City Council - May 21, 2026

Welcome to the City of St. Petersburg City Council Meeting. Your elected officials are Mayor Ken Welch, District 1, Hopley Gerdes, District 2, Brandy Gabbard, District 3, Mike Harding, District 4 and Council Chair, Lissette Panowitz, District 5, Deborah Fig Sanders, District 6, Gina Driscoll, District 7, Corey Gibbons Jr., and District 8 and Council Vice Chair, Richie Floyd. Welcome, everyone, to the May 21st, 2026 City Council Meeting. Clerk, who will please have a roll call. Nick Sanders. Here. Driscoll. Here. Gibbons. Here. Lloyd. Here. Gerdes. Here. Gabbard. Here. Harding. Here. Hanowitz. Here. Here. Today we're going to have our invocation given by Reverend Robert Galloway from the First Presbyterian Church. If you can please stand for our invocation and then please remain standing for our Pledge of Allegiance. Good afternoon, sir. Good afternoon, sir. Let us pray. Let us pray. Please turn your phones off. Almighty God, source of every good gift and the author of all just governance, we pause at the opening of this assembly to seek your blessing upon the work of this council and the people it serves. We thank you for the city of St. Petersburg, for the beauty of its waterfront, the vitality of its neighborhood, and the extraordinary diversity of its people. Grant that gratitude for what we have received may sharpen or resolve to care for what has been given to us. We pray for the members of this council. We pray for the members of this council. Give them wisdom to discern, courage to act, and humility to listen. Where the path forward is clear, grant them resolve. Where it is uncertain, grant them patient. And where they disagree, grant them the grace to differ without contempt, remembering always that they serve not their own interests but the common good. Today this body will honor citizens that have given themselves for the sake of their neighbors. We thank you for their lives of quiet faithfulness, for those who build community not for recognition, but because they believe this city is worth the effort. May their example kindle the same spirit in all of us. Bless the men and women of this city, its police department, its emergency medical services, and its public works. Those who protect, heal, and sustain the daily life of this community. May we never take their service for granted. O God, in a world too often fractured by suspicion and self-interest, make this council a sign of what is possible when people of goodwill gather to seek the flourishing of their neighbors. May the work done here today bear fruit in justice and safety in the common life of this beloved city. In your holy name we pray, amen. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. If you may all be seated. Thank you, Reverend, for that wonderful invitation. Council members, we have an agenda before us with an addition of F3, a resolution changing the start time of the May 28, 2026 council meeting. I'll entertain a motion for approval. We have a motion and a second. Clerk, if you can open the machine for voting. Council members, please enter your votes. Seeing that all present council members have voted, clerk, please tally and announce the vote. Madam Chair, motion to approve the agenda passes you. Thank you. I know, I understand we're going to have a brief announcement from Mr. Green. And I don't know if Mike Jeffries is also going to join in on that regarding the South Branch Library. Sir? Thank you, Madam Chair. Earlier this week, Mayor Welch authorized the use of the emergency section of our procurement code, section 2-213. And when the mayor authorizes the use of that section of the code, we're required to report on that at the next available council meeting, which is today. But under that section, and I'm paraphrasing, the mayor may waive any requirement, procedure, or other provision of the procurement code to the extent the mayor deems necessary to deal with an emergency situation. In this situation, the emergence situation is the library collection at the library at the South Branch. As you will recall, we had a small fire, smoke, and ash got into, potentially got into the HVA system. We've shut that down, and we want to get that remediated as quickly as possible. So we have engaged BMS CAT to complete that restoration. The estimated cost is about $169,000. And Mr. Jeffries and Ms. Lindsay are here to answer any questions if council has them. Else do you have any questions? I don't see any. Well, thank you so much for letting us know. Yes, ma'am. Thank you, Chair. Thank you. Now we move on to open forum. I would just want to say to everyone here, before we start, I know there are a lot of people here, maybe your first time here at City Hall. When we have open forum, there is no clapping or anything like that. The only clapping you can have here is during the awards and presentations. So you will know when the awards and presentations are happening. The other thing I want to remind everyone is, as you notice, if you're out there, we can hear you in here, and it can be very disruptive, especially if somebody's getting an award. So we kindly ask again, once you're done, you go outside, but you go downstairs, you can't be outside, because we're going to have to have y'all removed and then go downstairs to room 100, just so we can keep the meeting going. And cell phones off, please. With that being said, Clerk, are there any speakers for open forum? Yes, Madam Chair. 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're wishing to speak on an item, you may only speak once, during open forum, or when the item comes up on the agenda. Applause is not permitted except in connections with awards and presentations. In order to provide an opportunity for all citizens to address City 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 9 on your phone at the time the agenda item is addressed. When it's your turn to speak, you will be unmuted and asked to state your name and address. At the conclusion of your comments, or when a 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 on comments, the requirement that any presentation materials must be submitted in advance of the meeting, and the rules of the quorum. If live public comment is disrupted by violations of the rules of the quorum, the chair is authorized to accept public comment by alternate means, including by email only. We have one speaker in Zoom, Madam Chair. I'll do them first. Marley, once you enter into the meeting room, state your name and address. You'll have three minutes to address City Council. Marley, you there? Yes, can you hear me? We can. Go ahead. Marley Price, 5034. Marley Price, 5034. Marley Price, 5034. Marley, can you hold on a second? They need to fix the audio. Hold on one second, please. Is there something on? All right, again, Marley. Marley, can you hear us? I'll call the two speakers. I'll call the two speakers. Marley, if you can hear us, we're going to call the first two speakers in the room. They're trying to take care of an audio issue. Maureen Stafford and Amanda Cutt, please approach either podium, state your name and address. You'll have three minutes to address City Council. Amanda? Maureen Stafford? She may have signed up, but she's here for one of the awards and presentations. And then Gary Mormino, please approach either podium, state your name and address. You'll have three minutes to address City Council. You're also here for the memorial tribute for Robin Reed. Yeah. Jason S., once you enter to the meeting space, unmute yourself, state your name and address. You'll have three minutes to address City Council. I guess they're talking, but we can't hear them. That's what I was just, by Sheriff Floyd, got a text that they're talking. Do you want to take a minute and see if I can get thoughts up here? You want to come back? Yeah. Can we go ahead and come back to this? Go ahead and come back to it and see if we can fix it? Yes. Okay. So we'll go to, is that all the speakers we have? We have two and so on. Okay. So those that are online waiting to speak, we're going to try to take care of the issue right now. So if you can just hold on, um, and we're going to start taking up some of the agenda in between. And once, um, it's fixed, hopefully, then we can let you know, um, that the issue has been fixed and then you can give your public comment. With that being said, we move on to awards and presentations. And the first award is D7, which is the Distinguished Citizen Award. And it is going to be given by Council Member Driscoll. And the recipient is Jillian Frears. Thank you. Thank you. If I could have, um, whenever you're ready, Jillian and the family, if you'd like to join me, um, at the podium here. For those that are with Jillian, they can, you can join Council Member Driscoll at the podium. Or if you want to stay seated, whatever you're more comfortable with. If you're able to, if you're, if you're not able to, that's understandable. There she is. Good afternoon, everyone, colleagues, um, administration and members of the community. Um, this one, um, this one, um, I'm, I'm so proud that we're kicking this off with this one, um, so let's meet at the Chataway. How many times have we all said that over the years? It's been said countless times by friends, coworkers, neighbors, and visitors who want to know where the locals go. The legendary Chataway, where neighbors gather and new friends are made over an ice cold beer, a big burger, and the best shrimp basket in town. Since the mid-1970s, Jillian Lund Freres has consistently opened her business and her heart to the community, helping create a sense of connection, belonging, and neighborhood identity in Old Southeast. Now, running a restaurant is not easy, but success was found here with true grit from a true Brit. She's been a cornerstone of the Old Southeast community for decades through her stewardship of the Chataway Restaurant, a beloved neighborhood institution that has become far more than just a place to get a bite to eat. Her support for neighborhood events, artists, and residents has helped strengthen the cultural fabric of St. Petersburg and preserve the unique character of the Old Southeast. Through plant swaps, art raffles, neighborhood gatherings, Jillian has helped bring residents together while supporting local artists and community organizations. Jillian has played an important role in helping the Old Southeast become recognized as one of St. Petersburg's designated artist enclaves by welcoming community programming and fostering a creative spirit in the neighborhood. Even during the challenges of COVID, she again stepped up by opening the Chataway to the community to serve as a staging place for neighborhood outreach and as a gathering that brought residents together safely and responsibly. The Chataway has become a true St. Petersburg landmark, not only because of its history and charm, but also because of the generosity, the hospitality, and the community-minded leadership that Jillian has demonstrated for decades. In a rapidly changing city, this represents the kind of locally rooted business owner who helps preserve the authenticity, warmth, and sense of community that makes St. Petersburg so much more special. Jillian fosters the true spirit of what it means to be a legacy business. Her legacy is not measured simply through business success, but through the countless residents, the families, the artists, and the neighbors whose lives and memories have been enriched by her kindness and civic spirit, exemplifying what it means to be a distinguished citizen, someone who quietly and consistently invests in the well-being of her community and inspires others to do the same. And so it is with great honor that I present this St. Petersburg City Council Distinguished Citizen Award. Whereas a great city is only as great as those persons who give exemplary service to their communities, whether through participation in voluntary programs, through unique personal achievement in their profession, or other endeavors, or simply through a lifetime of good citizenry. And whereas such service that is truly the lifeblood of the community and our city so often goes unrecognized and unrewarded. But now, therefore, as a duly elected member of St. Petersburg City Council, I, Gina Driscoll, thereby recognize that in Jillian Lund Freres, we have an outstanding citizen, one who is worthy of the esteem of both the community and the great city of St. Petersburg, Florida. Would you like to speak? You want to talk, Mom? Can you say thank you to everybody? I'm seeing. I haven't seen you before. Wow. She's telling all of her family secrets up here. Hi, everybody. My name is Amanda Keto. This is my brother, Greg. This is my sister, Winona, and my sister, Debbie. And we, on behalf of my mother, Jillian, Lady Chataway, thank you so much for this incredible honor. For 75 years, this community has been her life's passion. While her dementia makes it difficult for her to express it today, please know that your love and support and recognition mean the world to her and to our entire family. Thank you. And as my mother used to say, and my sister Winona reminded me, she used to say this all the time. May all your days be Chataway days or Chattaburger days. Wow. Yes. Ms. Jillian, if you can stay there one minute, we have Councilmember Harding who wants to say something. Councilmember Harding would like to address you. That's all right. Who? Councilmember Harding. Come on, darling. Yes, ma'am. I want to tell you that my career, not as storied as yours, but all I've done so far is restaurants. I've opened lots of them. I've closed some of them. And I know factually that the average life cycle of a restaurant is eight years. And I know that the average life cycle of a chain restaurant, a big chain restaurant is 16 years. What you have done is amazing in this regard. Food, and you know this and I'll tell all of you this, food is secondary to what this industry is. Hospitality is what makes people come back. And my kids have all eaten at your restaurant several times. My wife and I have eaten at your restaurant several times. My dad used to take me when I was little to your restaurant. The culture that you have created throughout these years is absolutely second to none. I would challenge anyone in this room to find something that has lasted half as long, a restaurant that has lasted half as long as yours. And really, it is on the backs of, or on the back of, just your strength and personality. It is the welcoming environment that you have created twice a day for 75 years. And that is, there's nothing else that is on the chart that compares to what you've accomplished. And I want to recognize that no one else is going to do it. What you've created is just literally second to none. And I speak for everyone when we tell you thank you and that we're very proud of your efforts. Thank you. Ms. Jillian, Ms. Jillian, Council Member Givens also wants to say something. Hey, Mama Jill, how are you? It's so good to see you and all of the family. Thank you so much, Council Member Driscoll, for bringing this honor forward. When I think about my childhood, Council Member Hardin, some of my most fondest memories are at the Chattaway. Watching the koi fish, eating a good burger, and the wings, which we need the recipe, by the way. But so many great, fond memories, and your love, your love, the smile. That is what I will always remember the most. I chose to celebrate my 30th birthday party at the Chattaway because it's just been that special to me my entire life. And I'm going to miss it. I'm going to miss the memories. But I have the photos. And I have you. And I have your legacy, which is your offspring. Such great people. Your children, your grandchildren, your great grandbabies. You get to love on all them now, Ms. Jill. You get to spend all your time at home and not at the restaurant. But we're going to miss those tea parties that many of us spent there. And most of all, we're going to miss you. But, you know, I think about what Amanda said, you know, about your dementia. And some of the closest people in my life, I have seen them battle that very same thing. And one thing I will say is, even when you can't remember Ms. Jill, we will always remember your love. So thank you so much. Thank you. Ms. Jill, do you want to say something? You want to say something? I want to, but I sometimes forget what I'm talking when I'm talking. Who do I? Oh, he'll help me. Okay. This is my not favorite or unfavorite. Aww. We love the local community and the international community very dearly. And we are so thankful. Thank you very much, you guys. Thank you. Thank you. Ms. Jill, you have left your mark on our community forever. And you are second to none. So thank you very much. Thank you. And we're still going to be down there, y'all. Thank you. So the other thing I forgot to mention, obviously, if you receive your award, you don't, you're welcome to stay if you want to through the whole meeting. Or you're also welcome to go back home if you want to do that or work. So whatever you want to do, you're welcome today, but you can also leave and that would, that's fine too. Okay. Next up, we have. Yeah. Oh, yes. Is the audio. We're okay. So they are crossing fingers at this point and they're going to give it another shot. Jason asks, once you enter to the meeting space, unmute, state your name and address. You'll have three minutes to address city council. Hey everyone. Can you hear me? Hello. Hello. Let's let them exit the room so we can hear you. We can hear you. Hold on one second. Hold on one second. Hold on one second. Can you have them go down? Move. Okay. Go ahead. Try now. Go ahead. Try now. Go ahead. Keeps red fish lane, Southeast. It's going to be hard to follow all the chat away, all the chat away, but I just want to provide a update on our electric bills. Duke energy recently admitted to the state that it overcharged residents by over $90 million in storm recovery costs alone. Not only was that 10% of the total recovery cost that we faced, but they knew about their overcollection before November of 2025 and yet did not act on it until later on in 2026 when it was too late, only to then advertise it as Duke Energy reducing our bills. This is why I'm looking forward to the city conducting a feasibility study in the near future to look into our options because Duke Energy is not responsible and does not look into the interest of its customers. Thank you. Thank you. Nobody with their hand raised, Madam Chair. Marley, once you enter the meeting space, unmute, state your name and address. You'll have three minutes to address city council. 50-34-32nd Ave. North. And I wanted to thank you all again for doing the work you've done so far for the feasibility study to look into our options outside of Duke Energy, similar to the last speaker. Even just the work that looking into our options, I don't know if you all have been on social media recently. There have been a slew of advertisements that look like normal articles. They're not normal articles, though. These are like AI websites, Tampa Business Daily, Gulf Coast Dispatch. I've never heard of these websites. And then you click into it, and it's just like an advertisement for Duke Energy. I can't imagine who's paying for this other than our electric bills. These are such weird tactics just for a city that is wanting to get unbiased data at the end of a 30-year contract. So I really look forward to doing our due diligence and in two weeks seeing the city council kind of stand unified, similar to what they did in Clearwater, and really see what our options are and get this unbiased data. Because just seeing the mayor's face, like, plastered on these advertisements that are, like, unrelated, seemingly. The headlines are about housing and just a negative, like, hit piece on him coming from Duke Energy with our utility payments. It's very – it's an odd thing to see. So I look forward to seeing the city do their due diligence on this. And thank you all for your work on this again. Mr. Clerk. Okay. Given that we have no more speakers, at this time we will close open forum and go back to awards and presentations. And we'll take up the second award in presentation, which is D1, Distinguished Citizen Award, to Alex Kaufman, George Reckes, and Laura Spencer. Then this is going to be given by Council Member Gerdes. And if the awardees could please join Council Member Gerdes at the podium. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Madam Chair, for your colleagues. It dawned on me, as we were talking about Chataway a couple of minutes ago, the mayor and I just got back and some staff were there from New Orleans. And one of the first presentations we got in New Orleans, there was a question about the culture of New Orleans. And their two answers were food and art. And so I don't – it just, you know, God works in mysterious ways. That the first two things we're going to talk about today are food and art that create the culture. And what I would tell you is that it's not just culture. It's the soul of what a city can be. And so I'm just truly blessed to be able to celebrate here with Alex, Laura, and George. As you know, they created a piece of art in the west side of St. Pete at Sunset Park called the Sunshine City Mosaic. That was a lot of S's for me. And, you know, listen, I will – I was the first to be hard on them. Because, selfishly, I wanted it, and I wanted it fast. And it didn't happen as fast as we – I think even you wanted it. Certainly. And – but when you go and you walk that amazing piece of culture in our park system, it truly is a part of the soul of the city of St. Petersburg. My kids got to go tour it with me as it was being built. And there's a video while we were doing it. And my kids' eyes were as white as watermelons. I mean, they were just taken aback by the whole thing that this was being created by three young people in the middle of a park in 95-degree weather, okay? I was under the tent. It wasn't helpful. And so I just am so thankful to these three for, one, putting up with me and my pushback, but, two, for being yourself and being a part of the soul, the culture, the art of St. Petersburg. We are all more blessed in this city having you share your unique talent, your unique profession with the rest of this city and all of its visitors. And this was the best way I could show that appreciation. So it's my honor to present – and I'm going to try to combine this, so if I mess up the wording at the end, again, big surprise, Copley messed up. Whereas, a great city is only as great as those persons who give exemplary service to their communities, whether through participation in voluntary programs, through unique personal achievement in their profession, or other endeavors, or simply through a lifetime of good citizenry. And whereas, such service that is truly the lifeblood of the community and the city so often goes unrecognized and unrewarded. Now, therefore, I, Council Member Copley-Gerdes, a duly elected member of the St. Petersburg City Council, I hereby recognize that we have outstanding citizens – Alex Kaufman, Laura Spencer, George Rettkisch – who are worthy of the esteem of both the community and the great city of St. Petersburg, Florida. Thank you. You want to say something before – we go to Council Member comments? Do you want to say something before – Laura does. Hi, Ms. Driscoll. On behalf of my fellow artists, friends, and colleagues, this project was unprecedented in a lot of ways. Unprecedented scope of work for the city of St. Pete, and unprecedented for the three of us as emerging artists who live, work, play, and are deeply in love with the city of St. Pete. So, thank you all so much for your extended patience, for the lessons that we learned along the way. And you haven't seen the end of us yet. Many, many, many more works of artwork to come. Thank you all so very much. Thank you. Council Member Driscoll. Thank you. If you haven't had an opportunity to go and see the Sunshine City Mosaic yet, I urge you to take the time. I mean, I know it's on the west side and all, but it's worth the drive. Just pack a lunch, you know. I always give him a hard time about west side. But seriously, this work is extraordinary. And as you look at it and enjoy the imagery, and you think about how hard it was to do that, this is not a simple project. It is intricate. It is difficult. The way that they have to do it can change with the weather. I mean, it's just, there's so much that goes into creating a piece like this. And I couldn't be prouder of the way it turned out and of the people who made it happen. I wanted to ask, is this the first collaboration that the three of you had done together? The first collaboration of the three of us, yes. George and I work together quite often and have for the past 13 years. And this was our way of forming kind of a super group of artists to create it. And just for those of you listening at home, it's a 175-foot-long mosaic, kind of a mural or illustrations. There's 15,000 pieces of tile individually cut and placed. And it tells the story through nine illustrations of the sunrise on Tampa Bay to the sunset out on the beaches. And there's all these different ecological elements. So your favorite animals native to Pinellas County are there, from manatees to pelicans, of course. Southern magnolias and green anole lizards. So please, please go visit it and go walk on it. So Laura and George, you've worked together before, and then you add Alex into the mix. Ah, okay. Oh, that's good. Okay, that tells me a lot. Because sometimes when you get three artists, two, let alone three artists together for a collaboration, there are times when you just want to kill each other. So I'm sure, and you know, each, yeah, but this is a case where I know each of your individual art, and you brought, through that, you each were able to bring your own superpower to the table. So you're like a Justice League of three that made this happen. And I just, I have always admired all of you as artists and as human beings. And I am just so grateful for the work that you did for our city, that people are going to be able to enjoy for a very long time. So thank you. Thank you, Chair. Thank you. Council Member Gibbons. Thank you very much. And I just had to say thank you to you all for making St. Pete what it is, a special city. And what makes us so special, it really is our art. And now we have another piece of art to add to this special collection that we have here in St. Pete, and you all are who we owe to that. So I know there were some hiccups, some storms, some timelines that had to get extended, but through it all, you persevered. So I'm just excited to see what more you're going to bring to St. Petersburg's artistic landscape. I really think this is just the beginning of something special. Alex and George, I've seen your work before. Laura, you're my girl. So I'm just excited to see what you're going to bring here in the future. So keep up the good work. And thank you. Thank you all so much. Thank you. And I just want to say real quick, you all, like it's said before, you all have come such a long way from the first time we saw you at City Council until now. But here's the thing. It's those experiences that grow you, not just as an artist, as an individual, as a business person. And I guarantee you all those lessons that you have learned through this process are going to make you much better later on. And it was a great learning experience. And look at where you are today. So we are looking forward to seeing what your future holds because you all are young. And so we expect to see more of you. The other thing I want to say for those who don't know where the mural is, it's at Sunset Park. It's on the west side. And you know what? A good time to go see it would be when the sunset is happening, right? And see the mural and the light coming down and watching the work that they did there. So thank you all for everything you've done for our city. Thank you. Okay. So next up, we have D2, which is Older Americans Month Proclamation and Recognition of the 2026 Senior Hall of Fame Inductees. And we have our mayor here, Mayor Welch. Good afternoon. Madam Chair, Council, members of our St. Pete team, and all of our citizens, thank you all for being here today. I am super excited to present the Older Americans Month Proclamation and to recognize some of our Senior Hall of Fame Inductees who are with us today. I'll ask our Community Enrichment Administration and Parks and Rec team if you all would join me at the podium. This moment is special because it recognizes and celebrates the remarkable contributions of our seniors. And we all frequently say it's important to know our history so that we can build inclusive progress for our future. And it's a real privilege to be in the room filled with individuals like these seniors who have helped to shape the history that's made St. Pete the wonderful city that it is today. Our seniors hold the wisdom, the lived experience, the energy, and the vitality which creates a foundation of shared goals and collaboration that enriches our community and inspires future generations. On behalf of the City of St. Petersburg, I want to extend my sincere thanks to all of you and salute you all for your leadership. Y'all look great, by the way, too. And if the seniors just, if you want to stand, that's fine, or just wave your hands, I want y'all to be recognized as I read this proclamation. All right. For those who are able to stand, if they can stand while the mayor reads the proclamation, those who were inducted in the Senior Hall of Fame. And it reads, whereas the month of May is annually observed 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 future generations. And whereas the city recognizes that there are citizens 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, 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 in its operations. Now, therefore, I, Kenneth T. Welch, Mayor of the City of St. Petersburg, Florida, do hereby proclaim May 2026 as Older Americans Month and urge every resident to take time this month to celebrate older adults and those who serve and support them as powerful and vital individuals who greatly contribute to our community. Thank you all. You can be seated if you wish. Honorable Mayor, Madam Chair, City Council, and those within my voice. You know, I love this part. It's just the heart of who I am. Arthur Ashe said, start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can. As we celebrate Older Americans Month this May and Senior Citizen Month in August, this year's theme is Champion Your Health. It reminds us that prevention, wellness, and personal responsibility are key to healthy aging. On April 15th, we saw that spirit in action as we celebrated the 42nd anniversary of the Senior Hall of Fame. We honored 37 outstanding senior nominees who together have contributed more than 900 years of volunteer service to our city and our community. Their work spans education, faith, civic engagement, organizations, and countless acts of service that continues to strengthen our city. One inductee, and she gave me permission for this, at 90 years young, still volunteers and sometimes take the bus to do so. So there's no excuse. Because during the ceremony, 11 extraordinary seniors were inducted into the Senior Hall of Fame. We thank the mayor, and I'm going to say my administrator, and council, because you all are so supportive to the senior programs. And supporting senior programs recognizes the value of older adults, such as myself. I try to make sure y'all know that I'm a senior. And fighting against ageism. Earlier today, the mayor, such a sweetheart, presented these 11 inductees with keys to the city. And what I'm going to ask now is, I'm going to call your names. And if you like, you can stand. Otherwise, you can remain seated. We honored Dr. Cody Clark. If you like, you can hold your applause. That'll help me get through the names. I'm like the chair. You're speaking my language. Help me well. Lynn Harold Johnson. Pastor Deborah Hill. Teresa Jones. Thomas Lally. Lizzie Latimer. That's our 90. Year Young. Person. Madeline O'Berry. Marion Tagler Reno. Okay, Marcy. Thank you. Tagler Reno. And Danny White. Roma, Regu, and Virginia Ryan are not with us today. But we wanted them all to know that we appreciate them. Now you can applaud. Today, of course, with the leaders of the Sunshine Senior Center, Marcy Neal, who is the Recreation Supervisor 2, and Carol Ware, who is the Recreation Supervisor 1. Carol has been in this business of recognizing the Senior Hall of Fame and contributing to that for years. I just joined her five years ago. But I'm very honored for Marcy and Carol and the support of our administration and my boss right there that tries to hide Rick for what they do and what we all do for our senior community. It also makes this world a better place. Council Member Givens. Thank you, Chair. I'd be remiss if I didn't say just a few words because I know just about each and every one of you. From T to T, Teresa to Tom. You all have each touched my life and impacted my life in one way or another. To my cousin, Pastor Hill, my fraternity brother, Dr. Clark, congratulations to each and every one of you. You have earned this recognition. May God bless you with health, wealth, and happiness. Congratulations. So although you all are on the Hall of Fame, I still expect to see you all in our community doing what you do. Because I will tell you, every time that I see you all out there, you're giving back. And we need as much of that as we can to keep our community going. So thank you for everything you do. Next up. And if you all, again, if you want to stay, you can stay. But you're welcome to leave now if you want to do that. Well, I also want to make sure we have other people coming. I don't want people trampling over each other. Thank you all. I want to go through your calls. So yeah, I think that's what we're going to get. They're following directions, Madam Chair. Yeah, no. I want to make sure they get out of here safe. Yeah, yeah. Okay, next up, we have the five of National Public Works Week proclamation with our mayor. Again, Mayor Walsh. Thank you, Madam Chair. This is not my twin. This is Paul Tankersley. Trying to catch up with him on the bow ties. But we're going to start off this National Public Works Week proclamation with a video. Great. My name is Sylvia Rosario. I am the first Hispanic, Latina, female chief plant operator for the city of St. Petersburg. You don't wake up wanting to be a chief plant operator or a wastewater operator. This is a job that you are either born into, your parents did it, or maybe your family member did it, or it falls out of the sky for you. It fell out of the sky for me. I was a nail tech, and I came to my wastewater interview with beautiful old nails, fancy air, all the makeup, and the operators and the team behind the table, they looked and they were like, what is she thinking? We sat down, we had a great conversation, they had confidence in me, and it happened. I was like, hi, I don't know if I want to do this. This is crazy. The change is so big. And I decided to go for it. I figured, you know, I had four sons at the time, and they deserved better. I looked up to my mother. She also was a single mother. We were living in New York, in the Bronx. She went back to Puerto Rico with me, where I went to school, went to high school, some college. I looked up to her, and she was always so proud of anything I did. That was very encouraging to me, to see that no matter what, how simple something I did, she was always a big cheerleader. Two of my sisters were older than me, and they also were accomplished, so I had that to look up to. So I had a lot of females to look up to. Of course, my favorite color is pink. This is a very male-dominated field. I want to say I've met four to five female operators, so I always keep my office as girly as I can, because I tell the guys I am part of this team, but I'm still a girl. I'm very proud of what I've done. I'm very proud to work for the city. I'm very proud of what we do. I'm proud of the water we put out. We do it for the environment. We do it for our children, for your children, for our families, for the families out there. You have to be driven in life. There has to be a goal, and there has to be a reason. There will be obstacles, but you have to be the person sitting back figuring out how you're going to approach those obstacles and how you're going to get through them. My definition of a trailblazer is a person that has a vision and can see an opportunity come their way. Just grab onto that goal and know that you have a meaning and a reason and go for it. It continues to break barriers in a very traditional male-dominated field. I know we all take pride in knowing that our leadership and staff innovate and problem-solve with the support of a diverse staff in a way that inspires others to study our model and our way of work. You've all heard all year long about our recent public works reaccreditation, and that work continues as we focus on ensuring that our city is resilient. Claude, thank you and your team for your great work on that. We are who we are due to our employees, and with that, we have our public works administrator, Claude Tankersley, and our public works employees to join me at the podium, if y'all would, for the reading of the proclamation. Y'all can come on over. Thank you all for your service. Appreciate it. Great video. Thank you. And it reads, Whereas public works professionals focus on infrastructure, facilities, and services that are of vital importance to sustainable and resilient communities and to the public 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 at 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 our community. And whereas the year 2026 marks the 66th annual National Public Works Week sponsored by the American Public Works Association. Now, therefore, I, Kenneth T. Welch, Mayor of the City of St. Petersburg, do hereby proclaim May 17th through May 23rd, 2026 as National Public Works Week in St. Petersburg and ask citizens to join with representatives of the American Public Works Association 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 health, safety, and advancing the quality of life for all. Thank you all for your great work. So before I get started, actually, I'd like to, we have a whole lot of people in here from public works. So we have six people that I want to recognize, but all those who are public works folks, would you mind standing just so that they can recognize you guys? And I'd also like to ask Whitney if you'd come on up to join this group. I'd appreciate it. So, I am old enough to remember when I was in college in engineering, there were not a lot of females in engineering college. I'm told now that females make up greater than half of engineering college students, and so we've made a lot of pride, made a lot of strides, I should say, in the last 35 years. And when I went to work within the industry, there was even fewer females within public works, and it was a very male-dominated industry, as Sylvia mentioned during her video. So today, I wanted to take an opportunity to recognize the women of public works. And I have with me today seven women that I want to recognize, and if you guys don't mind when I read your name, if you would wave or step forward in some way, let people know who you are. And so, let me begin. We'll start with Jennifer Anderson. Jennifer? Yes, she is. So, Jennifer is our asset management manager, and Jennifer is in our newest department, our asset management office, which is, I think, two years old now. Jennifer has been with the city for 20 years this July. So, Jennifer serves as the manager of the asset management office and is the only female member of the department. In the role that she has, she navigates complex and unprecedented challenges, making decisions on matters that have not previously been addressed with the City of St. Petersburg organization. Her leadership is grounded in empathy, while maintaining a strong focus on achieving organizational goals. She has also led a transformative initiative to consolidate data on all city-owned utilities into a single CMMS application. That's one of those many acronyms we love to throw around in public works. To improve the efficiency and standardization in asset management. Looking ahead, Jennifer aims to develop a comprehensive capital asset registry to support data-driven, forward-looking budget planning. Thank you very much to Jennifer. And if you guys don't mind, I'm going to take the clue from the previous folks, and let's hold our applause until I get through my seven folks here. So, the next person would be Maureen Wingfield. Maureen, you're probably right behind me. Yeah, there you are. There you go. So, Maureen is within our engineering department. She is a senior professional engineer, and she's been with the city now for seven years. Maureen is the city's first, I'll say that again, is the city's first, design-build Institute of America certified professional. She has demonstrated strong leadership and a commitment to advancing innovative project delivery practices. She is also a licensed professional engineer with extensive experience in both design and construction administration, giving her a well-rounded perspective on capital projects. Recently, one of her city projects was awarded the first nationally recognized Envision Award for the city of St. Petersburg, and it happened to be a project where Sylvia is the chief operator for the plant. So, there's a lot of synergy going on back here. In addition, Maureen is an accomplished projects manager who consistently leads complex projects and programs. Her leadership