City Council - May 02, 2024

Welcome to the City of St. Petersburg City Council Meeting. Your elected officials are Mayor Ken Welch, District 1 and Council Vice Chair, Copley Gerdes, District 2, Brandi Gabbard, District 3, Ed Montenari, District 4, Lisette Kanowitz, District 5 and Council Chair, Deborah Figg Sanders, District 6, Gina Driscoll, District 7, John Muhammad, and District 8, Richie Floyd. Good morning, everyone. We're going to call the May 2, 2024 City Council. Can you please start with a roll call? Big Sanders? Here. Driscoll? Here. Muhammad? Here. Floyd? Here. Gerdes? Gabbard? Here. Montenari? Here. Kanowitz? Here. Thank you. We will now have the invocation by Reverend Mike Alford, who is the curate at the Cathedral Church of St. Petersburg, where we also have a moment of silence, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Would you please join me in standing? Good morning. Let us pray. Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, we come to you this morning in all our beautiful diversity, yet united with one heart, in the pursuit of justice, equity, and opportunity for all. We ask your blessing on this assembly as we prepare to dialogue with those who have been called to serve the people. Bless our elected representatives with a spirit of wisdom and discernment, that with steadfast purpose, they may faithfully promote the well-being of all people. Give them, we pray, the courage to answer their call with humility and genuine concern, paying special attention to those who find themselves on the margins. May we all continue to advocate for those without adequate shelter, those who struggle with hunger, those who are vulnerable to abuse in all its pernicious forms. Let us together give voice to the voiceless, until all God's children are safe and secure. May we ever strive to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, Lord. All this we ask in your mighty and everlasting name. Amen. Please join me in a moment of silence as we honor our fallen first responders. Detective Wayne M. Berry, End of Watch, May 23rd, 1929. Officer Frank A. Pike, End of Watch, May 19th, 1933. Firefighter, Robert F. Parker, End of Watch, May 10th, 1969. Thank you. I pledge allegiance of the United States of a man to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Please be seated. Thank you, Reverend Alford, for that invocation. We do appreciate it. Council members, we have an agenda before us with adding item F1, time change of our May 16th, 24th, council meeting. I will entertain a motion if they have no changes. Move approval. Second. Now we have a motion and a second. Can we please open the machine for voting? Now that our present council members have voted, can you please tally and announce the votes? Madam Chair, the motion to approve the agenda passes unanimously with council member Gerdes being absent. Thank you. Council members, we have a consent agenda before us to delete item CB7. I'll entertain a motion for approval. Move approval. Second. Now that we have a motion and a second, can you please open the machine for voting? We have no cards, Madam Chair. No cards, thank you. Now that our present council members have voted, can you please tally and announce the votes? Madam Chair, the motion to approve the consent agenda passes unanimously with council member Gerdes being absent. Thank you. I am now going to turn the meeting over to past chair, Brandy Gabbard, as we begin our presentations. Thank you, Madam Chair. We are going to go ahead and get started. First, we will take up item D6A, which is our Senior Hall of Fame Inductees Keys to the City presentation. And this will be provided by Chair Fig Sanders. Ms. Linda Grant, who is our Recreations Program Manager, if she would join me, please. As we, the city, and I stand on behalf of Dr. Kenneth Tebow, I don't know if you all attended our Senior Hall of Fame, but it was the event of the evening. And I love the fact that we applaud our seniors, our elders, those with wisdom, those that have provided years and years of service for our community. And that was a really nice event. So I want to ask Ms. Lucinda if you can take over and recognize our seniors. Good morning, Council. In the absence of our mayor and Madam Chair, we are delighted to be here this morning to recognize those of the Senior Hall of Fame for the Sunshine Center. We have with us 10 individuals that were inducted into the Senior Hall of Fame. And we are delighted to have them with us. And they received their keys to the city already and their names. And you can either raise your hand or stand if you'd like, as I call your name. Thank you so much for that. And we do appreciate it. And thank you again to those that were honorees as well as honored Hall of Famers. We do appreciate all of your service. Thank you so much, Ms. Grant. So now it also gives me pleasure to provide the proclamation on behalf of our mayor in regards to our Older Americans Month. And the proclamation reads, Whereas the President of the United States has declared the month of May 2024 as Older Americans Month for the purpose of recognizing the value of the nation's older citizens. And whereas the City of St. Petersburg includes a thriving community of older Americans who deserve recognition for their contributions and sacrifices to ensure a better life for their future generations. And whereas the City recognizes that there are workers over the age of 70 who are still contributing to our community through gainful employment. And whereas the City of St. Petersburg is committed to helping all individuals live longer, healthier lives in the communities of their choice for as long as possible. And whereas we recognize the value of community engagement and service in helping older adults remain healthy and active while giving back to others. And whereas our community can provide opportunities to enrich the lives of individuals of all ages by promoting and engaging in activity, wellness, and social inclusion, emphasizing home and community-based services that support independent living, and ensuring community members of all ages benefit from the contributions and experience of older adults, and supporting the City's nationally accredited Sunshine Senior Center, say that five times fast, in its operations. Now, therefore, I, Chair Deborah Figg Sanders, for Kenneth T. Welch, Mayor of St. Petersburg, Florida, hereby proclaim May 2024 as Older Americans Month and urge every resident to take time this month to celebrate older adults and the people who serve and support them as powerful and vital individuals who greatly contribute to the community. Now, I don't know who I'm presenting this to. Am I presenting this to you? Okay. Well, I will tell you this. It is an honor. First of all, where are all my older Americans? I need y'all to stand up. My older. My older, my older, my older. Because I will tell you, I am looking forward to that day when I can be referred to as an older. And I am still a monks and living. So we want to celebrate all of you that are here, and we want to thank you all for all that you do now. I don't know if anyone wants to say any words. Because if you like me, a microphone, there you go. Just a few. Here you go. Just a few. My boss told me to be real brief. I'm going to present this to you. Thank you. Thank you. This year's theme for Older Americans Month is powered by connection. So if we stay connected, building meaningful relationships, and remain active, we can all continue to make a life of giving. As we celebrate Older Americans Month, we invite you to phone, reach out, write a letter, sit, chat, talk, take a walk, have dinner, or go to the movie. With an older American, visit, or even visit our Sunshine Senior Center, or our other adult facilities, to see what our seniors are doing. I invite you to engage with someone this month on behalf of Older Americans Month. Thank you. Thank you. We are the supervisors of the Sunshine Senior Center, Sally Marvin and Carol Ware, and they're my colleagues. And I'm sorry. No, you're fine, Madam Chair, if I may. I just want to say thank you to everyone who came out today to celebrate all of the Sunshine Senior Award winners. I am sorry I was not able to be with you at your celebration a couple of weeks ago. I will tell you, it is always one of my favorite events. I think I get so much from that event and so much inspiration by what all of you do. Anyone who has never been to that particular awards presentation, you are missing out. If you need an inspiration in your life, this is where you need to go. I think the first year that I went, I was given a little piece of advice or a little slogan that gets used that I did not hear here today. And so I just wanted to share it with everyone that the goal is not to retire, but to re-fire. And that is what every single one of these individuals have done. What you have given back to your community, not only through your life, but especially in years when, quite frankly, you have earned the right to do nothing. But you don't. You continue to give back to our city, to those you love, to those you care about. And that personally inspires me every day. And I just want to thank you for what you do and congratulate you on your award. All right, Madam Chair, next we will move on to item D8, the Sunshine Ambassador Award. Thank you. So I think hopefully those that have attended our awards and presentations at this time understand that a lot of what people do go unnoticed. A lot of things that people do, you don't get enough thanks for what you do. You know, we do understand that life is multifaceted. There's a lot of different things that we have to deal with and live through just to exist. So we have the Sunshine Ambassador Award that is a city council honor of those that we as council members feel contribute to the happiness of the state of our city. And we don't give them lightly, but this young lady who is about to receive this Sunshine Ambassador Award, I move by spirit. And a lot of times we have people doing things that don't go recognized, but this young lady recognizes everyone that enters her circle. She does it selfishly. She does it without being asked to do it. She doesn't get paid to do it, but she continues to elevate. You know, so many of us walk through lives where everything is criticized. Everything is done wrong. We don't always meet the needs of what you want. But this young lady, I have to thank her from the bottom of my heart for always building. Because you never know. They say start the first mile. Because you never know who needs it. So I'm going to read her bio. And as I read her bio, I want her to sashay her way over this way so that we can thank you for what you do. Kenyana Rucker is an accomplished entrepreneur and the founder of She Wins Totally, Inc., a dynamic organization dedicated to empowering women and fostering their personal and professional growth. With a strong vision and unwavering determination, she has created a platform that uplifts and supports women, allowing them to overcome challenges and achieve success in all aspects of their lives. Her journey began with a deep-rooted passion for helping others. Serving her community as a bail agent for over two decades, she recognized the unique struggles and obstacles faced by women, particularly those from marginalized communities, and felt compelled to make a difference. Drawing from her own experiences and challenges, she embarked on a mission to empower women by providing them with tools, resources, and support necessary to excel. In 2018, Rucker founded She Wins Totally, Inc., a nonprofit organization that offers a wide range of programs and initiatives tailored to women's needs. The organization's primarily focus is to provide education and professional opportunities that foster personal growth and career development, self-sufficiency, and financial independence. She has a buyer that goes on and on, but I'm going to stop there because I think you get the picture. But the main point is that in this world of so much ugliness, we have one person, and I'm sure that there's thousands that have the heart that you do, but you're the only one that has your heart. And we are so appreciative, especially locally, because a lot of women that don't get to hear you're doing a great job, or a lot of people that don't get to hear or share what they're doing, you've accepted that platform. And for that, I say thank you. And the fact that you highlight women, we all know women rule, girls ride. We do know that. And for that, Ms. Rucker, Kenyatta, my friend, I salute you. Thank you. I should have put it in the frame. I know. Thank you. I appreciate it. And first off, I just want to say thank you to everyone here. Madam Chair, I thank you so much for the support. Council Member John Muhammad, thank you. Thank you, everyone. And in my 24 years of servicing the community, I have never seen city council and officials as active as you all are in the community. My family, we started, well, not me, but my aunt over there, she, those are my mom's older sisters, my husband, my sister over here. Your family stand up. Let them see you. The thing that inspired me the most coming up as a young girl, my aunt, she was one of the original owners of Red Snack Shack, which is a historic restaurant here in St. Petersburg. And just recently, my husband and I were operating our business out of there as well. So I remember back in the days when I used to go down there around seven years old, stamping bags, getting things ready for the customers to come in. And my other aunt, Pearl, which is my mom's older sister, she had a silk flower shop. So she would make these beautiful arrangements for people and sit right out on 18th Avenue. And they actually were the ones, my mom and several others, that inspired me, you know, to take the torch and, you know, try to move a little further with it and also be an inspiration not only to other women, but to the women in my family as well. Because, you know, charity starts in the home first. So just making sure that, you know, my family