensus of what you'd like to see us
[2:40:35] move forward with?
[2:40:36] We're at the point now where we've sent the
[2:40:39] correspondence to the yacht club to move forward with
[2:40:43] them to vacate the property in three months.
[2:40:46] If you want to keep them on that tact.
[2:40:48] Where do you want to go with the next level of looking
[2:40:53] at funding, securing funding and package together to
[2:40:56] start it.
[2:40:57] We'll meet with the engineers and the architects this
[2:41:00] week to get a cost analysis to see what funding we have
[2:41:05] in place.
[2:41:06] A lot of it as council member -- excuse me, vice mayor
[2:41:12] Thanos spoke of in regards if you get the legislative
[2:41:18] approp appropriation.
[2:41:19] We could get moneys to start moving forward in the next
[2:41:24] budget.
[2:41:24] There's different mechanisms.
[2:41:26] But I just want to know if you wanted to redevelop the
[2:41:30] site.
[2:41:31] >> If anybody wanted to, this has been since we did the
[2:41:36] marina improvements six years back, can use the
[2:41:40] multi-purpose room if you want to.
[2:41:43] So we have another space available.
[2:41:45] To me based on our discussion when you and I and the
[2:41:49] city attorney discussed this, I'd like to jump in and
[2:41:54] get started and do it.
[2:41:56] Because there's, you know, I mean, I don't know why we
[2:41:59] would want to piecemeal this thing out for five, six
[2:42:02] years.
[2:42:02] I say we do it.
[2:42:03] We do it right.
[2:42:04] >> But we don't have any money?
[2:42:07] >> But we're applying for the money.
[2:42:08] [Applause]
[2:42:12] >> do we not have money coming from both the rescue
[2:42:15] act.
[2:42:15] >> Yeah, but we haven't decided how we're going to use
[2:42:19] the rescue act money yet.
[2:42:20] >> This is part of that discussion.
[2:42:22] We had one comment tonight that I mentioned putting
[2:42:25] some of that money so that we could with the water
[2:42:27] bills and the --
[2:42:28] >> Yeah.
[2:42:29] >> So let's continue.
[2:42:31] >> What I'm asking is I don't think -- two issues are
[2:42:35] getting confused.
[2:42:36] You have the issue of their lease.
[2:42:39] And it's been --
[2:42:40] >> That's been voted on.
[2:42:41] >> They put notice on -- they've received notice that
[2:42:45] the city is not in a position to renew the lease.
[2:42:49] Okay. That's one issue.
[2:42:52] The second issue, does the city council want to have
[2:42:56] direct staff to start drafting cost analysis and the
[2:42:59] elements to move forward with the overall improvements
[2:43:02] of the site?
[2:43:03] >> All right.
[2:43:05] >> These are two separate issues.
[2:43:07] Because if you're not going to renew the lease -- if
[2:43:13] you're intent is to entertain, to keep the building
[2:43:18] there, then we would have to entertain negotiating some
[2:43:24] type of lease.
[2:43:27] What I don't want you to do if this is just
[2:43:31] procrastinating and deferring the inevitable.
[2:43:33] >> Exactly.
[2:43:34] >> That's where I'm at.
[2:43:35] If this is something you want to leave the building,
[2:43:38] then we'll come up with a short-term lease and we'll
[2:43:41] bring it back to council to vote it up or down.
[2:43:44] Okay. That's one question.
[2:43:47] The second question is, does the city want to improve
[2:43:53] the marina area?
[2:43:55] That's as generic as we need to be today.
[2:43:58] I don't want to kwus the two. I mean, you understand
[2:44:02] your point.
[2:44:03] There's no money.
[2:44:04] But we have to decide if we're going to do it.
[2:44:07] How we're going to solicit funds or appropriate.
[2:44:09] There's going to be a financial impact when we say, oh,
[2:44:14] we're receiving $5 million from the rescue act.
[2:44:16] We May spend $2 million of that on utilities and
[2:44:21] revenue.
[2:44:21] But we have to get that number.
[2:44:25] It May cost $500,000 to put permius surface down.
[2:44:31] Those are all things.
[2:44:33] Where I need direction is do you want to improve the
[2:44:37] marina area?
[2:44:37] >> My answer is clearly yes.
[2:44:40] We've done extremely well finding funding for things in
[2:44:44] the past.
[2:44:44] The brownfields money that we spent all over town.
[2:44:48] But we can't just get money for nothing.
[2:44:50] >> Right.
[2:44:50] >> So we have to have a project in mind.
[2:44:53] And I believe in the project and I think it's good.
[2:44:56] We'll make it real easy on you.
[2:44:58] Are you interested in moving forward with the marina?
[2:45:00] >> I am.
[2:45:01] >> I am as well.
[2:45:03] >> I'm interested in looking at plans and such for the
[2:45:06] future and what the cost is going to be.
[2:45:09] But I'm still not going to -- I'm still not sold on
[2:45:12] let's rip it all down in three months.
[2:45:15] I think that's a wrong-headed idea.
[2:45:19] >> We're not talking about ripping it all down in three
[2:45:24] months.
[2:45:25] We're talking the one building that the yacht club has
[2:45:28] been in.
[2:45:28] >> Shouldn't even do that.
[2:45:29] We don't have the money or the plans.
[2:45:31] I don't get it.
[2:45:32] >> That's why --
[2:45:33] >> I agree.
[2:45:35] I would keep the yacht club there.
[2:45:37] >> That's why I separated the question. Okay.
[2:45:43] If council -- is there a consensus to council to start
[2:45:47] moving on the project.
[2:45:49] Is the first question.
[2:45:51] Obviously --
[2:45:53] does the council want to move on the marina area?
[2:45:57] >> That's three.
[2:45:58] >> Moving on the project doesn't necessarily mean
[2:46:02] ripping down the building.
[2:46:04] >> If I May, what I'm saying is if you're not going to
[2:46:10] extend them, and they're leaving.
[2:46:12] There's no purpose for that building.
[2:46:15] If we move forward.
[2:46:17] If council maintains its position today that they're
[2:46:20] not granting a new lease.
[2:46:22] That's the question.
[2:46:27] If the building has no purpose for the city.
[2:46:30] >> No, I get that.
[2:46:32] >> If you're not renewing it.
[2:46:34] If they're leaving July 1st --
[2:46:41] June 30th.
[2:46:45] Then that's a separate question than do you want to
[2:46:48] move forward with the project at least design and
[2:46:51] elements.
[2:46:52] >> We already said it was 90-day.
[2:46:54] >> We could still undo that.
[2:46:56] We don't have to maintain that.
[2:46:58] >> Sure.
[2:46:58] >> We could.
[2:46:59] I don't intend to.
[2:47:01] >> But that's your vote.
[2:47:03] >> Right.
[2:47:04] >> Boo.
[2:47:04] >> I'm agreeing with Paul.
[2:47:06] If we were to ask the yacht club to leave now,and I
[2:47:12] have to apologize for my vote last time.
[2:47:16] They took me by surprise.
[2:47:17] I would vote on that now.
[2:47:19] >> You didn't.
[2:47:20] >> But what I'm saying is if we're going to want to
[2:47:23] rent to them in this new building, which I don't even
[2:47:26] want to build.
[2:47:27] But if we were going to rent to them in the new
[2:47:31] building, why kick them out of the old build now when
[2:47:35] you could build the new building first, and then move
[2:47:38] them in.
[2:47:39] Because otherwise, where are they going to go for the
[2:47:42] year or two before that building's built?
[2:47:44] >> The multi-purpose room in the marina, which I just
[2:47:50] mentioned it's under utilized.
[2:47:52] >> But then they'd have to store stuff.
[2:47:55] And then it would be hard for others use it.
[2:47:59] Do you want to exclusively rent that room to them?
[2:48:03] >> No.
[2:48:04] >> Then that's going to make it hard for them to keep
[2:48:11] the club they are.
[2:48:14] >> -- they can still keep using it.
[2:48:19] If we left them where they are, built the new building,
[2:48:23] if that's what we decide to do, then take it down and
[2:48:26] let them move into the space.
[2:48:28] >> Yes.
[2:48:29] >> That makes way more sense to me.
[2:48:31] If you're even going to do that.
[2:48:32] The.
[2:48:32] >> Point of order.
[2:48:33] >> Point of order can only be made by members of the
[2:48:37] board.
[2:48:37] >> The order of the agenda tonight was --
[2:48:40] >> There will be public comment.
[2:48:42] But we haven't gotten there yet.
[2:48:43] >> Good.
[2:48:44] I just wanted clarification.
[2:48:45] And it's going to be on this.
[2:48:46] We're not having a rehash of what's already been said.
[2:48:51] >> So we'll have a chance to speak after you speak, is
[2:48:56] that correct?
[2:48:56] >> Yes.
[2:48:57] >> Good.
[2:48:58] >> Are you finished?
[2:48:59] >> Yes.
[2:49:00] >> I understand at pancake breakfast that there was
[2:49:05] talk of the club using the lions club.
[2:49:08] I was told they're in discussions.
[2:49:10] So they have a place to go.
[2:49:12] I got it from a yacht club member.
[2:49:15] So there is a place and it's only a few hundred feet
[2:49:19] way.
[2:49:20] >> That hasn't been brought up.
[2:49:21] I didn't know that.
[2:49:22] >> Okay.
[2:49:23] So it's not the only yacht club in South Florida then?
[2:49:26] >> Right.
[2:49:29] >> Okay.
[2:49:30] Any other council comments or questions?
[2:49:31] >> Shouldn't we wait to hear public comment before we
[2:49:35] make our final decision?
[2:49:36] >> I think they need to know what we're leaning toward
[2:49:41] and then they can make public comment.
[2:49:44] >> --
[2:49:44] >> My opinion is --
[2:49:46] >> We'll go with a show of hands. You, sir.
[2:49:59] >> Thank you, council.
[2:50:00] It's a pleasure to be here.
[2:50:04] I wanted to share a little bit with you about my
[2:50:09] concerns about this project.
[2:50:11] We moved to the Gulfport marina district seeking quiet
[2:50:17] residential enjoyment of our property.
[2:50:21] I have a number of objections and concerns about this
[2:50:25] proposal.
