Kenneth City’s town council reprimanded Council member Bonnie Noble She will remain on council until the end of her term the Town of Kenneth City hosted a special meeting to discuss the course of action regarding the alleged misconduct of Kenneth City’s Council member Bonnie Noble The meeting was to include three rounds of five minutes of the mayor and town manager presenting evidence and testimony of Noble’s misconduct followed by time for Noble to give her rebuttal The Council amended this to exclude time for rebuttal when Noble failed to attend the meeting Noble also had four weeks to submit a written response to the accusations Council member Bonnie Noble reportedly “exercised her access privileges to directly express dissatisfaction with employees by passing their direct supervisors and distributing the established chain of command,” according to a memo from the Don King Additionally, staff raised concerns about Noble’s possible retaliation against Town employees. While council cannot hire or fire employees as per the Kenneth City charter Town staff expressed fear that Noble would fire them Staff also made accusations of harassment and devaluation Council also discussed instances when Noble allegedly accessed Department of Public Works buildings and the community center to allow residents and nonresidents to use the bathroom and the ice machines No one in the meeting could answer why Noble had keys to buildings No other elected official has keys or similar access King said he has since replaced all the locks on Public Works buildings and revoked Noble’s digital access Noble also stands accused of an apparent collaboration with Gregory “Storm” Johncox, founder of Reign and Win (RAW) Pickleball to use the Town’s pickleball facilities for lessons and tournaments without an official contract Without insurance documentation of $1 million or contract to conduct business on Town property Noble’s allowing Storm to use the courts violated Kenneth City charter and ordinances “There have been reports of inappropriate behavior by Gregory towards Town employees using his relationship with the Vice Mayor as leverage to act without regard for established rules,” according to a staff memo (Council member Noble previously served as vice mayor.) “During a recent pickleball tournament he reportedly expanded activities onto the basketball court displacing residents and engaging in vulgar gestures and language Such conduct is unacceptable and reflects poorly on the Town’s image.” After a role call that included a notable absence “You should know that this is not a place I necessarily want to be King called Mayor Zamaitis about Noble’s behavior where the mayor asked King to put his concerns in writing Zemaitis said they sent this document to the Town attorney “which led him [Town Manager King] to have a discussion with Noble where she agreed to comply with all necessary corrective actions,” she said “The Town manager was doing his job and I was glad he was successful and that I wouldn’t have to deal with this,” Zemaitis said. She also said that she wanted to document the instance, and that she shouldn’t be “the only member on Council who is aware of what’s going on, especially since I know this has been an ongoing issue for years.” Noble denied that the meeting with with King took place and claimed that King was the one creating the hostile work environment Zemaitis then clarified for the room that according to the Town charter when the vice mayor is not acting in the mayor’s stead they have the same powers and responsibilities as a regular council member.  “Nowhere in the charter are duties of the council members specified “ Since our residents have spoken and changed us to a town manager form of government the council members are no longer involved in the day-to-day functions of the town nor are they allowed to give any direction to any staff member.” The meeting went on with five minutes of discussion each for three issues on Noble’s alleged misconduct Zemaitis and King described situations and read emails from staff She said the emails came to her in a folder called the “The Bonnie Folder” which she said contains records kept by a former employee with 200-plus entries Town Manager King described instances when Noble would come to Kenneth City’s town hall and argue with employees we can’t take this anymore; if you don’t get rid of her “Not only would she argue and fight with the staff in the building she would literally bad-mouth other employees that weren’t there Zemaitis read a quote from Kenneth City’s former town clerk “Council member Bonnie Noble does not comprehend the Town charter as she behaves unilaterally and consistently conspires to eliminate anyone who disagrees or displeases her,” Cabezas wrote going on to describe an instance where Noble demanded the Town manager fire a public works employee and when he said that he would need to conduct an investigation and that the next council meeting included testimony criticizing the Town manager’s performance After more evidence and testimony by the mayor and town manager Council opened the meeting for public comment Of the five residents that came to the microphone for public comment three of them gave their own stories about interactions with Noble and asked Council to remove her A fourth was concerned that the Town could open itself up to a lawsuit by removing her The fifth was a representative of the pickleball community who Noble allegedly helped during tournaments by opening up bathrooms in a Town building after the pickleball bathrooms had washed out He claimed that the Town had sponsored the pickleball event and brought a pickleball paddle with the Kenneth City logo on it After public comment came time for Noble to respond to any or all of the accusations laid out Council member Tony Chan thanked the staff who came forward for their courage and expressed his support for removing Noble for creating a hostile work environment for staff Council member Bob Arrison mentioned that Noble was about reach her term limit and said that if nothing has been done about it in the last seven years of her in office He also brought up all the times Noble represented Kenneth City faithfully Council member Donald Kinney said that he felt uncomfortable removing Noble while she wasn’t “here to defend herself.” Zemaitis reminded him that Noble had four weeks to submit her response in writing She also said Noble could have attended at the meeting Council discussed two options moving forward Council could exercise their right as granted by the Town charter to remove Bonnie Noble from council Council could issue a letter or resolution of reprimand outlining the seriousness of her overreach and outlining exactly which parts of the charter she violated Council Member Chan moved to remove Bonnie Noble for creating a hostile work environment for staff but stated that he did so only because he believed that the motion should come to a vote not that he would vote in favor of the motion Only Chan and Zemaitis voted to remove Noble Arrison and Council member Donald Kinney voted against Without a fifth council person in attendance Council then unanimously voted to begin the process of officially reprimanding Noble “Hopefully we don’t lose any staff between then,” Zemaitis said In 1968, our founder, George Brann, started The Gabber Newspaper, then called the Gulfport Gabber, to hold Gulfport City Council accountable. Read more of our city council coverage, and learn about our policies on reporting, fact-checking, and funding by Ethan Perelstein Support The Gabber Newspaper Your donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law The Florida Community News Fund is a program administered by the Florida Press Foundation All donations made at this link go to The Gabber Newspaper through the Florida Press Association Filed Under: News Tagged With: Watch our LIVE streaming Gulfport Florida Webcams! 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We use cookies to provide you with a great experience and to help our website run effectively. Learn more A starbucks drive-thru | starbucks coffee co The Seattle-based Starbucks Coffee mega chain will expand its St Pete footprint with a drive-thru shop in a newly constructed Kenneth City retail plaza The shop will be built at 4519 66th Street North in front of a Sprouts Farmers Market-anchored plaza according to a stormwater application filed by Atlanta-based retail developer Fuqua Development The 1,400-square-foot Starbucks will located on the north end of the block just steps from a Dunkin' Donuts on the south end of the block A site plan of the new starbucks drive-thru that will have 14 parking spaces | kimley-horn and associates Today, there are multiple Starbucks cafes throughout St. Petersburg A separate stormwater application was also submitted to the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFMD) for a 3,500-square-foot Tidal Wave Auto Spa center at 4559 66th Street North The Georgia-based chain offers a variety of washes with hot wax and ceramic sea gloss options as well as complimentary vacuum and cleaning stations for customers Kimley-Horn and Associates is the civil engineer and landscape architect for both projects Fuqua Development purchased the 2.55-acre property from Seritage Growth Properties in 2021 for $6 million and has since redeveloped the site and attracted new tenants Fuqua Development executed a 15-year lease agreement with Sprouts Farmers Market to occupy over 23,000 square feet in the 