and accomplishments make her a strong role model for others in the field. Thank you, Maureen. Next, I'd like to recognize Michaela Clem from our fleet. There she is. Thank you. So, Michaela is in our fleet group, fleet division, department, forgive me, and she is the automotive parts clerk, and she has been with the city for three years. She was selected to be represented today as the only woman in the parts shop and the sole female blue-collar employee in fleet management. So, she's really blazing some grounds there. She brings a unique and important perspective to the department. Her prior experience in automotive and power sports parts, including work at a Toyota dealership, provides her with a strong technical knowledge base. She also serves on the Public Works Employee Inclusivity Committee and participates in community events, demonstrating her commitment to both inclusion and public service. Next, I'd like to introduce Chelsea Freeman. There she is. Thank you, Chelsea. Chelsea is with our Office of Sustainability and Resilience. She is our Urban Forester and Sustainability Coordinator. She's been with the city for two and a half years. Chelsea serves as the city's Urban Forester and Sustainability Coordinator, a role that requires technical expertise, field-based problem solving, and a strong commitment to the community. She leads efforts such as tree canopy analysis, urban forestry planning, and community tree plantings, while also engaging residents through outreach and events. Chelsea consistently demonstrates a strong passion for environmental stewardship and public service in the city of St. Petersburg. Next, I'd like to introduce Joanna Williams, right behind me. Joanna is with our Stormwater Pavement and Traffic Operations Department, and she is a Stormwater Utilities Maintenance Apprentice, and she's been with us for six months. Joanna is part of the city's efforts to replace and maintain critical infrastructure in our stormwater system. She joined the team after transitioning from a previous career in nursing, bringing with her a strong work ethic and service-oriented mindset. She is hardworking, eager to learn, and consistently demonstrates a positive attitude in the field. Her willingness to grow and adapt has made her a valued member of the team, supporting essential infrastructure work across the city. And next, I'd like to have Sylvia Rosario, our lady in the video, our trailblazer in the video. And her job title is she is a Chief Plant Operator at the Northwest Water Reclamation Facility. Now, remember, we have three water reclamation facilities. She is the chief operator of one of them in the Northwest. She has been with the city for 14 years. And Sylvia, as she mentioned in the video, is the first Hispanic female chief operator and a respected leader in water reclamation operations. She consistently demonstrates professionalism, technical expertise, and a strong commitment to her team. Through her exceptional work at the Northwest Water Reclamation Facility and her willingness to take on added responsibilities, she consistently goes above and beyond to support her team and contribute to its success. She actively represents the city at job fairs, outreach events, and plant tours, helping to inspire our next generation, especially young women, to see themselves not only in this industry, but in leadership roles as well. And finally, she didn't know I was going to do this. Finally, I want to introduce Whitney Blair. Whitney, there you go. Thank you. So Whitney is a special projects manager in the public works administration. So she serves at administration level, not a department level. Whitney is my right hand on all issues regarding the APWA accreditation process. As a matter of fact, she took us across the finish line in getting us reaccredited this past year. And that's a tough, tough job to have. And so Whitney also kind of helps me out when I will forget things such as, you know, putting stuff together to share with others. She keeps me on my toes, and I'm always grateful for her backup and her support. And she shares the office with me, so come by and say hello whenever you're down my way. So I just wanted to highlight the women within public works. We could talk, I could talk, as you guys know, a long time about public works. But I'm just so proud of the fact that we here in St. Pete provide opportunities for everybody who wants to serve the citizens in a public work role. We provide those opportunities. We have a lot of trailblazers here, and we have a lot of people that are going to take us to the next level. And I couldn't be more proud. So thank you very much. Councilmember Gibbons. Thank you. Really quick. I just want to thank you ladies so much for just being fierce sheroes. You know, they say who runs rural girls. I really thank you all of the ones who are running things, but you're also running St. Pete. You're keeping our stormwater system, our wastewater system, our traffic lights, everything. You keep this city running and operating so that we don't have to call PD in the middle of an emergency. So thank you all so much for what you do. And I just want to say, again, you know, when you look at the future of St. Petersburg, there are so many opportunities, and you guys are a prime example of the employment opportunities that are waiting for young women to grow up and take one day. So thank you all so much. Thank you, Chair. Thank you. And I also want to extend my thanks for everything you do, for being trailblazers, and not only you all, because someone opened the door for you. So I would hope to see in the future more ladies like you all in your fields and you opening those doors and passing it on to the next generation, because it really is wonderful to see different, like, fields of work change. Like, he mentioned engineering. It was the same thing in law. It's the same thing in every field. There was a time where you didn't see women do certain jobs, and you're changing that. And don't forget that. And some days may be difficult, but, you know, there's a lot of people supporting you, and we see you. So thank you very much for what you do. Thank you. Okay. So what we're going to do, and I want to make sure Administrator Gerdes and Mayor, like, I know that we're going to have a large group coming at one point. I don't want to, like, interrupt anyone while they're giving a presentation. We can take a quick break to let, like, the big groups come in at some point. So just let me know when, and we'll do it between breaks, because I don't want, while the mayor is speaking, someone to interrupt. Thank you. Callie is downstairs, so Rita can coordinate with her maybe after this one. Yeah, we could kind of, yeah, get people in here. Thank you, Chair. Absolutely, and we'll let this group make their way out, and those that are making their way out, if they can make their way out to downstairs. And for those that are here for the later items, don't worry. We will make sure that everyone is up here. We just want to make sure we don't interrupt the mayor while he's speaking or the presentation with a lot of people coming in, but it looks like that is happening now. So we will wait. Best laid plans. Best, you know. Hey, Chair, if I may, I just want to let Mayor Welch know, I don't know if that was intentional or not, Mayor, but I did notice that you wore the bow tie for Clyde today, so I caught that. You're very perceptive, Council Member. Yes. If anybody is out there, someone could just let them know. If they're going to come in, they should come in now. If not, they can wait downstairs, and we'll make sure they're up here for the presentation, because we'll have the mayor and others here waiting. Okay. At this point, we are going to start with D9 Law Enforcement Appreciation Month proclamation, and I'll turn it over to the mayor. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. In the city of St. Petersburg, we annually recognize our appreciation for our law enforcement team. I'm joined by Chief Holloway and his leadership team as I make this presentation. I know you all look forward to his report later on in today's meeting about public safety in the city. The city of St. Petersburg is blessed to have the best law enforcement team in the country. The brave men and women who serve our city serve and lead daily with respect and dignity while they put their lives at risk for our community's safety and welfare. And we're all grateful for their sacrifice and for that of their families. We couldn't be proud of our police department. Our leadership is top tier, and our public safety agency is accredited. Our training, education, prevention programs, and cutting-edge technology helps us reduce and solve crime throughout our city. This proclamation is one small way that we recognize their efforts and demonstrate our commitment to them. And the proclamation reads, Whereas the safety and security of our community are paramount, and whereas law enforcement officers dedicate themselves to protecting and serving our citizens with courage, integrity, and professionalism, and whereas these brave men and women risk their lives daily to uphold the laws that safeguard our neighborhoods, businesses, and families, and whereas law enforcement appreciation month provides an opportunity for us to express our gratitude and admiration for their unwavering commitment to public safety, and whereas their dedication often goes unrecognized, yet their contributions are invaluable to the fabric of our society, and whereas their sacrifices and selfless service deserve our utmost respect and support, and whereas we honor their bravery, sacrifice, and unwavering dedication to the protection of our community. Now, therefore, I, Kenneth T. Welch, Mayor of the City of St. Petersburg, do hereby proclaim May 2026 as Law Enforcement Appreciation Month in St. Petersburg, and I call upon all citizens to join me in recognizing the invaluable contributions of our law enforcement officers and expressing our deepest appreciation for their service. Thank you all for your service. Mayor, City Council, on behalf of the men and women of the St. Petersburg Police Department and law enforcement throughout the nation, I just want to say thank you because you honor the men and women that have gone before that gave the ultimate sacrifice, and these men and women stand prepared today to also give the ultimate sacrifice. So, again, thank you very much for this acknowledgement. Thank you. And I have to say, Chief, and I know I speak for City Council when I say this, any time that I reach out, whether to you or your command staff or anyone in the police department, I will tell you, whatever is needed, you are on top of it. And, I mean, it is remarkable. We get an email, there is an issue, and the response is, it's getting handled. And it is not just appreciated by us, obviously, but by the residents of St. Petersburg. We had a huge issue recently in my district with people that had basically taken over a house in a neighborhood and basically had made that area kind of unlivable for the rest of the residents that were in that area. And the amount of work that you all did from reaching out an out-of-state, you know, owner of the property, I mean, things that people do not realize that the police actually do, right, because you all see them out there and you think their work is just there in the field, but they are doing other things outside of that. And the amount of work it took from getting that out-of-state resident, getting the legal things you needed done, you know, appropriately with the attorney, everything, to allowing that neighborhood to be back in the hands of the neighborhood and not of the people that were doing what they were not supposed to be doing. And then hearing from your officers telling me, you know, we're probably going to have a pizza party afterwards and celebrate with the residents, you know, the fact that they have their neighborhood back. And that is the type of service that our police department is doing day in and day out. Some issues may be more challenging than others, and it takes a little bit longer to resolve, but the point is they're always looking for innovative solutions in dealing with these situations that arise on a daily basis. And I just wanted to say that we acknowledge it, we know it, and whatever you need from us, we are here. So thank you for everything you do in your service. Thank you. Next item we have is D6, and it is EMS Week Proclamation, and Councilmember Figg Sanders will be presenting the proclamation. For those that are here for that proclamation, if they can join Councilmember Figg Sanders at the podium. Good afternoon. Thank you. So this, you know, I couldn't push my button because I was down here, but our law enforcement has always been a priority for me, and I do want to take this opportunity to salute them. But now we are going to celebrate our emergency medical services area of the city of St. Petersburg, and I was so honored to be able to present this proclamation. The National EMS Week takes place from May 17th through May 23rd, and this annual observance was first established by President Gerald Ford in 1974, which honors emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and the entire emergency medical services workforce for their life-saving work. The National Emergency Medical Services Week, it brings together local communities and medical personnel to honor the dedication of those who provide the day-to-day life-saving services of medicine's front line. EMS Week is a time to thank our paramedics, our EMTs, and the entire EMS workforce for their service and sacrifices. And that word service coupled with sacrifices mean a lot. It is also an opportunity for EMS to continue to raise public awareness about the critical role of EMS in the community. So the theme for 2026 this year is Improving Outcomes Together, and the proclamation reads as such. Whereas emergency medical services is a vital public service, and whereas the members of St. Petersburg Fire Rescue are ready to provide life-saving care to those in need 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And whereas access to quality emergency care dramatically improves the survival and recovery rate of those who experience sudden illness or injury. And whereas emergency medical services has grown to fill a gap by providing important out-of-hospital care, including preventative medicine, follow-up care, and access to telemedicine. And whereas the 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 the members of emergency medical services teams engage in thousands of hours of specialized training and continuing education to enhance their life-saving skills. And whereas it's important to recognize the value and the accomplishments of emergency medical services providers by designating emergency medical services week. Now, therefore, I, Councilmember Deborah Figg Sanders, on behalf of Mayor Kenneth T. Welch, Mayor of St. Petersburg, Florida, in recognition of this event, do hereby proclaim the week of May 17th through May 23rd, 2026, as Emergency Medical Services Week in St. Petersburg, and encourage the community to observe this week with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities. We celebrate you. And now I'm going to ask our fire chief, Mr. Keith Watts, to please come up. Thank you. Mayor, council chair, vice chair, council members, and members of the St. Petersburg community. We thank you for your continued support of fire rescue. May 17th through May 23rd is the 52nd anniversary of National EMS Week. The theme is improving outcomes together. The city of St. Petersburg and St. Petersburg Fire Rescue began providing EMS service in 1974. EMS Week and this proclamation are to highlight our gratitude towards EMTs and paramedics who provide life-saving care throughout our community day and night. They do it in sunshine, during hurricanes, and on holidays and anniversaries. In many environments such as businesses, homes, roadways, and waterways, EMS Week offers a time to educate the public about EMS and the essential services provided to our residents and visitors as well as reducing preventable injuries. St. Petersburg Fire Rescue offers CPR classes and connects with the community to provide safety, themed children books, fall prevention materials, and drowning prevention, just to name a few. St. Pete Fire Rescue responded to over 55,000 EMS responses in 2025. Some EMS incidents require multiple fire rescue apparatus to respond and provide quality patient care to residents and visitors. Our total apparatus responses, response in 2025 was over 63,000 calls. Currently, we have over 375 sworn members who serve our community as firefighter, as firefighter paramedics, paramedics, and EMTs and we're grateful for their dedicated service and providing exceptional emergency services to our citizens and visitors. Thank you. Thank you. Council Member Givens. Thank you so much, Chair, and thank you, Chief, and to your entire team, the 375 individuals who are working to make sure that St. Petersburg is paramount when it comes to public safety. I have benefited from your services. So many people who I know have personally benefited from your services. You all are human lifesavers, and I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you so much. Thank you, Chair. Thank you. Council Member Fick Sanders. I'm going to be quick. I had to run up and hit my button. So again, it was an honor to read the proclamation for this valuable week, but again, I know what you do firsthand. I lived that life for many years, and to know that every time you go on a call, you just never know what you're going to be met with, and so again, I thank you. I thank you, and I thank you, and I want to continue to have you walk our streets, walk our city, provide service, but I need you to be safe for that. Thank you. I do appreciate everything that you do for our city. Thank you. Thank you. So, Chief, just like I spoke about our police department, that's how I feel about your department, our fire department, our EMS and paramedics. I will tell everyone here, if you haven't gone to your fire station and visited your fire station recently, you should. You should definitely visit them because that is a community space, and you can go and say hi, and they will appreciate that unless they're running out on a call, but 55,000 calls you mentioned, Chief, and how many of those end up being life-or-death situations. And when I say life-or-death situations, because I've heard of some of the calls that they have had where they've saved someone, it's been seconds, the difference between seconds between them living. And that's why it's so important that we support our fire department and we make sure that they have the tools that they need so they can provide the services to our community and they can be there when their community needs them most. And so I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I know that every council member up here, whether they've spoken or not spoken, feels the same way about our fire department. We always appreciate how much that you keep us involved and you communicate with us, and that's really important. So thank you so much. Okay. We are going to move on to the next item, which is item D4. It's the National Water Safety Month Proclamation. For anyone that is here for that item, if they can join Council Member Gerdes, who will be presenting it. Thank you, Madam Chair. And I think we have Parks and Rec. We've got St. Pete Fire Rescue, I think, still for this one. And so it's always bittersweet this proclamation. Obviously, our Parks Department, our Parks and Rec Department, and our Fire and Rescue keep our city safe, and they do a great job of that. And thankfully, we're not dealing with this issue like some other communities across the country are as often as they are. And I know you have heard the story, but listen, I was talking about water safety in a house with a net around it. My son walks out a back door. He thinks he can't get out of, or I think he can't get out of. Smart little two-year-old. And walks into a pool. And I had no idea it was happening. College swimmer. Could swim before I could walk. Was a lifeguard at St. Pete Pools. And it happened to me. And let me be very clear, it didn't happen to my wife. She wasn't there. It was my fault. And her brother, or his brother, I'm getting, sorry. Callie saved his life. Period. Full stop. His three-year-old daughter, three-year-old sister saved his life. And so it can happen anywhere, at any time, in any moment, when we're talking about drowning prevention. And so as much as, again, the people behind me are doing the work every day to make sure that that doesn't happen, and we need to celebrate the work that they're doing, we also need to remind ourselves that it can happen anywhere, at any time. And so, I'll read the proclamation on Water Safety Month. Whereas, drowning remains a leading cause of preventable injury and death among young children. And water safety is a shared responsibility requiring education, vigilance, and community commitment. And whereas, in Pinellas County, 75% of all submersion incidents occur at beaches, or at residential and community pools. And 26% of these incidents involve children with autism. And whereas, data from the Florida Department of Health and the Florida Department of Children and Families report that in 2025, Pinellas County experienced 27 drowning fatalities. 