was grounded, the women that I'm surrounded by are grounded, our organization offers a lot of programs now that we're implementing. I had this long, drawn-out speech, but I said, you know, I'm going to leave that where it is because Madam Chair Big Sanders, she pretty much explained everything we do. And I'm so appreciative of her because when you don't expect things, you just do them because they need to be done. You don't expect anything in return. So it's a great honor to be honored by someone such as yourself. You never know who's watching. You never know who's watching. So I try to censor what I do on Facebook. But I'm very appreciative, and I thank you all. And I just want to say, you all, please continue to do the work that you're doing in the community. We see it. We appreciate it. Like I say, you all are so active. I've never seen that in all my years of being in business, doing business, around business. I've never seen a board as active as you all are. So great job, and thank you. Thank you. So finally, my last proclamation is, now we can't function without this staff. This is a proclamation in acknowledgment of the 55th Annual Professional Municipal Clerks Week. Well, I'm Municipal Clerks Week in the picture. Would you please stand up as I read this proclamation? Because on behalf of the mayor and everybody that works with the city, we can't function. Our clerk's office, you deal with them on a regular basis, and we want to acknowledge their contributions to what we do. And the proclamation reads, whereas the office of the professional municipal clerk, a time-honored and vital part of local government, exists throughout the world. And whereas the office of the professional municipal clerk, and whereas the office of the professional municipal clerk provides a professional link between the citizens, the local governing bodies, the agencies of government at other levels. And whereas the professional municipal clerks, and whereas the professional municipal clerks have pledged to be ever mindful of their neutrality and impartiality, rendering equal service to all. And whereas the professional municipal clerk serves as the information center on functions of local government and community. And whereas professional municipal clerks continually strive to improve the administration of the affairs of the office of the professional municipal clerks through participation in education programs, seminars, workshops, and the annual meetings of their state, provincial, county, and international professional organizations. And whereas the city of St. Petersburg is proud to recognize the accomplishments of the office of the professional municipal clerk. Now, therefore, I, Chair Deborah Figg Sanders, in place of Kenneth T. Welch, Mayor of the City of St. Petersburg, do hereby proclaim May 5th through May 11th, 2024, as the 55th Annual Professional Municipal Clerks Week in St. Petersburg, and encourage our citizens to extend appreciation to our professional municipal clerks and to all professional municipal clerks for the vital services they perform in their exemplary dedication to the communities they represent. Our city clerk, Mr. Chancellor Nervasa, will accept this on their behalf. Madam Chair, members of City Council, and to all of you in your respective places, good morning, and to Mayor Welch in his absence. I can honestly say that we have the best city clerk's office in the state of Florida. And if I may take a moment of privilege just to introduce our city clerk's office. Our assistant city clerk manager, Ms. Patty Belliveau. Our deputy city clerks, Mr. Paul Tracy and Mr. Jordan Wilson. And of course, the heartbeat of our office, our city clerk assistant, Ms. Maggie Hayes. And I would be remiss if I did not make an honorable mention of our central record staff under the leadership of Ms. Elise Kozlowski and our internal mailroom team, as well as our security team. Some of them are in here today under the leadership of Mr. Janae Marcelin. So again, thank you all for your support, and we try and make your meetings work well. So thank you. So don't leave. We have three speakers. Councilmember Driscoll. Thank you. I just wanted to take a quick moment to thank all of you for everything that you do to make sure that our meetings run efficiently, that we're following the rules, and that we are really providing this service and doing this public service together for the people. Chan, when I, when I was, when I first became chair, I remember you telling me, I got you. I won't let you fall. And you didn't. And you do that for all of us every day, whether you're here on the dais, whether you're here to come and speak during our public comment, whether you're running for office and coming in to file your paperwork or doing a public records request. This is the team that's making all of those things happen and more every single day. So there are true unsung heroes, and they are the heartbeat of city hall. I appreciate you so much. Thank you for all you do. Councilmember Montaneri. Thank you. Thank you, chair. I, too, wanted to just mention how, how great your office runs. You all are the quiet professionals here at city hall. You do a very, very difficult job. And you, you run meetings, but a lot of people don't really know what's going on. But it's kind of the tip of the iceberg. We, we see you here in a public meeting, but there is so much more going on. And you all just, you think quickly on your feet. And I just wanted to bring up something a few years ago that we had to deal with. And it was when we were dealing with COVID and we had to have public meetings and we had them on zoom and people will never, never know the amount of detail, state law, local ordinances, our policy and procedures manual, how the public is going to interact with us. And you all handled that extremely well. And we had some technical challenges with IT and how all this was going to work. But you all thought on your feet and you, and you made it work. And, and government continued to operate in the sunshine and, and operate well. So I wanted to thank you for everything you do. And you all make a very difficult job look easy, but you're, you're true professionals here in the city of St. Petersburg. And I want to thank you all for, for the work that you do. Thank you so much. Council member Hanowitz. Thank you, share. You guys are the face of our city. You really are people come into city hall. City hall. And the first thing to see is your office. And when they come here to city chambers, you are the guys that are here making it happen. And I will tell you for me, every day coming in to chambers and watching them run a meeting, keeping time, which I don't know how they do every time somebody starts and stops speaking. That is constantly having to listen to us. Not just here. Not easy. In every committee meeting. I know it's a, it's a work requirement, but sure it takes patience. So I just want to thank you for your kindness and professionalism. You smile throughout everything. Sometimes for keeping a straight face, which I don't know how you do sometimes, but you do. And so I just, from the bottom of my heart, thank you all. Administrator Green. Thank you, Madam Chair. And I, excuse me, I couldn't agree more with what council members have said. I do want to thank Mr. Montaneri for having flashbacks from COVID. It was a terrible time. And you were absolutely right. You know, the clerk's office led by Chan really stepped up. And on behalf of Mayor Welch, we just can't thank your team enough for the daily work that we know you do. And then we collaborate with you and it is sincerely appreciated. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. So before I announce the next proclamation, of course, I've worked with the most, ten the whole time I've been here. But you do. You guys keep us in order. I don't know how you do it. And you really do do it with a straight face. And so that is a talent that is mastered. And we thank you so much for everything that you do. You know, when I call and you keep me, you know, on point, you know, when we're running the meetings, again, you are truly the backbone. People really don't know what you do for us to keep all of this moving behind the scenes. So somewhat are unsung heroes. So hopefully you are accepting these flowers now. And we really do appreciate everything that you do. So it's time to get back to work because, you know. And again, Madam Chair, this could not be done without such a marvelous team that we have. So I just want to thank them again publicly. So thank you. So now we're going to move on to item D3, our Safe Voting Week Proclamation. Councilmember Driscoll. Good morning, everyone. Good morning. The week of May 18th this year is Safe Voting Week. And joining me today for this proclamation, and if you could go ahead and make your way around me as I call your names, we have from our St. Petersburg Police Department Marine Unit, Major Marcus Hughes, Lieutenant Jason Levy, Sergeant Brian Andrews, Officer Scott Pierce, and Officer David Ramos. And from our Coast Guard Auxiliary, we have Commander Gordon Hornby, Immediate Pass Commander Jack Lee, and Vice Commander Catherine Campbell Heru. And from our United States Coast Guard, St. Petersburg sector, join me in welcoming Captain Michael Kale. Over my years on City Council, I've done a lot of work with our City Attorney's Office, with our Marine Unit, with codes, and also with our Coast Guard to look at ways that we can better address boating safety, address derelict vessels, which create safety hazards on our waters, and overall make sure that we're being good stewards of our waterfront community. So I am absolutely delighted to be able to read this proclamation on behalf of Mayor Welch. And the proclamation reads, Whereas for millions of Americans, boating continues to be a popular recreation activity, and from coast to coast and everywhere in between, people are taking to the water and enjoying time together, boating, sailing, paddling, and fishing. And whereas during National Safe Boating Week, the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Safe Boating Council, along with federal, state, and local safe boating partners, encourage all boaters to explore and enjoy America's beautiful waters responsibly. And whereas, safe boating begins with preparation. The United States Coast Guard estimates that human error accounts for most boating accidents, and that life jackets could prevent nearly 75% of boating fatalities. And whereas, through basic boating safety procedures, carrying life-saving emergency distress and communications equipment, wearing life jackets, attending safe boating courses, participating in free boat safety checks, and staying sober when navigating, we can help ensure boaters on coastal, inland, and offshore waters stay safe. And whereas, on average, 650 people die each year in boating-related accidents in the U.S., and 75% of these are fatalities caused by drowning. And whereas, most of these accidents are caused by human error or poor judgment, and not by the boat, equipment, or environmental factors. And whereas, a significant number of boaters, who lose their lives by drowning each year, would be alive today had they worn their life jackets. And now, therefore, I, Gina Driscoll, on behalf of Kenneth T. Welch, Mayor of the City of St. Petersburg, do hereby proclaim May 18th through May 24th, 2024, as Safe Boating Week in St. Petersburg, and encourage all our residents who boat to practice safe boating habits, and always wear a life jacket while boating. Thank you. And now, we have a couple of folks that I would like to invite to say a few words. And first, I invite St. Petersburg Police Department Marine Unit Sergeant Brian Andrews. Hello. Good morning, Council. I just wanted to thank you all again and say to remind everyone that we want you to encourage to use safe and lawful boating practices during this week and always. Mind your slow and idle speed zones. Be mindful of other boaters, swimmers, and aquatic animals that are out there. Never under any circumstances allow you or operate your vessel or allow anyone to operate a vessel under the influence. Make sure you have properly fitted life vests for everyone on board. Do your safety checks. Keep your boat afloat. If you do run into a situation where your boat is sinking, please call out for a tow. Make sure that you get that taken care of before it becomes a hazard for you and others. And lastly, please don't pollute our waterways. Thank you all. And next, I invite Coast Guard Auxiliary Commander Gordon Hornby to join us for a few words. It's a big type of worry, so I'll be quick. We want to thank Mayor Welch, Madam Chair, Fig Sanders, all of the council members, and a special thanks to Ms. Driscoll for helping us, guiding us through this process. I am Gordon Hornby, the commander of the local U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 7-2. I'm joined by our vice commander, Kathy Campbell Haru, our past commander, Jack Lee, and, of course, we've been introduced to Captain Kale, captain of our port. In the Coast Guard Auxiliary, we have a new slogan, we save lives. We do this by teaching boating skills and seamanship classes, conducting free vessel safety exams, assisting the Coast Guard with search and rescue operations, and providing many other needed services to the local boating community and the U.S. Coast Guard. In 2022, there were 735 boating accidents in Florida, with 65 people losing their lives. For the past 20 years, the leading cause of fatal accidents has been the simple act of falling overboard and then drowning, while not wearing a life jacket. Accidents can happen quickly. So quickly, there is often not enough time to don your life jacket properly. This is why we encourage everyone to wear their life jacket and a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket while they are boating. Sadly, 45 of the boat operators whose accidents resulted in deaths did not have any formal education, boating education. We encourage everyone, regardless