City Council - Regular Meeting

This time we'll call to order the August 31, 2026 meeting of the Clearwater City Council. If you wish to address the council tonight, please complete the comment card. Comment cards are located by the clerk seated to the right of the dais. When you call to speak, please hand your card to the clerk. Move to item two on the agenda, and that's our invocation. I ask for everyone to please stand. for the invocation to be given tonight by Reverend Kyle D. Smith, pastor at St. Cecilia Catholic Church, and then remain standing afterwards for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Thank you, Reverend Smith. Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Before we begin the meeting part of our agenda tonight, I want to introduce our dais. To my far left is our deputy city clerk, Nicole Sprague. To her right is our city clerk, Rosemarie Cole. To her right is city attorney, Owen Kohler. To her right is Council Member Lena Teixeira. To her right, my left, Vice Mayor Ryan Cotton. To my right, Council Member Mike Menino. To his right, Council Member David Albritton. To his right, City Manager Jennifer Poirier. To her right, Assistant City Manager Dan Slaughter. Good evening. And to his right, Assistant City Manager Al Battle. Good evening. That will move to Item 4.1 of the agenda. Good evening.

Any questions? Thank you for coming tonight. Very important projects that you're working on. With that, move to item 4.2 on the agenda.

Carrie, would you come forward? Whereas ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths in women in the United States and causes more deaths than any other gynecologic cancer, and whereas in the United States a woman's lifetime risk of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer is about 1 in 78, and whereas the American Cancer Society estimates 21,010 cases of ovarian cancer will be newly diagnosed in 2026, and 12,450 individuals will die from the disease nationwide, including 1,850 new cases and 850 deaths in Florida. And whereas the five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer is 50%, and

Thank you for coming tonight, and thank you for bringing awareness to this important issue.

Yeah, she's going to get it. He's going to get a picture of us up here.

I think so. No, just kidding. All right.

So, yeah. You can come on up. Whereas the City of Clearwater, in collaboration with National Suicide Prevention Week and National Suicide Prevention Month, is recognizing 988 day and whereas Tuesday, September 8th, 2026 marks 988 day, an annual day of action dedicated to spreading awareness of the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline and emphasizing the importance of mental health support. And whereas a day of action encourages all Clearwater residents to engage in discussions with friends and loved ones about mental health. And whereas Clearwater residents can participate in events, including walk

Thank you for coming tonight. We just were honored this Saturday to have one of our Clearwater Police Department officers, Officer Andrew Billups, selected as Officer of the Year. and received an award Saturday night at Opal Sol. So he did two things. One was rescuing a young lady with autism off the rocks and she was in a very dangerous spot near the water on Clearwater Beach. But the second thing he was recognized for was saving the life of a woman who was getting ready to jump off the Memorial Causeway Bridge and he rescued her from that dangerous situation. It just brings to light the seri

Thank you for being here today. Move to item 4.4 in the agenda.

Whereas the city of Clearwater recognizes that community redevelopment strengthens neighborhoods, supports local businesses, encourages economic investment, and enhances the quality of life for residents and visitors. And whereas the Clearwater Community Redevelopment Agency, CRA, supports redevelopment in downtown Clearwater and North Greenwood by investing in public improvements, local businesses, and community revitalization. And whereas these redevelopment efforts strengthen neighborhoods, improve public spaces, encourage private investment, and create a vibrant community where people can

Thank you for being here tonight, and thank you for helping us make Clearwater more bright and beautiful than ever before. So thank you for your work. Thank you.

This time we'll move to item 5.1 on the agenda.

Is there a motion to approve the minutes?

Does anyone here from the public tonight desire to speak to this agenda? We're seeing none. Is there any council discussion? If not, is there a motion?

Opposed? Unanimous. Thank you. Agenda item 6.2.

Okay. So you want to hear from the public tonight that the desire is to speak to this agenda item. Hearing none, is there any council discussion? If not, is there a motion?

Opposed? Unanimous. Thank you. June item 6.3.

Seeing no one here from the public tonight that desires to speak to agenda item 6.3. Seeing none, is there any council discussion? If not, is there a motion?

Motion to approve agenda item 6.3. Second.

All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? Unanimous. Agenda item 6.4.

Is there anyone here from the public that desires to speak to this agenda? If not, is there any council discussion? If not, is there a motion?

