The biggest day-to-day issue for many residents was public safety: council agreed to hold a workshop within 60 days on the Venice Police Department staffing study, with the consultant in the room to talk through short-term fixes, long-term hiring needs, and the budget impact. The vote was 5-0. The study said the department is understaffed now and will need more officers as the city grows, especially in north Venice, where response times were described as much longer than near police headquarters. Rachel Frank said the report backed up repeated requests for more officers. Rick Howard pressed on response times in north Venice. Ron Smith asked that the consultants return for a workshop, and Mayor Nick Pachota said the cost questions deserved a deeper public discussion.
Council also made two decisions with visible local effects. It approved an appeal for 816 Ormond Street, allowing a six-unit multifamily project to move forward on a 5-1 vote. Neighbors raised concerns about drainage, parking, privacy, and whether the building fit the area. Jim Boldt said the project met the code the council has in place, while Ron Smith said he wanted more buffering and drainage assurances and could not support it without those conditions. The digest does not clearly identify who cast the no vote.
At the airport, council told staff to move ahead with environmental review work, including added soil sampling, with a cap of $200,000. That means more testing tied to runoff and possible contamination concerns raised by residents.
Council also unanimously approved a new agreement for Venice Institute for Performing Arts Center Management, Inc. to run the Venice Community Center. The deal includes a $280,000 annual management fee and $70,000 for the transition before Sarasota County stops managing the building on September 30.
Next, staff will return with a date for the police staffing workshop, with possible July dates discussed, and two ordinances approved on first reading will come back for final votes.
Key takeaways: - The council approved a workshop on the Venice Police Department staffing study, with short- and long-term goals and financial impacts to be discussed with the consultant present; the motion passed 5-0. (1:34:33)
The council approved the appeal item for 816 Ormond Street, allowing the six-unit multifamily site and development plan to proceed; the vote was 5-1. (4:24:45)
The council directed staff to move forward with airport environmental review work, including added soil sampling, not to exceed $200,000; the motion passed unanimously. (6:07:23)
The council approved a management agreement with Venice Institute for Performing Arts Center Management, Inc. to manage the Venice Community Center, with a proposed annual management fee of $280,000 and a $70,000 transition services cost; the vote passed unanimously. (6:12:47)
Roll call and opening
Mayor Nick Pachetta called the meeting to order. Kevin Engelke was absent. Rachel Frank, Rick Howard, Lloyd Weed, Jim Bolt, and Mayor Nick Pachetta were present. Ron Smith was not heard in the roll call response in the transcript. (0:01:09)
Recognition: 35-Year Service Award for Paul Joyce
The council recognized Master Police Officer Paul Joyce for 35 years of service. Mayor Nick Pachetta and Police Chief Andy Leisenring spoke about Joyce’s career, including his work in patrol, marine patrol, training, fleet operations, the Honor Guard, boating safety programs, the Blue Santa event, and the Venice “Shark’s Tooth” fishing tournament for special athletes. A representative from Congressman Greg Stubbe’s office presented Joyce with a challenge coin. Joyce thanked city staff, law enforcement partners, and his wife, Tabitha Joyce. The meeting then recessed for about 15 minutes for photos. (0:02:24)
Consent agenda
The council approved the consent agenda in one motion with no items removed. The motion passed unanimously by voice vote. The consent agenda included the May 26, 2026 regular meeting minutes and two utility items involving Sarasota County easements and the Venice Train Depot lift station purchase for $10.00. (0:21:36)
Venice Police Department staffing study
City Manager James Clinch introduced Dr. Marshall Jones and Dr. Brandon May, who presented the Venice Police Department staffing study. They said the department is operating at a quality-policing model but is understaffed, especially as growth continues in the north part of the city. They said calls for service increased about 13% from 2020 to 2024 and officer-initiated CAD calls increased about 20% in that period. They said the city had 57 sworn officers in 2006, about 54 to 55 currently, and projected a need for 64 minimum sworn officers now under a 50% workload model and 88 under the 33% model the department has been operating under. They also projected a need for 96 sworn officers by 2035 under the 50% model and 132 under the 33% model. (0:22:21)
The consultants said the department’s current minimum patrol staffing is effectively 3 plus 1 supervisor rather than the intended 6 plus 1, and they described a shift relief factor of 2.51. They recommended reorganizing command structure, creating a deputy chief position by conversion, creating a professional standards lieutenant, adding a corporal tier, increasing patrol from 24 minimum to 40, growing patrol toward about 60 officers by 2035, and expanding detectives from 9 to 11 over three years. (0:55:10) (0:59:48)