of age and experience, to take a safe boating class and to have their vessels inspected for free for the required safety equipment. We inspect all vessels up to 65 feet, whether paddle, craft, power-driven, or sail-driven vessels. And these vessel exams are educational. They're not punitive by the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Flotilla 72 offers boating safety classes. They're easy to find. They're every Tuesday night. Start at 7 p.m. You can find the details on our website, tampabaysafeboating.com. And you also can register and request vessel safety exams. One last thing. I am proud to announce that the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 72, right here in St. Petersburg, was awarded the 2024 Flotilla of the Year for our Coast Guard District 7. So, we wish everybody safe boating. And thank you again, counsel. Thanks to all of you for everything that you do to encourage safe boating. As was mentioned in the proclamation and by Commander Hornby, one of the reasons that we have to remind everyone about safe boating is because drowning is a real consequence when you're not safe out on the water. That's why I'm happy to follow up with this next proclamation on drowning prevention awareness. Joining me for this proclamation today, we have Public Education Coordinator, Lana Stavanovic, representing St. Pete Fire and Rescue, Chief Ian Womack, Fire Marshal for St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue, and Richard Kraft, Recreation and Programming Superintendent for our Parks and Recreation Department. Y'all okay over there? Yeah, we're good. All right. The proclamation reads, Whereas, nationwide, unintentional drowning is the leading cause of death in children, ages one to four, with the highest number of drownings occurring between May and July. And whereas, according to the Florida Department of Health and the Florida Department of Children and Families, in 2023, Pinellas County had 33 non-fatal submersions and four deaths. And whereas, with public education, constant adult supervision around all types of water, formal swimming lessons, installation of safety barriers, and learning CPR, the City of St. Petersburg is working to support county efforts to reduce drowning statistics. And whereas, the City of St. Petersburg will continue to educate the public to eliminate the devastating effects of drowning. Now, therefore, I, Gina Driscoll, on behalf of Kenneth T. Welch, Mayor of the City of St. Petersburg, do hereby proclaim the month of May 2024 as Drowning Prevention Awareness Month. And I urge all citizens to join me in actively protecting our children by promoting Learn to Swim programs and parental and caregiver awareness in the City of St. Petersburg. And now, to say a few words on this proclamation, I invite Lana to join us at the podium. Okay, I'm going to also bring up Anita Westmoreland here with me today. I'll let Anita take lead first, and I'll follow with. So, we started the month off yesterday with a press conference at one of our neighborhood facilities, showing a visual of the amount of submersions and deaths that we had in Pinellas County last year, which is up larger, higher than it's been in 10 years. The City of St. Petersburg has nine beautiful pools, three which are open year-round. We provide swimming lessons to six months of age all the way up. We encourage adults, grandparents, moms, dads to come out and get swimming lessons as well as bringing their children in. We also have financial assistance for those that cannot afford the full price of the swimming lessons. We have great funding sources, a juvenile welfare board, the Tampa Bay Rays, John Hopkins All Children's, and many others that provide funding for all of our city residents to get swimming lessons at a reduced rate if they qualify. We partner a lot with St. Pete Fire and Rescue. We're kind of team tag teaming on everything that we do. So we try to get the word out to the entire city. All of our community efforts go towards preventing this needless tragedy in our city. So I'll pass it over to Lana. She can talk about what's going on this weekend. All right. Thank you. Good morning, everyone. We are excited for our upcoming event this Saturday at Walter Fuller Pool. We are having our first annual water safety day. I do want to recognize our partners at John Hopkins All Children's Hospital and the juvenile welfare board in the city of St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation. As you can see, it takes a village to help keep our kids safe. So altogether we are partnering this Saturday. We are providing free life jackets to children in need that is funded by Pinellas County EMS. We are giving out free door alarms because statistics show that the largest number of drownings happen in our backyard. So we want to prevent those from happening to have our door alarms to alert parents and caregivers that children have gotten out of the house. And to make sure we check the pool is the first place to always go. In addition, we are very grateful that the juvenile welfare board has provided 200 free CPR vouchers. And CPR is so vital to learn. And it can definitely save a life for that time being calling 9-1-1 to EMS arrival. So we want to make sure that parents and caregivers locally have the opportunity to receive that training free of charge. Again, juvenile welfare board has provided 200 free vouchers for that. In addition, the city of St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation will give out 200 free swim vouchers. Again, provided by John Hopkins All Children's Hospital and the juvenile welfare board. It's going to be a great event. Just we want everybody to come out, learn about water safety. If they need a life jacket, it's available. If they need CPR training, it's available as well. Door alarms. So we welcome everybody to come. It's going to be a wonderful event. So thank you very much again. Walter Fuller this Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thank you. Morning, Chair, Council, Richard Kraft, Recreation Programming Superintendent. I just want to take a moment to recognize our aquatic staff. Our Recreation Manager of Aquatics is Brandy Dorsen. Everyone knows Anita Westmoreland, who's a tireless advocate for drowning prevention and oversees the majority of our swim lessons at our eight neighborhood pools. And then we have Lynn Russ with us as well, who is celebrating 40 years in the aquatics division. So thank you all. Before you leave, I do want to thank you. I'm sorry, Council Member Driscoll. I did have the pleasure of attending the press conference yesterday. And if I'm saying this wrong, then blame the head. You know, I've heard a saying that if you want to know how's the village, you ask how are the children. And what I've seen over the past couple of years of what, as a city, but definitely what we are doing in the area of preventing drowning and submergence of our children is far none commendable. And I really want to thank you for that. And when I saw the display of the life jackets or the life, you know, life preservers, and out of the circle, there were the four that showed the children that died from drowning. And that visual sunk in. It sunk in. And so when it comes to our children, when it comes to our babies, I know a lot of them, like my grandbabies can't stand water, but we made them. And so thank you for what you continue to do. And I know that Vice Chair Gerdes is not here because if he was, he would truly be speaking right now in regards to his gratefulness for what we do as a city to prevent children from drowning. So again, I just wanted to say thank you. And my apologies, Council Member Driscoll. I know you weren't finished. Oh, no, it's fine. I was just wrapping up. I wanted to thank everyone again on both of these proclamations who joined us today and just give a special thank you also to our community enrichment administrator, Mike Jeffress, who could not join us today. If anyone knows Mike, you talked to him for five minutes and you know that swim safety and swim lessons for children is a top priority for him. He's very passionate about it and I wish that he could be here with us today just to see how much support there is for this effort. So thank you. Next, we will move to item D to EMS week Council Member Montaneri. Thank you, Madam Chair, City Council. Well, this is the third kind of unrelated proclamations on related topics. So we we started with safe voting week and then we had drowning prevention week and now I'm going to read a proclamation on emergency medical services week. And I want to be I'm going to be joined by Division Chief Lindsey Judah and District Chief Lindsey Ken Singer. Yeah. All right. Well, thank you. And I just wanted before I read the proclamation, I just wanted to talk about a tragedy that happened in our city. A few few weeks ago, there was a boating accident off of Shore Acres where a young man was was killed. The young man was a neighbor of mine. And it was just a just a tragedy. What what happened affected our whole city. And I know some of the people in the room responded to that that accident. I also on on the on the drowning issue, I had an incident where when my one of my nephews was was young, swimming in the pool, a lot of adults around and people just kind of weren't weren't paying attention. And I noticed he was in the bottom of the pool. Thank God we got him out and he was fine. But things can happen very quickly, whether you're on a boat or in a pool and we need to be vigilant and we need to do the courses where there's a safe boating course or a drowning and swimming type course to to make sure that our residents of our city, whether you're adults or children are safe. So let me get into this proclamation, whereas emergency medical services is a vital public service. And whereas St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue is ready to provide life saving saving care to those in need 24 hours a day and seven days a week. And whereas access to quality emergency care dramatically improves survival and recovery for those who are experienced sudden illness or injury. And whereas emergency medical services has grown to fill a gap by providing important out of hospital care, including preventive maintenance, medicine, follow up care and access to telemedicine. And whereas the emergency emergency medical services system consists of first responders, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, emergency medical dispatchers, firefighters, police officers, educators, administrators, pre hospital nurses, emergency nurses, emergency physicians and others. And whereas emergency medical services teams engage in thousands of hours of specialized training and continuing continuing education to enhance their life saving skills to prepare for emergencies. And whereas medical services teams play in the overall health and welfare of our community and city. Now, therefore, I Councilmember Ed Montaneri on behalf of Mayor Kenneth T Welch to hereby proclaim May 19th through May 25th, 2024 as emergency medical services week in St. Petersburg and encourage all citizens to value to recognize the value and the accomplishments of emergency medical services providers and observe this week with appropriate programs, ceremonies and activities. Thank you. I'd like I'd like to introduce Division Chief Lindsey Judah for a few words. Thank you, Councilmember. I appreciate your time today. I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Lindsey Judah. I'm the Division Chief of Rescue at St. Petersburg Fire Rescue. And we are tremendously appreciative of your support and collaboration in the continued service of providing our EMS delivery in the community. I'd like to share a few words that I have written down here. May 19th through 25th is the 50th anniversary of the National EMS Week. The theme is honoring our past and forging our future. Additionally, this year is a special celebration for the City of St. Petersburg because St. Petersburg Fire Rescue has also provided EMS service for 50 years beginning in 1974. EMS week and this EMS proclamation are to highlight our gratitude toward EMTs and paramedics who provide life saving care throughout our community every day. EMS week also offers a time to educate the public about EMS and the essential services provided to our residents and visitors. St. Petersburg Fire Rescue was dispatched to over 56,000 EMS incidents throughout 2023. Some EMS incidents require multiple fire rescue apparatus to respond and provide care to residents and visitors in our community. Our total apparatus response to EMS incidents throughout 2023 exceeded 78,000. We currently have over 360 sworn personnel serving our community as paramedics and EMTs and we are grateful for their continued dedication in providing exceptional emergency services. