City Council

>> Welcome to the city of St. Petersburg City Council meeting and your elected officials our mayor Ken well. District one Council chair. Hopefully Curtis. District 2 Brendan Barber. District 3 my car guy. District 4 Council vice chair, Liz said Hannah with district 5 Deborah take Sanders. District 6 Gina Driscoll in districts, 7 warri Givens junior. And district day Richey Floyd. >> Good afternoon welcome to the 1/9/2025 City Council meeting, let's start with the roll call please or dads here ever. Here are the air and with us here. This cool air in here. Okay we will have our invocation given today by reverend j c Pritchett second followed by a moment of silence to honor our fallen officers as well as a moment of silence. Former PRESIDENT Jimmy Carter and then please remain standing for the pledge of allegiance. Please join me in standing. >> In this new year we are grateful for the opportunity to see new things. Remove scales of tradition to come play see from our eyes that we MAY see new ways to work together to serve your people. Council administration staff and first responders throughout the city. They represent the best gift talent and skills in public service that our diversity of backgrounds views and experiences. The Houston magnify what we can accomplish together with PRESIDENT And i know challenges before us. Of the accessibility of you something bigger our creator to guide us to lead us. Thank you for using us for these tremendous life changing opportunities is our prayer him in. >> Please join me in a moment of silence. Sergeant Thomas Payton juror. End of watch. Jan. 24th. 2011. Canine tac team officer yeah, as Louis end of watch. Jan. 24th. 2011. PRESIDENT Jimmy Carter. Dec. 29th. 2024. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag. The United States of America. And yeah, I'm late for which it stands one nation I got indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you please be seated. Brad thank you for being here. >> Okay council members we have an agenda in front of us I want to take a motion for approval approval second. We have a motion and a second clerk if you can please open the machine for voting. All council members please enter your vote seeing all council members present council members have voted clerk please tell you a announce the vote chaired a motion to approve the agenda passes unanimously. Thank you we also have a consent agenda today clerk do we have any public comment for the consent agenda. Owner take a motion for approval of approval and seeing as we have a properly motion and seconded clerk could you please open the machine for voting. Council members please enter your votes seeing as all council members have voted please Italian announce the vote MR. Chaired a motion to pass the consent agenda passes unanimously, thank you very much, ok next we'll move on to open clerk could you please read the rules. You wish to address to the Council on subjects other than public hearing or quasi-judicial items listed on the agenda. Please sign up with the clerk on the individual was just to a sign that open forum she only city residents wanted to property minutes, business owners in the city or the employees MAY speak. All issues discussed on the open for most community issues related to the city of St. Petersburg government. If you are speaking to an item on the agenda MAY only speak once during the open form when it comes up on the agenda in order to provide an opportunity for all citizens to address Council each individual will be given 3 minutes to speak not the which the microphone will be muted. If you MR. Just City Council to the zoom meeting us use the raise hand feature been in the zoom app or inter star 9 on your phone at the time the agenda item is address. When it's your turn to speak you'll be a new to annex to state your name and address at the conclusion of your comments for when you reach the 3 minute time limit. You will be muted. Always hands will be lowered after each agenda item regardless of the method of participation use normal rules apply, including 3 minute time limit on comments the requirement that any presentation materials must be submitted in advance of the meeting and the rules of the court in live public comic it is disrupted by violations of the rule of rules of decorum the chairs authorized to accept public comment ultimate means including by mail only we do have 2 speakers care. Ok, let's calm both the police. >> Well triggers and Beatrice Farrell please go to a podium state your name and address for the record you have 2 minutes to address City Council. Good afternoon Council. My name is what triggers a address one Beach drive Southeast, 1811 St. Petersburg Florida, 3, 3, 7, a one. I'm here today to speak about Albert whitted airport and encourage you to vote for the cleanup and. Repairs of the hangars out there item 3 under. The agenda today. Art lovers that we are we believe it's time to move this large metal sculpture our peas into the recycle them so we encourage you to vote yesterday. >> Happy New Year. And fellow County commissioner City Council And neighbors by name is features fair on the director of digital inclusion where initiative that focus on increasing digital literacy which is defined as Internet access at home. The skills train and devices. I we are having a gadget for good drive this Sat. At the foundation for. It is located at 2, 3, 3, 34 Street South in St. Petersburg from 10 to one what we're asking everyone to do is come by and drop off any devices that you have it that you to recycle what we do with those recycled devices is used them to give devices to people in our community that don't have them. I also want to mention that Digital inclusion it's an initiative of community Foundation Tampa Bay were funded by the city of St. Petersburg and Foundation for healthy Saint Pete. Thank you. Councilmember just cool. Thank you I just wanted to thank MISS Vera for being here today and and take her message to us as an opportunity to make sure that everyone is aware. The incredible grant that has been recommended for the city of St. Petersburg by the us Department of Commerce. National telecommunications and information Administration. In the amount of million to advance our collective efforts towards digital inclusion in our city, the interest has been a big part of that from the beginning as a founding member of digital inclusion St. Petersburg we are so lucky to have her here in our community during this important work and I am just grateful to her and to our city staff in the administration for going for in securing this important grant that will help us become and I and even more connected city. Thank you. Thank you councilmember Givens. >> Thank you so much a sterile for being here and thank you so much Council Driscoll for leading the charge on this as many of us are where the digital divide is something that we all should be looking to embrace as this new age of ai begins to take over I am so excited to see that South Saint Pete is leading the way so please MISS Farrell share the flyer with us that we can put it on all of our social media streams this is awesome and I've got the community participate and I'd love to know more information about how we can go about getting some of these recycled devices in the hands of some of the nonprofits that are trying to do the same work so thank you. Clerk any other speakers. Okay we'll go ahead and close open forum. Thank you. All right moving right along will move into our new ordinances will start with you one clerk could you please read the title. Well as ordinance number 1, 1, 7, 0, the in orders approving the vacation. 