Council members asked about response times, recruitment, retention, zoning of patrol resources, and budget impacts. Mayor Nick Pachetta said the study was valuable and said he favored additional time to review it in a workshop setting because of the budget implications. (1:03:00)
Rick Howard asked about the 33% calls-for-service model and response times in north Venice. Dr. May said average response time in the green area near the police department was around 3.4 minutes, while average response time in zone seven to the north was just under nine minutes, with some calls exceeding 20 minutes. (1:07:04)
Rachel Frank said the study backed up repeated requests from the police chief for more officers and asked what kinds of calls were driving longer response times in the northeast. Dr. Jones and Dr. May cited domestics, trespass, traffic incidents, and fraud investigations. (1:14:01)
Ron Smith asked whether the consultants could be available for a future workshop and asked about volunteer use and the effect of dispatch changes on staffing comparisons. Dr. May said the study looked at sworn positions only, not dispatch positions. (1:19:04)
Jim Bolt asked about the proposed restructuring and whether it could provide immediate relief. Dr. Jones said the reorganization could improve supervision structure and create a professional standards function, but staffing growth would still be needed. (1:29:13)
Mayor Nick Pachetta moved to hold a public safety workshop within 60 days, if not on July 8, with the consultant present to discuss short-term and long-term goals and financial impacts. The motion passed 5-0. (1:34:33)
Floodplain management ordinance, first reading
The council approved Ordinance No. 2026-07 on first reading and scheduled it for final reading. The ordinance amends Chapter 88, Section 6, floodplain management, to ensure consistency with state and federal law. The vote was 4-0. (1:36:05) (1:38:19)
Unsafe structures ordinance, first reading
The council approved Ordinance No. 2026-20 on first reading and scheduled it for final reading. City Manager James Clinch said the code had not been updated in a long time and that the changes were intended to speed correction of unsafe structures without requiring all physical modifications to go through court. The vote was 4-0. (1:38:28) (1:39:13)
Land Development Code quasi-judicial criteria ordinance, final reading
The council approved and adopted Ordinance No. 2026-16, amending Land Development Code decision criteria for several quasi-judicial application types and preliminary plats. The vote was 5-0. (1:41:18)
Budget amendment ordinance
The council approved Ordinance No. 2026-21 on first reading and scheduled it for final reading. The ordinance increases total revenue by $255,000 and total expenditures by $255,000 for fiscal year 2025-26. The vote was 5-0. (1:43:31)
State of emergency pay policy resolution
The council approved Resolution No. 2026-07 adopting a revised state of emergency pay policy and superseding Resolution No. 2023-06. The vote was 5-0. (1:44:54)
Venice Area Beautification public art fund resolution
The council approved Resolution No. 2026-12 recognizing and endorsing the Venice Area Beautification, Inc. public art fund. Bob Vetter and Bill Wilson spoke on behalf of Venice Area Beautification, Inc. They said the fund had $50,000 in seed money from a donor and would be managed by Venice Area Beautification, Inc. with city support and community input. City Manager James Clinch said the idea came from Venice Area Beautification, Inc. and that staff supported it. The vote was 5-0. (1:46:02)
Land development fee schedule resolution
Planning and Zoning Director Roger Clark presented a revised land development fee schedule. He said the city had not implemented planning fee changes since 2010 and that the study found the city was subsidizing about 21% of planning application costs, with total cost of $125,248 and revenue of about $98,000 under current fees. He said some fees would increase, some would decrease, and some concurrent applications would receive add-on pricing at 75% of the full fee. He also said planning fees currently increase by 2.5% every October 1. (1:59:58) (2:18:29)
Examples discussed included annexation fees, appeals, comprehensive plan amendments, rezonings, site and development plans, variances, and historic preservation board fees. Council members discussed the size of the increases, comparisons with nearby jurisdictions, and the need to revisit fees more regularly. The council approved Resolution No. 2026-13 adopting the revised fee schedule. The vote was 5-0. (2:22:15)
Appeal hearing: 816 Ormond Street site and development plan
The council opened the quasi-judicial appeal hearing on Planning Commission approval of Site and Development Plan Petition No. 25-45SP for six multifamily units at 816 Ormond Street. City Attorney Kelly Fernandez said the hearing was de novo. No council member reported a conflict of interest. Ex parte disclosures included site visits only by Jim Bolt and Nick Pachetta; the others reported none. (2:25:27)
The council granted affected party status to David Topian and to David Topian on behalf of Eric Warble. The vote on each affected party motion passed unanimously. A third affected party request from Anna Danton was not taken up at that time because she was not present. (2:30:00)