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Next, we will move to item D4 National Public Works Week Councilmember Hanowitz. Thank you, Cher. I'm here to celebrate the backbone of our city, which is our public works professionals. I would like to recognize some of the city staff that's here. Let's see. We have Claude Tankersley, a public works administrator. John Palinshar, water resources director. Rajesh Premon, engineering director. I don't see Marshalls coming in. Marshall Hampton, stormwater pavement and traffic operations director. Randall Johnson, fleet management director. Allison Mahalik, sustainability and resilience director. Phillip Lazara, asset management director. Katie Brew, public works senior operations analyst and fleet operations analyst. Jesse Klima. Our economy and our residents need reliable infrastructure every day. Infrastructure matters and we depend on it, especially living in Florida where we are fully aware of the effects of devastating storms. Nothing in our city happens without our infrastructure, yet we sometimes take it for granted. All the systems that we drive on and walk on every day. The pipes, stormwater, water and sewer systems, the roads, bridges, sidewalks and the work that goes into taking care of it all. But today we're shining a light on our public works professionals who keep and maintain the backbone of our city. Thank you for all you do. And with that, I am going to read our proclamation. Whereas public works professionals focus on infrastructure, facilities and services that are of vital importance to sustainable and resilient communities and to the public's health, high quality of life and well-being of the city of St. Petersburg. And whereas these infrastructure facilities and services could not be provided without the dedicated efforts of public works professionals who are engineers, managers and employees of all levels of government and the private sector who are responsible for rebuilding, improving and protecting our nation's transportation, water supply, water treatment and solid waste systems. Public buildings and other structures and facilities essential for our citizens. And whereas it's in the public interest for the citizens, civic leaders and children in St. Petersburg to gain knowledge of and maintain an ongoing interest and understanding of the importance of public works and public works programs in the respective communities. And whereas the year 2024 marks the 64th annual National Public Works Week sponsored by the American Public Works Association and Canadian Public Works Associations. Now, therefore, I, Councilmember Lissette Hanowitz on behalf of Mayor Kenneth T. Welch to hereby proclaim May 19th and May 25th, 2024 as National Public Works Week in St. Petersburg and citizens to join with representatives of the American Public Works Association and government agencies and government agencies and activities, events and ceremonies designed to pay tribute to our public works professionals, engineers, managers and employees and to recognize the substantial contributions they make to protecting our national health, safety and advancing quality of life for all. And I think council members, you'll enjoy there's some goodie bags there. And I did not realize clearly the need for many stress relief toys that are in those bags, as you will see. So I'm sure you use them and we will use them too. And with that, Claude, if you would like to say a few words. Thank you so much, Councilmember Hanowitz and thank you, Council, for honoring us today. And I realize when you're when you're reading out the proclamation, you know, Public Works Week is May 19th through 25th. And I realize maybe I was born into being a public works professional, but that encompasses my birthday. So what this year, the National Public Works Week theme is advancing the quality of life for all. And as you mentioned, a lot of the things that we work on are the things that we take for granted. We use them every day and we just don't think about them, but they do enhance the quality of our life. We also feel that Public Works members are they are usually emergency first responders to two events, natural or manmade catastrophes. And they're sometimes known as the silent arm of public safety because, you know, people don't necessarily think of us. But oftentimes, particularly if it's a natural disaster or a manmade disaster, we might be the first ones to arrive and the last ones to leave because those disasters usually involve something to do with infrastructure that we've got to immediately address and then put back into place. Some fun facts, some numbers. So the Public Works Administration includes those five departments that were introduced. We have roughly 800 employees. Our budget this year is approximately $250 million, somewhere around there. We own almost 7,000 lane miles of road. And so what that means is that when you have a road, each lane, you count that as a mile. So if you have a four lane road, then, you know, that's four lanes for, but we have almost 7,000 lane miles of roads in the city. We, our pipes, our water pipes can stretch from here to Montreal, Canada. Our wastewater pipes can stretch from here to Montreal, Canada. Just last year, we inspected approximately 162 miles of those wastewater pipes. And by inspecting, that means we put cameras down into those pipes and took a camera and monitored and looked at every inch of those 162 miles of wastewater pipes that we inspected last year. Last year, we delivered almost 11 billion gallons of drinking water to our customers. And we received back from those customers a little more than 11 billion gallons of sewage. So we do a lot of stuff, but we also do some things that you might not think about. And so, for instance, our sustainability team is taking the lead on the tree, our tree inventory, and making sure that we enhance and add new trees. So last year in 2023, we planted over 600 trees in 2023. And when you plant a tree, you don't just plant it. You got to make sure it survives. You got to water it and maintain it and protect it. So it's a big effort. Our fleet department. Our fleet department manages all the equipment that the city uses. We have close to 4,000 vehicles that the city uses every single day. These include fire trucks, police trucks, pickup trucks, dump trucks, any kind of vehicle that the city uses. We got 4,000 of them, and the fleet team maintains those. Another thing you might not know is that we have over 3,000 radios that our teams use, including the most important radios for our public safety teams and police and fire. So we appreciate the opportunity. I appreciate the opportunity to highlight the staff members who keep this city running through all of these infrastructure issues and numbers that I just shared with you. And we thank you for this proclamation. Thank you, Chair. Thank you. Councilmember Gabbert. Thank you, Chair. And I will be brief, but I think if anyone went through and looked at the amount of constituent work that my office does, and then correlated it right back to this team, you would all see that the predominant amount of work in District 2 has to do with Claude and everyone on the team. And so I just want to personally thank you. We have great working relationships together. You guys, when the residents need something, you are there. You listen. You want to be engaged. You want to be involved. And I really just want you to know publicly. I know I say it privately, but I wanted everyone here to hear it. Thank you. Thank you on behalf of the residents of District 2 for everything that you do for them. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you, Madam Chair. Councilmember Montaneri. Thank you, Madam Chair. I just also wanted to say thank you. As a city council member, the office that I speak to the most is our legal department. I'm calling them all the time. The next in line is public works, especially when it comes whenever we have a storm on the horizon and we start getting prepared and working both before the storm, during the storm, and then post-storm to address residents' issues. I also, you mentioned the 7,000 lane miles. I also spend a lot of time with you, Claude, when it comes to budget time. And for me, when it comes to when we do our budget priorities meetings, the first thing I do is I look at fiscal things. But the second big area is, first is public safety, but then it's all infrastructure, and making sure that we have enough funding to address all our infrastructure needs. And you all have a great team that works very well together, and we're very thankful for all the work that you do to provide services to our residents. What it is. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. Councilmember Driscoll. Thank you. Thanks to all of you for all of the work that you do every day. It's nice to see you all in person today. I don't get to see you much because most of the time you're out in the field and solving problems. And so I'm just glad to see you here today as we take a moment to celebrate you. I could go on and on about each and every one of you and the amazing work that you do both for my district and across our city. But now, number one, I know that if Claude's on the other line, it's probably with Councilmember Montaneri. And number two, Claude, you mentioned earlier that Altogether Public Works, from the budget, it's about $250 million a year. We do have our budget workshop coming up next week. Was that a hint that maybe you could use some more? I mean, it's not just it's not just sewage. Everyone goes straight to that. But it's also our roads, our bridges, sidewalks, seawalls. I mean, they're working on all of it. And they work so well with so many of our other departments. Public Works really makes our city work. And I appreciate that so much. And we'll talk offline about that budget item. Okay. All right. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you. Well, thank you for the presentation. Thank you, Councilmember Hanowitz. Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Chair. Next, we'll move to item D7, our Asian American Pacific Islander Month Proclamation that will be presented by our Communications and Community Engagement Managing Director, Aliza Ponzalian-Rando. Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, all of City Council, colleagues, neighbors, and friends. First, I'd like to ask any members of our community who are of Asian descent to please join me. Is Dex Fabian still here or Topher Larkin? Did they have to go on with their day? They may have had to. Okay. Well, I know that they're here in spirit. If we could have any of my city colleagues, could you please come and just stand with me who are of Asian American Pacific Islander descent? As you make your way up here, I'd like to say a few ways to say hello. Xin chao, Ni hao, Namaste, Aniong, Konichiwa, Suostai. And in the dialect of my parents' home country, the Philippines, Kumusta. My name is Elisa Ponsolin-Randall, Managing Director for Communications and Community Engagement in the Mayor's Office. And it's an honor to work for the City of St. Petersburg and to be a member of Mayor Welch's leadership team, which is diverse in its own right. Communicating Mayor Welch's vision, pillars, and principles, like inclusive progress and intentional equity, make days like today so rewarding and fulfilling. We are St. Pete. So on behalf of my fellow Asian Americans who are present and those joining us in spirit, I'm pleased to recognize Asian American Pacific Islander Month with a proclamation. Whereas, during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we acknowledge Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have lived and worked in the United States for more than 200 years. And whereas, Asian American and Pacific Islanders have made significant contributions to all facets of the United States, such as economy, health care, public service, arts, culture, education, military, literature, science, and technological developments. And whereas, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month was first designated in 1978 with the passage of a joint congressional resolution and highlights two significant milestones in the history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The immigration of the immigration of the first Japanese individuals to the U.S. in May of 1843 and the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in May of 1869, an achievement largely attributable to the Chinese immigrant workers who laid its tracks. And whereas, the city of St. Petersburg is proud to join in the national celebration of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and welcome the opportunity to celebrate their rich culture and heritage through events that invite people of all backgrounds to experience these cultures and develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the role Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have played in our nation's history and continue to have in today's society. And whereas, and whereas, and whereas, and whereas, and whereas, and whereas, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are integral to our history, our culture, and respective communities locally and beyond. Now, therefore, I, Elisa Punzlan Randall, on behalf of Kenneth T. Welch, Mayor of the City of St. Petersburg, Florida, do hereby proclaim the month of May 2024 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in St. Petersburg. And we also urge citizens, government agencies, institutions, businesses, businesses, and schools to celebrate the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Thank you so much. And I just want to say that this is a wonderful and just a sliver of the representation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders that we have across our city. And I learned from one of my colleagues that it may be the fastest growing category of people who are joining the city. So thank you so much for all that you do, my colleagues who have been here for decades, as I've learned, and then those of us who are a little bit newer, like myself. So thank you again. This is one of those surprises. First of all, as chair of city council, we wanted to show our sincere gratitude. For those that do not know, today is our loved Erica Riggins' last day. Oh, no. So we want to present her not only with best wishes, farewell. We're going to miss you. We love you. We're sorry to see you go, but we're happy for your next endeavor because you deserve it all and you deserve the best. And we appreciate you. So we just wanted to give you your flowers. And we just wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for the time that you were here because you know you're a rock. Oh, thank you. And you brought so much talent and so much, a lot of smiles. Every time you see Erica, she's always smiling, right? And we're going to miss you, but we know today is your last day and we could not let you leave without thanking you and wishing you the best. Thank you so much. And you're welcome. I should be thanking all of you because I truly believe knowledge is power. And the knowledge you bring to the city and share with the St. Pete residents really uplifts and enhances their lives, their quality of life. And so I'm in your debt. I'm thankful to you. I look forward. I've loved helping to tell your stories in nearly two years that I've been here. And I look forward to telling those stories, again, not just in St. Pete, but in the seven counties that Spectrum Babies Nine serve so they can see the great work that you're doing. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Erica, before you go away, I just personally want to say what a pleasure it has been to get to know you. Obviously, watched you for years on Bay News Nine, always, you know, thought that you were amazing and then got to actually know you and realize you're even more amazing than people know. And so I'm very excited for your future, for everything that you're doing. And I just, you know, we've talked about this one-on-one, but I just admire you so much as a mother because you are making a choice for your family that is the right choice. And I admire that and I applaud you. So thank you again. And I'll see you next week because you're going to emcee an event for the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council. So you're not going far. But thank you for what you've brought to the city. Thank you so much. Thank you. So that would conclude our awards and presentations. But I also want to mention, since it's the beginning of the month, that we also want to recognize National Military Appreciation Month. The mother of, the wife of, the sister of, the niece of, the grandmother of, for all of our military. We thank you. And May is Military Appreciation Month. So we want to thank you for that. Now we will have open forum. Mr. Clerk, can you please read the rules? If you wish to address city council on subjects other than public hearing or quasi-judicial items listed on the agenda, please sign up with the clerk. Only the individual wishing to speak may sign the open forum sheet. Only city residents, owners of property, business owners in the city, or their employees may speak. All issues discussed under open forum must be limited to issues related to the city of St. Petersburg government. If you are speaking to an item on the agenda, you may only speak once during the open forum or when the item comes up on the agenda. In order to provide an opportunity for all citizens to address council, each individual will be given three minutes to speak and after which the microphone will be muted. If you wish to address city council through the Zoom meeting, you must use the raise hand feature button in the Zoom app or enter star nine on your phone at the time the agenda item is addressed. When it is your turn to speak, you will be unmuted and asked to state your name and address. At the conclusion of your comments or when you reach the three-minute time limit, you will be muted. All raised hands will be lowered after each agenda item. Regardless of the method of participation used, normal rules apply, including the three-minute time limit or comments, the requirement that any presentation materials must be submitted in advance of the meeting, and the rules of decorum. If live public comment is disrupted by violations of the rules of decorum, the chair is authorized to accept public comment by alternate means, including by email only. And, Madam Chair, we do have some speakers for open forum. Two at a time, and I just want to remind the audience that the first 30 minutes for our public comment is 30 minutes. Open forum is 30 minutes, and there is an additional open forum at the end of the meeting as well. First two speakers, Madam Chair, Reverend Gene Coley and Reverend Ben Atherton. Please go to either podium, state your name and address for the record, and you will have three minutes to address City Council. Reverend Gene Coley, 160 56th Avenue, South St. Petersburg. Madam Chairperson, Commission members, as a member of FAST, I want to thank Commissioner Floyd for attending our Nehemiah Action, and I know that Commissioner Mohamed and Gerdes wanted to come but had some other commitments they could not avoid. Thank you. I'm also here as a former inductee in the Senior Hall of Fame, so I stand for seniors. I know their issues and concerns. I'm also, after hearing about our EMTs, our city workers, teachers, law enforcement, sanitation workers, bus drivers, and all those who cannot afford to live in Pinellas County because there is not enough affordable housing for those making less than 80% of the annual median income. They are losing their houses because rents are being raised, because they cannot find anything that is affordable, and because some have been evicted and now have an eviction on their record and cannot find good housing. I'm also a guardian ad litem who stands for children in the dependency system, and I know children who are living in drug-infused motels, homeless motels, all over the city. I know children who are of the at least 1,000 children who are being picked up by the homeless bus routes to our schools every day. I know families that are sleeping in their cars because they cannot afford affordable housing, and these many children have parents who have a job. We know that the city council can negotiate a significant amount of affordable housing for those making less than 80% of the annual median income. An article in today's Tampa Bay Times stated that they know that the city can negotiate affordable housing for those making less than 80% of the AMI. In response to the Community Benefits Advisory Council report, we ask you, compassionately, please stand for your constituents, for those who cannot afford to live in St. Petersburg, love this city, and work for her. Thank you. Good morning, friends. My name is Ben Atherton-Zeman, and it's been my honor to be the minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church of St. Petersburg, 100 Mirror Lake, one block that way. For most of my three years living in this city, I have been their contract minister, but they have seen it fit to vote me to be their settled minister, so you are now stuck with me forever. I rise today for two reasons. One is to personally invite all of you counselors to my installation as their settled minister, which will take place on Saturday, May 25th, from 4 to 7 p.m. Thank you. I rise as well as part of the FAST collective, proudly standing with my colleagues. There were thousands of us at my colleague, who is also a Reverend Ben, at his church the other night, and over 100 Unitarian Universalists. Some of my congregation members are here today. It's not a surprise to you that we have an affordable housing crisis in this city. It is sometimes a surprise to me how close that crisis comes to me personally. My amazing, our amazing office manager, Cheyenne Hala, was born in this city. Hurricane Adalia destroyed the house where she was renting from a family member. They put sandbags in front of the door, but because of the way this Treasure Island house was built, the water burst through the walls. She lost everything. FEMA was helpful, but since she was a renter, they were only somewhat helpful. Since the rent was below market rate, she was going to have to move out of the city where she had met her husband and where she had lived for her entire life because she could not afford the rent with what we were paying her, frankly. With a lot of intervention from our church and from my denomination, we were able to help her stay here, but it still is unclear whether she would be able to stay long term. And I wish she had more options to live in the city where she grew up. One of my congregants, William Cowan, lives right now in the south side of St. Pete, near where I used to live. Unfortunately, his roommate passed away last week, and it's the roommate who was on the lease. He now is facing a similar situation. He is a spectacular artist and is living on a fixed income, and that fixed income will not support the market rate rent. So I ask you to join me and my colleagues in supporting more housing to be created for those 80 percent under the average median income. Thank you. The next two speakers, Madam Chair, Paul Carter and Peter Kintz, please go to either podium, state your name and address for the record, and you will have three minutes to address city council. Okay. Good morning, everybody. My name is Paul Carter. I live at 341 Fifth Street South in St. Petersburg, and I've been a St. Pete resident for about 17 years. I spoke to council on February 1st, and I'm reminded of those remarks when I said I am unabashedly in support of the Rays-Hinds proposal for the redevelopment of the gas plant district. Three months later, I even feel more strongly in support of that proposal. The three major reasons for my support. First, the project is the most significant economic development opportunity the city has ever seen. Over $6 billion will be invested, and I believe most significantly, 37,000 jobs will be created. Incidentally, those jobs, I think, are a great strategy for dealing with the affordable housing crisis. We'll have over 1 million square feet of office space, which is desperately needed to attract the companies and jobs that we need in St. Petersburg. Secondly, I believe without this project, we're going to lose the Rays. The new stadium is critical to their staying here we stay in St. Petersburg, and I think also serving as the anchor for the rest of the development. And I think without the Rays in the stadium, it would be very difficult to make that development as successful as it ought to be. Thirdly, there are a myriad of other benefits that will accrue to the city. Thousands of market rate and affordable housing units, $50 million in community benefits, commitments to minority training and hiring, and the Carter G. Woodson Museum. To determine the economic impact of the project from an unbiased source, in June, the county released a study they had commissioned by Victus Advisors. The highlight find is for me where the project would generate $11.9 billion in total economic output, 17,782 annual jobs, $10.6 billion in labor income over 30 years. Some people argue there are better uses for the land and better deals. If so, nothing seems to be coming forward that are either realistic or economically feasible. If we wait for something supposedly better or perfect, my guess is that we will wind up with a derelict stadium, acres and acres of deserted asphalt. I don't want that, and neither should council want that, and I urge you to support this proposal on June 13th. So thank you. Good morning. I'm Peter Kent from St. Petersburg. When I was a city engineer and commissioner of public works. I think your address. Excuse me. Your address. Oh, 8 Academy Way. When I was city engineer and commissioner of public works, I saw my job as advising the city council on the pros and cons of issues before they voted. I have led eight hour-long discussions on the redevelopment of the gas plant for my economics and prosperity group at Eckerd College. When I asked the audience to pretend they were city council members, 83% of them voted against the Rays-Hinds proposal. Please let me summarize the three principal reasons in three minutes. First, the Heinz deal should be rejected because Heinz gets a 30-year control of 65 prime acres worth an estimated $650 million in exchange for paying $105 million over 30 years. The city also agrees to install $130 million of infrastructure, normally paid for by the developer. In exchange, Heinz agrees to fund a $50 million community development benefit fund and pay a penalty of $30 million if they build no affordable or workplace housing by 2037. The city council should not sell Heinz $650 million city asset for $55 million over 30 years. Instead, the city should sell off building lots at the fair market value, probably netting over a billion dollars. The city could use this billion dollars to fund four programs. First, it could increase the funding of 0%, second mortgage for purchase and renovation of homes citywide for families earning under 40% of AMI, forgivable after 10 years. This will help out 10 times as many families as the Rays-Hinds deal. Secondly, it should fund the stormwater improvements to reduce flooding of the streets around the storms. Third, it should do the necessary enlargements of the city in water and sewer systems that can be required when you add this many new houses. And fourth, it should fund citywide tax relief. Secondly, the Rays deal should be rejected because the city will be contributing over a billion dollars to the Rays over the next 30 years while getting none of the revenue sharing down from the current $1 million a year. Or any increase in the team's value. This season, the Rays are paying their 36 team members an average of $2.7 million each. Instead, the city council should use this money to attract high-tech employers who can employ thousands of residents. The new Rays stadium should be built at their expense where there's great access surrounded by surface parking. Thank you. Madam Chair, we have one Zoom speaker going to bring them in. Jeremy, once you enter into the meeting space, please unmute yourself, state your name and address for the record, and you will have three minutes to address city council. Thank you. My name is Jeremy Tolberg. I live at 417 Lito Way in St. Petersburg. Contrary to what that first speaker said, all those numbers being thrown out, that study being funded that he refers to, if you scratch those with a surface, you'll find most of those numbers are nonsense. The two people that are at that firm that sanctioned that study have a history of working with major league teams in the front office. So that's like asking the foxes if they should get the keys to the chicken coop. It is ridiculous to state any of those numbers and figures as any basis of fact. Furthermore, everybody here in this meeting today is saying the one thing that prices are going up, affordable housing is going down. At the same time, we're seeing inflation, increased national debt, higher interest rates, and the start of a real slowdown in the real estate market. So that means our money is going to buy less, it's going