16.5 Nash and 15 foot alley abutting lots 1, 2, 7, 2425 in the purpose and Harris 4th Street edition and a lot one in them Maureen Mariner subdivision and a 20 foot alley and utility easement located on lot one in the Mariner subdivision generally located at 3, 3, 3, 8, 4, Street North forced 4 to 6 34th Avenue North and 4 to 5 33rd Avenue North. Setting forth conditions for the vacation to become effective in providing and in the public hearing for this item is on 1/23/2025. We have so we're joined by sure over galo and we have a presentation if you'd like to see it that approval second. Seeing is no further discussion we have a motion for approval in a second clerk, if you could please open machine for boating council members please cast your vote. Seeing as all council members have voted clerk could you please tell you a announce the vote MR. Chair. Motion to a passage in item one passes unanimously. Thank you thank you. All right moving along. >> We have a 2 car could you please read the ordinance. Soreness number 1, 1, 7, 1, dash v in ordinance approving a vacation of to public access easements generally located at 1, 2, 0, 0, 0, Gandy Boulevard North setting forth conditions for the vacation to become affected and providing for an event effective date in the public here for this. It was also on Jan. 23th, 2025 and we have no cards. Council council members looks like cheryl's coming back, I thought we had Scott there is a presentation if you'd like to see it the little kid. Seeing as I see no further discussion. There's motion. A second clerk could you please open the machine for voting. Council members please cast your vote seeing is all council members have voted clerk please to announce the vote. MISTER Chair motion to passage of 2 passes unanimously. I appreciate you are making this easy on me. Moving on to eat 3 clerk could you please read the ordinance posed ordinance number 1, 3, 6, dash 8 spell in ordinance of the city of St. Petersburg Florida designating the coquina rock entrance to the bear Creek golf and Country Club section of Pasadena states located at 5, 3, 5, 64th Street South and 6, 3, 5, 4, Emerson Avenue South as a local historic landmark in adding the property to the St. Petersburg register of Historic Places pursuant to section 16.3 0, 7, 0, city code and providing an effective date and the public in for this item is also on Jan. 23th, 2025 and we have no cars counselors remember this is cause it to shul so there is no discussions on entertaining motion for approval approval. Again. Clerk please open machine for voting. Council members please cast your vote. Sorry councilmember Harvey. Yeah it's going to take me a bit. Seeing is all present council members have voted police telling announce the vote. MR. CHAIRMAN to present to eat 3 passes unanimously. Thank you okay before. Clerk please read title posed ordinance number 7, 9, 6, z innings the official zoning map of the city of St. Petersburg Florida, changing the zoning of a 0.3 acre parcel located at 1, 8, 4, 7, 1st Avenue north from quarter residential residential traditional dash one crt dash 1, 2 corridor resident of traditional best too crt dash to providing for appeal of conflicting ordinances and provisions thereof and providing an affected date. Well here in for this item is also on Jan. 23th, 2025 and we do not have any cards. Move approval, second. Clerk please open machine for road. Council members discussed the vote. Singh's all present Council members voted please tell you a announce the vote MR. CHAIRMAN to present to the east 4 passes unanimously. Thank you okay, let's get into the meat and potatoes. Will join join now we're joined by John Moore PRESIDENT Of Orlando bayfront Hospital and for the Orlando health Bay from hospital annual update John welcome. Thank you MR. Chair appreciate the time today to present to you all. We do this once a year and this is the time that we generally use the first part of JANUARY to present so I will keep us moving here. >> This pair on the side that. >> Well let's start with our mission which is to improve the health and quality of life of the individuals and communities we serve. We work through everything that we do around these imperatives that you see that we embrace here. Let's give you a snapshot of Orlando health. Quite a bit of growth over the past over the past year, but certainly over the past 4 or 5 years. I'm now entering my 28th year with with Orlando health and certainly have seen a lot of this growth mainly along the I 4 corridor and I 75 corridor but then most recently and acquisition and Alabama 5 hospitals around Birmingham. And also 3 hospitals on the space coast in Melbourne. Closer to 2 St. Petersburg you can see that we show a hospital in Lakeland that's under construction, currently in South Lakeland. And then in Wesley Chapel, we have a hospital under construction there. Both of which will open in 2026, we'll talk more about our footprint here in Pinellas County and St. Petersburg in a moment. I would say that you'll see us continue to grow that footprint with additional physicians which I'll share later. Also you'll see that we will add to to the crossroads facility we will start adding services there physician services center on that upper floor that's currently empty. Another set another way to look at Orlando health call your attention to the fact that we are the only adult trauma Center in Pinellas County. Various awards et cetera that have been won by Orlando health facilities. And now let's talk about Arlen to help pay for hospital our continued commitment. 2 St. Petersburg. So this is our West entrance albeit up fairly boring photograph of it. But I will show it to say we're committed to investment in the facility to add new facilities to the campus. And we have a lot going on internally we have we're finishing up reducing our number of semi private rooms and creating private rooms throughout the facility which was much needed. And extremely you'll see under construction now if you've driven by the campus. You'll see 3 structures here the one on the left is a women's Health Center and that is in partnership with women's care which is the largest provider of obgyn services in the state. They have many legacy practices here in the St. Petersburg area and they will be co-locating those in this facility. In addition we will have a fertility clinic on the first floor and we will have we will house are obgyn residency program. We'll also be located in this facility. On the right hand side will be mainly focused around oncology so it's in partnership with Florida cancer specialists. Again legacy practices longtime positions in St. Petersburg they will all Cloquet here and provide medical oncology services we will provide radiation oncology and surgical oncology without many of the surge is having their clinics in this building. In addition we will have a space you know Sciences Institute. An orthopedic Institute. In the rear I should mention well that is a parking structure, the first floor will house a patient. Radiology clinic as well as an outpatient wound care center. The show's the footprint of the bloc that we call Institute square. And again the services that will be in the facilities. The show