[2:50:26] For one, the plan in my opinion is obsolete.
[2:50:30] It's a five-year-old plan by a focus group that
[2:50:34] operated five years ago.
[2:50:36] The turnover in Gulfport is such that new residents
[2:50:40] have flooded in.
[2:50:41] Old residents have left.
[2:50:42] It's a new day.
[2:50:49] My second concern is this plan as I look at it, even
[2:51:02] with permeable services for the water to go through.
[2:51:11] Not asphalt.
[2:51:13] Because right now we have an asphalt jungle.
[2:51:16] So that was good.
[2:51:17] Good job.
[2:51:17] However, when I look at the footprint of this permeable
[2:51:24] surface, and the amount of parking for this permeable
[2:51:31] surface, this causes me great concern.
[2:51:35] When I heard the presentation by the marina, and what
[2:51:40] I've heard so far from this council is the concerns
[2:51:44] completely around the marina.
[2:51:46] What about the Gulfport marina district residents?
[2:51:50] What about them?
[2:51:54] Has there been any mention, any consideration in this
[2:52:00] plan about traffic, not anything that I've seen.
[2:52:06] Have you thought about how it's going to impact the
[2:52:11] people who live down near the marina when you put 50
[2:52:16] something long boat spaces over this new permeable
[2:52:19] surface.
[2:52:20] Over 100 new parking spots for new cars.
[2:52:25] Where's all this traffic gonna go?
[2:52:28] How's it going to be handled?
[2:52:30] You're going to ram it down dell reeio?
[2:52:33] You're going to ram it down Coronado?
[2:52:37] Have you thought about this?
[2:52:38] Anybody?
[2:52:39] No, it's all about the marina.
[2:52:43] It's not thinking for the bigger picture.
[2:52:45] It's not thinking for the community.
[2:52:47] It's not thinking for the residents who come to seek
[2:52:51] quiet enjoyment of their residential neighborhood.
[2:52:54] We could have bought a place over by, you know, beach
[2:52:58] street or --
[2:52:59] >> Thank you, sir.
[2:53:00] >> Okay. Thank you.
[2:53:02] I made my point.
[2:53:03] >> Yes.
[2:53:16] >> Jonathan Cornwell, I live in Gulfport for three
[2:53:21] years.
[2:53:22] On March 16th, this council said that the reason for
[2:53:28] evicting bcyc was that you had a shovel ready project.
[2:53:34] That's quote that I've watched the tape many times.
[2:53:37] Shovel ready.
[2:53:38] But then tonight we've learned this is just concept.
[2:53:42] Which also was repeated several times.
[2:53:44] I'm confused.
[2:53:45] Which stands?
[2:53:46] Because both can't be true.
[2:53:50] Is it a shovel-ready project or is it just concept that
[2:53:53] we're going to work through further?
[2:53:55] Now, if it is a shovel-ready project, I can certainly
[2:53:59] understand the urgency.
[2:54:00] But I don't see that because there are plenty of
[2:54:03] details that need to be worked out.
[2:54:05] If it's just a concept, I'm here to tell you that one
[2:54:09] of the great lies in all of this is that bcyc would be
[2:54:13] opposed to the marina improvement.
[2:54:15] And point of fact, I as one of the many leaders in our
[2:54:20] organization would be very much interested in
[2:54:23] participating in a dialogue to make sure this property
[2:54:26] helps all stakeholders.
[2:54:28] Everyone in the club has realized for years that it is
[2:54:32] deficient.
[2:54:32] And you're right, people should be able to enjoy that
[2:54:35] lovely view that we have.
[2:54:36] But you know what?
[2:54:37] One of the other lies that is involved in all this is
[2:54:41] this idea that somehow we control that space.
[2:54:43] Since 2007, when the city took over the leasing both
[2:54:48] the wet and the dry slips, and the first non-bcyc club
[2:54:53] member rented a dry slip, that property became under
[2:54:57] the sole control of the city in terms of liability to
[2:55:02] all people there on the property.
[2:55:04] The bottom line is, it has always been the city who has
[2:55:08] been in control of that.
[2:55:10] If you wanted access, then you as the city could have
[2:55:15] made that happen.
[2:55:16] And honestly, a conversation could have been had long
[2:55:20] ago to have solved that problem.
[2:55:22] One last point I want to make is that this idea that
[2:55:26] we're holding the boy scouts, or the sea scouts hostage
[2:55:30] is bunk.
[2:55:31] The bottom line is that it is an activity that requires
[2:55:34] people, lots of support from people and lots of
[2:55:37] equipment that is specialized.
[2:55:38] It requires people who are very interested in sailing.
[2:55:41] And you're not going to just conjure that up out of the
[2:55:47] air.
[2:55:47] We weren't holding it hostage. We were simply noting
[2:55:50] that if we're not there to support it, it will struggle
[2:55:53] because there are few human body replacements to make
[2:55:56] it work.
[2:55:57] And you are not going to conjure that with a budget,
[2:56:01] with federal grant funds. Thank you.
[2:56:03] >> Who is next?
[2:56:07] >> Mr. Mayor, I commend you for controlling the meeting
[2:56:12] tonight.
[2:56:13] Usually with public comment at the beginning people are
[2:56:16] encouraged to speak on items not on the agenda.
[2:56:20] And so you graciously let bycc talk about the marina
[2:56:25] issue.
[2:56:26] Now they're getting a second bite of the apple.
[2:56:29] You do have the right on a large group to have them
[2:56:36] designate a spokesperson so that you don't have to hear
[2:56:41] everything reitated all over again.
[2:56:44] And I respectfully request that you take a moment and
[2:56:47] consider that option for the rest of the meeting.
[2:56:50] Thank you.
[2:56:51] >> I appreciate it.
[2:56:52] I do want to make sure everyone gets to speak. Yes.
[2:57:03] >> Thank you for the opportunity to comment, again.
[2:57:07] George Anderson voting Gulfport resident.
[2:57:15] I'd like to just comment. Where is the money coming
[2:57:19] from?
[2:57:19] As a Gulfport resident, I want to know if this
[2:57:25] governing body is actually being a good steward of my
[2:57:31] interest as an individual Gulfport resident.
[2:57:34] I'd also like to know if we're not -- following up on
[2:57:38] the last comments from the vice mayor, when are we
[2:57:42] going to have the public discussion on this planned
[2:57:45] marina?
[2:57:46] I for one, also am in favor of marina development.
[2:57:51] I'm not saying that it should be limited.
[2:57:54] I'm saying we don't have an intelligent plan in place
[2:58:00] that tells what's the debits and what's the credit.
[2:58:06] The bottom line is where's the beef?
[2:58:08] What's the money coming that's driving this?
[2:58:10] I don't understand this.
[2:58:12] And I think that this has been just ram roaded --
[2:58:19] railroaded through without the public hearings.
[2:58:27] Where's the public hearings?
[2:58:29] Where's an up to date plan?
[2:58:30] One of the things this gentleman brought up, this was
[2:58:38] our Gulfport character continues to evolve as more and
[2:58:45] more people, older people move out and younger people
[2:58:52] move in.
[2:58:53] I don't think there's been an airing of that.
[2:58:56] It was brought up not because you're going to evict the
[2:58:59] sea scouts.
[2:59:00] But we're not going to be there to provide the human
[2:59:05] support, the leadership, and the equipment and repair
[2:59:09] facilities and so on like that, that all of the
[2:59:13] volunteers that make this project -- this sea scouts
[2:59:17] work.
[2:59:18] Thank you very much.
[2:59:19] >> Who is next?
[2:59:21] Yes.
[2:59:21] Light blue shirt on the left. Your right.
[2:59:25] >> Me?
[2:59:26] >> Yup. Yup.
[2:59:30] And right after he goes.
[2:59:32] >> My name is Bob.
[2:59:34] I'm at 5626 25th south.
[2:59:38] I'm a past corridor and current member of the yacht
[2:59:41] club.
[2:59:41] I just want to talk in general.
[2:59:44] First off, we've been around since 1938, as been
[2:59:48] mentioned before.
[2:59:48] We've had a good cooperative relationship with the city
[2:59:51] and we really appreciate that over the years.
[2:59:53] I'd also just like to point out that we also had a
[2:59:57] cooperative relationship with the lions club and yacht
[3:00:00] club.
[3:00:01] I think it's a good blend of organizations that use
[3:00:05] that space.
[3:00:06] We're different types of yacht club.
[3:00:11] Gulfport yacht club is a racing club.
[3:00:15] Boca Boca does a lot of things for the youth.
[3:00:20] I'm a sea scout.
[3:00:23] I'm glad to hear that they want to keep the sea scouts.
[3:00:27] I am concerned about leadership.
[3:00:28] I've also worked for the boy scouts for five years.
[3:00:32] I know that getting the volunteers has always been the
[3:00:37] biggest challenge of organizations.
[3:00:39] The units that didn't last were the ones that didn't
[3:00:43] have support from volunteers running organizations.
[3:00:46] I've got a couple of concerns about just the way things
[3:00:51] are moving forward.
[3:00:53] I've been here for a long time in Gulfport.
[3:00:57] I didn't make it to those previous meetings.
[3:00:59] I do have a can earn that anything moving forward
[3:01:02] should be direct.
[3:01:03] The stakeholders should be directly invited to those
[3:01:07] meetings.
[3:01:07] Not just a public notice.
[3:01:09] But directly invited to these meetings and there's
[3:01:13] clear communications.
[3:01:14] And I have concern, also, about the funding for this.
[3:01:18] I do not believe that any relief money should support
[3:01:22] any capital improvements in the city. That is supposed
[3:01:25] to be relief money to support the people that were
[3:01:29] affected by this pandemic.
[3:01:31] Which I know is a lot of people.
[3:01:33] A lot of concerns.
[3:01:34] And so I don't believe that any money from that should
[3:01:38] be spent on capital improvements.
[3:01:40] I would like to see a budget.
[3:01:41] I don't think it's appropriate to make a movement to go
[3:01:44] forward.
[3:01:45] I mean, if you're going to do a $2,000 study or
[3:01:48] something like that is one thing.
