Venice meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Venice council set to vote on data center moratorium and $594,929 budget change; minutes still pending for recent meetings

Venice's city boards met six times between Oct. 13 and Oct. 21, but as of Oct. 26 no minutes had been published for any of those meetings. The record therefore does not show what was decided, tabled or rejected at those sessions. What follows describes what appeared on the agendas — proposals, presentations and public hearings — and what is scheduled next.

Votes scheduled for Oct. 27

The City Council's next meeting agenda lists five action items:

• **Final reading, Ord. No. 2026-32:** a 12-month moratorium on applications for facilities serving large load customers, including data centers.
• **Ord. No. 2026-37:** an increase of total revenue and expenditures by $594,929.
• **First reading, Ord. No. 2026-33:** rezoning 1936 E Venice Avenue to Office, Professional and Institutional (OPI).
• **A grant of $150,000.00** to produce a Watershed Master Plan.
• **A Police Marine Patrol project agreement** not to exceed $204,010.

The agenda does not state the source of the $150,000.00 grant or the terms of the Marine Patrol agreement.

Data center moratorium

The moratorium first appeared on the Oct. 13 City Council agenda as a proposed ordinance covering facilities serving large load customers, including data centers. The Oct. 27 agenda lists a final reading. The supplied record does not include the result of any earlier reading.

Land use, notices and planning

The Oct. 13 council agenda listed Ord. No. 2026-28, which would extend the mailed notice distance for land development from 250 to 500 feet, and Ord. No. 2026-31, proposed rules for filling Council vacancies and emergency succession.

The Planning Commission's Oct. 20 agenda scheduled public hearings on the annual update of the 2027-2031 Capital Improvement Schedule, the Knights Trail Transitional Preliminary Plat, zoning map amendments for Wisdom Development and the Venice Yacht Club, and a text amendment on political signs.

Airport

Airport policy ran across two meetings. The Oct. 13 agenda included proposed airport rates and fee adjustments with a phased implementation plan. An Oct. 15 workshop was set to feature presentations by Christopher J. Wilson on "Airport Law 101," Blake Swafford on digital towers, and Airport Director Nick Dumas with a Venice Airport update.

Labor agreement

The Oct. 13 agenda also listed a Collective Bargaining Agreement with AFSCME Local 1718 covering Oct. 1, 2025 through Sept. 30, 2028.

Other items on the Oct. 14 agenda

A second council meeting that week, designated Student Government Day, listed presentations with action items: a Search and Recovery Otter Acquisition Proposal, an eVTOL EMS Aircraft request, the Venice Autonomous Micro-Transit Project, an Amphitheater at Legacy Park proposal, and Northeast Venice Park Expansion.

Cancelled and empty agendas

The Oct. 16 informational presentations agenda contained no listed discussion items or decisions; the document was procedural boilerplate. The Citizen Advisory Board meeting scheduled for Oct. 21 was cancelled. Its next meeting is set for Dec. 16, 2026.

Coming up

• **Oct. 27 — City Council.** The only meeting in the next 14 days in the supplied schedule, and the first chance in this window to see recorded votes on the moratorium, the $594,929 budget adjustment, the E Venice Avenue rezoning, the Watershed Master Plan grant and the Marine Patrol agreement.
• **Dec. 16 — Citizen Advisory Board.** The next meeting listed after the October cancellation, outside the two-week window.

Minutes for the Oct. 13-21 meetings had not been published as of Oct. 26; when posted, they will show how each item was resolved.

Venice Council agendas take up data center moratorium; no outcomes yet recorded

Venice officials listed a proposed 12-month moratorium on facilities serving large load customers, including data centers, among the items before the City Council at its October 13 meeting — the most far-reaching item in a two-week run of city meetings. No minutes have been published for any of the meetings summarized here, so the available records show what was scheduled to be heard, not what was decided. No votes, tallies, or dollar amounts appear in the agendas provided.

