Gulfport Considers Domestic Partnership Registry

Gulfport's waterfront district is an economic engine for this Gulf coast city. One of the bustling spots is Stella’s restaurant, run by City Council member Barbara Banno and her life partner, Jeanne Kunkle.

“We love Gulfport,” said Banno, and the city clearly has welcomed the couple, who wed in Canada in 2006, though their union is not recognized by the state of Florida.

So when Banno heard about Tampa's move and passage of a local domestic partnership registry, she started pushing for a similar one in Gulfport.

A domestic partnership registry gives couples, gay or straight, the opportunity to register with the City Clerk’s office.

A proposed ordinance is on the agenda for a workshop Thursday, April 19, at 5:30 p.m. at Gulfport City Hall.

Here's how the registry would work:

After paying a fee, couples would receive a certificate of registry recognizing them as domestic partners.

The legal recognition at the local level would grant them rights similar to that of a married couple when making education choices for children, emergency medical decisions, end-of-life choices and funeral arrangements.

Bannno believes that the registry would benefit a lot of Gulfport residents, not just same-sex couples. “A huge percentage of our senior citizens are not remarried,” Banno said.

Trend Across Florida

Gulfport may be part of a statewide trend. If the Gulfport City Council adopts the idea, the city would become the 10th Florida community to do so, says Brian Winfield with Equality Florida. Clearwater and St. Petersburg also are looking at domestic registries.

Florida cities and counties that have adopted registries are:

• Broward County
• Miami-Dade County
• Palm Beach County
• Gainesville
• Key West
• Miami Beach
• Orlando
• West Palm Beach 
• Tampa

“Equality Florida applauds local communities like Gulfport that take on an important issue like domestic partnership registeries,” Winfield said.

Banno and Kunkle see the registry as offering them greater security and peace of mind.

Kunkle says her frustrations are with medical decisions and possible emergency situations. By passing the ordinance, Kunkle would be able to make medical decisions and be notified of medical emergencies, if anything happened to Banno.

“I’m not next of kin, that’s my biggest issue. You spend your whole life together and I’m not considered next of kin,” Kunkle said.

The idea of creating a registry in Gulfport was first brought up at the  March 20 City Council meeting by Banno and Councilor Jennifer Salmon.

The Council agreed to explore the idea at a workshop. City Attorney Andrew Salzman and City Clerk Lesley DeMuth worked on drafting an ordinance.

The resulting proposal is similar to the domestic partner registry in Key West, one of the oldest in Florida.

“The Tampa one requires more governmental action, meaning that there’s certain requirements and certain documents. It’s also extremely expensive to do it that way. What we’re trying to do is accomplish it, but not have all the paperwork requirements. We want to make it as simple and easy,” City Attorney Andrew Salzman said.

Council member Jennifer Salmon believes the registry would be “revenue neutral.” Currently, the proposal calls for a $50 fee.

There are some questions as to where the information will be kept and how the documents may be obtained by the public. Banno said there’s some discussion about storing the records at the Gulfport Fire Department, because it’s the only building that has 24-hour access.

Banno and Salmon expressed concern about people requesting copies of registries in order to gather information about same-sex couples. Salmon believes the Gulfport registry “will not be a publicly searchable database.”

The documents are public and if someone wants a copy, they would have to request it through the clerk’s office, according to Salmon.

Although there are questions regarding implementation, Banno and Salmon are confident and hopeful about moving forward.

“It takes our Human Rights Ordinance to the next step. It’s not taking the place of a recognized marriage and following Florida’s state law,” Salmon said.

“This is one small step in the right direction for the gay and lesbian community,” Banno said.

Gulfport Mayor Mike Yakes says that "It's time (that) we have arrived," and adds that he has a lot of confidence in the ordinance. He hopes that Pinellas County takes note.

Winfield of Equality Florida emphasized that the ordinance benefits all couples in committed relationships.

“Ninety percent of domestic couples in Florida are opposite sex couples. That’s due to our senior citizen populations, often when people get older in life, and they meet a new person, they may not want to get married,” he said.

Another point Winfield adds is the economic impact that may result. He says businesses want to build and even relocate to communities that are diverse and accepting.

What's next?

The ordinance is on the agenda for this week’s workshop at Gulfport City Hall. The proposed ordinance and proposed domestic partnership registry form are attached to this article and will be available on the City of Gulfport website on Wednesday.

Residents are encouraged to attend the workshop and share thoughts, opinions and concerns during public comment.

Municipalities, including St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Orange County, are also in the discussion stages.

On April 5, the St. Pete City Council voted unanimously to refer creating the registry to the Public Services & Infrastructure Committee.

Monday's agenda for the Clearwater City Council Work Session included a proposal for a domestic partnership registry.

Clearwater's City Clerk Rosemarie Call contacted Gulfport's City Clerk Lesley DeMuth and asked for a copy of Gulfport's proposed ordinance. Call says Clearwater's mayor asked for the topic to be included at the 1 p.m. work session on Monday, April 16.