120,000-square-foot center The sprouts farmers market | loopnet/colliers Fuqua Development also secured a lease with the home decor store At Home and retail chain Five Below The Sprouts Farmers Market space is listed for sale with an asking price of $8.67 million Want to be the first to know what’s coming soon to the Sunshine City Sign up to receive the latest news straight to your inbox Contact - Terms of Use - Privacy Policy© 2024 St Here’s what we overheard at the April 9 Kenneth City Council meeting Strong positive community.” —Council Member Tony Chan “Ficus trees are not a good tree.” —Town Attorney Ralf Brookes maybe you’ll be on the cover of The Gabber.” —Council Member Donald Kinney to a resident wearing a “Gulf of America” shirt  “I never watch basketball.” —Council Member Bob Arrison  hope you’re feeling alright.” —Resident Will Herbert I have a vote of non-confidence in Council member Noble and I would like to ask for her resignation.” —Resident Chris Vandercooi “You’d be surprised that there are quite controversial tree cases that come up between neighbors.” —Town Attorney Brookes by Ethan Perelstein Filed Under: News, Voices Tagged With: The April 9 Town of Kenneth City Council meeting saw the first reading of two new ordinances changes the rules for planning and zoning in Kenneth City to allow general commercial use in the light industrial zone This rule change means that the Town won’t need to change the borders or designation of the light industrial zone in order to allow vacant lots to be filled with new business in Kenneth City “We believe this will have a positive business impact on the town and a positive impact on the town budget through increased tax valuation,” City Attorney Ralf Brookes said.  Council approved Ordinance 001-2025 on the first reading Council will hear it again with more detail and to vote on it at a future meeting was sponsored by the town manager to modernize the tree ordinance in Kenneth City approved in 1990 gave the mayor the power and responsibility to issue permits for tree removal Kenneth City converted to a town-manager-strong system of government giving all executive power to the town manager This outdated ordinance gives the mayor’s office disproportionate power in a town manager system Ordinance 002-2025 moves the approving authority for tree felling permits from the mayor to the town manager While Ordinance 002-2025 gives the town manager the power to approve or deny permits appeals still go to council for final decision Town Attorney Brookes noted that appeals are rare but if a resident disagrees with Town Manager Don King’s decision 002-2025 details which trees require permitting to remove “It doesn’t make sense to have the mayor issuing tree permits,” Brookes said “It kind of goes beyond the stroke and duties of the mayor as we have set up in the charter.” Ordinance 002-2025 passed on first reading.  the Town’s new code enforcement officer Crisp has been on the job about a month now Crisp’s job is to spend his day driving the town and working with residents to rectify them he will respond to code violation calls and texts instead of Kenneth City Police Department to document and report — with neither a uniform or a gun Crisp worked in regulatory standards and standards compliance and he claimed have a gift for arbitration and often it’s a very grey issue where you swim in a sea of ambiguity,” Crisp said “The best thing to do is sit down and discuss the issue I tend to ask a lot of questions… I look forward to working with you all Council held a special meeting to discuss alleged misconduct by Council member Bonnie Noble Noble was not in attendance for the special meeting and took five minutes to respond during her council comment.  Noble began with saying that she didn’t attend the special meeting by advice of counsel and for medical reasons I certainly do have several things I would like to say about that,” she said.  she denied that she held pizza parties in the community hall This is one of the instances of her accused use of Town buildings unauthorized “I don’t know where this allegation came from,” Noble said She then noted the security cameras in the building and asked to see the footage of her alleged infraction.  “There was also an allegation that I treat Town employees bad,” she said I have always treated employees with the utmost respect and regard.” Noble said that the evidence in the documents from the last meeting came from an employee who “worked for the town for only 10 months “I have been a council member for over five years and I’ve had a great working relationship with the Town employees who did their job,” Noble said “It’s unfortunate that we have to use this valuable time as council members and to put our Kenneth City residents through issues like this We have much more important things to do,” Noble said She then reported the State of Florida approved Kenneth City’s comprehensive plan and found it to be in compliance with State law for the first time in more than a decade and we have been praised for that,” she said.  “I want to give a huge thanks to the community I’ve heard from so many people since Monday [the day of the special meeting] “I want to thank the community for their support and how kind they’ve been by Ethan Perelstein Here’s what we overheard at the Kenneth City April 7 special meeting “That’s what we should do for council bonding; we should do karaoke.” —Mayor Megan Zemaitis For more news, subscribe to our weekly newsletters. Make thegabber.com your homepage to stay up-to-date on all the news happening in Kenneth City “I’m not the best singer by any means but I will put on the best performance.” —Mayor Zemaitis “Let’s get it nice and cold in here.” —Sergeant Andy Izrailov while using a butterknife to push buttons on the thermostat without unlocking its cage  “The final five minutes are always the hardest” —Mayor Zemaitis “EEEEEEEEE” —he microphone feedback “You don’t have to slum it down in that corner” —Council Member Tony Chan to Mayor Zemaitis when she went to the farthest right council seat just the facts” -Town Attorney Ralf Brookes (editor’s note: Dragnet’s Sergeant Joe Friday said that.) by Ethan Perelstein 16 Kenneth City Town Council meeting featured a packed agenda including a contract with the new Town Manager Town Council discussed other items such as a five-year Strategic Plan and an extension of court hours at Ernst Park they examined a waiver of code violation fees for the Kenneth City Driftwood Kava & Coffee Roasters building The Town Council approved a contract with new Town Manager Don King pending a series of edits requested by King.  “There’s only four things that I request on here be changed,” King said which include increasing the annual salary to $125,000 from $120,000 a monthly automobile allowance of $700 instead of $619 along with 16 weeks of severance pay rather than 10 weeks Police Chief Mike Vieno received a plaque at the meeting in recognition of his leadership and service as Interim Town Manager over the past six months following the Council’s decision to terminate the previous Town Manager by Gabriele Huffman Ahead of Hurricane Milton, residents in Kenneth City have been preparing to shelter in place or evacuate Town officials are working around the clock to help residents who need assistance The Gabber Newspaper spoke with a Kenneth City official and a resident to learn more about how people in this Pinellas County town are preparing to weather Hurricane Milton Kenneth City officials set up sandbag operations at the Public Works Building (46th Avenue and 58th Street North) The Town provided up to 10 sandbags per household “Our sandbag station is currently out of bags but we have plenty of sand left,” posted Kenneth City Mayor Megan Zemaitis on the morning of Oct “So if you still need sandbags please come with your own bag and all of our officers are all-hands on deck,” said Noy Southivongrath the senior administrator of Kenneth City’s police force Officers who live across the bay drove in early to work on Oct 8.  “If there’s anything that we can do to help in whatever ways that we can, at least for me to be a resource. However, it is our officers that is putting their lives on the line [sic],” said Southivongrath. She also noted that Chief Michael Vieno from Kenneth City’s PD – also pulling double-duty as acting Town Manager – was working in the streets of Kenneth City.  “Our officers are actively making rounds,” Southivongrath explained officers inspect fallen trees and other damages within the town and then work with Public Works employees to address issues Southivongrad noted that City personnel are busy.  “They try to get out there as fast as possible to avoid any road disruption,” she said Southivongrad noted the Town had no road closures yet “I want to give a shout out to all of our hard-working employees who are making sure this town is prepared,” Zemaitis posted on Facebook “DPW has been working to pick up all the brush around our community and clearing out our drains and our Police Department is readying our equipment for rescues and clean up.” “People are taking this hurricane more seriously because of what happened with the last one,” Southivongrad said. Hurricane Helene’s aftermath for residents in cities like Gulfport “Milton is a major hurricane and I hope everyone takes the necessary precautions to stay safe,” Zemaitis posted on social media Kenneth City resident Chris Vanderkooi evacuated.  “Our house is not in a flood zone,” said Vanderkooi during a phone call with The Gabber Newspaper on Oct “But with the wind and the large oak tree in my backyard we felt it was prudent to get out of the way.” “Heed the warnings of the officials and the news people Clean up all your small plants and anything that could become a missile,” advised Vanderkooi You know the old adage is: ‘Hide from the wind run from the water,’ and I believe that is 100% true.” The Town is referring people who need a place to seek refuge to the shelter list provided by the county.  Residents can find Pinellas County resources such as the Emergency Management website which can help locate flood and emergency information For power outages, the Town is referring people to Duke Energy’s website Southivongrad also noted that the power bills include a phone number For other questions, you can also call Kenneth City’s police department at 727-498-8942 by Sebastian Gonzalez de Leon y Leon The search for a new Kenneth City town manager continues.  “I feel really confident with those two final candidates that we’ve narrowed it down to,” said Mayor Megan Zemaitis as the meeting ended “I think both of those candidates really have what we’re looking for.” “We require at least a bachelor’s in Business Administration,” explained Zemaitis The Council prefers someone with a master’s in public administration “The Council also requires that whoever gets the job has previously worked as a city or town manager,” Zemaitis continued “We think that was one of our issues in the past not hiring someone that actually has that experience and who has done the job before.” Zemaitis added that they hope to find someone who can “come in and hit the ground running” instead of learning how to be a town manager first Today, Michael Vieno continues to do double duty as chief of police and acting town manager since the firing of the last manager in April “we have two solid candidates,” said Council member Tony Chan when the dais discussed the remaining list of candidates “One of them was only interested part-time for an administrative assistant role,” noted Zemaitis Another candidate “has lots of experience,” but he has not stayed long at any place except ten years in D.C “We should schedule a meeting,” Vice Mayor Bonnie Noble said She also said she hoped to get input from the public before making a decision “I’m thinking that they have coffee and donuts and residents can come,” Zemaitis added Candidates will meet the public on  Sept by Sebastian Gonzalez de Leon y Leon Kenneth City property owners will see a higher tax bill next year This increase comes despite the Town not raising millage rates or other service fees the next fiscal year’s budget will total almost $6.5 million This budget has an increase of roughly $270,000 2024’s fiscal year budget was slightly less than $6.2 million The last public hearing will occur on Sept and taxpayers will have the chance to offer input Some highlights are a $130,250 increase to the police department a $45,025 increase to the Administration and General Government budget and a $4,500 increase to the Parks and Recreation budget for park maintenance and recreation fees Public Works will have a $101,600 reduction Mayor Zemaitis said she wants more funds for street reparations and improvements to be included Council member Bob Arrison shared that residents had approached him with concerns about taxes increasing of all the 24 municipalities in Pinellas County This is “because people want to move here,” he added the average taxable value of Kenneth City properties rose by 12.84% “Everyone else in the county averaged around 6%,” he added by Sebastian Gonzalez de Leon y Leon Kenneth City is offering residents sandbags to prepare for Tropical Storm Helene The storm is projected to strengthen to a hurricane and affect Pinellas County early on Sept Get sandbags at the Kenneth City Public Works Building (46th Ave and requires proof of Kenneth City residency Sandbags only work in certain situations.  Both Pinellas County and The Gabber Newspaper encourage residents and visitors to get their forecast updates at the National Hurricane Center The NHC releases updated forecasts and advisories at 2 a.m. We strongly discourage readers from taking weather advice from any other models by Patrick Heinzen Filed Under: News, Storm Coverage Tagged With: including comments regarding the recent hurricanes The Town Council acknowledged the impact of back-to-back hurricanes Helene and Milton on the Kenneth City community “This has been a stressful time for many of us,” Mayor Zemaitis said “…as we navigate the emotional toll that this storm has taken on our community It’s important to acknowledge these feelings and support one another as we work towards recovery.”  “The hauling of debris is a real challenge,” said Police Chief and Acting Town Manager Mike Vieno “The reality is that Kenneth City is very resilient It is resilient because of our community and our Staff,” said Council member Tony Chan “The community got together and helped one another.” “Neighbors are meeting neighbors that they never never met before,” Council member Donald Kinney said “They are suddenly out talking to each other so now they are talking to each other instead of watching television.” by Gabriele Huffman Kenneth City’s Town Council evaluated how to better utilize the Kenneth City pickleball courts.  “I wasn’t fully aware how excited and enthusiastic everybody is about pickleball,” said Council member Tony Chan The James Ernst Park pickleball courts (4600 58th St Kenneth City residents and friends quickly showed interest in the game of pickleball “There’s some things that you can’t quantify: goodwill “We had the grand opening of our pickleball courts in the past, and we brought a professional in that helped promote it,” said Michael Vieno, Kenneth City’s police chief and acting town manager. Vieno continued to explain the renting process with court usage “Some cities take the line of charging $200 a day to rent the courts,” Vieno said Vice-mayor Bonnie Noble noted that this was a cost-effective project to bring more people to the town “[It] has really turned into a town square,” Noble said “There’s a lot of people here that come from surrounding areas and inside the town.” Public comments mentioned the benefits of pickleball were exercise and socializing aspects “[I] met a lot of people in the town that I never even knew,” said resident Cathy O’Dell during the public comment section Gulfport resident Robin Shemendera said she likes to play pickleball in Kenneth City Shemendera said she can’t play in her town because she’s not “good enough.” and I had this lady and all these people that said ‘Come play with me’,” Shemendera said about Kenneth City “I just love what we have here,” Annette Clifford said “… how we can all kind of play by Sebastian Gonzalez de Leon y Leon Kenneth City’s Town Council continues to search for its new Town Manager after the last one was fired in April Police Chief Michael Vieno continues to temporarily fill the position Mayor Megan Zemaitis and the rest of the council discussed multiple financial decisions This included budget planning and maintaining the current tax millage rate They also talked about giving a raise to police officers and compensating Vieno for his town manager duties “Our process is not one where we’re going to throw a whole lot of candidates against the wall to see what sticks,” said Jay Reynolds “We have somewhere in the neighborhood of eight candidates.” WolfCreek was tasked with searching and bringing candidates to fill the position of town manager Vice-mayor Bonnie Noble said the vetting process had not been as thorough as she wanted “There were no social media checks,” Noble said “We had specifically said that we wanted social media checks.” Noble said: “I’m quite concerned because there was like an 86 page investigation.” This was about Peter Lear a former city manager of North Port who made the list of candidates “I’ll read you the conclusion [of the investigation] “There’s sufficient evidence to conclude that Lear engaged in misconduct.” Lear faced accusations of having an affair with a subordinate Lear stepped down as manager and received a $140,000 severance following a settlement with North Port “He was able to be employed by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department because he had a clean background,” Reynolds said “If our clerk wouldn’t have gone out and asked for additional information we would be sitting here thinking that ‘well Lear is a good candidate’,” Noble said Council members also said they wanted more candidates Miguel Joubert from WolfCreek noted that candidates beyond the list were asking for salary expectations that were too high “These were the ones willing to interview,” Joubert said “We should interview the ones that we have,” Zemaitis said about the eight-person list “If we wait and hold another two months… some of these initial candidates might not be available anymore.” “I think that that’s exactly the course that we should take,” Reynolds said The council voted for each member to choose their top three picks and send them to Deputy Clerk Kristin Cook The dais also decided to share further details on their expectations about candidates with WolfCreek after a workshop session scheduled for July 18 The representatives also want to continue working with WolfCreek If the council can’t decide on a candidate from the list “It’s a process we have to kind of bend and bring back on the roadway,” Vieno told The Gabber Newspaper