some of the more recent achievements and milestones. You know a lot of it's around improving the quality care we provide the safety of the care we provide those of you that have heard me speak, previously know that we've been on a journey. And we continue that journey today I would say the numbers on the right. I think are as important if not most important about improving that quality and safety in other words when we came here in 2020. We had many many registered nurse openings we've been able to reduce those by 41% we've hired over 600 nurses since OCTOBER of 20 and we've reduced overall open positions by almost 17%. Councilmember picked Sanders had ask I think 2 years ago now that in last year's presentation. We put the demographics and the show. The bayfront hospital. Demographics around our team members. So you can see we're almost at 2100 team members at this point and this gives you the breakdown in this city and gender. We have been and continue to be every year we present to you physicians we've recruited we continue to do that. So to support our obgyn residency program we have employed to additional physicians who have their clinics and will have their clinics in the new building. We brought on DR. Mashawn Ka who brings gynecology services to our community very important service and then in the cardiology space DR. Caught with electrophysiology additional sergeant in drc euro. Adding to doctor Espanola was in t practice we noted that additional anti physician there and then supporting our family medicine residency program. Very recently we acquired central neurology which is one of the largest in a row g programs in Tampa Bay. Longstanding physicians that have developed and they started this this practice and decided to become part of Orlando health. So we have acquired them and as I said earlier they'll be located in the new one of the new facilities. We also recruited 6 orthopedic surgeons that cover a broad range of areas as you can see. We were having too have support from positions. It from Tampa and this makes it much more convenient to have physicians who are living here in Saint Pete in supporting us here. It's a bit of an eye I would we put it in your packets of the you could have that to read at your leisure but I would just call out a couple of things on here one is continued improvement our patient satisfaction scores. Not exactly where we want to be but we're at the 79th percentile to date and also I would call out the leapfrog safety score which is something that we've been working on since we arrived the hospital originally when we arrived haddadi safety score we've now moved up to be and we're on our way to the ne. So lots of good things happening teams doing a great job in fact it should take a moment to introduce our team that join me today. Many of you MAY know Matt lafleur and heads of government relations for us. We have DR. Beth Curtis who is our chief the medical staff also your position. We have Sarah Gilbert chief operating officer and Lauren Parker who is our chief nursing officer and then behind them. We have doctor Curtis Brian who is our chief of surgery, but also the cardio thressa Sir. Again some more the accolades that we've had most recently this year. The team want to beat it make sure to put these in there and they're proud of it and they should be the. Tampa Bay times just recently had there annual voting on various things and we came out first in Tampa Bay. This place have a baby customer gincy room best cardiology. Hurricanes should say. First of all I want to thank the And particularly the mayor's office. You this was a time when you know having been here for a few storms. This one was different for many many reasons but I will say from a communication standpoint. It was amazing they gave us pre communication about what was going to happen what they predicted on water loss with the predicted on different things and that MAY not send important but it is in that it gave us time to then prepare. So I'll give the example of water loss we learned a lot as I know we all did during storms but we were not prepared for the fact that when the water shuts down our cooling towers air conditioning. We'll go away and about 6 hours. So once we learned that the water would be shut off we were able to get with the county. And we had a parade of firetrucks for almost 2 days that just brought water. Water brought water and kept kept or ac going. Our hospitals completely full er was over full. So critical cruel. Critical need for us during that time. As I'm sure you all did as well we had many team members who are impacted by the storms some hit twice. We we deployed some volunteer teams to assist with cleaning out homes of both physicians and team members and then with demolition and you know we tried to provide what we could we had resource room set up to provide items that they might need during the cleanup. Again we learned a lot we've always had an emergency response team which is a volunteer team of team members who volunteer ahead of time to say hey I'll stay at the hospital and work. And so we had 2 full teams of people in the hospital one. You know resting sleeping one working and then we switched every 12 hours. And so that it was important, you know as a trauma center and as as a provider of health care we want to make sure we were we were ready. We also had many of our 2 of them are here today that stay with us the whole time we had a full complement of surgeons so we were well prepared. I just talked about the water we really didn't have that much damage in the facility which was great. The other thing we learned is that so many of our team members live outside of the area and when the fuel shortage hit. I was able to get with the leash issue off over children's she and I got with the state. We brought it. Tanker trucks fuel over by the hospital and anyone in the community and had a medical related. You know a badge they can get to balance of fuel. So we're in that for a couple of days and that seemed to help us keep team members coming into work. So the rest of this is really you know talking about our commitment to Saint Pete and our team members loved volunteering and being a part of the different programs that are out there. We also have a grant program that I'll show few signs on these are the most recent grants that we recently gate. We work with the foundation for healthy Saint Pete and we do a dollar-for-dollar match on those. One of the grants and I'll just give a brief description of this funded a health care Navigator for the homeless empowerment program. In this case it helped a young mother with 2 children who really had no access to him health care immunizations really primary care for self mental health care. The Navigator was able to work and find a physician for her for her children and get all those things taken care of so we like it when we can connect the dots with what we're giving him what it's actually providing in the community. This just gives you an example of what we look at we want to give out grants what's important to us as we do that. Also community relations keeps us in touch with all of the chambers of Commerce and the various entities that help make our city work. And you can see the number of organizations and activations that we've had this past year. Habitat for humanity is a major focus of ours we built a home every year for the last 3 years. And you can see also a volunteer hours