Data center moratorium heads the Council list

Ord. No. 2026-32 is described as a proposed 12-month moratorium on data center and large load customer facilities. The same October 13 agenda lists Ord. No. 2026-28, a proposed extension of the mailed notice distance for land development from 250 to 500 feet; a Collective Bargaining Agreement with AFSCME Local 1718 covering October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2028; proposed airport rates and fee adjustments with a phased implementation plan; and Ord. No. 2026-31, proposed rules for filling Council vacancies and emergency succession. Each is listed as proposed business; the agenda records no action taken.

Technology and infrastructure proposals

A second Council meeting on October 14, designated Student Government Day, listed presentations with action items: a Search and Recovery Otter Acquisition Proposal, an eVTOL EMS Aircraft request, the Venice Autonomous Micro-Transit Project, an Amphitheater at Legacy Park proposal, and Northeast Venice Park Expansion. The agenda gives no costs or funding sources for any of these items.

Airport workshop

A Council workshop on October 15 was set to consist of three presentations: Airport Law 101 by Christopher J. Wilson, Digital Towers by Blake Swafford, and a Venice Airport Update by Airport Director Nick Dumas. Workshops are discussion sessions; the agenda lists no action item.

Venice Crossing: Chipotle and Texas Roadhouse

The Planning Commission met October 6 at 1:30 PM in Council Chambers at 401 West Venice Avenue on a set of quasi-judicial public hearings — proceedings on specific development applications — at Venice Crossing. The cases listed were 26-18SP, a site and development plan for a Chipotle; and for a Texas Roadhouse, 26-21SP (site and development plan), 26-36DA (design alternative), 26-37HE (height exception), and 26-38VZ (variance, including LED banding decision criteria). The agenda also listed approval of minutes from September 15, 2026. No decisions are recorded.

Code enforcement case

The Special Magistrate for Code Enforcement met October 7 at 10:00 AM in Council Chambers at 401 West Venice Avenue with one new case, CEEN 26-00318, concerning Richard A. Redmon. Attachments listed were a Notice of Violation, Notice of Hearing, a Property Appraiser record, and a Deed. The agenda does not state the nature of the alleged violation or any proposed penalty.

Preservation board and a blank agenda

The Historic and Architectural Preservation Board met October 8 to discuss proposed code changes on garage regulations and façade colors, and to elect a Chair and Vice Chair. A separate October 16 informational presentations agenda contained no listed discussion items, decisions, or presentations — only procedural boilerplate.

Coming up

• **October 20 — Planning Commission.** Public hearings on the annual update of the City of Venice Capital Improvement Schedule (2027-2031), the Knights Trail Transitional Preliminary Plat, the Wisdom Development Zoning Map Amendment, the Venice Yacht Club Zoning Map Amendment, and a Political Signs Text Amendment.
• **October 21 — Citizen Advisory Board.** Cancelled. The next meeting is scheduled for December 16, 2026.

Readers should check the city's published agendas and minutes for the official record of any action taken at the meetings above.

Venice Council to weigh 12-month data center moratorium; no decisions recorded in past two weeks

No decisions were recorded at the three Venice government meetings held in the past two weeks, based on the summaries provided. All three — the Planning Commission, the Special Magistrate for Code Enforcement, and the Historic and Architectural Preservation Board — are listed as agenda-only, with minutes not yet published. Those records contain no vote tallies and no dollar amounts.

The most consequential item now before the city is a proposed 12-month moratorium on applications for facilities serving large load customers, including data centers. It is listed as Ord. No. 2026-32 on the City Council agenda for Oct. 13.

Data centers, notice distances, airport fees on the Oct. 13 agenda

The same Council agenda also lists:

• Ord. No. 2026-28, which would extend the mailed notice distance from 250 feet to 500 feet for land development.
• A Collective Bargaining Agreement with AFSCME Local 1718 covering Oct. 1, 2025 through Sept. 30, 2028.
• Proposed airport rates and fee adjustments and a phased implementation plan.
• Ord. No. 2026-31, proposed rules for filling Council vacancies and emergency succession.

The agenda lists these as items to be considered. It does not record outcomes.