at the end of the meeting “I think they’ll be able to move forward with their guidance.” by Sebastian Gonzalez de Leon y Leon Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , Town Council members discussed Kenneth City budget changes which includes pay raises for police officers and City Manager Acting City Manager and Police Chief Michael Vieno said during the meeting Kenneth City will kick off its budget workshops and hearings The Town will hold the workshops on July 18 at 6:30 p.m Vieno presented a draft PBA contract proposing an 11% salary increase – as Mayor Megan Zemaitis estimated – for police officers The council members debated the increase but ultimately approved it unanimously after considering public comments and discussions shared that property value had increased in Kenneth City “The Town is really making good progress,” Roberts said “No one would want to come live here if it was crime-ridden and was a horrible Council member Tony Chan acknowledged that Vieno has been working double duty and noted that the Chief of Police of might remain in this position for a few more months He proposed bringing another person temporarily – a previous town manager of Kenneth City Council members BonnieNoble and Bob Arrison disagreed with this approach that takes the Chief out of the loop of city manager,” Arrison said saying that if the previous town manager leaves Vieno would need to catch up again with the duties Noble presented a different motion “to approve and allocate $1,153 per week” to compensate Vieno from April 12 until the manager position is filled This would be for “additional duties” unrelated to his work as police The council unanimously approved the initiative praising Vieno for his work since April 12 And that’s whatever they feel is fair I’m a humble person.” Vieno told The Gabber Newspaper “I didn’t do it for the money I did to help the town out.” by Sebastian Gonzalez de Leon y Leon Megan Zemaitis noticed dozens of missed calls on her phone “I was coaching a flag football game like actively screaming at my girls,” Zemaitis said It didn’t hit her right away that she had won the mayoral election in Kenneth City The election results showed Zemaitis won against former Kenneth City Mayor Robert Howell She said the girl’s flag football game took all of her attention at the time ‘are you the mayor now?’,” Zemaitis said but they were supportive of their coach’s win.  “We all celebrated together a little bit afterwards,” she said Being able to take the time to… let it settle.” The Gabber Newspaper called Zemaitis about her victory “I’m excited to get in there and hopefully make those changes that our town really needs,” she said after the game On April 11, Town Attorney Ralf Brookes swore in Zemaitis as mayor at the Kenneth City Town Council meeting She became the fourth female Kenneth City mayor Zemaitis also made Kenneth City history by being the Town’s first openly gay mayor Zemaitis lives in Kenneth City with her wife they are “Megan and Megan.” The two married five years ago after meeting through a dating app Zemaitis has been a Kenneth City resident for decades she and her family relocated to Florida when she was 5 years old “Pretty much like the entire family all made the move from New York to Florida we all moved together,” Zemaitis said “I absolutely loved growing up in this community.” she knew she wanted to buy a house and start a family in Kenneth City is now the house that I own,” she said and I’m living out my childhood dreams in the house that I wanted to live [in].” Teresa became mayor and served from 2009 to 2015 I feel like it’s been a bucket list goal of mine,” Zemaitis said ‘I’m going to be mayor like my mom’.” she is the second Zemaitis to serve as the mayor of Kenneth City “I grew up participating,” she said “I remember picking out the park equipment for James V Giving my mom all my opinions on what playground equipment looks fun Zemaitis started her public service as a council member in March of 2020 She told The Gabber Newspaper that she didn’t want to dive headfirst into a mayoral position.  “I needed to get my feet wet a little bit… learn firsthand,” she said she’s had leadership roles and manager positions Zemaitis credits those past opportunities with her ability to do her job today.   “I think that does translate into politics and it does really take all of us to accomplish something and we don’t have maybe all of the resources that our neighboring communities do,” she said Zemaitis said her mom prepared her for her own position with the Town today.  “I loved attending all of the meetings and I loved watching her take phone calls or work on her grants,” Zemaitis said “I think I just learned a lot that way She notoriously keeps the public informed with Kenneth City’s affairs through her Facebook page “During my last term as council member I just felt like this town really needs some change and some progress and reaching for the future here and catching up at the 21st century,” Zemaitis said “I just figured I was the right person to help take this town there.” Evidently, Zemaitis is a decisive mayor. Not long after swearing in as mayor, Zemaitis motioned to terminate former Town Manager Lacy LaFave. In another meeting, she kicked off the process to find a replacement she is quite aware of the public’s perception of Kenneth City “We’ve had so many reputations over the years,” she said “I think I just want people to be like Zemaitis said she already started working toward her vision for the Town She told The Gabber Newspaper she has a beautification project in the works as well as new signs.  “I’m also focusing on that ice cream cone at the corner of 58 and 54th,” Zemaitis said Zemaitis also believes having more clarity regarding the town’s boundaries is a priority right?” she said in reference to homes across the street from the Community Center that are outside of the town She explained how she hopes for a “clear distinction Zemaitis told The Gabber Newspaper that she hopes Kenneth City residents think she is doing a good job as mayor.  “I never had any agendas or I guess I always do what’s best for our residents Zemaitis isn’t only involved in town politics She works as a training and implementation manager for an Australian tech company she coaches the boy’s and girl’s swimming teams at Dixie Hollins High School and the girl’s flag football team “I really like riding my motorcycle,” Zemaitis said too; not only like coaching or swimming competitively It’s probably some of my favorite things.” by Sebastian Gonzalez de Leon y Leon Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application went to be with his Heavenly Father on March 2 after a courageous battle with cancer.   Kenneth was a Baptist minister for 49 years and the current pastor at the House of Prayer Baptist Church of Nickelsville He loved his Lord and leading lost souls to Jesus.  He is survived by his loving wife of 54 years Carolyn Kiser who stayed by his side until he took his last breath; brother Natalie Kiser; 8 great grandchildren; and one new addition expected in July.  in the Gene Falin Memorial Chapel of Gate City Funeral Home at the House of Prayer Baptist Church of Nickelsville with Junior Bowery and Corey Brooks officiating and Kash and Bailey Kiser will provide the music.  Graveside services will follow at the Kiser Family Cemetery and Tommy Meade will serve as honorary pallbearers.  The family will receive friends at the home of Kenneth and Carolyn Kiser anytime.  An online guest register is available for the Kiser family at www.gatecityfunerals.com.  Gate City Funeral Home is honored to be serving the family of Rev Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text House of Prayer Baptist Church of Nickelsville This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors At the June 12 Kenneth City Town Council meeting the council along with police chief and acting town manager Michael Vieno discussed the near future of the town “It definitely keeps me busy,” Vieno told The Gabber Newspaper about balancing both roles. He is the acting Town Manager until the Council elects a new one. Vieno filled the role in April, after the Town fired Lacy LaFave  from her position due to issues with employees and credentials “I enjoy the interactions with our residents or business owners in either capacity,” Vieno added “We’re getting a lot of stuff done I’m very proud of where this town is going.” Kenneth City hopes to fill the position with due (and speedy) diligence after approving a candidate search with WolfCreek Consulting the Town currently prepares for litigation Town Attorney Ralf Brookes will meet with the council and attorney Brian Koji from Allen Koji specializes in labor and employment law The private meeting will discuss strategy and settlement negotiations related to LaFave v Vice Mayor Bonnie Noble presided over half the Council Mayor Megan Zemaitis was absent due to an emergency and Council member Anthony Chan was out of town.  