which are trying to continue to increase from our team members. These are the things that that they volunteer to provide. So this is in total what what we've been able to do with the foundation for healthy Saint Pete, since 2023. Really helping with the 3 focus areas there mental health and wellness for black indigenous and people of color economic equity in justice and capacity building. So we provide people to be served on the committee and the foundation provides folks to serve on that committee to give those grants. And this last slide just shows you the programs funded people impacted and then each of the grants are given to an organization that has to provide us with goals that there working to achieve and thus far we've seen that 57% of the goals achieved at this point. That's what I had today. Councilmember fix Sanders. Thank you thank you MR. Morrison legend in first, let me say if you are a to example of the more engaged to either event here to our service. The community and you have done an excellent job, especially from the first presentation that you present it to where we are now in the impact that you're making in the community. So thank you and thank you for hearing me and some of the things that I've asked for but you have had so much growth within the community and then working with the foundation and all the organizations. I just have to say thank you for than for wanting to make sure that you are in our community and I also want the constituents understand everything that you did during this storm. You don't know until you know and so all the things that you had to go through in order to ensure that your patients employees, everyone that was a part that was impacted you learn from that. So from the storm's what are you putting in place now to better prepare just in case, GOD forbid we have another is that is where we MAY have to turn off water where we MAY you know be thread with the hurricane would has Orlando health now put into place we are working now to infect series in charge of the Senate. Installing 2 Wells are property so that we don't have to you know obviously depend on outside water was a bit jealous of my friends across the street at all children's Well. So we are taking care of that we have some other issues we have is it's complicated the electrical switch here that's located in to Logan area so we're going to move that up and then in Pinellas Park we the generator. We didn't build that facility, but the generator is not equipped to handle air conditioning. So we need to upgrade that so that it can provide a see some sale. What those are a few examples just a few examples but again it just goes to show that when you do you don't know what you don't know until you do, and they you actually taking this opportunity to better prepare yourself for that. Thank you. Thank you. Council member Jessica, thank you and thank you for that presentation, this is. Such welcome news throughout your presentation. And I gotta tell you I was here. Several years ago when we and went through the process of contracting with Orlando health too. And take over this hospital. I think about the condition that it was in at that time. And that was what it 5 years no. The man. Then versus now. It's like night and day. Our partnership with you. Even better than I thought it was going to be and the way that you have been able to turn around this hospital make it once again a place that we can be proud of and the work that you're doing in the region. Here. 2 branch out and be able to. Help more people and provide care for more people. It is it's notable and it's admirable. I couldn't be happier with the way that things have been have been going and I can't wait to see what's next with the new projects the have under construction right now. Very exciting. Also want to do. Thank you for partnering with Turner construction for their construction management program that has been really important I always love to see. The new class when they get started and it is so your not only doing what your what you all are expert at but you're helping the community in ways that go beyond health care. So thank you for that as well. I'm glad to hear that the city was a good partner for you during the storms and I hope that as we continue our process of looking at our lessons learned and how we can how we can do better. That will be looking for ways that we can give you even stronger support even as you're looking at ways to be a little bit more self-sufficient we're still here for you. Thank you even if the lights are on. >> But that wasn't me tell you I was like back And scene. Thank you chair. A member Givens. Thank you so much MISTER Chair and thank you so much John it's so good to see you again the last time you and I were together it was at the foundation for healthy Saint Pete, and I want to thank you so much for the c contribution that you all helped plant and to the sickle cell disease Foundation Association of St. Petersburg what we're doing is we're trying to help address an issue that affects a lot of minorities right on one of the things we found is a lot of our patients who are not drug seeking find themselves in the hospital's quite a bit. One of the hopes is that with these new legislation that will come out from this past Congress, the 100 18th Congress, there are funds that are now available to help put or sickle cell treatment units within local hospitals is there any discussion about that coming up on that's my first question the my second question is it a little update on how the satellite emergency rooms are working out specifically the one across France. So to your first question you know that's interesting though. Not that I'm aware of and I look at my team say. No so that's something I need to take back and we need to to address so I will say touch with you on that one with the second question the satellite, yours. Their volumes are typically low. But I can tell you this if you ask the county when we have storms are we have you know emergency situations like that they were dependent not just on our freestanding emergency rooms but you know our competitors as well they helped offload because our our main ers were we're over well. So they're very important. They're local. They and they really help the people closer to that that look out. Thank you very much. >> Thank you vice-chair what think you chair. So. When you came on board he never expected all the things that did you a new fence like a great job, but I remember we first met and you have the expansion going on on you had to deal with the storms and everything that's happened you've done a wonderful job trying to manage everything the good and the crisis. Combined so you and your team a great team, you and your team and so thank you all because your morning part of our community and a critical. All service that you provide to residents. So thank you for that and I don't want to repeat everything. Other council members I have said I I agree with everything you mentioned it's funny because you mentioned that you're gonna get well as I had. Mark you're well as on campus whether that was something that was planned in the future because you had mentioned obviously the urgency portable water that you need it and I know that some hospitals do have Wells on site and and even though you heavily rely on the public infrastructure. There is no choice you have to do something and mitigate what can happen in the future. So