25 of those fatalities were children. And whereas, evidence shows that drowning incidents can be reduced through public education. vigilant adult supervision around all bodies of water, enrollment in formal swimming lessons, installation of appropriate safety barriers, and training in CPR. And whereas, by raising awareness and promoting proven water safety practices, the City of St. Petersburg remains committed to educating the community and preventing the tragic and lasting impacts of drowning. And now, therefore, I, Councilmember Copley-Gerdis, on behalf of Kenneth T. Welch, the Mayor of the City of St. Petersburg, do hereby proclaim May 2026 as Water Safety Month in St. Petersburg. And I urge all citizens to join me in actively protecting our children by promoting to learn, by promoting learn-to-swim programs and parental caregiver awareness. Thank you. Good afternoon and thank you, Chair, Vice Chair, Councilmembers. Thank you, Councilmember Gerdis. I want to say thank you for this opportunity. Aquatics Division of Parks and Recreation and FIRE has really partnered this month for the month of May to recognize water safety and drowning prevention. And so, thank you to Chief Watts, Chief Judah, Chief Gibson, Alana, and Alexa for the partnership that you have, you and your team, have provided with us. You know, we have done several things and just to give you an idea of some of the things that we have done for Water Safety Month in the month of May. Water, fire, we came together to do a car wash. All those funds that were collected, it was over $1,800, are going towards free swim lessons for people in the community. We also came together to do Water Safety Day, whereas then FIRE again came and partnered with us. They brought out the FIRE engines. We had CPR demonstrations. JWB came out with some more education. Safe Kids came out with education. FIRE handed out lots of life jackets. They fitted and gave out free life jackets to kids in the community. We also did swim lesson evaluations because we know being able to have the access to pools, swim lessons, learning how to swim, that education, that all makes drownings preventable. And so that's what we want to do, make sure people have the education, they are provided with the opportunity to learn how to swim. We want to make sure that it's affordable. So we have scholarships that are available. People have donated to us. So we want to thank those in the community that have taken the time to recognize the importance of water safety and drowning prevention, especially in the month of May. Summer is here. It's time to, you know, get ready. Kids can come all ages, six months, all the way up to 18 adults, parent-child lessons. They're available. Our pools will be open this weekend and we are ready. Thank you. Well, thank you all for everything you do. A special thanks, Council Member Gertes. You always share that personal story and I think it's really important. Every year, every time I hear you say it, you know, it makes me want to cry because I have a child but it goes to show you that it can happen to anybody and with children, it's a split second. I mean, we were in a meeting and they were talking about a child who was out in the road and it was by the highway and one of our employees, it was at the award ceremony, found him on the street and it was a toddler and these things happen in a split of a second and we live in a place where there's lots of pools, lots of water, everywhere you go so public service announcement if you have not learned how to swim, we have lots of programs, the city has lots of programs and you just have to reach out to your fire department or our aquatics team or our parks and recs team and they can guide you in the right direction. Thank you. Yes. Okay. We are next moving up to D10. It is Nicholas Nick Grasso Day Proclamation and I believe if the family is out there or anybody that needs to come in. Just walked in. They're walking in just in time. So for those that are here for the proclamation, the family, if they can join Council Member Gerdes up at the podium, you can join them at the podium. Right ahead. Well, administration was very nice to let me do this so I didn't end on water safety day and so I get to celebrate a little bit. Frankly, it's a big honor to be up here celebrating who I call Coach Nick Grasso. The Gerdes and Grasso families go back on the west side a pretty long time. Coach Grasso actually coached Rob at St. Pete College. I'm sorry you had to deal with that. But what Mr. Grasso has done for this community both in education and athletics, I wouldn't need to tell the story. All you have to do is will his family and friends who are here, will you stand up for a second? This is all you need to know about somebody when they're being recognized like we did earlier is when people show up like this, he did something right. Right? And so thank you for being here and supporting Coach. Thank you for giving your life to kids in this community to education, to sports. I got to play against a couple of his sons. They kicked my butt, frankly. And so it's just really an honor and a blessing to be celebrating you today and giving you a day here in St. Petersburg. So I'm going to read the proclamation and then there'll be one more quick introduction before I let Coach Grasso at the mic. So here's the proclamation. Whereas, Nick Grasso has dedicated more than 35 years to advancing high school athletics and education in the state of Florida, leaving a lasting impact on countless students, educators, and communities. And whereas, Coach Grasso served with distinction as the president of the Florida High School Athletic Association Board of Directors from 2003 to 2004 and as athletic director for Pinellas County Schools for 11 years, demonstrating exemplary leadership and commitment to student-athlete development. And whereas, in recognition of his outstanding contributions, Coach Grasso has been inducted into the Florida High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame as part of its 35th class, an honor reserved for individuals whose service has made a significant and lasting impact on interscholastic athletics. And whereas, as principal of Clearwater High School, he led with excellence, guiding the school to three-state championships and five-state runner-up finishes, and that ain't easy, fostering a culture of achievement, discipline, and pride. And whereas, beyond his professional accomplishments, administrator and Coach Grasso has played a pivotal role in mentoring and encouraging students, including providing personal support that helped individuals overcome challenges and achieve educational success. and whereas, his legacy reflects a lifelong commitment to leadership, mentorship, and the empowerment of young people to reach their full potential. Now, therefore, I, Council Member Copley Gerdes, on behalf of Kenneth T. Welch, Mayor of City of St. Petersburg, do hereby proclaim Thursday, May 21st, 2026, as Nicholas Nick Grasso Day in St. Petersburg, Florida, and encourage all residents to join in celebrating his achievements and enduring impact on our community. Congratulations, Coach. So, Coach Grasso has one of his former students here. Esther, do you want to say a couple of words? Good afternoon. I am the other person. I have often talked about someone who pushed me to go to college, but I want to formally stand here and say there were two heroes in my life as a kid, and it was my mom, and it was Nicholas Grasso. Mom handled the home front, and Mr. Grasso handled the school. And I know you won't believe this, but I was a horrible student. I was loud, consistently trying to get myself suspended. But Mr. Grasso was very clear, I'm not going to let you go home. I'm going to put you in my office, and you're going to do your work. And I know he's done this to tons of kids, but what I remember is not just do your work. What are you going to do after school? And it's because of him that I'm here, so y'all can blame him. But this man, this is important, but I tell you, it's not enough for his footprint. Not only in my life, but I know in countless lives, I want to introduce THE Nicholas Grasso. Gosh, when I go out, I'm going to have to carry those two with me. Well, I tell you what, I have been blessed, fortunate. I get emotional, these things. But at all, this is a reflection of my parents. I just pass it on, and that's what we all should do. I surrounded myself with really good people. Started with mom and dad. I got the best wife in the world, the best teammate you can have. My son's the best. I got some great friends here today. They're wonderful. Just, it's really good. And it's a good day in St. Pete and a good day for the Grasso family. I would like to recognize a couple, I mean, we're city people. I was born and raised here, a second generation immigrant, or people from Italy. And, but I got a niece. Where is she at? Stephanie. Stephanie works in your water department. Sheldon, a nephew. He works in the traffic division. I got another nephew, Matthew. Matt, he's a firefighter paramedic. I got another firefighter paramedic nephew who's not with us. A police officer, a niece of mine. She's a police officer. And then I got one of my two older brothers that is here. He's a retired firefighter paramedic. And my other brother is a firefighter paramedic. So, I mean, we're... You might have the Gerdes' beat. I don't, I don't know. I think, I think you got us. We got, and it's really good. I was a kid, you know, I grew up in the home where there was, dad worked three jobs. Mom, mom did not have a driver's license. We went everywhere by the bus. St. Pete did not have it going on. What y'all got going on today, you keep it going. It's called progress. It's called opportunities. The successes of the job that I had, people like Esther just, you know, she has just blossomed into just a wonderful, wonderful individual that has a, man, she's got it going on. And I know, because I follow it. I follow what all y'all do. I stay involved. I stay involved in the community. But St. Pete's the spot, period. And I love it here. So anyhow, thank you once again so much. I can't thank you guys enough. And to Mayor Wells, thank you. Rob, is Rob around? Rob had a go. Okay. He played for me at the college level when I was coaching at that point. I did a bunch of different things throughout my lifetime and my career. Turned a double play like Notre Dame all, man. A kid could play, but he had a great attitude. Super, super leadership like you're getting from Wells. And I look over to my right and I see the police chief. I had the opportunity to interact with him when I was the principal of Clearwater High when y'all got him from, I believe he was a captain at the time and y'all put him in this position. It's just, you couldn't have a better guy in the spot, man. I'm telling you. So I see it. I see it and very proud of it. Love St. Peter's, my wife and I, we drove from 34th Street to the beach off Central and drove around. It is nothing like when I was a kid. I mean, with USF down there and all the ongoings, just stay progressive. Keep it up. God bless. Well, Mr. Grasso, I have to say you have clearly honored your family and your roots with everything you've done for our city. The only thing I'm going to say is the proclamation says that your legacy reflects a lifelong commitment to leadership, mentorship, and the empowerment of young people to reach their full potential. I want to see that keep on going. It's not over. Good, good, good. Okay. Okay, next up, we have D3 and that is Asian American Pacific Islander Month Proclamation and Alisa, you're going to be presenting it. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. And for those, I'll take a minute, for those that were there for the last proclamation, you're welcome to leave and if there are any others that are outside that are going to be here for the last one, if you want to make your way up here, you can. I just don't want to interrupt the speakers when they're speaking. So, okay, go on. Okay. Madam Chair, Vice Chair, all of City Council, colleagues, neighbors, and friends. First, I'd like to ask, is there anyone else in the audience that's not here? We may have lost a few who had to go get back to work, but I've got a few here behind me. My name is Alisa Ponzil and Randall and I am the Managing Director for Communications and Community Engagement in the Mayor's Office and it's an honor to work here at the city and to be a member of Mayor Welch's leadership team, which is, as many of you know, very diverse in its own right. And so, communicating Mayor Welch's vision, his pillars, and principles like inclusive progress and intentional equity in a city like St. Pete during a tenuous time in our state and our nation makes days like today incredibly rewarding and fulfilling and we are St. Pete. So, on behalf of my fellow Asian Americans who are present and those who are joining us in spirit, I am pleased to recognize Asian American Pacific Islander Month with this 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 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 historical milestones, the immigration of the first Japanese people to the United States 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, the city of St. Petersburg treasures its longstanding relationship with Takamatsu Japan, our sister city for more than 60 years and our exchange program remains a special opportunity to embody the deep-rooted connection between our cities and St. Petersburg's commitment to cultural enrichment for young people and their families. And whereas, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are integral to our history, our culture, and respective communities locally and beyond. Now, therefore, I, Aliza Punzlan Randall, on behalf of Kenneth T. Welch, mayor of the city of St. Petersburg, Florida, do hereby proclaim the month of May 2026 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in St. Petersburg. And I also urge citizens, government agencies, institutions, businesses, and schools to celebrate the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Thank you. All right, so I'd like to introduce a few people who are standing behind me and then I'm going to ask one of them to provide a few remarks. Okay, so we have Brandy Ford. She started a new business here in St. Pete called Hanalei Hawaiian Shaved Ice. Welcome, Brandy. Leo Anderson. Is Leo still here? Leo was, he was here. He is the founder of the new Queer Asian Museum. That's another new business here in downtown. Tian Yu. Tian's right here. She's the founder of the very popular Tiger Tail Asian Film Festival. We're so excited that it was very successful this year. It's going to be again for next year. Welcome, Tian. And then some of my colleagues, Andy Chee, Event Recruitment and Management Coordinator, Tony Chan, Economic Development Specialist, and Brajesh Preyman. I feel like you're like the city council whisperer, Director of Engineering, Brajesh. And then I think RJ, I don't know if he's still here, RJ Kiyomek was here with the St. Pete Youth Farm. But I also want to welcome Chris Lee. He is, many of you have probably been to and tasted some of the very delicious fare at the Asian Mega Market Festivals. And so this is Chris who's going to come on up and say a few words. Chris. Thank you. Sure. Thank you so much, city council member and Mayor Welch for giving us proclamation for our Asian and American Pacific Islanders Month. Our goal here at the Mega Night Market is to showcase our rich culture throughout the community and it's great to do that and to be in the city of St. Pete, born and raised here to showcase our culture throughout the Mega Night Market Festivals and throughout all of the city. We are really grateful to be here and recognizing us. Thank you so much. Yes, we have a festival this weekend at the Wind Derby from Friday to Sunday. Thank you. So I just, I want to say for, you know, when we were hearing from Mr. Grosso earlier how much St. Petersburg has changed, it's wonderful to see the different cultures that are coming more, that you see more and more in our city and it brings our city to where I think it should be, right? A clearly diverse city representing what our country is, which is a melting pot, right? And you clearly represent that and so I really appreciate all your contributions. I know that I work with some of you on a daily basis and we're very lucky to have you do what you do for our city and the fact that we are acknowledging the contribution of our Asian American and Pacific Islander family here in our community I think is important and I'm glad that we do this as a city and I think everybody should be going to the festival and what date is it again? Tomorrow, Friday, to Sunday. Tomorrow, Friday to Sunday. So where is it located? Okay. 10-490 Gandy Boulevard. 10-490 Gandy Boulevard. Okay, all weekend. Thank you. Thank you. All right. We're going to go to item D8 and Council Chair Hanowitz is going to present. Well, thank you, Vice Chair. This is a little different than some of the proclamations and awards that we have just presented. We are here right now honoring the life of a very important member of our community who is no longer with us and at this time I would have, if you can, Joe, if you can join me here and if you have any family members with you, if you can join me here at the podium, I would appreciate that. And any of the other, there's a few individuals that are going to be speaking. You can also join us here. To the Reed family, to the Reed family, friends, and residents of St. Petersburg, today we pause to honor the life of Robin Reed, a woman whose love for this city was visible in so many corners of our community. Robin understood that preserving history is not simply about protecting buildings or landscapes. It is about protecting identity, memory, and the character of a place that we call home. Through her leadership with Preserve the Berg, the Historical Northeast Neighborhood Association, the Community Planning and Preservation Commission, and Sunken Gardens, Robin helped ensure that future generations would inherit a St. Petersburg that still reflects its history, beauty, and authenticity. She brought passion, intellect, kindness, and determination to every cause she embraced, whether advocating for historic preservation, restoring gardens, or strengthening community institutions. Robin served with grace and conviction. On behalf of the Mayor and City Council, we extend our deepest condolences to her husband, Joe, her children and grandchildren, and all who loved her. We are grateful for Robin Reed's extraordinary service to the City of St. Petersburg, and it is my honor now to read this resolution of memorial tribute to the family and friends of Robin Reed. Whereas, we are profoundly grieved by the passing of one of the City of St. Petersburg's most devoted guardians, Robin Reed, who, since her arrival in our city 25 years ago, served as a tireless protector of St. Petersburg's architecture, its green spaces, its stories, and its soul. And whereas Robin Reed brought rigor and passion as an influential leader in the work of protecting the city's built environment. She was devoted to educating communities about the importance of our history, and she understood that our landmarks from flamingos at Sunken Gardens to the sundial in Coffee Pot Park and all the historic buildings that still stand are the accumulated evidence of a community's history and identity. Robin knew that if we lose them, we lose something that cannot be rebuilt no matter how much glass and steel rises in their place. And whereas Robin Reed served the City of St. Petersburg with distinction as a two-term commissioner on the Community Planning and Preservation Commission, as president of Preserve the Berg, as a board member of the Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association, and as chair of its Historic Preservation Committee. In these capacities and beyond, Robin worked tirelessly to maintain an authentic sense of place not only for her neighborhood, historical Northeast, but for the City of St. Petersburg as a whole, and whereas Robin Reed's legacy will enrich the lives of others for generations to come, and whereas Robin Reed has been called from her season of service