Clark Finnical complained about door-to-door solicitation despite clear signage This solicitation affected his remote job and scared his wife Barbara Roberts and Cindy Hite asked about regulations for reclaimed water Hite also asked about internet service providers (ISPs) in Kenneth City Donnie Berry spoke about reckless road use saying people use the roads as “race tracks.” Ellen Dawn shared concerns about road safety mentioning semis on the street and the need to watch for motorized bicycles and golf carts on the sidewalks the town will have a parade and will have a float A pickleball tournament will also take place on July 6 Vieno announced that the town will auction off a 2003 Ford F-150 that needs dire repair and is “just sitting there.” He commended the police department’s staff for being named hometown heroes for a Girl Scouts troop and for making an arrest after a hit-and-run Kinney praised the police for their excellent work which he says is reflected in the low crime rate I think the residents and the business owners are really coming together,” Vieno told The Gabber Newspaper “I think it is a great time in Kenneth City.” by Sebastian Gonzalez de Leon y Leon Filed Under: News Tagged With: , This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page For years a plaque hung in the Jamestown Police Department honoring former city police officer Kenneth A It disappeared several years ago after suffering severe damage – but is back now thanks to current and former officers who never met Beebe “Officer Kenneth Beebe was born in September 1913 and served as the dog warden for Jamestown from 1936 until 1940,” said Arthur E retired Jamestown Police detective and department historian “The police chief at the time promoted him to patrolman and he served in that capacity from 1940 until 1943 when he was drafted into the military.” Osterdahl said Beebe was killed in action May 5 while fighting the Imperial Army of Japan on the Island of Iwo Jima “The original telegraph -from the War Department- read that he was originally listed as MIA (Missing in Action),” said Osterdahl “It was common during the war to list service members as MIA Beebe was 32 years old when he was killed in action.” For years a plaque in Beebe’s honor hung in Jamestown Police Headquarters until it was severely damaged in a 2017 flood An overnight rainstorm that took place during renovation of Tracy Plaza allowed rain water to pour into the police station computers and radios – and the plaque honoring Beebe “There was a huge flood in 2017 at the police department,” said Osterdahl “This plaque was one of the victims of that flood.” Osterdahl said that the plaque has been painstakingly restored to its glory “I must give credit to Tim Dolittle of Dolittle Custom Engraving for the amazing work he did on restoring Officer Beebe’s plaque,” Osterdahl said The significance of presenting the plaque to some of Beebe’s living relatives and restoring it to a place of honor in the department is not lost on some of the current officers in the force For Officer Beebe’s niece this is a great tribute to an uncle she never got a chance to meet But I heard all about him growing up,” said Pat Page (Beebe) “We have a proud and rich history of military service members donning our uniform and continuing to serve our community as police officers,” said JPD Lt JPD Chief Timothy Jackson echoed Piazza’s statements “We have several past officers and current officers who have served and are still serving in the military This is a tradition we hope to continue,” he said According to history.com the Battle of Iwo Jima took place Feb it is believed that of 21,000 Japanese soldiers present at the beginning of the battle over 19,000 were killed and only 1,083 taken prisoner; the 36-day (Iwo Jima) assault resulted in more than 26,000 American casualties An interesting fact of the battle revolves around two Japanese holdouts who reportedly continued to hide in the island’s caves scavenging food and supplies until they finally surrendered in 1949 almost four years after the end of World War II “We hope to continue to honor the memory of Officer Beebe and continue our proud tradition of service to our city,” said Jackson Jamestown Community College is seeking some assistance to remove asbestos that was discovered during a recent .. Copyright © 2025 Ogden Newspapers of New York | https://www.post-journal.com | PO Box 3386 including an extension of pickleball and basketball court hours at Ernst Park.  Town Council discussed other items such as a contract with the new Town Manager and a five-year Strategic Plan in Kenneth City The Town Council approved an ordinance establishing longer hours for the pickleball and basketball courts at Ernst Park the courts are available to visitors until 9 p.m. Kenneth City resident Ellen Dalbo voiced concerns regarding lighting and noise affecting residents living adjacent to Ernst Park “Did we inform the people that are going to be affected?” Dalbo asked “…because the people that live on 47th Avenue did not want the noise and the lights in their house “Right now they just play in the dark,” Mayor Zemaitis said “But we do have plans to add lighting to that park so we can use our facilities a little bit longer and that way we can also have Saturday night art markets or start doing concerts in the park by Gabriele Huffman I review an array of food in our area — not limited to Gulfport — for The Gabber Newspaper And there seems to be no shortage of tacos on Florida’s Gulf coast waiting to be discovered I visited Chinelos Taqueria in Kenneth City this place resides in an unassuming strip mall off 54th Avenue North it more than makes up for with its authentic flavors.  It’s a modest menu at Chinelos Taqueria Don’t expect the most extravagant plates but it’s definitely solid Mexican fare It’s not the biggest portion I’ve seen from a restaurant but it definitely hit the spot I also sampled the eloté ($3.95) — Mexican street corn on the cob I tore it up while I waited for my tacos.  My chicken tinga taco combo ($11.95) came with three tacos on house-made corn tortillas with rice and beans which gives it an incredibly moist texture and rich flavor you’ll love Chinelos Taqueria — everything comes littered with fresh I was surprised lengua (beef tongue) tacos were not on the menu considering those are usually classic Mexican protein.  Check out our restaurant reviews and other food-related coverage While Chinelos touts themselves as being Mexican and Honduran cuisine I’ve heard other great menu options are the iconic birria tacos with roasted brisket the al pastor tacos with achiote marinated pork and grilled pineapple are supposed to be spectacular my server recommended the enchiladas Cuernavaca with green sauce.  Chinelos Taqueria does not serve any alcohol but you can cleanse your palate with a variety of frescas and Jarritos They deep fry and toss the churros in sugar and cinnamon If you’re looking for inexpensive yet authentic Mexican food Even though the menu isn’t as large as some other area competitors Chinelos Taqueria, 6210 54th Ave. N., Kenneth City. Mon.-Thurs., 11a.m.-8 p.m.; Fri. and Sat., 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; and closed Sunday. 727-329-9177, chinelostaqueria.com by Morgan Wujkowski Filed Under: Food Tagged With: , , , Your request has been blocked by our security system due to potential security concerns Please contact us for assistance COMMUNITY PARTNER Stay connected to All Things Good in the Burg by subscribing today Since I Love the Burg launched in May of 2009 Vice-mayor Bonnie Noble had a message before the adjournment of the May 8 Kenneth City Council meeting “Come back to Kenneth City,” said Noble Megan Zemaitis is the new mayor after defeating Robert Howell. April 11 concluded Lacy LaFave’s time as Town Manager Chief of Police Michael Vieno is now the acting Town Manager Don Kinney ran unopposed for the council seat Kyle Cummings resigned days after the Town fired LaFave Cummings was the sole council member who voted against LaFave’s termination Anthony Chan swore in as a new council member at the May 8 Kenneth City Council meeting Chan filled Cummings’ seat after winning the council’s vote On Jan. 11, Chan posted on Facebook to formally announce his removal from the ballots for the March 19 election “Due to unforeseen circumstances and a clerical error I have been disqualified from participating in the 2024 Council Seat Elections for Kenneth City,” said Chan Kenneth City officials are searching for a Town Manager the council brought forth a Request for Proposal (RFP No Two consulting firms presented at the May 8 Kenneth City Council meeting The council unanimously chose WolfCreek Consulting This organization has 25 years of experience with placing people in professional roles Jay Reynolds, president of WolfCreek Consulting told the council he wanted to help Kenneth City avoid having to deal with the same issues again WolfCreek shared that they perform an “extensive vetting process.” Reynolds said that his business will send multiple candidates who satisfy background checks and credential reviews and have adequate salary expectations WolfCreek will “try to be partners” throughout the process He shared that they’ve placed professionals in organizations by working closely with clients Council member Bob Arrison explained to Reynolds and Kelly Rogers (who presented the other pitch for the RFP) the past issues Kenneth City experienced with background checks and “difficulty of attracting and retaining” staff “That won’t happen with WolfCreek,” Reynolds replied Chan asked about the firm’s exclusive rights to reach out to talent Reynolds told him that it was “your call.” “My money is on WolfCreek,” Chan said Noble noted that WolfCreek was the expensive option (by 2%) but the members on the dais said they wanted to do this right Both pitches said they need to gain experience placing town or city managers with Kenneth City council members voting unanimously for WolfCreek Consulting that is bound to change for them