Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves $75,000 settlement, $50,000 retainer and $2 million pension prepayment
Summary
Council unanimously approved a $75,000 settlement in an employment suit, a $50,000 retainer for outside employment counsel and a $2 million prepayment toward the police pension to reduce the projected FY26 budget gap.
The St. Petersburg City Council unanimously approved several administrative and legal items during its June 12 meeting.
Settlement I-1: The city attorney recommended a $75,000 settlement in an employment lawsuit alleging race- and retaliation-based harassment under Section 1983. The attorney said the agreement balances litigation risk and potential costs; council voted to approve the settlement without recorded dissents.
Retainer I-2: Council approved a $50,000 retainer to re-engage the employment law firm Jones Hurley (the administration described the engagement as near-term support while the city searches for a permanent employment counsel).
Pension prepayment F4: City finance staff asked council to authorize up to $2 million from the unappropriated general-fund balance to prepay a portion of the police pension annual required contribution for fiscal year 2026. Staff said the payment would lower the FY26 obligation (the FY26 forecast gap is about $8.1 million) and could deliver modest actuarial savings. Council approved the move unanimously.
Planning SB-784 item F3: Council also designated the Planning and Development Services Department (the director) as the administrative authority to review and approve plats/replats in anticipation of 2025 Florida Senate Bill 784, which requires administrative approval for plats that meet technical statutory criteria; council approved the resolution.
Votes and outcome: All items were approved by unanimous voice or machine vote as announced by the clerk. Councilmembers asked follow-up questions about budget reporting and how prepayments will be tracked; staff committed to including the programs in quarterly budget reports to the council.