on March 24, 2026. Now, therefore, be it resolved by Mayor Kenneth T. Welch, Council Chair Lissette Hanowitz, and the St. Petersburg City Council that we, for ourselves and for the community she served so well, publicly acknowledge the depth of gratitude the City owes to Robin Reed for her untiring and steady, steadfast service. Be it further resolved that we express to the family and friends of Robin Reed our heartfelt condolences with the hope that they will take some measure of consolation in the knowledge that she gave herself wholeheartedly to the service of us. Thank you. I believe there are a few speakers, and if you want, Maureen, do you want to start it off, Jo? Do you want to say anything? Okay. I want to thank the Mayor for giving Robin this honour posthumously. I had started this effort two months before she passed, and I'm glad to be here now. And I apologise, but what I have to say is so important for Robin, for the community. Robin's work was extraordinary, from planting oak trees in the neighbourhood to getting Mirror Lake designed as a local landmark, she was stunningly effective. Through it all, we see a holistic picture of her philosophy on preservation. One of the ways Robin understood that history is most authentically preserved and most compellingly conveyed is through the irreplaceable inventory of historic buildings and spaces that define the city's character. These are the stories that form the soul of a place, and they draw hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to cities like New Orleans, Charleston, Savannah, and now St. Petersburg. They bear witness to what life once demanded, how generations survived and prospered through difficult times, the sacrifices and risks people took in building what would, in 1892, become the city of St. Petersburg. The railroads, the daring people who built them, and the people they brought to St. Petersburg who lit the flame for its birth, our citrus industry, which used to be where homes are now, our visionary pioneers who built world-class hotels and houses betting people would come, our survival through hurricanes, rollercoaster economic times, and much more. Robin reorganized, sorry, Robin recognized that growth without deliberate preservation is a form of omission. To neglect our historic inventory in the course in the course of the city's expansion is to risk becoming a place whose history no longer merits the telling. She was singular in that understanding. Her life's work stood as a testament to a fundamental truth that in striving to protect our greatest assets, we are safeguarding what is most essential, the shared cultural heritage of the city of St. Petersburg. Robin Reed's contributions to our city are far too encompassing to capture here, but in an attempt to honor her, let me try. She understood the deep meaning our history holds, not merely as storytelling, but as a source of pride for every citizen of St. Petersburg. We are a city like no other. Robin's tireless work to preserve our uniqueness was her gift to future generations. In her devotion, she engendered in us a deeper pride in knowing why we're so special, that we can point not just to buildings, but to a rich tapestry of landmarks that embody our distinctiveness, brings our shared truth to life. Robin knew that the more we grow, the more that specialness becomes our prized asset, a drive through any of the city's neighborhoods listed in the National Register of Historic Places, offers clear and moving evidence of how exceptional St. Petersburg is, and why we must hold fast to what makes us so. Robin gave enormously of herself to this cause. She deserves our deepest gratitude and respect for her devotion to preservation's higher meaning, the understanding that our history will not be written and new construction alone. It must include the keeping of what is valued from the past as we continue to define our future. Those who knew Robin well will find truth in the words of Joni Mitchell, don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got till it's gone. She knew, and because of her, so do we. Thank you. Hello, my name is Gary Mormino, retired professor from the University of South Florida. Robin Reed was one of the kindest, most curious, and most interesting persons I have ever known. She possessed a keen mind, a beautiful smile, and boundless energy for causes that matter. She, like so many predecessors, moved to St. Petersburg from someplace else and came to love it and its glorious architecture, especially her beloved Old Northeast. She did not move to St. Petersburg to retire. She moved her to create a new life, a new life in her adopted city. We met in the early 2000s after she and Joe had moved to the Old Northeast. She came to my office at USF to ask about historic architecture. I happened to have a huge pile of clippings from 1930s St. Petersburg Times. They had a weekly column called Little Houses in Old St. Petersburg, and Joe now has that document, by the way. Robin was a beautiful person who possessed an invaluable talent for bringing people together, particularly strangers for a common cause, historic preservation. Joe was her sidekick, her beloved husband, and supporter in every way. What a marriage. They often invited folks to their historic home to discuss and debate projects. Her legacy lives through the creation of Sunken Gardens Forever Foundation, her tireless work for Preserve the Berg, the Garden Club, and so much more. But most importantly, we will remember her cheerful disposition, her many friendships, her commitment to lost causes, as well as her pride to being a St. Petersburger. She made us and her city a better place. Thank you, Robin. Good afternoon, Derek Kilbourne, City's Planning Department. That was a beautiful tribute and opening to this, so I'll try to keep my remarks brief by saying that Robin Reed understood really the importance of place and placemaking, and she acted with great enthusiasm to motivate our residents toward action, and she inspired our residents to appreciate the buildings, the gardens and parks, and neighborhoods that make our community so special. Ms. Reed also understood the importance of a multidisciplinary and intergenerational approach, including our children. So not only was she there for each of those local landmark debates, which can be difficult, but she also used her talents in service to our youth through, for example, the City Builder Summer Camp, which used to serve kids 10 to 13 years old at the St. Pete Museum of History. Mrs. Reed didn't just express an opinion. More importantly, she acted and she planted seeds and she cultivated them in our community. On behalf of myself, the entire planning department, the Historic Preservation Division and staff, we are most grateful for her service to St. Petersburg and we will do our best to continue her legacy through our work. Thank you. Good afternoon. I'm Reed Freese from the Museum of History. Robin was the first non-native I met that fell so deeply in love with this city. Upon meeting her and talking to her, you'd think that she'd lived here her entire life. I met her when she joined the board of the museum. I just started there and she quickly helped me convince the remainder of the board that we needed to expand our mission rather than just having things on display to become an institution that went into the neighborhoods and helped neighborhoods realize what their history was, research their history, and helped historic homeowners understand their homes and their neighborhoods' history. She was very persuasive, right, if you knew her. I remember when she came up to me one day and was explaining to me about the flamingo issue at Sunken Gardens and asked if I could get the students at St. Pete High to raise money. So, yeah, very persuasive. There's now a flamingo called Pfeiffer named after Bob Pfeiffer who, of course, saved St. Pete High. When I started a St. Pete history class there at St. Pete High, she most graciously donated a number of her views from the Vannoy books so my students could learn about the hotel in the old northeast neighborhood. She was an amazing woman. In the modern era of out with the old and in with the new, we need more Robin Reads. This is the first time I should ever speak before Ray Arsenault. My name is Manny Leto. I'm the executive director of Preserve the Berg. I want to thank Chair Hanowitz and the mayor for this honor and I want to thank all, look at this turnout. So I want to thank all of you for being here. Robin served on the Preserve the Berg board for well over a decade. She was the immediate past chair or a past president and she guided the organization importantly through COVID. She rebuilt the board of directors that had been kind of scattered to the winds because of COVID. She championed our place economics study and insisted that we follow through on designating Mirror Lake as a local historic district. Personally speaking, she was, as I understand it, responsible largely for my hiring. She was my boss and as I've said previously, you can kind of blame Robin for me. So she took a chance on me personally, on the Tampa guy and I'm very grateful for that. Importantly, she guided me personally and the organization through my role at Preserve the Berg, helped me learn about St. Petersburg and we talked almost daily during her presidency, certainly several times a week. She was both my right and my left hand. She was a preservation award recipient. She lived in a historically designated, so she put her house on the local register and she helped found the Sunken Gardens Foundation and many others and she was preservation in action. During her tenure at Preserve the Berg, she pushed hard for us to complete our place economics report. It was not exactly a small undertaking. It took more than a year and a half and included a substantial financial investment from small organizations and individuals and unsurprisingly, she and Joe were the study's largest financial contributors. I recall her frustration that the progress on Mirror Lake was slow. She encouraged, maybe even demanded, that we follow up immediately with the neighbors. She kept us motivated and moving and it was not easy. Again, a two-year effort to designate Mirror Lake and it became the city's 10th historic district. And of course, as you've heard, that's really just a fraction of the work that she undertook in her time here. I know someone in the audience will tell you that she worked with the neighbors to conduct a tree inventory of Old Northeast. Can you imagine? A tree inventory. Wow. That's just citizens doing the work. Robin and many Preserve the Berg board members and volunteers exemplify service, advocacy, community engagement, not for personal gain, not for networking, not for professional connections, not for business. Robin and the organizations she led advocated not for what might benefit her, but for what benefited the wider community. She did not lead an idle life. She left her mark on this city. I'm humbled that she took a chance on me. I'm lucky to have known and learned from such a remarkable and dedicated leader. Hello. I'm Ray Arsenault. I'm another retired historian from USF. Robin was a lovely human being, as you've heard. I think everyone who knew her felt that they enriched their lives, really. Never met anybody quite like her. She was one of our most heroic citizens, I would say, in some ways the epitome of responsible and courageous citizenship. And it was surprising in a sense because she came in a kind of quiet package, you know. She'd surprise you. She was tenacious. And when the rest of us sort of fell by the wayside, she'd pick us up. I mean, she saved the organization, really, and preserved the bird during the COVID period. And I always felt honored to be on the board with her for the decade or so. In fact, I always felt a kindred spirit with her. You know, she grew up in an Air Force family, moving every two years, never really lived in any one place. I grew up in a Navy family the same way, never lived anywhere more than two or three years. And we both fell in love with this city, and I think with good reason. I don't know of anybody I knew who was more passionate about St. Petersburg, about its sense of place, about preserving what's best in the city. And as people have said, she did so many things, we can't enumerate them today, but whatever she could do, she did it in spades. And I would counsel you if the next time you walk around Mirror Lake, you know, think of her, because she really is more responsible than anybody else for the historic district. And the next time you go to Sunken Gardens, visit the Flamingos. Those are Robbins Flamingos and say hello to them. Thank you. I think that may be the end of our expected speakers unless they're, Nick, were you going to say something? Okay. Council Member Driscoll. Oh, yes. Okay, yes, absolutely. Joe, can you go? No, Council Member Driscoll will speak after you. It's your floor, Joe. I don't have a speech. I just want to thank everybody here that spoke out for Robin. I especially want to thank Maureen Stafford and Council Chair Hanowitz for making this happen. Thank you. Council Member Driscoll. Thank you. And thanks to Maureen and Chair Hanowitz for bringing this together so beautifully today. I met Robin right away when I started on City Council because right away there was something going on right next to the Flor de Leon and the lessons began then and they never stopped and I was always grateful. Joe, you and Robin had me over to your house one day, gave me a few addresses to look at in your neighborhood on the way before I got to your house so that I could see what you've been talking about with how neighborhood character can change when the history of a neighborhood is not honored the way that it should be and that was a real eye-opener and then you walk into their house and it's like, wow, these people know what they're talking about and there are so many different projects that have come up over the last eight and a half years that I've served on City Council where she was able to weigh in mostly about historic preservation issues. We talked about everything from Mirror Lake, of course, and wow, I learned a lot about Mirror Lake and the history of the lake itself, let alone the things that are around it, just from her. Once Manny joined the team, everything was elevated so if it was she who was mainly responsible for bringing him, I'm grateful for that. That is a lasting gift that we can carry forward so thank you, Manny. Sunken Gardens is one of those places that you walk in and it's just magical, like from the first step to the last flamingo and so I know that no one does this alone but you can't think of Sunken Gardens without thinking of Robin and so, oh, I wasn't going to do this. I'm glad that everyone in our city, everyone everywhere will have a place to go and see exactly what Robin has done for our city. It's a place where people like me will be able to go to remember her and be so grateful and talk to her there. Wow. So, looking through this wonderful piece, I loved reading the quotes and my favorite is from Gary Mormino where he said, through skillful reasoning, through skillful reasoning or a firm stare, she helped raise fund for a myriad of causes and I laughed because I know that firm stare and it wasn't for fundraising, it was for, like, submitting a new business item for the historic designation of something and I know that stare and it's like, yes, I will file it on Friday and I will let you know when it's going to be on the agenda. Like, you just did it, you know. Right now, we're working on the restoration of the Williams Park Bandshell and I remember two, three years ago, I told her about it and she was happy to hear about that and of course, we, you know, it's one of the few city-owned assets that's eligible but it's not designated historic and we all know how important Williams Park is and that Bandshell and so, I worked to get the initial funding to get going on the renovation and of course, we brought Derek Kilborn in to make sure that we're doing it in a way that it will still be eligible and that it's, you know, keeping with that and I always say once Derek Kilborn gets involved, everything gets more expensive but we're making it happen and if you go by there today, you'll see, you know, it's fenced off and everything. It won't be done, everything won't be done before I'm finished with city council but I plan to nudge my colleagues who are still on the dais to please try to create some kind of a Founders Day type celebration and get that historic designation done and I think that because that did serve as our city's first town square and it has such a heavy historic significance in our city, I think I would like to personally and this will be next year once everything is done, I will do a donation through our gift tree program and have a tree planted there in honor of Robin in our very historic Williams Park so I just don't want to do it yet. No, no, no. No, no. This is like such a, it's such a small thing. It's just another way that we can honor her. I just don't want to do it right now because construction and things fly around and tools happen and I want it to be safe so I'm going to wait until we have the right timing for that but yes I am going to make that happen and that'll make my dream of a restored Williams Park even more perfect. We can all honor her every single day by carrying with us her lessons, her love for the heritage of our city, all that it was and all that it is today that we still love and her relentless pursuit of what is right for St. Petersburg. That is how we honor the great leaders of our city. Thank you, Chair. Thank you. Vice Chair Floyd. Thank you. I'll be brief. I was incredibly disappointed to see Robin's passing and just wanted to say a couple of things about her and her family. Joe was one of my first constituent meetings after I got elected. Made me feel very welcome. It was a very thoughtful conversation, really pleasant. Didn't necessarily prepare me for all the other constituent meetings I was going to have in the future. But it was a great way to get started. And I got to meet Robin soon after that as well to talk specifically about an issue that had come up. And I think really what I want to impart, it was just as pleasant, just as thoughtful. And what I want to impart is that I always had an affinity for historic preservation, but never really thought about it in depth and couldn't necessarily put words to it. And it was the conversations that I had with Robin and also the place economics study as well, which makes sense now that I know that Robin was such a big backer, that really helped me to understand how to talk about and how to advocate for historic preservation. And so I'll keep that with me throughout my whole career and I'm really grateful to your family and sorry for your loss and I really appreciate y'all. Councilmember Fick Sanders. I too will be brief and, but I have to take the opportunity just to say today was such a fitting memorial for such a fitting champion. I know when I first was going to run for office, I don't know, maybe you all are the new candidate walking wagon because they called, I got a call and I'm like, hello? And it was Miss Reed, you know, telling me that me and my husband want to meet you and I was like, okay. But it was the nicest interaction, y'all, they actually fed me. And we had a really nice conversation, but again, that meeting set the stage for what was coming. And so when I did see of her passing, it hit hard because she really was, she was a champion and she's still a champion because she has so many of you that there's so much of her within all of us that we're definitely going to keep her spirit and her vision and her mission alive, which is why I think I, too, like Vice Chair Floyd, didn't really understand the importance of historic preservation until I had interactions with Mr. and Mr. Reed, Mr. and Mrs. Reed. So I just want to thank you for that. And I just appreciate the education and the knowledge that they gave me in this position, but more importantly, how important historic preservation is in our day-to-day lives and for the city of St. Petersburg. So thank you, Mr. Reed. Thank you. Well, I also, I want to start off by thanking first Maureen Stafford because I will tell you she immediately contacted me to get this happening and my legislative aide Elizabeth. It was because of Maureen that you have this beautiful memorial that was printed with all the reflections about what everyone in the community thought of Robin and how well this was organized because basically we had to reach out to all the groups to make sure everybody knew that they to be here today and all her friends and family showed up and we're so thankful when you have speakers that say start off by saying and now another retired historian speaking on Robin