having said that and knowing that obviously you said the communications are good anything that you know that we could be doing here to help you obviously infrastructure is important and that's something that City Council is is committed to improving as as we know. But anything else that you need that can help please let us know. I appreciate that I mean very proactive we had 2 people from parks and rec who are stationed, right there. We House them but they were there to help get the emergency or get the roads cleaned up. Quickly around both hospitals and you know all children's is a pediatric trauma center where the adult. They were there to help us get roads cleared and get things moving again as soon as possible. So that was another proactive move that I think was was great and then just personally I live in you know downtown Saint Pete in my wife and I you know walk the streets a lot with our dogs in we just watched in all of how quickly. The city was able to get itself back together where could function. And very impressive so great that we're a lot we were lucky. We were national actual had a harder time than we did and people down South head Rd Brighton were actually lucky that we were full brunt of the storm. We were able to recover but but. You know thankfully, we did and it was good that we are streets or open up pretty quickly so well thank you for everything you do and for the update. I was look forward to the update every year from the all you do such a great job. Thank you thank you. It's always good to see you. >> Thanks for everything you're doing you know one of the things I think it was mentioned before. You know 5 years of these updates, I've been a part of 4 of them. Pretty fun to be a part of an update that just keeps getting better. And so I wanted to point that out you know just everything continues to improve and I know you give credit to the team. But while I'm on that point youve got a great team and I know a lot of them that will be able to meet a lot of them. And I just I just haven't had poor interaction with any of them and I think that speaks both to the organization to the leadership, but I think also to the care that those people have of what they're trying to accomplish not only at the hospital, but I think within the city of St. Petersburg so I'm very thankful for that. I only have one question that I'll do one more thank you. Just because it's unfortunately I've had a I had a couple of them, I'm interested in the Ortho team did you bring an entire team on. We did where are they from are they from that or from various area, okay. One of the spine surgeons probably a close us he's from Tampa proper. And the others are from a variety >> I think that's also my I wanted to highlight that you know because at least again my experience having unfortunately had to deal with a couple of orthopedic surgeons. You know. Especially in the trauma area. You know that that happens often here unfortunately and having that type of expertise that we can recruit into town is invaluable not only are we bringing well paying jobs St. Petersburg but we're giving expert care in a situation that is very chaotic after something like that happened so very very happy to see that all the I'm very happy to see all of the recruitment and physicians but that one specifically you know selfishly to me. The last one is is I've been very blessed to have good relationships across our hospital system here in St. Petersburg with Johns Hopkins all children's in hca and they care and after the storm having spoke to the leadership in all of those organizations. John it was very apparent that you are a big. Stick of glue during these hurricanes and helping solve problems helping keep heat level-headed and I could not go without mentioning that your name came up multiple times about Yossi calls during the storms. And I'm just very thankful for you and for your leadership. I know again the support of the team, but. You know in some of the toughest days in maybe Saint Pete history. You know your name came up multiple times and I I think that speaks very highly of the and I'm very appreciative of you and your friendship and your leadership in this organization. >> Thank you. Thank thank you, thank you for being here looking forward to it again next year looking forward to seeing all the bayfront team throughout the year. Thanks everybody. >> Okay we will move on to f one and we are joined by evan Moore ii we also have some leadership from psta here both in the audience and on the dias so I'm sure we can answer any of the questions that might come up during this presentation, but Evan welcome. Thank you chair and good afternoon Council. Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to present this to you today and and I'm glad that I can follow presentation about good partnerships because I think that's what this presentation and this relationship is like with with psta thanks for mentioning, we do have Darden rice and every check that out here with with psta for support and also potentially to help answer some questions. So a little history, here's a route map of the service that began in the fall of 2023. The route includes 31 stops and enhance stations state of the art hybrid buses. And public art in most of the St. Petersburg stations. Usually the service frequency is excellent. At 15 minutes between each bus. However similar to other routes service for can see drops off. In the evening due to low demand after the late afternoon peak and to reduce operating expenses within a constrained budget which is what psta has. Fortunately son runner was delivered below budget and City Council approved a little over a year ago an amendment that allowed some of the savings to go towards. Adding a new stop at first Avenue North near first Street. This is closer to the waterfront and the Saint Pete pier. Also the cost savings allowed. The addition of public art that due to timing couldn't be added to the couple of the downtown stations. And on this You can see some of the art panels and how they individually and collectively come together to form a mural like appearance. And then also the modified route is shown on the upper right hand side. And on the lower right hand side. You can see the groundbreaking that occurred over the summer when construction started for the new stop first in first, and you can see 2 of our council members who are also board members and that picture along with some other elected officials and downtown business manager. Here's a route map that will be effective tomorrow. Servicing the new station. Also there's pictures of the station was almost complete. And tomorrow morning we will be able to celebrate the grand opening at the station at 10:00am I hope all of you can join us if your schedule allows. And of City Council is inclined to pass this resolution today. The celebration can be even better because. Yes he's ready to start to start not only servicing the new staff tomorrow but if Council passes they will begin the enhanced frequency of service tomorrow night. So the proposed enhancements is affecting the 2 busiest nights of the week for leisure activities and business the downtown area. It reduced parking demand and traffic while providing better service for everyone who uses a son rather runner son Hunter on the entire route. The better service would come in the form of increased for can see from 30 minutes. 