Along with celebrating Lt. Joe White’s (left) retirement, the Dec. 2 Treasure Island Commission meeting discussed the Master Plan and residents’ views.
Photo courtesy of the Treasure Island Fire Rescue
The Dec. 2 Treasure Island Commission meeting was contentious, with a recall effort announced, a vote to secure a master planner failing, and a Commissioner missing in action.
In lighter news, the City also celebrated Lt. Joe White’s retirement from the Treasure Island Fire Department after 26 years.
Missing in Action
District 2 Commissioner Chris Clark was not in attendance, which caught some criticism during public comment. Clark’s absence had a direct impact on an issue important to numerous Treasure Island residents present for the meeting. This meeting was supposed to secure a Master Plan for the redevelopment of Treasure Island.
The issue of a Master Plan has been a focal point of residents showing up to Commission meetings to speak for weeks. Residents celebrated last session when the Commission passed a resolution to begin the process toward obtaining a Master Plan.
The request for qualifications presented at the Dec. 2 meeting however, failed to impress both residents and District 4 Commissioner Arden Dickey, who took issue with a specific section, which requires a “planner with experience in Florida.”
“I was a consultant for many years in my job in the newspaper business,” Dickey said. “I could work as easily in Miami as I could Detroit or Philadelphia or Kansas City.”
He was alone in this specific objection with Vice Mayor Tammy Vasquez (District 1) and Mayor John Doctor advocating for experience in Florida as essential to the master planner.
[Read more below]
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The vote was split at 2-2 causing the Master Plan to fail, with Clark’s tie-breaking vote missing in action. Commissioners Dickey and Arthur Czyszczon (District 3) voted against the resolution to send out the request for qualifications saying it was not specific enough.
“We need a better scope of services,” Dickey said. “It looked like it was downloaded from AI.”
Resident Mark Hoey shared this same sentiment.
“The criteria that were circulated as part of the handout are extremely weak and inadequate,” Hoey said.
Hoey came with receipts. He shared a response to the request for qualifications from a City staff member saying, “from what I read, we don’t know where we want to go, and are relying on a vague scope from a consultant to tell us… I have never seen such an unclear scope of services.”
Despite a last minute attempt to resurrect the issue, no request for qualifications has been approved for a master planner. The issue is not dead, however, and the Commission instructed City staff to create a more detailed request for qualifications to be discussed on Jan. 5, 2026.
District 3 Commissioner Arthur Czyszczon (middle) butted heads with both Mayor John Doctor (left) and residents who opposed his policies.
Photo by Hailey Rank
Commissioner Czyszczon Facing Heat
This meeting focused heavily on Commissioner Czyszczon who butted heads with both Mayor Doctor and residents opposed to his policies. Residents confronted Czyszczon with a newly unveiled recall effort.
Commissioner Czyszczon wanted to dig into items he felt were relevant to his district that had been previously added to the consent agenda. He said there is a “potential savings of $167,000″ that “needs to be discussed to save money.”
Typically, the City discusses items on the consent agenda prior to these meetings and are believed to have unanimous consent so they can pass quicker. Mayor Doctor criticized what he called a “waste of time” with changing the consent agenda each week in a comment pointed at Commissioners Dickey and Czyszczon.
“I thought saving $167,000 was not a waste of time,” Czyszczon said.
Czyszczon was referencing a vote on new windows and doors for the Treasure Bay Clubhouse that had been on the consent agenda. However, when the Commission discussed the repairs further, they found savings available and instead voted for a cheaper option.
[Read more below]
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Additionally, Czyszczon faced criticism from residents of his district. Hoey, a regular Commission meeting attendee, gave three comments throughout the night that all began with the same preamble: “Good evening; Mark Hoey; and Arthur Czyszczon still does not reflect my values.”
Hoey was not alone this week in his specific criticisms of Czyszczon, with resident Brandy Long unveiling a recall effort against him.
“It has become evident that he is not appropriate to continue serving and since he has refused to step down, this is the course of action,” Long said. “You’ll see volunteers canvassing neighborhoods and visiting local businesses. We’ll be sharing updates on social media so you can easily connect with a volunteer and add your name.”
During a tense moment at the end of the session, Czyszczon responded to the recall effort at large, “I definitely don’t share the same values as [Mark Hoey], and I am not going to be resigning… I welcome the recall, let’s do it.”
The City, family, and fellow firefighters celebrated firefighter and EMT Lt. Joe White on his retirement after 26 years with the Treasure Island Fire Department.
Photo courtesy of the Treasure Island Fire Rescue
26 Years of Service
The City, family, and fellow firefighters celebrated firefighter and EMT Lt. Joe White on his retirement after 26 years with the Treasure Island Fire Department.
Fire Chief Trip Barrs gave a glowing review of White’s tenure as a driver for nearly 20 years, and also his tireless efforts as their union representative.
“Joe also served as union representative,” Barrs said. “Ensuring that the men and women of the fire department were represented and advocated for fairly and professionally, always keeping the best interests of the public and the organization at the forefront.”
There will be a reception at City Hall on Tuesday, Dec. 9 from 1-3 p.m. honoring Lt. White. All are welcome to attend.
The Dec. 2 Treasure Island Commission Meeting
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