if they succeed Reynolds was cordial throughout the process sharing insight into how his firm works and answering questions “We won’t let you down,” Reynolds stated after getting the entire vote of the council The May 8 Kenneth City Council’s session felt amenable No one rolled their eyes or turned around while someone on the dais spoke Zemaitis called to action a motion to fill the council’s vacant seat The council unanimously voted Chan to fill the position Zemaitis asked if someone present wanted to be considered for the council seat Kenneth City launched a new accounting program according to Susan Roberts with the Finance Department She said the department currently tests the process for e-signature payments this means paychecks would be accessible in digital and paper archives Noble noted that Roberts’ efforts were moving “the town to the 21st century.” Roberts asked for feedback on what details they wanted to see in the finance reports She said a “quality finance department” is in the works Arrison liked Roberts’ proposed format for the reports He asked for details on expenses that would cause the Town to go over budget Noble proposed the idea of a Recreation Fund “Let us do more things for the kids,” the vice-mayor said Kenneth City’s Town Council will receive an update on the budget They will also review an audit that is currently “pending council approval,” according to Roberts The President of Advanced Engineering & Design, Inc. Justin Keller presented a resiliency and watershed plan. He said that they worked on identifying points to improve water quality and installing aerators in Lake Charles The same happened with only aerators installed on one side of Lake Paul When it came time to talk about the strategic plan Noble mentioned the previous people they worked with who did not provide strategic plan services The council brought in Baker Tilley to discuss the strategic plan Zemaitis said the strategic plan should have been completed last year He asked for ways to include all the previous work and the public’s intake to deliver a comprehensive strategic plan Noble highlighted the importance of a strategic plan that would provide a vision for the community the public comments centered on transparency and updates in policy changes people commented on challenges with permits and zoning and quality-of-life issues affecting businesses and residents Karin Bach expressed frustration about not being informed about policy changes until after implementation She said she only finds out once “laws are changed.” Chuck Flint talked about issues that lead businesses to leave due to zoning confusion “It’s a hot mess,” the Kenneth City resident stated Dawn Moore highlighted concerns about the deterioration in her neighborhood Ellen Dawn complained about recurring problems of garbage cans being placed in driveways During acting Town Manager Vieno’s updates “I don’t want graffiti.” She said signs had to be replaced on her street As the meeting came to an end, Vieno shared the new street designs. The council chose the teal option. Zemaitis said she polled the public on Facebook and that people preferred teal over green and blue The last comments in the meeting highlighted the return of a July 4 celebration and a pickleball clinic to use the new courts the council gave kudos to the volunteers who helped during the Spring Festival There was also talk about a public library the former council member Kyle Cummings told The Gabber Newspaper that he resigned because he does not want to be involved with the current council Cummings said the Town ran into many issues before He said nothing will get done because “the same people who created the problem” are doing the same thing again “[I] don’t want to have the cycle again,” said Cummings Cummings reiterated his support for LaFave He also claimed Noble and Zemaitis initially approved of LaFave “I’m sad for the City [sic],” Cummings said noting he believed taxes would not go where the public needs them Zemaitis told The Gabber Newspaper she had nothing to do with the previous administration leaving.  Zemaitis stated via email that she was not present when that happened “When it came time for council to vote for her to officially be the town manager I was the only member to vote no,” Zemaitis said Noble said via email that she voted to promote LaFave to the town manager to allow them to “move away from using consultants.” The Vice-mayor stated that she only voted to remove one town manager adding that two town managers “both resigned as Kenneth City town managers for better opportunities.” For more Kenneth City news, subscribe to The Weekly and The Beach Barnacle, our two weekly newsletters. Make thegabber.com your homepage to stay up-to-date on all the news happening in Gulfport by Sebastian Gonzalez de Leon y Leon OKLA (KOKH) — An Oklahoma City man was arrested for first-degree murder yesterday The Oklahoma City Police Department (OKCPD) issued a warrant for the arrest of Kenneth (Ken) Davis Davis' roommate was found deceased in their home by his brother Stanley stated in an interview that he had attempted to contact Merle by phone on Friday Davis answered and stated that Merle was sleeping Stanley went to the home to pick up Merle for church When no one answered the door or Stanley's calls he entered the home through an unlocked window Stanley called the police and remained on the scene Stanley was not the only loved one who attempted to contact Merle during this time also called Merle's cell phone on Aug Sterling also sent text messages to Merle asking if he was alright and following up to ask if he was upset after not receiving an initial reply it appeared that Merle had been murdered days before he was located For more local news delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter by clicking here. Long-awaited plans to breathe new life into Joe’s Creek and historically underserved areas surrounding the once prominent watershed Pinellas County officials comprising an evaluation committee selected Environmental Science Associates (ESA) July 2 to provide project engineering services employee-owned environmental consultancy firm’s proposal emerged from a competitive process that included Johnson “I was happy to see they have coastal experience as well as stream restoration,” said Emma Dontis “I think having those two skills for this sort of project is really quite important and it seems like they’ve been able to tackle both.” The 9,256-acre Joe’s Creek watershed also includes portions of Kenneth City While the urban waterway resembles a large local leaders have long planned to transform it into a public amenity The current project’s boundaries are Park Boulevard to the north 71st Street North to the east and Park Street to the west ESA will oversee nuisance vegetation removal and design stormwater controls – including green infrastructure that better absorbs harmful nutrients and other pollutants affecting water quality Contractors will plant native vegetation and trees restore a tidal salt marsh and dredge the channel to improve water flow Downstream waterbodies like Cross Bayou will also receive enhancements The engineering phase intertwines with additional Joe’s Creek initiatives elevated and permeable pavement multi-modal trail to foster community connectivity County documents call the Lealman Community Redevelopment Area “disadvantaged” due to the high percentage of low-income households with limited transportation access. Officials believe a reimagined Joe’s Creek will foster much-needed economic development The evaluation committee credited the ESA’s “vast” experience “They even have a drone pilot on their staff,” said Daniel Umberger the firm operates a Tampa office and has completed several local projects Company officials will dedicate 70 Florida employees In December 2023, ESA acquired St. Petersburg-based Janicki Environmental, Inc ESA’s leadership wrote that “Janicki’s expertise and specific county knowledge” will bolster “technical excellence and innovation” efforts “ESA has spoken with county staff about this important project many times over the past three years and we have a strong understanding of the project’s vision and scope of work,” states the proposal Thick nuisance vegetation currently surrounds areas of Joe’s Creek noted in an opening letter that maintaining water quality and natural habitats is challenging in the state’s most densely populated county They wrote that “significant tourism pressure and aging infrastructure” increases associated hurdles ESA welcomes the opportunity to work with the county to overcome those challenges and improve water quality and habitat for the county’s residents – both human and wild,” they continued “We look forward to continuing our strong and results-driven relationships with services provided by our local Tampa office and team of proven appreciated the firm’s detailed task outline “I think they have a really good idea of what we’re looking for and they understand how to get there,” he said thought ESA missed infrastructure improvement details he believes the company could still “deliver on the project pretty well.” County Commissioners must now approve a three-year contract with ESA The firm will complete invasive vegetation removal by mid-2026 The proposal states that stakeholders will collaboratively establish additional timelines including dates for several public outreach activities Maximizing habitat and water quality benefits “across the widest range possible” is a project priority Company officials pledged to integrate science engineering and innovation to achieve success “Projects will be identified that provide independent benefits and value instead of multiple dependent projects that must be implemented collectively to realize benefits and value,” states the proposal Hoping for beautiful,shady areas where we can find some respite from the busy,hot hustle and bustle we have around us many times Add your idea below. Review Catalyst posting guidelines here. By posting a comment, I have read, understand and agree to the Posting Guidelines Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value" Students rocket toward STEM careers at community hub 2025 Florida legislative session extended through June 6 Multiple affordable senior housing projects advance  The Catalyst honors its name by aggregating & curating the sparks that propel the St Pete engine.  