Planning Commission: Chipotle and Texas Roadhouse at Venice Crossing

The Planning Commission met Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 1:30 PM in Council Chambers at 401 West Venice Avenue. Its main business was a set of quasi-judicial public hearings — hearings in which the board applies land-use rules to a specific application — on development applications at Venice Crossing: a site and development plan for a Chipotle (26-18SP), and for a Texas Roadhouse a site and development plan (26-21SP), design alternative (26-36DA), height exception (26-37HE), and variance (26-38VZ) including LED banding decision criteria. The Commission was also scheduled to approve minutes from its Sept. 15, 2026 meeting and to hear audience participation and comments from staff and members. The agenda lists what would be heard; no decisions are recorded in it.

Code enforcement: one case

The Special Magistrate for Code Enforcement met Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 10:00 AM in Council Chambers at 401 West Venice Avenue. The only substantive item was one new case, CEEN 26-00318, concerning Richard A. Redmon, with a Notice of Violation, Notice of Hearing, Property Appraiser record, and Deed attached. The agenda does not state the nature of the alleged violation or any proposed penalty. Staff updates were also scheduled.

Historic board: garage rules, façade colors, elections

The Historic and Architectural Preservation Board met to discuss proposed code changes on garage regulations and façade colors, and to hold elections for Chair and Vice Chair. The summary does not list outcomes.

Other upcoming meetings

• Oct. 14, City Council: designated Student Government Day, with presentations and action items listed on a Search and Recovery Otter Acquisition Proposal, an eVTOL EMS Aircraft request, the Venice Autonomous Micro-Transit Project, an Amphitheater at Legacy Park proposal, and Northeast Venice Park Expansion.
• Oct. 15, City Council: an airport workshop with presentations by Christopher J. Wilson on Airport Law 101, Blake Swafford on Digital Towers, and a Venice Airport Update by Airport Director Nick Dumas.
• Oct. 16, Informational Presentations: the provided agenda lists no discussion items, decisions, or presentations; it consists of procedural boilerplate.

Coming up

• Oct. 13 — City Council: data center moratorium (Ord. No. 2026-32), mailed notice distance (Ord. No. 2026-28), AFSCME Local 1718 contract, airport rates and fees, Council vacancy rules (Ord. No. 2026-31).
• Oct. 14 — City Council: Student Government Day; transit, park, and equipment proposals.
• Oct. 15 — City Council: airport workshop.
• Oct. 16 — Informational Presentations: no substantive items listed.

Note: the summaries provided do not include vote tallies or dollar amounts for any item, and minutes for the three recent meetings were not yet published.

No decisions made in past Venice meetings; council to weigh $6.4M budget

Recent Venice government meetings were agenda-only, with no decisions made and minutes not yet published. The most consequential item on the upcoming City Council agenda is a budget amendment increasing revenue and expenditures by $6,476,400.

Planning Commission

The Venice Planning Commission met Aug. 18 with an agenda that included public hearings on several quasi-judicial items. No decisions were made. Items listed were:

• A site and development plan for Mavis Tires & Brakes (case 26-11SP)
• A preliminary plat for the Knights Trail Subdivision (26-03PP)
• A sign design alternative for Venice Crossing (26-17DA)
• Site plan and conditional use applications for Venice Executive Storage (25-25SP and 26-19CU)
• An amendment to mailed notice and neighborhood workshop requirements (26-32AM)

The commission also considered approval of the July 7, 2026 minutes and allowed audience participation.

Citizen Advisory Board

The Citizen Advisory Board met Aug. 19 with an agenda that included a consultant presentation on the Parks Master Plan by GAI, consideration of approving the Mayor's Garden at the Lavallee Municipal Campus, discussion of elevating the city's Bicycle Friendly Community rating to Gold, and a review of Code Section 46.5 for naming or renaming city parks. The board also continued unfinished business on website improvements. No decisions were made.

Police Pension Board

The Police Pension Board of Trustees met Aug. 19 on a procedural agenda with no substantive items listed. No decisions were made.