[3:01:50] I don't believe that we should be making these big
[3:01:55] plans without having the money available.
[3:01:57] I know that there's talk about space available for
[3:02:01] clubs.
[3:02:02] There is a concern about will we have our own dedicated
[3:02:05] space because there's, you know, we have equipment.
[3:02:08] We have other things.
[3:02:09] Is there a dedicated space or just a special space
[3:02:12] people can use for their meetings.
[3:02:14] I think there's a lot of concerns that people have to
[3:02:19] address.
[3:02:19] I think overall it's a good plan.
[3:02:21] I think we could probably get behind it.
[3:02:23] But I think it's premature to make a decision to work
[3:02:27] on moving forward with this plan.
[3:02:29] Thank you.
[3:02:29] >> I told this gentleman he would be next.
[3:02:36] >> Good evening, council.
[3:02:39] My name is Chuck kitschler.
[3:02:46] I'm glad the plan recognizes the residents, the
[3:02:49] community, the foundation.
[3:02:50] The respect and coexistence and the access to the bay
[3:02:54] are critical.
[3:02:55] The changes are inevitable.
[3:02:56] And the changes must be guided by wisdom.
[3:02:59] I'd also like to thank the yacht club and lions club
[3:03:03] for being a positive force and good neighbors.
[3:03:05] And I hope they continue to be part of Gulfport.
[3:03:09] I sincerely hope the plans allow the marina to remain a
[3:03:12] good neighbor.
[3:03:13] But I see some challenges and I ask that the city work
[3:03:16] with the neighborhood residents.
[3:03:17] I am one of them.
[3:03:19] At this point I am concerned that we and you as a
[3:03:25] representatives, specifically, I want to know Christine
[3:03:29] Brown, who is the representative for our area, consider
[3:03:33] the concerns of the neighborhood residents.
[3:03:36] And consider the changes in local and environmental
[3:03:40] changes at the global level.
[3:03:42] In Gulfport in 2019 fiscal report, it says the economic
[3:03:48] base of the city of Gulfport is primarily residential
[3:03:52] with limited areas.
[3:03:54] Is the marina an effort to change this?
[3:03:58] I'm concerned the plans May not be best for the
[3:04:03] residents living here now.
[3:04:04] When I looked at Zillow, 518 properties have been
[3:04:10] purchased.
[3:04:11] In the last 36 months, 1300 properties have been sold.
[3:04:15] And a substantial number of rentals.
[3:04:19] One might extrapolate that several residents in
[3:04:23] Gulfport are new and were not prioritized to this plan.
[3:04:30] Increased storms and increase sea -- birds, fish and
[3:04:34] wildlife and increase sunny day flooding.
[3:04:36] I often joke with friends that Gulfport floods as
[3:04:43] someone drops their big gulp.
[3:04:46] I was glad to hear it was permeable.
[3:04:48] That's a nice change.
[3:04:49] It's not in the document, though.
[3:04:51] Decreased amounts of vegetation, disruption of nesting
[3:04:56] birds.
[3:04:57] Does not provide sufficient privacy buffer for
[3:05:00] neighborhood.
[3:05:00] Increased auto traffic, increased sewage, increased
[3:05:02] load on the stressed sewer system.
[3:05:05] Not clear how the lighting is going to be so that it
[3:05:08] doesn't blind people on the bay and neighborhoods.
[3:05:10] How do you have a kayak launch and playground and not
[3:05:14] have kids swimming on the beach?
[3:05:16] Are you going to allow power boats on all the ramps or
[3:05:20] just some?
[3:05:21] Can you imagine a facility with 1400 square feet --
[3:05:26] 14,000 square feet.
[3:05:28] They all drive and park their trailers, then try to get
[3:05:30] out of their cars.
[3:05:31] It's going to be a mess.
[3:05:33] We'd like a better future, we like access, but we need
[3:05:37] to work it out.
[3:05:39] >> Thank you.
[3:05:40] Yes, I believe you're next up.
[3:05:42] Remember, we are talking about the marina plan.
[3:05:47] >> Yes, I'm Richard Walters, 2900 40 street south.
[3:05:54] I don't think anybody in the council is a sailor from
[3:05:57] what I understand.
[3:05:58] Okay, I'm sorry.
[3:05:59] Okay.
[3:06:00] There's some things in this plan that are missing
[3:06:02] certain things.
[3:06:03] You gotta realize we have an adult sail school.
[3:06:06] So if you really want to keep bcyc in the area, we have
[3:06:10] boats that need to have a lift crane to put them in the
[3:06:15] water.
[3:06:15] I noticed your beach area, the Gulfport yacht club
[3:06:18] people, our neighbors that are friends of ours, I don't
[3:06:21] see the area where they'd be keeping their boats.
[3:06:24] Also, we have a lot of other club boats that have
[3:06:29] masts.
[3:06:29] So you can't put these club boats that have masts
[3:06:32] underneath this building that you want to build.
[3:06:35] So you're going to have to build quite a bit of space
[3:06:43] for masts.
[3:06:45] Develop the club in to small boat programs.
[3:06:47] We would like to stay in the city and we'd like to stay
[3:06:51] in the community as we've been since 1965.
[3:06:54] Okay.
[3:06:55] So will this common building that you want to build,
[3:06:58] sounds like it's going to be a for rent time space
[3:07:01] building.
[3:07:01] We won't be able to personalize it like our clubhouse
[3:07:04] is right now.
[3:07:05] So it's going to be a dark, dank, big room that no one
[3:07:09] can put any personalized items in.
[3:07:11] Have any of you -- I know some of you have been in our
[3:07:15] clubhouse.
[3:07:16] Some of you May not have.
[3:07:17] When you walk in that, do you feel like it's an old
[3:07:22] school, old Florida type of club?
[3:07:25] Does it sound pretentious to you when you walk in it?
[3:07:28] No, we don't even have air conditioning in it.
[3:07:30] We are a working person, working man's club.
[3:07:34] And people, we support -- a lot of our members support
[3:07:38] the sea scouts.
[3:07:39] Like someone said, it takes a lot of equipment and a
[3:07:42] lot of bodies to support them.
[3:07:43] So it's not going to be so easy to disrupt our club and
[3:07:48] move us out and remain for us to support the club.
[3:07:52] So I think you're getting $2,000 a month now.
[3:07:58] If you want some public access, take the fence down.
[3:08:01] Let people come in.
[3:08:02] Let us secure our buildings so that we don't have
[3:08:07] everyone walking in and out of it.
[3:08:09] And they can come in and use it.
[3:08:11] The majority of the property you want to open to the
[3:08:14] public is still a private marina.
[3:08:16] I pay over $300 to keep my boat in that basin, I don't
[3:08:21] want people on the dock.
[3:08:23] Also the dry storage needs to be secure.
[3:08:25] So this amount of area you want to open to the public
[3:08:29] is less than two acres.
[3:08:30] Probably less than one acre.
[3:08:32] Other than the point park.
[3:08:33] You're not shovel ready.
[3:08:35] There's no sense of displacing a club that's been in
[3:08:38] that location for that long at this moment.
[3:08:41] So please think this out.
[3:08:42] Think it through.
[3:08:43] >> Who is next?
[3:08:45] Yes, ma'am, in the front.
[3:08:47] I haven't forgotten you.
[3:09:10] >> I sit and look at the yacht club.
[3:09:13] How many of you want me to be part of your yacht club?
[3:09:23] >> This is exactly what I'm talking about.
[3:09:26] >> --
[3:09:26] >> Let her speak, please.
[3:09:28] >> Excuse me.
[3:09:33] I belong to several fishing clubs in the Tampa Bay
[3:10:02] area.
[3:10:51] >> It's not dinner and a show.
[3:10:54] We're trying to give people a chance to speak.
[3:11:06] >> I'm Elizabeth Hendrix.
[3:11:10] I think April Thanos idea is good to allow bcy to stay
[3:11:19] in the building.
[3:11:21] It's in a spot so it can certainly be handled.
[3:11:25] What Richard spoke about the equipment of the club, we
[3:11:30] have a lift through six capris.
[3:11:33] There's about 60 sun fish, there's dingies, boats on
[3:11:38] trailers, a tool room, 15 kayaks, 10 paddle boards, a
[3:11:44] library with all kinds of books, a kitchen, and patio
[3:11:50] furniture.
[3:11:50] It's not simple.
[3:11:51] It's not the people can go use another room.
[3:11:54] We have tons of equipment that we'd be willing to let
[3:11:59] others use if that's what you would like.
[3:12:02] And we would really appreciate a vote on letting us
[3:12:06] stay in the building until a new building is built.
[3:12:09] Thank you.
[3:12:18] >> Who is next?
[3:12:19] Mitchell. Sorry.
[3:12:34] >> First of all, let me say I know nothing about the
[3:12:38] marina.
[3:12:38] I literally know nothing about the marina.
[3:12:41] But what it sounds like to me is you're saying if we
[3:12:44] build it, they will come.
[3:12:46] And they're already here.
[3:12:49] These people have been working this area for I don't
[3:12:52] know how long.
[3:12:53] However many years.
[3:12:54] And you're saying, no, we'll just kick them out.
[3:12:58] Build a whole new building.
[3:13:00] They'll come back.
[3:13:00] Doesn't sound right to me.
[3:13:02] Now I'm sure there's some compromise that can be done
[3:13:07] where these people can maybe it open to more public
[3:13:11] access, or start a diversity board or do something
[3:13:16] under the city guidelines that says, look, you can stay
[3:13:20] here but you gotta let more people in.
[3:13:24] Let some of this land free.
[3:13:26] Have a diversity board.
[3:13:27] You've got to show me you're not some prejudice group
[3:13:30] or something.
[3:13:31] Just to tear the whole thing down and say get out to a
[3:13:36] group that's been there that long, you're not slum
[3:13:40] lords.
[3:13:41] You can improve the property.
[3:13:42] It's the city's property.
[3:13:44] So you can improve it as you go along.
[3:13:46] You don't have to wipe everybody out and throw
[3:13:50] everybody out.
[3:13:51] I don't know anything more about the area.
[3:13:53] >> Thanks.
[3:13:54] Who is next? Yes.
