Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting

MINUTES BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING JANUARY 14, 2026 6:00 P.M. The City of Madeira Beach Board of Commissioners held a regular meeting at 6:00 p.m. on January 14, 2026, in the Patricia Shontz Commission Chambers at City Hall, located at 300 Municipal Drive, Madeira Beach, Florida. MEMBERS PRESENT: Anne-Marie Brooks, Mayor Ray Kerr, Vice Mayor/Commissioner District 2 David Tagliarini, Commissioner District 1 Eddie McGeehen, Commissioner District 3 Housh Ghovaee, Commissioner District 4 MEMBERS ABSENT: None CHARTER OFFICERS PRESENT: Clint Belk, Acting City Manager Clara VanBlargan, City Clerk Andrew Laflin, Finance Director Consultant Thomas Trask, City Attorney 1. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Brooks called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. 2. INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE City Attorney Tom Trask gave the Invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. ROLL CALL City Clerk Clara VanBlargan called the roll. All were present. 4. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA Vice Mayor Kerr motioned to approve the Agenda as written. Commissioner Tagliarini seconded the motion. ROLL CALL: Vice Mayor Kerr "YES" Commissioner Tagliarini "YES" January 14, 2026, BOC Regular Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 10  Commissioner McGeehen "YES" Commissioner Ghovaee "YES" Mayor Brooks "YES" The motion carried 5-0. 5. PROCLAMATIONS A. National Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists Week; January 18-24, 2026 Mayor Brooks read a proclamation declaring the week of January 18-24, 2026, National Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists Week. Dr. Erick Rauch from the University of South Florida’s Nurse Anesthesia Program accepted the proclamation from Mayor Brooks. 6. PRESENTATIONS There were no Presentations. 7. PUBLIC COMMENT Jerry Cantrell, 13322 First Street East, spoke about providing fair compensation for the Mayor and Commissioners, suggesting a minimum of $30,000 per year, equivalent to full-time minimum wage. He outlined several reasons for this increase, including the substantial budget ($50 million) managed by the City, the extensive time commitment required beyond meetings, the unique demands of managing a world-class destination with over 4.2 million annual visitors, and the fiscal responsibility of the proposal relative to average commissioner salaries in Florida. Larry Roloff, 399 150th Avenue, representing Madeira Cove Condominium Association, expressed opposition to the rumored purchase of the former Kava Coffee Shack property for public works storage and maintenance. He cited concerns about traffic, noise, odors from sanitation trucks, and negative impacts on property values. He also clarified that, contrary to rumors, his association had not given permission for the use of its driveway for vehicle traffic. John Lipa, Vice President of Madeira Cove Condominiums, expressed agreement with Mr. Roloff's concerns. Captain Dylan Hubbard of Hubbard's Marina thanked the Commission for working with the business owners to establish the John’s Pass business committee and highlighted several issues discussed at their recent meeting. He emphasized the need for clearly marked city parking signage, continued discussions about a parking garage, and urged immediate action on replacing the Jetty Walkway. Ron [Last Name ?], 401 150th Avenue, and John Douthirt, 401 150th Avenue, both expressed opposition to the potential public works facility at the former Frontier property, with Mr. Douthirt noting there would be a workshop on January 28th to discuss the issue. January 14, 2026, BOC Regular Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 10 8. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. 2025-12-10, BOC Regular Workshop Meeting Minutes B. 2025-12-10, BOC Regular Meeting Minutes Vice Mayor Kerr motioned to approve the meeting minutes as written. Commissioner Ghovaee seconded the motion. ROLL CALL: Vice Mayor Kerr "YES" Commissioner Ghovaee "YES" Commissioner Tagliarini "YES" Commissioner McGeehen "YES" Mayor Brooks "YES" The motion carried 5-0. 9. CONSENT AGENDA 10. PUBLIC HEARINGS A. Ordinance 2025-20, Certified Recovery Residences – 2nd Reading and Public Hearing City Attorney Tom Trask read Ordinance 2025-20 by title only: ORDINANCE 2025-20 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MADEIRA BEACH, FLORIDA, AMENDING ARTICLE VI (SUPPLEMENTAL DISTRICT REGULATIONS) OF CHAPTER 110 (ZONING) THE LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS BY CREATING DIVISION 16, “CERTIFIED RECOVERY RESIDENCES”; PROVIDING FOR DEFINITIONS; PROVIDING FOR PROCEDURES FOR THE REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF CERTIFIED RECOVERY RESIDENCES; PROVIDING FOR REQUESTS FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS; PROVIDING FOR REVOCATION OF REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS; PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION, SEVERABILITY, AND FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. City Attorney Thomas Trask said it was the second and final reading of the Ordinance, which had not changed since the first reading. Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. There were no public comments. January 14, 2026, BOC Regular Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 10 Commissioner Ghovaee motioned to adopt Ordinance 2025-20, Certified Recovery Residences, after second reading and public hearing. Commissioner Tagliarini seconded the motion. ROLL CALL: Commissioner Ghovaee "YES" Commissioner Tagliarini "YES" Commissioner McGeehen "YES" Vice Mayor Kerr "YES" Mayor Brooks "YES" The motion carried 5-0. B. Ordinance 2026-01, Calling the March 10, 2026 Municipal Election – 1st Reading and Public Hearing City Attorney Tom Trask read Ordinance 2026-01 by title only: ORDINANCE 2026-01 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MADEIRA BEACH, FLORIDA, CALLING FOR A MUNICIPAL ELECTION ON MARCH 10, 2026, FOR THE PURPOSE OF ELECTING A COMMISSIONER FOR DISTRICT TWO (2); PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION; AUTHORIZING ELECTION EXPENDITURES; IDENTIFYING THE PINELLAS COUNTY CANVASSING BOARD AS THE CANVASSING BOARD FOR THE MARCH 10, 2026 MUNICIPAL ELECTION; PROVIDING FOR POLLING PLACE; PROVIDING FOR REPEAL OF ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH TO THE EXTENT OF SUCH CONFLICT; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. The City Clerk read her memorandum provided in the agenda packet giving a detailed presentation on the upcoming municipal election scheduled for Tuesday, March 10, 2026, for the purpose of electing a Commissioner for District 2 for a two-year term. The presentation included the following key points: • Commissioner David Tagliarini was the only one who qualified for District 1 and would not be on the ballot. He will not be considered elected until election day. • Two candidates qualified for District 2: incumbent Ray Kerr and Charles "Chuck" Dillon. Their names will be listed on the ballot. • Pinellas County Canvassing Board will serve as the Canvassing Board for the election. After certifying the election results, the Board of Commissioners will declare the election results at the first meeting following the election, which will be at 4:00 p.m., on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at the BOC Regular Workshop Meeting. January 14, 2026, BOC Regular Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 10  • The first meeting for newly elected commissioners will be at 4:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 18, 2026, BOC Regular Workshop Meeting, at which time they will be sworn into office to begin their two-year term. • The City Clerk noted that the Board of Commissioners could call a special meeting to declare the election results and for the induction into office, provided it is the first meeting following the election, to be in compliance with the city charter, and the Pinellas County Canvassing Board has certified the election results. • Due to elevator issues at City Hall, the polling location would be at the Gulf Beaches Public Library. • The Board of Commissioners shall appoint a vice mayor at its first regular meeting following the election on April 8, 2026. • The contractual services with the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections to conduct the March 10, 2026, Municipal Election are estimated to be $6,922.36. Actual costs will not be known until the conclusion of the election process. There is also a confirmed cost of $141.40 to advertise Ordinance 2026-01 for a second reading and public hearing in the Tampa Bay Times. The total cost of election expenditures is included in the adopted FY 2026 Budget. The second reading and public hearing of the ordinance will be on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. There were no public comments. Commissioner Tagliarini motioned to approve Ordinance 2026-01, Calling the March 10, 2026 Municipal Election, after first reading and public hearing. Commissioner McGeehen seconded the motion. ROLL CALL: Commissioner Tagliarini "YES" Commissioner McGeehen "YES" Vice Mayor Kerr "YES" Commissioner Ghovaee "YES" Mayor Brooks "YES" The motion carried 5-0. 11. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Snack Shack Update Acting City Manager Belk reported that the City had contracted to remove sand under the Snack Shack to assess the pilings and structural integrity. Community Development Director Marci Forbes had provided a detailed inspection report, indicating that the structure was in surprisingly good condition. There were some signs of deterioration, but the substructure was in good shape overall. The greatest vulnerability was identified as the superstructure, which could be addressed during the planning process. January 14, 2026, BOC Regular Meeting Minutes Page 5 of 10 Director Forbes said the next steps include working with Kimley-Horn on incorporating historical designation into the Land Development Regulations. This process for the historical designation could take 6-8 months, but once complete, it would allow reconstruction to proceed without being constrained by FEMA's 50% rule. In the meantime, there are things they could do. After the historical designation they can move forward with construction. Mayor Brooks suggested considering food trucks at the location in the interim to serve visitors and residents, and the Acting City Manager agreed to explore the idea. Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. There were no public comments. 12. CONTRACTS/AGREEMENTS A. Placer.AI Software Agreement Recreation Director Jay Hatch presented the agreement for the Placer.AI location analytics software, explaining that it would allow the City to analyze foot traffic, demographics, and user data across various areas of Madeira Beach. He outlined several applications, including evaluating attendance at special events, informing public safety decisions, tracking post-storm recovery, supporting grant applications, and identifying resident versus non-resident usage patterns. The software would have access to data going back seven years, with new data available within 72 hours. The cost was negotiated from the budgeted $20,000 down to $12,000 for the first year, with increases to $13,000 and $15,000 in subsequent years of the three-year contract. Commissioner Ghovaee said he would like to try the software for one year and, if not satisfied, end the contract. Mayor Brooks said there was a 30-day termination clause that allowed them to terminate the contract at any time. Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. There were no public comments. Commissioner Tagliarini motioned to approve the contract with Placer.AI software. Commissioner Ghovaee seconded the motion. ROLL CALL: Commissioner Tagliarini "YES" Commissioner Ghovaee "YES" Commissioner McGeehen "YES" Vice Mayor Kerr "YES" Mayor Brooks "YES" The motion carried 5-0. 13. NEW BUSINESS A. Resolution 2026-01 – Emergency Bridge Loan January 14, 2026, BOC Regular Meeting Minutes Page 6 of 10 City Attorney Tom Trask read Resolution 2026-01 by title only: RESOLUTION 2026-01 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF MADEIRA BEACH, FLORIDA AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF THE FORM OF ATTACHED LOAN DOCUMENTS BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE STATE OF FLORIDA, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE FOR A PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF $3,148,500.00 TO FUND GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS; MAKING CERTAIN FINDINGS OF PARAMOUNT PUBLIC PURPOSE; COVENANTING TO BUDGET AND APPROPRIATE LEGALLY AVAILABLE NON-AD VALOREM REVENUES TO PAY THE INDEBTEDNESS; PROVIDING FOR THE RIGHTS, SECURITIES AND REMEDIES FOR THE OWNER OF THE PROMISSORY NOTE; MAKING CERTAIN COVENANTS AND AGREEMENTS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH; DESIGNATING AN OFFICIAL WITH AUTHORITY TO EXECUTE DOCUMENTS WITH RESPECT TO THE LOAN; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE. Financial Consultant Andrew Laflin explained that the resolution authorizes a $3,148,500 emergency bridge loan from the Florida Department of Commerce to fund governmental operations. The loan addresses revenue losses from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, including property tax refunds, future property value losses, parking revenues, building permits, and inspection fees. The loan terms are favorable - no interest accrues during the 10-year term, no repayment is required until the end of that term, and early repayment is permitted. If payment is missed after the 10-year period, interest at 3% would begin to accrue at that point. The loan must be used for operating purposes such as personnel costs, repairs and maintenance, professional services, and other operational expenses, but not capital expenditures. Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. There were no public comments. Vice Mayor Kerr motioned to adopt Resolution 2026-01. Commissioner Ghovaee seconded the motion. ROLL CALL: Vice Mayor Kerr "YES" Commissioner Ghovaee "YES" Commissioner Tagliarini "YES" Commissioner McGeehen "YES" Mayor Brooks "YES" The motion carried 5-0. January 14, 2026, BOC Regular Meeting Minutes Page 7 of 10 14. AGENDA SETTING (January 28, 2026, BOC Regular Workshop; 2:00 PM) A. Contractual Agreement with Tampa Bay Psychology Associates B. Area 9 Design/Engineering Scope Discussion C. CXT Bathroom Purchase Discussion D. Public Works Building Rendering Discussion E. Photography Contract Quotes F. GrantWorks Piggy Back Contract with Texas Standard G. Fireworks RFP H. Board of Commissioners Expenditure Report for FY 2025 and FY 2026 (City Clerk) I. Special Magistrate Lien at 703 Sunset Cove, Madeira Bach – Case No. 24-233 (Baker- Cianciulli) Added items: Mayor Brooks 1. Parking signage discussion 2. Parking garage discussion 3. Jetty walkway discussion 4. Update on Kitty Stewart Park Vice Mayor Kerr 1. Vacant property behind Kava Coffee Shack Commissioner Ghovaee 1. Asked staff to provide the zoning regulation and land use regulation for the vacant property 2. Discuss how to recognize residents who go above and beyond for the City The Acting City Manager noted various items listed that they were already working on: • Parking signs • CXT bathroom for Tom and Kitty Stewart Park • Feasibility study by Kimley-Horn for South Beach and 130th Ave. lot for the parking garage • Jetty walkway update • Renewal of the contractual agreement with Tampa Bay Psychology Associates Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. There were no public comments. 