Reed's behalf, that is all you need to know about Robin Reed because I don't think I've ever seen that happen at city council to be clear and that is a testament to who she was as an individual. The curiosity, right? She, like it was said, she was not born here but she wanted to know everything about this city and learn everything about this city and its history and it became one of its most fervent advocates and that just shows you the passion that she had and it wasn't just for that. You also have Sunken Gardens and starting the foundation and having the vision of knowing that you need that foundation to make sure that Sunken Gardens continues to be the special place that it is today and her work with Preserve the Berg and look other council members have said it. I also had that meeting. I think a lot of people have had that meeting with her. I did go to Joe and Robin's house. I think it was, it was I think the first time was 20, about 2017 when they were doing land development regulation changes in the city and I was president of Crescent Lake Neighborhood Association and they were working on making sure that the land development regulations protected some of the character of the neighborhoods and all that and they were extremely involved in that. But you know, Robin was a true advocate in every sense of the word no matter what issue she was advocating for and what was really strong in her heart and Councilmember Driscoll just like Vice Chair Floyd and Faye Sanders mentioned there were times that they were talking it's like that's my experience with Robin because I did get that call when I first got elected and I did meet with Joe and Robin and it was wonderful because it's for for someone in our position to deal with someone who's knowledgeable and is thoughtful about what they're advocating for is really, really helpful and important and it doesn't happen all the time. Like we get people that reach out to us and they want something but to have that knowledge of the why and why it's important and provide examples and provide the facts that we would need to push that item forward, that doesn't happen every day. It's very easy to want something but it's much more difficult to be a solid advocate for something and have the information ready at your hand to do that and she did that every time and I'm very thankful for all that she imparted in this community. I will say Mr. Kilbourne said it best. She planted seeds and cultivated them in the community. Her seeds are all here and I thank you all for being here and sharing this moment with us to celebrate the life of Robin Reed. Thank you. Okay, we are now moving on to reports. As I've told others that have been here, you're welcome to stay in our meeting. You can also, you're welcome to go if you would like and we will take the moment to let you leave. If you're leaving, please just, if you're going to talk with your friends and family, just do it downstairs because we can hear things outside, thank you all for, again, for coming here today. Chief, I'm just going to give them a moment. Thank you. Madam Chair, eyes and lows of awards and proclamations. Okay. Next up, we have F1, the St. Petersburg Police Department quarterly report and it's presented by Chief Holloway. Hello again, Chief. Hello again, Madam Chair. Good evening, Madam Chair, Vice Chair, and Councilmembers. This is going to be the quarterly report for the first quarter for 2026. You're going to get two sets of numbers, so I'm going to give you the same information that I give the mayor. You're going to give the UCR report, which is we give yearly, and you're going to get comparing quarter, the fourth quarter to the first quarter. So to start off with, for the UCR report, that's uniform crime report, that's reported to the federal government. The overall crime for this quarter is down by 8%. 20-year is down by 20%. I'm sorry, 25 years, down by 20%. Sorry about that. Homicide for this quarter is three compared to one for the last quarter. Those three homicides have all been cleared out with an arrest to refresh council memory. One homicide was the mother that killed her son, an 18- year old that set a house on fire, and a home invasion where the suspect shot his friend that came with him to the home. The gun case we cleaned is up for you because I know we were giving you a lot of information, so we wanted to make sure when you saw what the gun unit was doing, it made more sense to you. So this quarter, we had 89 guns we recovered. Doesn't mean we had 89 cases that this room we recovered, 89 guns, because we could have stopped one subject who had four guns, so forth and so on. But we wanted to clean up so you could see what happened. So this quarter, we had 89 guns that we recovered. Of those 89 guns we recovered, they hit on 74 cases. So one gun could have been used in five cases, so forth and so on. But we want to show you what the detectives, the great work that they're doing, and how we're solving cases. And the NIVA machine is, so I get you the right acronym on that, so it's National Integrated Ballistic Information Network. We got that through alcohol, tobacco, and firearm. So any gun that's used in the United States, if we've got the shell casing, we can verify where that gun, so if that gun came from New York, Chicago, whatever, we have that. We have it in our police department. It usually takes us six months. It usually takes us six months. Now we can get that information within six hours or six days. So now we can really track these guns as they're being used in our city. We also have a detective that is assigned to the task force with alcohol, tobacco, and firearms, so we can do more information on that. Our gun cases, as you can see, they're going down. They're continuing to trend down. We're never going to hit zero, but one day hopefully we will hit that. Of this quarter, 51 guns we're taking, 37 out of vehicles. 24 were recovered. For crimes again, we're comparing fourth quarter to first quarter, so as you can see, compared to fourth quarter, crime is trending downward. UCR numbers that are reporting as compared to last year, robberies are up by 18 percent. Five-year trend, robberies down by 8 percent. Burglary state, the same. Five-year trend, burglaries are down by 21 percent. Auto theft that we've been working on forever are down by 22 percent. Five-year trend, down by 45 percent. So people are listening to us. They're taking their keys and key fobs out of their cars. So thank you very much for the people that are out there listening, and also the other detectives are doing a great job on arresting the people that are stealing cars. And as you can see, those numbers there traffic stats say about the same compared to fourth quarter. We're still writing tickets. We still put on our message board, letting people know when we come. And we still write people for doing aggressive driving. Home unit, as you can see, compared to fourth quarter, it's up just a little bit. We're kicking in, getting ready for the summer. Next week, school's out. We work quite well with parks and rec. We're trying. I know the mayor is trying to get these kids involved in as many programs as we can. And the kids that have been arrested, we're trying to monitor them and get them back on track. The PATH unit, you can see those numbers there. I know Council Member Driscoll really wanted a breakdown on that from the last meeting, so we wanted to make sure we did that. Of those contacts, 57% of the people we made contact with took the resources that we offered to them. So we had over 980 contacts. Of that 980 contacts, 57% of the people took the services that were offered to them. And as you can also see, all the contact paths does not work downtown. They work throughout the city. They go to the west side. They go north. They go south. They go east. You can see all the areas they hit. And you also can see a breakdown of where it's going to either be a referral, a transport, or contact, how we break that down. Our park walk and talks have increased. And again, you can see where we go throughout the city. Eagle Eye Program, we had 13 that registered this month. This program is going to go away. Before, take a deep breath. It's a good reason that it's going away. We're partnering now with Axon. What is going to happen now is Axon is going to send out, starting with the businesses, and say, hey, you give us the information, we can give it to the police department. So now that link is going to be there automatically. So we don't have to figure out who's registering. Axon will take care of that for us. So they're going to do the background search for us. So now we're, instead of us saying 904, we're really going to find out who really has cameras in our cities because they work through their security firm or things like that. So we can go through them to get information. Use of force, gone down just a little, but I want to remind council, that's every time we use force, it's just not on those cases. As you see, we had 327 use of force, but we had zero complaints of use of force by our citizens of the rest that we made. Arctic, this is the new unit that we just started. So I want to bring council up to speed on that. You saw the news on this. This is really, I challenged the detective bureau to come up with something as we saw around the country, people having this. So Chief Kovacev and Major Taylor really got this up and going. We now have 36 pilots and 11 drones in the city. And what that is now, so when the officers, they come to work, they can take a drone kit and they can take it out. Instead of us taking 10 to 15 minutes to respond to a call, we can be at any call possibly within five minutes. We also have what's called a hive at the police department. So as you call in a robbery call, and I'm going to go to that one, as you call in a robbery call, the drone gets launched. So the drone can be there within, I'll say, five minutes. So as the drone gets over the scene, it can start collecting data information, give it to the officers, and also as the victim is trying to describe what's going on, we have eyes on the scene now. Last night, it worked great. Since we had a robbery at a location, we had the person in custody within 30 minutes. Because the drone got there, followed the person, we got the description of the person, we followed the person where he went, now he's in custody. So this is real-time information. As we move forward, City Council has approved this. As we move forward, we will put another hive, it's probably going to go west. A hive is three drones, so that will be on the west side pretty soon coming. And then one will go north and one will go south. But as we keep building up, we will have up to 12 more drones added to our fleet. And again, this will help us respond to calls faster. We also can use this during traffic. If someone calls, hey, the traffic is backed up. Instead of us trying to find a choke point, we can launch the drone and figure out what's going on. We can solve these problems. And again, we have three civilian analysts now that as these calls are going out, maybe they can start feeding that information more to the officers and to the detectives. So we're getting real-time information. Forty years ago, we probably would have never seen anything like this. So now, it's amazing the technology that's out there. Call program, again, it's very successful. We still get calls from people from around the nation asking us how it works. As you can see, our contacts for this quarter is 978. Had the breakdown of the area code that we're responding to. And again, as I speak to other chiefs and other sheriffs around the country, zero incidents because we're sending people to the call that know how to handle the call that we don't need to send a badge and a gun to. The Fortogether program that we started last year, and again, thanks to the council and the mayor, where the citizens voted on this program, you can see where that money has gone, see how it is working with our youth. That again, once we arrest a youth, how we're dealing with that youth and how we're spreading this out so we can get ahead of everything. I would like to use this slide with Gulf Coast. Again, 62% of the kids that go through this program, they're not reoffending and we're talking felonies. So that's working also. So with that, I'll open it for any questions. Thank you, Chief. Council Member Gabbard. Thank you, Madam Chair. Chief, thank you as always for the good work. I'm very happy to see the numbers keep trending down, especially on the car burglaries. Yes. So, hallelujah, but summer's coming. So we always know things pick up a bit when our kids don't have enough to do during the summer. So are we having any, like, on St. Pete TV or anything like that, any kind of PSAs to remind people to continue to lock their cars, not leave their fobs, not leave their firearms, anything like any educational campaign? Yes, ma'am. So what will happen is as soon as school's out, Yolanda and her team will start putting it up on our social media page. The CSOs will go out and educate everybody again. It's a summer month. Kids are going to get bored. They're going to go, what they call popping. They're going to go walk around the neighborhood and see what car is unlocked. If car is unlocked, they're going to go inside. So we just want to remind people to be extra careful. Our job is to not, you know, not make it safe, but make it safer as we continue to do that. My other question is a follow-up to that. It came up the other night at Riviera Bay Neighborhood Association about the e-bikes. Obviously, kids on the e-bikes. It's been an issue for a while. The conversation was really, it's summer's coming. Kids are going to have more time on their hands. Will you all be kind of ramping up some of those enforcements around e-bikes and making sure that we're keeping our kids safe for that initiative? Because I know that's been a struggle, but you guys have done a great job. And that's a great question because I get a lot from people downtown. Our traffic team is working on that. We continue to educate the kids, and the traffic team will be out there enforcing it and also the CSOs as we see. Well, as a parent of a teenager, educate the parents too, will you? They're the ones buying the e-bikes. Yes, ma'am. Just saying. It is a shared responsibility. So I wanted just to, and maybe everyone else had this on their list as well, the Eagle Eye program. My apologies if I did not realize that that was switching. I don't think I had caught the memo on that yet. And again, just the other night, talking about it in a neighborhood meeting. So should we not be encouraging Eagle Eye sign up anymore? We're going to keep people encouraged. We're just going to that phase. It's going to phase out as it gets going. First, we're going to work on our business people because we'll know where they are. And then once we get the business, then we'll educate the people in the residential area that you don't have to sign up now. We're going to have access. So when you get door ring bell or whatever, when you buy that, I guess they're going to tell you that you could do this. They're going to actually give the customers something else to explain to the customers how they can do. So like an opt-in, when somebody sets up a ring doorbell, there will be like an opt-in that comes through Axiom? Yes, ma'am. Interesting. That's the way to explain it to us. So that's what we're trying to do. As that rolls out, maybe we could do a follow-up on it because I'm just thinking of all the people who, like I have a ring doorbell. Like I'm not setting up a new one. I've got one and until it dies, I'll continue to have it. So I just am curious like how that communication will phase to existing users if they or if they are not already in email. I think they're working on a marketing strategy to get that out. Well, please keep us posted because I want to be helpful in my newsletters and my communications with getting that information out. Because, I mean, we've had a pretty good success, I think, up in my district having people sign up for that, and we want to make sure that that continues. And I should, let me rephrase that, by the end of the year, but when I say to people, like, so, I would probably say maybe hopefully by November we would have that because that will help the real-time intelligence unit. They would be able to go into that link and say, hey, on B Street, address 1452, they have a camera. Let me go look at it right away. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. That would be amazing. Technology has certainly come very far, right? Yes, ma'am. With the drones, that is phenomenal technology. Very excited. I think that, you know, as always, any time that we can use tech to keep our communities safer, keep the officers safer, I think that that is a good thing to do. So congratulations on that. Thank you, ma'am. The last thing I just wanted to note, and maybe this was on your last quarterly report, I probably should have pulled it before I even noticed it, but it stuck out to me today, the no-wake citations. Thank you for having that as a metric that we're going to track. I know it's zero right now, but we just started getting king tides again very heavily last weekend. I mean, I was driving through Riviera Bay last weekend on Riverside Canal, and it was almost impassable from a king tide, and it was sunny outside. So I think that, you know, we'll certainly be seeing that. And again, in Riviera Bay, people asking, how are you going to enforce that? Like, what's that going to look like? So people are paying attention to it, so I appreciate you marking it here as something that we'll track going forward. I know you've got a lot to do with that. We also have been trained in the traffic team, so if it happens, we will go out and give the warning, and, you know, warning first time, ticket second time. Yep, thank you much. I appreciate it. You're welcome. All right, thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you. Council Member Driscoll. Thank you. Thank you for this report and for adding that map, showing where the PATH unit interactions are happening. I think it's helpful to see that because we talk about how it's not just a downtown problem. It really is happening. You know, some concern that we have across the entire city, and although it may be concentrated in certain areas, including parts of my district, you can see what's going on a lot better than just a chart with numbers, like where it's happening and what kind of success you guys are having with that. So thank you for that. Just going back to the eagle eye transition, I trust what you're doing, and I see how you can actually get more people engaged in this and have it be even more effective with more participants by doing it the way that you're transitioning to. Do you have – you said we're still having people sign up for eagle eye right now, but do you have a sense of what the timeline is on this? I don't, and I just want to make sure councils were there, so if it happens before the next quarter, you don't see that number, I can say this is what we're doing. I just wanted to educate you. I don't want to surprise you because that's what we're working on right now with Axon. We're going to do our business areas first, and we're going to be working on the marketing with them because we want to make sure it is marketed the correct way. We're not telling our CSO to stop signing people up. We want them to continue to sign people up, but as this moves in and as they educate people on, hey, you've got this camera system, you can opt in, and not just for the St. Peter's going to be nationwide, you can opt in this program because people don't realize how much that does help law enforcement when we can get to that. So for us, it'll just be into a database. And let me make sure, because people are listening, the police department cannot monitor your doorbell ring. You have to upload this information, and then it gets sent to us. So we can't plug into your doorbells, oh, I'm going to see what's going on in your neighborhood. You have to give us, you're really just uploading what happened so we can see it. Yes, I was going to mention that because it's something I really have to emphasize when I talk to people about it, what it doesn't do. Because a lot of people think that when you enter the program that you're giving us access, no, you're just letting us know that you have one so we know where to go and look for it. Yeah, and this partner may not be aware of sort of that barrier to entry that people have is that skepticism. So just, I know you'll make sure that the language is clear on that. Yes, ma'am. All right, well, I still have a whole bunch of eagle-eyed door hangers left, so I'm just going to be getting them out there. Please still use them, because like I said, this transition, they'll say