It is a modern news platform, powered by community sourced content and augmented with directed coverage your perspective and your spark to the St Pete Catalyst and take your seat at the table Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_4" ).setAttribute( "value" Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2020 The St Petersburg Group Enter the details of the person you want to share this article with I am constantly on the hunt for fabulous food and drink Cool Vibes Pub & Grub is a hidden local hangout in Kenneth City and the half-toasted locals swarm the horseshoe bar en masse It’s one of those places where everyone knows everyone yet “outsiders” are warmly welcomed But the best part is the frosty mugs.  This watering hole not only serves killer drink specials but they boast a pretty large food menu to boot I was intrigued by the fried pizza rolls ($8.31) on the appetizer menu They’re mini pizza pockets stuffed with cheese and pepperoni that are deep fried and then tossed in garlic-parmesan wing sauce The portion isn’t large enough to share (at least for me) but it hits the spot if you’re hangry.  I was torn between the buffalo chicken wrap and the Southwest wrap with but I ended up ordering the wrap special of the day ($14.55) It was BBQ pulled pork and homemade mac and cheese stuffed into a grilled burrito But the mac and cheese was gooey and creamy I suggest washing it all down with a local craft beer in a super frosty mug While much of the menu is a fried food extravaganza Cool Vibes comes up with some pretty creative For more business news, subscribe to The Weekly and The Beach Barnacle, our two weekly newsletters. Make thegabber.com your homepage to stay up-to-date on all the news happening in Gulfport The locals not only trek to Cool Vibes for their drink specials there’s live music and karaoke throughout the week Cool Vibes also offers “early bird” drink specials daily with $3.50 domestic bottles and $7 craft beers If you’re one of those people who likes to drink a liquid brunch Cool Vibes offers bottomless mimosas and Bloody Marys on the weekends from noon to 3 p.m Cool Vibes Pub & Grub, 5488 58th St. N., St. Petersburg. Open daily, 11 a.m.-2 a.m. 727-289-3861, mycoolvibes.com by Morgan Wujkowski Filed Under: Food Tagged With: , , , District 3 candidate: Kenneth BellEl Paso TimesCandidate for El Paso City Council Please describe your personal and professional background I was born in Washington DC and grew up in Silver Spring and Beltsville I joined because I wanted to make a difference I believe that service to others leads to greatness I was stationed at Fort Bliss in December 2012 and have been here since Over the years I have been at City Hall advocating for our community I have worked in politics at the local and state level in Texas and other states I have supported many grassroots candidates in El Paso a political action committee dedicated to local democracy reforms I’m running to ensure that the people of District 3 continue to have a voice on council in the coming years There are many issues that need to be addressed and the people deserve a candidate who knows their concerns and is equipped to resolve them The core values of my campaign are Justice I work on political campaigns as a field organizer I will continue to support local campaigns * Please Note that mention of my military service or rank does not imply an endorsement from the Department of the Army or the Department of Defense Where did you get your high school diploma What higher education degrees and certificates have you earned from where I graduated from High Point High School in Beltsville I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Media Advertising from The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) What experiences in leadership do you have that qualify you for this position I serve as a noncommissioned officer (NCO) in the Army Reserves I have led teams and coordinated with both federal agencies and foreign governments to serve US interests Given our proximity to the border and our relationship to Ciudad Juarez I am uniquely qualified to facilitate local partnerships and address the challenges facing our border community a local political action committee dedicated to democracy reforms in El Paso I have worked with members of council to champion campaign finance reform resulting in voluntary public disclosures of contributions showcasing my ability to create meaningful change for El Paso Have you ever been arrested or charged with a crime Have you ever had a civil judgment against you would you have any potential conflicts of interest that you are aware of that would impair your ability to serve Please explain what they are and how you would avoid the conflict Why are you the best candidate for this office I bring an unmatched relevant experience to District 3 As the only candidate who has overseen federal tax dollars under strict oversight I have passed audits and ensured fiscal responsibility I believe our taxpayers deserve the same respect of their tax dollars at the local level I also have the most comprehensive platform offering detailed solutions to address the city’s needs Through my work with Justicia Fronteriza and other advocacy efforts I have been on the front lines of making real change in El Paso always focused on building a stronger community Property taxes continue to be a challenge for Texans The city is on the right track by adopting a no-new-revenue rate for the past two years Property tax freeze for seniors 65 and older Many District 3 residents are seniors living on fixed incomes and should be able to retire with dignity A property tax freeze is allowed for qualifying groups with age being the most common qualifying group I will only support Certificates of Obligation for true emergencies Misusing them for non-emergency projects places an undue burden on taxpayers I am committed to diversifying our tax base to reduce our reliance on property taxes to fund the government but migrant influxes pose challenges locally What is your vision for the city role in addressing mass migration The migrant crisis is an issue I have been involved with both in El Paso and in Central America People fleeing their homes to come to America is a humanitarian issue the city must continue to support Annunciation House and the work they do supporting migrants The city can partner with other nongovernment organizations (NGOs) to ensure they have the resources to effectively provide support The city can also partner with faith-based groups to provide support and shelter to migrants The city must work with our Congresswoman to ensure that federal funds ensure the city is promptly reimbursed for expenses this is a federal issue and a change in foreign policy is needed to address the causes of human suffering and irregular migration Do you support the widening of I-10 through Downtown El Paso It is imperative to understand that the proposed Deck Park is not contingent on widening I-10 TXDOT has stated that widening I-10 is not necessary to create a downtown deck park What is necessary is to repair the highway’s reinforcements to prevent a future collapse A study commissioned by the Commissioner’s Court has shown that widening I-10 will have no significant impact on the flow of traffic widening I-10 would cause irreversible damage to the Sunset Heights community will you work to get the project started immediately What’s the most important issue facing El Paso We can help small businesses grow through metric-based incentives and prioritize them in city contracts The city should utilize recruiters to bring in businesses to El Paso using metric-based incentives to hire our local talent and not relocate outside employees UTEP has one of the best engineering programs in the country We need to attract engineering firms to El Paso to provide jobs for our graduates We also need to ensure that we create living wage jobs for all our high school and college graduates to improve our city’s long-term economic health What’s the next big thing El Paso should do in the city Affordable housing remains a critical issue in the city with many people being on a waiting list for years One way to solve this is through inclusionary zoning The city should incentivize developers to build more affordable housing units through tax abatements promoting mixed-use development would create hubs combining residential revitalizing aging areas and making communities more walkable The city should offer incentives to ensure affordable units are part of these developments that would further tackle our housing needs while boosting the local economy Should City Hall do more to grant more public access to government leaders Public trust in our civil servants must be earned The best way to do so is by educating the public on what they do and how they serve the city One way the city does so is through its Neighborhood Leadership Academy where residents can visit different departments over the course of the academy and chief auditor should take a more active role in public outreach to ensure transparency and foster a stronger connection with the community What does transparent government mean to you Will you be personally accessible to answer questions while in office A transparent government is one that works to keep its citizens informed its actions with clear justifications I am committed to making myself accessible by creating a satellite office in the district constituents will not have to travel downtown and pay for parking to meet with their representative I will continue to host monthly community meetings in the district to keep District 3 residents informed on city matters The candidates' responses are being published largely as they were submitted An earlier version of this article listed a different name for the Ward II candidate Byron Chalfont; we’ve updated this article to reflect this The qualifying period for the 2025 Gulfport municipal elections ended Dec seven candidates qualified in Gulfport.  