Senior Planner Nicole Tremblay presented the staff report. She said the property is about half an acre, designated medium density residential, zoned RMF-3, and the proposal is for a three-story residential building with six units and understory garage parking. She said the project met parking, height, and setback requirements, with a proposed height of 38 feet, seven and a quarter inches plus 10 feet for understory parking, below the maximum allowed. She said transportation impact was estimated at 23 PM peak hour trips, below the threshold that would trigger a full transportation impact analysis. (2:33:20)
Applicant attorney Mariah Miller presented the application with engineer Craig Mayhew. They said the project complied with the comprehensive plan and code, that the surrounding zoning reflects a step-down pattern from higher density near the Esplanade to lower density farther east, and that the stormwater system was designed to meet requirements using underground storage. Mayhew said the system was designed for an 11.2-inch storm event over 24 hours and that post-development discharge would be less than pre-development discharge. (2:51:02)
Appellant David Topian said neighbors were not disputing that the project met zoning standards but argued it was not compatible with the neighborhood under Section 4 of the code. He raised concerns about parking on Ormond Street, building height, scale, landscaping, lighting, noise, and stormwater. He said the underground detention system held 19,180 gallons based on his calculation and questioned whether it was adequate during major storm events. He asked the council to require redesign or conditions rather than deny the project outright. (3:16:29)
Public speakers included Steve Rost, Glenn Spinelli, Bert Matthews, and Daryl Bobby. They raised concerns about privacy, stormwater runoff, parking, neighborhood compatibility, and the scale of the building. Spinelli said he was president of Ché Vista and said there was no easement or agreement for discharge onto that property. (4:03:24)
In council discussion, Jim Bolt said the project fit within the code parameters and that the council was in a difficult position because the land development code allowed it. Ron Smith said he believed additional buffering and assurances on drainage were needed and said he could not support the project without those conditions. (4:25:13)
The motion to approve Site and Development Plan Petition No. 25-45SP passed 5-1. The transcript excerpt does not verbally identify which council member voted no. (4:33:11)
Airport update and environmental review
City Manager James Clinch presented an airport update in response to council directives from May 12. He said the airport fact sheet had been finalized and made available, Airport Director Dumas was working remotely while recovering, and airport master plan public meetings would resume in the fall in a workshop format. He said the airport was recruiting a new airport community outreach manager and that noise abatement would be the primary function of that role. He listed airport outreach activities including airport day, student government day, summer concerts, hangar activities, youth outreach, introductory flights, airport tours, and work with the high school and chamber. (4:37:10)
Clinch said the Fly Friendly program would be refreshed, PAPI lights for runway 5/23 had been repaired and were awaiting FAA commissioning, and that 5/23 already handled about two-thirds of airport traffic. He said the city was pursuing a remote tower, potentially with 100% state grant funding, and that the city was exploring whether the monitoring equipment could be housed in the new airport administration building. He also said the city was looking into landing fees for non-based itinerant aircraft, additional buffering along Airport Avenue, and an airport noise and operations management system. He said the city was not actively working on Part 139 compliance, not planning a the “T-word”, not expanding runways, not trying to increase or decrease operations, and not delaying the master plan further. (4:44:25)
Assistant City Attorney David Jackson said staff and airport management reviewed the fixed base operator lease and found Skyport Holdings Venice, LLC was operating in compliance with the lease and current airport minimum standards. He said staff met with Skyport on June 9 and proposed a lease amendment requiring, for turbine-powered aircraft, access to compatible ground power units and offering ground power in lieu of extended engine or APU operation for aircraft on the ramp longer than 15 minutes, subject to safety and operational conditions. He also said the amendment would move up the first market-rate fuel flowage fee adjustment from November 2036 to November 2026, with future adjustments every five years. (4:57:16)
Clinch said Skyport’s two hangars were expected to be complete in August or September and would each have two hardwired ground power units. He said this would allow ramp staging to shift farther east, away from the residential area. He also said CJ Wilson Law was drafting updated airport minimum standards and rules and regulations, with stronger enforcement language, GPU language, and clearer commercial standards, and that the draft would go to the FAA for review before returning to council. (5:03:31)