to cost more to borrow, and it's going to come from a smaller tax base. At the same time, all that money is going to be expected to support the needs of a larger at-risk population. This stadium does nothing but guarantee risks while benefiting us with zero assurances. None of the suggestions of the CVAC committee were folded in. We've seen that. And I think we can take every other figure and promise that they're making in this agreement at face value. They've done nothing in the meantime to address any of the citizens' concerns. The only thing they've done is increased their PR flex, and they've also publicized kinds of preliminary groundbreakings, which is, I guess, intended to give the population the impression that this is a done deal. That should infuriate any council members who thinks they're still negotiating with a good faith partner who values and prioritizes the best interests of the public. Last week alone, the Chicago Bears are asking for $2 billion to stay in the city, and the Kansas City teams that were just rejected in the public forums are already threatening to move. Regardless of location, the script is always the same. It should be familiar to everybody. Threats and extortions otherwise demands to leave. We owe our citizens a better representation and equitable financial representation for everyone. This deal should be rejected out of hand completely, and we should negotiate a much better one to represent everyone in the city. Thank you. Next two speakers, Madam Chair, Kathy Filippelli and John Stewart. Please go to either podium. State your name and address for the record, and you will have three minutes to address city council. Good morning. I'm Kathy Filippelli at 5836 30th Avenue North in St. Petersburg. Been there since 1982. Really disappointed the mayor did not show up. Thank you, Richie Floyd, for showing up. John Mohamed, we know other things came up, along with Commissioner Copley. This morning has been informative, formative, and I'm declaring transformative. In the sense of getting to hear the way that we award others, you saw that when you asked for the older citizens to stand, that was almost a third of the larger crowd that we brought today. FAST is not backing down our advocacy for affordable housing, among other things. FAST is now coming at each of you as an invitation. Now, the prayer gentleman said dialogue. I'm kind of moving into demand, okay? You, each of you, have a voice and have power to make it happen. Sometimes it's very informative to hear the other folks who are saying, this deal with Tropicana and the whole bit, hello, affordable housing needs to be there. Not as a token, but as a majority of housing that can be used, okay? Formative in the sense that I have brought young people from my parish who would like to have a career in politics, would like to serve the public. And so they dress for the occasion. They live outside of city, but they're here to learn and to see, and one day may be in your seat. And transformative in the sense that FAST is going to make its own proclamation today. Whereas the mayor hasn't shown up, whereas we read his letter, whereas we're not backing down, we will continue to advocate. Therefore, you will continue to see more and more of us show up at your meetings, at his occasions, to make sure that affordable housing is addressed in a clear, precise way before the end of his term. Otherwise, there is no second term for him, okay? We will elect other people who will address this issue. Thank you. Good morning. My name is John Stewart. I live at 2130 Burlington Avenue North, and when my wife Sheila and I moved there in 1984, it was a shabby, no-name neighborhood. Then it became Kenwood, and today it's historic Kenwood. Now, as a retired humanities and art history teacher, I love living in a neighborhood with bungalows and Mediterranean Revival and prairie style, but nine blocks south of there, it's a different story. And I know about that because every Saturday morning, I volunteer with a group called Celebrate Outreach, a coalition of faith groups who provide aid to the homeless, and we have a community meal also because we serve in a hungry neighborhood. We serve people who live there. Last week, we passed out 138 bagged meals. I was really disappointed that the mayor and the chief of police did not show up last Tuesday night, but as Ms. Felapele said, you need to show up as well, and here's why. I'd like to thank Councilmember Floyd and Mohamed and Gerdes in absentia for their interest. You need to support FAST because it is an extension of your eyes and ears. As we heard from Reverend Ben, you wouldn't have known about that except a member of FAST came and told you about it. I see chronic homelessness. I do not see invisible homelessness. The person who checks me out at Publix or Winn-Dixie, I don't see her go to her second job at Burger King and then go live in her car. The people in FAST, it's clergy people who live among the people. They can report to you. They also extend your mind because they have plans. They have experts for rain gardens. There's a great source of funding for affordable housing. One thing I did not really realize, Tuesday night, the Kafka-esque situation of having your life destroyed because somebody in the government or in an insurance company clicked the wrong window on a computer screen or your husband just died, this is a real story, and you were so behind in your mail, you didn't get the mail that said you need to pay this bill. I mean, right out of Kafka. FAST is a combination of religion and politics. Religion originally meant to bind. To bind people of faith with the transcendent, with that which is beyond us, with the sacred, and to bind us to each other. Politics comes from polis, the ancient Greek city-state. It means how do we relate. Now, today in this country, and especially in this state, there's a lot of ugliness caused by politics and religion. But FAST is interested in creating the bonding and creating the connection to the transcendence in each other. And one last thing. All you're honoring, all these wonderful folks and the good they do for us is excellent. But it's meaningless if they can't live here. Please act. Next two speakers, Madam Chair, I think it's Sonia Coconin and Phil Vestal. Please go to either podium, state your name and address for the record, and you have three minutes to address city council. Phil Vestal, 4525 42nd Avenue North, St. Petersburg. And I'm going to get a little more personal. I mean, I think all the people who spoke before me are more eloquent and know all the details probably better than I do. But what I can say is my family, my wife, two boys, and I moved to St. Petersburg three years ago. We could have moved anywhere in the world, and we wanted to be in the beach, and we wanted to have a city, and we looked at the things St. Petersburg was doing and said that's where we want to set up our roots. And so I've heard from folks who have been here 40 years, and my goal is 40 years from now I'll still be here in St. Petersburg, and my boys will have had a good life here. And I'm proud to be in St. Petersburg. I love telling people that I live in St. Petersburg, and I've been so excited to see the things the city is doing. And then I go to the FAST meeting Tuesday night, and the mayor's not there, and I hear about this issue of affordable housing, and I see it. I see it when I go to coffee shops and restaurants, and they're struggling to find people to work there. And I start to think, man, in 40 years, I don't know if this is going to be the same St. Petersburg anymore if we don't start to take care of some of these issues today, whether it's environmental or affordable housing. I know so many people moving down to Parrish and Bradenton and other areas, and they're not driving up here to work anymore because that area is exploding. If we keep losing people because they can't afford to live here, we're not going to have restaurants. We can have the Rays here. There's going to be no one to work. I mean, I would love, some of my favorite memories are going to baseball games with my dad. I would love to have that my whole kid's childhood to have the Rays, but it needs to be done in a way that makes sense for everybody. I also want them to be proud of being in a city that's a just city, a place that truly cares for and welcomes everybody. And so I just encourage you to keep looking. There's so many proposals of ways that we can do this, ways we can put this into the deals, the money that we already have. I would like to be able to come back in 40 years and say I'm still proud to be a St. Peter's burger, if that's how we want to call it. So thank you. Good morning, council members. My name is Sonia Kakanan. I live at 4227 23rd Avenue North in St. Pete. Councilmember Floyd, I'm in your district, and we would like to thank you again for coming to the Nehemiah Action. I'm a member of St. Paul's Catholic Church, Ms. Hanowitz in your district, and also attend regularly at St. Jude's. And I was told that the mayor may be coming to this big event, and I was told we need bodies. And I said, I can do that. I can be a body. I can come. And so I attended on Tuesday. And I listened and I learned a lot. And I read a little bit before I went there about the different levels of affordable housing and how some of it was aimed at maybe 120% and that we're asking for the majority of it to be at 80%. And I looked at the income level. I'm a single person. I'm a homeowner. I've been here 17 years, but six years as a homeowner. And I realized, wait, I'm not even in the 80%. This is me. They're talking about me. And I know I was lucky enough to buy in 2017. If I were not a homeowner, I could not afford to live here. When I bought, I thought, ooh, I don't know if I'll always be able to afford this. I might have to move into a rental situation. And what I realize now is a rental situation is more expensive. And a lot of the homeowners who might rent either a room for single people that might need it or might rent something, if they bought, you know, that were boom and bust on housing prices. And right now, things are very expensive. So when people buy here, they have to rent here. And we need some help. Those who, as they mentioned, are working at the stores, you know, we all love to run to Wawa. We're hurrying. We have so much to do. And you all have so much to do. And when we stop at Wawa, those are the people that need affordable housing. When you're so busy, we're so busy, we can't afford the time to grocery shop. And now we hire Instacart. Guess what? These are the people that need that housing. So not only 80% and below AMI, I fit in the 60% and below. So thank you for your time. Madam Chair, we have enough time for one more speaker of this portion of Open Forum, Oscar Banks. Please go to either podium, state your name and address for the record, and you will have three minutes to address city council. My name is Oscar Banks. I live at 2437 15th Avenue South here in St. Petersburg in the 7th District. My church is Palm Lake Christian Church. And we stand for, our motto is love is the key at PLCC. And I know, I know some people think that love is fluffy, and love is just to get along and be nice to everybody. But love is an action word. I remember when I was a kid and we would walk across the street with my mom, and if we stepped out into traffic and a car was coming, she didn't say, oh, baby, get out of the street. She snatched us. Sometimes love is an action. Sometimes love may not make everybody happy. If you see a parent snatching a child out of the street, somebody looking on may say, oh, they're being mean. No, they're not. They're being loving. And so I know as fast, sometimes public officials look at fast and you say, you guys are just being mean and bullies. No, we're not. We love our people. All of us in this room, we may have housing, but our people don't have housing. We can live in this city and we can go to the grocery store, but our people can't live in this city. Our people are struggling to go to the grocery store. We're not trying to be mean to anyone. We love you. Fast is not against anyone. We're for people. We're not against building a stadium. Who cares? Play soccer, baseball, whatever you want to do there, but let's build affordable housing too. I promise you, if you guys can make that happen, which I know you can because we say here in St. Pete, we are what? St. Pete. If we are St. Pete, then we can do this. And if you make this happen, then yes, we'll celebrate you as well. We were told that we don't celebrate and give people their flowers enough. That's not true. Every time a public official does something for the people, we celebrate that. But we're not just going to celebrate you for chewing gum. We're not going to celebrate you for brushing your teeth. Hallelujah. But we have to do something amazing for these people. We love you the same way we love our people, and we know that our people need you. We don't believe that y'all don't care about the people. Well, we know you care about the people, but now it's time to show that we care about the people. I know my mother loved me, but if my mother just allowed me to be hit by a car without snatching me out of the street, I would never know that she loved me. Let's show our people love, man, and let's stop with all this division. Fast is not about that. I know we come with our hard teeth. I get that. People are scared of that because a lot of politicians don't like questions anymore. But we want to press us not to be negative. We want to press us for the positive, to be for God's people in this city. Thank you. Thank you for that. So now we will close open forum and take up item E1, our public hearing. Clerk, can you please read the title? And joining us is Development Review Services Planner 2, Ms. Sherover-Galio. Morning. Madam Chair, I propose ordinance number 1166-V, an ordinance approving the vacation of 9,723 square feet, M-O-L, of 42nd Street South between Lot 1 of Partial Re-Platt of Block W, Fairmont Park, and