Coming up

The Venice City Council will meet Aug. 25. The agenda includes:

• A continued appeal of a site plan amendment for property at 500 and 504 Gene Green Road (Ajax expansion)
• Final reading of Ordinance 2026-22 establishing procedures for certified recovery residences
• Final reading of Ordinance 2026-23 amending multiple land development code sections
• Ordinance 2026-24 increasing the FY2026 budget by $6,476,400
• Appointments to the Citizens Tax Oversight Committee and the Historic and Architectural Preservation Board

The council will also receive a financial update and hold discussion items requested by members.

Venice City Council to weigh $245,000 property purchase and $255,000 budget amendment

The Venice City Council's July 14 meeting agenda includes the proposed purchase of 234 Grove Street for $245,000 and a budget amendment that would raise both revenue and expenditures by $255,000. Minutes from the meeting have not yet been published, so outcomes are not yet confirmed.

City Council — July 14

The council was scheduled to consider buying the property at 234 Grove Street from Warfield Grove, LLC for $245,000.

Also on the agenda:

• **Ordinance 2026-21**: A budget amendment increasing total revenue and expenditures by $255,000.
• **Ordinance 2026-22**: An amendment adding Certified Recovery Residences and related land-use procedures to the Land Development Code.
• **Third Amendment to Restated Lease Agreement** with Skyport Holdings Venice, LLC.
• **Resolution 2026-14**: Acceptance of utilities, improvements, and a one-year developer maintenance bond for the Bay Indies Clubhouse Reconstruction Project.
• Setting dates and rates for upcoming public hearings on the millage rate and budget.

Minutes are not yet available, so it is not confirmed which items passed, failed, or were continued.

City Council — July 8

A budget wrap-up workshop was scheduled to finalize upcoming fiscal decisions. Discussion items included a cost-benefit analysis comparing IT server costs against cloud solutions, a review of items removed from the General Fund Budget, and calculation of the proposed millage rate. No votes or figures from this workshop are available yet.

Planning Commission — July 7

The Planning Commission was scheduled to conduct quasi-judicial hearings on two variance requests:

• A variance request for 201 The Esplanade.
• A variance request for 412 Hunter Drive.

Each case included staff reports and applicant site plans for review. Minutes have not been published, so decisions are not confirmed.

Historic and Architectural Preservation Board — July 9

The board was scheduled to review a pre-application request involving floorplans and elevations for 401 Nassau St S. Members were also set to discuss proposed changes to the city's facade color requirements. No outcomes are available.

Why this matters

The July 14 agenda items carry the most direct impact for residents. The $245,000 property purchase and the $255,000 budget amendment involve public dollars. The Certified Recovery Residences ordinance could affect where and how recovery housing operates in Venice. The Bay Indies Clubhouse resolution relates to infrastructure acceptance for a reconstruction project. The millage rate discussions on July 8 and July 14 will determine the property tax rate residents pay in the upcoming fiscal year.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are listed for the next 14 days. Residents seeking confirmed outcomes from the July 7, 8, 9, and 14 meetings should watch for published minutes on the City of Venice website.

Venice meeting roundup: Recent minutes pending; Council set to act on $245,000 property purchase and budget amendments July 14

Minutes have not yet been published for any of Venice's four most recent public meetings, so no decisions from those sessions can be confirmed as of this report. The most consequential items on the horizon are scheduled for the July 14 City Council meeting, where council members will consider a $245,000 property purchase, a $255,000 budget amendment, and changes to the city's land development code.

Special Magistrate — Code Enforcement (July 1)

The Special Magistrate for Code Enforcement was scheduled to hear several cases on July 1. The agenda included a notice of violation against Justin Junda (case CEZN25-0008) and a notice of violation against Hawks Run Development LLC regarding street drainage (case CESW26-001). The magistrate was also set to hear three citation appeals related to water and irrigation restrictions: Jose and Katherine Requeima (CEMI26-0019), John and Nancy Eiseman (CEMI26-0018), and Samuel George Joynson and Anna McLean (CEMI26-0023). Minutes have not been published, so outcomes are not yet available.