it works today, and then tomorrow, well, we're not ready yet, so we want to continue to add. Yeah, well, yeah. And you know, I've always been a big fan of it since I learned how effective it is and how helpful it can be, and I want to make sure that whatever we're moving to is even more effective, you know, that we're leveling up on that one. Let's talk about RTIC. I had seen, not long ago, you guys did an invitation to the media to come and see a demo or to watch them working in real time, and I mean, we just got that as a regular media alert. It wasn't really the council. I may have missed it. Did you guys do like a thing where you made the rounds and invited all council to come and look? No, ma'am, we did not. If you want to set it up, we'll be more than happy to show you how it works and have you come in to see it. Okay, so who do we ask? All you got to do is call my office and we'll make sure it would happen. Okay. Which of your leadership is heading this up? Major Taylor is in charge of the unit, so that's under Chief Kovasa. Okay. Yay, something new to bug him about. That makes me happy. With the drones, are you seeing opportunities for grant funding increasing as this becomes more prevalent in law enforcement? I do, but we have positioned ourselves within the next two years that we'll have everything that we need. We were ahead of the curve on this. We've also had some donors that have actually bought drones for us. So what happened right now is the signal. So an officer, and I'll use the north side because that's where, or inside the city because right now the drones, the hive only goes to a three-mile radius. So say an officer's out by Ganey, but he has a drone, he or she has a drone in their car, they can launch the drone, and then the operator at the station can take over that drone through radio signals. So we say the hives are one location, but we actually have coverage throughout the city because when the officers come in, they pick up their kit, and then they go out to their zone so they can launch at any given time. So right now we're in a great position. Do we want more drones? Sure. I mean, we've got 36 pilots, but again, I know how it works. Right now. Well, and they also, the technology advances. I mean, in five years, these will be obsolete. You'll have all new kinds that you want. And I think, since we do, Chief Gerardo did a great job on that, so in the contract, if it changes, then they will update the drones we have right now, and you're going to change and see that. It also has infrared, so we can use it at night, so if a kid's missing, it does amazing things, and we'll be more than happy to show it to you. Yeah, I'm looking forward to that. I think maybe what I'll do is I'll ask Janie, and if they're, maybe she can coordinate so that you don't have eight council member offices calling Kvasif all at once. Maybe Janie can coordinate for whoever is interested and just make it happen that way. I'm just thinking efficiency here. All right. Well, everything else is looking good. I just, you know, can't thank you enough for the work that you do. You guys are amazing. I was so happy to be at the Northeast Exchange Club this week to see Justin get that award and to see you all being lifted up and recognize all of you for what you do and you for being such an incredible leader. It was just really special to see a community organization and holding a really nice lunch for all of you to enjoy and to honor Justin for his service. Thank you, ma'am. And just like I tell the other chiefs and sheriff, I'm very fortunate as a chief to have a community like this because this community supports this police department 100%, just like this council. So it really shows. Yeah. All right. Thank you, sir. Thank you, chair. Thank you. And council member Driscoll, you know, to your point, I'm glad you brought it up. Frankly, I think what would be great is whoever's in charge could contact Janie and just offer it up and then that way council members that would like to go and see it because it's already been in the news and then we get questions from our residents. So that way the opportunity is there for council members to take that up. So that would be wonderful if whoever's in charge of the program could reach out. I'll get with Major Taylor and have them set up a time. Yeah. As opposed to the other way around, Janie, yeah, for them to reach out and then offer that to council members. That would be great. Council member Gerdes. Thank you, Madam Chair. Chief, thank you for the presentation. Always good to see you. I'm not trying to beat a dead horse, but I do think it's important. A lot of times, businesses' securities are on-prem servers. And so Axon would not know that they have cameras because all of the data is being stored on-premise. So a really good example, I'll just use my wife's business, Crystal Clear Technologies, who St. PPD has used, I think, eight or ten times on crashes on Central Avenue. And today, she can do that now because she went cloud-based. But for the first 12 years of their operation, they were on-prem and using servers locally. And so Axon would have never known because it's not cloud-based. And so I would just make sure that we're thinking about that if we're using the business community to be the test run or the pilot to get us into the neighborhoods. My concern would be it's so sparse it doesn't help us because, I mean, let's get real. Like, not every business has the ability to buy a cloud-based system. They're very expensive. I would not have known this a year ago except this is the world I just entered. And so they're very expensive. And if they have them, most of them don't keep the data for more than a week because, again, it's super expensive because you're buying the storage of all that data. You're talking about gigs, terabytes, you know, if you had it for 30 days. And so that part concerns me a little bit. So I just wanted to bring it up to make sure that we're thinking about those things. I'm glad we're going in parallel while we're making this, if and when we make this transition. So I'm certainly going to continue to talk about Eagle Eye because I don't want us to go down a road where we stop talking about Eagle Eye and then this Axon thing doesn't work. So I appreciate that. But that was my only feedback is that my concern about businesses because it's just less expensive to have it right on site. And I'm glad you brought that up, sir. So hearing your comments, we're just going to run dual system. I'll just solve the whole problem. We can do Axon and we do Eagle Eye. And probably have a better outcome doing it. We'll have two databases. Right. Okay. Very much. Disregard that, we'll have two databases. That's all I have. Don't live Eagle Eye. Council Member Gert is just changing the course of something. Council Member Harding. The command decision, Chief. Done. That's it. There are 50 people scrambling back there. So we're gone. Congratulations. They can make it happen. They're good people. Why did he say that? Congratulations on the success of you and your team. I mean, this is cultural. And these comments are well deserved and shown out in those statistics. And I'll take my time just to add to it with a quick story that happened this week. A couple contacted me from a community in my district. They're rebuilding their house from the storm. and they've had multiple complaints from the contractors who are working on the house about the next door neighbors. And they'd contacted Codes. And the lady was very reasonable in her story. The house is run down. There are probably in excess of 15 or 20 people living there. There are two trailers in the backyard that people are living in. And they're abandoned cars and so you can imagine the story. And Codes is doing everything they could but we limit Codes in what they can do in private property on purpose. But they're being very helpful to the extent that they could. And this lady just felt okay I'll reach out to my council member and see if they can be of any of their help. And we talked to her and when I hung up I thought you know maybe PD maybe they know about this maybe they don't. I'm just going to I'm going to call somebody at PD and I called one of your team and they said yeah you're fine we took care of that yesterday. The house had fentanyl involved. We already cleared it out. There's a no trespass sign. One of the trailers is already gone. I think the other one goes tomorrow. Anything else? And I thought that's the fastest response time I think I've ever seen. We had a complaint and you already took care of it yesterday. So thank you very much Chief. Just very could not say enough great things about your command staff and the culture that you have very clearly permeated through this department. Thank you very much and thanks for the presentation. Thank you Chair. Thank you. Council Member Givens. Thank you Chair. Chief in the last month I've had an opportunity to do three park walk and talks and I just want to share some of the comments that I received. One of them was in Jordan Park and I did two in Childs Park. One of the comments that I received when I was in Childs Park last night with Officer Bletch was very positive. They said this is what we want to see. We want to see more police. This is coming from Childs Park and we feel safer when we see our police and so I just want to commend you and the team of officers the 500 plus sworn officers that we have patrolling and protecting our streets because I know that it is a labor of love. It's not easy but I respect the work that you do. Another comment that I got from a little girl when I was walking through Jordan Park regarding Officer Goforth. She says I want to be just like Officer Goforth. Those are the types of positive encouraging remarks that we want to hear from our community. So I will continue to do my park walk and talks every chance that I can get as long as your officers will have me because I think what it does is it promotes that ongoing transparent communication and engagement between our police and our public. So I just want to commend you all there and speaking of commendations I noticed that the quarter one commendation report literally those remarks almost doubled. Can you talk a little bit about how we got there and what that means? Well I think it's through the park walk and talks and people that see like you say see the work that the officer is doing so people call in and we tell them that. Tell us the good things and the bad things and I think people there's a lot of good things to tell a lot of good stories and we like to hear those stories. I appreciate you Chief. The work that you do speaks for you so kudos. Thank you Chair. Thank you. Councilmember Fix-Anders. Thank you. I am going to be quick. I want to thank Councilmember Gerdes because again my note was about Eagle Eye and thank you for saying that you're going to run them concurrently because I will tell you these ring cameras have helped in my neighborhood immensely especially one accident where someone was about to get off because nobody knew how it all unfolded until I sent that video until I sent that video and those are so important and I'm glad that you've agreed to not transition from that Eagle Eye program and one thing that I have noticed is whether you register for Eagle Eye or not and hopefully Councilmember just still have those door hangers when the officers come and if they see you have a ring whether you registered or not they will come and ask can we look at your film we see that you have you know a ring camera can we look at your film and so with that being said some of the additions of those in Eagle Eye if an officer goes to that residence even if they're not leave that door hanger because a lot of people that have a ring don't know about the Eagle Eye program I know about it because I'm here on Council but a lot of people may not know about that Eagle Eye program because it really has saved and been a help in certain you know a lot of incidents in my community and then I also want to thank you know Chief Kay and Chief Guillermo and I tell you that they are the most responsive officers out there the force is phenomenal I know Chair Hanowitz and I when we were at the officers event Chief Kay said what are you doing what are the two of you all doing he said because we get no calls in your districts and we there's nothing for us to report and so we don't take credit for that we give your culture credit for that because our residents are seeing your presence and the programs that we are helping you to support you is making a difference for us so we have to say thank you but he did he came and made that that acknowledgement to us and you know we were like we don't know what happened but it's all because of what you all are doing so again thank you my first comment was about Eagle Eye and second I just wanted to thank you all for what you're doing thank you so much thank you Chair thank you well Chief you got a lot of good feedback from Council I just want to touch upon the Real Time Intelligence Center obviously I think it's great I mean you know it doesn't end with an arrest as you know obviously it has you know somebody gets arrested and then you have to prove a case and you know it goes a long way to have video and so for the prosecution and everything I think it's fantastic to see something through the only thing I was wondering given that it's just more going to be more prevalent out there and the community doesn't know much about it have you provided or has there been training for the community service officers like when they have these meetings you know neighborhood association meetings you know obviously in terms of the reasonable expectations for privacy and all those other issues that could come up I was just wondering how y'all are dealing with it and just to make sure the community understands how it works and how the drones are working throughout the community and there's also constitutional safeguards I mean you can't just do it you know everywhere and so you're aware of the community service officers they are trained on that and we're teaching officers that we were very fortunate we were so to speak not to say ahead but we had Senator Roussaint help us write the bill for the drones and we have to tell people that we just can't launch a drone there's five guys on the street corner sitting there you can't launch it for that it has to be a criminal offense or they have to get my permission when there's a large event because we're monitoring crowd but you just can't put the drone because hey I see two guys on the street corner so I'm going to see what they're doing out there it has to be a criminal call so yeah we will continue to educate people on that and again and that's what we got we told in front of the press if there is a priority one called burglaries robberies these drones are being launched and they're going to those type of calls yeah and that's that's important for the community to understand because I mean the technology is changing so fast policing you know the way policing is occurring now is very different from you know 10 when I was a prosecutor it's just different and I think it's just these are wonderful tools that are going to help the community and the more the community understands it the better it's going to be that's right great thank you thank you okay next up we have F2 employee recognition committee annual update and Ms. Jordan is here to present it hi everybody hi thank you thank you very much chair Hanowitz and being our employee recognition committee or council champion vice chair floyd council members Mr. Green thank you for having us this evening hopefully I won't be too long I know it's been kind of a long day but it's been a great day a celebration day and we got some tie-ins which will be pretty cool so this is our employee recognition committee and I am thrilled that two of them in addition to me are here today Jessica Taylor with water resources and public works week awesome and then Ashley Doss who is with marketing and a lot of today's presentation is going to be focused on our rebranding so this was a huge initiative for us this past year and kudos to Ashley and her team for helping us do this so actually let me back up real quick so we still have what we do we focus on administration based members as it makes it easier casts a wider net as opposed to going to department to department replacement so that has helped us a lot and this is our current administration based team what you'll see on the right side color coding I'm big into color coding it helps me visual gal the color coding CDA CEA so those are different administrations so that is the by our bylaws according to our bylaws that is the minimum requirement that we want on our team so that totals 11 we have 14 people on our team and we continue to have people inquire about what do I need to do to join the team and I make it very clear the responsibilities the number of meetings we have each month I have them review our bylaws to make sure they understand what our bylaws are and the commitment that we requested them so all meetings except July why summer break I started a couple years ago let's go have a social so sometimes they come out sometimes they don't so we'll see and then one of the things that I personally love about being on the ERC is I never would have met these two women if I weren't on the ERC additionally we rotate the team rotates where we have our meetings so then we get to see other city facilities which isn't necessarily going to come into play in all of the work our jobs that we have so January May September I would like to thank Chair Hanowitz and Council Member Harding for coming out to our employee recognition ceremony yesterday so all of you now will get to see an unveiling of our new branding they got to see it yesterday so we're super stoked about that typically all of our ceremonies are held in Sunken Gardens which was a lovely tribute to Robin today I know her as well knew her as well so we're thrilled to have them there Sunken later this year some HVAC upgrades so we will be meeting in the grand ball room of the Mahaffey Theater in September I'm not asking you to remember that we'll let you know in advance okay so again I'm not going to read through this but really our mission is we want to recognize those people our employees those staff members who have gone above and beyond with our kudos nominations that we do every month and then in addition to celebrating lengths of service or years of service three times a year so this was an undertaking that we put forth and this really kind of came from Chris Gwela for those of you on council who don't know or are unaware the ERC rolls up to HR so basically for all intents and purposes we report to Chris Gwela and by default we always have somebody from HR on our team and our current liaison is Belinda Ross and she's a freaking rock star all right so maybe it was last year or the year before Chris was asking what is the difference between the Ben Shirley impactful service award and the servant leadership award and there really wasn't a whole lot of difference as it was defined which you'll see on the left side of this chart so I went through the process and of course it's not it's not a me decision so I went through the process of how can we bring better clarity to the different awards that we or the different recognition levels that we offer our employees so this was a really good exercise for me quite candidly and with the assistance of the ERC it was a voting process so how do we do this and then as you'll see head to the right servant leadership servant leadership to me is more of a theory is what does it mean to be servant leadership so I wanted to come up with a different name for that category so I'm not kidding you it finally dawned on me one morning while getting ready for work in the shower like why aren't we going to recognize the gentleman who started this Gary Cornwell so we have renamed the servant leadership award to the Gary Cornwell award which we're super excited about so those are the descriptions and again it brings better clarity and it really boiled down to we were recognizing and we were recognizing people who were with Ben Shirley impactful service award for example firefighters or law enforcement for doing what they are tasked to do on their daily basis so should they have been elevated to Ben Shirley most likely not so this is why we bring better clarity to this and we hope you agree with us oh this is are we in slideshow mode how do I do that I know but oh okay this was all supposed to be floating in and everything but so now you'll get to see it all so I was in my when I do slideshow mode it's super cool so here is our new rebranding our employee recognition so we have modeled so our coloring is this dark blue what is the color what is our what is