15. REPORTS/CORRESPONDENCE A. Board of Commissioners – Reports/Correspondence Commissioner Tagliarini presented a PowerPoint presentation on the pocket park project, which was funded by ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds. He showed before and after photos of street-end pocket parks that had been improved with pavers, seating, landscaping, and irrigation. January 14, 2026, BOC Regular Meeting Minutes Page 8 of 10 He praised Director Wepfer for completing the project within budget and highlighted how the improvements had enhanced the neighborhoods and public access. Acting City Manager Belk said he received a Public Comment Card from John Lipa, 399 150th Ave. Unit 117C. He asked why the City is considering the Kava Shack location for utility vehicle storage. Vice Mayor Kerr said he would be happy to put something together on his thoughts on it. Mayor Brooks said it is on the workshop agenda for discussion. B. Board of Commissioners – 2026 Meeting Schedule The Commission reviewed the 2026 meeting schedule with no changes or comments. Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. There were no public comments. C. Board of Commissioners – 2025 BOC Annual Meetings Report (Informational) The City Clerk presented the 2025 BOC Annual Meetings Report and noted that she had already started the report for 2026. The Commission expressed appreciation for her work. Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. There were no public comments. D. City Clerk Report The City Clerk referred to her earlier report on the election ordinance and noted that she had no additional comments. She asked the Acting City Manager to give an update on the elevator. Acting City Manager Belk said they are not in ADA compliance with the elevator. They have a little leeway because they are making a good-faith effort. $30,000 were paid in repairs, but it took months to get the parts. $32,000 more repairs were identified. He made an emergency purchase which will be brought to the Board to ratify. The City Clerk said the elevator needs to be fixed by June 1st because they cannot have the August primary election at the library. The Acting City Manager said they are looking into replacing the elevator. Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. There were no public comments. E. City Attorney The City attorney had nothing to report. F. Acting City Manager The Acting City Manager reported that the City's appropriation requests were moving forward with some traction, and the City's lobbyist had been authorized to negotiate on behalf of the City. Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. There were no public comments. January 14, 2026, BOC Regular Meeting Minutes Page 9 of 10 16. RESPOND TO PUBLIC COMMENTS/QUESTIONS The Commission addressed two main topics from public comments: 1. Commissioner Compensation: Commissioner Tagliarini said he would like the discussion to continue and that if a pay raise is approved, he would either not accept it or return it to the City to avoid any conflict of interest. He thought they needed to be competitive. The Commission agreed to add this topic to the February workshop agenda, noting that any change would not take effect for the current commissioners and would need to be approved at least six months before the next election. 2. Kava Coffee Shack Property: The Commission acknowledged the strong public opposition to using this property for public works, particularly regarding traffic concerns expressed by residents of the adjacent condominiums. They will have a discussion at the next workshop meeting. Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. Jerry Cantrell, 13322 First Street East, said the Commission is undercompensated for the excellent job they do. What he was proposing would not put them ahead of any employee. It would only bring them up to a fair wage. Richard [Last name?], 399 150th Ave., said he is very concerned about traffic in the area of the vacant property at the Kava Coffee Shack. Any more traffic on 150th Ave. is a recipe for disaster. He asked the Board to keep that in mind. 17. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Brooks adjourned the meeting at 7:32 p.m. ______________________________ ATTEST: Anne-Marie Brooks, Mayor _____________________________________ Clara VanBlargan, MMC, MSM, City Clerk January 14, 2026, BOC Regular Meeting Minutes Page 10 of 10