[3:14:07] >> Thank you very much.
[3:14:09] My name is Ron Koin.
[3:14:12] And I'm with the Gulfport lions club.
[3:14:14] I've been with them for eight years.
[3:14:17] My wife is also a member.
[3:14:19] And what I'm hearing tonight blows my mind.
[3:14:25] I know there have been discussions with other affected
[3:14:28] groups here.
[3:14:29] We have heard nothing.
[3:14:30] This is the first we've heard.
[3:14:33] And it sounds like there are going to be some very
[3:14:40] interesting arrangements made if we were to choose and
[3:14:46] go on board with this basically pay rent for a building
[3:14:53] that May not be available when needed.
[3:14:57] So I am very disappointed.
[3:15:01] Just for the facts, we generate quite a bit of money
[3:15:08] for agencies and other organizations in Gulfport that
[3:15:13] depend on this money.
[3:15:15] We recently formed a foundation, which is a 501 c3
[3:15:21] nonprofit.
[3:15:22] The reason we did this was to hopefully generate more
[3:15:26] money and get it to where it's needed.
[3:15:29] So I'm standing here listening to this wondering one,
[3:15:33] why have we not heard about this?
[3:15:36] First time I'm hearing about it.
[3:15:39] And secondly, where is the enticement to keep the lions
[3:15:43] club in Gulfport?
[3:15:44] I can guarantee you there are many communities that
[3:15:49] would give their eye teeth for an established company
[3:15:54] or established organization like ours who could come up
[3:15:58] to speed very quickly.
[3:16:00] And I'm sure we'll be given a good welcome to set up
[3:16:04] what we've done here in Gulfport to set up for them.
[3:16:07] Where is there any incentive for us to drag along with
[3:16:11] what's going on here and say, we'll stay. We don't know
[3:16:14] what you're going to do.
[3:16:16] This building you're talking about, is it going to have
[3:16:18] the facilities we need?
[3:16:19] We don't know.
[3:16:20] We May never know.
[3:16:22] But it's very disappointing.
[3:16:23] And I'm sure we're going to get a very bad feedback
[3:16:26] from our other members when they hear about this.
[3:16:29] And I would like to know when are we going to hear
[3:16:33] about this?
[3:16:34] Thank you.
[3:16:34] >> We'll be in touch for sure, Mr. Coin.
[3:16:37] Because this isn't a resolution or an ordinance, and a
[3:16:40] lot of the folks who have come up and spoke already
[3:16:43] spoke somewhat on this issue, we're going to do five
[3:16:46] more people on this discussion.
[3:16:48] You've had your hand up.
[3:16:50] You had your hand up.
[3:16:52] You had your hand up.
[3:16:53] And in the back there, you had your hand up.
[3:16:56] We'll start with you since you're the closest.
[3:17:06] >> My name is Julie Jacobi, and I vote.
[3:17:15] Tonight I'm terribly disappointed.
[3:17:21] Fiscal responsibility and general non nonshalauns about
[3:17:30] a club that's been here for years.
[3:17:38] You said we could use the multi-purpose room that's
[3:17:42] above the marina because it's under utilized.
[3:17:46] But now you want to build a building when you have one
[3:17:54] that's underutilized.
[3:17:56] You had to go to the front end of the marina to
[3:18:00] actually use the restrooms.
[3:18:01] They reconfigured the basin.
[3:18:03] You've been here 30 years, you know.
[3:18:05] They reconfigured a basin and made it that way.
[3:18:08] That's poor planning on the city.
[3:18:11] I live on 49th street, and I'd hate to see anymore
[3:18:16] traffic increase. I vote.
[3:18:17] This isn't just about bcyc. It's a big part of what it
[3:18:23] is.
[3:18:23] No.
[3:18:24] I vote.
[3:18:24] More traffic, more things.
[3:18:27] My neighbors had their mailbox knocked off many times
[3:18:30] because of boat traffic going through there.
[3:18:32] How much more traffic are you going to bring down
[3:18:35] there?
[3:18:35] What are you going to do with it?
[3:18:38] Again, you have clam bayou across the street.
[3:18:41] How much access do you need?
[3:18:43] Take the spit.
[3:18:44] We don't care.
[3:18:45] Why are you going to tear down -- why are you going to
[3:18:50] evict a good tenant to tear down a building and maybe
[3:18:54] you have another one? I don't understand.
[3:18:58] As a resident and a voter.
[3:19:08] >> All right.
[3:19:09] Yes, please.
[3:19:11] You spoke about the cleaning tables before.
[3:19:20] >> Good evening, again.
[3:19:23] My name is Kim and I'm with the clearwater Audubon
[3:19:30] society.
[3:19:30] I was contacted by several people because they're
[3:19:34] concerned about the birds.
[3:19:36] In the area of observation spots a and b, they're also
[3:19:42] labeled on the drawings as pathway spots a and b. So
[3:19:47] that would be the area where the mangroves are.
[3:19:51] And right now, currently, we have approximately 100
[3:19:56] pairs of nesting birds, including brown pelicans, gray
[3:20:00] egrets.
[3:20:01] And also I've been told there are little blue herons
[3:20:07] nesting.
[3:20:07] Blue herons are a state protected species.
[3:20:13] They have a lot of protections because there are a few
[3:20:17] of them.
[3:20:17] There are nesting colonies and habitats are constantly
[3:20:21] being destroyed by humans.
[3:20:23] And coastal development and recreational uses along the
[3:20:26] shore.
[3:20:27] Now the Brown pelican is the most common bird that is
[3:20:30] nesting there right now.
[3:20:31] And they have all kinds of action plans by the fwc that
[3:20:37] protect them, one of the major conservation strategies
[3:20:41] is, it says it's critical that historic colonies are
[3:20:45] preserved because data suggests that pelicans are not
[3:20:48] colonizing new areas.
[3:20:50] Rather, they have exhibited sight fidelity according to
[3:20:55] the last 40 years of surveys in Florida.
[3:21:00] So in other words, it's not like they could go
[3:21:04] somewhere else.
[3:21:05] If you build two docks there and you disturb them, I'm
[3:21:08] telling you right now, they're not going to go anywhere
[3:21:11] else.
[3:21:11] They'll stay there.
[3:21:13] But the human disturbance is going to make them go
[3:21:18] away.
[3:21:18] This is not acceptable.
[3:21:20] This is not an environmentally sound decision by a
[3:21:24] government.
[3:21:24] And because of coastal development and human recreation
[3:21:29] disturbances, nesting colonies all throughout Florida
[3:21:32] are declining.
[3:21:34] So you have to take these species action plans in to
[3:21:37] consideration.
[3:21:38] I would urge you to meet with fwc regional biologist
[3:21:43] Nick Jennings, and Cindy with the fish and wildlife
[3:21:47] service.
[3:21:48] And you can talk to them about how human disturbance,
[3:21:51] if you put two docks there and put a pathway there,
[3:21:54] it's going to wreck it for the birds.
[3:21:56] And this is not a sound decision at all.
[3:21:59] Also, you say you want people to see the birds, well
[3:22:03] they can use binoculars from a distance instead of
[3:22:06] disturbing nesting birds.
[3:22:07] And the other thing, they have a nesting here for at
[3:22:11] least three years.
[3:22:12] And taking away one of their nesting colony habitats is
[3:22:15] a bad decision.
[3:22:17] >> Okay. Thank you.
[3:22:19] Just so people don't think I'm calling on all these
[3:22:22] people that like me.
[3:22:23] Ms.
[3:22:24] Hanerhan.
[3:22:25] >> Really, take them into consideration.
[3:22:27] It's a very bad decision.
[3:22:28] >> Thank you.
[3:22:37] >> Thank you.
[3:22:41] I have a few points here very briefly.
[3:22:44] First of all, when the new marina building was first
[3:22:48] built, I took a tour of it.
[3:22:50] It's beautiful inside.
[3:22:51] I said to the harbor master, how can we use this?
[3:22:54] How can I rent this?
[3:22:55] How can I get in here?
[3:22:57] He said, oh, you can't get in here.
[3:22:59] You'd have to be a marina tenant.
[3:23:02] Never heard of how to get in there.
[3:23:05] I live two blocks from that building.
[3:23:09] What is the impact going to be of this new plan?
[3:23:11] I agree with the gentleman who said, what about all the
[3:23:15] traffic?
[3:23:15] You should sit on the corner by my house and watch the
[3:23:20] boats that come up there.
[3:23:22] I know they're not supposed to come up tiffton.
[3:23:25] I know tiffton is not big enough for it.
[3:23:28] But they come up any way.
[3:23:30] And they get to that corner, and they go, ooh ooh where
[3:23:34] am I going to go now?
[3:23:37] Because tiffton doesn't go all the way through to
[3:23:40] anything.
[3:23:40] So you have got to look at the traffic flow.
[3:23:43] If you're going to get bigger boats, or more boats and
[3:23:47] trailers, you've got to look at that.
[3:23:50] What impact will this development have on neighborhood,
[3:23:54] environmental, flooding, and other issues?
[3:23:57] We already have water on 29th street in front of the
[3:24:03] marina during a spring-time knee tide I call them.
[3:24:07] What is that extra development going to do?
[3:24:09] >> Nothing.
[3:24:10] >> And lastly, I'm pleased to know that our city has
[3:24:15] enough dollars that it turns away $2,000 a month
[3:24:18] rental, while it decides how it's going to design
[3:24:22] something that it might or might not have money for in
[3:24:27] the future.
[3:24:28] I wish I was in that position.
[3:24:32] I'd like to design something but I don't know where I'm
[3:24:35] getting the money for.
[3:24:36] I've often considered sitting there and designing what
[3:24:38] house I would build when I win the lotto.
[3:24:42] Then again, I think maybe that's not the best use of my
[3:24:47] time.
[3:24:47] So please take into consideration the fiscal issues,
[3:24:50] the neighborhood issues, and what you're doing to the
[3:24:54] environment when you develop this plan.
[3:24:56] For sure, let's go ahead and develop a plan, but let's
[3:24:59] take into account the existing clubs, the existing
[3:25:02] things that are there and work along with them instead
[3:25:05] of ripping it down and leaving us with a dead space
[3:25:09] because maybe we don't get that money or maybe the
[3:25:12] terms of that money is such that we can't use it for
[3:25:15] that.