Lot 16 in Block 5 of Fairmont Park, Platt, generally located at 690 42nd Street South, setting forth conditions for the vacation to become effective and providing for an effective date. And, Madam Chair, we do not have any cards for this item. I have a presentation if you'd like to hear it. Request is a vacation ordinance at 690 42nd Street South. The request is to vacate 9,723 square feet, more or less, of 42nd Street South between the alley and a linear city-owned property north of the Pinellas Trail. The right-of-way is located between the Yutzee Tree property to the west and the applicant's warehouse property to the east in the Industrial Traditional Zoning District. The right-of-way is unimproved. There is a gravel driveway in the right-of-way, which serves Yutzee Trees, which has signed off on the application. According to the application narrative, the purpose of the vacation is to allow for the redevelopment of the property for additional warehouse use. A related site plan permit application for the applicant's property, which is being reviewed administratively, has been submitted showing the addition of two warehouses and paved parking areas and driveways. The vacated right-of-way would be developed as a shared driveway between properties. And this is a slightly enlarged view of the area to be vacated and the proposed warehouse. This is a sketch and description of the area to be vacated. There have been several right-of-way vacations in the immediate area in the past, including 42nd Street South to the South of the Pinellas Trail. The site is located within the boundaries of the South St. Petersburg Community Redevelopment Area, where the plan for the area supports block consolidation through street and alley vacations to encourage development. These are some photos of the right-of-way southward and again toward the southern end. That's the driveway going to Yutzee Trees. And this is a view in the other direction towards the alley and the street beyond. So in terms of comments received, we received no objections from city departments. Water Resources has no objection, provided that a utility easement is dedicated over public utilities that are in the right-of-way, namely stormwater facilities. Engineering has no objection, provided that that easement is dedicated and a private cross-access easement agreement established between the two property owners on either side of the right-of-way. And Transportation also has no objection to the request. They have some commentary on access to the Pinellas Trail and I think there's no impact to that access. No objection letter from Duke Energy is a condition of approval and we did receive that yesterday. There was no comment from the public and no objections from the public and no comments from the Child's Park Neighborhood Association or KONA. The application was heard by the DRC on March 6, 2024 and was unanimously approved and there were no comments from the public at that hearing. So staff recommends approval of the application. It meets the criteria for the vacation of right-of-way as outlined in the staff report. It is not needed for future use by the city and does not conflict with or impair any goals, objectives, or policies of the comprehensive plan provided that the requested utility easement is dedicated. We recommend conditions of approval including a replat of the properties abutting the right-of-way, compliance with the review memos of the city departments, and obtaining that letter from Duke Energy which they did already obtain. And that's all I have. I'll be here for questions. Thank you. Council Member Driscoll. Thank you. What was the objection that Duke had early on? They have facilities that go down the right-of-way. So during the redevelopment of the applicant's property, they'll have to either provide a private easement to Duke to keep the electrical equipment where it is or they will work with Duke to relocate it. Okay, so we didn't get a copy of that letter, I don't think. So if you could just kind of explain how that was worked out. Was that mentioned in the letter? No, they just said we no longer have an objection. It's standard, meaning that they worked with them on the design or they're committed to providing a private easement. Since it was just received yesterday, we didn't see it. So I want to know what happened with all of that. Okay. Thank you. Council Member Floyd. Thank you. So there was no, how do I say this, request from staff or any sort of give and take here. It was just we're vacating this in concurrence with the plans that we set for the area. Right. There were no objections from city departments for this application except for the request for the easement back over the stormwater utilities in the right-of-way. Okay. I'm just taking this opportunity to uplift something I've said before, which is this is a pretty significant amount of land for a vacation. It's bigger than the most single-family lots in the home, in the district, or I'm sorry, in the city. And I think it might be time for a new business item on a conversation. I know this is common place for cities, not just our city, but every city to be vacating things. But, you know, just because something's commonplace doesn't mean that it's right. And then one other thing I have that I just thought of is how much time does staff spend preparing, you know, plans for vacations. I mean, I don't know if you can give me a ballpark guess, but it's like, you know, you have to go through all of the approvals and make the presentation, come up here and give it to us. Do you have any idea how much time that takes? Well, the process is we meet with them for a pre-application meeting. So that's 30 minutes. Then we intake their application. That's maybe an hour. Then the staff report is written. Well, first, the application is routed to city departments and private utilities and we collect the comments that are received. So that's several hours. And then we write the staff report. That's another few hours. DRC presentation prep is another half hour. Then the preparation of the council materials is another few hours, including the presentations. If I may interject, I mean, council member, may I make a suggestion? You know, we understand where you're coming from. You've made this comment before. We would welcome a discussion of a new business item. I think, you know, so I think that would be the next step in this process and we can outline the questions that you have or respond to the questions that you have. Yeah, yeah. That's where I'm going with this. And I ask that question because it's like, you know, we're doing vacations that, you know, give people more property rights and we're spending a lot of time on it and, you know, we're giving something away and we're giving all of these hours to it and it just kind of made me think about how we do fees for like, you know, certain types of development or impacts and you can see that we spend time on them. Yeah, so that's where my line of thinking was going there. But yeah, I do think it's time for us to just have the conversation. I know I've chirped up and complained, but yeah, it's on me to at least try to give us some time to carve it out to actually have a conversation and a committee about it. But, you know, it came up again, so I figured I'd mention it again. So thank you. Thank you, Chair. Thank you. Councilmember Muhammad. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for the presentation. I saw you mention that there was no paved access to the trail, but that is an entry point. It's kind of a popular entry point for residents who access the trail. Will they still have access to the trail at that? Yes. The Transportation Department noted that access can be obtained, paved access can be obtained from 40th Street and 43rd Street, which are the streets on the next streets over, east and west. But it will not be at that location. So this is basically going to be converted into their property and that access that entry point right now to, because we have like paved access and then we have ways that we get to the trail. Right. And that's one of the ways we get to the trail. There's an unpaved access to this portion of the trail. And that is going to be lost. Yes. Thank you. And then there's something for future consideration to Councilmember Floyd's point a little bit. The residents are now working to organize themselves around developing a comprehensive plan for that area in response to that campaign around smell something, say something and the issues that we've had with businesses in the pre-industrial area. And so the ask that we've been making is to have resources to be able to develop a plan for that part of the trail. And so we would like for that to be considered as we, if, you know, future applications begin to come in for vacations because it'll limit what we're able to really do in that area. And so we just wanted to have that lifted up and thank you for that. Okay. I did note in the staff report and this presentation that this area is part of the South St. Petersburg community redevelopment area and the plan for that area does call for block consolidation through street and alley vacations to create development parcels. So we'll have to work that into any future plan. And that was another one of the things that we'll be working on is because we're 10 years into that plan. Right. And we know that it needs to be adjusted to consider It can be looked at again. Based since then. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll second our motion. Thank you. So seeing no further requests to speak, we have a motion and a second. Can you please open the machine for voting? Seeing that all present council members, all council members have voted, can you please tell and announce the votes? Madam Chair, the motion to approve agenda item E1 passes unanimously with council member Curtis and Hanowitz being absent. Thank you. At this time, we need to call a 10-minute recess. We're back. Okay. So are we good to go now? Yeah. Okay. Very good. Okay. Thank you so much. No. There's no legal requirement for the televised portion of the meeting. So it's up to council whether you want to reread the ordinance. Okay. I think we should move forward. We're on G1. Move approval. Second. Now that we have a motion and a second for G1, can you please open the machine for voting? Now that our present council members have voted, can you please tally and announce the votes? Chair, the motion to approve agenda item G1 passes unanimously with council member Gerdes being absent. Thank you. Now moving to G2. Opposed ordinance number 579H, an ordinance in accordance with section 1.02C5B, St. Petersburg City Charter, authorizing the execution of the restrictions and assurances regarding airport availability set forth and grant documents for the design phase of the rehab airfield vault project for the Albuquerque Airport 19235 in order to receive a federal aviation administration grant in the amount not to exceed $173,164, authorizing the mayor or his designate to apply for and accept the grant in the amount not to exceed $173,164, authorizing the mayor or his designate to execute all documents necessary to effectuate this ordinance, providing an effective date and providing for expiration and the public hearing for this item was also on May 16, 2024 and we have no cards. Move approval. Second. Seeing no request to speak and it's been properly motioned and seconded, clerk, could you please open the machine for voting? Now that our present councilmembers have voted, can you please tally and announce the votes? Chair, the motion to approve agenda item G2 passes unanimously with councilmember Gertis being absent. Thank you. Now we will have G3 and joining us is park operations manager Taylor Thornton. Want to read the title of the ordinance matter? Please. Propose ordinance number 580H, an ordinance amending section 21-86 of the city code to add a new section 16, naming the aviary subsection. Subsection, I'm sorry, 16, naming the aviary at Void Hill Nature Preserve within Lake McGorry Park, the Dr. Gabe Vargo Birds of Prey Aviary and providing an effective date. Public hearing for this item is on June 6, 2024 and we have no card. Move approval. Second. Councilmember Driscoll. Thank you. Just want to give a quick thanks for this item. It's wonderful that we're going to be doing this recognition. The Friends of Boyd Hill and so many others are such strong advocates for our birds of prey and, you know, we try to do our part. Our administration has not too long ago changed the type of our denticide that we use in the rodent control program to help make sure that we are protecting and not endangering our birds of prey through that and I'm hoping that with this naming it's going to elevate the advocacy for our birds of prey and help everyone to be more mindful of the responsible practices that they can implement on their own. So thank you for that. Thank you. Seeing no further requests to speak it's been motioned and properly seconded. Mr. Clerk can you please open the machine for voting. Councilmembers please count your votes. Now that our present councilmembers have voted can you please tell and announce the votes. Madam Chair the motion to approve agenda item G3 passes unanimously with Councilmember Gerdes being absent. Thank you. Now we'll move on to G4 and joining us is Recreation Programs Manager Lynn Gordon. Ordinance number 581H an ordinance providing for the sales service dispensing possession and or consumption of alcoholic beverages in a portion of Azalea Park for an event to be held on September 24th 2024 and providing an effective date. The public hand for this item is also on May 16th 2024 and we have no cards. Move approval. Second. Now it has been properly motioned and seconded with no request to speak can you please open the machine for voting. Councilmembers please now that all present councilmembers have voted can you please tell and announce the votes. Madam Chair the motion to approve agenda item G4 passes unanimously with Councilmember Gerdes being