2.15 on Fri. And Sat. Night and practically speaking, that means that each writer would wait only 7 and a half minutes at the stop before their bus arrives. Rather than the 15. And we believe that the enhanced route. On top of the enhance frequency will result in a noticeable increase in usage of the service. We also believe that this is a good investment that leverages previous work and funding that went into the initial sun on a project. In the groundbreaking Photo we saw 2 of our existing council members and. In the bottom Photo if you look close you can see almost in disguise and he's not in a suit. Former council member. For the remainder of this fiscal year. The city costs are increasing the service would be $75,000. We're planning on dedicating not from the parking revenue fund. And if you compare that to some other parking expenses that's less money than Acosta built 3 parking spaces and a parking garage and those 3 spaces with certainly serve fewer people than this increase frequency would allow. The initial term will carry us through 2 more fiscal 3% escalator on each of those 2 years and then we also have worked into the agreement. The option to renew for 2 additional years. And with that I will conclude and requests that City Council approved a resolution today and we'd be happy to answer any questions that you MAY have. Thanks 7 councilmember Driscoll. Thank you thank you for the presentations and it's exciting to see this coming forward, and after it was read up a wild that. And I'm just very appreciative of psta is partnership in helping to make this happen it seems that we our I was looking at ways that we can make mobility better for us here in Petersburg and it seems every time we asked psta finds a way to say yes. Whether it's you know this war and helping us to adjust to a different location for the cross Bay Ferry. I mean it goes it goes on and I'm just thinking about in the last year. Psta has really stepped up for us in some unusual times and I wonder if you in we can talk about that a little bit. Sure yes, thanks for mentioning the help with the cross Bay Ferry relocation. About a year ago is when we started the transportation disadvantaged City Council approved funding. We started that which allows low-income residents people are too dependent on transit and instead of getting a discounted fare bus pass there is free. So that program has been going really well. Psta stepped up during the Hurricanes we asked them to initiate a period of free rides for all Saint Pete residents because of the facts that occurred lot of people lost their cars and just had other stresses going on. So they gave us a very good rate and coordinate those with us very quickly to allow rights for free for for a couple weeks. And then after the second hurricane hit they did. County wide free they helped out to the beaches. Shortly after that we had our of disaster recovery center. Nick Davis center. And it didn't have all the resources that the wounded in largo so we called up yesterday and said hey can you provide us a link for people who need to go from Enoch Davis up to largo they didn't hesitate they provided that very quickly. And Recently the loser departments had their fire and the residents needed to relocate and within hours psta provided buses that and ask for any compensation and help us get those seniors from luzerne departments to a safe place to sleep that night. So yeah, those are just a few of the things in the last year. It's pretty pretty incredible just that and psta isn't like a small agency it's pretty big and for them to be so nimble and so helpful and we when we need something or when we have a new idea it's amazing so thank you an average okay wanted to ask you question if you don't mind journeys that a pretty if you could introduce yourself. And so good afternoon, everyone and happy New have a check the oil and the director of project management for psta. Thank you and and even worth the sun runner has been. Has come to fruition under your guidance and your partnership in particular with the city with Evan and with the administration has been just a huge part of the success of the sun runner. I wanted to let everyone know I hope you don't mind that have a second cause. Given notice that he'll be leaving for another opportunity in another area. It's a big opportunity and so and very sad for. Sam for psp But I'm very happy for you. I will let you decide if you want to share what you'll be doing. But I wanted to thank you in front of everyone and just wish you all the best. Thank you so much first of all I wanted to thank the council the mayor and uncertainty Evans group and the city's departments who just were so collaborative doing the whole process, not just for the sun on a project that all the initiatives that psta and certainty that I was involved in. And it was just a very collaborative process and it just certainly made things very easy. And yes, I did accept an opportunity to recently this is in Broward County. They do have a pretty large program to advance capital program there. That the voters approved back in 38 so I'm going to take on the. >> Challenge to implement their capital program but St. Petersburg will certainly be in my heart pay close to us this is my my family's here and there's they were very very surprised when we all moved here from the Phoenix area on how welcoming how vibrant this community is and so we will certainly MISS It but something to keep in mind so thank you for your support again, yes and thank you. I know you'll be back to Saint Pete at some point and you'll be able to Walker and any time you see the sun runner, it'll be a great reminder. That you did something that really move our city forward. Thank you appreciate them. All right and on that note when will you be at the you will be at the ribbon cutting for the new center station tomorrow right absolutely they get I do hope everyone will join us in a minute 10 o'clock tomorrow at first Avenue North and first Street. And on that note, I'll move approval. Second. >> ok thank you councilmember councilmember fix Sanders. Thank you you would have the counts representing is definitely speak when it comes to psta and just think about it you have the success of the sun runner. That I'm sure was one of your successes do your interview and that you hosted here that Syria that and I wanted to you know say thank you so much you've always been supportive and so gracious and if you see a as a whole and in council member just go summed it up when she said it is one of the most nimble organizations that I have ever had the experience of working with in regards to the partnerships from the free transportation disadvantage to the free rides for all veterans for free rides for now those counties students. It has been an organization that has been community driven from day one says I have been on that on that board and so to see that you know we are continuing to grow myself and Nancy you read Miller did that in a cold on Tue. Waiting for that to millions writer. To get office and around her and it was cold. But we did celebrate the to lead the riders so the summer has been extremely successful. So let there be no doubt that I think it was a partnership and it was an investment. We'll made on behalf of the city of St. Petersburg to mobility, especially those that have visiting this great city, so again you will be missed. Evan thank you so much for working with psta and these awesome partnership that we have in