Move to approve agenda item 6.4. Second.

All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? Unanimous. Agenda item 6.5.

Mr. Mayor, do you have anything to add? Do you have anything to add to what he said?

Chair Greg Musil Thank you. Is there anyone from the public that I desire to speak to this agenda? Hearing and seeing none, is there any council discussion? If not, is there a motion?

Chair Greg Musil All those in favor? Aye. Chair Greg Musil Opposed? Unanimous. Thank you, gentlemen. Agenda item 6.6.

CHAIRMAN BRYANTLE. I want to hear from the public tonight as I speak to this agenda. Seeing none, is there any council discussion or questions?

All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? Unanimous. Thank you, sir. Thank you. Agenda item 6.7.

Thank you. Anyone else from the public that desires to speak to this agenda? I'm seeing none. Is there council discussion? Vice Mayor.

Any other council discussion? I'll just echo what the Vice Mayor just said. The Chandler family has been such an important part of the growth and success of Clearwater Beach and all you've done out there with Pier 60 concessions and throwing your heart and soul into it. And the community recognizes that. I think that's a reflection of how many others were interested in bidding on it. They know how much you love this community and how much you love our beach community. So happy to see that we're able to extend the relationship because it's been a great relationship so far. OK, any other discuss

Opposed? Unanimous. Thank you and congratulations. That will move to agenda item 6.8.

So you want to hear from the public tonight if they desire to speak to this agenda. Hearing seeing none, any council discussion? If not, is there a motion?

Move to approve agenda item 6.8. Second.

No, excuse me. That's why I paused to do the reading first. Anyone here from the public tonight that desires to speak this year?

Well, no. I think it's clear we're probably going to vote as we did before.

Thank you. Anyone else here from the public tonight on this agenda?

Thank you. Anyone else? Okay. All right. With that, council discussion.

You're welcome. Anyone else? Okay. Now is there a motion?

Opposed? United. Thank you. Thank you for coming out tonight, folks. That moved to agenda item 8. Are there any citizens to be heard tonight on items not on tonight's agenda?

All right. We will move to agenda item nine, city manager reports.

And I want to thank Assistant City Manager Slaughter for serving on the board of that organization and steering it to Clearwater Beach here the last several years. It's a great event for the entire region to bring them out here. Law enforcement to Clearwater Beach is a great thing. So thank you for your influence there. It's good to know a guy. Yeah. Move to agenda item 10. Agenda item 11.1. Council Member Teixeira.

Yes, so as you are aware, I represent Clearwater at the Opioid Abatement Board, and periodically I bring some information to you all, and I guess this is not an exception. It's actually pretty good data, very encouraging. Sorry? No? So anyway, I consolidated and summarized some of the information that has been shared with us over the last few months, and I put some of it in graphs so it's easier to kind of highlight the overall trends. Taken together, the data shows that Florida is seeing meaningful progress in the fight against drug-related deaths. The latest statement data show substantial d

That's it. Did they talk about what they're doing to drive this decrease?

Well, so in Pinellas County, we actually were so close to coming up with the whole plan to allocate our $30 million. And then at the last second, we really felt that we needed to step back and reevaluate at least a big portion of it. And so I think that was the right decision because it is a lot of investment and we need to do it right. But with these changes and focusing on our priorities, I think that we're in a good position to further lower these numbers. And then once that decision's made, I can share with you all the entities and what that plan is going to be. Until then, I'm kind of hol

Well, thank you. Okay. With that, we'll move to Agenda Item 12, Closing Comments by Councilmembers. Councilmember Albritton.

Councilmember Albritton. Yes, Mayor. I have an important public service announcement. When falling down concrete steps, don't use your face to break your fall. Okay? Use your hands.

Well, we're glad you're OK. Enjoyed your weekend, but I'm sorry about your injury. Council Member Menino?

Okay. I just have a couple things. One is, when I looked at the calendar here in September, we have seven concerts at the BayCare Sound. And one of those is a music festival. It'll be happening September 4th with, I'm trying to remember the name of the radio station, but one of our radio stations has a line of alternative music bands that will be playing one day, 97X. And it's been very popular. It's been one of our most popular events, the Bay Care Sound, every year. So lots coming at the Bay Care Sound. And congratulate them as well. folks at Rutherford Hall and all of us here for making it