Planning Commission — Variance Requests (July 7)

The Planning Commission was scheduled to hold quasi-judicial hearings on two property variance requests: one for 201 The Esplanade and another for 412 Hunter Drive. Each case included staff reports and applicant site plans for review. Minutes have not been published.

City Council — Budget Workshop (July 8)

City Council held a budget wrap-up workshop on July 8. Agenda items included a cost-benefit analysis comparing IT server project costs against cloud solutions, a review of items removed from the General Fund Budget, and a discussion of the proposed millage rate calculation. No votes or decisions can be confirmed because minutes have not been published.

Historic and Architectural Preservation Board (July 9)

The Historic and Architectural Preservation Board was scheduled to review a pre-application request involving floorplans and elevations for 401 Nassau St S. The board was also set to discuss proposed changes to the city's facade color requirements. Minutes have not been published.

Coming up

City Council — Tuesday, July 14: The council will consider purchasing the property at 234 Grove Street from Warfield Grove, LLC for $245,000. Also on the agenda: Ordinance 2026-21, a budget amendment increasing total revenue and expenditures by $255,000; Ordinance 2026-22, an amendment adding Certified Recovery Residences to the Land Development Code; a third amendment to the restated lease agreement with Skyport Holdings Venice, LLC; and Resolution 2026-14, accepting utilities, improvements, and a one-year developer maintenance bond for the Bay Indies Clubhouse Reconstruction Project. The council will also set dates and rates for upcoming public hearings on the millage rate and budget.

Residents seeking confirmed outcomes from the July 1, 7, 8, and 9 meetings should watch for published minutes on the city's official website.

Venice City Council discusses police staffing, train depot purchase; budget workshop set for July 8

The Venice City Council reviewed a police staffing study, considered buying the Venice Train Depot Lift Station for $10 from Sarasota County, and discussed a proposed $255,000 budget increase during its June 23 meeting. No binding votes have been published yet, as minutes remain pending. The week also saw code enforcement hearings before a special magistrate. Upcoming meetings include a City Council budget workshop and Planning Commission variance hearings.

City Council discusses staffing, depot, and budget

The council’s June 23 agenda included a presentation on Police Department staffing levels. Council members also considered an ordinance to increase the city’s total budget revenue and expenditures by $255,000, though no final action has been recorded. They discussed adopting a revised Land Development Schedule of Fees and Charges and held an appeal hearing regarding multifamily construction at 816 Ormond Street. The council also reviewed a request to proceed with the Venice Airport environmental review.

One item listed for possible action was the purchase of the Venice Train Depot Lift Station from Sarasota County for $10.00. The meeting was an agenda-only event; official minutes have not yet been published, so no decisions are confirmed.

Special Magistrate hears code violations and water restriction appeals

On July 1, the Special Magistrate for Code Enforcement reviewed several property violation cases. Cases included a notice of violation for Justin Junda (case CEZN25-0008) and for Hawks Run Development LLC regarding street drainage (case CESW26-001). The magistrate also heard citation appeals for water and irrigation restrictions filed by Jose and Katherine Requeima (CEMI26-0019), John and Nancy Eiseman (CEMI26-0018), and Samuel George Joynson and Anna McLean (CEMI26-0023). As with the council meeting, minutes have not yet been published, so outcomes of these hearings are not yet available.

Coming up

Planning Commission – Tuesday, July 7: The commission will hold quasi-judicial hearings on variance requests for properties at 201 The Esplanade and 412 Hunter Drive. Staff reports and site plans are available for review.

City Council budget workshop – Wednesday, July 8: Council members will finalize fiscal decisions, including a cost-benefit analysis comparing an IT server project to cloud solutions, a review of items removed from the General Fund Budget, and calculation of the proposed millage rate for the coming year.

Historic and Architectural Preservation Board – Thursday, July 9: The board will review a pre-application for floorplans and elevations at 401 Nassau St S and discuss proposed changes to the city’s facade color requirements.