getting our residents and our visitors around. Now know if I need to sicken of being a board member of this is a board chair motion out second. >> 31 but we can double down on and this I MISS The un councilmember Givens. Thank you so much chair and thank you so much for being here Evan I appreciate you and thank you for psta psta for all you all do. I am a proud psta passenger. Thanks to Brad Miller and past board member events Cox they encourage me to get on board and so I'm so grateful for what you all do on Iran on the platform that I wanted to make sleepy multi modular city. So I think we're taking the right steps forward in the right direction. So thank you all for what you do. Did have a couple of questions that I know we kind of spoke about it briefly Evan. What are we doing to them. This is going to take more money to take this from 5 days to 7 days a week. That's my first question is what will that look like to be have a figure hypothetically what what dollar amount we're looking for and then my second question is how we look that supplementing some other alternative routes. >> Good question I I think that so far we just look to tackle the weekends. Obviously we could probably do the math and talked to psta about want to take to add the at those days so thank you for that suggestion. So far we just want to look at the weekends with the with the peak ridership. No other partnerships with with psta we will continue to look for those. We spoke briefly about enhanced service in South Petersburg and we will be able to tell you a little bit more about a new service. Soon but I can tell you little about an hour. We're looking to launch a spark service all electric buses on 34 Street South. That would connect Eckerd College in the sky. We're in a district up to the sun or out so our first be like brt light but it's limited stop enhanced. Enhance bust. Most shelters and stops and that would connect South Petersburg to this honor so then we have our first north-south to connect with the east to west. We do plan on doing that with psta later this year so we're not waiting. A long time for that and so it will keep bringing new ideas and and have service and safety. Great news route 34 in root for. That council member and he said ok, thank you. Evan thanks for bringing this forward I'd be remissed former councilmember Darden Rice is here with psta we were talking earlier you know councilmember Rice worked on. Transportation was she was council member continues to work with psta and continues to pour into our community and just very thankful. Thanks for being here. Thanks for psta psta partnership. >> Evan you continue to always bring us good ideas and ones that are frankly easy to vote on so. Thanks for all the work that you and your team do too and excited to vote on this. Anytime we can get drivers off the road on Fri. And Sat. Evening, I'm all for it. Okay seeing is no other discussion we have a motion a second clerk could you punishing for voting. Council members please cast your vote. Seeing is all present council members voted clerk could you please tell you a announce the vote MR. CHAIRMAN motion to proceed to the f one passes unanimously, thank you so much Evan, thank you everybody. Ok moving on to f 2. In a presentation about. Like this the rec center water intrusion we've got recess braman fresh welcome. The cosmos congratulations to the new Council chair vice chair. I know so it's a new elected members. Thank you will. It's a big step and they challenge the service to children appreciate it, thank you. So with that I'd like to get started I did not prepare a formal presentation who's going to walk to an explanation of to link this to improvements and especially poor storm. With that we're doing essentially the project involves time trip is from the flooding caused by Hurricane Milton. The storm water pond within the facility. It was designed for specific storm event over Florida allowing storm want to self to flood the facility. Immediate action with remediation by Richard Kraft and his team. Getting cipro out that within the first 2 days really need to get it substantial impacts and how bad the damage could have been. Fortunately there was no impacts to teach vsco to electrical system Sino structural civil damage as well. The the bulk of the book involves replacement of some of the floor covering some of the vinyl floors to uber releases just lifting up we have some competent some areas and then also the sheet rock. Where there's no concrete will strut subtlety was removed approximately 8 2 feet up. That will have to be replaced. The trimming around the rules and some painting that's the bulk of the work some frost in some fixed just and also the Cabinet's office to that sustained water damage. How would that would do us for approval. The vote Council Murphy Sanders, thank you do you know wind is going to be up to the. >> Yes we are shooting for me first the commission okay all right. Thank you. Vice chair him once it's a question they're going to be done. I mean any more rights there like like. That it's you know that with flooding like the in terms of flooring right you figure it's much easier to maintain some flooring worse is rising said just wondering. So then there will be some nominees yet is going to be some copping of course you know that it's in some of the rooms sound is very critical. The in you do have to rely on cops to talk to some of the swing sound itself. There's also some care homes that have to calm putting in of course in the gymnasium you have to have to influence which is being done separately from this project that's a good question. Bridge are we have one question and so was this. >> Rain flooding or was this wind driven. I mean I'm from the massive amount of rain of Milton that's where this occurred. All right this storm water pond itself overflowed and flooded the site, okay and so and we don't need to go down the weeds in this but. >> Have we identified that area in the water master plan as potential for potential projects to make sure that doesn't happen again or was this such a massive amount of rain that really. Probably not going to do that. You know that's an interesting question because from all of sevilla shun its Tatchell stormwater pond itself that overflowed but I would definitely go back and take a look at the because the pond to pond. Yeah so the pond is designed for specific storm event but will definitely go back and take that take a look at the 100 year floodplain from the stormwater master plan I can provide that information. All right. Thank you councilmember governor. Just a quick follow-up to that just thinking. When you go through that process of kind of like okay, we're looking at future how do we mitigate this. Now that we know that's obviously vulnerable is there an opportunity where we can maybe look at that as a pond that we might be able to drain somehow beforehand just to try to bring down the elevation to absorb the additional. Rain water that is a good point. So definitely I think that's something we cannot you start looking into that is gets because I know we look at it on the public infrastructure site right, I mean I'm just I'm so familiar with draining ponds right. I mean it's obviously very different infrastructure. They're somewhere else to drain it too but I'm just trying to think like we do that in Revere of a right like there's a storm coming you go in you during the ponds now that brings