[3:25:16] Thank you.
[3:25:17] >> All right. We had -- it was the gentleman back there
[3:25:21] I believe was the next one.
[3:25:24] You'll be our last speaker.
[3:25:25] Thank you.
[3:25:26] >> Hello.
[3:25:29] My name is Jack gimlin.
[3:25:33] I've lived at that address for about 39 years and owned
[3:25:36] that property for that long.
[3:25:38] I've lived in Gulfport two or three years longer than
[3:25:40] that.
[3:25:40] I think I moved here in '79 all the way from Pasadena
[3:25:48] across.
[3:25:48] Don't screw up Gulfport with this stupid idea.
[3:25:51] Don't screw up Gulfport with this stupid over
[3:25:55] development idea.
[3:25:56] Slow down.
[3:25:59] Take a breath.
[3:26:00] Give us a chance to listen to what you might want to
[3:26:05] do, by trying to ram this crap down our throats.
[3:26:08] It ain't going to cut it.
[3:26:10] Just not going to.
[3:26:12] Take a step back.
[3:26:13] Take two steps back if you're not satisfied with one,
[3:26:17] because I'm pissed off about the one taken back
[3:26:21] already.
[3:26:21] Stop this silliness.
[3:26:23] Gulfport is perfect.
[3:26:25] Sure.
[3:26:25] Those are dinosaur buildings.
[3:26:28] They're dinosaurs.
[3:26:30] They're Gulfport.
[3:26:31] Leave Gulfport as Gulfport.
[3:26:33] I'm a native Floridian.
[3:26:37] Born in Mount Park Hospital.
[3:26:41] Don't screw up Gulfport with this stupid -- your plan
[3:26:44] is not environmentally friendly at all.
[3:26:47] It sounds like an environmental disaster to me.
[3:26:49] Stop.
[3:26:50] >> All right.
[3:26:51] Sir, you're the last one back there.
[3:27:01] >> My name is Don Rogers.
[3:27:03] I am a member of the yacht club.
[3:27:06] I'm from St. Petersburg.
[3:27:08] One of the things I'd like to point out that maybe none
[3:27:12] of you realize is that clam bayou clean up, you know
[3:27:16] what?
[3:27:17] A large percentage of the helpers there were from the
[3:27:22] yacht club.
[3:27:23] We help the city in ways you don't even know about.
[3:27:26] Something you alluded to us, locking people out of our
[3:27:30] property.
[3:27:30] We put up a gate 10 years ago or something.
[3:27:35] Gulfport yacht club had one long before that.
[3:27:37] I'm not trying to criticize them because they probably
[3:27:40] had the same reasons why we ended up putting one up.
[3:27:42] We were getting theft.
[3:27:44] A whole trailer load of canoes and kayaks were stolen.
[3:27:51] Motors were stolen off of people's boats.
[3:27:53] We put up the gate.
[3:27:55] And guess what?
[3:27:56] We were praised for it by Dennis, the harbor master.
[3:28:00] And now you're telling us because we're not allowing
[3:28:03] people on the property, you want to take us away and
[3:28:06] kick us out of there.
[3:28:08] Really?
[3:28:08] We'll take the gate down.
[3:28:10] We'll build a couple of bathrooms.
[3:28:13] Then you got bathrooms on that end of the property.
[3:28:16] We'll just lock up the building so all our assets are
[3:28:22] protected.
[3:28:22] The sea scouts equipment.
[3:28:23] All of that will be protected.
[3:28:26] But the property will be open.
[3:28:27] I mean, at this point, anyway, you look at our basin,
[3:28:31] it's got -- I think Dennis said 22 or 25 power boats in
[3:28:35] there.
[3:28:36] None of them are members that I know of.
[3:28:38] Maybe one or two are.
[3:28:39] Okay.
[3:28:39] But most of them are not members.
[3:28:42] So it's already open to the public anyway.
[3:28:44] So what's the big deal?
[3:28:46] Let us stay in the building.
[3:28:49] We're paying rent to you, now.
[3:28:51] Not just rent, you don't realize this, we also pay the
[3:28:54] property taxes and insurance and other things on there.
[3:28:57] So it's not just the $2,000 a month.
[3:29:00] >> Which began when?
[3:29:01] Just to be clear?
[3:29:03] >> It began at the beginning of the year. But our lease
[3:29:06] ran out that was before that.
[3:29:08] And before that, we made all the money on the slips.
[3:29:11] But we gave that all to you.
[3:29:13] So that was a consideration that the city made when we
[3:29:17] were getting $1 a year.
[3:29:19] But we were still paying all the other expenses.
[3:29:22] So let's not go there.
[3:29:22] We're talking about right now.
[3:29:24] We're paying $2,000 a month.
[3:29:25] >> This is actually about the property, not the yacht
[3:29:28] club.
[3:29:29] >> Yeah, but you're throwing us out and that's $2,000 a
[3:29:32] month.
[3:29:33] >> We're double dipping on the yacht club stuff.
[3:29:35] Do you want to focus on what we're talking about now.
[3:29:38] >> This is what we're talking about, I think.
[3:29:40] >> I hear a lot of yacht club.
[3:29:44] So please.
[3:29:45] >> No, the yacht club I'm talking.
[3:29:46] >> Yeah.
[3:29:47] >> Yes, we're trying --
[3:29:48] >> This is not about the yacht club, this is about the
[3:29:51] property.
[3:29:51] All right.
[3:29:51] Finish it.
[3:29:52] Take your time.
[3:29:53] Take your time.
[3:29:54] >> Obviously you've got your mind very closed to the
[3:29:57] yacht clubs.
[3:29:58] You obviously hate the yacht clubs. Sorry.
[3:30:00] >> All right.
[3:30:04] At this point --
[3:30:04] >> Can I make a proposal?
[3:30:06] >> Feel free.
[3:30:07] >> So my proposal would be that we let the yacht club
[3:30:14] continue their month-to-month lease.
[3:30:17] Have some more meetings on the building that you want
[3:30:20] to build to make sure it would serve everybody's needs
[3:30:23] because maybe we haven't taken in to consideration what
[3:30:26] the lions club needs and what the other clubs need for
[3:30:30] storage.
[3:30:30] Meet with them.
[3:30:31] Maybe have another meeting with, you know, a workshop
[3:30:34] with the neighborhood.
[3:30:35] And because we need to do that anyway in order to --
[3:30:39] you know, there's no sense building a building nobody
[3:30:41] can use.
[3:30:42] So if we had more meetings and then decide what to do
[3:30:47] from there.
[3:30:48] So we'd still be going ahead with planning, potential
[3:30:53] reuse of the marina.
[3:30:56] And we'd still be getting income.
[3:30:57] And if we're going to put the yacht club in the new
[3:31:01] building, they would still be there to move into that
[3:31:04] building.
[3:31:05] >> Yes.
[3:31:08] >> I've got a lot of questions.
[3:31:12] What I'd like to do if we could table this until the
[3:31:15] next meeting and not make a decision either way.
[3:31:18] Give us time to talk to ponder some of the questions
[3:31:24] that were brought to us.
[3:31:26] Allow the city manager to get more information so we
[3:31:30] can make an intelligent -- some of the things that were
[3:31:34] said.
[3:31:40] I'd like to table this for one more meeting.
[3:31:44] Not make a decision on anything until that time so we
[3:31:47] can look at it much more closely.
[3:31:49] Walk over there and talk and get a lot more
[3:31:56] information.
[3:31:56] >> Council member Brown.
[3:31:57] >> For me, I feel like all three entities, the yacht,
[3:32:04] the Gulfport yacht club, the lions club, and the Boca
[3:32:10] yacht club, we're not kicking you to the curb.
[3:32:15] We want you to stay in this new building.
[3:32:19] >> Does she get to speak?
[3:32:26] We've spent a lot of time letting people speak --
[3:32:33] >> Those are the discussions we're having.
[3:32:35] All we're asking to do is this a direction we want to
[3:32:39] go into?
[3:32:40] I don't want anybody to leave.
[3:32:41] I want everybody to be in a new state of the art
[3:32:44] building.
[3:32:44] It's only a concept.
[3:32:47] So if the taller sailing vessels don't fit, then let's
[3:32:52] work together to find out how it can all work.
[3:32:58] My main goal is public access to the water.
[3:33:03] That's my main goal.
[3:33:04] Public access to the water.
[3:33:06] And that's public access for the people in the
[3:33:09] neighborhood who's never been able to come over there.
[3:33:11] The people in our city that go from the high school all
[3:33:15] the way down to the bay can come and sit on the channel
[3:33:19] and watch the boats.
[3:33:20] We're not trying to do anything to the neighbors.
[3:33:23] We're trying to open it up for the neighbors.
[3:33:26] I'm all about open access.
[3:33:31] I really feel like we can work together to make sure
[3:33:34] everybody has a space in a building that hasn't even
[3:33:37] been designed yet.
[3:33:38] Once we sit down and make the decision to move forward.
[3:33:45] >> I'm going to agree with April.
[3:33:47] I foresee a lot of meetings.
[3:33:49] I mean, I want to see we go door-to-door and speak to
[3:33:53] everybody that lives in the marina and get their input
[3:33:57] and a town hall meeting.
[3:33:58] I think we need to speak to all of the clubs before we
[3:34:03] even start thinking about what we're talking about.
[3:34:06] I'm not for bulldosing this building at all.
[3:34:09] I think it's a bad idea.
[3:34:10] I think what we should be doing is looking for the
[3:34:14] money and looking for the plans.
[3:34:15] And that's what we should be focusing on.
[3:34:17] And working with all of the community.
[3:34:20] I don't see that -- I think that's pretty easy for us.
[3:34:23] We move forward with the discussions on designs.
[3:34:27] We can actually get an architect and whatever to start
[3:34:31] doing some designs.
[3:34:32] Get some estimates on what it's going to cost.
[3:34:35] Get an estimate on how much we're going to charge for
[3:34:39] rent.
[3:34:40] And then we could actually formulate a picture.
[3:34:45] In the meantime, why not let them stay there.