it it's sun runner sun right it's marketing's colors if you go to the please use the grid go to the marketing website you'll see all the different colors so that is our logo on the left and as you can see we are the marketing team did a great job of incorporating our city seal and then kudos sunshine award sunshine award is anyone who is nominated for kudos at least two times in a sixth month consecutive six month period it's basically kudos on steroids sunshine award and then ben shirley impactful service award gary cornwell award and innovation award these were really cool on my laptop you guys when they were doing fly-ins and stuff but this is our new rebranding marketing did a really good job of presenting what these are called our award badges probably five or six different images different designs and this is what we settled on we like the as you can see in the background that's the hextile so an homage to our hextiles here in town and then we like the ribbon because that's it's a ribbon it's an award everyone wants a ribbon right okay again this was going to be a fly-in so we had our old banners if you guys remember our old stand-up banners which really were like 1970s 1980s kind of thing and this is our new step and repeat banner so it incorporates our branding our new image here's the best part it is 20 feet wide yes so now maria loves it so when we do photographs it's not taking as long anymore because yesterday we recognized there were a total of 76 people with 20 years of more service years of service to the city with it we were supposed to recognize for Ben Shirley impactful service awards but captain falls got stuck on the skyway bridge with that accident that happened yesterday so he will be pushed to September so it took a long so with and then 26 people accepted so it was a long ceremony I always try to anticipate when you're going to get out of there I guess 10 o'clock and it was more like 10 40 so I got a little better at that so this is our please if you if you can make it to the September ceremony you'll get to see this in person so I always like to give numbers I'm a numbers kind of gal so 20 I'm not giving the last two years when we've done this presentation for you guys it was an eye chart it was a lot of different numbers so here's just a summary of what we are year to date so this is through May you'll see on there one Gary Cornwell I have been on the employee recognition committee now for a little over four years and this will be our first at least in my tenure our first Gary Cornwell who is actually supposed to have been recognized yesterday but he decided he had to go and leave to get married so we're going to be recognizing him in September so please join us to recognize him and then I always like to give our who's our top five so these are the departments that get our most recognition right now if you do the math real quick if you're like me and do gen math it's on a calculator we are on a run rate of a target of 495 kudos sunshine bench early for the year so that's where we're running would we love to break that 500 mark we would of course so feel free to nominate anybody something that I realized that I did not put in the last couple years is how many employees have we recognized at our employee recognition ceremonies which are again January May September and the years of service that they have provided these are really in my opinion impactful numbers so these numbers of course are through May we have one more ceremony to go but as you can see I mean look at that yesterday I think the I think we had one a couple with 35 and maybe one with 40 so it is really truly incredible how many years employees will dedicate to the city and I love it please nominate this is how you can nominate email kudos at stp.org go to the grid super easy typically I would say thank you Rob Gerdes for nominating Tom I've never seen a nomination from you maybe one so come on let's get on it please because Rob has Rob has nominated some people so city administrator yep and just contact so here's so kudos to Ashley and the marketing team I had a so for those of you who don't know I think I'm in neighborhood relations I had a neighborhood association president reach out to me wanting to give kudos to I think it may have been some stormwater team members and he called me he said they're talking about this thing called the grid the grid the grid I need to nominate on the grid I'm like just send me an email Steve it's okay the grid is an internal tool so the word's getting out even to our our citizens which is pretty cool so this is how you can nominate super easy and then what you'll see on the right side is if you go to the grid today you'll see all it's a rolling three months so you'll see May April March you click on May and then you click on an individual's name of course I brought up Belinda one of our team members and what pops up is the actual nomination that was written that was submitted as well as her certificate you download the award and that certificate is what is downloaded and I know for example stormwater I think water you guys may do it to sanitation they will actually either print those out and put them in common area so everybody can see them or have them on a rolling TV rolling through so again it just really brings up the awareness about kudos and we want to celebrate our employees as best we can every day that we can so and then again with complementing our branding or being in line with our branding Nadia who is with Department of Technology Services she is actually our program designer so she has done a really great job in bringing us all a unified branding scheme so these are our actions this is what we completed and it was a lot of work this year or this past year and we look forward to it and we want to make it as easy as possible for our employees for our residents to nominate but updated award descriptions make them very clear renaming the servant leadership award to the Gary Cornwell award we're very excited about that and then the rebranding continued interest in the ERC and I am thrilled that Cowell continues to sponsor us this is their third year for sponsoring coffee for us I'm thrilled that we didn't have a lot of coffee drinking yesterday I got some cold brew happening in my fridge at home right now so that's all I have and I am open and welcome to answer any questions you may have well thank you so much Jen for a comprehensive update a lot of work a lot of good work it look great yesterday always love going to the employee award ceremonies because you come out feeling so wonderful and you not only do you like acknowledge the work of the employees but you get to see them like I'm an individual like the employees share like how it is like in their departments you know and you start getting a feel of like how that department interacts with each other and how they see each other and it's always wonderful to hear those stories and so I always I always live leave with a full heart I do want to ask you do you have any as marketing done any graphics that you can that we can use and put in our city council like newsletter absolutely like our like the badges and our logo just whatever like if you want to acknowledge an employee or whatever this is how you do it so we can like it's a plug-in thing up or any newsletter in the city actually and it would have all the information for sure and that would be a great way to get it out there no problem and thank you for promoting that for us thank you absolutely well thank you very much okay love it perfect next up we have the resolution changing the start time on of the May 28th 2026 council meeting move approval second we have a motion a second as you all know it's a short calendar and I don't see why we would be here at 1 30 and then come back for public hearings which is the reason why we're moving it to not spend that much time waiting okay clerk if you can open the machine for voting council members please enter your vote seeing that all present council members have voted clerk please tally announce the vote motion to approve a gen item F3 passes unanimously thank you next up we have H1 it's council committee report council member Grotis for BFT thank you respectfully requesting city council approval of a resolution of amending the city's investment policy municipal funds to change the diversification schedule of authorized investments and to make other nods substantive changes just real quickly this essentially just gives our finance team a little bit more flexibility on what is considered our overnights essentially we're giving them more access to high yield savings accounts and I'd move approval second second second we have a motion a second clerk if you can open a machine for voting council members please enter your votes all present council members have voted clerk please tally and ask a vote motion to approve a gen item H1 passes unanimously thank you next up we have H2 from HLUT vice chair Floyd thank you I'm respectfully requesting the administration move forward with changes to the city's comprehensive plan related to speed management strategies I'll move approval second motion a second clerk if you can open machine for voting council members please enter your votes seeing that all present council members have voted clerk please tally announce the vote motion to approve a gen item H2 passes unanimously thank you clerk do we have any speakers for open forum in person nobody okay then we move to announcements and adjournment well it's a list councilmember Gabbard thank you madam chair very excited I'm not sure everyone saw it today but it did come out earlier in the week in a media release as well that the office of sustainability is going to be holding two workshops coming up grow st pete together very very excited about this back in 2021 myself michael dima we worked on the state agriculture act we you know passed the ordinance here at city council for urban ag and then started working on food forest it's been a long time coming and so i'm just very excited i hope it is short notice so i do hope that that people will be able to attend these workshops tuesday may 26th from 10 a.m. to 11 30 at the saint pete youth farm and then there will be another one thursday june 11th from 6 to 7 30 at walter fuller so hopefully people will be able to attend get involved and start to create a more i guess community collaborative opportunity for us to feed the people of st petersburg so very excited about that and want to thank the office of sustainability for pushing that forward that's great no and i'm sure thank you and i shared it as a matter of fact meadowlon has a name uh uh community garden to make sure that they got it yeah um and uh we will be sharing that information with other neighborhoods so thank you council member givens thank you chair i just want to um remind everyone obviously with memorial coming up we will be doing flag placement at lincoln cemetery so i wanted to invite other council members to come out and to help help we have the veterans of foreign war who will be helping us to place flags out there saturday at 8 a.m so invite everybody to come out on 6th avenue south and 58th street right next to bogusiega high school in gulfport uh and then lastly i just want to congratulate all the graduates in the city of st petersburg and pinellas county uh who will be walking across the stage this week and next week to receive their high school diplomas and even those vpk graduates i had an opportunity uh to speak at starling's graduation uh last week and i just want to say i'm very proud of all the graduates and their parents and their families so congrats to the class of 2026. thank you chair thank you for those updates councilmember driscoll thank you um i've got a few things i have two opportunities and two celebrations and i'll try to move fast um first i i wanted to make my colleagues aware of some communication that happened um as you know from emails um on april 28th all of city council was invited by staffer from the office of the mayor um to the equality florida gala which took place on may 16th um i had said yes i i always go i usually buy a ticket but it was nice to have that invitation um on may 8th um we received an email notifying us that we were uninvited um given a miscommunication at that time i tried um by email and phone call to um reach um the person from the mayor's office and did not receive any kind of a response um on saturday five nine i went ahead and purchased my ticket uh which by then had gone up again i usually buy a ticket anyway um on may 13th i still had not heard anything back and so i emailed janey um with a copy to jackie for visibility um explaining that i had been trying to to get some information to find out what had happened and i asked for some information about the event including the number of tables and seats reserved by the city of st petersburg for city officials and any guests the amount paid through city funds which are taxpayer funds for those tables and if offered as a complimentary thing by equality florida please indicate so and the names of the attendees for whom those tables were being designated um i still have not received a response from that but i wanted to make everyone aware that i have requested that information the opportunity here is for transparency and for um a choice to have good communication the second thing i want to bring to everyone's attention is that i have been getting some questions from um residents including um well about the eckelman sculpture and the status on that one of those is from one of the donors to the eckelman sculpture um on friday may 8th i sent an email to james corbett asking for an update on the eckelman sculpture i did not receive a response um as of may 12th so i forwarded it again i said bumping this up in your email email inbox i know how busy you are thanks in advance i still have not received a response i still have people asking me what is going on and i have to tell them that i cannot get any information um i was told by the city attorney's office that a memo would be forthcoming from the administration by the end of this week so if anyone like me has been trying to get that information um we are to have it by the end of this week um i will i will note that i also have media asking me about this topic now on to the celebrations as you know last friday i teamed up with the innovation district to hold the ocean of support fundraiser to benefit the usf college of marine science and the florida institute of oceanography in light of the recent disastrous fire to help them start to get back up on their feet it was very successful we had over 370 people in attendance everyone had a great time we had i had invited the whole fire department and some of them showed up and i made sure they got gelato and they brought the ladder truck when with the extender and everything made sure that uh everyone recognized them they got the biggest applause of the whole night and um all around there were people um talking about how good it was not just to raise money but to be able to gather and and talk about what had happened and what comes next um i am incredibly excited to report that as of today we've raised over four hundred thousand dollars wow for this cause so i know it wasn't it's definitely not just me it's a real team effort but the outpouring of support from the community um including including monetary has been um just really um so encouraging and it really um warms my heart to see that so many people recognize and care about our marine science community finally um i saw either in an article or on social media this week that the city's hometown haulers program received an award um for that initiative at um i think it was the governor's hurricane conference and um i saw that there were members from um economic and workforce development who were there or who had a picture to receive the award and i actually wanted to give some virtual flowers to council member fig sanders because although it wasn't mentioned it was council member fig sanders who really got that program rolling and got it done got it going quickly and um i i think she is to be commended as well um for those efforts and if she wants to talk about it i'll let her but i just wanted to say thank you and also congratulations to you council member um for that fantastic achievement that's all i have today thank you chair well thank you and council member driscoll great job on the fundraiser that's thank you that's amazing amazing um and the wonderful work there i want to say on the other issue that you brought up with the records that when did you request records on the which one quality florida issue um 513 so last wednesday last wednesday okay well i mean it's a public records request so um i assume whenever you get those documents and you can then we all get copied on it yes ma'am i did i did request that it be shared with all council i appreciate that so i just you know given the fact that i mean it's not it's not a bass record request right so it's not a lot of records right i would think it would be pretty easy um if i can just keep the floor for for a moment i ended up i i did purchase a ticket i ended up having something personal come up at the last minute and i wasn't able to attend um but luckily i had um a friend who got there early and noticed that there was a student that was having trouble checking in and so i told them to give that person my ticket and a hug and have a great time so and then um i was able to bid online and i actually won one of the silent auction items so i did participate just not in the way that i had planned um but i'm almost feeling like i'm going to start a new tradition of sponsoring um a student every year for the gala since it's not a cheap cheap night yeah that's a very good idea well thank you council member fake sanders well thank you thank you um i i do want to well let me piggyback on on what um council member driscoll brought up about hometown haulers yes i would be very remiss not to acknowledge dr kanika tomlin gypsy galardo nikki gaskin capehart carl lavender and more importantly nancy durnum known as fancy nancy to us um it it started with a conversation of concerned community constituents during the um during the hurricane when we got together and i was called in um wanted to say and figure out what could we do you know as a community what could we do so that did start the conversation and the ball rolling when it was presented to the city and it became the hometown haulers an award-winning program and i just want to thank those individuals for having the wherewithal and the concern for our city um to even get together on their own to have those conversations so yes i would definitely be remiss if i did not call their names and thank them because we want to make sure that all of our constituents know that we hear them and we see them and we applaud them uh for wanting to contribute to the city so thank you for that council member driscoll um i don't know if you all know um i am now the interim coc chair and it's not official until after we vote in july so you know busy and blessed and also i want to confirm if you would council member givens we were told nine o'clock to be the lincoln so is it eight or nine eight o'clock okay so i'm gonna have to put the news out back um for eight o'clock because we were told by mr willie but if they show up at nine we'll take them there'll be enough okay okay so i just wanted to make sure everybody knew the right time on that but other than that those are my announcements thank you chair thank you and thank you for your work with the hometown haulers and also i mean i don't want to say that you know it's always like knock on wood interim share but we'll be looking to hear the news okay council member girdus thank you madam chair um just quickly i know i mentioned earlier we had a great three days in new orleans think a lot of a lot of things to bring back we probably see some new business items just to have discussion i will say um second year in a row going on that trip very very proud of the the progress saint peter has made ahead of some cities that have been around significantly longer than we have um other than that we have two birthdays this coming week council member harding is tomorrow and uh courtney phillips in our office is uh next week on tuesday so we're going to sing council member harding and and courtney happy birthday happy birthday to you happy birthday to you happy birthday happy birthday to you thank you thank you well thank you everyone for a great meeting today i know it was long but you know once i saw once i saw how many proclamations and awards i knew that we were probably gonna end up somewhere after five may six so so with that said i appreciate i appreciate you all it was a great meeting and with that meeting adjourned have a great night thank you chair