out to the Bay. So that's a very different problem that isn't engineers problem, not mine. But I'm just saying like I feel like that might be we might be getting to a place where we need to create a list of these sort of vulnerabilities so that you all kind of have that as our preplanning scenario. And it's something that given into context that the upon stat designed dry. Yeah so some of them don't have water in them, okay, we'll take a look and also you know we do have to take into designed for the return flow going through it for water quality so do we don't to be pumping. Nutrients out in the stormwater system as well. So if I MAY also adding a couple of contact, Claude Tankersley public works administrator. So I just I just spoke with MR. Kraft and asked if they'd had this problem with that pond before and he said no not to his recollection at all. Usually the stormwater ponds are designed for what we call a 25 year storm event and what we receive in Milton was a 1000 year storm. So I'm not quite sure that there's really anything we could do to assist with this with this kind of event and then the other thing is as you mentioned the ponds that we do have some pumps with those ponds word specifically designed to operate with with pumps. Yeah so going back and retrofitting ponds what might require complete redesigned upon so I I seriously doubt of I'm just being honest I seriously doubt we will be looking at this particular pond. Given the fact it's never happened before and this was such a huge event as being one that we would prioritize for any future work. >> And I don't necessarily disagree, but I do just want us to all be like Mike kind of flashback 2 presentations we have had from usf and DR. Fraser about the fact that we're going to have more extreme rain events we just are that is going to be happening and they're going to be more frequent so I still think there's some conversation to have and we talked about earlier today like kind of you know how do we look into the future and look for you know our response leading up to a storm. I just think we we kind of have to think a little bit bigger about the challenges that we're facing as climate change continues to but these incredible mean you today we say it was a 1000 year storm if it keeps happening, it MAY no longer be a 1000 year storm that MAY be something in deal with constantly and so I just want us to kind of keep those ideas out there there's no solution for today, but I don't want to close the door on at least having the conversations absolutely thank you thank you chair. Councilmember Florida. Thank you and I my comments of mostly already been covered I was just going to uplift to things one was. That this storm was a a freak occurrence when you look back into the past and so it's it's a large task to try to design a system to withstand something that only happens when 1000 years, but then my other thing was going to be if we were to go back and take a look which I I think we should to how we should move forward with our floodplain and our storm water system in general. That there was a lot of places in the city this exact same thing happened a lot of residential areas that were prepared for it. And I think we're seeing the effects of it at a city facility and that's what we're discussing today, but I would hope that yes we have this conversation we can talk about basically the entire city I think there was probably storm water pond in I would be surprised if there was a one in every Dist district that exceeded its banks and will surprise the people around it so I think we are to cover that I just wanted to uplift that like I hope you know the contours of the quite broad. Thanks chair. Yeah, I mean I was only I realize what I was saying and 1000 year storm right that's why I frankly it was for me so when were talking to the community about the wreck center and what are we going to do I want to be just be able to set the expectation that's all you know, hey the expectation is right now. It's we were considering this a 1000 year storm we've identified it if future if we get close to this again. We could identify project to do x y z. Or no we need to do something now right and we're examining the I just want to make sure that when we're talking you know to residents we we can set the expectation clearly doesn't so the I appreciate Do we have a motion a second. Seeing is no further discussion clerk could you please open machine for voting. Seeing as all councilmembers voted clerk could you please tell you a announce the vote MR. CHAIRMAN to approve such an f 2 passes unanimously. >> Thank you okay moving right along to f 3 our presentation on Albert whitted airport repairs and funding over pro from second we do have. This is where we have a and b. No it would need to be voted on. >> I move on. And we have some public comment will go to public comment. Hawkins please go to add the podium state your name and address for the record you have 3 minutes to address it. >> My name is Hawkins and I'm a resident of a 26 21st Avenue North. Good afternoon Saint Pete City Council. I live in a vice chair and what's district and I work recreating create jobs in councilmember Driscoll's district. So it wasn't of and a 91 days. When the storm was 91 days ago and since then. So good news. We've had 0 cleanup at Albert whitted airport. We have an amazing resilient community down there we have non-profit organizations medical organizations that operate through there. It's too bad difference tire anymore, actually some folks that are really pivotal pivotal increasing access to the nation education scholarships. And transportation here in this room. It's it's it's been painful seeing. The airport get no attention among the volunteers and. Good Samaritans of our airport we've actually tried on our own a couple of times to move debris out of the way so even an aircraft to move a car can move and threatened with arrest. So no cleanup has happens. We have Jack good metal debris. From decades ago all over the airport thousands of pounds with twisted ibm's broken glass, aviation fuel spilling on documents personal belongings and areas were not allowed taxes. We have 32 hangers destroyed 10 aircraft destroyed 2 helicopters destroyed. Moos has remain on field a couple of had their wings cut off can be driven out. We also have several aircraft veteran find working condition are suspected to be that heart in 2 months and hangars that MAY or MAY not be condemned summer condemn some are not but they're blocked by other debris that were not allowed to relocate again 91 of this. We had an incident less than 2 weeks ago where we almost lost the human life due to this debris. There is a twisted it and that was on top of the hangar. That's otherwise not condemned. And we had significant gusts about 13 days ago and not to that idea of building nearly striking a human and their aircraft standing next to a calf that they're pulling out. So we have an ongoing human safety crisis and a very small scale but it still exists down at our airport. We can confirm a friend's business but not for a human health and safety. The grand prize in 7 weeks setup isn't about 3 weeks to take. And much of the airport that would generally remain accessible to the airport using public. Wood. It is during the Grand Prix he's not available at this time. So in other words if the Grand Prix were to set up there. The airport essentially will have to stop that MAY be in