[3:34:49] They're paying rent.
[3:34:50] That's my feeling.
[3:34:51] >> Anything to add to what you already said?
[3:34:53] >> I agree with Paul.
[3:34:55] Again, it might even be premature to get an architect
[3:34:58] to draw it until we talk with the club and find out
[3:35:02] what facility they need.
[3:35:03] It's clear listening to all of them that they each need
[3:35:06] to have their own separate space in this building.
[3:35:09] It can't just be one big open space.
[3:35:11] There might be able to be an open space that multiple
[3:35:16] people can use like a meeting room or something.
[3:35:19] But they'll all need separate space.
[3:35:20] And maybe the building will have to be bigger than we
[3:35:24] think because in order to accommodate that.
[3:35:27] But I think that just needs discussion.
[3:35:29] I want to mention, too, when we talk about permeable
[3:35:34] pavement, I hope we're not just talking about pavers.
[3:35:38] Just throwing that in there.
[3:35:40] >> I just have one more thing.
[3:35:42] I had spoken to a couple of club members.
[3:35:45] But I did speak to one of them that said it would be a
[3:35:49] really good idea to make a tour of some of the other
[3:35:53] marinas that have done the multi-use things.
[3:35:55] And get some better ideas from them.
[3:35:57] I mean, they've already done it.
[3:35:59] Why reinvent the wheel when they've already done it for
[3:36:03] us.
[3:36:03] >> All right.
[3:36:05] So let's go two steps. Where are we at on the building?
[3:36:13] On the yacht club going in to the month-to-month on the
[3:36:18] building?
[3:36:18] >> So --
[3:36:19] >> I'm asking.
[3:36:20] >> Just the building.
[3:36:21] >> Just the building.
[3:36:22] >> I could do that.
[3:36:30] >> I'd still like to put everything back.
[3:36:33] >> You want to do this twice?
[3:36:36] >> Yeah, I want to do this twice.
[3:36:39] But as far as month-to-month, I don't have a problem.
[3:36:42] >> You guys win, I'll go with you.
[3:36:45] On the building.
[3:36:45] >> Mayor, I have a question on the letter.
[3:36:49] >> We can rescind on that.
[3:36:51] If I understand council is to rescind the letter and
[3:36:56] continue.
[3:36:56] >> We're still continuing, it's still going to be the
[3:37:00] building.
[3:37:01] Doesn't mean that they have to sign on the human rights
[3:37:07] ordinance.
[3:37:08] >> We don't have --
[3:37:10] >> Month-to-month.
[3:37:11] What we've been doing basically since January is what
[3:37:13] I'm talking about.
[3:37:14] >> Or the option is to enter into a new definitive
[3:37:19] timeline.
[3:37:19] >> Nothing long because if we talk about the life of
[3:37:22] the building.
[3:37:22] Something for now.
[3:37:23] >> One year lease from now and it will have the
[3:37:26] language we've all spoken about in regards to the new
[3:37:29] leases that we issue.
[3:37:30] >> So what step can we take to move forward with
[3:37:33] planning?
[3:37:33] What is going to be next for that?
[3:37:36] Because kicking this down the road for a year.
[3:37:40] I understand the compassion for letting them have the
[3:37:43] building.
[3:37:43] But kicking the can down and not doing anything with
[3:37:46] the development of the property.
[3:37:48] >> I thought the direction of the council was to do
[3:37:51] both at the same time.
[3:37:53] Meaning continue --
[3:37:54] >> Okay.
[3:37:54] >> Can't you do a new month-to-month lease that --
[3:37:59] >> We will bring the lease back to council if that's
[3:38:03] what you want.
[3:38:04] >> That does the ada or whatever else.
[3:38:07] >> hr.
[3:38:07] >> It has to be the building only.
[3:38:10] I'm not giving up the public access component.
[3:38:12] >> It's strictly the building.
[3:38:14] >> Just the building.
[3:38:14] >> And we're going to move forward with --
[3:38:17] >> No gates.
[3:38:18] No fence.
[3:38:18] >> We'll work all those things.
[3:38:20] Security things.
[3:38:21] We'll start addressing them.
[3:38:25] >> Go ahead.
[3:38:25] >> No.
[3:38:31] >> I'll speak to Mr. Hien, because he was the
[3:38:34] negotiating committee.
[3:38:35] We'll come back with a document.
[3:38:37] And council can vote it up or down.
[3:38:40] So that's where we're at.
[3:38:43] Now in regards to strictly the offer would be
[3:38:46] contingent on just the building facility, is that
[3:38:48] correct?
[3:38:48] >> Yup.
[3:38:50] >> Okay.
[3:38:51] The second part of it is we will proceed with starting
[3:38:55] draft.
[3:38:56] Actually some other options and some different looks
[3:38:59] and some cost estimates associated with different
[3:39:02] aspects of it.
[3:39:03] Like we know --
[3:39:03] >> Not yet until we have meetings.
[3:39:06] >> We have to start the meeting somewhere.
[3:39:08] >> Exactly.
[3:39:09] >> Have some idea what things are going to cost.
[3:39:11] >> Otherwise we talk about things for nine years and
[3:39:14] don't move.
[3:39:14] >> Basically we know we have a cost estimate
[3:39:19] approximately 400,000. The breakwater park is estimated
[3:39:23] $800,000.
[3:39:23] We also have the reconfiguration of the area in egress
[3:39:30] and ingress.
[3:39:32] I don't want to tell you to build the building for
[3:39:35] people who don't want to come and then it costs you $2
[3:39:38] million.
[3:39:38] I agree with you on that.
[3:39:40] We May reach a point, and I'm going to put this on the
[3:39:43] record.
[3:39:43] You May reach a point where if they don't want to move
[3:39:47] in your building and the lease is over, as the mayor
[3:39:50] said, you're just procrastinating an issue, a decision
[3:39:53] that's going to have to be made.
[3:39:55] >> But then you might decide if none of them want to
[3:39:57] move in the building, why build the building?
[3:39:59] >> Because it's not just for the clubs.
[3:40:01] I think this has been lost from the beginning.
[3:40:03] The building is not just for the clubs.
[3:40:04] >> Yeah.
[3:40:06] >> It's for other people to use as well.
[3:40:08] >> But we already have the marina building that people
[3:40:12] can use.
[3:40:12] >> It's about open access to all the waterfront.
[3:40:16] To me.
[3:40:17] That's what's important to me.
[3:40:18] >> But you could still --
[3:40:23] anyway. >> Are we good where we are?
[3:40:25] >> Yes.
[3:40:25] >> It will bring you a very short-term lease to
[3:40:30] continue their presence in the building.
[3:40:33] Subsequently, at the same time, we will start drafting
[3:40:41] some ideas to represent.
[3:40:45] >> All right.
[3:40:45] >> Then we'll have a real workshop.
[3:40:47] >> You can call it a workshop, a meeting.
[3:40:50] It's going to be like for the public just like every
[3:40:55] other time.
[3:40:56] >> You said removing or opening the fence.
[3:41:00] My question is if we do open the fence up and giving
[3:41:04] more public access to the land, how will we protect the
[3:41:08] boats, the dry storage.
[3:41:09] >> That's what we're talking about.
[3:41:11] >> At the club or the city incurring a temporary cost.
[3:41:15] >> We will have costs associated with just as we
[3:41:19] incurred costs with taking down certain fences last
[3:41:22] week and replacing fences.
[3:41:23] We're going to come up with a security plan because as
[3:41:27] some of these individuals spoke of that we're
[3:41:29] responsible and we'll come up with a real plan.
[3:41:32] We'll come back to council with a security plan.
[3:41:36] We May increase cameras.
[3:41:37] We May reconfigure the fencing.
[3:41:40] We May remove certain surfaces that are impervious
[3:41:43] today and move it and make them straight.
[3:41:46] We're going to start with those things.
[3:41:48] We have to do those because we have some ideas that
[3:41:51] we'd like to reconfigure some of the dry storage and
[3:41:54] things like that.
[3:41:54] Those are things we're going to move forward with.
[3:41:57] At least to -- if you've got them in the building,
[3:41:59] we're going to keep going.
[3:42:01] And that's kind of where we're at.
[3:42:03] No, we're not building anything at this point.
[3:42:05] But we are going to reconfigure.
[3:42:07] >> Start prepping for it.
[3:42:08] >> Traffic flows and things like that, we want do.
[3:42:11] And we'll bring you a budget for that.
[3:42:13] And we're going to start with that this week.
[3:42:20] My staff with this tonight to show you what's been
[3:42:24] proposed in the past.
[3:42:26] Nobody is married to any specific part of it.
[3:42:28] But the one thing we heard continually is to open as
[3:42:32] much of that waterfront area to the public.
[3:42:35] And be it the breakwater park, you know, the other
[3:42:39] aspects of that.
[3:42:40] Those are all factors that we can bring in.
[3:42:46] I mean, we talked about.
[3:42:48] The last thing May be, we're talking about vacating the
[3:42:51] road.
[3:42:51] Those are things that we want to talk about that we'd
[3:42:55] like to present to the public.
[3:42:57] But until we get direction as we did tonight, then
[3:43:01] that's where we're at.
[3:43:02] I mean, we could come up with a lease type agreement
[3:43:06] for their building use.
[3:43:08] >> I just had a quick question.
[3:43:11] Because I'm not sure when the Florida legislature, when
[3:43:17] their session is finished.
[3:43:20] We'll know whether they're going to approve the
[3:43:23] $800,000 for breakwater park?
[3:43:25] >> That's right.
[3:43:26] >> If they approve it, how soon will you typically
[3:43:30] receive that money?
[3:43:31] >> July 1st, it's in their budget.
[3:43:35] Once they approve the state budget --
[3:43:37] >> We'll know right away.
[3:43:38] >> We'll know right away with the breakwater park.
[3:43:42] >> So do you got what you need at this point?
[3:43:45] >> I'm good.
[3:43:46] >> Let's move on to council comments and informational
[3:43:50] reports, beginning with --
[3:43:51] >> Me.
[3:43:51] >> With you.
[3:43:53] >> I just wanted to point out a couple of things.
[3:43:58] >> There's not a vote.