Consultants from Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, Inc. described current and proposed environmental work. They said current work already approved included a 2026 stormwater system operations and maintenance certification, a stormwater inspection and documentation program under Senate Bill 740, and a voluntary stormwater runoff sampling plan for Deertown Gully. They said optional future work could include a comprehensive airport regulatory compliance review, implementation of the runoff sampling plan for one year, and air quality analysis including an airport emissions inventory and dispersion modeling. They gave cost figures of $15,000 not to exceed for the compliance review, $35,000 not to exceed for implementing the runoff sampling plan for one year excluding lab costs, $30,000 to $45,000 not to exceed for one air quality task, $65,000 to $85,000 not to exceed for the second air quality task, and $100,000 not to exceed if both air quality tasks were done concurrently. (5:12:07) (5:23:20)
During council discussion, Lloyd Weed asked why soil contamination had not been included, and the consultants said it could be added. Ron Smith asked about testing at other outfalls and whether testing would follow Department of Environmental Protection methods. Rick Howard asked what direction staff needed. (5:24:23) (5:29:11) (5:37:25)
Public speakers Madeline Zubik, Chris Davis, and Peter Fazio commented. Zubik asked about testing protocols, public release of results, and impacts on nearby neighborhoods and species. Davis said she supported finding and solving pollution issues and asked that open ditches and Deertown Gully be included in testing. Fazio said the airport had never been better managed and said the city and airport staff should be commended. (5:54:47)
The council then directed staff to move forward with the proposal, including soil sampling, not to exceed $200,000. The motion passed unanimously. (6:07:23)
Venice Community Center management agreement
Assistant Director of Public Works Ash Castle and Assistant City Manager Roger Omenheiser presented a proposed management agreement for the Venice Community Center. Castle said Sarasota County would stop managing the center on September 30 and that Venice Institute for Performing Arts Center Management, Inc. had been selected through an RFP process. He said the proposed agreement was a five-year turnkey management contract with two possible 24-month extensions, a 30-day termination with cause, and 270 days without cause by either party. He said all existing reservations and first-year bookings would be maintained and that there were 131 pending reservation requests. He said transition services from contract execution through September 30 would cost $70,000. (6:12:47)
Castle said the proposed annual management fee was $280,000, with the manager establishing a working capital and subsidy fund and a capital improvement fund. He said the first $20,000 of any deficit would be covered 100% by the working capital and subsidy fund, deficits between $20,000 and $100,000 would be split 25% capital fund and 75% city, and anything over $100,000 would be covered 100% by the city. He said any surplus after both funds reached $100,000 would be split 50-50 between the city and the manager, with the city’s share credited toward the next year’s management fee. (6:19:54)
Michael Hartley, board president of Venice Institute for Performing Arts Center Management, Inc., said the organization was founded about 10 years ago and currently manages the Venice Performing Arts Center. He said the group had produced over 250 of its own productions, had more than 250 volunteers, and had graduated over 100 apprentices through its apprenticeship program. He said the organization wanted to “activate” and “elevate” the community center, increase use during low-demand periods, use technology and event consultants to guide renters, create a multi-tiered pricing structure with discounts, and increase marketing spending by about 500% over the current marketing budget. He also described ideas for pop-up dinner theater, concerts, conferences, and other events to increase occupancy and revenue. (6:23:53)
Council members Ron Smith, Lloyd Weed, and Rachel Frank praised the proposal and asked about city use, parking, landscaping, reporting, and food and beverage vendors. Hartley said the organization would provide monthly financial reports and would work with multiple local food and beverage vendors through a curated program. (6:56:00)
The council approved the agreement and authorized the mayor to execute it. The motion passed unanimously. (6:57:50)
Former council member remembrance
During council reports, Ron Smith noted the death of former city council member Ernie Zvodnik. He said Zvodnik moved to Venice in 2003, served on the city council, and that a memorial would be held on July 20 at Epiphany Cathedral. (6:59:39)
Workshop scheduling note
During charter officer and council reports, City Manager James Clinch said staff would come back with a date for the police staffing workshop. He said the consultant was available on July 17 or the following week on the 20th, 21st, or 22nd, and Mayor Nick Pachetta said his preference was July 14 if possible, with July 17 as a backup. (6:59:59) (7:01:18)
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 6:13. (7:02:42)
Watch the full meeting recording
Vote tallies in this recap were checked against the body’s official roll-call record.
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