Incumbent Mayor Sam Henderson hopes to keep his seat for another term as Mayor His challengers are Karen Love and John Liccione* The Ward II race also has three qualified candidates Incumbent Christine Brown will defend her seat against two challengers The seat was vacated in late November by Ian O’Hara following his resignation Former council member Michael Fridovich is the current interim council member Although Fridovich requested an election packet the District 2 and 4 seats are up for election incumbent Joe Moholland has an unopposed race.  Treasure Island’s qualifying period ends on Dec Madeira Beach’s qualifying period ends on Dec The Gabber Newspaper  will update this article with qualifying period information for South Pasadena and Kenneth City *Mayoral candidate John Liccione is suing The Gabber Newspaper, along with others for $10 million in relation to his 2024 congressional primary candidacy by Patrick Heinzen “Forget muffin of the month, it’s coffee with a KC cop!!!” reads the latest Facebook post from the Town of Kenneth City.  The Gabber Newspaper looked into these records and what happened The town has no information available online and would not make the records available at a in-person visit or when The Gabber Newspaper followed the described protocol for requesting minutes via email The Gabber Newspaper requested missing minutes and agendas The agenda was visible in a bulletin board outside the city’s community center On the dais sat Megan Zemaitis and Mayor Robert Howell; Kyle Cummings did not join The items in the agenda addressed changes to planning A member of the public asked about the new website Another resident asked what happened to a magistrate meeting slotted to happen last week said the town would meet with an expert on Feb Officials discussed actions to update the town code The manager congratulated staff for the work that had been done since she took office and noted that the contract with the police department was up for renewal this year.  LaFave thanked the Pinellas Park Fire Department for donating a generator and for agreeing to support Kenneth City with emergency services “I always want the backup to the backup to the backup,” LaFave said A back-and-forth ensued between LaFave, Attorney Ralf Brookes, and Councilmember Noble over the city’s website.   “We have hired professionals [for this]” reiterated LaFave The process for the website has been tricky; with some contractors quoting more than $100,000 “They have said our website is such a mess,” LaFave said before noting some companies would not take the project Noble requested inclusion of items to the website “This is what the citizens wanted,” Noble said Mayor Howell asked the council and the manager to pause the discussion and continue with the right people in the room.  LaFave told The Gabber Newspaper that they are moving at an expedited speed to get the city up to date The Gabber Newsletter sent an email on Feb “Every person has the right to inspect or copy any public record made or received in connection with the official business of any public body,” states Section 24 of the Florida Constitution The Gabber Newspaper asked LaFave to comment on this While Town Hall meetings are open to residents who want to attend every second Wednesday of every month the website has not made crucial records available officials have not yet made the minutes from the last public meeting — or any others — available The town has not published agendas on its website since July 2023 and has not made minutes available online since Nov The Gabber Newspaper met Mayor Robert Howell on Feb He told The Gabber Newspaper he leads the legislative body of the town “We were we were supposed to have had them [at the meeting],” Howell said “I don’t think the town clerk brought them.” “I know for a fact that [LaFave] has contacted different people about coming in and taking over our website and fixing it,” Howell said He noted that it was not a matter of the town administration not working on it but rather getting the right contractors to fulfill the job “Nobody has done the job that the staff down here is doing The town does keep residents up to date with community activities with the police via Facebook The Gabber Newspaper will continue to follow this issue. Start at the beginning of the town’s troubles, made public in 2022 Sebastian Gonzalez de Leon y Leon also publishes the San Pedro Gazette To support hyperlocal journalism in a meaningful way The Gabber Newspaper partners with San Pedro Gazette whose mission it is to “bring stories of policy and humanities to the residents of Saint Petersburg and Pinellas County to educate and empower the public.” This professional grassroots journalism project puts a laser focus on St. Petersburg politics. Check out their website and subscribe to their newsletter. You can reach out to Sebastian via email by Sebastian Gonzalez de Leon y Leon Filed Under: News Tagged With: , Many cities in Pinellas County use a city or town manager form of government many residents don’t know what this means Megan Zemaitis, the newly elected mayor of Kenneth City, took immediate action by firing the town manager This decision was significant because it stripped the town’s executive power from LaFave and the Council had to assign someone else to temporarily fill the position Zemaitis was able to terminate the Kenneth City town manager only with the majority of the town council voting in favor of dismissing LaFave It has everything to do with the way Kenneth City’s form of government works Petersburg uses a strong-mayor form of government where the mayor holds executive power and makes decisions based on the proposed budgets The United States follows the principle of separation of power which means that the legislative branch (represented by Congress) creates and amends laws; it also approves budgets The judicial branch (represented by the courts) interprets these laws, and these are executed by the executive power This system ensures that no one branch of government has too much power and that each branch acts as a check and balance on the others the City Council passes laws and approves the budget The Pinellas County courts interpret laws and oversee their application St. Pete seems to be an outlier in Pinellas County. You won’t find a strong-mayor form of government in Kenneth City, Clearwater, Gulfport, or most municipalities you will run into a council-manager form of government Understanding the differences between these forms of government can prove helpful when navigating the intricacies of the political and bureaucratic systems in our corner of Florida “In 1995, a grand jury investigated the Kenneth City Police Department after allegations of ticket-fixing and harassment,” an article by Jack Evans in the Tampa Bay Times reads it had a forceful recommendation: Hire a town manager.” Kenneth City has had multiple town managers LaFave is just one of the multiple managers who have worked in the small town north of Gulfport In the council-manager form of government things are different from the form of government seen in St The Town or City managers are responsible for drafting a budget and proposing it to the council for approval managers are responsible for “implementing and enforcing council policies and legislative initiatives.” As seen in the chart above, the council-manager form assigns the town or city council as the governing body. They oversee the work of the town manager by approving the proposed budget The role of a mayor in the council-manager form of government can differ the mayor is a public and elected official The mayor is typically the chair of the council meetings and oversees the public proceedings ensuring effective governance and a harmonious relationship between the administration and the council members Sebastián González de León y León publishes the San Pedro Gazette This professional grassroots journalism project puts a laser focus on St. Petersburg politics. Don’t stop at reading some of their work here — check out their website and subscribe to their newsletter by Sebastian Gonzalez de Leon y Leon