[3:43:59] >> No, it's a discussion item.
[3:44:02] >> I don't know how many of y'all were here at the time
[3:44:06] when the casino had a restaurant in it, bamammavilles.
[3:44:10] I just want to know that does remember that great
[3:44:14] restaurant that Bahama Bill has passed away.
[3:44:17] And there is a service coming up for him.
[3:44:19] Also, I wonder if by the new fish cleaning table to the
[3:44:24] north of it, if we could get a pad here for handicap,
[3:44:28] for wheelchair access so that people can -- because
[3:44:31] this is the only bench that's really close to the water
[3:44:35] that somebody can fish from.
[3:44:37] But if they're in a wheelchair, they're in the dirt.
[3:44:40] And I'd like to know if we could get a pad here with a
[3:44:46] little handicap stencil on it and maybe a bumper so
[3:44:50] nobody goes over the edge.
[3:44:52] So that people that are in wheelchairs or physically
[3:44:55] handicapped could use this pad to fish from if they
[3:44:59] can't get to the bench.
[3:45:01] So I'm asking for that.
[3:45:05] Also city manager, last year when I asked you for the
[3:45:08] fish cleaning table to be replaced with something that
[3:45:11] had a little bit of protection of it.
[3:45:14] I'm very pleased to see the double wide fish cleaning
[3:45:17] table.
[3:45:18] It's state of the art.
[3:45:19] I don't know if you guys have been by it.
[3:45:21] But it's very nice. I hear what you guys are saying
[3:45:24] about the things that it still needs.
[3:45:27] But it's really nice.
[3:45:28] And I appreciate the work that went in to put that in.
[3:45:30] It's double wide.
[3:45:31] I mean, it has -- I think it has a knife sharpener in
[3:45:35] it and a place for your pole and a drink cup.
[3:45:39] And it's shaded so people can be out of the weather
[3:45:42] when they're taking care of their catch.
[3:45:44] That's all I have.
[3:45:45] >> All right.
[3:45:46] Council member.
[3:45:47] >> Mayor, if I May interrupt.
[3:45:49] There were two individuals who wanted to comment on
[3:45:52] Zoom.
[3:45:52] >> Oh, sorry.
[3:45:53] >> Are they still there?
[3:45:54] >> Yes, one of them is, mayor.
[3:45:58] And I let the person speak.
[3:45:59] Two of them are now.
[3:46:04] Margaret tober.
[3:46:18] Margaret, are you there?
[3:46:19] I'll go to the other one first.
[3:46:22] I think it was Ms.
[3:46:23] Ring.
[3:46:24] I'll allow her to talk now.
[3:46:27] >> Yes, oh my God.
[3:46:29] Hi. I'm sorry.
[3:46:32] You know, you don't have to tear down the buildings to
[3:46:37] open the buildings up for multi-use purpose.
[3:46:41] You can use the buildings just as you would use the big
[3:46:44] buildings.
[3:46:44] In other words, if you're going to have multi-clubs,
[3:46:48] like maybe you have birds and helping hands have part
[3:46:53] of the space that's in the clubhouse so they can keep
[3:46:58] their stuff in an office area.
[3:47:00] And you have that area that's opened up for everybody.
[3:47:04] Just pretend those three buildings, not the Gulfport
[3:47:09] yacht building, they already have their lease.
[3:47:14] Maybe give those -- Richard Walter said he pays $300.
[3:47:19] I pay $300, too.
[3:47:20] And you know what?
[3:47:22] Jonathan Cornwell, you said that's open to the public.
[3:47:27] But I have police reports of me being cornered in
[3:47:32] there.
[3:47:33] And being told that I'm not allowed to go in that
[3:47:38] parking lot because it's private property.
[3:47:41] You had my roommate escorted off because you said it's
[3:47:46] private property.
[3:47:47] And so I think when you want it to be private property,
[3:47:53] it's yours and it's private.
[3:47:55] Just like Kim said.
[3:47:56] But when you want it to be public, and you want all the
[3:47:59] benefits of the public, then it's that way.
[3:48:01] So what I'm going to say is that use, those buildings,
[3:48:05] you don't have to tear buildings down to make them
[3:48:08] open.
[3:48:08] If somebody's renting the slips, the slips in the south
[3:48:12] basin, they should be able to use the bathroom without
[3:48:15] walking a quarter of a mile.
[3:48:17] You know.
[3:48:19] Let's look at accessibility for everybody.
[3:48:22] Nobody has to leave.
[3:48:23] It's about sharing.
[3:48:25] It's about being inclusive.
[3:48:28] It's about having people in the community.
[3:48:31] And I'm going to tell you, seriously, really think
[3:48:37] about it when you renew long term leases with people,
[3:48:44] what you're saying is that woman Kim, that she doesn't
[3:48:50] count, does she?
[3:48:52] Samantha, who cares if she can walk through the parking
[3:48:57] lot.
[3:48:58] But the yacht club can do it.
[3:48:59] And I'm saying and we're saying be inclusive.
[3:49:09] Because I've lived here longer than Jonathan Cornwell.
[3:49:11] And I have police reports and 911 calls, and I've been
[3:49:15] traumatized like you have no idea.
[3:49:18] So share.
[3:49:18] Nobody is saying kick everybody out.
[3:49:20] We're saying share. Share.
[3:49:25] >> All right.
[3:49:28] Ms.
[3:49:28] Tober, are you with us?
[3:49:30] >> Margaret, are you there?
[3:49:33] >> I'm here. Thank you.
[3:49:36] I had kind of given up on it so I'm sorry.
[3:49:39] And I'm sorry for earlier.
[3:49:41] I'm watching on Zoom and you cannot see the clock.
[3:49:44] I'm watching Zoom on the phone and you can't see the
[3:49:46] clock.
[3:49:47] So I apologize for that.
[3:49:49] Mayor, I've liked your plan for the breakwater park
[3:49:52] ever since you suggested it.
[3:49:53] I don't know how many years it ago it was.
[3:49:57] And I believe council member Brown had a part in it.
[3:50:00] I think that's a wonderful idea.
[3:50:01] And I'm glad to hear that there's some compromise
[3:50:04] coming from bcyc. And I hope that you know, you're also
[3:50:08] going to take -- I heard there was a fence around
[3:50:12] Gulfport yacht club.
[3:50:13] I don't remember.
[3:50:14] I hope you're going to be taking that down as well.
[3:50:16] But I think all in all where you're going now is what
[3:50:21] Gulfport is all about.
[3:50:22] Where we were kind of headed really isn't the spirit of
[3:50:28] Gulfport.
[3:50:29] Ms.
[3:50:29] Brown, you've been here 30 years.
[3:50:32] City manager, you were born here.
[3:50:34] And you know that where we're kind of headed wasn't the
[3:50:38] spirit of Gulfport.
[3:50:39] So I'm glad to see that it's turned around and that
[3:50:42] we're making some headway in that direction.
[3:50:44] And I think to let the folks utilize that building
[3:50:47] until you really decide where you're going to go, and
[3:50:51] collect the rent.
[3:50:52] At the same time, you know, it sounded to me like
[3:50:55] you've got lots of homework to do.
[3:50:57] And you've got some things to get ready.
[3:50:59] So I'm glad to hear that it turned around.
[3:51:02] That it's happening the way it is. Thank you very much.
[3:51:07] >> All right.
[3:51:07] Thank you.
[3:51:08] So we'll continue on.
[3:51:09] >> We had one more person. I'm sorry.
[3:51:13] >> All right.
[3:51:13] >> Sorry about that.
[3:51:17] Mr. Canter.
[3:51:20] >> Honorable mayor, city council, city manager, city
[3:51:23] attorney, city clerk, thank you all for your time and
[3:51:27] for enduring this very, very long evening.
[3:51:29] I really appreciate y'all taking a second and taking a
[3:51:33] moment to allow those of us who were online and didn't
[3:51:38] get a chance to preverbialy raise our hands in the
[3:51:42] audience time to speak on this matter.
[3:51:45] There's been a whole lot said tonight.
[3:51:47] And I think, you know, I have literally spoken to all
[3:51:52] of y'all endlessly.
[3:51:54] And you'll know my feelings on this.
[3:51:57] As a life long Floridian, as a multi-generational
[3:52:02] Floridian, the thing that continually is where we let
[3:52:06] our citizens down is in the utilization of our public
[3:52:12] land, and ensuring that everybody gets access to that.
[3:52:16] The volleyball tournament that was approved earlier
[3:52:20] tonight is the very reason why we need a locals beach.
[3:52:25] We need natural, native Florida beachfront.
[3:52:29] Where we can still keep our birds and have our
[3:52:32] mangroves and talk about all this and see this and
[3:52:35] touch it.
[3:52:36] This is my water.
[3:52:37] This is where I grew up.
[3:52:38] This region is what I know.
[3:52:40] Like this is why I brought my wife here.
[3:52:43] And we moved here so that we could get a house here.
[3:52:47] Be part of a community.
[3:52:49] Be neighbors with people.
[3:52:50] Start a family.
[3:52:50] You know, hopefully, you know, maybe have a kid some
[3:52:55] day that potentially joins the little league or sea
[3:53:00] scouts or whatever.
[3:53:01] But we always forget as we keep moving forward to take
[3:53:05] care of and be good stewards of our land and our
[3:53:09] legacy.
[3:53:10] The thing that I appreciated most about this concept
[3:53:12] was that it looked like there was an eye towards that.
[3:53:16] The I think that several people have given particular
[3:53:21] points of interest that are worth considering in terms
[3:53:27] of environmental impact and impact to wild life.
[3:53:32] And ultimately, I look forward to engaging in a lot of
[3:53:36] conversations about this space.
[3:53:37] Like I have talked to you all about the boat house that
[3:53:42] the American small craft association based in queens
[3:53:44] New York, an organization that teaches asa sailing to
[3:53:48] everybody in the New York City community.
[3:53:50] How they built a partnership with the city of New York
[3:53:53] to open that boat house.
[3:53:55] I've been in that boat house many, many times.
[3:53:58] I have plenty of ideas to share and ways we can all
[3:54:02] partner together to look toward a better vision for our
[3:54:06] community.