absent. Thank you. Thank you Ms. Gordon. Now we will take up our new business item H1 Councilmember Modernary. Thank you Madam Chair respectfully requesting a referral to the Economic and Workforce Development Committee or other appropriate committee a presentation on advanced air mobility inverted ports in the city of St. Petersburg. I did provide just a couple pages of backup material on this subject in case people had any councilmembers had any questions and I did also just wanted to point out on the cover of Florida Trend Magazine this month they have an article on this subject and when I was at the National League of Cities meeting at the last committee meeting I attended a workshop that discusses this and this is a way for us to be in front of this issue so I'll move approval. Second. Now that we've been properly motioned and seconded can you please tell me oh I'm sorry councilmember Floyd. Thank you I was just wondering who were you who were hoping to give the presentation? I've been coordinating with Rich Lesniak the airport manager. Okay I was just wondering thank you. Thank you we've had a motion and a second. Councilmembers please place your votes. Now that all councilmembers are present can you please have voted can you please tally and announce the votes? Madam Chair the motion to approve H1 passes unanimously with councilmember Gerdes being absent. Thank you so much and please forgive me I fail to address our report items F1 in regards you have a resolution that was presented to you to requesting a time change for our May 16th 2024 council meeting if there are no questions or discussion I entertain a motion move approval seeing no further request to speak can you please open the machine for voting councilmembers please cast your votes now that our present councilmembers have voted can you please tally and announce the votes? Madam Chair the motion to approve agenda item F1 passes unanimously with councilmember Gerdes being absent. Thank you and now we will have open forum Madam Chair we have some speakers we have a call by name Reverend Ben Winder Carrie Mueller Mueller Gina Foti Mary Dowd and Lucy Tremarco please go to either podium state your name and address for the record you have three minutes to address city council Good morning councilmembers my name is Mary Dowd and I have lived at 205 8th Avenue Northeast with my husband for over 40 years I want to echo the comments made earlier by the engineer Peter Kent who opposes the Rays-Hinds proposal spending a total of 2.4 billion dollars by the city and county is not a fair deal and that astounding amount doesn't even include the aggregate of lost taxes etc we the hardworking taxpaying citizens of St. Pete deserve a fair deal and that includes the Rays Stadium paying taxes just like we do the current Rays-Hinds Rays proposal needs to change if the city and county end up paying half of the stadium cost then the Rays need to split the team profits and share those profits if the team is sold St. Pete is booming with development just count the number of construction cranes dotting our current skyline the other 64 acres of incredibly valuable land need to be sold for current fair market value based on today's market that includes requiring an updated appraisal of the value of the property based on the plan for its development important analysis and due diligence by city council needs to be completed prior to any decision being made and this takes time I urge you city council members to slow down and take the necessary steps required to complete the in-depth analysis that is so necessary for a fair deal there is no rush on this monumental decision even though the Rays say there is polls and letters to the Tampa Bay Times and other organizations such as the League of Women Voters show an overwhelming lack of support for the current deal the citizens of St. Pete deserve a better deal which requires the city renegotiate the deal so that the city has funds for the many other very high priority projects which were spoken of earlier today the outcome of your decision will have far reaching and a long term impact on the city so please do what is right for the city and its citizens thank you for the opportunity to speak today and thank you for listening good morning city council I'm Lucy Trimarco I live at 809 18th Avenue North I think that the city has responsibilities to the people of St. Pete regarding the sale and the development of the gas plant or the raised property to spend the city's money wisely to budget expenses so that all of the city's needs are covered and also to address affordable housing especially regarding the people who were displaced when the gas plant district became the raised stadium I'd like for the city to have a fair deal the raised stadium a private business needs to be paying taxes like the rest of us I'd like there to be a new appraisal the one that was used for the raised deal was two years old so I think it's important that there be a current property appraisal of the 64 acres one of the largest intact city parcels in the southeast I'd like the city to complete the due diligence that is spelled out in the analysis at the nohomerun.com I'd like for there to be consultation with residents of the city people who I talk to actually think that the city residents are going to vote on this I don't think that's the case but at least there should be more opportunity for input and ideally a vote would be good too I want to see the city negotiate a better deal that has funds for other city high priorities and regarding affordable housing the plan is really inadequate does not address affordable housing needs of St. Petersburg especially when you consider the gas plant community that was displaced I think that we need to require a firm commitment from the raise to actually build all the affordable housing that they say they will without an escape clause where they can just pay a fee and not have to do that I think that the whole process needs to be renegotiated I also think that it would be something for you to consider that the city actually start the process over with new beds for the property and development for the property and I thank you very much thank you for your consideration thank you so much so now we will close open forum are they in on zoom I just want to call the name just to see oh just in case okay Dylan Dames and I believe it's McCault Beltor that's it Madam Chair thank you so now we will close open forum and do we have any announcements seeing no announcements I do want to share with my colleagues and definitely welcome feedback on this I know we've had this discussion in the past and I want to bring it back to my colleagues in regards to removing the zoom option since we have not utilized that and we did implement that in during Councilman Martinieri's term because we were dealing with COVID and you brought that up again today so I think we are well past the COVID era and unless there's any further discussion in regards to removing the zoom issue because it wasn't something that was voted on but I definitely would love to get everybody's feedback Councilmember Floyd I don't support removing the zoom option at all I'm people have busy lives and it takes us all I mean since I've been a council member we probably listened to zoom speakers for 25 minutes max like over two and a half and a bit years it's really not been bad for us at all I haven't seen it as an issue I know if people are on vacation or something they can't make it to the meeting in person they have to work it's really more convenient for them as long as they're giving their address I think it's fine if we continue the zoom option and I would I wouldn't I wouldn't like it if we removed it Councilmember Hennig thank you chair well first of all I don't think zoom has been an issue I think it's allowed it doesn't take up a lot of our time and it allows people that can't make it here come we've had actually very contestous issues as I've been on city council and actually what's taken the most time has not been zoom it's been people that actually show up but we have zoom speakers that can't show up I think it's equitable for those that can't show up I don't know why the issue is coming up now but we have all incorporated it in our lives who here hasn't had a meeting with someone on zoom and with staff on zoom and I think businesses have incorporated it because you find the value of it when you can't make a meeting otherwise I just had meetings with zoom last week and that and whether it's constituents or staff so if we do it in our lives in other aspects and if we have those meetings with I think staff then we should allow the citizens to come and actually speak on zoom council member Mohammed thank you madam chair and I would not be supportive of removing zoom as an option I think that it is another entry point for people to participate to engage and be a part of the process so that's it thanks council member Montaneri thank you chair I think this might be something to discuss at a committee or committee the whole we can kind of go through the pros and the cons of whether we want to keep this option or going in another direction thank you council member Driscoll thank you I'd like to ask the city clerk if there are any if there have been any operational issues or any kind of hindrance or difficulty in including zoom with our public comment we've actually gotten accustomed to it so it's just regular business for us it's just a business decision for council and administration to decide whether or not they want to keep it thank you I do like this option for people to engage without having to be here in person I don't see that we've had major issues there have been we had some let's call them glitches early on in COVID when we were doing our especially when we were doing our council meetings by by zoom during the pandemic but since we have shifted that and now just use that still for public comment it seems to be a more democratic way of engaging with the public and giving that option I think if it's it's not hurting us and we haven't had any major issues I think it's good to continue offering that thank you that's good council member Gabbard thank you chair I was gonna keep my two cents to myself but since everybody else weighed in I guess I will too so there weren't let's see how many of us were here during COVID four so you know during COVID it was very important that we implemented zoom I think that at this point our residents have gotten used to having that ability I think we just heard today from someone who was here first thing in the meeting I saw them here in the meeting but they obviously had to go yet they were still able to participate in the open forum by phoning in later on so I heard a mention of taking this to a committee I don't think that's necessary I think I appreciate you bringing it up today and giving us an opportunity to say something for me this is a procedural issue that lives between administration the clerk's office and the chair I do not see a reason for this to go to committee I have no desire to talk about this in committee so time you are the chair of our council and I respect you and I respect your ability to work with administration and the clerk's office so for me I'll leave it there and whatever will be will be thank you and I appreciate that the question was why are we discussing it now we been talking about this for a few months and what I wanted to do because although I am chair and yes I do understand I can utilize that chair's responsibility in order to declare whether or not we're going to do zoom or not I did ask for Janie to look at other municipalities and how they do it how we've incorporated zoom in regards so we will take all of the comments into consideration when we're looking at the zoom option I love being able to have our residents weigh in so it's not a removal of equity I'm big on equity so it's not about removing equity in conversations but it has been discussed it seemed like I don't know what the past two or three years we've had this conversation so it came up again and we wanted to have that conversation to see what your feedback was and of course I did not want to make a decision without speaking with my colleagues because this is not a democracy I am chair yes but I do respect everyone's opinion because we do serve a city versus one person pulling you know there may be some that would do that but no I would really want to make sure that I receive everybody's feedback and I don't think we need a committee meeting as well I hear you loud and clear and I appreciate all the feedback council member Driscoll did you want to continue no for some reason when I finish it doesn't it didn't clear okay so thank you so much for your feedback on that and to BA the before we adjourn our vice chair Copley Curtis is not here today but we have some birthdays in May so we have let me see okay you know I can't see we have Miss Kim Amos yay who is May 16th we have Courtney Phillips who is May 26th we have wait hold on Tom Green you have a birthday which is May yes it's May 15th and then we also have Claude Tankersley whose birthday is May 17th so we want to say happy birthday to all of our May birthdays so in key happy birthday me me me and key okay ladies and gentlemen sing happy birthday to our our loved May birthdays happy birthday to you happy birthday to you happy birthday our May birthdays everybody happy birthday to you if no other announcements we are Mr. Green who Madam Chair oh I'm so sorry sorry for the in that list of May birthdays that include Claude Tankersley I did say Claude thank you and then while I have the mic just a moment of personal privilege tomorrow is my 21st wedding anniversary Holly Kicklighter so she is currently out of town but we'll be back tomorrow evening and we'll be able to celebrate this weekend but I just wanted to thank her for her years of service to partnership with me I love I love love thank you our May second meeting is adjourned thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you