[3:54:06] But the reality of it is, we need to start moving
[3:54:09] forward and ensuring that that piece of beach, that
[3:54:12] that piece of shoreline, which is our legacy is shared
[3:54:16] with the entire community openly.
[3:54:17] Thank you. >> Thank you.
[3:54:21] >> Council member Brown, did you get to finish?
[3:54:23] >> Yes, I did, thank you.
[3:54:24] >> Council member Ray.
[3:54:26] >> a couple of things.
[3:54:29] One is on May 29th, we're going to be having the --
[3:54:34] which we -- Susan Gore had brought up the art exhibit.
[3:54:40] Flag raising for pride month.
[3:54:42] Also, I would like to request that we be able to use
[3:54:46] the pads that they usually use for --
[3:54:49] >> Art walk.
[3:54:50] >> Art walks.
[3:54:51] I've already spoken to Barbara, and they were all on
[3:54:56] board with it.
[3:54:57] All the business members, a lot of the business members
[3:54:59] in town, and they're really for it.
[3:55:01] We're actually going to have a bit of a well social
[3:55:06] distanced because those are set up for that along beach
[3:55:11] boulevard.
[3:55:12] I would like to get permission to do that from council.
[3:55:17] >> Can I ask a question?
[3:55:20] Is the artout for the month or one day?
[3:55:23] >> I think it's open for a week or two.
[3:55:26] Or is it the whole month?
[3:55:28] It might be the whole month because we did a flower
[3:55:35] arrangement one time and didn't last.
[3:55:39] May 29th.
[3:55:40] >> Gotcha.
[3:55:41] Understood.
[3:55:41] >> The flag raising.
[3:55:43] We would have the artout exhibit and then the street
[3:55:48] festival.
[3:55:48] >> Okay.
[3:55:49] >> Got you.
[3:55:50] >> The other thing that I would like to get permission
[3:55:55] to bring forward on the next agenda is that we've been
[3:56:00] working with the city manager and the city attorney on
[3:56:05] creating an hro committee, which would abstract
[3:56:08] anything to do with hro violations.
[3:56:11] It would be put into a committee.
[3:56:13] We've worked through a bunch of the wording on it.
[3:56:16] They've been great.
[3:56:17] Jim's been awesome to work with.
[3:56:19] He looks at things from a different perspective.
[3:56:23] And the attorney has been wonderful.
[3:56:25] So I would like permission to bring a draft to the next
[3:56:29] city council meeting for discussion.
[3:56:31] >> All right.
[3:56:32] >> So if everybody is on board.
[3:56:34] >> For discussion.
[3:56:35] >> It would be an initial draft and we'll take it
[3:56:38] forward from there.
[3:56:39] >> Yeah, because I do have concerns about appointing
[3:56:42] people to make decisions.
[3:56:43] >> It's one of the things that Jim had brought up.
[3:56:46] The other thing that I just wanted to say is we did the
[3:56:50] rain garden and finished that up.
[3:56:52] That was blink and it was done.
[3:56:55] It was amazing.
[3:56:58] We had students from the high school.
[3:57:02] A lot of people who -- a bunch of art people, I mean,
[3:57:09] garden people from -- where are they?
[3:57:12] >> DaEden.
[3:57:15] >> It went really well.
[3:57:17] I can't wait for it to start raining and start really,
[3:57:22] really growing.
[3:57:23] That's it.
[3:57:24] >> Council member Fridovich.
[3:57:26] >> I need council's permission to allow parking on 54th
[3:57:30] avenue, from o'maddy's up to veterans park on Saturday
[3:57:35] 10th for the Steven robin event we're doing.
[3:57:39] We're expecting about 75 people.
[3:57:42] I was informed a number of motorcycle clubs in town
[3:57:47] will be there as well.
[3:57:49] I'd like to get permission from council to be able to
[3:57:53] park on that street up there.
[3:57:55] >> Is there an issue with that?
[3:57:56] >> No, what we're looking at --
[3:57:58] what we want to do is just for the duration of the
[3:58:02] event just cover the no-parking signs on the west
[3:58:05] side -- excuse me, the east side of 54th like we do
[3:58:09] other events.
[3:58:10] >> All right.
[3:58:12] Great.
[3:58:12] >> Period during the event.
[3:58:17] Stage the motorcycles there.
[3:58:20] >> On Saturday, we'll be doing a memorial service for
[3:58:25] Steven j.
[3:58:26] Robin who was a prisoner of the North Korean army, and
[3:58:32] a long resident of Gulfport until he passed away.
[3:58:36] Mayor Sam Henderson, vice mayor April Thanos, council
[3:58:43] member Christine Brown, and basically the city of
[3:58:50] Gulfport.
[3:58:51] Memorial committee who helped put this together.
[3:58:53] If you'd like to attend, we'll be having the new
[3:58:56] horizon band will be performing some patriotic songs
[3:58:59] for us.
[3:59:00] We're going to be giving thanks to Shelley Vale and
[3:59:05] Christine Brown.
[3:59:06] We're going to be presenting the flag back to the
[3:59:09] family.
[3:59:09] Mr. Robin's family both from Savannah and Fort
[3:59:12] Lauderdale are coming up.
[3:59:13] Plus their grandkids.
[3:59:15] We're going to have about 75-80 people.
[3:59:20] I'm proposing.
[3:59:21] I'm obviously guessing.
[3:59:23] At veterans park this Saturday.
[3:59:25] See you all there.
[3:59:26] >> All right.
[3:59:27] Vice mayor.
[3:59:28] >> One thing that came up was about the fire department
[3:59:32] roof that there was a question about it not having
[3:59:35] solar.
[3:59:35] And it was not strong enough to support solar.
[3:59:39] But they saved $100,000 on doing that roof.
[3:59:42] So that with what we have in our little fund for solar
[3:59:46] should give us enough to put it on the existing marina
[3:59:49] building.
[3:59:49] So I know that public works is working on that.
[3:59:52] So we might end up with solar on a building, which
[3:59:55] would be lovely.
[3:59:56] And also, I was going to see, does somebody want to do
[4:00:02] the third Tuesday art walk -- not art walk.
[4:00:06] Tuesday market to do the ask a councillor people?
[4:00:10] >> --
[4:00:11] >> No, it's for everybody.
[4:00:12] If nobody wants to do it, I'll do it.
[4:00:15] But if anybody wants to do it, they're of course
[4:00:17] welcome to do it.
[4:00:18] >> Yeah.
[4:00:19] >> Tuesday? >> Tuesday.
[4:00:22] >> I work during that time, too.
[4:00:25] >> We can also ask if you want to do it, we can also
[4:00:29] ask if they'll let us do an evening market.
[4:00:32] >> All right.
[4:00:34] >> But this time, if nobody --
[4:00:37] Michael. >> I'm unable to.
[4:00:38] >> So I'll do it this coming Tuesday when we do it.
[4:00:45] Somebody brought up composting barrels.
[4:00:47] That's something that the Gulfport sustainability
[4:00:49] committee was looking at.
[4:00:50] And we've talked to the city manager about that, about
[4:00:54] potentially buying some, and then -- but giving them
[4:00:57] out to people who do a class for learning how to
[4:01:01] properly compost.
[4:01:02] And then being able to give them some barrels.
[4:01:05] So we'll look at, you know, that would have to be a
[4:01:09] budget item.
[4:01:09] Although that's not very expensive.
[4:01:11] They're like $35 apiece or something.
[4:01:13] And the county does have a class and so does Clearwater
[4:01:18] so we could borrow one of their classes.
[4:01:22] Somebody asked about that so I brought it up.
[4:01:23] >> If that happens, would that same person be able to
[4:01:27] do rain barrels and composting barrels?
[4:01:30] >> Possibly.
[4:01:31] >> They're both 55-gallon drums?
[4:01:33] >> I'm not positive exactly.
[4:01:35] >> They're small.
[4:01:36] >> Oh, they are?
[4:01:37] >> Yeah.
[4:01:38] >> I know my experience with rain barrels is sometimes
[4:01:42] it's hard to use it because it's only 50 gallons so it
[4:01:48] doesn't go very far when you're trying to water your
[4:01:53] garden.
[4:01:53] I know there were comments about the apartments by
[4:01:57] salty's.
[4:01:58] I know Michael, you said you talked to the owner
[4:02:02] before.
[4:02:03] Somebody mentioned code violations.
[4:02:04] >> We inspected it.
[4:02:06] >> Didn't see anything?
[4:02:07] >> Didn't see anything.
[4:02:09] >> I talked with the owner.
[4:02:10] I volunteered to buy the paint myself if he wanted me
[4:02:15] to paint the wood. He was in agreement at the time we
[4:02:21] spoke.
[4:02:21] He has not gotten back to me.
[4:02:24] That's where we're at.
[4:02:25] >> Can I ask you a question?
[4:02:27] >> Yes.
[4:02:28] >> Pia's has a metal roof like the marina does.
[4:02:33] And they have a fabric solar panels that goes between
[4:02:37] the ribs on their metal roof.
[4:02:40] You can't even see the solar.
[4:02:42] And it's very interesting.
[4:02:43] I wonder if we couldn't look at that kind of solar for
[4:02:48] the marina house so we don't make holes in the roof.
[4:02:52] They're just thin fabric sheets that go between the
[4:02:55] ribs.
[4:02:55] If you go by there, you can't even see they're on
[4:02:58] there.
[4:02:59] >> I didn't even know about that kind.
[4:03:02] I'm sure that Tom Nichols could look in to that.
[4:03:06] >> You've also got the solar panel like on the back
[4:03:09] window of your car that rolls out, can roll out to a
[4:03:13] whole roof.
[4:03:14] It was sort of run by a German company a couple of
[4:03:17] years ago.
[4:03:18] >> I wonder if we could have Mr.
[4:03:21] Nichols look in to that kind of solar before putting
[4:03:24] the big huge panels on.
[4:03:25] >> The biggest issue is going to be cost.
[4:03:26] >> Right.
[4:03:28] >> All right.
[4:03:31] Motion to adjourn.
[4:03:32] >> Make a motion.
[4:03:34] >> Second.
[4:03:35] >> Have a good night, folks.